"One Punch?"
Qin Yi was stunned. He hadn't expected the Parliamentary Institute to recommend going to this particular world.
According to the combined information from the Realm Gate and the Eye of the King, this world was also at Starlight Level Nine, placing it at the very peak of the Starlight rank.
However, the world itself wasn't particularly advanced in terms of overall civilization or structure. Qin Yi guessed that most of the world's essence had been concentrated into its protagonist, Saitama, the man known as One Punch Man.
If the essence of an entire world had gathered in a single person, just how powerful was Saitama? Even Qin Yi couldn't say for certain.
A Starlight Level Nine world concentrating its essence, its destiny, into one individual would create an expert who had likely already surpassed the limits of the world itself.
Moonlight Level? In such an absurdly unbalanced world, Saitama was practically a walking cheat code.
After hearing Gandalf's recommendation, Qin Yi fell into thought. After a moment, he understood the reasoning.
First, both worlds were at the same level. If Qin's Nation wanted to advance to the next rank, it would either have to attack a higher-level world or gradually accumulate strength by building upon worlds of equal standing.
Saitama's combat power was indeed terrifying, to the point of being the most absurdly powerful opponent Qin Yi had ever encountered. But at the same time, Saitama's personality and the unique nature of his world meant that this national mission wouldn't actually be that difficult.
"So what you're suggesting is that we recruit Saitama, and the rest of the world is secondary?" Qin Yi asked with a smile, his eyes flashing.
Gandalf smiled when he saw how quickly Qin Yi grasped the idea. "Exactly. As long as our King can persuade this expert to join our nation, our subsequent plans will proceed without any major obstacles. We'll have nothing left to worry about."
Qin Yi nodded with a smile.
As the King of Qin's Nation, he controlled everything. But as the nation grew stronger and its population expanded rapidly, even the sharpest mind couldn't manage every detail personally. Many of the otherworldly realms from his previous life on Earth that Qin Yi considered worth exploring had already been recorded by the Parliamentary Institute for future research.
As Qin Yi's strength continued to grow, he had now reached the peak of Starlight Level Nine. He could even begin delegating some of his King's authority to his Court Officers.
At the same time, a new King's Skill awakened in his mind: 'King's Gift'.
'As a King, you can grant power to your Court Officers!'
'A ruler can be ruthless and iron-fisted, but he can also bestow kindness and warmth. While commanding your Court Officers to carry out their duties, you may also reward them without reservation.'
'This is the Way of Kings. You must gradually come to master it.'
The information flowed into his mind, filling Qin Yi with satisfaction.
'King's Gift' was a brand-new skill. In the past, most of his abilities had focused on conquest and subjugation. But after reaching Level Nine, he had finally gained the ability to bestow power upon his subordinates. Giving the Zanpakutō 'King of Hell' to Li Yuanli earlier had been a direct application of this skill.
Likewise, he could take abilities that he or his Court Officers possessed and transfer them to someone else. That was the absolute power of a King.
Certain functions of the Divine Nation's Tower, the operation of Realm Gates, control over the Eye of the King, and other privileges that had originally belonged exclusively to Qin Yi could now be granted to his Court Officers as well. This would undoubtedly boost administrative efficiency while deepening his subordinates' loyalty.
"So, the Parliamentary Institute's plan is to bring Saitama into our nation to serve as a Guardian Expert?" Qin Yi asked.
"Precisely. Saitama is extraordinarily powerful. Although we cannot accurately gauge his true ceiling at the moment, available information indicates he is already far beyond the level of our current civilization," Gandalf explained. "Furthermore, his personality is gentle and straightforward, making him relatively easy to recruit. With the right approach, this world may actually be the easiest one to conquer."
With that, the direction of the meeting was clear.
The Three Kings would each govern one of the Three Realms, stabilizing Qin's Nation after the recent upheaval caused by annexing two Major Worlds. Afterward, they would simultaneously enter the world of One Punch Man.
"Then after three days of rest, we'll enter the One Punch world," Qin Yi declared, rising to his feet. "Also, now that our civilization has reached Starlight Level Nine, we can begin preparations for the world of Immortal Sword 3. As for who will lead that expedition, the Parliamentary Institute can decide. There's no need to rush the timeline."
With that, the Imperial Palace meeting concluded.
Decree after decree was drafted through collaborative discussions between the Parliamentary Institute, the Administrative Institute, and the Military Affairs Institute. Once Qin Yi reviewed and signed off on them, they were officially promulgated.
From that moment on, Qin's Nation entered a period of rapid, sweeping transformation in every aspect.
---
Returning to a side hall, Qin Yi stretched comfortably onto a sofa and turned on some music, intending to rest. Before he knew it, exhaustion claimed him, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
The events in the Shinigami World had been neither few nor simple. Li Yuanli's unexpected situation and King Chengdui's overwhelming power had kept Qin Yi under immense mental pressure long before the war even started. Even with a Zanpakutō like 'King of Hell', mastering it to such a degree had required an incredible amount of effort.
He had never mentioned those struggles to anyone, nor had he ever shown weakness in front of others. All he had ever displayed to the people of Qin's Nation was absolute strength.
He understood full well that an emperor was the embodiment of power. Anyone else could fail; anyone else could be weak. But not him.
He slept deeply, so deeply that he didn't notice a silent figure approaching him.
The figure moved without making a sound. Slender and graceful, dressed entirely in white, it was a woman. She lowered her head and looked down at Qin Yi sleeping on the sofa, her eyes rippling with complex emotion, a mix of longing and tenderness.
Carefully, she sat beside him and gently brushed her slender, pale hand against his face. Then she slowly lay down beside him, facing him directly, less than an inch apart, close enough to feel each other's breathing.
The spacious side hall remained deathly quiet.
---
On the third day, Qin Yi opened his eyes.
"Strange... I clearly felt someone beside me." He sat up and looked around.
After catching a faint scent in the air, he suddenly fell silent. The delicate fragrance still lingered in the room, a unique scent he recognized all too well.
After a dozen breaths, a broad smile spread across Qin Yi's face.
"An empire, beautiful women... I want them all."
He stood up, confidence and dominance flooding back into his posture.
"Now then, time to go recruit Saitama!"
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395