Chapitre 25

Announcement:

I'm sorry for this long absence, I was dealing with a rather severe depression.

I will try to publish chapters regularly, but it's quite challenging as I'm looking for a job.

I'm leaving my PayPal if you want to support me, please don't hesitate: briand.stephane1@outlook.fr

You can also support me by giving me feedback or simply by sharing this work with your friends.

Enjoy.

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A few days ago...

When Steve made sure that the reality he was in was indeed his own and not a product of his imagination, he made the decision to create his own organization, one that would someday dominate the entire planet. He was aware of things that no other being on Earth knew: the existence of extraterrestrial species, the presence of beings from other dimensions... And he feared that if humans did not unite, they would be condemned.

"System"

[Yes]

"I'm at Ether Level 2, right? What can I do now?"

[You can use Ether to monitor something or someone; it can function as a camera and a microphone, but no Earth technology can detect it. With your current level, you can use it directly within a 10 km range or indirectly within a 100 km range.]

"What do you mean by directly and indirectly?"

[You're really stupid; that means you can observe and hear what's happening within a 10 km radius in real-time. Indirectly, you can send an Ether strand within a 100 km radius and then retrieve all the information from that location.]

"Hmm, that could be useful."

[You can also use Ether to alter the structure of your face so that no one can know your true identity, at least not in this dimension.]

"That's good. Have you updated yourself as well?"

[Yes, you can buy things even if you don't have enough points, provided you pay them back later with interest.]

"That's not bad, but let's leave that for later."

The kingdom of Macro is a relatively peaceful country, maintaining good diplomatic relations with almost all nations worldwide, and focusing on its internal development. Unfortunately, one cannot have good relations with everyone. A conflict has been ongoing for many years at the southern border between the Kingdom of Macro and the Republic of Algardia. These two nations fiercely dispute the vast desert expanses in the southern region of Macro, rich in natural resources. The predecessor of the current king, King V, managed to recover the eastern half after two wars. Still, the western part remains a subject of contention between the two countries, causing a diplomatic crisis. For his initial contact with his government, Steve chose to assist his country in resolving this issue. Since he could not engage in a direct military conflict with an entire nation, even with the aid of Ether, he opted for the second-best option: intelligence. Hacking a government is much more challenging than hacking a private company, especially the Ministry of Defense. Steve had to find the government's IP addresses, locate the Ministry of Defense's servers, obtain the desired information, and do so without being detected, all within a maximum of two days. This task is nearly impossible for an ordinary person, but Steve is anything but ordinary. With the assistance of some abilities acquired from the system, he managed to retrieve everything he wanted in a record time of 36 hours.

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Back to the present...

In an office at the Department of Territorial Security of the Kingdom of Macro, after hearing that Steve was there, Ali Alisson, although a high-ranking official in the DST, appeared momentarily stunned. To the general public, he was just a regular office employee. When his assistant informed him that Steve was to be personally escorted in, he didn't quite know how to react. With a furrowed brow, he said: "Bring him in."

After a few minutes, the office door opened once more, and Steve followed a young assistant into the room. He sported a simple and casual style of clothing. He wore well-fitted jeans, worn in places, and a black shirt, slightly tucked into his jeans. On his feet, he had comfortable, well-maintained sneakers, showing his preference for simplicity over formal chic. His stoic face and indifferent gaze only deepened Ali's furrowed brow, but it quickly transformed into a genuine smile as he spoke: "Welcome, young genius. I heard that someone from our kingdom is a brilliant mathematician despite their young age. I'm honored to meet you in person."

With the same stoic expression and indifferent gaze, Steve replied: "May I speak with you privately, Mr. Ali?" Ali glanced at Steve and then at his assistant, who promptly left the room. He then spoke, still wearing the same smile: "Please have a seat. I wonder what a young genius like yourself wants from an old man like me."

Steve's expression shifted, and with a mocking smile and tone, he responded: "A high-ranking official in the DST, a former army commander during the war, a Ph.D. in political science, a close friend of General Cassim... Don't be too humble with me, Mr. Ali."

Upon hearing Steve's words, the smile on Ali's face momentarily froze before his expression turned cold, with a hint of visible hostility in his eyes. "I didn't expect you to hack your own country as you did with others," he said.

Steve's smile didn't waver. "Oh, believe me, I've done more than that." He pulled a USB drive from his pocket and placed it on the table between himself and Ali, saying indifferently: "Let's talk after looking at what I've brought."