Star Citizen Online: Isekai Edition

Chapter 96: Celestial-Flame Avenue

Even though the Eternal Empire of Asurya was a High-Level Civilization and a fairly powerful one, they were still pretty inferior to most of the High-Level Civilizations, mainly due to their small size.

Most of the High-Level Civilizations and High-Level Star Nations controlled at least a few Galaasxies and Dwarf Galaxies and some other types of celestial bodies, so their territories were huge and vast.

Their population was many times bigger than that of the Eternal Empire of the Asruya. Thus, the Empire was somewhat inferior compared to the different factions. The room for development was crucial, but at the same time, the Phoenix Empire was a relatively young nation that had barely been old for a few centuries.

Many of the High-Level Civilizations and High-Level Star Nations were old hundreds of thousands of years, and they were far more fitting to have the name

"Eternal"

, which Arctrus always found a bit laughable and ironic due to the young age of the nation.

Though he couldn't deny them the aspirations that they have carried for the future, that one was for sure. He knew that the Empire hoped for him to keep low so he wouldn't be assassinated by the adversaries of the Empire before he could grow up.

That was mainly aimed at the Veren Republic, who was very nervous about the expansion of the Eternal Empire of the Asurya that was aiming to conquer the entire Andromeda Galaxy as it saw the entire galaxy as its own home turf.

***

Some time later, the Commercial District of the Celestara, Throne World Phoenix Prime

The commercial district on the capital planet Celestara of Pheonix Prime and the Eternal Empire of the Asurya was a vibrant and breathtaking display of technological marvels and cultural fusion.

The cityscape glowed with the brilliance of both natural and synthetic lights, with its skyline punctuated by sleek, sky-piercing spires, colossal holographic advertisements, and floating platforms that serve as public transport hubs.

If he had to choose one part of the city that actually looked futuristic and like he had imagined in the past, it would be the commercial district of the Celestara.

The entire area exudes an atmosphere of boundless energy, a testament to the Empire's immense wealth and technologically advanced capabilities that were far above the rest of the players in the Andromeda Galaxy.

At ground level, the streets were teeming with life, an amalgamation of the Votanns and Asurynai that came from across the entire Imperial Space, each contributing to the district's kaleidoscope of languages, customs, and fashion.

Walkways were made of translucent, reinforced materials, subtly illuminated from below by bioluminescent streams of liquid energy that flow beneath the surface, creating the illusion of walking on shifting, star-filled currents.

The architecture is a seamless blend of the ancient and the futuristic: towering buildings of sleek metal and glass are adorned with intricate carvings and murals that pay homage to the Empire's history. Everything, though, was made with the typical

"gloominess"

of Imperial Gothic architecture, creating a really unique blend of styles.

He had to admit that even the commercial district was almost an unnaturally clean place, and everything seemed very nice. This was the first time he was visiting something like this on the planets under the control of the Eternal Empire of Asurya because, till now, he was only visiting the specific Commercial District in the Starfort Lycurgos, which was the military facility.

"This is rather different from the sight on the Starfort Lycurgos..."

Arcturus muttered under his breath as he was overwhelmed by the enormous place that was as big as a smaller city as in his past life. The entire place bustled with vendors promoting their shops and companies.

Most of them were actually representatives of the various industries that were stationed in the Commercial District of the Celestara, and their main goal was to attract wealthy buyers, mostly the Mid-Level Civilizations and Mid-Level Star Nations that had some dealing with the Eternal Empire of the Asurya.

Due to that, Arcutturs was able to see several of the different species in the Commercial District, which he thought wouldn't be really possible due to the rather xenophobic nature of the Imperium, as the Imperials didn't like anyone else aside from the fellow Imperials.

Asuryani and Votanns were rather the same in this regard; perhaps that was the reason why the two species could go along so well that they managed to create a High-Level Star Nation.

"Yes... The Commercial District of the Celestara on the Phoenix Prime is actually the trade center of the entire North-Western Galactic Quadrant of the Andromeda Galaxy, and there are countless people coming from many Mid-Level Civilization and Mid-Level Star Nations to buy things from the Imperial Corporations. Due to that, you will be able to see many species here..."

Star Knight Neros Thoran said as he walked side by side with Arcturus while they were being surrounded by another four Imperial Knights from the Imperial Knight Order. Obviously, this attracted a certain degree of attention, but Imperial Citizens quickly ignored it.

The air was filled with the hum of grav-cars and the subtle thrum of anti-gravity lifts, punctuated by the melodic chime of announcements and the occasional roar of starship engines from the nearby docking spires.

Above, automated drones whirred by, projecting neon-lit holograms that advertised luxury starliners, the latest in cybernetic enhancements, and invitations to exclusive galactic events.

Entertainment hubs pulse with electric life, hosting establishments that range from opulent pleasure domes with virtual reality vistas of far-off nebulae to massive arenas where the Empire's most popular holo-sporting events are broadcast live.

Cultural centers and theaters offer performances that blend traditional dance with immersive holographic storytelling, captivating audiences both local and alien.

However, after they walked for some time, everything was subsidized as they reached the center of the entire Commercial District, and it was like they had reached an entirely different world when they passed the security checkpoint that was separating the place where they had headed from the rest by huge walls.

"Welcome... to the Celestial-Flame Avenue, the heart of the entire life in the city."

Star Knight Neros Thoran stated when they got checked by the security personnel, because elements from the Imperial Army were in charge of patrolling the gates that were leading to Celestial-Flame Avenue.

When they entered, it seemed like an entirely different world.

Markets bustled with vendors selling rare interstellar goods, from delicately woven fabrics that shimmer with embedded nanotech to exotic spices that float in suspended globules until consumed.

They were on the main street, the Celestial-Flame Avenue so there was everything from the expensive pieces of jewelry to the most exclusive restaurants and foods across the entire Andromeda Galaxy.

The Celestial-Flame Avenue was a street that was 5,096 meters long and had exactly 336 stores for the various shops and corporations. Each of the owners of any store was a top expert of the Andromeda Galaxy or a powerful corporation in the Empire.

The Celestial-Flame Avenue also didn't permit any kinds of vehicles or any machinery to pass through it. Even the soldiers from the Imperial Army or the Policemen patrols must keep the peace on the foot.

Not only that but also not everyone was allowed to enter Celestial-Flame Avenue because only those of considerable status were given the license to enter either temporarily or had a special pass permit that they could even buy a property at Celestial-Flame Avenue.

Even here, the security was ever-present but discreet; sleek, autonomous patrol units equipped with the most advanced Artificial Intelligence designed explicitly for the duties of the police and designed to monitor the crowds, ensuring the peace is kept without stifling the district's lively spirit.

"Any tips for the beginner? This place is rather overwhelming..."

Arctururus asked the Star Knight Neros Thoran as he noticed that since they entered the Celestial-Flame Avenue, they were not nearly as eye-catching as before. People here mostly didn't even bother to give them a single look, which made Arcturus to be more at ease.

He didn't like being the center of attention. Arcturus always preferred to move unmonitored and unseen because he didn't like when everyone was staring at him like some of the human weirdos in those circuses of the curiosities that were once popular.

"Just don't get yourself scammed... don't take anything from the gnomes, especially if it has a weird color or some weird liquid; it would most possibly explode. What else..."

There was certainly weird advice, though he was intrigued by the mention of the gnomes as they were one of the typical, more fantasy-aligned species, something that he had trouble imagining being in a so technologically advanced world like this one.

"Gnomes?"

This was the first time he heard about this species existed, though when he encountered the space version of the dwarves, it wouldn't be really that weird to meet gnomes and other races from the fantasy in this weird sci-fi setting.

As far as he could remember, within the game, there were only a few alien species introduced, and he was sure that neither gnomes nor dwarves were either of them.

"Yeah... they live in the Dwarrowdelf Planet, and they are part of the Empire, although they are pretty reclusive. Nowadays, most of them are experimenting with advanced experimental technology and especially making explosives. Here and there, you can see some of them trying to sell their invention, which are in most cases pretty dangerous things to both of yourself and to your enemy."

Arcturus made a mental note to not buy anything from the gnomes as he for the time being decided that it was dangerous. At the same time, he was still pretty curious about the gnomes, so he wanted to meet some of them.

The Starlight Drive Yard Industries wouldn't be the only stop today, as he planned to take a look around Celestial-Flame Avenue after dealing with the Starlight Drive Yard Industries because he was intrigued by the atmosphere in this place.

"We should get going to the Starlight Drive Yard Industries; I have a certain feeling that it would be a very fruitful journey there..."

He said, smiling as Star Knight Thoran and the rest of the Imperial Knights walked directly to the headquarters of the Starlight Drive Yard Industries. Now that he had patented the upgrades for the ABD-Spectre MK II. Battle Droids, he was sure that the Starlight Drive Yard Industries would be interested in that.

In the end, ABD-Spectre Battle Droids were one of their best selling Battle Droids that were ever created, especially for the Low-Level Civilizations and Low-Level Star Nations that were the main consumer of the ABD-Spectre Battle Droids in the past few years.

For the small fishes, the ABD-Spectre Battle Droids were already one of the most advanced pieces of technology that they could get their hands on.

Soon enough, they arrived in front of the towering building of the Starlight Drive Yard Industries, which was the biggest private corporation in the entire Eternal Empire of the Asurya.

However, calling it a private corporation would be a bit of an overestimation because part of it was owned by the state. According to what it was known, the state of the Eternal Empire of the Asurya owned around 50% stake in the Starlight Drive Yard Industries and had even more significant influence within the corporation than one may even think.

Obviously, the state wouldn't let the corporation so crucial to the military machinery of the Empire be controlled by the private whims and interests of some individuals, as the Starlight Drive Yard Industries were manufacturing countless starships, weapons, and other types of equipment that were essential to the military efforts of the Empire.

Arcturus had already arranged a meeting with one of the managers of Starlight Drive Yard Industries for negotiation purposes, as he had let Red Queen contact someone at Starlight Drive Yard Industries.

He knew that as soon as the Starlight Drive Yard Industries learned about his patents on the ABD-Spectre MK. II Battle Droids, they would begin negotiations for the licensing. So, he made the first move and decided to negotiate with Starlight Drive Yard Industries directly.

Thus, they were heading directly to one of the offices of the Executive Managers of the Starlight Drive Yard Industries because the Red Queen arranged everything for him, and he had an appointment with one of the Executives in a few tens of minutes, so he was a bit early.

If everything went well, he could obtain a contract worth tens of millions of Universal Credits easily and essentially swim into the tremendous riches that would be enough for him to live without any care for many, many centuries with this kind of wealth.

Even in the Eternal Empire of the Asurya, there were very few people who were this kind of rich, but Arcturus also wanted to reach the top of the ladder and become a powerful figure, not just because he had money.

Wealth and money were just a tool for him, not the end goal.

Just the tool that would be used to reach the end game goal.

Money and wealth would also come with the power.

As he walked through the headquarters of the Starlight Drive Yard Industries, he was rather surprised because he was expecting to see something more opulent and luxurious than this.