Book 2 Chapter 627
Kiel's clan worshipped a once-great race that had vanished in the past.
A race that is no longer even recorded in history, remembered by almost no one.
The reason for their sudden disappearance is now unknown. Since nearly all traces of them have disappeared, it almost felt like they had been chasing after phantoms all along.
The clan leader, who had felt deep emptiness, soon began recording things to ensure he would not forget them, even if no one else remembered. Perhaps it was due to being swept up in the leader’s obsession. Most of the clan members began to act similarly.
Their actions drew the ridicule of others, and over time, the laughter only grew louder. It wasn’t that they were doing something wrong.
As the vast secrets of the universe were gradually uncovered and civilization advanced, the contents within the texts became more bizarre and increasingly difficult to accept.
Kiel’s clan could not remain free from such doubt either.
Did the ‘great race’ truly never exist?
Were the ancestors merely lunatics trapped in delusion?
Perhaps from that point on, the direction of the records began to change. The authors started inserting their own opinions into the texts, embellishing them, and before long, they turned into fictional works.
That was not enough to satisfy them. There were limits to what could be expressed through writing, so some began drawing pictures of the ‘great race.’ Of course, those too were freely adapted or mostly fictional creations.
The pictures soon took the form of statues, when statues of the ‘great race’ were trending within the clan, Kiel was born.
From a young age, Kiel felt puzzled while viewing the works of the clan’s renowned artists and creators.
Was this really all there was?
Was this what the ‘great race’ that our ancestors worshipped looked like?
Even while staring at works displayed with the highest level of completion on the most beautiful planets, that feeling didn’t change.
There’s no way that’s all.
There’s no way something so small, shabby, and unimpressive could be the ‘great race.’ There’s no way such a being is what our clan offered their souls and bodies to in loyalty.
It must have been more immense.
It must have been more powerful.
It must have been more noble, and above all, perfect without a doubt.
Just as most of the clan did, Kiel began creating the ‘great race’ in his own way.
But the direction he took was of a completely different dimension than before.
Not in writing, drawings, ornaments, or statues-.
Kiel wanted to create the being known as the ‘great race’ in a truly living form.
With his own hands.
So, in a sense, Kiel’s lifelong wish was not solely his own. It would be more accurate to view it as a destiny passed down from his ancestors.
Some may criticize it as a mere inherited desire.
Kiel’s view was different. There was no reason to be condemned for inheriting such a wish. What mattered was the attitude one held towards that wish, and Kiel believed a task of this magnitude was worth dedicating his entire life to. 𝙧Ά𝐍öＢÊs̩
To create the great race from zero, that was no different from creation itself.
Kiel's clan had the scientific capability to create artificial stars and unmatched expertise in fields such as bioengineering and genetic manipulation, yet creating such a perfect lifeform was still far beyond their reach.
First, reference materials were needed.
He searched through all the documents he could find, tirelessly explored in person. Fortunately, he had many subordinates at his command, so he was able to thoroughly investigate even the ancient ruins on abandoned planets.
However, the more material he collected, the more difficult Kiel’s research became. The records in the documents were so disjointed that they could hardly be seen as describing the same entity.
At this rate, even determining what the truth was would take ages.
That was when Kiel changed his line of thinking.
Perhaps complete creation was better than clumsy adaptation.
The being that his ancestors believed to be great. A being so perfect that a clan capable of controlling this vast universe with complete precision had offered heartfelt loyalty to...
As he imagined such a being, he realized that appearance, or form, no longer mattered.
What must be noted, above all, is power. The great being was probably unimaginably powerful. Perhaps even a single member of their race could have annihilated the entire Kiel clan.
Therefore, the being that Kiel intended to create was a battle race.
Manufacturing of the strong.
At this point, "manufacturing" did not necessarily mean crafting an artificial lifeform by adjusting it on a cellular level and growing it in a cultivation pod. While there was value in forcibly interbreeding races with exceptional talents or physical traits, that alone was not enough to give birth to the great race.
Trials.
Kiel’s research led to a hunger for more knowledge, and before long, he came to learn about the Absolute beings, gods, and Rulers.
When he first encountered the Rulers, he was deeply shocked. They were truly the beings most fitting of the word "greatness." He even briefly thought that perhaps the ‘great race’ he had been obsessively searching for was among them.
Fortunately or unfortunately, that was not the case.
Each was an independent being, and even the Sun Gods, those who at least still fit within the concept of a race, were treated as mutants by their own kind.
But their existence was undoubtedly a clue.
Kiel negotiated with the Rulers, and among them, the Thunderous Lightning God was someone with whom he could communicate fairly well. The Lightning God, to break his boredom, was attempting to create a being equal to himself.
Kiel and the Lightning God soon agreed to create a joint work.
To create a strong being, no, the strongest being, Kiel prepared the environment, and the Lightning God prepared the trials.
But in the end, their efforts-
***
"-turned to nothing."
“……”
Kiel.
The one who had stolen Bardrog’s body remained silent for a while. Residue thought that the expression in his eyes was becoming easier to read.
“Are you the Lightning God?”
“What makes you think that?”
“Your distinctive way of speaking reminded me of him first. On top of that, I can feel an undeniable lightning-type aura, and didn’t you use a similar power when you invaded Amdal?”
A quick one.
Even though he responded to Bardrog much faster than expected, it seemed he had already grasped the general outline of what happened in Amdal. With Kiel’s information-gathering capabilities, that wasn’t surprising.
“My identity doesn’t matter. After all, this is not a story someone like you could understand. Still, this body is certainly inseparably connected to the Thunderous Lightning God.”
"An obvious evasion. It’s not up to you to decide what’s difficult to understand, it’s up to me.”
“Hmm. Then I’ll change my words. I don’t want to talk to you about that.”
“Why?”
“Wouldn’t a few secrets make this body seem more mysterious and intriguing?”
He was about to say that with a sly smile, but Kiel’s lips curled up first, as if beating him to the punch.
Wearing that expression, he formed a displeased smile and said,
“I see. So you know about me.”
“You’ve got quite the grand title, Supreme Leader of the Grand Galactic Alliance, no less. In today’s world, I bet more people know you than don’t.”
“I’m not talking about titles. You know my essence. Which means, in some form or another, you’ve made a deal with me in the past.”
“……”
He was not someone easily seen.
Residue felt a pleasant coolness in his chest. Some would call it an eerie feeling, but he had once suffered from numbness and now even such stimulation brought pleasure.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to talk business? Fine. In fact, when making deals, things like the other party’s identity don’t matter much. Do you know what the two most important things in a deal are?”
“‘What the other party wants,’ and ‘what they can give me.’”
Kiel’s smile deepened.
He sat down right in the middle of the communication room and began manipulating a pad. The screen moved rapidly. It was far too fast for just ten fingers.
“What I want is simple. For now, I’d like you to give me the exact coordinates of a certain location.”
“That’s not a difficult task. What else?”
“Whatever I do from here on out, I’d like the Grand Galactic Alliance’s full cooperation.”
The moment he saw Kiel in person, he understood.
Kiel's power and influence were absolutely necessary to Residue. Not only for the fight against Destruction, but also for the immediate conflict with the Half King and the Twelve Void Lords. Among them, “Futurix” in particular, there was likely no other force across the integrated worlds capable of standing against them except the Grand Galactic Alliance.
“Full cooperation, you say. How far does that go, specifically?”
“General-class rights and privileges, and after a summon, military dispatch rights for the fastest support. I don't need warships or a personal division. This body, by nature, acts alone.”
Kiel gave a brief laugh and asked,
“Do you know the total number of military personnel in the Grand Galactic Alliance?”
“I wouldn’t know that.”
“About 20.72 billion. Since becoming the Great World, it’s been increasing by hundreds of thousands daily.”
“……”
“Out of those, there are only 500 general-grade officers. Do you understand? Just 500 out of 20 billion. That’s about 0.0000025 percent. Naturally, I’ve had face-to-face meetings with all of them. That’s the level of privilege they hold.”
Kiel's gaze still wasn’t fixed on Residue. He continued to move his hands busily as he spoke.
“And yet you, who have met me less than three minutes ago, are asking for such rights.”
Among a military of 20 billion, with only 500 general-class officers, under normal circumstances the military structure wouldn’t be sustainable. But if Kiel was the supreme commander, that changed everything. Even if there were zero generals, the rigid structure of the Grand Galactic Alliance wouldn’t falter.
It was truly a troublesome power to deal with, but at the same time, the potential benefits of drawing them in felt even more enticing.
“But it’s not a difficult matter, depending on what you can offer me in return.”
That was Kiel’s greatest strength. One could call him a thorough rationalist.
Even if the opponent looked like a pitiful vagrant, once he recognized that they had sat down at the negotiating table, he no longer cared about their appearance or background. Because he knew there were often things to be gained even from someone who seemed like trash.
Residue feigned ignorance and asked,
“I’ll talk about that later.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not a card I have in my hand at the moment. Let’s just say it’s a means that will only be in place after some time.”
“……”
At that moment, Kiel’s hands stopped, and a flicker of internal conflict flashed in his eyes.
A dangerous conflict.
So Residue smiled and said,
“Don’t do it.”
“Do what?”
“You were thinking about blowing up this ship and my entire body along with it, weren’t you?”
“……”
"Let me tell you, this body has no intention of making fun of you. I'm not looking down on you either. I brought up the deal in advance because there's a good reason for it."
After a moment of silence, Kiel spoke.
“…You really don’t seem like the Lightning God. I sense a kind of consideration, and humility that he didn’t have. Though it’s a bit twisted.”
“……”
“There was another proposal, wasn’t there? Information about the location of a certain place. If I refuse that offer, will you destroy Amdal?”
“Yes. After Amdal, I’ll also blow up a few of the nearby patrolling ships. And going forward, if I encounter any Grand Galactic Alliance forces, I’ll relentlessly torment them.”
“For me, that would mean gaining one more troublesome enemy.”
In comparison, telling Residue the location he wanted wasn’t that difficult. In other words, the merits and demerits were clear.
However, transactions like these typically didn’t come together so easily. Residue, being alone and having nothing in hand, appeared to be forcing the deal through something akin to blackmail.
And Kiel held absolute power. Someone like that would naturally possess pride befitting their position.
Meaning, the very form of this deal could feel insulting, and he might lean toward crushing Residue even at the cost of some loss.
“Fine. I’ll accept your proposal.”
Kiel was a suitable negotiation partner precisely because he wasn’t that kind of man.
Of course, this was only possible because the power Residue possessed was at the level of the Twelve Void Lords.
“I’ve grown curious to watch you a little longer…”
Tap.
The moment Kiel pressed down firmly on the pad, hundreds of holographic screens simultaneously popped up around Residue. Each screen displayed different landscapes in crystal-clear quality, and Residue couldn’t help but feel satisfied with the information-gathering capabilities of the Grand Galactic Alliance.
“You said it was [a certain place]. Tell me about the characteristics of that location.”
“It’s a place that existed in the Void World. The characteristics are...”
After hearing everything Residue had to say, Kiel gave a nod.
“A few places come to mind. Just wait a moment.”
The surrounding screens began to slide around smoothly.
While that happened, Residue thought that a few of the figures on the screens looked familiar.
Several known faces had flashed by. The scenery of “Meltown,” where the first Destruction and second Destruction were still fighting, was also shown. That place had taken on a form that could no longer be called a city.
But above all, one particular screen caught Residue’s gaze.
A woman with blue hair was walking down a street in some village.
He froze for a moment because her appearance was drastically different from how he remembered her. Instead of her usual rag-like clothing or the blue-lustered armor, she was wearing practical leather clothes suited for movement. Her hair was tied up, and she constantly looked around, as if searching for someone.
Then suddenly, that crazy bitch whipped her head around in this direction, and Residue reflexively shot lightning at the screen.
Crackle!
The holographic screen sparked and disappeared.
“What are you doing?”
“…Hmm. Just didn’t feel like looking at that face any longer.”
Is this what PTSD feels like?
Kiel looked puzzled but didn’t question it further and instead said,
“…Anyway, I think I’ve found the place you mentioned. Is this it?”
He slid one of the screens toward him.
The screen initially showed a barren desert landscape, then suddenly dropped down as if submerging. For a while, the sound of sand scraping filled the air, then, all at once, the scenery changed.
It was a city built underground, yet it was so quiet it seemed almost uninhabited. The occasional figures that could be seen were so small they didn’t even reach Residue’s waist, making them look like dwarves.
Residue grinned at the exact view of the city he had been looking for.
“Yes.”
-The Underground City located in the desert region, the very territory in the Void World that Lukas Trowman had first visited.
“This is the place.”
For Residue to use his abilities more freely, he absolutely needed the help of the individual residing there.
*****
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