Chapter 38: The Iron Age

Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe – 38 Seaʀch* The Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Time passed quickly. Even during his human days, with a lifespan of less than a hundred years, Yujin would often find that a year or two had slipped by in the blink of an eye. Now, as an immortal Outer God with no concept of lifespan, this sensation was even more pronounced. He began to understand why beings like dragons in fantasy settings viewed time spent with humans as fleeting moments.

Two years had passed since Lasi discovered metal, Muwan expanded his territory, and Rodri advanced to the coastal villages. Yujin, who had been contemplating his identity, seemed to have reached a conclusion. Since then, he hadn’t tried to talk to me or shown signs of inner turmoil.

Instead, it seemed his vague goal of becoming a space adventurer after learning magic had shifted to something else. From that day on, he began to take different actions. For instance, he started engaging in various volunteer activities to help the Meias tribe, who had previously discriminated against him, in an effort to improve his image among them. He actively showcased his incredible magical abilities along with his good character.

“Did you hear? Yujin took care of the monster that appeared on the neighboring planet.”

“Yes, it was originally something the Meias elders or the magic corps would handle, but he actively helped out.”

And this approach was quite successful. Whether they had a positive or negative view of Yujin, the Meias tribe generally didn’t like him because he was from the Terra tribe. However, after two years of effort, Yujin managed to significantly change public opinion. Initially, the reactions were dismissive, with comments like “He’ll stop soon,” or “He’s just trying to suck up,” but…

As the saying goes, “Sincerity moves heaven.” After two years of diligently using his abilities to help people, public opinion about Yujin began to shift positively.

“He’s better than the elders who just sit around looking important.”

“Hey, someone might hear you.”

“So what? Honestly, he’s better than the elders.”

Some even believed he was better than the elders who, despite their high positions, didn’t actively help out like Yujin did. Thanks to his exceptional magical skills and two years of effort, Yujin was successfully integrating into the Meias tribe.

Additionally, Yujin began to build a friendly relationship with the Terra tribe, despite having previously ignored their proposal to join the military.

“Haha, so you really have no intention of joining our military? With your skills, you could easily become the next elder.”

“Well, I’ll stay friendly with my kin, but the military isn’t for me.”

“Hahaha, you’re an unusual one.”

Yujin now bypassed Officer Rigel and directly conversed with James Cobalt, the elder and chief military officer. He also seemed to be exchanging messages with Kon Arche, a Terra tribe adventurer he had briefly connected with during an interview.

(I almost got disintegrated near a black hole last time.)

(Take care of yourself. You’re not young anymore. LOL)

(You little…)

It wasn’t hard to understand why Yujin was doing this. He was building his own network of influence. Not just followers or comrades, but allies among the Meias and Terra tribes.

By building friendly relationships and connections, Yujin was creating a network of allies who could support him when needed. This kind of network wouldn’t be necessary if he were merely a space adventurer wandering the universe. He wanted to undertake something significant with the backing of a substantial force.

‘Since it has come to this, let’s just say I’m a cheat wizard reincarnated in this sci-fi universe. And I’ll take over the Galactic Union.’

Oh… that’s a pretty grand goal.

Aiming to be the ruler of the universe, huh?

That’s quite ambitious.

He wanted to seize control of the Galactic Union and become its leader, bringing the regions governed by the Union under his control. It’s a grandiose goal, but honestly, for a doppelganger of a cosmic entity, such an ambition seems fitting.

The storyline has shifted from a space travel adventure to a space conquest saga!

I support you, Yujin!

This means Yujin will likely start moving very proactively from now on. Now I understand why he would eventually clash with the Lubaran tribe elder of the Galactic Union. To take over the Galactic Union, it makes sense to target the de facto leader, the Lubaran elder. Moreover, the secret of that laboratory… if he uses that as leverage, he would have enough justification to oust the elder both militarily and politically.

Capturing and dissecting interesting species to understand their traits and use them for their own scientific advancements is definitely not okay. It’s just inhumane experimentation to make themselves stronger.

That’s precisely why I hesitated to create something like TransforX.

If they were mechanical lifeforms, those creatures would have dissected and studied my creations, whether they killed them themselves or obtained the corpses from somewhere else. Fortunately, elves don’t have any distinctive features apart from their physical prowess and high intelligence, so they likely wouldn’t be dissection targets. If the Lubaran tribe were to dissect the species I created after joining the Union, I might have been so annoyed that I would have just wiped them out.

Honestly, the aftermath of eradicating an entire species—filling the void or calming the chaos among other species—would be a hassle. That’s why I deliberately kept it hidden and made the species elves. Dalos creating the Metalians, who are essentially TransforX, was acceptable because Dalos would handle the destruction and the cleanup. Or maybe not. These guys might just destroy without cleaning up.

Anyway, if Yujin discovers and overturns their plans, it would be beneficial. The Metalians, being neighbors to the elves, would receive various forms of assistance. Capturing and dissecting intelligent lifeforms out of curiosity… it reminds me of the creeping chaos. Perhaps Ubbo-Sathla referenced that when creating the Lubaran tribe. Such madness-driven curiosity is indeed the best trait for scientific advancement.

But honestly, isn’t this practically universal domination? Maybe it’s because the life force absorbed from the experimental subjects isn’t significant. Anyway, I don’t like those guys. If Yujin takes over the Union, the elves and Metalians would be able to expand without interference or attacks.

Wait! But I was planning to make the elves the leading species of the Union. Does that mean they’ll end up competing with Yujin?

A showdown between a doppelganger and a created species… an internal conflict of epic proportions.

#

As Yujin actively moved to take over the Galactic Union, the elves were also experiencing their own revolutions.

“How about this! This is the new furnace. It can reach temperatures high enough to melt red stones.”

Rakus, the craftsman of Lumolasi village, unveiled a new type of furnace. It was made from specially heat-resistant and well-insulated clay, with the interior coated in graphite, which had been used for writing instruments. The elves, known for their curiosity and strong desire for advancement, quickly figured out how to efficiently utilize the various environments and conditions they were given.

While using silicon, ceramics, or synthetic refractory materials capable of withstanding very high temperatures would be more efficient, their chemical engineering hadn’t developed to that point yet. Given their current capabilities, this was the best they could do. With proper oxygen supply, the furnace could reach temperatures up to 1900 degrees Celsius. This was a significant improvement over the previous furnaces, which could barely melt copper.

With this, they could melt the red stones they had discovered, which were actually iron, and produce iron ingots. This marked the beginning of their Iron Age revolution.

Wow… discovering iron is quite a leap forward. If left unchecked, Lumolasi village could become the most powerful.

…Or so one might think, but surprisingly, not yet. Despite entering the Iron Age, they were still limited to making arrows, swords, and spears. Even with improved materials for primitive cold weapons, without the invention of modern firearms, they would still be fighting with bows and engaging in close combat with spears.

While having better materials might give them an edge in skirmishes, it wouldn’t make them overwhelmingly dominant. On the other hand, Muwan’s side was also formidable. They had discovered and absorbed two more nearby villages, forming a large force comprising four villages. Naturally, this significantly increased the elf population, and with new births, their numbers exceeded 5,000.

Despite Lumolasi village’s rapid development, their population was still around 1,500. Even with some families having three children over the past nine years, this was their limit. While Lumolasi focused on rapid technological advancements, Muwan’s village concentrated on territorial expansion and agriculture, remaining in the Stone Age. However, their large population meant significant collective intelligence and labor force, enabling rapid development if they chose to pursue it.

Would it be Lumolasi, the city of rapidly advancing science and technology, or Muwan’s city, which grew its numbers exponentially? Who would first unite the elf forces?

…But why am I assuming they would fight? Elves are known for their strong bonds and harmony! It would be better if they all got along and advanced together. So, let’s hope they join hands and progress together in peace.