CHAPTER 30: CH-30 T THE FEDERATION HASN’T REACHED TIER-7 YET

Admiral Kevin wasn’t particularly impressed by the teleportation device.

To him, teleportation was old news—an achievement the Human Federation had mastered long ago. In fact, their scientists were already pushing the boundaries of quantum-level teleportation. Still, something about this device felt... different. He couldn’t explain it, but the sensation nagged at him.

Turning toward his six accompanying researchers—experts in genetics, but well-versed in tech like this—Kevin gave a subtle nod. They instantly understood the silent command. One of them approached William, preparing to take a blood sample.

They needed proof that he was human before any talk of Federation citizenship.

As they moved, Kevin shot another glance at the teleportation array. His instincts told him this wasn’t standard Federation tech. It was cleaner, faster... maybe even smarter. When he looked back at his team, they shook their heads—each one signaling, wordlessly, that they couldn’t identify what made this teleportation system different. Not by looking. Not without deeper analysis.

Before Kevin could drift into speculation, a familiar voice broke his concentration.

"Welcome aboard, Fleet Admiral."

Kevin and the rest turned. Standing ahead were two figures: William and Elsa. William had cleared his throat to draw their attention. He smiled now, arms slightly open.

"Welcome to my humble ship," he said. "Admiral, gentlemen... Federation representatives."

Kevin was caught off guard—not just by the greeting, but by the fact he hadn’t sensed their presence until they were right in front of him. That was rare. Troubling.

Still, he stepped forward with calm poise. William extended a hand. Kevin shook it. Elsa simply nodded.

William gestured toward the hallway ahead. "So, Admiral," he said, "what do you think of my ship?"

Kevin glanced around, then replied carefully, "Can’t say much yet, Mr. William. I’ve barely seen the inside. But just standing here... I can tell it’s a marvel of engineering—just like it appeared from the outside. That’s all I can say, for now. If you let me tour it—"

"No need for that," William cut in gently. "It’s more than enough that you’re here."

Kevin didn’t argue. It wasn’t a rejection—but it wasn’t acceptance either. Still, before he could ask more, William switched topics with practiced ease.

"Let’s get those tests done, shall we?"

"Of course," Kevin said. "Let’s proceed."

The group followed William down the corridor to a door that opened automatically. Inside was a lab filled with medical equipment unlike anything the Federation team had seen.

There were med-nanite healing capsules, robotic surgical pods (transcendent-grade), brainwave stabilizers, bio-printers, tissue regeneration tanks, enhancement pods, oxygen reconstructor units, genetic re-sequencers, quantum scanners, consciousness re-anchoring devices, and more.

The six Federation researchers were stunned. They didn’t recognize most of the tech—not even its principles. It was all clearly medical in nature, but built with engineering far beyond their current capabilities.

William and Elsa, however, moved through the space like they belonged. William had built it. Elsa had watched it take shape. And the ship itself—the Rangarani—had been their shared crucible.

Within minutes, the tests were complete. Both William and Elsa registered as human—even Elsa, despite being a spiritual entity who had developed a fully physical form.

But the results shocked the researchers. Their DNA was human... and yet not. So refined, so augmented from baseline humanity that it defied logical understanding. It wasn’t evolution. It was precision design.

They wanted to ask how. But William saw the questions in their eyes and quickly redirected.

"Well, you’ve confirmed my identity now, haven’t you?" he said, flashing a grin. "I’m human, right? Satisfied?"

Admiral Kevin gave a resigned smile. "Yes, Mr. William. You are, by all measurable standards, human. And the data satisfies our conditions."

"Excellent." William raised his eyebrows, still smiling. "So I’m officially part of the Federation now?"

Kevin nodded. "I’m happy to inform you that you’re formally recognized. Once I return to the flagship, the rest of the bureaucratic process will be completed. The same goes for Ms. Elsa."

"Good, good," William said, then shifted tone—his cheerfulness sharpening into intent. "Now, Admiral... I’ve read your flagship’s database. I’m aware of this ’Warlord System’ in the Federation. Wealthy citizens can fund their own fleets—ships, mechs—and earn merit by defending humanity, right? Merit they can use to purchase planetary assets, systems, and more?"

Admiral Kevin stood silent for a long moment after William finished speaking, his expression unreadable. The other Federation personnel — the scientists, geneticists, and even the pilot — were equally caught off guard. Not just because of the request itself, but because of the way William had casually slipped into Federation affairs as if he were always meant to be there. Like a king walking into a kingdom he hadn’t conquered... yet still belonged to.

William’s eyes never left Kevin’s face. His tone had been calm, but there was steel behind his words. He wasn’t asking for approval — he was declaring his next steps.

"...You move fast, Mister William. I suppose it’s only fitting, given the power you hold." His voice wasn’t accusatory, but layered with respect and realism. "The Warlord Program — yes, it exists. And yes, those registered under it are allowed to operate independent fleets in defense of humanity, gain merit based on contribution, and purchase territory or political standing based on that merit."

He paused, then added earnestly, "But this program... it’s not something most new citizens jump into immediately after their identity is confirmed. And you—well, you’re far from a normal citizen. You carry a special identity, one that places you outside the usual rules. So jumping directly into this program... it’s not a decision I can make on my own."

He looked at him with genuine respect. "But don’t worry. While I need the Council’s approval for something like this, the merit of your actions in this battle—how you helped us, practically saved us from certain death, and ultimately protected this entire star system from the insectoid race—will all be taken into account. Rest assured, your contribution won’t go unnoticed. You will receive what you’ve rightfully earned."

William had wanted to respond to Kevin’s earlier words with a smile—perhaps say that he wasn’t just some ordinary citizen of the Human Federation. But he didn’t. Deep down, he agreed. He couldn’t rush into something meant for those born into the Federation when, in truth, he wasn’t a normal or even abnormal citizen—he was someone who had only just become one.

After some thought, he accepted Kevin’s proposal. It wasn’t that he needed those merits... but since they served as the currency of the Human Federation, he figured there was no harm in accepting them.

"Alright," William said calmly. "I’ll leave it to you to propose this to your Council and see if they can approve my request to become a Warlord—at the earliest possible opportunity. And if they’re still uncertain... still afraid of my intentions, which, I assure you, are nothing more than a desire to help humanity survive and avoid being pushed to the brink of defeat and destruction—then I’m willing to go a step further."

He looked directly at Admiral Kevin. "I don’t need to prove myself with power. If needed, I’ll show my sincerity by sharing something valuable—something technological that could be of help. How you handle it, Admiral Kevin, is entirely up to you."

Unexpectedly, Kevin was taken aback once again by William’s words—and so were the fleet members who had followed him here. He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and asked cautiously,

"Mr. William... if you don’t mind, could you tell me exactly what kind of technological ’stuff’ you’re referring to?"

William wasn’t surprised by the question. He gave a faint smile and replied,

"Based on your database, I’ve learned that the Human Federation—like the other alien races in this galaxy—classifies technology by tiers, starting from Tier-1 and moving upward. Civilizations are ranked the same way, right? From Tier-1 to higher classifications."

He paused briefly, letting the gathered officers digest his words.

"From what I’ve seen, the Federation is currently a Tier-6 civilization. But interestingly, there’s no substantial data available on Tier-7 technologies—or anything beyond that. I can only think of two reasons why. One: the Federation simply doesn’t possess Tier-7 tech. Or two: if it does, it’s kept so secret that it’s practically invisible to your infrastructure."

William tilted his head slightly, his tone becoming sharper.

"But if the second option were true, then surely humanity wouldn’t be losing territories and star systems at the rate it is now. So, I’m inclined to believe the first—that the Federation hasn’t reached Tier-7 yet, or is only barely approaching it. Wouldn’t you agree?"

He smiled, almost casually, as if he hadn’t just outlined the possible top-secret technological limits of the Federation like it was common knowledge. Kevin and the others couldn’t help but feel a deep chill. For a moment, they were terrified—not because William had said something threatening, but because of what it meant:

This man was dangerous.

Not because of his strength alone, but because of his precision... his clarity... and his terrifying calm.