The resonance wave forced itself in like the incoming tide. The Nova’s blade began vibrating at high speed.

  The buzzing noises akin to millions of bees flying rumbled within the vast reception room. The milky-white blade heated up to emit crimson light.

  The heated air rose higher, cold air rushing in to fill the void left behind.

  70% of the Sarcosuchus’s fang was metallic in nature. Boasting a Bouligand-type structure made up of chemically-connected metallic substances and calcium, it easily withstood the resonance wave’s pressure. Just the base material for Nova could be considered a treasure in itself.

  A small tornado enveloped the heated crimson blade and swirled around. The heated air rose like shimmering haze, obscuring Mu Ssang’s face. The dreamy atmosphere was joined by his powerful presence, creating a different type of performance compared to when he walked on water — but this show was no less overwhelming and absolute.

  “Oh, ooooh! Our god has made his full descent!”


  “Our great and noble Dubaiburupa!”


  The words of exaltation leaped out of the Black Culture members’ mouths without them even being aware of it. The group of four scientists were no exception; even Doctor Giz who knew Mu Ssang better than anyone became bewitched by the mystical aura gushing out from the blade.

  “This blade is called Nova. Its wielder is the proof of being my, Dubaiburupa’s, family. Also, it serves as a proof that you’re a noble of Novatopia. A Nova’s wielder will now be referred to as Nova Chevalier (knight). And I pray that all Nova Chevaliers will act as the role model of noblesse oblige.”


  “Our Dubaiburupa has spoken thus!”


  “Woah!”


  A roar resounded as fifteen pairs of eyes began burning in fervor. The nova that illuminated the darkness of the space, the Nova carved out from the teeth of a Mesozoic Age monster through the power of a deity, and ‘Chevaliers’ meant to protect the weak and uphold justice. The combination of these three monumental symbols left the Black Culture members in a state of trance.

  Without the assistance of the rare drug Yorunba, Mu Ssang still managed to enter the ranks of special cult leaders exceeding that of houngans from voodoo cults.

  “Ombuti!”


  Ombuti went down on his knees after his name was called.

  “Ombuti, you are not only the Aklan crew, but also my agent. Dubaiburupa’s agent. I appoint you as Novatopia’s finance minister on top of being its governor-general.

  “I pray that you will turn Novatopia into a nation emitting the scent of humanity. Grant freedom to the wealthy and grant opportunities to the poor. Use your Nova to protect those still wearing the fetters of humanity, but you shall hammer down those acting like beasts.”


  “By your will, my liege! Praise be to Dubaiburupa!”


  Ombuti received Nova with both of his hands and prostrated three times before finally backing away. This was the sign of respect and love a servant held for the sovereign of his soul.

  Ombuti’s wrinkled face glistened softly from all the tears he began shedding inadvertently after his heart was overrun with emotions.

  Driven mad with a desire for vengeance, he was fated to roam the Sahara until he buried his exhausted bones in the sand, yet here he was. If only the deification of his liege hadn’t been expressly forbidden – Ombuti would have yelled [God’s not dead, He’s right here!] until his vocal cords blew out.

  *

  Mu Ssang summoned forth each member of the Black Culture and appointed them to a position while giving them their own Nova.

  “Mohammad Jadir, I appoint you as the Director of Intelligence Department. Information is a weapon, a nation’s strength. I beseech you not to forget the fundamental principle of serving the nation and its people, and never to interfere with the country’s politics.”


  “By your will, my liege! Praise be to Dubaiburupa!”


  Mohammad also prostrated three times, then kissed Mu Ssang’s foot before retreating.

  The reason why Mu Ssang chose to appoint the Director of Intelligence Department next was that he learned an unforgettable lesson on the importance of information and the power it granted during his cooperation with the DGSE.

  “Bakri Jadir, I appoint you as the Minister of Education. Evil intentions always originate from ignorance, and even good intentions will turn evil once it is combined with foolishness. Whether Novatopia will turn into a nation of animals or humans, that will depend on you. Minister of Education Bakri, carve out and shape our future with both praises and whips.”


  “By your will, my liege! Praise be to Dubaiburupa!”


  Bakri also prostrated three times and kissed Mu Ssang’s foot.

  Mu Ssang did not entirely hold South Korea’s education system in a negative light. Only around 30% of near-one-quadrillion brain synapses were filled through one’s genes. The rest were formed randomly or through environmental factors.

  Improving the level of one’s intellect was not the only goal of education. Humans tended to confuse irresponsibility and disorder as being free if they were not exposed to rules and restrictions. A thorough beating was just the ticket to wake up those with no sense of duty whatsoever.

  “Hawk Orifice, I appoint you as the Minister of Land. Land development is not everything you will overlook. I pray that you will ably uphold the balance between developing our territory and preserving it. You shall finish the ongoing projects in the next five years and turn Novatopia into Sahara’s emerald.”


  “Bopal Shernion, I appoint you as the Minister of Industry. Whether our citizens will live well or not depends on you, Shernion. Focus on those industries that deal with food, clothing and shelter first to resolve the discomfort of our citizens. Industries that will sustain us come after that.”


  “Loren Giz, I appoint you as the Minister of Health and Welfare. At the baseline, no citizen of Novatopia must suffer from hunger or moan in pain, or be unable to seek treatment in a hospital. However, it’s fine for those who don’t work to starve to death. Create a society where people who work like humans and will be treated as humans in return. My personal wish is that all citizens will have a dinner waiting for them every evening.”


  “Vallé Afwerki, I appoint you as the Minister of Agriculture. The success or failure of Novatopia depends on the success of its water management and the greening project. Give your everything to construct the network of waterways, and also do not forget to focus on the creation of agriculture and coffee belts. Construct a seed bank, then spare no efforts to secure the original seeds.”


  “Michelle Mulsori, I appoint you as the Minister of General Affairs. As the minister, I’d like you to handle all the matters pertaining to human resources, diplomatic and judicial affairs, as well as culture and tourism. I apologize for dumping all the miscellaneous work on you like this.”


  Eight civil servant Chevaliers were born after they received their Novas. The public would go on to call Ombuti as ‘l’Ombre de Dubai’ (Dubaiburupa’s shadow), while Orifice and the others would be known as ‘Sept Sages de Dubai’ (The Seven Sages of Dubai). With this, the framework for Novatopia to become a nation had been laid down.

  *

  The completion of eight Nova caused Mu Ssang’s vision to waver in dizziness. The crafting process certainly looked impressive outwardly, but it exhausted quite a lot of his mental strength.

  After perceiving Nova’s integrated information visualised through Dimensional Sight, he compared it to the info stored in his memories. Then he had to exercise a precise control on the resonance wave so that not even 1mm of error could occur. This process was quite similar to a modern-day 3D printer’s operation.

  If he had not acquired the power of psychokinesis, crafting two, maybe three, daggers would have resulted in him bleeding from his nose. Mu Ssang took a short break before resuming his job of carving the Sarcosuchus’ fangs. Seven people busy shooting laser-like glares from their eyes still remained, after all.

  “The scale and the structure of the military are still under consideration. As such, I’ll simply arrange the ranks and grant you with temporary responsibilities. If you’re unhappy with your assigned rank, you will fight each other and decide who gets what.”


  Unlike the positions of civil servants, the pecking order definitely had to be established for military officers. An army must move in perfect unison under a consistent chain of command. No military in the world would negotiate and come to an agreement with itself first before making a move.

  A tense atmosphere descended on the venue once he brought up the notions of ‘ranks’ and ‘fighting each other’. Even though they had shared and drunk the blood of oath, family was family and pride was pride. More than that, these folks were hot-blooded warriors. Sparks began dancing from the gazes they exchanged with one another.

  “Samdi Burupa, I appoint you as the First Company Leader. Your responsibilities will entail acting as the captain of the royal guards as well as the inspector of state affairs.”


  Samdi’s lips widened in a huge grin, but Sun WooHyun and Ahmmad both were sighing softly in disappointment. They had already expected as much, but even so, they felt deflated nonetheless. How would they even fight a dude capable of swinging around a ‘shovel’ over 40kgs in weight at the speed of sound, anyway?

  “Ahmmad Marwan, I appoint you as the Second Company Leader. Your responsibility involves leading the First Brigade. Train the Peshmerga battalion into a specialized unit meant for unconventional warfare. You will also train the Intifada and Rainbow battalions into rapid-response forces. Immediately turn the Touareg tribe into our expeditionary force.”


  “Urgh!”


  Sun WooHyun was about to stand up only to stick his butt back on the cushion. Ahmmad was someone who would give up a comfy bed with his wife just to wield his sword some more. To fight someone like that, Sun WooHyun needed to shed some weight off his tummy, which had accumulated a bit too much fat these days.

  ‘Bloody hell, I’ve been taking it easy for too long!’ Sun Woo-hyun lamented inwardly. His body got rusty during his tenure in the Samaria farm where he was treated like a king. The words Black Mamba always said smacked him anew in the heart just then – “No moss will grow on a rolling stone,” he said.

  “Sun WooHyun, I appoint you as the Third Company Leader. Your role is to act as the commander of the Rainbow battalion. Consult Afwerki for any data you need in commanding a battalion.”


  “Abdul Ibrahim, I appoint you as the Fourth Company Leader. Your role is the Minister of Defense. Ensure that not one part is amiss in the management of our military strength.

  “Create a system that minimizes any personal losses incurred during the mandatory military service. Citizens who fail to complete their national defense duties cannot become politicians or bureaucrats. We certainly cannot have some politicians insisting that an insulated lunch box is an explosive, after all!”


  “Wahahaha!”


  The last part of Mu Ssang’s word elicited a burst of loud laughter. That single joke managed to undo the stiff atmosphere. How sorrowful it was, though, since he was not joking but utterly serious just now…


  “Aishe Burupa, I appoint you as the Fifth Company Leader. Your role is to serve as the commander of Peshmerga battalion. Cooperate with Ahmmad and strictly train the Peshmerga to become the unconventional warfare unit.”


  “Jamal Amud, I appoint you as the Sixth Company Leader. Your role is to serve as the commander of the Intifada battalion. Once the supply of vehicles arrives, immediately transform the battalion into an expeditionary force.”


  “Nejema Burupa, I appoint you as the the Seventh Company Leader. Your role is to serve as the commander of the military police. The militia will change its title to military police, and expand its size to become a battalion. Change all general-purpose firearms to MP5, and you shall also train a platoon of snipers.

  “You shall strictly uphold the law and not be lenient towards any heinous criminals.”


  “Praise be to Dubaiburupa! We swear to become our liege’s loyal hammer.”


  The seven warriors all bowed deeply and received their individual Novas. And that was how the group known as the ‘Sept Généraux’ (Seven Generals) was born. They became widely feared as Dubaiburupa’s cruel hammers in the latter years.

  Samdi beat up a Sarcosuchus in the jungles of Ituri and extracted thirty fangs from the creature. Sixteen of them had been distributed, leaving fourteen behind. No one could predict who else was destined to become new owners of Nova in the future.

  *

  “I detest discrimination and classification. Yet I still appointed you all as Nova Chevaliers. I pray that you understand my intention behind doing so. I’d like you to take the initiative and lead by example in the spirit of noblesse oblige to turn this barren land into a righteous nation.

  “Before you head off to bed every night, I want you all to remember the ones you made cry and the ones you made smile. When your original intentions waver, I want you to use your Nova to guard your heart.”


  “Praise be to Dubaiburupa! We swear to become a handkerchief that wipes away our citizens’ tears and a loyal hammer of our liege!” The fifteen Nova Chevaliers all replied loudly, full of spirit. Their complexions turned visibly ruddy from all the excitement, except for one person – there was a hint of shadow creeping on Ombuti’s face.

  He had already read his master’s intentions by then.

  The master was an existence that no amount of renown or wealth could tie down. It was obvious that after setting up the stage, he was planning to leave once more. It was not “I shall reign over you, but I shan’t rule you,” but more like, he was going through the necessary sequences to dump everything on their shoulders.

  ‘My dear master, that’s not the right thing to do, sir.’ Ombuti inwardly resolved himself. If he was given the right to choose just one person in this world to be happy, then it had to be Wakil. They had managed to pull themselves out of literal hell, so just where was a king planning to go while abandoning his own nation?

  Ombuti, who was racking his brain until smoke came out of his head, suddenly began smiling faintly.

  ‘Yes, it’ll be sorted out as long as Miss Edel has his child!’


  Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not Ombuti manages to tie Mu Ssang down to Novatopia.

  *

  Around the time the sunset dyed the horizon in a mixture of vermilion and metallic crimson hues, a Falcon was taking off from Jipoon Dari’s airport to head towards the distant skies. It was carrying only one passenger.

  It was finally the conclusion of the African ‘business’ trip that had a lot of epic ups and downs for Mu Ssang. The green dot engraved in the middle of golden desert grew tiny in the proverbial blink of an eye.

  Unfortunately, Edel had not woken up from her slumber until then. By the foot of her bed was a paw as large as a flattened pizza dough, rapidly shooting up into the air.

  Dino’s front paw swiped across the air in a somewhat irritated fashion. Three flesh flies buzzing in through the window were shot down without mercy. All sorts of insects and arthropods had piled up near Dino’s feet by then: two centipedes, one scorpion, two wasps, dozens of flies…


  However, Dino’s appetite had disappeared. Even these ‘snacks’ it usually enjoyed could not catch his attention.

  ‘Could it be… Did my master throw me away? That dang lump of metal, I hope it falls out of the sky.’ Dino resented the lump of metal that carried its master away into the distant skies. However, its intelligence was not quite high enough to predict what might happen if said lump of metal indeed fell out of the sky.

  *

  While Mu Ssang was busy doing his thing in Novatopia, a mid-tier earthquake with a magnitude of around 4.8 occurred in the mountainous regions north of the city of Aleppo, Syria.

  The Syrian earthquake observatory declared there had not been any notable damage from the seismic activity as it happened to be a deep-focus earthquake occurring in the depth of 350km.

  A deep-focus earthquake with its epicenter deep underground traditionally did not affect the surface much. And in reality, the damage seemed negligible: the impact extended only to the waters of the lake Maydanki disappearing completely, and dozens of brick houses in the mountain villages meeting with partial destruction.

  Tens of thousands of human remains piled at the bottom of the lake also got swept away along with the lake’s water into the rift opening up at the lake’s bottom. The site of one of humanity’s worst genocides disappeared for good, just like that.

  Of course, no one cared about it in the slightest.

  *

  It was another location that bore the most of the brunt, however. It was none other than the Hollow Earth, the home of Kamdoong the Adras.

  The movement in Earth’s crust was the reason why the Hollow Earth came to be in the first place. Around 150 million years ago, a meteor with a diameter of 35km crashed into the spot between the island of Cyprus and Lebanon. It triggered massive climate change and the crust movement that rocked the heaven and earth.

  The calamity from the heavens could not be resisted, and it severed the lifeline of the Concretus civilization that had already entered its twilight years by then.

  The African plate, now with its northern edge sunken in, pushed into the Eurasian plate. The Arabian plate stuck between the two got crushed, and the process of crust folding created a massive empty void underground.

  After this empty space was created, a part of the living ecosystem on the surface sunk in deep into this underground dome. That was how the Hollow Earth had come to be.

  And today, the underground ecosystem that had been maintained for the past 150 million years greeted its apocalypse.