CHAPTER 22: CH 22 I’M WILLIAM... WILLIAM VELEHART

Then—

Another alert pinged.

This time, it was a communication prompt. A focused signal.

The console flashed:

[INCOMING TRANSMISSION REQUEST – SOURCE: UNKNOWN VESSEL]

Kevin’s eyes narrowed.

"...They’re hailing us."

"What should we do, Admiral?" asked Reynard, one of Kevin’s vice admirals.

Kevin Marks remained silent for a moment, a thoughtful look etched deep across his face. If they were enemies, they could’ve already attacked us. That stealth tech alone... they could’ve destroyed half our fleet before we even knew they were there.

After a tense internal debate, he finally spoke."Accept it. Put it through."

"On it, sir," Reynard replied quickly. Within seconds, the transmission was accepted, and a rectangular holographic screen materialized in the center of the command room.

Back aboard the Ragnarok Ascendant...

"Sir," said Ascendancy, turning toward Elsa and William. Her voice carried a blend of curiosity and anticipation."The human fleet has accepted our transmission. Should I proceed and open the channel?"

William gave a slight nod, exhaling slowly."Yes, Ascendancy. Put it through. Let’s see what kind of human commander managed to survive this long."

Aboard the Pegasus-class research battleship...

A sleek, rectangular holographic projection formed in front of the command table. As it adjusted, the figures of William and Elsa appeared, seated on their throne-like chairs—side by side, exuding both grace and power.

A wave of stunned silence spread through the room.

One officer muttered, almost in disbelief,"They’re... human. But how?"

Another chimed in, "Could humanity exist in this galaxy too?"

"Then why didn’t we find them all these years?" a third asked, confusion creeping into his voice.

Someone else spoke up sharply,"No, that can’t be right. If they were out there, we wouldn’t have been shunned and attacked like this by every damn race."

But then, a different voice pierced through, leaving the room stunned."Why are they so beautiful...?"

It was a young female officer, eyes locked on the projection. "It’s like they’re heavenly... No, even angels in movies can’t compare..."

Gasps echoed again as others took a second look. The sheer charisma and ethereal aura of both William and Elsa were undeniable. One woman suddenly exclaimed with childlike intensity,"I’ve found my male god. I’m in love—I’m in love!"

Her friend beside her looked like someone had just spilled coffee on classified documents."We’re literally fighting for our lives here, and you’re swooning over some stranger’s face?"

But she ignored him. Her eyes sparkled. Her focus was entirely on William now—her newly declared "male god."

Meanwhile, Fleet Admiral Kevin Marks was just as stunned—though he hid it better. He quickly recovered and gave a subtle glance toward his vice admiral, who immediately understood. With a few rapid taps on the command table, he ran the identity scans and system checks.

Seconds later, he looked back at Kevin and shook his head—no match. Nothing in the database.

Kevin inhaled deeply. So many possibilities... Who are these people? What do they want? Allies? Enemies? Or something in between?

Before he could speak, the cool, composed voice of William echoed through the channel."Oh, hello there, people," William said, his tone almost playful, as if sightseeing a quaint city."I’m William... William Velehart." (For a moment, he had nearly forgotten which name to use from his past lives.)

"I’m the commander of the vessel your fleet is currently scanning—Ragnarok Ascendant.Let me be clear: I’m human too. Seeing you all in trouble, I came with the intention to help."His gaze sharpened slightly."So, I formally request direct communication."

Everyone on the Pegasus bridge was left in stunned silence once again. The tension was thick—until the same young female officer from before broke it with another loud exclamation.

"Oh my god—my male god has such a charismatic voice! I’m in love again!" she cried out in pure delight, clasping her hands together dramatically.

Several male officers turned toward her, their expressions unreadable—some stunned, others annoyed, a few just sighing as they looked over at Elsa on the screen. But this time, no one bothered to respond. The room was too focused on what was unfolding.

Fleet Admiral Kevin cleared his throat, finally speaking."Open the response channel," he said calmly, glancing toward the navigation and communications officers."I want to speak to this William person."

The officer gave a swift nod and tapped the holographic interface. "Channel open, sir."

Back aboard the Ragnarok Ascendant...

The command deck dimmed slightly as the communication hologram stabilized. A new live feed began to materialize.

And then, a man appeared—sharp-featured, rugged, yet regal in presence. He stood tall in the center of a brightly lit command bridge, wearing a black military uniform adorned with golden stripes and decorated with numerous medals across his chest. Officers in matching attire stood behind him, their uniforms slightly less ornate, signaling their subordinate ranks.

This was Fleet Admiral Kevin Marks.

His voice rang out, firm but diplomatic.

"Hello to you, Mr. William Velehart."He paused for a breath before continuing."Please don’t mind my bluntness, but your claim to be human... is quite strange. As far as I know, there is no data entry matching your name—or your vessel—in the databases of the Human Federation, any of our recognized empires, or allied coalitions."

He stepped forward slightly, narrowing his eyes."We’ve spent years confirming that there are no other known human civilizations within this galaxy. So naturally, I have my doubts about who—or what—you truly are."

Kevin gave a slight nod, his voice softening just a bit."However, if your intention is to assist us... then I’m grateful. We could use the help."

William wasn’t surprised in the slightest by the Fleet Admiral’s doubts. He had already anticipated this reaction.

After all, the situation for humanity in this galaxy was precarious at best. Though the Human Federation remained largely unified, they were under constant pressure from the native galactic powers. The technological superiority of humanity had only carried them so far. With limited resources and hostile environments, survival itself was becoming a struggle.

So no—it didn’t shock William that neither he nor the Ragnarok Ascendant were recognized by any imperial registry. He didn’t belong to their Federation. And he knew proving his humanity wouldn’t be easy.

But that didn’t change who he was.

William leaned forward slightly in his throne-like command chair, his voice calm and deliberate as he spoke through the holographic feed.

"I understand your doubts, Admiral. Anyone could pretend to be human, especially during times like this. But be that as it may, I know what I am. I am human. I assure you of that."

He raised a hand slightly in a peaceful gesture. "I may not be able to prove it immediately—but perhaps in time, I can. For now, I simply ask you to hear me out."

There was a pause as William continued, letting his words settle.

"You also mentioned that no other human civilizations exist in this galaxy beyond your Federation. That may be true. I don’t have any memory of others either. And as for why my ship isn’t registered in your systems?

"He smiled faintly."That’s simple—I don’t belong to your Federation."

Those words clearly struck Kevin. His brows furrowed further, confusion growing on his face.

"Not from the Federation? Then... what exactly are you talking about, Mr. William?"

William’s expression didn’t shift. Instead, his smile became a touch more solemn—then he finally gave voice to the truth.

"What I’m saying, Admiral Kevin, is this—like you, I’m human. But just like you... I’m not from this galaxy."He paused meaningfully."I arrived here by accident. From another universe. Or so I’ve come to understand."

William wasn’t surprised in the slightest by the Fleet Admiral’s doubts. He had already anticipated this reaction.

After all, the situation for humanity in this galaxy was precarious at best. Though the Human Federation remained largely unified, they were under constant pressure from the native galactic powers. The technological superiority of humanity had only carried them so far. With limited resources and hostile environments, survival itself was becoming a struggle.

So no—it didn’t shock William that neither he nor the Ragnarok Ascendant were recognized by any imperial registry. He didn’t belong to their Federation. And he knew proving his humanity wouldn’t be easy.

But that didn’t change who he was.

William leaned forward slightly in his throne-like command chair, his voice calm and deliberate as he spoke through the holographic feed.

"What I’m saying, Admiral Kevin, is this—like you, I’m human. But just like you... I’m not from this galaxy. "He paused meaningfully.

"I arrived here by accident. From another universe or galaxy. Or so I’ve come to understand."

At William’s words—"Just like you, I’m not from this galaxy,"—Admiral Kevin’s eyes lifted in surprise. But he wasn’t shocked or stunned.

In truth, that kind of statement made a strange kind of sense. After all, the entire Human Federation had long suspected their own origins were not native to this galaxy. The way the native alien species attacked them—aggressively, persistently, almost instinctively—had always suggested they were seen as outsiders, invaders even.

But then William followed it with a phrase that shattered that simple line of thinking:

"I arrived here by accident—from another universe."