The Purple Glow in the Void

In the Dark Void created by the great explosion, fragments of light scattered in all directions, giving rise to many worlds and wondrous creations. At the same time, some traces of the Void had been carried by the force of the explosion into this universe. The beings born from those traces were naturally vastly different from creations of order and goodness. Of course, under the influence of the rules established at the universe's creation, such Void creatures were not numerous, nor were they likely to inflict devastating destruction upon this still-developing Dark Void. But who knew what might happen?

As a universe, the Dark Void nurtured a great variety of life. Some were powerful in battle, violent and warlike; others were full of wisdom, gentle and sagacious. The universe was vast and full of wonders. There was one race that seemed to have been blessed by this universe from the moment of its birth. It was as though especially abundant fragments of light had fallen upon their world, allowing them to begin far ahead of other races. But who could say for certain that such a perfect and powerful race would not also draw the Void's attention?

Nathrezar was an unremarkable world in the universe. Like countless other worlds within the Dark Void, it nurtured life unique to itself.

Yet compared to many ordinary worlds, this one was anything but ordinary, because its creations were simply too... intelligent. The inhabitants of Nathrezar called themselves the Nathrezim, and this race seemed to be the blessed ones mentioned earlier.

Not long after their civilization was born, they established a unique and powerful civilization of their own. Thanks to their race's innate brilliance, that civilization conquered the planet in an extraordinarily short span of time and became the ruler of their world.

Having achieved unification, the Nathrezim did not halt their exploration. Though their civilization had not yet reached the point where they could leave their world and travel the Astral Realm, the wise Nathrezim had found a unique means of probing the stars: summoning. Every year, countless powerful Nathrezim mages died because of summoning—do not assume summoning was harmless. Though that famous Legion had yet to emerge in this era, there were always a few beings in this relatively stable universe that were not to be provoked. The Void Terror, for instance. Well, you could imagine the consequences of summoning one.

Although summoning remained fraught with danger and uncertainty, Nathrezar needed this dangerous method to save itself. As those favored by the universe, the Nathrezim had long surpassed the limits of lifespan. At the same time, their bloodline carried an innate inability to harm one another. Yes, their population grew at a staggering rate—even a long-lived race with a low birth rate could not withstand such a pace of growth.

Thus, they continued to seek worlds beyond their own, searching for new home planets capable of supporting their development. Otherwise, this powerful race would one day accomplish a tremendous feat—its own destruction.

It was another ordinary day in Nathrezar's calendar. Trekzvis, the wisest and most magically gifted ruler in Nathrezim history, the "Lord of Wisdom," awoke. The supreme commander of the planet was the thirty-ninth successor; the thirty-eight before him had all died in summoning rituals. Though such a death might appear mad and irrational to other civilizations, to the Nathrezim, the sacrifices of those powerful mages had won a sliver of hope for their future. They were undoubtedly heroes to their people.

The current First Lord, Trekzvis, had occupied his position for hundreds of thousands of years. Though the people continued to live peacefully under his rule, to this First Lord of grand ambition, that was precisely the greatest irony.

To Trekzvis, he had made no contribution to his people's progress during his reign. Such utter mediocrity was intolerable to him, because for a Nathrezim leader, standing still meant self-destruction. That was not something he was willing to see.

As the First Lord contemplated his race's future, a Nathrezim rushed into his bedchamber in a panic. His guards did not stop him.

Seeing his flustered kinsman, Trekzvis calmly said, "Kathanatir, do not panic. As the Second Lord, your panic brings shame upon your station."

"Yes, my First Lord, but before concerning yourself with my composure, perhaps you should look at this." As he spoke, the Nathrezim named Kathanatir stepped forward and handed over a report. "Not long ago, our stargazing team appears to have discovered something. First Astrologer Lothraxion says an immense energy surge has emerged from that spatial abyss, and it is still growing stronger!"

"Oh?" Even Trekzvis raised a brow at the strange news. He took the report and examined it carefully.

"So according to the report, an unknown energy seems to be about to burst from the spatial passage." Closing the report, Trekzvis looked at Kathanatir. "What do you think it is?"

"I do not know, First Lord," Kathanatir said humbly. "My wisdom is insufficient to comprehend this strange energy. Perhaps it is an ordinary spatial fluctuation. Perhaps an enormous comet. Or perhaps... an unknown creature?"

Hearing his subordinate's conjecture, the First Lord rose to his feet, straightened his robes, and slowly walked out of the bedchamber. As he went, he said, "Your speculation is not without merit. If it is an unknown creature..."

"Then it had better be the kind we need."

The arrival of the First and Second Lords seemed to calm the hectic stargazing corps considerably. After finding Lothraxion, the First Astrologer who had discovered it all, Trekzvis learned more detailed information.

"We have reason to believe it is a creature capable of traveling through the Astral Realm, First Lord." Astrologer Lothraxion led the First and Second Lords to his personal observatory. After several spells were cast, the starlight shifted, and a field of stars appeared around the three of them.

"No matter how many times I see this, it still fills me with awe," Kathanatir praised.

"Thank you for the compliment, Second Lord." Lothraxion inclined his head slightly in respect. "But that is not the point. Please look here." With a series of gestures, a massive dark rift appeared before them.

"This is the spatial rift discovered by our thirteenth First Lord," Lothraxion explained. "He called it the Dark Abyss. The discovery of this space gave our summoning new possibilities. It..."

Trekzvis frowned slightly and said to the astrologer, "So where is the point? We do not have time to listen to you explain history."

The interrupted astrologer did not take offense and continued, "My apologies, First Lord." He pointed to a location in the star chart. After magnifying it endlessly, he indicated a point of purple light. "This is what we discovered. It contains an exceptionally terrifying amount of Arcane energy, and an unknown energy fluctuation clings to its tail. Oh, and its trail also gives off immense spatial fluctuations."

"So what does that mean?" Kathanatir asked.

"It means it can only be a creature capable of spatial travel." Lothraxion looked to the First Lord. "I believe this is precisely what our people need, First Lord."

Watching the purple point of light dart wildly through the star chart, the First Lord fell into thought. He stared fixedly at that tiny gleam, as though trying to discern something within it.

Just as the astrologer was about to offer a reminder, Trekzvis turned to the First Astrologer and asked him with unprecedented solemnity, "Then, my First Astrologer, tell me... how do I catch it?"

Summoning was a type of spell primarily used to call creatures from other spaces, allowing its caster to summon contracted creatures to aid them in battle. Though it appeared to possess little destructive force, it was an extremely advanced art. Unlike the construction of power in conventional spells, summoning involved a complicated array of knowledge: space, contracts, formations, souls, and more. Only true masters could command it and unleash its power. Trekzvis was clearly one of those masters.

After his subordinates made their preparations, a summoning formation exclusive to the First Lord was completed. Having adjusted himself to peak condition, the First Lord was now instructing the captain of his guard, a Nathrezim named Tichondrius, on security.

"During the summoning, I do not want anyone intruding to disturb me, Tichondrius, my most trusted guard captain."

"Your will, First Lord." Tichondrius, clad in crimson armor, bowed slightly to Trekzvis and slowly withdrew.

Drawing a deep breath, the First Lord stepped into the center of the formation and looked up at the star chart overhead. Gazing at the erratic purple light, he silently murmured, For my people, and began his incantation.

A burst of dazzling light spread from the formation alongside Trekzvis's chanting. As the First Lord's recitation gradually quickened, the formation slowly formed a hemispherical energy barrier around him. Then a violent beam of light shot from its apex into an unknown space, while the purple trail on the star chart seemed to halt for a moment before slowly moving again.

A high-ranking guard quietly nudged the companion beside him. "So, Mephistroth, did this summoning fail? I heard it may concern our race's future. The First Lord, he..."

Before his companion could reply, Tichondrius, the captain, noticed their whispered conversation and snapped, "Anetheron, Mephistroth, remain silent, and watch your words!"

The two men who had been rebuked quickly composed themselves, assuming expressions of dutiful vigilance and staring straight ahead. But just after reprimanding them, Tichondrius suddenly heard a cry of shock from within the formation.

"What? That is impossible! Such immense—"

Before the cry could finish, intense silver radiance flooded the hall, blinding everyone. And within the star chart beyond their sight, that purple celestial body darting about so wildly seemed to have lost its... trail?