When the laughter subsided, another one of the main Elders waved his hand, and a large screen appeared, playing Michael's promotional video from the beginning.
Deciding to use this opportunity to make a sales pitch, he began introducing his view for the Secret Realm.
He again experienced some strange reactions once the human pirates boarded the Elven Galleon, and the two races began fighting.
Next, the video switched to a tall mountain seemingly piercing into the heavens. His natural beauty on the surface was only for decoration, as within it, one of the Dwarven race's nations was carefully hidden.
The short and stout Dwarves were either crafting equipment, building incredible buildings showcasing unique architecture, or eating and drinking in the local taverns.
It gave the viewers a sense of merriness, making it impossible for those who observed these jolly figures to dislike them.
The third change brought an exotic island into focus. A group of five humans landed on a beach, taking in their surroundings.
One of the warriors in the group looked up, marveling at how tall the trees were.
Following their entry into this forest, the camera zoomed out as soon as they entered a large clearing with buildings taller and wider than any skyscraper in Green Sanctuary.
The human adventurer's sense of awe immediately turned into dread as giants noticed them and immediately attacked.
The group wanted to get away, but the Titan who spotted them simply raised his right fist into the air, opened his palm, and slapped down.
Thick lightning struck even if the skies were clear, directly carbonizing the adventurers.
Next followed the Undead, hidden within a large expanse covered by dark miasma. Millions of skeletons marched as if prepared for war, as a Vampire Lord recovered his humanoid form and descended on the back of a Bone Dragon.
The eery silence seemed to be filled with unspoken chants of war as the Vampire Lord motioned for them to advance.
Finally, a thick jungle appeared somewhere else in the heart of the continent. Beastfolk walking upright were fighting against giant dinosaurs, appearing as if they were hunting for food.
Their collisions were brutal, lacking the elegance of any spells or skills using Qi. Instead, their bodies were powerful weapons, each strike of a fist smashing the opponent and each bite rending flesh.
For the last shot of the video, a vast battlefield appeared. Human forces, counting in the millions, slowly marched forward from the south side.
Not only was their equipment exquisite, but their war machines were similarly imposing.
The combined army of Elves and Dwarves also appeared from the east, showing no intention of fighting against the humans.
This alliance's opponent came from the north, massive numbers of Undead filling the battlefield with miasma and the stench of death.
Ten Elder Liches stepped forward and activated a strange array.
A large portal seemingly touching the heavens appeared, splitting the air and silencing the battlefield.
From within, a Pit Lord slowly emerged. Turning his head to look at the Undead, he sneered as if looking at some dogs on the street, much to the Vampire Lord's displeasure.
Then, turning to look at the humans, he pointed at them, and meteorites descended from the skies, attempting to annihilate them first.
The video ended here, leaving behind only a dark screen and the words 'Battlefield of the Ages.'
Elder 4 immediately began clapping to show his approval, but, unfortunately, he was the only one.
Helena and Livia were pale enough to be considered Vampires themselves, as they had only seen the first portion of the video showcasing the Elves and not the remaining races.
[Very well, young man. We saw the video and listened to your... presentation. Can you now enlighten this Council as per how you came up with these ideas?](?)
"Using my imagination, senior. In my eyes, these races are nothing but pure fantasy. At least they were until today..."
A bright light shone from the formation under his feet, startling Michael. Then, images of a World Tree where Elves were going about their business, large human cities much less technologically developed than the current Green Sanctuary, and the gloomy Necropolis of the Undead flashed briefly.
Toward the end, Michael's idea of how to stop the incoming Fire Storm cast by the Pit Lord was also shown, with an Archangel leading four more Angels easily dispelling it.
Seeing this, most of the Elders showed confused expressions, not knowing what the winged humans were.
The six Elders, on the other hand, quickly stood up from their seats and immediately used a spell to isolate the courtroom.
[This is bothersome...](?)
[I say... when was the last time the Angels were written about in one of our records, Elder 2?](Elder 4)
[Probably 9,000 years ago.](Elder 2)
[*Sigh* Brat, did you 'imagine' the Angels as well?](Elder 4)
"Yes. Unlike the other races, the Angels are something akin to a godly species in my mind. Something the humans worship and pray to. The religious connotation is needed to explain their connection to the humans in-game."
[Game?](Elder 4)
"Oh, right. That's how I refer to my Secret Realms since they are used for entertainment more than battle training. Judging by your reactions, they seem just as real as the other races."
A thin membrane covered Michael and the two ladies of the Bright Moon sect as the Council members began a discussion.
If he had to guess based on the previous confused reaction, the big six explained to their underlings what the Angels were and where they fit in Green Sanctuary's history.
Obviously, such knowledge was on a 'need to know' basis, as the trio were spared the details.
A small detail, but it gave Michael some hope of emerging from this situation unscathed.
Twenty minutes later, the thin membrane isolating the sound disappeared, and the 'hearing' continued.
[Tell us, Michael. How did you come up with this idea?](Elder 2)
"Ugh... even if you ask me... I was planning to start working on a new project since The Battlefield of Heroes is mostly settled. I had some bigger and fancier ideas, but I severely lack both resources and cultivation to be able to bring them to fruition."
[Give us some examples of your ideas.](Elder 4)
'Ugh... they won't steal them and say it was theirs, right?'
[Ugh... they won't steal them and say it was theirs, right?]
[...](Helena)
[...](Livia)
"..."
[[[...]]](everyone else)
It was a bit embarrassing, but he couldn't exactly control his thoughts. He was confident that if he could reach that realm, he would have already ascended and become a true Immortal.
Coughing awkwardly, he listed two of his ideas.
"Ahem! The bigger projects require an entire world as the explorable space for the players. Oh! Players are what I call the users who buy my Secret Realm. Leaving aside the massive scale of the world, A.I.-controlled NPCs - the term I use for natives of the Secret Realm - are also needed to give a proper feeling of immersion. And not just any A.I., but one advanced enough to act like a human and showcase emotional intelligence."
[Leaving aside the absurdity of creating such a vast Secret Realm, which even Tier 6 Programmers have trouble with, how do you plan to code the A.I. to match your criteria?](Elder 29)
"I can simply code them to forget they are A.I. and instead believe they are true residents of that world."
[That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard thus far...](Elder 29)
[Be that as it may, continue, young man.](Elder 2)
"Yes, senior. Once the world size and the A.I.s are sorted out, the Concept will be introduced next. Most of my ideas don't include the existence of Qi as the main energy source for 'cultivation,' and these Secret Realms won't follow the cultivation system at all. For example, in a Secret Realm, the land-to-water mass distribution is 15% land and 85% water.
Therefore, pirates and the navy compete against one another for supremacy. Most people would be ordinary and must learn combat techniques to showcase their abilities. At the same time, I can introduce Heavenly Fruits, which grants them incredible powers while making them unable to swim."
[What sort of powers?](Elder 29)
"Random ones. For example, after eating it, a player could become able to control lightning, fire, water, and any other type of element. If they are lucky, that is. Others will get Heavenly Fruits that turn them into a human-animal variant, something like the Beastfolk race. But there must be some sillier ones as well, such as a Heavenly Fruit that makes one's boogers become longer and stickier or one that allows one's body to become as thin as paper."
[...what would be the purpose?](Elder 29)
"Imagination. Since there are no set rules, it is up to the players to decide how they train and use their gained abilities."
Seeing her interested in this strange train of thought, Michael wondered if this Elder 29 was a Programmer and if she would steal his idea.
[I won't, you stupid brat! I am a Tier 5 Programmer! Do you think I need your foolish ideas to make a living!?](Elder 29)
"Ahem! Well..."
[Well, what!? This brat needs a proper beating to wake up!](Elder 29)
[*Cough* Elder 29, please calm down. We're still in the middle of a hearing. Young man, please don't provoke her anymore. Tell us about your other ideas.](Elder 2)
"My apologies. Well... other ideas, huh? A world split between ordinary people and people capable of using magic. Unlike cultivators using Qi, these people use mana to cast spells. Furthermore, the magical world is hidden from the eyes of normal people due to the past when wizards and witches - the names I decided upon for the magical people - were hunted and burned at the stake by normal folk who deemed them to be possessed by demons.
Or, imagine a world fraught with endless internal conflicts, where nations are split between Hidden Cities. These people would cultivate Chakra, which allows them to use incredible skills similar to those of cultivators or maybe even stronger.
Here, children will learn how to become soldiers from 7 years old, undergoing rigorous training.
Or, imagine a world where, instead of Qi or any other type of power, ordinary people mutate genetically, allowing them to have superpowers.
Things like flight, laser vision, teleportation, and the like. However, most mutants only have one such ability.
In this Secret Realm, there could be multiple worlds instead of only one. For example, in one such world, the Gods the humans prayed to actually exist and are simply a more powerful mutant race capable of incredible feats.
Their technology can be more advanced, capable of traversing freely through the universe."
Michael entered the zone and continuously spouted nonsense about how he would copy the famous titles from Earth and adapt them into Secret Realms, completely forgetting where he was and why he was here.
Unbeknownst to the three, every time he spoke of an idea, the formation under his feet would showcase exactly what was going through his head in an image format to the Council members.
Seeing pirates and marines clashing at sea and their ridiculous powers was only eclipsed by the brief images of the world flashing through Michael's mind.
Islands with enclosed biomes where ridiculous but incredible things occurred, never-before-seen leviathans roaming beneath the water, the Mermen race and their underwater kingdoms, islands floating in the sky, and something called One Piece?
Their confusion further intensified when the next Secret Realm idea was presented, and they saw 'wizards' and 'witches' holding wooden sticks, pointing at each other and casting spells.
Furthermore, the effect of these spells was not to be underestimated. Something called 'Bombarda Maxima' used by a child barely 17 showcased the power of an early-stage Golden Core cultivator, able to easily demolish huge buildings and protection arrays.
Then, there was the mysterious castle that served as a school for these magically gifted people. Leaving aside its incredible architecture, some of the Elders studying arrays and engineering were left speechless after seeing the brief thoughts.
As for the final Secret Realm, once briefly introduced to the Marvel Universe, the Council members felt at a loss.
Not only were the people in this imaginary world incredibly powerful, with some caped individuals exhibiting power at the Nascent Soul realm and above, but once they saw the Asgardian Gods overseeing the nine realms, they felt that they couldn't keep up anymore.
This wasn't an issue about one of the invading races possessing this kid and using him as a spy anymore.
Just like them, these outer civilizations followed the cultivation path, with some having reached higher realms than the ones possible on Green Sanctuary.
But what about this kid, then?
Hearing his babble about the many strange realms, they began questioning their original train of thought.
Could it be that he actually imagined these strange things, including the forbidden knowledge about the invading races?
They couldn't believe that to be possible. There were too many classified details known to no more than 100 people worldwide, which this brat was able to explain in detail.
Likewise, secrets such as the Angel race were classified in the worlds of the Elves, Dwarves, and even the Demons.
Would it make sense to arm a child with such immense knowledge and send it to Green Sanctuary to infiltrate into human society? Risking to expose their knowledge to the enemy?
Or use a high-standing race member to possess a 5th-level Qi Gathering child?
The more they thought about it, the less sense this boy's existence made.