At that very moment, chaos was erupting across the globe. It hadn't yet reached the point of being completely unmanageable, but it was, without a doubt, the most chaotic period the world had seen in hundreds of years.
Ever since the day nations finally got tired of endless conflicts and decided to establish the World Government, there hadn't been a single event with such mass casualties like the one happening now.
And right now, an emergency meeting was underway between the highest leaders of the world.
"President, did you receive the letter?"
"Yeah. You guys got it too?"
"Looks like all of us did, huh. Damn weird—some letter just appeared right in front of me, telling me to prepare for a 'surprise' and warning I might lose my life."
"This damn 'surprise' is too much. Satellite imagery clearly shows our massive continent has been smashed into five separate pieces. What kind of monstrous force could even do something like that?"
The President of the World Government wore a grim expression. Never had he imagined that such an outrageous catastrophe would happen during his term in office.
"The world has now been split into five continents by these natural borders... So, are any of you thinking about becoming emperors?"
That blunt question instantly soured the mood. Many high-ranking officials visibly twitched with discomfort.
"The hell, just say you're looking for trouble! Who the hell wants to be an emperor? Waking up earlier than a damn rooster, sleeping later than a dog, working yourself into the ground—plus you have to keep an eye on everyone around you! You think being emperor is about living the high life? You'd be dead in no time! This isn't like the old days. The world's crawling with talent now. One mistake, and you're done for. Screw that—I'm not becoming emperor. If anyone else wants to, be my guest. But if someone dares come for me, I'll deal with them myself."
"President, have you lost your damn mind, thinking about becoming emperor? I'm warning you—don't even think about reviving the imperial system!"
"Damn right. I'm working a proper 9-to-5, weekends off, annual leave, luxury vacations, premium healthcare, and cutting-edge tech. You think the emperors of old had it better than me? You'd have to be insane to give that up just to become emperor!"
...
Everyone raised their voices to oppose the president's suggestion—not out of hidden agendas, but from genuine sincerity.
Ordinary people might think becoming an emperor was something grand and glorious, but these leaders? They knew better than anyone what that position truly entailed.
Many among them had ancestors who had once sat on thrones. And if anyone understood how emperors had really lived, it was them.
They all knew a fundamental truth:
A good emperor suffers greatly;
A comfortable emperor is either about to lose his kingdom or is nothing more than a puppet.
Having absolute power might sound impressive, but in reality, it meant taking responsibility for everything. If something went wrong and you weren't involved directly? Too bad—you'd still be the one to take the fall.
After centuries of peace, unity, and miraculous development, they'd come to enjoy a life their ancestors couldn't even dream of. From this experience, they'd drawn one clear conclusion:
Anyone—anyone—who even thinks about becoming emperor... must be dealt with immediately.
They wouldn't allow this peaceful life to be disturbed. They liked their current lifestyle: challenging but not exhausting, a balance between work and leisure. That was the best kind of life.
If all you did every day was indulge in pleasures, life would become meaningless. On top of that, if you indulged too much, you'd end up getting dumber. And that... would be truly humiliating.
The President, of course, understood all this. His earlier comment had merely been a test—a way to gauge the level of unity in the World Government after all these centuries.
Now he had his answer. Everything was still solid. These people hadn't gotten complacent or stupid with time. Their thinking remained sharp and grounded.
"It was my mistake. I shouldn't have brought up such a foolish topic. What we need to discuss now is how to respond to the current crisis," the president said.
"I can't say the unity stretches from top to bottom, but I'm certain that those at the highest level are fully committed to preserving the order we've built over the centuries. That alone settles the biggest concern. The rest are just technical issues. If we work together, failure isn't even on the table."
"I mostly agree with you," another voice replied. "But we should still remain cautious. The current situation... it's no longer something science can explain. I tried probing one of those five mysterious lands earlier. Something's off. They look like they're floating right above us, but no matter how high we fly, the distance doesn't change. Satellites can't detect them at all, but when you look up from the ground... you can see them."
"I believe those five mysterious lands and the current five continental fragments are somehow connected. There's no way this is a coincidence. We're dealing with supernatural phenomena now—there will be countless variables. While we're not lacking in talented people, we absolutely can't afford to underestimate the situation."
"Worst-case scenario, a few ignorant civilians suddenly gain power far beyond human limits and start thinking about carving out kingdoms for themselves. Unlike us, those people don't understand the cost of ruling. To most ordinary folks, being an emperor sounds like the best job ever—feasting and partying all day without a care. I'm certain that if given the strength, many would leap at the chance."
"That concern isn't unfounded. I don't believe a few lucky individuals could truly challenge the might of the World Government, but if such people do emerge, they'll cause no small amount of damage. Let them run wild for too long, and even our peaceful lives will be disrupted."
"Hmph. If any fools dare to disregard the World Government and stir up trouble, they'll pay the price."
...
Some of the high-level officials wore concerned expressions, while others seemed more relaxed. After all, the power wielded by the current World Government far surpassed that of the old individual nations—it wasn't something that could be shaken so easily.
At that moment, the president found his thoughts drifting back to the letter—the one that had vanished into thin air the moment he finished reading it. He began pondering the attitude of the mysterious force behind this entire event.
"From what I can tell, whoever's behind all this doesn't seem overtly hostile toward the World Government. Yes, they've thrown the world into chaos, but they also left us a warning—some form of clue. That alone suggests they don't see us as enemies. There's no need for us to blindly hold a grudge. In fact... I believe this might be more of an opportunity than a disaster. It'll be troublesome to deal with, of course—but the potential rewards are likely enormous. I think it's time we mobilized the military. Assign commanders with the right mindset to lead our forces. We can't allow anyone to use resources we provided to crown themselves emperor."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
...
At that moment, none of the influential figures present voiced any objections. In fact, few of them even felt genuine animosity toward the incident itself. Ever since they'd realized that supernatural forces were at play, a certain thought had been lingering in the backs of their minds.
A thought that had haunted their ancestors for generations—
Longevity.
Not immortality. That was no longer something they obsessed over. They didn't seek to live forever. A hundred years was too short, but ten thousand would be far too long.
What they now wanted was simple:
To live long enough... until they themselves felt it was enough.