Redemption

"Nathrezar—it is the world that gave birth to us. Though we Nathrezim have yet to reach the stars, after countless ages of exploration into the cosmos by our scholars and lords, we have reason to believe... Hey, my dear little one, that is not something you can touch casually." A tall Nathrezim warned someone in one direction.

"Sorry, Priest, but I want to know who this statue is. Is he a hero? Why can't I remember him? I got full marks in Nathrezar history class," asked a young male Nathrezim who had tried to touch the statue.

A trace of discomfort crossed the priest's face, but professionalism compelled him to explain patiently. "This is Trekzvis, the current First Lord."

"As for why you haven't seen him, he is a very busy man. As First Lord, he has far more work every day than you can imagine, my little one."

The priest continued, "You should respect him. Although he has yet to accomplish any heroic deeds worthy of being recorded in the epics, he is striving to explore a future for our race."

"Yes, sir. I'll remember this lord," the child replied, seeming only half to understand.

After that small interruption, the priest continued leading the children through the great hall, recounting the histories of one sculpted figure after another in his deep voice. The stories occasionally drew gasps and cries of admiration from the children.

Once the tour ended and the priest had led the excited children away, ripples spread through space. Vanidak appeared within the temple, his hood concealing the upper half of his face and hiding his expression. He surveyed the statues in the hall and muttered:

"Tut, tut, tut. The first First Lord discovered the power of magic. Oh, nicely done, buddy."

"You are... the seventh lord. Let me think. You kicked an invading monster to death. What can I say, buddy? Nice knees?"

"Oho, the thirteenth lord. You discovered summoning magic and perfected it. Hmm... though you were impressive too, but... ha, who knows?"

As Vanidak observed and commented his way through the hall, he came before the final statue. He stared at it for a long while, then gave a soft laugh. "Fire-playing bastard. Let's hope you don't burn yourself to death." With that, he turned and left the temple.

Relying on his Titan-tier "Put on a hood and no one can recognize me" skill, Vanidak, whose appearance differed completely from that of the Nathrezim, strolled freely through this Nathrezim capital, frequently interacting with the local natives around him.

"Hey, buddy, this thing looks pretty good. Can you give it to me?"

"Of course. Just one Nas, and you can take it home."

"Oh my god, you dare ask for one Nas for this thing? You're really devious." Vanidak turned and quickly walked away, leaving the vendor standing there with a baffled look on his face.

"One Nas... is... is that expensive?"

Having walked some distance away, Vanidak seemed to remember something. He suddenly reached out, grabbed a Nathrezim in front of him, and asked, "Hey, friend, so what is a Nas?"

Instead of getting the answer he wanted, Vanidak was greeted by a shrill scream. "Molester!!!" As for why that happened... well, one would have to ask exactly where Vanidak had grabbed him... Hmm... you would want to know.

Amid a burst of chaos, Vanidak, having committed another offense, successfully escaped and stood atop a familiar tower. Looking down at the disorderly crowd and the guards frantically searching for him, he snorted smugly:

"You think you can catch me? You're twenty thousand years too early!"

Just as Vanidak watched the guards below searching for him like headless flies with great interest, a series of deep tolls suddenly rang out from one direction. Upon hearing the bells, the previously chaotic crowd and guards all surged toward their source. Seeing this, Vanidak followed the crowd with equal curiosity.

After moving with the crowd for some time, Vanidak arrived at a plaza. Standing on tiptoe to look around, he saw a sea of black heads. It seemed that every adult Nathrezim in the city had come.

"What the hell is going on? Why are all the creatures here heading this way?" Vanidak muttered, nearly losing his temper from being squeezed by the crowd. A Nathrezim in front turned back and glared at him. "Show some reverence, commoner. Listen to the First Lord's address."

"Fine, First Lord. What an impressive display of authority." After muttering under his breath, Vanidak activated his ability, created a pocket dimension, and stepped into it.

"That's much more comfortable. Let's see what this 'First Lord' intends to do. I've been... looking forward to this for a long time."

Amid Vanidak's mockery, a somewhat pale Nathrezim stepped onto the raised platform ahead. After casting a minor amplification spell, the deep voice of the tall, powerfully built Nathrezim First Lord spread throughout the plaza:

"My compatriots, my people, I am your First Lord, Trekzvis."

Feeling the cheers erupt from below, Trekzvis's lips curved slightly upward as he continued:

"Perhaps many of you do not know who I am. Perhaps some of you do not know what I have done."

He swept his gaze over the crowd, which had suddenly cooled at his words. A flicker of disdain passed through Trekzvis's eyes as he continued:

"But that does not matter. From today onward, you will remember me. I, Trekzvis, have finally made it possible to fulfill the dream the Nathrezim have pursued for countless ages—to enter the stars."

Watching the people below grow faintly excited, Trekzvis inwardly sneered at their stupidity and continued arrogantly:

"Perhaps some of you know about the great explosion some time ago. Yes, it caused us grievous losses, but!"

Trekzvis raised both arms and suddenly declared with the fervor of a fanatic, "It was precisely through those sacrifices that I found that sliver of opportunity among the stars—the opportunity for the Nathrezim to elevate our lives."

"We will not forget the people's sacrifices. But you must also remember that it is I—I—who will lead our people to a higher level!"

Watching the crowd erupt below, Trekzvis loudly announced:

"Three days from now, on the anniversary of the founding of Nathrezim civilization, we will all ascend. I have given that day a name."

"Day of Redemption."

Vanidak had long since left. He now crouched on the edge of a mountain cliff outside the city, observing the vast and magnificent city beneath him. His eyes fixed on the distance as silver light flowed within them.

As if he had seen something, Vanidak chuckled and leapt from the cliff, letting out a scornful laugh.

"Day of Redemption? Redeeming whom, huh?"

"Pah, another fake synchronization point. Pah! I almost messed up my hair falling!"

No matter where one was, the strength of a single individual could never compare to that of an entire race united together. Though Vanidak, who disagreed with this notion, loudly proclaimed, "I alone am an army!" even he, a Titan, had a dark history of being chased about in panic by a mob of natives.

After the First Lord's speech, the Nathrezim displayed the terrifying capabilities of their race. All sorts of supplies and specialists were transported to a newly constructed site named Ascension Plaza. Worth mentioning was that this plaza stood on the very site created by the previous explosion.

Driven by the efforts of the entire race, the flat ground spanning more than ten miles was swiftly inscribed with magical formations, embedded with energy sources, and charged. At the same time, summoning masters from all over the world arrived one after another, preparing to take part in this extraordinary "summoning."

As the instigator of this grand racial undertaking, First Lord Trekzvis locked himself inside the great hall after his speech, claiming that he needed to conserve his strength for this crucial summoning.

Outside the hall, the other Nathrezim lords who would likewise take part in this operation gathered together, intensely discussing an undertaking unprecedented in their race's history.

"No, Varimathras, questioning the First Lord is not a good habit. Although the previous incident did damage his prestige somewhat, judging by the past, he is still an outstanding leader." Tichondrius, now clad in a more luxurious suit of brilliant red armor, spoke loudly to the Third Lord beside him.

"No, no, no, Tichondrius. I think you misunderstood what I meant. I am only questioning what exactly we are summoning that requires nearly the resources of our entire race to activate. The cost... is far too heavy!" Third Lord Varimathras argued.

"I think Lothraxion has the right to speak on this matter." Tichondrius looked toward the silent Lothraxion.

The astrologer who had been named hesitated for a moment before explaining, "Judging by the experience of the last failure, that thing truly warrants such resources. It is a real... big one."

"Then that explains it." Tichondrius seemed satisfied as he nodded.

Detheroc and Balnazzar, the archmages also participating in the discussion, exchanged a glance. Balnazzar spoke first. "Though I do not know exactly how big this 'big one' you speak of is, the energy accumulated here truly is... astonishing. I hope it is worthy of the expenditure."

"So, gentlemen, does anyone still remember the person the First Lord mentioned who sneaked into our world?" Looking toward the plaza formed by the distant explosion, the Second Lord spoke in a deep voice. "That may be a hidden danger."

Mal'Ganis, captain of the guard, stepped forward and said to the Second Lord, "Although the city's public order has occasionally encountered some problems recently, they are all minor matters. I believe you are worrying too much, Second Lord."

"Let us hope so," Kathanatir replied blandly. The scene eventually fell silent.

After a moment, someone finally broke the awkwardness. Lothraxion slowly said to the others, "Though I truly do not wish to say it, have any of you felt that our First Lord has become somewhat... strange lately?" Seeming to recall something, Lothraxion shuddered and continued, "Sometimes, he makes me... afraid."

"I think you are worrying too much, Astrologer. The First Lord has merely been in a poor mood because of the previous failure." Kathanatir glanced at Lothraxion and said, "I have not felt anything... Words should not be spoken carelessly."

Just as Lothraxion wanted to explain further, the tightly sealed doors of the palace burst open. First Lord Trekzvis, dressed in a black robe, strode out. Looking at his high-ranking subordinates around him, he announced loudly:

"Noon has come, my brothers. It is time to begin our... redemption."