Chapter 228: Chapter 227 – Meeting

"I need you to come with me."

"Huh?"

"We're going to a meeting."

"Wait, what's going on?"

"We're meeting with the world leaders."

"Wait, why?"

"To establish sovereignty, dummy!"

Luna shouted exasperatedly. 

Dream had been holed up on the top of his factory for nearly two months! Each time he left he was gone for longer and longer. While Luna didn't mind this as she had her own work to do, he became really out of touch with things. 

Dream had been working on a device that rested on a table. It was a small glowing orb no larger than a marble with bright lights rapidly flowing within. Even as Dream turned his attention to Luna, he in his cosmic form still worked on it, ensuring he wouldn't lose control of whatever the device was.

He turned around and saw his beautiful fiance with a pouty look on her face. As he gazed at her, Sophia sent him tons of data on all the recent happenings.

It had been a year since Dream arrived on Earth. 

Things had changed greatly. For one, there was a new landmass on the planet. Dream had finished off his manmade island, and there was another metropolis built there. While it wasn't as busy as a normal city, feeling mostly desolate, the population there was slowly growing with people from the Haven city migrating over.

But after Luna's upcoming move, the population would definitely skyrocket. 

After a little under a year, Luna had finalized the plans to talk with the world leaders, recognizing the Haven as a sovereign state. Well, it wasn't called the Haven anymore. Luna had made a distinction between the Haven city in California and the new empire. The first city would still retain the name Haven, but the new landmass would be the primary territory of the empire. 

As for the name of Luna's new empire, she and the other class 4's deliberated on it for several days. Eventually, they came to call it The Oasis. It would be a city of prosperity and power surpassing all others. And with Dream's knowledge and ability, that wouldn't be a fantasy.

However, Luna had to make herself known to all the world leaders. She had employed Sophia to put her in contact with all the most powerful leaders and essentially call forth a massive summit. This was what she was about to head to. Unfortunately for Dream, he wasn't notified beforehand, so now he was getting pulled away from his workbench out of the blue. 

"Why wouldn't you tell me something important like this before? What do I even need to do?"

Dream got a bit nervous. While he was still supremely powerful, he was about the meet the leaders of modern civilization. On the other world, he didn't know anyone so he didn't care much. But here? It was a different feeling as he had much more of an impression.

"Don't worry! I just need you to stand with me and look pretty. Let me do all the talking. Now, put this on and let's go. We need to be at the meeting point in approximately 40 seconds."

"Wha..? Ugh, alright."

Dream was baffled for a second before just sighing and giving up. After grabbing the glowing orb on the table, he reverted back to his human form. The nice tailored suit that Luna handed to him was instantly put on. It was a very fancy and unique suit, black with blue embroidery. Dream looked at Luna after straightening himself out, seeing how she was also dressed up in a stunning dress. She would definitely stand out, and next to her Dream probably wouldn't even be noticed. 

"Nice. Looking sharp. Now, my handsome escort, if you wouldn't mind transporting us down there."

Luna linked arms with him as she spoke with a smile. He just looked at her for a second before rolling his eyes. The next moment, aether wrapped the two of them up, separating them from space and moving them at high speeds down to the planet. 

After half a second, the two reappeared inside of a car. This car was approaching a large building. The meeting point for this summit was in Europe, inside the very building they were approaching. 

Soon, the car stopped. Dream didn't say anything before stepping out. When he did, he immediately saw dozens of reporters that were snapping pictures and recording video. He realized that everything was being broadcast across the globe. Knowing this, he tapped into the network that Sophia controlled and looked at the viewer count.

'5.7 billion...'

He sighed at that. That was a big number. 

He didn't let it disturb him though as he walked around the car. Currently, his aura was that of an ordinary man. Nobody was the wiser as he opened the door for Luna.

And sure enough, people went ballistic when she stepped out. Gorgeous face, stunning body, eye catching dress. The reporters captured every angle as she linked arms with Dream and headed up the steps to enter the building. 

As they entered though, Dream and Luna suddenly received a telepathic connection.

"You look very nice, Luna."

Both of them smiled as they glanced to their right. Standing in the midst of a dozen people was Alice. Nobody noticed she even existed as she drifted around like a ghost. Not even Dream could detect her if she didn't want him to, so naturally nobody else on this planet could.

The two continued walking through the hall as if nothing happened. Eventually, they entered the meeting hall. Dream could detect many other leaders already there. It seemed like Luna was one of the last ones to arrive. 

They already had an assigned seat, so the two simply took their places. Dream looked across the room though and smiled once more. He could see the President of the United States, and next to him was Melody. 

After Dream gave Melody her sword and she received more training, her power advanced fast. She was now the most powerful person in the world, with the Dark Knight a close second. Because of this, she was requested to be one of the president's guards. Gone were the old ways of the world. Nobody's safety could be guaranteed with just the use of weapons. The Supers were now the go-to. 

It was funny though. Dream's sister was sitting with the president as his guard. Nobody knew that they were related. Nobody even knew who Dream was. It still caused Melody to crack up though. She had to pinch herself to hold back her laughter. 

Her brother and sister-in-law were her 'opposition' in this meeting.

'Oh, the irony.'

Dream rolled his eyes as he saw his sister smile a bit and wave. The guild leader of the Golden Guardians was also there, and he was sizing up Dream and Luna. Dream could feel the man's aura poke around both of them. But naturally, he couldn't find anything if they didn't want him to. 

He wasn't the only one though. There were dozens of class 3's in the room, all belonging to different world leaders. Governments had naturally attained Supers who supported them. They had money and influence, things that many Supers wanted. However, this is also why this meeting was such a huge deal. 

What Luna was attempting to do was the first precedent. She had already claimed territory using absolute force, and now she was going to legitimize her rule over it and a new landmass that mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. This had never been seen before, and it would be the first situation where a Super was exerting their power to disrupt global order. This was directly challenging the countries of the world. 

On Earth, the collective still ruled through politics and money. Supers hadn't yet attained earth shattering power that could surpass all that. But this would pave the way for a new era of individual power. A single person could now challenge entire countries. It was unheard of. 

The hall was filled with chatter, and all eyes were on Luna and Dream. They had come by themselves as there was no need for anyone else. They alone held all the power. Well, Luna could have actually come by herself, but she didn't want to be alone. Things were much more comfortable with Dream there. He was her source of support, both financially and emotionally. 

"We will now commence the world summit."

Soon, an official kickstarted the meeting, and everyone quieted down. The official went through an introductory speech, outlining the purpose of the summit. Everyone remained silent throughout, idly listening to the formality. 

Halfway through though, Luna's eyes narrowed a bit as she looked over at Dream. In his hand was that glowing orb he had been working on, and the hand was filled with cracks that revealed his cosmic form underneath, a result of him using tons of power. 

"What are you doing? Why did you bring that with you?"

Luna asked exasperatedly. Dream just huffed though. 

"You gave me zero notice! This thing is a high energy particle collider, basically a tiny fusion bomb. This little orb alone has the power to incinerate the city should it lose control. And you pulled me away in the middle of a work session! What do you expect me to do? Let it explode in my factory?"

"Wha..? Why the hell... You know what, nevermind. Just get it under control and don't let anyone see."

"Yea, yea."

Both of them sighed as Dream continued to work on his little orb.

Eventually, the speech ended, and the meeting finally began. The official passed the mic to the president of the United States. Here, everyone tuned in. 

Everyone knew that the spotlight belonged to America and the new Oasis Empire. Because the Haven city had been built on US territory, they were being directly challenged. The outcome of this meeting would determine who had the upper hand both militarily and authoritatively. It would also determine the Oasis Empire's position on the world stage. 

When the mic was passed to the president, he was quiet for a while. He stared at Luna, who returned the gaze. Both were sizing each other up. 

"I am the president of the United States, Frederick Anderson. Might I know your name?"

He asked Luna, who slowly leaned forward with grace. 

"My name is Luna, highest leader of the Oasis Empire."

"Is there a particular title you go by?"

"If you wish for one, then I can be likened to a queen. However, I would not be the kind of queen that you know. Our Empire is not an Aristocracy."

"I see. So what type of government have you implemented?"

"I guess you would call it a meritocracy."

Luna smiled and continued.

"Mr. President, for the past year, I've done extensive research on the way of this world. I understand how Earth did not have mana, magic, or the System prior to around 4 years ago. This world was strictly one of science. Because of that, the concept of a power based meritocracy may be foreign. Now, a single person is capable of facing groups of people with sheer power. This is rapidly changing the dynamic of how systems of governance operate here. Those people beside you are approaching a realm of power that you are incapable of controlling. Anyway, our government is one that promotes excellence on all levels. As the so called queen, I don't seek to control those under me. However, make no mistake. I am very capable of holding my position. There is a reason I'm where I am today."

"Hmm..."

The room was silent. What Luna said held the truth of the world. In a manaless Earth, science reigned supreme. One man could not stand above the collective. Leaders ruled through the masses. So now that that logic was flipped, things were going to change. The president looked at his two bodyguards with several thoughts. What if the two people beside him wished to stop serving him? What could they do to put a leash on them? Would they one day approach the power of Luna, who was able to build a kingdom in nothing more than a month?

The logic of hierarchies was changing, and it was hard to tell how to adapt. Not many could understand where the balance lay between the individual and the collective in this situation. 

It was this problem that was the reason for the summit being held in the first place. This would set the precedence for how individuals were treated in the future. Could they be controlled by organizational entities? This meeting would answer that question. 

The president wasn't sure what to say and pondered for a bit, so Luna continued. 

"Now, Mr. President, I'm sure what you wish to talk about isn't our form of government. You feel that I'm challenging your country by claiming a territory of my own there."

Luna got straight tot he point. The president nodded. 

"...That's mostly correct. We've maintained our country for around 3 centuries. For a chunk of it to be taken now isn't exactly pleasing. There's already lots of friction between us, and to cooperate won't be easy unless there are concessions made."

"Mm. There are indeed lots of people who want to enter our city. We've also had problems with aircraft attempting to enter the airspace of our island off the coast of America. Of course, nobody was allowed through."

"And that's a problem. Our requests to enter have always been denied, so no contact was able to be established. Military action was proposed several times, and if it weren't for this summit, we would need to take things into our own hands."

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"Is that right? But let me ask you. Why exactly should we have let you in?"

"You built a city within our territory. As I said, some form of cooperation must be established. Normally, a foreign entity such as yourself would have been attacked. Luckily there was no immediate conflict."

"...Yes, it is lucky. However, I don't believe that any cooperation is necessary in the first place."

Luna paused for a second with a neutral expression. 

"Mr. President, we both know exactly how many people have been sent to infiltrate our city and island. Over the course of the year, I believe you've sent 43 people, all of whom have been caught and sent back. This included skydivers. I understand you wish to collect intelligence, but that's not a good way to do it. And don't worry, you're not the only one. We've apprehended thousands who have attempted to sneak in from dozens of countries around the world, including many curious civilians. 

Anyway, my point is that we don't need anyone for sustainability. We've engaged in zero trade for an entire year and have been able to sustain a prospering empire. You've also been incapable of affecting us in any way. We're a totally isolated empire, in every sense. As for military action, you're free to engage us however you wish. But I assure you, you will accomplish very little besides being an annoyance. I'm sure you've collected plenty of data on our robotic personnel."

"..."

The president was silent as Luna spoke plainly. Eventually, he opened his mouth. 

"We have indeed collected lots of data. If I'm speaking plainly, your entrance on Earth was nothing short of alien. Your space cube, the fleets of robots, and the construction of a metropolis in only a month. Then, you go on to build an entire landmass for yourself. To say it's impressive would be insulting the display of ability."

"Thank you."

"Of course. And it's because of that display of ability that I have refrained from carrying out military action."

The president spoke with a bit of an exhausted face. 

"The United States has maintained our country for a few hundred years. This is the first time that there has ever been a loss in territory. While it's not big, we both know exactly what this represents. However, the world is changing. First magic, then angels, and now you. In the course of a few years, all conventional logic has been flipped upside down. Luckily, I feel that I have a grasp on how to handle it. 

I'm not going to carry out military action. And while I will be cursed by some for showing weakness, I'm saying this now: I will not seek to drive you out of the territory, nor will I ask for a transfer of ownership or joint ruling. I'm recognizing that land as yours. It will be the first time that US territory has been altered in centuries, but I am okay with going down as the one who gave it away."

"..."

The president finished with a sense of resignation. Meanwhile, Luna was internally surprised, though she showed nothing on her face. Just like that, the president gave her exactly what she wanted. She barely even had to fight. This wasn't a proper negotiation by any means.

"However."

Before she could respond though, the president opened his mouth. 

"Aside from this territory, I nor my people will stand for anything more being taken. I don't know how powerful your people are, but we are more than capable of wreaking utter devastation. If you've done your research, then you'll know that we have something called a weapon of mass destruction. Nuclear technology capable of wiping out all life on the planet. Magic may defy physics, but science still has its place in this universe, and it's damn powerful."

"Haha! Couldn't have said it better myself!"

Suddenly, there was a boisterous laugh. Luna's eyes went wide as she snapped to Dream next to her. He chuckled for a bit before looking at the president.

"Sorry, but that's just a damned good line! Hey, Mr. President, if you really believe in what you just said, then you have my respect."

"...Who are you?"

"Oh, just a man. Well, not really a man anymore. But that's not important. Hey, wanna see something cool? Catch."

Suddenly, Dream's hand flung over a glowing orb. The guardian next to the president was about to step forward and catch it, but Melody beat him to the punch. She flew into the air and grabbed it before landing in the middle of the floor. She looked at the orb with genuine curiosity before looking back at Dream.

"What's this?"

"My newest creation! Think of it like a really small fusion reactor. It consists of two layers. The outer layer requires external power to ignite before it outputs gamma rays from fusion reactions. Those gamma rays are then focused with microcrystals and lasered toward chunks of hydrogen within the center. Then more fusion occurs, only at super high temps and while outputting many times more power than conventional reactors. It's purely physical with no magic components, and with the nanites I plan to install it'll soon be able to sustain itself for long periods of time."

"...Okay?"

"It's used for power. Anyway, Mr. President, I was thinking of sharing some of my knowledge. Only if this meeting went well of course. I don't exactly care about withholding everything I know, so I was planning on creating some kind of school where I can spill some science and magic know-how. If America didn't attempt to inhibit our development and trade, I was going to open it to everyone. What do you think?"

Dream suddenly dropped a proposition. Hearing this, the president quickly processed everything before responding.

"...A school? That sounds... interesting. Now, I'm not exactly sure what that orb thing is and can't verify what you said is true. What kind of knowledge do you intend to share? 

"Hmm... The most fundamental rules of science and magic. Such knowledge has enabled me to create what I have. Here, this is one such creation that I'm proud of."

Suddenly, Dream shot his hand into the air. All the ordinary people within the room looked at him with weird expressions. However, the people who had power, such as the various class 3 bodyguards and Luna, all went wide eyed as the skin on Dream's body started to crack. 

Luna especially. She could feel copious amounts of mana burst out of Dream and shoot into the sky. The mana created a pillar that reached into space, and she had a really bad feeling about what was to come. 

Only several seconds later, the air started to rumble and thunderous sounds echoed from outside. Dream looked upward and reached out his other hand. The roof of the building splintered apart into fragments like a shattered mirror, spreading apart and exposing the bright sky above. 

Everyone looked upward, and their expressions turned panicked. In the sky, a massive fireball was tunneling toward them. It rapidly approached, and as it did, the fire disappeared, exposing a massive structure as it grew in size. 

Then, it arrived. A massive object that sat at 8 kilometers long, constructed with technology that nobody could comprehend. It looked like a weapon of untold proportions, and those who made that assumption weren't wrong. Luna's jaw dropped as Dream announced to everyone, the structure filling the sky and covering the city they were in. 

"I call this the Pea Shooter! Floating at 8 km long, this orbital railgun was just currently resting in Earth's atmosphere, before I pulled it down here, of course. I've worked a bit of upgrades into it since the last time I used it, and it's now capable of cracking a hole down to the mantle. I can basically make volcanoes with it, something I put into practice to expedite the process of making that new landmass. It basically launches massive metal rods from space. Like a needle into the pincushion that is the planet. Oh, there's also my awesome borg cube."

Suddenly, Dream created a large display next to him. Like a teacher giving a lecture, he pointed at the screen that displayed a massive cube in front of a void black background. 

"This borg cube allowed me to wipe out a few billion demons on that other world we came from. It's one huge factory and I can make basically anything I want with it. My most popular product right now is my nanites. I'm trying to make them capable of universal chemical synthesis, though that's proving to be much more difficult than I imagined. The concepts behind quantum mechanics and dimensional realities are making this a lot harder than I'd like. I mean, are atoms actually real when they're cooled to an actual zero temperature? And is matter just slowed energy? Can I even manipulate energy with higher dimensional forms of energy like mana or aether?

Figuring this out using non-mathematical means is surprisingly difficult. Oh, that's another thing, your mathematical system has inherent limits in learning the secrets of the universe. Sucks for ordinary people, but they'll never truly be able to grasp scientific concepts to their fullest. But those with power can! I call it science 2.0. Anyway, I want to teach some people these things, and I'm sure there are many who are capable. I won't even stop ordinary people from learning. After all, math is still capable of taking humanity much farther than it is. Give me a year or so and I'll push forward the next scientific revolution. As you said, science still has its place in the universe next to magic. So? What do you think?"

Dream looked at the president with fervor. Meanwhile, the entire room was growing chaotic. All the things Dream casually spoke of revealed extremely important information, not to mention the orbital weapon that was floating in the sky. The president was especially stunned. He was reminded of when they had made first contact with these 'aliens', and one of the robots had spoken of a king. He had a strong feeling that the man in front of him was this king. 

Nobody spoke for a while as several people began chattering. Luna looked at Dream with a slightly angry face. He had thrown off everything she planned on doing, and she wondered if she should have brought him at all. Now, she would have to deal with the aftermath of what he was currently doing. She didn't stop him though. As far as she was concerned, the damage had already been done, and it would be easier to just see this through. Besides, showing these people such an amazing display of power would do good at convincing them. 

"...Who are you?"

As Luna contemplated, the president's gaze turned to Dream. His eyes concealed the terror that he felt. This single person just ripped such a massive structure out of space. He wanted to believe that Dream was a god, but with the dawn of the new magical era they were in, he knew that it was possible for a person to develop such strength. He had to swallow the reality that there might be more than one person who could match Dream's power. But unfortunately, that second person may very well be Luna. Either way, he couldn't fathom having to contend against this person, and it filled him with slight existential dread. 

"I told you. A man, but not really a man anymore."

"A god?"

"Heh, no. There are those who are infinitely more powerful than I, one I had the pleasure of speaking to, in fact. But then again, what is a god, anyway? Someone of omnipotence? And what is omnipotence? I haven't even experienced the vastness of the universe, let alone gaining the power to control it all. But from your perspective, I might as well be a god. After all, I could single-handedly wipe out every lifeform on this planet."

Dream gazed at the president while muttering dangerous words. The president trembled as his very soul was shaken by the unfathomable power Dream wielded. For the first time, the president became aware of his own soul as it cowered, and something within him seemed to change, like a crack in a shell letting in the light of enlightenment. 

The next moment, the mana fluctuated around the president, and Dream smiled. The people next to him who wielded their own power noticed and turned their heads, surprise etched on their faces. 

Dream smiled and clapped. 

"Hehe, congratulations, president. For becoming aware of your own soul, you've earned the ability to harness powers that only your soul can touch. I must say, you have a rather formidable soul. Normal people would have been reduced to a blubbering mess as their minds were overwhelmed and driven to madness. I'm glad my experiment succeeded."

"Ex... experiment?"

The president stumbled as Dream retracted his gaze. Dream nodded.

"Yes, experiment. I had been wondering exactly what the prerequisite for wielding mana was. Why do some people stay totally normal while others come to attain power? Well, the answer is the awareness of a higher dimension. They either came to perceive mana and control it, or they came to see their own soul, also unlocking access to mana. Just now, you could say I shook you awake. I made you perceive something that you previously didn't know even existed. If you want to get really mystical, I opened your third eye, or activated your sixth sense. Anyway, your soul seemed decent enough, so I didn't worry too much about driving you insane. Oh, and forget what I said about wiping out all lifeforms. I don't have any interest in doing so."

Dream smiled as he explained. Awakening a higher power was how he advanced to class 4. The golden script he came to understand in his legacy space jolted him awake, unlocking a higher part of him. It was painful and had the chance of driving one to madness. But he succeeded and unlocked greater power. 

Here, he applied the same logic. By poking into the president's soul, he made him perceive it. This could only be done by someone that could not only perceive souls, but actively interact with them. Dream was capable of tampering with souls, so it was no trouble for him to poke someone else's. 

And now, the president could use mana. How far he went depended on him, but Dream didn't particularly care about that. He only cared that his spur of the moment experiment paid off. 

"Uhh, Dream? Your orb..."

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him. Dream turned around and saw Melody holding his orb. The orb was glowing brighter and brighter, obviously not a good sign.

"Crap! Gimme that!"

Waving his hand, the orb flew out of Melody's hand and into Dream's. Waving his other hand, the orbital railgun still floating in the sky was flung away, shooting back into space. He then focused his energy on the orb, doing his best to contain the cascading chain reaction.

"Uh, Luna, I need to go. And president, let Luna know your answer. She handles all the diplomatic stuff. Bye!"

With that, the space around Dream warped as he was enveloped by aether. He instantly disappeared, leaving the meeting hall in a trance. The roof of the hall also came back down, reassembling and repairing itself as if it were never broken apart into millions of splinters. 

Everyone looked around, silent. Gazes eventually fell on Luna, who looked off into space with an annoyed face. As for the president, he continued to recover from the jolt that shook his very soul. 

After Dream left, Melody looked around before returning to her seat. However, she was surprised to see the guardian, that strong and tough man, shaking in his seat. She tilted her head before tapping his shoulder.

"Hey? What's up with you?"

"T-t-that... thing. Oh my god..."

His mouth trembled as he pointed to where Dream was just located. Melody figured out that he was talking about her brother, but couldn't understand why the guardian looked so terrified. However, she soon received a message that answered her question.

"Hey Melody! Take that guardian guy to Luna when that meeting is over. I kind of did the same thing to him as the president since he wanted to get in the way, but he didn't handle it so well. His soul is in a state of shock, and if he's left alone, he might go insane. I'm sure Luna can fix it though, so see to it."

"Wha..?"

Melody's jaw dropped as she heard Dream's explanation. He poked into the guardian's soul too? Was that really necessary? She looked at the blubbering guardian and realized that his situation was serious. Sighing, she telepathically spoke to Luna, who sighed once more and nodded to her. 

Like this, Luna's presence was made known to the world, and her empire received the recognition it longed for. The Oasis had finally entered the world stage.