I Can't Be Hierarch of the Daelaam Artanis

"The emergence of the Hybrid caused the infighting within the Shakuras Council of Light and Shadow to continue for two full solar cycles, a sight rarely seen in the past Protoss Empire."

When the Protoss executive Artanis told Augustus these words, they were standing side by side atop a mountain shrouded in clouds.

This mountain range lies in the western part of the New Babylon Plain of Krusas. It is lush and verdant, with streams running through it, and dense flowers and berry plants growing among the interspersed barnyard fir trees. To the east lies the vast New Babylon Plain, where large clumps of grey-green wormwood grow, and swamps crisscross it, forming an endless carpet.

Nestled in these mountains, with an average elevation of over 9,000 feet, lies the Revolutionary Army's little-known recruit training camp. The camp boasts a command center, four independent barracks, a hospital, and other facilities, enough to accommodate 5,000 recruits.

The Revolutionary Army Marshal's Command decided to form a highly mobile Reaper unit, which would be dispersed among various units as special operations forces in small squads to carry out reconnaissance and infiltration missions. To this end, the Army Command selected the remote New Babylon Mountains as the training location for new recruits, using the rugged terrain to hone the soldiers' will.

The place where Augustus stood was the location of one of the military camps, situated on the highest peak of New Babylon, towering amidst a sea of clouds.

"Do they still have objections on this issue?" Although Augustus was considered to be among the most robust and tall of the Terrans, he was no match for Artanis.

Only Augustus and Artanis were present; clearly, the arrival of the Protoss Ark, the Spear of Adun, was still a secret known to very few. Augustus hoped this would be one of his trump cards against the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet.

"On the issue of dealing with the Hybrid, the bishops of the Council of Light and Shadow are in complete agreement. Whether it's the Protoss of Aiur or Shakuras, they all believe that this is something that cannot be neglected or delayed." Artanis's glowing blue eyes burned and leaped.

"The disagreement lies in how to deal with humanity on Earth. Undoubtedly, their actions have crossed the Protoss's line, and we will never tolerate such atrocities inflicted upon our people."

"If someone were to mix human and Zerg genes together, such a monster would not be tolerated by humans." Augustus nodded in agreement.

Earth is indeed closely monitoring the situation in the Koprulu Sector, but their access to information is hampered by the vast distance of 60,000 light-years. Even the Terrans know very little about the Protoss, so the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet could not possibly know the blasphemy that Hybrid represent to the Protoss.

"Yurlan has decided to wage war against Earth. His decision has received some support, but the Dark Prelate Mohandar believes that the Daelaam urgently needs to recuperate and rebuild, and that assembling a large Fleets to reclaim Aiur is of paramount importance." Artanis's words, which resonated deep within Augustus's heart, contained his complex emotions.

"The long-suffering Protoss Empire is unwilling to be dragged into another war with Earth. The Protoss are fearless, but they will never wage war blindly."

"The Dae'uhl Doctrine teaches the Protoss to maintain order in the universe and protect the weaker races. How did we become so warlike?" he said, his voice tinged with confusion.

"I often think that perhaps this is what the gods wanted the Protoss to know—that we are utterly insignificant in the face of the power that created this world, and that the Protoss Empire was defeated by arrogance that did not match its strength."

"High Executor Tassadar and his Templar Knights are still battling the nascent Overmind on Char, where the Zerg Swarm is a vast ocean! The Protoss must not be drawn into another war."

"That was a wise move," Augustus. "That's why they sent you."

"Ultimately, the bishops in the Council of Light and Shadow reached a compromise and decided to investigate the true culprit behind the Hybrid before making a decision. It was because of this that Archbishop Raszagal ordered me to come and investigate this matter, instructing me to find out the source of those Hybrid," Artanis Augustus.

"I understand." Augustus taken aback. So you call sending out an Ark-like ship that's practically a satellite an investigation.

The Protoss were once undoubtedly a race brimming with martial spirit; they never shied away from engaging in warfare with other races, and Protoss heroes throughout history were born in that turbulent era. The emergence of the Dae'uhl Doctrine was a significant watershed moment in the history of the Protoss Empire.

"Yes, starting from the source is the key," Augustus sighed.

Augustus certainly knew where the Hybrid came from, but he truly did not know where they were created. These twisted and bizarre monsters defied the laws of nature, their genes mottled and chaotic, filled with traces of human alteration.

Dr. Narud must possess numerous Hybrid laboratories and manufacturing facilities, likely located in galaxies that will never be known to anyone, and are certainly not easy to find.

He, or rather, the years He has lived through, are as old as the universe itself; Narud may have begun Hybrid experiments a very, very long time ago.

This single ship is enough to deal with the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet Fleets. Without using domestic weapons, who knows if the current battlecruisers can break through the shield of the Spear of Adun?

The Spear of Adun appeared too early, so early that the UED couldn't possibly understand the power of such an Ark-ship.

Gerard DuGalle, the commander of the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet, must have fully assessed the power of the Protoss, but he never dreamed that the Protoss would dig up something like this from their ancestral graves and prepare to throw it in his face.

"I hope I will not disappoint the council." Artanis conveyed a hint of melancholy.

As Tassadar's future successor as a high-ranking executive officer, Artanis also faces considerable pressure. Perhaps not everything in the Daelaam needs to be decided by the Daelaam, but given Tassadar's already outstanding abilities, Artanis worries that he may not be able to reach his mentor's level in the future.

"The emergence of the Hybrid foreshadows a dark future, the prophetic doom that will surely destroy the Protoss," he said worriedly.

"Rumors of this ominous sign are rampant among the Nerazim. The Hybrid —they are undoubtedly monsters capable of destroying Protoss civilization and even the entire universe—if their numbers are sufficient, if they are as endless as a Swarm."

"That's why you attach so much importance to Hybrid," Augustus.

"For a long time, the prophecy of the end times has troubled our people, including the Dark Templar of Shakuras. It is for this reason that it seems only the ancient Golden Age warriors of the Spear of Adun are qualified to undertake this important task." Artanis's voice emanated a kind of joyful mental fluctuation.

"This is an immense honor for me. The council chose me instead of executives like Yurlan and Mojya, who are superior to me in both seniority and reputation," he said.

"In fact, whether it's the Templar Knights or the Dark Templar, from the Khalai Caste to the former Arbitrators, there are so many Protoss who want to contribute their strength in the face of this apocalypse that the Council of Light and Shadow had to select the best among them to serve in the Spear of Adun."

This means that there will be a much larger number of Protoss warriors on the Spear of Adun than before.

"Any news about Zeratul?" Augustus Artanis mention the Dark Templar.

"Zeratul returned to Shakuras once, but left soon after. At the Council of Light and Shadow, he mentioned that the fallen Dark Templar Oregau was serving an incredibly terrifying being," Artanis said.

"He claimed to have received instructions from the gods of the void, that the light from countless dead stars weaves the prophecies of the Xel'Naga, and that in the dark future, strife will be eternal."

"Zeratul is still as eccentric as ever," Augustus said, shrugging.

"Zeratul has recently returned to Aiur once again," Artanis said.

Zeratul returned to the massive storm of Void energy where the Overmind's corpse had once been, believing it would bring him closer to the Void.

"How did he do that? I've never heard any gods speak to me." Augustus shrugged. "So Zeratul has given up on hunting down Orega?"

"No one knows what Zeratul is thinking." Artanis couldn't understand what Zeratul was thinking either. Zeratul always felt that he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He was always mysterious and believed that he was carrying some kind of mission.

"Alas, the end of the world is near."

Both of them looked up at the sky at the same time, their minds uneasy.

The sky at this moment presented an exceptionally magnificent sight, with deep purple clouds, rendered by the peculiar optical phenomena of the Krusas sunset, piled up on the distant horizon, forming a series of cloud embankments connected end to end.

Not a single cloud shone in the very center of the sky. The deep blue, infinitely distant and profound dome constantly reminded Augustus how insignificant humanity is in the face of nature.

"I implore Marshal Augustus to provide us with more information about the Hybrid." After a while, Artanis continued on the previous topic.

Artanis behaved humbly and modestly in Augustus's presence.

Not long ago, Artanis, like most of his people, looked down on humans, but the events on Aiur have proven that Augustus and his warriors are just as worthy of respect as the Protoss Templar Knights.

"Of course, why not? Without you, I really don't know how to deal with the Hybrid." Augustus chuckled.

"My warriors are brave and tenacious, but lack the necessary protection to safeguard them from Psionics and mental attacks."

"I see. I will immediately order the Khalai phase engineer, Karax, to resolve this matter. Humanity should acquire armor that can protect against Hybrid mental attacks." Artanis indicated that he was aware of the matter and felt deeply apologetic for not having considered this issue before.

"Great Adun, when will I be as wise as my teacher Tassadar?"

The Protoss don't need to worry about the Hybrid ' Psionics and mental attacks because their minds are strong enough, while humans are far more vulnerable.

"You simply lack experience," Augustus said. "You are still young, Archbishop. This era belongs to Tassadar, and it belongs to you."

"Hmm. Archbishop? I'm not an archbishop." Artanis stared wide-eyed at him, his eyes burning with blue Psionics flames.

"Yes, you're not yet." Augustus on purpose, propping himself up with his elbow. "Everyone knows that Raszagal will succeed Tassadar, and Tassadar's successor will definitely be you."

"I don't know." Artanis took everything very seriously.

"As you said, my teacher Tassadar is very likely to succeed Chief Raszagal as patriarch—she has repeatedly stated that she is too old to fulfill the duties of an archbishop," he said.

"My teacher earned the respect of many Dark Templar, and his appointment as the new Hierarch of the Daelaam met the expectations of Aiur and the Protoss of Shakuras. As for me, I am merely an ordinary Protoss Empire Enforcer, Dark Templar do not like me."

"Furthermore, adhering to the principle that the Aiur and Shakuras Protoss must be absolutely equal, after Tassadar steps down, his successor should rightfully be a Nerazim, and only after that could I possibly succeed him."

"I don't know that." Augustus then realized that Artanis's fate had likely undergone a dramatic change.

Artanis may not become the new archbishop.

Oh, this.

If the archbishop is no longer the archbishop, how can he continue to insult the faith?

Or rather, being unable to insult the religion is also a form of insult to the religion.

"I will support Mohandar as the next archbishop, because his tolerance of the Firstborn has earned him the respect of the Templar Knights," Artanis continued, talking to himself.

"What do you think, Marshal Augustus?"

"I have no opinion," Augustus chuckled. "Humans don't interfere with the Protoss, Protoss don't interfere with humans."

"Come, young Artanis, to my camp; I'll treat you to tea."

Augustus walked away on his own, leaving Artanis alone, wallowing in self-pity and muttering to himself.

"Marshal, you're teasing me again." Artanis caught up with Augustus. The Protoss absorb moisture through their skin, but they don't drink tea.

As Augustus and Artanis left the mountaintop and entered the path leading to the camp, a group of about fifteen Reaper whizzed past them.

They carried large jetpacks—early Reaper backpacks were flyable, but they were so bulky and difficult to control that recruit mortality rates were quite high. Therefore, a skilled Reaper was as valuable as a fighter pilot.

Based on this flaw, Rory Swann and his team, who always managed to come up with something new for Augustus, designed a non-flying twin-turbo backpack for training recruits. Even so, the mortality rate at the Reaper recruit training camps remained extremely high, making their training costs far exceed those of ordinary Marines.

As Kerrigan Sarah Kerrigan approached Augustus from a side path, Artanis silently slipped away using the phase warp device, seemingly genuinely believing that Augustus pour tea on his face.

Someone actually did that; that person was Tychus Finley, who was drunk and exhausted.

"Urgent news! The United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet has expressed its desire to sign a peace treaty with us and is willing to send Alexei Stukov to participate in the negotiations," Kerrigan said, glancing at Augustus's face.

"Um?"