As night fell, the sky of Ark Little World was immersed in profound tranquility.

  The Milky Way spanned across the sky, with countless stars interwoven and scattered, spilling over the firmament like silvery stardust.

  Beneath the vast sky, the sea surface rippled silently, reflecting the endless river of stars, as if the heavens and the earth had merged into one.

  A gentle breeze brushed the surface of the sea, stirring subtle ripples, like a silent whisper swirling across the water.

  The tides under the night sky pulsed gently like a heartbeat, their silvery light shattering upon the deep blue.

  The scene resembled countless stars slipping from the sky and sinking into the water, transforming into tiny flickering lights.

  And beneath the brilliance of this vast galaxy, a massive silhouette stood at the junction of the sea and sky.

  At first, it was merely a deep blue silhouette hidden in the darkness, blending seamlessly with the sea and sky, as if a part of the universe.

  But as starlight fell upon the ship’s hull, its smooth, flawless armor began to reveal faintly shimmering energy veins, flowing light lazily tracing the contours, like the weak breath of a sleeper, giving the entire ship an aura of tranquility, yet an undeniable sense of authority.

  The ship’s hull measured 337 meters in length, 70 meters in width, and 55 meters in height, sleek and fluid, as if sculpted by some invisible will into a perfect creation.

  The bow was sharp as a blade, its lines exquisitely simple, resembling a meteor cutting through the darkness.

  The light from the night sky reflected off the ship’s body, and its deep blue armor surface did not reflect light like ordinary metal but resembled an abyss that devoured the night, causing its outline to appear and fade, existing yet seeming intangible.

  Within the darkness, a faint glow could be seen—the energy veins on the ship’s surface pulsed gently with the night wind, as if a giant, dormant beast quietly awaited the moment of awakening.

  The surface of the hull was not just smooth alloy, but an unknown Transcendent material, its texture subtly shifting under the night sky, as if radiant light flowing from the depths of the galaxy, resonating with the stars.

  The armor was not a single hue but shifted subtly with different angles, showing shades of deep blue, silver, and dark gold, like the reflection of the galaxy on steel, creating a cold yet mysterious texture.

  The sides of the hull gently flared out, resembling open wings, giving it both a majestic and graceful profile.

  The surface of the ship bore no traces of welding; the entire structure appeared as though sculpted by a divine hand, like a miracle of some Transcendent art.

  Even more eerie was the fact that the water beneath the ship did not stir as expected, but instead, remained nearly motionless, as if under the influence of an invisible force field, like a black mirror beneath the starry sky.

  At the core of the ship's bow, an emblem symbolizing the empire was embedded in the blue armor.

  In the center, a golden star gleamed brightly, surrounded by twelve white stars arranged in perfect symmetry.

  At the center of each of the twelve white stars was a small golden dot, flickering in and out of visibility in the night, like a resonance of the stars.

  Around the emblem were intricate energy patterns, and as starlight shifted, these lines seemed to come alive, reflecting flowing glimmers, like the pulse of the universe.

  This ship seemed to be hidden in the darkness, quietly waiting for some awakening signal.

  It hovered between the sea and the sky, like a throne left by some ancient deity, cold and solemn.

  Half a month ago, the Imperial Parliament officially gave the ship a name—Royal Dawn.

  [Royal Dawn] is not a warship, not because it lacks combat capabilities, but because of its core—Shipborne AI: Dawn.

  Any attempt to issue combat orders to it will receive the same response:

  "I'm sorry... My authority is insufficient to carry out your command."

  This is a strategic-level logistics support vessel, and also a mobile industrial base.

  Its core mission is:

  — To remotely deploy one thousand Transcendent Machine Servants, operated remotely by the crew with the assistance of the shipborne AI, to precisely execute various tasks.

  — The Machine Servants are responsible for core operations in areas such as construction, mining, agriculture, and industrial production, while the mothership provides energy, maintenance, and logistical support, ensuring continuous and efficient operation.

  The ship is equipped with 40,000 drones of various types, which shuttle throughout the vessel, performing tasks such as maintenance, production, materials management, environmental regulation, and disaster response.

  Including the drones carried by the Machine Servants, the total number of drones on the entire ship exceeds 65,000, forming a highly self-sufficient automated ecosystem.

  Many people mistakenly believe that [System: Transcendent Machine Servants] are humanoid robots, but this is far from the truth.

  Even the smallest Machine Servant exceeds 400 cubic meters—comparable to a large cargo truck fleet or a small aircraft hangar.

  They are not ornamental artworks for human admiration, but the core labor force for the empire’s infrastructure, industrial production, and logistics transport.

  More importantly, they are designed with a modular structure, allowing the work units to be swapped out according to task requirements.

  Today, they may be tilling the fields.

  Tomorrow, they might be responsible for producing precision components.

  And [Royal Dawn] is the strongest support for all the Machine Servants.

  However, maintaining such a vast system consumes resources beyond imagination.

  And the source of these resources is singular—[System: Imperial Treasury].

  Each time Elo completes a system task, the system provides two sources of funding:

  [System: Private Deposit] — freely controllable by Elo.

  [System: Imperial Treasury] — exclusively for the development of the empire.

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  All system products serving the empire’s government, including [Royal Dawn] and the [Transcendent Machine Servants], rely on system coins for maintenance and upgrades.

  There’s no need to consider the raw materials or explore the manufacturing process; everything is automatically completed by the system.

  This surpasses human comprehension, and even in the Transcendent World, it is nothing short of—a miracle.

  Although [Royal Dawn] possesses a complete industrial base, it does not belong to the empire.

  [Shipborne AI: Dawn] only has the authority to produce and maintain system products and cannot manufacture any resources for the empire.

  The imperial government and the imperial citizens are not creations of the system, so the empire's development cannot rely on the industrial system of [Royal Dawn].

  The empire must establish its own industrial foundation and build an independent industrial mothership and Transcendent Machine Servants.

  This is not only a restriction but also a trial set by the emperor for the empire—

  He hopes the empire will rely on its own strength to achieve true prosperity and strength.

  [Royal Dawn] is equipped with 1,000 crew members, each performing their duties to ensure the efficient operation of the ship.

  Of these, 100 are responsible for command, management, and logistics, coordinating the affairs of the ship at a high level.

  Although only 200 people are needed to operate 1,000 Machine Servants, humans are different from machines and cannot work continuously for 24 hours.

  The empire implements an eight-hour workday, with two days off per week and holidays, so the ship operates on a shift system to ensure personnel maintain high efficiency.

  The ship’s vast size means the crew’s daily activities are limited to the living and working areas, which account for less than 3% of the entire ship.

  As for the mysterious 97% area—even its owner, Elo, has never truly explored it.

  In fact, since [Royal Dawn]'s arrival, Elo has boarded the ship only a handful of times.

  Not due to busyness, nor a lack of interest, but because—he does not like to stand in the spotlight.

  Every time he steps onto the bridge, dozens or even hundreds of crew members come to greet him.

  He has repeatedly emphasized that such an effort is unnecessary, but this scene has never changed.

  For the empire's citizens, welcoming the emperor is not just a formality but a heartfelt belief.

  They restrain their emotions in front of Elo, but that almost fanatical admiration makes Elo feel trapped.

  The emperor’s existence is, after all, the focal point.

  Given this, the only thing Elo can do is avoid those intense gazes as much as possible.

  Therefore, in the past half month, except for official duties, he rarely left the palace.

  The sound of the tide gently rose and fell, and a light breeze carried the scent of the sea toward the shore.

  Elo sat on the stone steps leading to the beach, leaning back slightly, his legs casually draped over the steps below.

  He held a cigarette between his fingers, the orange-red glow flickering in the darkness.

  The smoke rose slowly, carried away by the night wind, dissipating into the air, vanishing without a trace under the starlight.

  Elo rarely smoked, only lighting a cigarette on occasions like tonight when his mind was troubled.

  Gradually, the cigarette burned out, and he slowly exhaled the last wisp of smoke.

  He flicked the cigarette butt lightly, sending it on a soft arc, carried by the night wind into the distance.

  The faint embers disintegrated slowly in mid-air, turning into tiny specks of light.

  The glow was like scattered stardust, quietly melting into the night, eventually vanishing with the radiance of the Milky Way into the boundless darkness.

  He watched the brief disappearance, the lingering warmth on his fingertips gradually fading away.

  His hand slowly clenched, as if holding onto something, or perhaps letting something go.

  With a soft sigh, he finally stood up, slowly walking down the stairs and stepping onto the beach.

  Upon entering the beach, he paused for a moment, looking down at the sandals on his feet.

  He lifted one foot and flicked it, causing the sandal to slide off and land gently on the sand.

  He lightly swung the other foot, and the other sandal followed, quietly staying behind.

  His bare feet touched the cool sand, sinking slightly, the delicate sensation flowing through the soles of his feet.

  As for the two sandals left behind, they remained quietly on the beach, as if still waiting for their owner to turn back.

  They would not become trash on the beach; when Elo completely forgets about them, the system would quietly decompose them.

  They would eventually turn into tiny particles of light, dispersing with the wind.

  Elo stepped forward, heading towards the sea, slowly walking along the silver-white boundary where the beach met the waves.

  The waves quietly surged, the cold water flowing over the tops of his feet, then retreating, leaving a faint wet trace that quickly vanished.

  The night wind whispered in his ears, and in the distance, a dark silhouette slowly emerged on the horizon.

  Elo’s gaze unconsciously fell on that stretch of sea, and his pace gradually slowed.

  Finally, he stopped, looking toward the [Royal Dawn] in the night.

  It quietly lay anchored on the sea, its massive form swallowing the night, blending with the starry sky.

  In the past half-month, the empire had prepared to embark on its journey, but Elo was not yet ready.

  He knew the journey ahead would not be pleasant, and he could not remain indifferent to what was coming.

  He thought he had been resolute enough, but as the departure neared, he realized—his mental preparation had only been a self-comforting illusion.

  He took another step forward, crossing the invisible boundary where the sand met the water.

  His footsteps lightly touched the water’s surface, the ripples spreading slowly without causing a single splash.

  The ocean silently carried his steps, the night wind brushing over, creating subtle waves on the water, as if responding to his presence.

  Moonlight fell, casting silver reflections on the gently rippling water, his figure mirrored in the boundless night.

  The reflection gently swayed, like a fleeting, illusory shadow, barely floating and sinking in the night wind.

  He did not pause, his gaze piercing through the deep sea, stepping further into the distance.

  The Milky Way stretched across the sky, the stars reflecting in the shimmering waves, where the heavens and the earth met.

  And he, walking alone in the vastness, his figure calm, sank into the boundless ocean with the night.

  In truth, the empire had arranged companions for him: besides Vian, there were five others, each with their assigned roles.

  Their duties were clear, their plans meticulous; this team was the best possible combination for the journey.

  As an emperor, Elo accepted the arrangement and understood their intentions.

  But as a person, Elo did not want them to be part of his journey; he wanted a journey that belonged to him alone.

  Elo slowly stopped in his tracks, gazing up at the boundless starry sky.

  The Milky Way was vast, with a dazzling cluster of stars intertwining into a band of light, quietly stretching across the night.

  The soft light spilled down, reflecting off the surface of the sea, mingling with the ripples, as though the entire world were immersed in a silent dream.

  He knew that this night sky was false, that the canopy of Ark Little World was merely a scene constructed by Alaya.

  But so what? He was still drawn to its grandeur.

  Whether real or not, it remained breathtakingly beautiful.

  Beneath this tranquility, he finally made a decision.

  Instinctively, he wanted to call upon the system.

  But just as he was about to speak, he hesitated.

  He abandoned the thought of calling the system and softly said, “Dawn.”

  The response from [Shipborne AI: Dawn] directly entered his soul, the voice soft and warm, laced with a hint of concern.

  —Master.

  Elo's tone carried a slight helplessness: “I’m sorry.”

  Dawn was silent for a moment, then softly replied:

  —You do not need to apologize. They will understand your decision.

  Elo nodded, knowing that the government elites were not foolish.

  They might have already guessed what he would do, perhaps even prepared a response plan.

  But even so, he still couldn’t simply disregard it.

  "Proceed with caution according to the original plan, and don’t interfere with others’ matters.

  If something happens, first inform my mother and Vian; if they feel it’s necessary, they’ll naturally tell me.”

  Dawn agreed, then spoke again:

  —The lady wishes for Miss Vian to accompany you.

  Elo understood his mother’s concerns, and he knew he did indeed need Vian’s company.

  At least during the journey, there would be someone to offer advice when he was uncertain.

  He said, “The outside world isn’t safe, and acting in a female form could bring unnecessary trouble.”

  At that moment, a system prompt suddenly popped up, giving the following suggestion:

  [Allow mother and Vian to change their external appearance and act in a male form].

  The prompt had no explanation, no additional conditions, it was as concise as a response to Elo’s concern.

  Elo stared at the popup, remaining silent for a few seconds before sighing softly:

  “Fine, let them do as they wish... But at least give me a few days of peace.”

  Dawn agreed:

  —Your will.

  The night breeze brushed past, the waves still lapping against the shore.

  Elo took a deep breath and softly said, “Open the door.”

  As his voice fell, countless lights rose from the void, the scene resembling starlight converging.

  A light gate slowly unfolded in the night, like a crack in the galaxy slowly opening between heaven and earth.

  Pure white radiance descended, like flowing stardust falling onto the sea, merging with the shimmering waves, reflecting Elo’s face.

  He stared at the door, his expression complicated.

  —Can this still be considered running away from home?

  He sighed softly, stepping into the light gate.

  The pure white light rippled beneath his feet, spreading like layers of ripples into the night.

  In an instant, his figure was swallowed by the light particles, turning into countless tiny star fragments, scattering with the wind.

  The night sky remained vast, the sea undisturbed.

  As if none of this had ever happened.