Chương 119: Chapter 119: The Carrot and the Stick 

At the precisely designated time, a massive fleet of military and diplomatic helicopters approached the coordinates of the deserted island. 

However, as they neared, the pilots stared in absolute disbelief. Where there should have been a barren, sandy island, a colossal, impossibly advanced, pitch-black utopian metropolis now stood, completely encased in a massive, shimmering, transparent energy dome! 

Watching the violent ocean waves aggressively crashing against the dome, only to be instantly, silently absorbed and neutralized by the energy field, the pilots hesitated, terrified of flying too close. 

Standing on an elevated aerial walkway, Luke watched the helicopters hovering nervously in the distance and sighed helplessly. Why are they all so incredibly timid? 

He casually waved his hand. Several massive, perfectly circular openings silently irised open in the upper sections of the energy dome. 

Seeing the clear, designated entry points, the pilots breathed a collective sigh of relief and carefully navigated their helicopters through the openings. 

Landing on the massive, clearly marked landing pads outside the primary central skyscraper, the various diplomatic and military delegations stepped out of their helicopters, staring in absolute, profound awe at the alien architecture surrounding them. 

Six colossal, six-hundred-meter-tall domed skyscrapers were arranged in a perfect hexagon, completely surrounding an even more massive, nine-hundred-meter-tall central tower. Every hundred meters, massive, enclosed aerial walkways seamlessly connected the outer towers, creating a highly complex, interconnected network. 

The central tower, however, stood entirely isolated, connected to the outer ring only by a single, massive bridge extending from the very top. 

The entire architectural complex was primarily composed of a sleek, obsidian-black material—a direct result of Luke utilizing pure Dark Energy as the foundational building block. 

However, Galacta's brilliant architectural design had prevented it from looking like a generic, dystopian villain's fortress. She had manipulated the structural density of the Dark Energy Crystals to create massive, transparent, glass-like facades. The entire complex looked like a majestic, breathtakingly beautiful city carved from solid black diamond. 

This utterly incomprehensible, impossibly advanced architectural marvel, coupled with the terrifying realization that Luke had literally willed this entire metropolis into existence with a wave of his hand, profoundly impacted the delegations before they had even seen him. Any lingering thoughts of rebellion or defiance were instantly crushed under a mountain of sheer, overwhelming awe. 

"So... where exactly do we go now?" a European diplomat asked nervously, looking around the empty landing pad. 

Suddenly, dozens of identical, pitch-black Shadow Ninjas silently materialized directly from the shadows cast by the helicopters. Ignoring the startled gasps of the diplomats, the ninjas lined up in two perfect rows, silently gesturing toward the massive entrance of the central tower. 

"Let's proceed." Captain Yang of the Chinese delegation glanced at the highly hesitant, terrified representatives from the other nations. He confidently gestured to Captain Zhao, and the two of them strode calmly toward the entrance. 

Seeing the Chinese delegation take the lead, the other delegations exchanged nervous glances and quickly hurried after them. 

High above, a single Nightbat Ninja observed their movements, telepathically streaming the visual feed directly to Luke. 

Luke was currently sitting casually at a massive desk at the front of a colossal, highly advanced conference hall located within the central tower. 

Galacta sat lazily in a chair beside him, watching the holographic feed with mild interest, her chin resting on her hand. "These humans all seem relatively standard. However, the one leading the group is slightly unique." 

Luke severed the telepathic link with the Nightbat and turned to her, curious. "Unique how?" 

Galacta swallowed instinctively. "The total amount of raw, edible energy contained within that specific individual's body is roughly one thousand times greater than the average human." 

Luke leaned over to look at her specialized holographic scanner. To his surprise, the scanner displayed numerical energy values floating above the heads of every single person in the feed—effectively acting as a biological menu for Galacta. 

Normally, she completely ignored ordinary humans; the microscopic amount of trace cosmic energy they possessed wasn't even worth the effort of chewing. She vastly preferred hunting Dimensional Demon avatars. 

However, Captain Yang registered as a highly appealing, incredibly potent 'dessert.' 

Luke wasn't entirely surprised. The fact that the Chinese government could deploy a literal van full of incredibly powerful, highly trained psychics (like the 'Clairaudient' operatives he had met previously) clearly indicated they possessed a highly structured, systematic method for cultivating superhuman abilities. Considering their cultural history, it wasn't difficult to guess the nature of that power. 

"So... how much energy do I have?" Luke asked playfully. 

Galacta glanced at Luke and shook her head helplessly. 

"The total volume of energy contained within your body completely exceeds the maximum detection threshold of my scanner." 

Seeing Luke's slightly disappointed expression, she quickly clarified. "My father doesn't actually use scanners; he just visually identifies planets and eats them. So, I had to build this scanner myself using spare parts. It's not nearly as advanced as the primary equipment in my utility belt." 

As they chatted, Captain Yang and the delegations arrived outside the conference hall, having ridden specialized, dark-energy-powered anti-gravity elevators. 

While Captain Yang and Captain Zhao calmly discussed the fascinating lack of mechanical cables in the elevators, the other delegations were significantly more visibly shaken. 

The operatives who had been caught spying yesterday were particularly anxious, sweating profusely as they approached the doors. 

The group nervously gathered outside the massive double doors of the conference hall. Two towering, five-meter-tall Troll Ninjas stood guard. The giants looked down at the tiny, terrified humans for a moment before silently turning and pushing the massive doors open. 

The interior of the conference hall was designed like a massive, highly advanced university lecture theater. Luke sat casually at a desk at the very front, waiting for them to enter. 

"Please, find a seat. We need to resolve this administrative nonsense quickly because I frankly have absolutely zero interest in micromanaging your petty, insignificant political squabbles," Luke announced casually, gesturing to the tiered seating. 

The delegations scrambled to find seats. Watching them settle down, Luke suddenly felt a strong sense of nostalgia; it looked exactly like a high school classroom. 

The 'straight-A students' who had absolutely nothing to hide and hadn't spied on him (like the Chinese delegation) confidently sat in the very front row. 

The 'average students' who hadn't done anything inherently malicious but were still terrified of the teacher sat cautiously in the middle rows. 

The 'troublemakers' and 'class clowns' who knew they were in deep trouble desperately tried to hide in the back rows. 

And finally, the 'student who got caught cheating' (the American commanding officer from the black-site base) was forced to sit in a highly visible, designated 'penalty seat' directly adjacent to Luke's desk. 

Once everyone was seated in terrified silence, Luke clipped a small, high-tech microphone to his collar, pulled out his small notepad, and began addressing the assembly. 

"Firstly, let me make my position absolutely clear. Despite possessing the title 'Lord of the Earth,' I have absolutely zero intention of actively interfering with your internal national politics, sovereign laws, or economic systems. I will not be dissolving your nations to establish a unified, global totalitarian regime." 

"Secondly, regarding the highly unfortunate... 'surveillance incidents' that occurred yesterday... I want the 'students' sitting in the back rows to relax. I am officially concluding my direct, physical retaliation regarding that specific matter." 

Hearing the first statement, several nations breathed a massive sigh of relief. Hearing the second, the terrified operatives practically melted into their chairs in gratitude. 

"However, those incidents have significantly, negatively impacted your 'Impression Score,'" Luke continued smoothly. 

Seeing the sheer, absolute confusion on the faces of every single diplomat in the room, Luke smiled warmly. 

If I am forced to be the Lord of the Earth, I am absolutely going to run this planet exactly how I want. If I'm happy, you get to be happy. If I'm annoyed, I will make absolutely certain everyone on this planet is completely miserable. 

Facing their confused stares, Luke calmly explained. "Your 'Impression Score' is a highly accurate, numerical representation of exactly how much I currently tolerate your specific nation." 

Luke raised his hand. A massive, incredibly detailed, 3D holographic projection of the Earth materialized in the air above his desk, constructed entirely from glowing dark energy. 

"When Odin formally dumped the administrative responsibility of this planet into my lap, I spent a significant amount of time contemplating exactly how I should improve it. Should I manually clean up the massive, hazardous cloud of orbital space junk you've generated? Should I teleport a massive glacier from Jotunheim to reverse the catastrophic melting of the Antarctic ice shelves?" 

The holographic Earth rotated slowly, showcasing the continents and oceans with perfect, breathtaking clarity. 

Luke paused, his voice dropping slightly. "But then, yesterday's incredibly disrespectful incidents occurred. I found the experience highly... unpleasant." 

He slowly turned his gaze toward the terrified American commanding officer sitting in the penalty seat, then swept his eyes across the rest of the room. "Therefore, moving forward, absolutely everything on this planet will operate according to my specific rules." 

Instantly, the number '30' appeared hovering directly above every single recognized nation on the holographic globe. 

"Effective immediately, every single nation on Earth possesses a baseline Impression Score of exactly 30 points. Every time your nation executes a policy or action that I personally approve of—such as significantly improving the global ecosystem, advancing humanity, or simply not annoying me—you will be awarded points. Conversely, every time your nation implements a policy that I find distasteful, destructive, or actively hostile... you will lose points." 

"And if a nation's Impression Score reaches absolute zero... well, allow me to pose a hypothetical question. If you are a landlord, and you have a tenant who is incredibly destructive, disrespectful, and actively makes your life miserable... what exactly do you do?" 

The warm smile completely vanished from Luke's face. The atmosphere in the room instantly plummeted below freezing. 

He answered his own question. 

"You violently evict them." 

Luke reached out and physically 'grabbed' the holographic projection of the Earth. With a casual, terrifying flick of his finger, he violently ripped a massive, highly identifiable landmass entirely off the globe! The landmass shattered into holographic dust and vanished! 

Simultaneously, the absolute darkness within the conference hall writhed! 

Tens of thousands of glowing, blood-red eyes violently ignited within the shadows spanning every single wall, the ceiling, and the floor! The terrifying, demonic eyes stared coldly and malevolently at the assembled diplomats. Even the polished surfaces of their desks suddenly manifested staring, crimson eyes! 

An aura of absolute, primal, soul-crushing terror violently engulfed the entire room! 

Every single diplomat froze, their bodies completely paralyzed by sheer, unadulterated fear. The room was absolutely, deathly silent. At that exact moment, Luke's oppressive, god-like aura had reached its absolute peak, firmly establishing his undeniable, terrifying supremacy. 

After letting the suffocating tension linger for a few agonizing seconds, Luke casually clapped his hands. 

Instantly, the thousands of terrifying red eyes vanished. The holographic Earth smoothly reformed, completely restoring the 'evicted' landmass, making it seem as if the terrifying display had merely been a collective hallucination. 

"Now. I just so happen to possess a highly detailed, comprehensive list of exactly which nations authorized the surveillance operations yesterday." 

Luke casually manifested a physical, highly classified intelligence dossier in his hand. Watching the faces of several diplomats turn completely ashen, Luke casually waved his hand. The dossier instantly burst into black flames and vanished. 

Simultaneously, the Impression Scores of several specific nations on the holographic globe instantly dropped from 30 to 20. 

Luke allowed the penalized diplomats a moment to hyperventilate before offering a warm, inviting smile. "Of course, a system based entirely on punishment is highly inefficient. Therefore, there are also incredible, unimaginable rewards." 

"As long as your nation's Impression Score is sufficiently high, you can utilize those points to formally request and exchange for practically anything you can imagine from me." 

"Do you want access to advanced, interstellar warships? I am planning a cosmic vacation in a few days; I can easily secure some 'souvenirs' from advanced alien armadas." 

"Do you want to colonize a new planet? If your score is high enough, I can literally teleport a habitable planet directly into Earth's orbit for you." 

"Do you desire biological immortality? Have I ever mentioned that my specific brand of magical energy can permanently halt cellular aging, allowing you to live until you simply grow bored of existence?" 

Luke listed the rewards casually, but the sheer, unfathomable magnitude of his promises instantly shocked the terrified politicians, rapidly replacing their fear with absolute, blinding, fanatical greed! 

Observing the rapidly shifting expressions in the room, Luke smiled internally. 

The carrot and the stick. The most ancient, flawlessly effective method of behavioral conditioning. 

"Impression Scores. Earn points by making me happy and improving the planet. Lose points by annoying me and destroying the planet!" 

Luke's gaze locked onto the American officer, then drifted toward the delegation from a specific, highly stubborn island nation in the Pacific. 

"Stop initiating petty, destructive geopolitical conflicts. Stop dumping hazardous waste into the oceans. Because if you continue to pollute my planet... I will personally force you to physically consume every single ounce of garbage you generate!" 

"And that concludes my primary address. Now... does anyone have any formal objections?" 

Luke stared directly at the American delegation, fully anticipating them to voice an arrogant objection so he could casually humiliate them to set an example. 

However, they remained completely silent, sitting rigidly in their chairs, absolutely terrified to even breathe too loudly. 

Well, if they won't object, I won't force them. 

Luke continued. "Does anyone have any immediate, practical logistical issues they require assistance resolving?" 

Instantly, dozens of hands shot into the air! 

Luke, slightly overwhelmed by the sudden enthusiasm, pointed to the closest raised hand. 

"Lord Luke," Captain Zhao stood up respectfully, holding his notebook. "During the Asgardian banquet, we successfully negotiated several preliminary trade agreements with the other realms. However, the primary logistical hurdle remains unresolved: how exactly are we supposed to physically transport massive quantities of goods between Earth and the other realms without our own interstellar vessels?" 

"An excellent question. I previously consulted with King Loki of Asgard regarding this exact issue," Luke nodded. "He provided me with the precise cosmic coordinates of several naturally occurring, highly stable spatial rifts connecting the Nine Realms." 

"I will personally utilize my magic to establish permanent, stabilized portals connecting those cosmic rifts directly to this facility. Moving forward, this specific headquarters will serve as the exclusive, centralized interstellar trade hub for the entire Nine Realms." 

Luke smiled proudly. "Why else did you think I bothered constructing a facility this massively oversized?" 

"That is exceptional news," Captain Zhao smiled warmly, quickly jotting down the information in his notebook. 

"Furthermore," Luke added casually, "For the highly reasonable cost of exactly 5 Impression Points, I will permanently establish a secure Sling Ring portal connecting your specific national capital directly to this trade hub. It will save you billions in domestic shipping and transportation costs! It's a fantastic bargain, I highly recommend investing early." 

Luke looked around the room. "Now, are there any other pressing matters?" 

Dozens of hands shot up again. 

Under this highly enthusiastic, 'cooperative' atmosphere, the First Summit of the United Earth Federation was a resounding success! 

By the time he officially concluded the meeting, Luke was so physically and mentally exhausted he could barely speak. Dealing with politicians was incredibly draining. 

However, looking at the results, the global geopolitical situation was now perfectly stable and completely under his control. 

Luke smiled and formally dismissed the assembly. The delegations began slowly, excitedly filing out of the hall, already frantically discussing strategies to earn Impression Points. 

However, a few specific individuals remained behind in their seats, clearly requiring some 'private tutoring' after class.