Legacy of the Void Fleet

And truthfully, even if he could technically withdraw from the situation, Benjamin had no intention of doing so.

The potential benefits of gaining a foothold in the Holy Region were far too valuable: rare resources, strategic advantage, long-term power, and most of all—status and promotion within the Alchemy Association.

The prestige alone was enough to make him hesitate at the thought of stepping away.

He was ambitious—and this was the kind of opportunity people waited lifetimes for. Even more so in the Alchemy Association, where, while capability mattered the most, Benjamin knew he had reached his limit on the Dao of Alchemy and couldn’t progress any further.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t gain more benefits—or rise to the pinnacle of the Alchemy Association. Those things were still possible, if he made enough contributions.

And this was his chance to make a contribution—his opportunity to rise above what he currently was. Sure, the opportunity was troublesome and difficult… but when has any real opportunity ever come easy?

Isn’t there a saying? The harder something is to obtain, the more precious it becomes once you’ve earned it. Maybe that would be true for him as well… or at least, that’s what he was hoping for.

Meanwhile, the others also turned their attention toward the Star Emperor.They too shared thoughts similar to Benjamin’s—though to a lesser extent.

All except Titan Dwarva, who remained deep in contemplation.

For him, the decision was far from simple.Unlike Benjamin, whose potential in the Dao of Alchemy had already reached its peak—cementing his position within the Alchemy Association—Dwarva’s journey was still ongoing. His Dao of Forging was still growing, his skills progressing steadily.

By relying on his own merit, he could continue to climb the ranks of the Forgers’ Guild.To throw himself into such a high-risk operation now, when his future was still unfolding through personal mastery… it didn’t sit well with him.

Still, he didn’t voice these thoughts.Instead, he decided to listen. After all, he could always withdraw later, if necessary.

The situation, once thought to be a smooth path to unimaginable gains, was rapidly turning uncertain. And he was beginning to question whether the benefits still outweighed the risk.”But fine,” he thought. ”Let’s hear what the Star Emperor has planned.”

Seeing all eyes on him, the Star Emperor began speaking with deliberate calm and clarity.

”We all know,” he began, ”that the moment any of us makes a move, someone will start watching. My fleets have already begun attracting attention—but it’s manageable. They’re heading toward the Galactic Rim, which isn’t unusual.”

He glanced at Benjamin and Dwarva. ”But the same can’t be said for your organizations—especially the Guild and the Association. The moment your forces mobilize, people will notice. Not just notice—they’ll scrutinize. Your influence and power make others cautious... even fearful. And once they realize you’re all heading in the same direction—toward the same sector—they’ll know something is happening. And the floodgates of suspicion will burst open.”

The others were listening intently now.

”And now that it’s clear we won’t be able to enter the Holy Region for another ten days, we need a way to buy time and deflect attention.”

He paused, then leaned forward slightly. ”Here’s my proposal: instead of launching large, unified fleets from your respective factions, send out smaller groups—separately, in different directions. Let each group appear as if it has its own distinct objective.

Let the fleets scatter along different paths, while masking their true pattern. In the beginning, their routes should make it look like they’re heading farther and farther away from each other—so no one can easily tell where they’re actually going.”

The room was silent as they processed the idea.

”Ultimately, all the fleets will begin slowly converging toward the Holy Region sector. But by then, the watchers will be overwhelmed, trying to track too many movements at once—most of them confused about what we’re actually doing. They’ll waste precious time just trying to make sense of it all.”

He paused before admitting, ”Yes, it’ll slow us down a little too... but it’ll slow them down even more. It will buy us more than enough time, and at the same time, help reduce direct suspicion and keep our alliance concealed. As far as the rest of the galaxy is concerned, we remain unconnected—despite executing a move that’s both coordinated and confusing at once.”

He finished, his eyes sweeping across the room. ”This way, even if they eventually realize we were all heading toward the same goal… it’ll be too late for them to mount any serious response. By then, we’ll have already achieved what we set out to do—maybe even entered the Holy Region itself. And once we’re inside, we won’t have anything left to fear.”

The room remained quiet for several seconds.

The four looked at him with widened eyes—not because the plan was astonishing or groundbreaking, but precisely because of its simplicity.

A plan so clean, so unassuming, so... obvious—yet not one of them had thought of it.

They were too used to high-level complexity, intricate strategies, and over-calculations. In their world, simplicity was often overlooked—buried beneath layers of diplomacy, protocol, and overthinking.

And that was why they were surprised. Not by innovation, but by clarity. And simplicity of the plan in front of them.

The Dark Elven Empress couldn’t help but speak aloud. ”Star Emperor, your plan is so simple and obvious… but only because we can see the full picture. To others, it’ll be far too confusing because of its simplicity.

Most won’t even consider something so blatant, so out in the open, as the real move. They’ll assume it’s just a distraction—a ploy meant to mislead—believing that the real plan must be hidden somewhere deeper.”

She paused, a glint of admiration in her eyes. ”And yet, what’s plainly visible is the actual move itself. It’s clever… deceptively so. We might truly be able to pull this off.”

The same thoughts were running through everyone’s mind. The Mountain Dwarf Clan Elder couldn’t help but speak up.

”It’s just as the Elven Empress said… this plan will work because of its simplicity. Many of our kind—especially those in positions of power—aren’t used to thinking in simple terms.

The same goes for those so-called think tanks. It’s almost unbelievable that something so straightforward could be so effective—especially against those trained to expect layers of complexity, not clarity.”

He let out a thoughtful sigh, then added with a hint of admiration in his voice:

”Truth be told, this plan would’ve failed against the common folk. They’re not trained to make calculated decisions like we are, nor do they have access to the resources we do. But for us—and for our enemies at the top—this might be the perfect strategy.”

Association Master Benjamin Sopek nodded.

”Indeed, Star Emperor,” he said, ”this plan is perfect for our current situation. Just as the Elven Empress and the Dwarf Elder said.”

But what he didn’t say aloud was what lingered in his thoughts:

This Star Emperor… he’s a cunning old snake, isn’t he? He really knows how to manipulate people at our level—and he does it so effortlessly. Then again, who among us isn’t cunning?

Still… he’s something else. I’ll have to be careful around him. If I’m not, I might not even realize when I’ve been played. But oh well… as long as this plan works and I benefit from it, that’s all that matters. And this play—it will definitely work.

He gave a slight nod to himself before speaking again.

”As you said, Star Emperor, we’ll indeed achieve what we want with this plan. It should also greatly reduce the risk factor.”

Meanwhile, the Guild Master of the Forger Guild’s Titin Branch, Dwarva, was lost in thought.”Hmm… looks like the plan does have a good chance of succeeding and might buy us enough time. But still… I can’t shake the feeling that it won’t be enough. Somehow, this whole situation just feels off… like something’s bound to go wrong.”

”Oh well, I’ll go along with it for now. I’ll have my guild’s fleet move a little slower than the others—see if anything unusual happens. If something is wrong, I can always pull back. And if not, I’ll continue as planned. No real loss either way.”

Nodding to himself, he muttered, ”Yes… the plan is solid. It should work, just like everyone believes.”

The Star Emperor, seeing everyone’s agreement, finally spoke up, drawing their full attention.”So… everyone,” he said, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room, ”are you all truly on board with this plan of mine? Shall we proceed with its immediate implementation?”

He leaned slightly forward. ”You four will have to take the lead in executing it—my fleet is already in position. There have been some… complications, but I’m managing them well enough.”

A faint smirk touched his lips as he added, ”I’ve even had the minority clans seal off every region surrounding the Holy Region.