Supreme Paragon Reborn: Humanity's Rise To Galactic Supremacy-Chapter 258: Reinforced Foundations

"My liege, if I may?"

Once the Emperor’s laughter settled, King Zaiden spoke up.

"As per the laws you have created, while a faction can be formed by anyone, for it to be considered of the big leagues, it’s mandatory to possess a base of operation located on Earth."

The Emperor hummed.

"Naturally."

His crimson eyes settled on Nicole.

"From what I understand, you met Michael when you disobeyed your orders to aid Venus, correct? I believe the smoothest route would be for you to escort them from Venus to Earth and manage the logistics. After all, their path to the asteroid belt will pass through our home planet."

Usually, a Supreme Lord would avoid interacting with a faction that had just started to establish itself, as it was deemed a waste of time. However, with the promise that these soldiers could be molded into truly useful pawns, the Emperor made his decision.

She nodded.

"I too believe that it’s the best choice. As such, I don’t have any complaints."

At Nicole’s words, the sister Lords, Eliza and Elina, exchanged a glance. Both had dealt with Michael before, following their King’s orders. One had been assigned to watch over his family, while the other had been tasked with observing him. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Now, unexpectedly, a Supreme Lord like Nicole... Arguably the strongest to ever exist had taken an interest in him as well?

Given the unexpected turn of events, they made a mental note to personally build friendly ties with him, if possible. After all, albeit the possibility was small, he could one day stand shoulder to shoulder with the other Kings and answer to the Emperor himself!

Or perhaps... Loom far above them all.

With that, the meeting was concluded.

Meanwhile on Venus, Michael lay on his bed, his mind occupied with lingering thoughts.

"Did I miscalculate?" He wondered out loud.

Truthfully, things hadn’t unfolded as he had anticipated, but that was to be expected. After all, the future was always uncertain, even for someone like him who had traveled back in time, butterfly effect and all...

Although the disaster with the rogue AI was unforeseen, meeting Nicole was an unexpected stroke of luck. Together, they prompted the creation of a potential plan, incorporating the documentary Skylar and Luis had recorded.

Taking on the perspective of the powerhouses, at least those whose thinking he understood, he could predict that the most probable scenario would unfold as such:

Nicole would be captivated by his potential. The moment she saw an opportunity, she’d use the documentary to make both him and his faction known to the other powerhouses. Her goal would be twofold: shape him into a merciless soldier while simultaneously claiming credit for discovering him, positioning herself as the one who brought him to the forefront.

Undoubtedly, this would create a dilemma for the other factions. She would be the one who had ’claimed’ him, making them hesitant to interfere with him.

Of all the possible outcomes, this was the one that would benefit him the most. While it was inevitable that the Emperor would learn of his existence, the factions would pose no immediate threat, which was the real advantage.

’This is the best scenario... But the chances of it happening are indeed slim. It’s better to prepare for the worst just in case.’

Just as the thought drifted into his mind, a knock echoed beyond the door.

"Who is that?" Richard was puzzled by the lack of presence beyond the door.

"Beats me..." Enzo shrugged.

"It’s too early for me to bother with people." Leo sighed. "I need my coffee first."

Michael shook his head.

"Quite the lazy bunch..." He muttered as he got up and opened the door.

"..."

His heart instantly clutched with countless emotions, his gaze settling on a breathtaking woman.

"Hello, we meet again." Nicole said, a faint smile tugging her mesmerizing face.

"Could we talk in private?"

Blinking slowly, Michael nodded.

"Of course."

Swiftly, he shut the door before Richard could storm out and ask him what he was planning to do with a gorgeous woman alone.

"You see..." Nicole began, recounting the meeting once they were out of earshot of bystanders.

"Please, forgive me for taking matters into my own hands, but your talents are simply extraordinary! I firmly believe nurturing you is the right thing to do."

A shocking sight! A Supreme Lord apologizing to a Grandmaster! Had there been someone of the council present, they would have surely vomited liters of blood from the disarray!

Michael chuckled.

’Thank God, you are just like I remember...’

A smile tugged at his face.

"It would be an honor to fight on that battlefield. Of course I will discuss things with my crew first, but I assure you all of us would be on board."

Unsurprisingly, once everyone learned who Nicole really was and that she would help them establish an official base of operation on Earth before taking part in the most critical front of humanity, they were all overjoyed.

Before setting off, they took a moment to bid farewell.

"I can already tell this won’t be the last time our paths cross!" Robert laughed aloud. This was his home, and Livia was here. He wouldn’t be following after Michael.

"So you came, made me Minister of Defence, buried me in paperwork, saved the capital from the robots, and now you’re just leaving?" Livia said, her tone softening. "Good luck on your journey. May next time our paths cross, you don’t bring so much chaos along with you."

Michael laughed. "No promises."

Naturally, Livia was going to inform her sister Aisha that everything had proceeded smoothly.

As the crew settled on the space shuttle, they all observed Nicole with a mix of curiosity and caution. The existence of a Supreme Lord was simply that astounding.

"To save time, please tell me what facilities you’d like your base to be equipped with. Under normal circumstances, this would be your residence, so feel free to include any specific items or features you’d want in your private rooms as well."

Since everybody felt an understandable sense of awkwardness, Michael was the first one to speak, naming things like training grounds and such. He was the leader after all, so the responsibility of judging what was important fell to him.

Feeling like he was forgetting something, he summoned Devil’s Tongue and asked the sword for its opinion.

’A pool is mandatory! There is simply no better excuse to gawk at the sight of almost naked women in bikinis!’

As Michael relayed the sword’s words, skipping most of it, Nicole giggled charmingly.

"Good foresight. A pool is a solid choice, and anything that offers a distraction from the battlefield is more than welcome. Most soldiers neglect their mental health until it’s too late."

She said, eyes settling on him.

"And for your private quarters?"

Michael glanced at Devil’s Tongue again.

’You need the biggest king-sized bed they have! And it’s essential that it’s reinforced with titanium! I tell you, there’s nothing worse than spending some alone time with one, two, or even three women, only to end up on the lower floor because the furniture couldn’t handle the intensity!’

"..."

Taking a deep breath, Michael answered:

"King-sized bed, the largest you have, preferably reinforced with titanium..."