I am the Emperor of Humanity across the Multiverse

The light wasn't blinding; instead, it gave Lyon a long-forgotten sense of warmth and comfort. Once his vision returned, the first thing that greeted him was a stretch of green.

Lush trees surrounded the area, and the intense sunlight from the local star made Lyon, who was wearing a casual jacket, feel slightly overheated.

He then noticed the engineering teams working tirelessly to build a forward base, accompanied by the sounds of digging and welding.

In addition to the engineering teams, Lyon could make out the Emergency Countermeasures Force (AECS) patrolling the forest and maintaining security.

Caw! Caw!

At that moment, a flock of unknown birds flew overhead, their appearance and loud calls making Lyon think they were likely a native species.

If that was the case, it meant this planet had a relatively suitable environment even before humans from Universe-08 arrived, and they had only made minor modifications.

"This place... it's pretty good for farming. If I ever retire, maybe I'll consider becoming a farmer here."

Mike, who had followed Lyon through the space gate, made a comment about the surroundings as he headed towards the temporary camp in the distance, reminding Lyon:

"Lyon, over here."

"Coming."

At his friend's reminder, Lyon stopped looking around and pulled his equipment case toward the makeshift camp, where numerous military tents and temporary shelters had been set up.

Following Ada's orders from the relic base, where she was remotely coordinating the operation, the investigators had been divided into teams of 9 to 13 members, each heading to their assigned locations to carry out their investigation tasks.

Lyon and Mike entered one of the tents with the flap rolled up.

Inside, there were only about a dozen folding metal chairs, and a metal table with energy drinks for hydration. It was simple but sufficient for team discussions.

The two placed their backpacks and gear aside, casually selecting two folding chairs to sit on as they patiently waited for the rest of the team to arrive.

Before long, a six-person special operations team led by Chris entered the tent.

Mike's expression twitched slightly at this.

However, Chris wasn't a mind reader and had no idea what Mike was thinking.

With a heavy thud, Chris dropped his large backpack onto the grass. The broad and muscular special ops team leader, significantly larger than anyone else present, sat down on Lyon's left and nodded in greeting to both Lyon and Mike.

The three had worked together two years ago, leaving a good impression on one another.

From Chris's perspective, he was hoping they could continue working together smoothly.

Soon, the last investigator rushed into the tent, setting down her backpack and equipment box. Apologetically, she introduced herself to the group:

"Sorry, I got held up at the quarantine station. Maggie Shaw, it's an honor to work with all of you."

"Lyon Kennedy."

"Chris Redfield."

"Mike…"

Lyon, Chris, and the others stood up and shook hands with Maggie Shaw, exchanging names and showing mutual friendliness.

Once everyone was seated again, Chris took out his specialized phone, operating it to project a small holographic screen. He showed the team the location of the space gate, the orbital elevator, human cities, and some key geographical features.

"Everyone, the drones released by the reconnaissance team discovered that the space gate is located in a dense rainforest near the equator.

"Beyond the forest lies vast farmland developed by the humans of Universe-08. They're growing crops we're familiar with and have numerous livestock farms.

"With this information, along with newly updated intelligence, we know this planet is called Harvest. Its economy is heavily based on agriculture, but there may be insurgents opposing the government."

Chris paused and then zoomed in on an aerial view of a city, marked as approximately 120 kilometers away.

Through the screen, Lyon, Mike, and the others saw that the city looked remarkably similar to Libreville on Earth in their home universe.

The city had towering modern skyscrapers, and elevated trains provided convenient transportation through its streets.

Although the city's orbital elevators weren't as massive as those in their home universe, there were six of them.

This suggested that orbital elevators were a common and ordinary type of structure for the humans in Universe-08.

As for the uprising…

The drone footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the eastern outskirts of the city. Upon closer inspection, Lyon and the others saw crowds of people flooding the streets, clashing with police lines.

Among the crowd were extremists hurling Molotov cocktails at the police or setting fire to nearby shops.

Finally, the unrest was forcibly quelled when the police used tear gas and non-lethal weapons loaded with stun rounds, causing the crowd to disperse.

"The Intelligence Department believes that the colonies in Universe-08 have grown increasingly dissatisfied with being used as mere tools to supply Earth, and the heavy government restrictions have fueled strong resentment."

Chris pocketed his phone, rested his right arm on the back of his chair, and turned to the group to explain:

"So, in this Universe-08, humanity is still divided, engaging in infighting and killing one another. I won't comment much on that.

"But the unrest on this planet could actually help us with our infiltration."

With that, Chris glanced at his watch and continued:

"According to the regulations for crossing the space gate, we won't be able to board the Black Hawk assault craft and head to the city's eastern side for another 24 hours. For now, our primary task is to organize our equipment and get some sleep to prepare for any unforeseen events tomorrow."

"I'm good with that," Lyon nodded, speaking up first.

"Same here," Mike agreed.

"So am I," Maggie Shaw also nodded.

As for Chris's old team members, they remained silent, showing no objections.

"Alright, we'll meet here again tomorrow."

With that, Chris stood up, effortlessly lifting his heavy backpack and luggage, and disappeared around the corner of the temporary camp with his special operations team.

Maggie Shaw followed shortly after.

Once only Lyon and Mike were left in the tent, Mike slung his backpack over his shoulder, looked outside, and nudged Lyon with his elbow:

"Hey, that Maggie Shaw seems to be new to the Investigation Department, right? I think she's also a superhuman?"

"Yeah," Lyon replied as he walked out of the tent, with Mike trailing behind him. "She's got literal steel bones. In terms of strength and speed, she's far superior to us, even though we're gene-enhanced investigators."

"Whoa…" Mike remarked, impressed. "Definitely not someone I'd want to date. Anyway, I'm feeling hungry; let's find something to eat."

The two headed into a simple dormitory prepared by the engineering team. As Chris had suggested, they prepared to rest well in anticipation of the official reconnaissance mission tomorrow.

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Read Ahead

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