Chapter 866 Four Pillars: Too Good to be True
Chapter 866 Four Pillars: Too Good to be True
Watching the conversation unfold from afar, Valyr’s eyes lit up in realization as the pair of individuals introduced themselves as the Arbiters.
Recalling the conversation he had with Ryvrthe back when he had inadvertently come across the land of Ecalos, the young man gradually became more and more certain that the sight unfolding before him was none other than what Ryvrthe had told him back then.
Though there were a few discrepancies between the memory and the story Ryvrthe had told him, most of them still matched, prompting the young man to keep all of his senses peeled for what was to come.
‘According to Ryvrthe, he had no clue as to what conversation occurred between Vaughn and the Arbiters, but it ended up with almost all traces of humanity disappearing at that point.’
‘Time to find out what kind of conversation the two sides had back then.’
As this thought popped up in his mind, Valyr examined the two Arbiters in greater detail, finding it somewhat interesting that the two looked just like a normal pair of humans.
After all, from what Ryvrthe had told him and what he had seen and heard just now, the pair of individuals came from a place incredibly far away.
Of course, as he had more or less seen everything Greater Beyond had to offer in his past life, Valyr knew that humans existed beyond Veldanyr.
Though they took on a similar appearance, these extraterrestrial humans had capabilities that were vastly different from the humans of Veldanyr, adapting and adjusting themselves to the environments they were given.
‘I guess it’s to reduce the shock involved,’ thought the young man after looking at the two for a bit more, coming to the conclusion after recalling the words one of the two had uttered.
‘It would be difficult for Veldanyr to accept something like salvation if they came out of the mouths of alien creatures, after all.’
With that in mind, the young man continued to watch the situation unfold, his hypothesis turning out to be correct as the young Vaughn visibly relaxed at those words.
“What… do you mean by salvation?” asked Vaughn, the gears in his mind working on overdrive at that moment.
In response to the question, one of the two smiled back at him. “There is no different meaning. Only salvation.”
“Out with the old, and in with the new,” said the other individual once the first one was done. “We offer your civilization the opportunity to adopt the welcoming of a new era. By welcoming this new era, you thereby accept the salvation we offer.”
Feeling as if the two were speaking in a cryptic language, a hint of confusion briefly appeared on Vaughn’s face as he made a few gestures to the assistant that accompanied him.
Nodding in response to those gestures, the assistant swiftly returned to the building the two of them came from, leaving Vaughn alone with the two individuals that called themselves Arbiters.
“What… is this new era you speak of?” Vaughn looked at the two with slight curiosity. “Is this some sort of elaborate prank?”
“There is no comedy involved.” One of the two shook his head. “As for your first question, it will only be answered if you and the civilization of Veldanyr accepts.”
At this point, Vaughn began to look at the two with suspicion. “I don’t know who forced you two to do this, but you can stop.”
“I don’t know how you two were able to send messages that came from the Trametria Galaxy and arrive here so soon, but the fact that you two are able to converse with me just fine tells me you’re not from there.”
Hearing the man’s words, the two looked at each other for a bit before looking back at the former.
“Your suspicions do make sense,” said one of the two as he nodded. “Perhaps this alone shall suffice.”
After saying that, the one that spoke began to speak in a tongue that Vaughn nor any of the other humans in the vicinity could understand.
Not long after, the other individual began to speak in the same tongue, causing a hint of confusion to appear on the young Vaughn’s face.
“They’re speaking in Ich’zalab-ol,” said a voice out of nowhere, prompting Vaughn to turn his head in the direction of the one who spoke.
“Galactic Minister Neolas.” Recognizing the middle-aged man that had just appeared, the man gave a respectful bow before returning his attention to what the man had said just now. “You just said that they’re talking in… Ikh-zala’ab-ol?”
“Not Ikh-zala’ab-ol. Ich’zalab-ol,” clarified Neolas. “As Galactic Minister of our planet, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to other galaxies in the past.”
“And one of them is the Trametria Galaxy that you’ve just mentioned.”
Hearing those words, Vaughn’s eyes slightly widened as he put two and two together in his mind. “You’re telling me…”
“With how fluent they are in Ich’zalab-ol, though they look similar to us, it’s highly likely that they truly come from the Trametria Galaxy,” replied Neolas as he nodded at the man.
“I see.” Thanking Neolas for the insight he’d given him, Vaughn went silent for a bit as a series of questions popped up in his mind.
Of course, among those questions, one of them involved how the two had arrived at Veldanyr without a star ship.
Though, as the pair’s talks of salvation intrigued him even more, he decided to push such thoughts aside for the meantime and focus on what was more important.
Telling the two that they had given more than enough proof, Vaughn then apologized to the pair of individuals for his actions earlier.
Fortunately, the two responded back that they understood where he was coming at, allowing the three to smoothly continue their conversation from where it left off.
“Though we do not have the authority to tell you what this new era entails, we do have the authority to show you its benefits if you were to accept.”
As these words came out of his mouth, one of the two individuals stepped forward before extending one of his palm outward.
Whoosh!
Then, with a single thought, a large wisp of bluish flames manifested above his hand, leaving Vaughn and the other humans in the vicinity at a complete loss for words.
Having lived their whole lives in a world filled with advanced technology, being shown something that subverted their entire understanding of the world undoubtedly caused their brains to frazzle out.
Many of them believed that what they were saying was just an application of a more advanced level of technology than theirs.
After all, when compared to a civilization that was classified a Type 3 on the Kardashev scale, their technology could be considered toys at best.
However, as they watched the man continue to manipulate the bluish flames as if it were an extension of his limbs, that thought gradually disappeared in the people’s minds.
Instead, they began to look at it for what it really was.
“Magic,” uttered Vaughn at some point, his expression solemn.
“Correct,” replied the one that did not make a move, nodding as he looked at Vaughn. “By accepting salvation, you would be able to tap into the energy that makes the blue flames you see possible. The energy that makes magic possible.”
“The limitless energy… called mana.”
“Mana…” As Vaughn committed this word to memory, the pair continued to do a few things that seemingly would have only been possible with mana.
From forming a barrier out of the energy, to flying in the air at great speeds, the pair had undoubtedly left the population of Veldanyr in awe.
Of course, Vaughn was also awed by what was possible with the energy, knowing how its existence would propel Veldanyr to a higher level of existence.
Yet, as he thought about accepting what they called salvation, the man began to feel that was something was off.
“So, have you thought about it, Vaughn Darkstar?”
Seeing as they’ve given the leader of Veldanyr enough time to think about it, the two individuals stood in front of him and asked once more, their expressions slightly expectant.
“Having access to such wondrous energy definitely sounds great and all,” said Vaughn in response. “But why do I feel like we would be giving up something in exchange?”
“Only a small sacrifice must be made in exchange for salvation,” replied one of the two individuals, the man’s expression turning into a soft smile.
“For one, all must adopt something called the Apparatus. This facilitates the connection people will have towards mana, while at the same time aiding the growth of one’s individual strength.”
“It is thanks to the Apparatus that we are able to arrive at this place without the need for a star ship,” the man continued. “Of course, there are many civilizations that still rely on it, though their properties are empowered thanks to the existence of the Apparatus.”
“That sounds a bit too good to be true,” replied Vaughn, really getting the feeling that there were downsides to the situation. “Is there really nothing else?”
There was one side of him where he thought he was being a bit too suspicious at this point, but he would make sure to see it to the very end.
After all, his decision as the leader of humanity would affect the entire population of Veldanyr.
“There is one other thing,” said the other one in response to Vaughn’s question. “But compared to the adoption of the Apparatus, it is but a trifling matter.”
“And that would be?” Vaughn raised his eyebrow in curiosity.
In response, the man merely smiled.
“Your allegiance and surrender to our rule, of course.”
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