A month after his address to the empire and two weeks after the funeral, the empire kept its promise by releasing comprehensive data about the data collected throughout the entire exploration fleet's mission. The release included almost everything, except for a few classified sections, which were clearly marked as such for those reviewing the information.

"Holy shit," Ryan, a microbiologist, shouted involuntarily when he saw the amount of data.

"What is it?" Irene, his coworker and wife, asked, startled by his outburst as she prepared breakfast in their comfortable home.

"Come take a look at what the empire gifted us," he said, his face alight with excitement as he called her over, knowing she'd be even more thrilled than he was.

"This is going to take us centuries to go through," she said with a tone brimming with excitement, contrary to what one might expect from someone facing such an immense task. "But first, we should request at least a month off." The sheer volume of data in their specific field of expertise was staggering.

"Im pretty sure there's something in here that can revolutionize our knowledge of microbiology," Irene said, peering over her husband's shoulder at the screen. She was a romantic type, always excited by the prospect of new discoveries.

"We just have to be the ones to discover the diamond in the rough. How much savings do we have, dear?" Ryan asked, realizing the potential in the data. He relied on his wife for financial decisions since he had a tendency to spend impulsively, a habit that nearly strained their relationship during their dating phase. After getting married, he entrusted her with their household finances.

"Why? You want us to quit and focus on research?" Irene immediately grasped his intent. She paused, considering their financial stability, then said, "We can maintain our current lifestyle for at least three years."

"How about we quit and focus on this data for at least a year?"

Irene fell silent, weighing the benefits. After a moment, she agreed, "Sure, let's do that, honey. If were going to act, we need to do so fast due to the amount of data we are going to need to go through. We're not going to be the only ones thinking the same thing." She knew almost every scientist would be considering a similar move.

The total amount of data was about 50 exabytes, organized into different categories for every field of science. This immense influx of information led almost all scientists to request at least a month of real-world time off to go through the data in VR. The sheer number of such requests forced some companies to pause their ongoing research for a month before resuming normal operations. Some employees even threatened to quit if they weren't granted the time off, highlighting the extraordinary impact of the data release.

The reason for such a massive and simultaneous request was that the data access operated on a first-come, first-served basis. Once someone used the information to make a discovery, it would be recorded by the Akashic server, establishing them as the primary discoverer. If their discovery contributed to future technology, they would be entitled to half a percent of the percentage of revenue generated by their contribution, provided it earned a minimum of ten million END.

While earning 0.5 END per product sold, if their discovery constituted 1 percent of a new technology priced at 100 END, might seem small, the cumulative earnings could be substantial. As more products were sold, the discoverer would continuously receive payments, allowing them to focus on research without financial worries.

Although many scientists werent money-hungry and preferred to spend most of their time doing research, they still needed to support themselves and their families. This system made it possible for them to do both. Additionally, this influx of new information would enable many researchers to reach the necessary milestones to upgrade their Research City labs to the next stage, gaining access to advanced machinery and tools.

This was the imperial government's way of incentivizing research while improving the researchers' quality of life. New discoveries led to new technologies, which kept the economy active. The government also earned additional revenue, as they took the other half of the percentage of profit not given to the researchers.

This strategy ensured a steady flow of innovation and provided the empire with a passive income source beyond the standard ten percent tax, which wouldnt always suffice on its own.

Although it might seem excessive that the empire took half of the profits from researchers, this was not widely criticized. The empire only claimed these cuts once researchers began earning more than ten thousand END a month from their discoveries. Until then, researchers had access to extensive research materials and advanced machinery for free, resources they would have only dreamed of affording on their own.

Moreover, the empire handled essential tasks such as confirmation, patent recording, monitoring technology use, and collecting payments from those utilizing the technology. This comprehensive support structure relieved researchers of administrative burdens and allowed them to focus on their work, further justifying the empires share of the profits.

This led many to believe that the empire's cut was merely operational, with widespread sentiment that they were still running at a loss. Unfortunately, this assumption was incorrect. In reality, every cent earned from the research city was pure profit. These funds were promptly deposited into a reserve imperial bank account, accessible only by the emperor, and designated for use in furthering the empire's interests, and currently, they were earning money like there is no tomorrow.

Although some companies complained that the empire's policies were squeezing their profits, this was countered by the significant reduction in their operational costs. By conducting all their research in Lab City instead of establishing physical labs in the real world, they benefited from lowered entry thresholds across various industries, no matter how advanced. This shift made it more feasible for companies to enter and compete in high-tech fields without the substantial initial investments that would have otherwise been required.

However, for at least this month, the empire anticipated a temporary economic slowdown but expected a surge in new discoveries.