237 Returns to the Empire

"Isaac, your dad and I went to church for a service. Make sure you have something to eat on your own. Don't forget to charge the trolley; we're picking up Asimov for a basketball game tomorrow."

"Also, change Huru's cat litter."

Squeak—bang.

The door closed softly. Isaac Maxim shook his head, gradually recovering from his hangover. He rolled over, sat up from the sofa, and staggered to his feet. Although his clothes were disheveled, thankfully there was no vomit on him.

"Holy crap... last night was absolutely insane."

Isaac rubbed his forehead. Alcohol no longer had such a strong numbing effect on Alpha Rank Martial Artist, but last night's situation seemed different.

He walked to the refrigerator, took out a bottle of chilled orange juice, and casually pulled back the curtains. Under the gray sky, the trees and shrubs swayed gently.

Artificial rain is currently taking place outside the window. The pattering raindrops fall on the ground, creating a scene reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic ruin, complemented by the dim light emitted by the hemispherical generator.

Isaac recalled what happened last night.

At what was supposed to be a party to celebrate the festival, for some unknown reason, a group of scientists and officials arrived and, with the cooperation of the police, participated in the party, and were provided with a new type of alcoholic beverage that they had never seen before.

Good things offered for free are naturally not refused. The villagers drank and ate to their hearts' content. Regardless of age or gender, they were all immersed in a strong sense of joy, singing, dancing, and indulging in pleasure, completely forgetting their daily suffering.

"... Those drinks seem a bit off."

Isaac couldn't perceive any downsides. As Martial Artist, if there was a problem with the alcohol, his internal energy would automatically circulate to detoxify it.

However, he remained calm throughout.

"Perhaps some large companies are experimenting with a certain product. Although police officials have guaranteed that there won't be any problems, I still feel uneasy."

Isaac sipped his drink, enjoying the rare sight of the rain.

Without thunder, clear, second-grade tap water fell from the sky and sprinkled onto the fields.

"In August, Operation Thunderstorm ended. Terrorists were thoroughly purged, a large number of adversaries were imprisoned, and the economic situation became increasingly clear. The inflation rate reached its lowest level in 10 years. The faith in the [Overlord God] Lioz brought by the Holy Monument Religion appeased many people and provided a new channel for upward social mobility. At the same time, a large amount of grain from Frostplate entered the Imperial market, making products more abundant and diverse. Things are clearly getting better and better... but something still feels off."

People's sense of happiness is very high, but it seems to have become a little too high.

Isaac was politically insensitive, but he had an instinctive feeling that war was drawing ever closer.

The interest group of Regent Crown Prince Rudolf comes from the urban class. These groups are most likely to strongly support the group because of their vested interests, and this sentiment has already begun to emerge among the people.

In such a situation, it would either mark the beginning of a golden age of peace and prosperity or the start of large-scale foreign aggression and expansion.

Isaac was not averse to war; on the contrary, as a veteran, he regretted not having participated in the most violent and united social activity in human history.

But if we start a war at this stage, what kind of enemy will we choose?

"Mmm... Snore snore..."

The cat purred leisurely across the central corridor. When it came to Isaac's feet, it habitually rubbed against his shoes, then sniffed them, a hint of doubt appearing in its large eyes.

"Snoring?"

"—Hey! Little Huru~ Long time no see, did you miss me?"

Li Aoz swayed his body, felt the little cutie at his feet, and immediately bent down and picked him up.

"Hehe, little darling, let me pet you..."

Huru struggled violently for a few moments, as if she had encountered a stranger. She frantically clawed and struggled to break free from Li Aoz's gentle embrace, disappearing in an instant.

"—Tsk."

Li Aoz glanced at his reflection in the mirror with disdain:

"Invincible General Zhen, you truly inherited intelligence, strength, and charisma."

He didn't inherit any of the inherent charm that belonged to him.

It seems that the [Charm] attribute essentially recognizes the physical body, not the soul.

Even though he and Isaac share the same consciousness, the original body's "charm" can make planets bow down at his feet, but when it comes to Isaac, not even a cat wants to get close to him.

[However, that's normal. After all, my previous incarnation was Lioz... With that kind of charisma at the Overlord Class, if it could be inherited along with my soul, I wouldn't have needed to be a streamer in my past life; I could have ruled the universe directly, right?]

In a sense, this adds a layer of credibility to his connection with the reincarnation of Lioz.

"Forget it, let's not think about it anymore. Let's see how things go today, and then study the Authority Spell. That will be our main task in the detention center for the next few days."

Li Aoz glanced at the system records.

Isaac's life was monotonous and peaceful. He had been training hard for the past few months, but due to the fact that 'True #10752' was an Adventist, he hadn't made any further progress.

Players are not substitutes or parasites like citizens in a society.

The reason for this is the "Lai Anding Medical Protocol".

To players, this is just background information, but in reality, the content of the "Lai Anding Medical Protocol" is a true lifeline for the recruited characters.

The indigenous people who are conscripted are either dying or already dead. By becoming characters that players conscript, their lives are extended, and they are given the opportunity to start a new life.

Generally, they can move around freely in safe save points or offline locations. As long as they don't die, the "Lai Anding Medical Protocol" can guarantee their safety. They can fight with others or level up and grind monsters without any problems.

For example, the character ' Saga Akira ' recruited by Caramel Snail reverted to his true nature as a high school student who was a hooligan in Heavenly Ring Street after Caramel Snail Saga Akira the game. He often played around and did volunteer work in Trustworthy Village.

The Asakusa Yako whom Cumin Powder recruited was originally an electrician's apprentice at Sky Ring. When Cumin Powder wasn't online, her job became an air conditioner repairman.

The characters will also frequently comment on the player's actions. For example, when Li Aoz is playing the 'True' account, he is often criticized by Isaac.

However, the game's pace is usually too fast, so unless players are like Pochi-chan and act alone for a long time, they generally won't pay attention to recruiting characters.