Galaxy's First Ruler

Edmund knew if he would tell them about Attributes it would plant a seed of greed within them. But this was an obstacle that needed to be overcome as soon as possible.

"So these Dreamers would get stronger with time. Would they be stronger than an average human being?" A General asked.

But there was another person in the room who had understood the delicacy of the situation.

"Edmund, give us your honest opinion, what should we do in this situation?" Mr. President asked.

The General didn't wait for Edmund to finish and said, "Sir, I think we must conscript them. Who knows what they will do after getting stronger?"

Most of the Generals had been thinking of the same thing. Even if this statement had come out of greed, no one in the room could say it was wrong. Random people with strange powers were like ticking time bombs. The road could have been turning in either right or wrong direction any day.

But Edmund hadn't thought like that. He had decided that he shouldn't go against the Government for now. As surviving and becoming stronger in random situations had already become his basic instincts. Yet his choice of words would dictate the life of many and he couldn't run away from this. He stood up and gave a glance to everyone there.

Security personnel had stepped towards him as Edmund stood up, but a look from Mr. President stopped them at their place.

"RECORD."

An eerie breeze filled the room, and the magical symbols in Edmund's took aback everyone in the eyes of the young man.

Edmund looked at the screen and gravely said, "I believe, like me, every Dreamer can see a timer on the System. And it roughly left us with 159 hours out of the time that I could see. And unlike me, many Dreamers are just as confused about this as you are. Now nobody is sure about the purpose of the timer, but we can relate it to the Dungeons."

Even the Generals felt deep fear of the unknown after seeing that horrible looking black-film and misty light.

Edmund continued, "It would be better for the Government to have a better understanding of the situation and wait until that time. The Government can also make a central platform where one can upload all the information about the location of these statues. Then you can invite the Dreamers to register themselves if they want."

Without mentioning the General, he said, "And conscripting them at the moment of confusion and chaos will be the end of all humanity."

All members fell silent, listening to the undeniable facts.

"Very well, Mr. Edmund, I want you to cooperate with the Secretary of Defense on this essential task."

Mr. President was not about to let go of the biggest opportunity he had chanced upon. Using the face and knowledge of this young man, they could control the situation and could also make sure nothing unexpected happens.

But Edmund didn't share these motives.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I want to spend the rest of the week preparing myself for the Dungeon. But if the country needs any information that I could share, then I would happily cooperate."

The officials dropped Edmund at his home. And, as usual, he opened his console for some late-night gaming. He played for a little more than an hour and then suddenly closed his eyes. An unseen wave surrounded his entire apartment. Edmund made sure that no one had been spying on him. He used the unmonitored channel to contact one of his friends.

Edmund: I have done whatever I could. The rest is on them.

Samael: Humph! You are being too optimistic, Edmund. Let's say they would agree with your suggestion, but what about the other countries?

Edmund: Sigh. That's what I'm worried about the most. Did you check the internet? Some governments are already using the missing reports to hunt down the Dreamers.

Samael: I say fuck the government.

Edmund: No, we don't know what's going to happen in the coming week. The situation can also turn into, as some people are calling it. An End of Time.

Samael: I don't know, man. I've contacted those whom I could. You were right; it gave all of them that thing. ALL OF THEM.

Edmund: What do we say about the survival games?

Samael: The better the Starter-Pack, the more the difficulty.

Edmund: Yes.

Samael: Eddy, we are fucked.

Edmund put down the mobile and looked at his computer screen. The American Government had just issued an official statement to all the Dreamers.

'Every Dreamer starting tomorrow can access the app of American Dreamer Association or ADA. It is in development as the news is being released. And Dreamers can register their Class and apply for any help. The Government will also provide financial aid to the Dreamers if necessary. And we would provide all the information, from reliable sources, to them free of cost.'

A small smile found its way to his face. It wasn't enough, but it was better than nothing. Like everyone, he also had a dream. And if he survives this ordeal, then he would turn it into reality. His eyes shone with runic symbols and his hand reached into the void. He took a deep fiery breath and a blood-red Mage's robe had appeared in his hands.

*

In an unknown space.

Aldrich went to his tent and sat down for his daily meditation.

'This is a dream, this is a dream, this… Wait a minute, something is wrong!' A thought flashed through him.

[…

Life Analyzation Failed

Re-initiating Dream Phase…

Iteration: 3rd

…]

The only thing some people could do was wait. Some were waiting for their chance, some were waiting for their inevitable death.

And yet, ironically, none had thought about which happened next.

*

8 June 2020

02:00 AM

Washington D. C.

"You don't have to be around me all the time," Edmund said, scrutinizing the two black-suited agents.

One of them said, "We are just following our orders, Sir. Please don't mind us."

"We also have cleared the area around the statue of your own choice. Nothing will impede the entire process." The other also chimed in.

Edmund didn't want to be the subject of constant observation. But the pros were outweighing the cons by a huge margin. Not only was the Government providing him access to a statue for himself, but they had also fetched all the people from all over the world. People who he had recommended.

In return, the only thing he had to do was to make a video of everything that would happen within the Dungeon. And he was sure that he wasn't the only one who was suitable for this job. There were even soldiers who had become Dreamers. The only thing which allowed him to enjoy this 'service' was his decision-making skills.

"Ok, whatever. Let's go, it's better to be there an hour before the deadline," Edmund replied.

Only 1 hour remained to hit the deadline and in 1 hour it would be the 1 week anniversary of the Night of awakening. The ADA, aka American Dreamer Association, had become the most retweeted and shared article in the world. Not only Dreamers, but even common citizens had become fans of the organisation.

'It would take some time to verify all the Dreamers on the app. A local hub for verification would be the best bet for this,' Edmund thought, passing his time in the Black BMW.

It didn't take them long to reach their destination, Meridian Hill Park. Ever since the ghastly black transparent film had covered the famous statues in the park, it had been looking like ruins. But fortunately, or unfortunately, only one statue was under the pillar of muddy-yellow light. Whether it was a mist, a curtain, or liquid, no one knew. The only confirmed thing was its base color; Yellow.

Millions of people had gone missing that 'Night', but compared to the number of statues, that number was nothing. And yet Edmund was sure, unlike him, some Dreamers were just hiding somewhere. But could they hide from the flashes of the Timer? Edmund wasn't sure, but he had decided it was best to face the problem. If he can't adapt, he had better die.

"Sir, we have arrived." The agent said, taking out Edmund from his stupor.

Edmund saw a man standing at the front gate as he stepped out of the car. In his blue shorts and white shirt, he must have looked like a middle-schooler, if it wasn't for his height and build. Broad wasn't a term that would have done justice to his chest. But without his comical dressing, at first sight, anyone could mistake him for a wrestler.

"Samael, how was the flight?" Edmund asked, shaking hands.

Samael, like Edmund, was a Pro-gamer. His build, as he proclaimed, was a nature's gift to him.

"By flight, do you mean the jet that came to pick me up? How do you think it was?" Samael replied, grinning from ear to ear.

The agents followed them in, finding their way to the Yellow pillar. Soldiers had already encircled the statue along with 20 other Dreamers. As they saw Samael coming with the 'face' of the ADA, a wave of murmur washed over all the presented individuals.

Edmund sighed, "And that's why I had argued against the idea of using my profile on the App's homepage."

"Well, you had it coming. Now face the consequence, Mr. Celebrity. Haha," Samael said.

Edmund raised his head, and for the first time, he questioned his actions. 'What if everything goes wrong? Wouldn't I become the reason for their death?' thoughts like these flooded his mind. Anyone could have questioned their decisions and even their lives if they were to see that statue. One could have called it nothing but the Death Incarnate.

This was the statue of one of history's gifts to the future, an Italian Poet, a writer, a philosopher, and promulgated by the Pope himself, 'Pride and Glory of Humanity' Dante Alighieri.