"War, it actually began like this..."
"They really couldn't wait."
A woman with long, curly, emerald-green hair sat perched in a tree, observing the approaching army from afar.
She was 036: Iset.
She was worshipped by her followers as the Goddess of Life.
Her monstrous origin derived from the Queen Bee potion mixed with Master of Flesh. Her ability wasn't overtly powerful; she was one of the monsters taken in by Kitsune.
Her ability was Life Blessing, which could cause all things to grow rapidly.
Her blessing on seeds created crops that matured within a single day.
Her blessing on humans caused the human population to expand rapidly.
Her blessing on wild beasts also allowed them to multiply incessantly, just like humans.
Her ability brought her followers nearly endless food. No one worried about starvation, and the population grew ever larger.
Four months passed. Her followers now numbered over ten thousand, and they weren't just distributed in this one location.
Her tribe had established four stable and prosperous strongholds. This place was just one of them, and the king was not present here.
This group of people had only moved here two months ago.
Their rapid development meant they hadn't noticed a terrifying tribe living in this prosperous land!
Their rapid expansion brought them a devastating disaster!
When Gawain arrived with his army, Iset concluded that these were opponents her followers could not possibly contend with.
So, she immediately issued an order, telling the tribes in other distant locations to begin migrating south, especially the king!
However, the Star Army's offensive was unusually fierce. In just one day, they swept through the Great Western Lake region and occupied it.
These people extracted energy from inanimate bodies, absorbing all the corpses of the fallen. They also grew stronger as a result.
But they didn't completely slaughter everyone. They only killed those who dared to resist with weapons.
Those who resisted helplessly were simply gathered and controlled in one place.
Gawain held two swords, one slender and one wide, of equal length.
"The King has commanded: do not kill those who resist helplessly, do not kill women or children. All Raople who willingly surrender shall be granted citizen rights."
The followers of the Goddess of Life called themselves Raople.
They imprisoned these Raople and collected many seeds and domesticated poultry from each of their homes.
According to the Raople, these things had all received the blessing of the Goddess of Life, including the Raople themselves; they were all rare species.
The King said they must bring those Raople back alive.
With these blessed seeds and wild animals, the problem of food for ordinary people could be solved once and for all.
And the Raople, blessed with life, would solve their population problem.
The Star King ordered them to bring these Raople back and intermarry with them.
However, this did not seem to be the fundamental purpose of the Star People.
They continued to advance westward. They didn't need rest; they fought on all sides, conquering most of the Raople tribes.
In the end, except for the Raople king who fled south with a group of people in a panic, all of their original subjects and territory became the Star People's territory.
After leaving a portion of the Star Army to garrison, Gawain led a few people back to the Fertile Land of Anganas.
He reported their achievements to the king. The king, upon hearing this good news, praised him greatly, as well as all the Star Army who had gone on campaign.
However, not having cut off the Raople king's head and retrieved the crown left Principal Starry somewhat regretful.
"Still too far. If only it were a little closer..."
"Nevertheless, this campaign wasn't entirely without gains."
With this group of blessed Raople and plants, the problems of population and food were solved. They could quickly occupy all the land in this region.
Logically speaking, this planet's area was five times the size of Earth, so it shouldn't be easy for civilizations to encounter each other.
At least, they would have to expand to a certain extent, for example, when the territories of two nations expanded to be just a line apart.
That should be the preset time for war.
However, considering that some monsters possessed abilities that would lead to rapid population growth, this timeline could be even faster, perhaps within a few hundred years.
Their encounter with the Goddess of Life's Raople this time was purely good luck.
And this time, the escaped king would surely realize that this was their territory and would definitely avoid it from afar.
...
On the other side, Principal Starry's first victory report was very smooth. Meanwhile, on a large continent across the sea, along a rugged coastline:
A coastal town was built here. This nation was divided into two layers: one on land, one in the ocean.
The city in the ocean was the core of this nation. The king lived in the underwater city, because the king was a Fish-Man.
Living on the land were the lowest-tier humans.
This nation was divided into five social strata. The lowest tier were humans, performing all sorts of basic labor.
Ordinary Fish-Men also had to work, but not on land. They enjoyed higher privileges than ordinary humans.
Above them were the privileged classes. The initial group that followed the king became Priests, responsible for performing rituals and planning strategic matters.
Above the Priests were several promoted managers.
Called Elder Things, these were not summoned, but rather stronger units produced after Chino infused them with more power.
The highest tier was the royal class.
The king repeatedly received rewards from the deity, gaining more powerful abilities and a more exalted form than the Elder Things and Priests.
His height approached 10 meters. He had no limbs; his lower body and two arms were octopus tentacles, similar to the Elder Things.
His head maintained a recognizable human shape.
The Ocean King called this appearance Cthulhu, a most sacred form bestowed by the deity.
This name had also become an alternative title for the king among the marine life.
Aside from that, this group also had a collective name. They were not called Deep Ones, nor Fish-Men or Sea Tribe.
They were called Xothian.
Yes, they still considered themselves people, but not to the extent of gods, yet superior to ordinary humans.
With months of development, becoming a Fish-Man had transformed into a traditional ritual for the Xothian.
When a human couple married and had children, after the child grew up, the parents could go to the coastal shrine to receive the great power bestowed, returning to the embrace of the ocean.
The newborn child would repeat this process: marry, have children, and then, after reaching adulthood, return to the embrace of the ocean.
Because of this tradition, they placed great importance on marriage and procreation. They eagerly desired to bear children, longing for them to grow up.
Xothians, after becoming Fish-Men, would continue to bear children.
However, Fish-Men had very low reproductive capabilities. Although the children born were Fish-Men, one gestation cycle could take several years.
Therefore, the Ocean King, Cthulhu, brazenly encouraged humans to have children.
Until they discovered another marine tribe in the ocean.
"Another marine tribe?"
The two marine tribes first initiated contact at the behest of the deities behind their respective kings.
Because both sides wanted to negotiate, terms were successfully established.
Due to the similarity of their races, communication was very smooth, but the other side was a matriarchal society.
The other side's ruler was female, and their god was also female.
The deities behind both sides also met in person.
Just as Chino thought, the other god was Hydra.
While people couldn't see them, the gods on both sides could see each other clearly.
Without further ado, the deities signaled their respective rulers to form an alliance—a very intimate one.
That is, intermarriage.
The two rulers accepted the deity's proposal, completing a royal marriage. Both were kings, enjoying equal rights.
The so-called Era of Dual Kings was thus established.
The two tribes converged, forming the Xothian people together.
Unlike Chino's Fish-Men, who had low reproductive capabilities, Hydra's Fish-Men had incredibly strong reproductive rates.
As a matriarchal society, most of their Fish-Man rulers were female, perfectly contrasting with Chino's side where most rulers were male.
Therefore, the intermingling of the two factions was truly mutually beneficial.
"Just as expected."
Chino said "just as expected," referring to his encounter with Hydra.
Both their familiars were Fish-Men. As long as they simultaneously expanded into the ocean, they would meet one day, because only specific monsters could wage war in the depths.
Coincidentally, this portion of monsters were all Chino's allies.
No matter whom he encountered in the ocean, it would be beneficial to him.
However, meeting Hydra so quickly was a bit unexpected for Chino, and the fact that Hydra's familiars could complement his own was a pleasant surprise.
Although the two currently didn't have crowns to form a true alliance, a verbal pact was enough for the populace.
A crown-based alliance was not a rush for now. Chino would only consider initiating war after confirming the locations and abilities of those other individuals.
What he wanted to do now was to rely on the fact that no one could interact with him, and to develop the ocean resources as much as possible.
He didn't need to contend with the others for land resources.
Exploring the ocean directly was a God-given advantage for them.
The first step was to draw sea maps.
The foundation of conquering the world cannot be separated from a map.
How important could maps be at this stage?
If Principal Starry were given a complete world map now, he could immediately launch campaigns north and south, sending troops across the entire world!
Crushing all monsters before they even developed!
Hydra, visiting Chino's territory, repeatedly expressed admiration. Chino managed everything in an orderly fashion; social relations and class structures were very stable.
On Hydra's side, however, because there were more female rulers and fewer male rulers, many felt dissatisfied as a result.
If this trend continued, the issue of male-female gender disparity would be brought to the forefront.
Fortunately, this intermarriage directly resolved this problem.
"To be honest, I can't quite understand. It's the same mechanism, so why can't it be female-dominated?"
Facing Hydra's question, Chino looked at the city built beneath the deep sea. "Males bear the vast majority of important physical labor, such as building homes, hunting, and so on."
"Furthermore, through production and war plunder, wealth accumulated, leading to private property, and thus the initial form of society."
"But there's also a more fundamental reason."
"Similarly, in ancient empires, if it were an empress, she could unite with different men, but the children born would not know their own father."
"Knowing only the mother, not the father, over time, would inevitably lead to chaos."
"For males, they wouldn't know which children were theirs. This is an injustice, and naturally, dissatisfaction would arise."
"Moreover, the jobs women can perform are limited, and food acquisition is mostly through gathering and farming. Lacking diversity makes it difficult for social development to advance."
"But principles are always just principles. If one merely adheres to patriarchy, it will still lead to dissatisfaction."
"So, one must start by thinking of all ways to achieve fairness, and later, form a solidified way of thinking."
"For example, fair elections for an emperor, where whoever wins the people's hearts, regardless of gender, can rule."
"Then, with a little manipulation to ensure a male emperor, there will be no problems in the short term."
"Then, by subtly fading women's desire for power, making them believe that male dominance is correct, long-term stability can be achieved while ensuring male leadership."
"Similar methods can also be shifted, but as I said, the development of a matriarchal society is too gentle, which is detrimental to this cruel game of life and death."
Hydra looked at Chino, nodding occasionally.
Indeed, it makes sense.
"Whatever your decision, I will support you unconditionally. So this time, what do you want me to do?"
Chino looked at Hydra: "This time, you don't need to do anything. Leave everything to me."
Having their crown seized meant elimination. And once eliminated, it couldn't be reversed, so this time it could only be Chino himself.
...
After the intermarriage of the Dual Kings in the ocean, a baby was born half a month later.
Unlike ordinary procreation, Hydra's familiars had a more efficient method of reproduction.
After conception, they would lay an egg, much like an ordinary egg, within a few days.
This egg contained rich nutrients. After the nutrients were almost completely absorbed, the life within the egg would also absorb the eggshell.
After metamorphosis, the newborn child would eat a large amount, and its physical development speed would be ten times that of a normal Fish-Man. It would reach adult size within a few years.
And under the witness of the Dual Gods and Dual Kings, this egg completed its incubation after three months.
Both tribes simultaneously offered blessings to the baby, acknowledging him as the next generation's king.
...
Half a year later, a colossal oceanic creature carried an island to this location.
It was 027: Leviathan.
He had no usable abilities, but like Ye Long, he could directly make physical contact with this world.
So he carried that island, leading his followers, wandering everywhere for no other reason than to find Chino.
If he wanted to seek an advantage, he could only go to Chino.
It is worth noting that Leviathan had already broken through to 4th Step.
He didn't rely on magic potions. He naturally reached 4th Step through his leisurely life on Earth.
This was a hidden characteristic of Leviathan's stomach: if life died within his internal space, it would become his nutrients and be absorbed by him, so he leveled up just by eating.
"Boss."
Seeing Leviathan, Chino's heart grew even more confident.
But along with it came the headache of 3 crowns.
None of these 3 crowns could be missing. If any were missing, one of the three of them would be eliminated.
Therefore, the best solution was for all 3 kings to be in one place.
However, Leviathan couldn't directly give the crown to Chino, otherwise it would be no different from the crown being seized.
So, an alliance must first be achieved before the crowns could be transferred.
...
Time had advanced to the second year.
All factions developed steadily. During this period, no large-scale wars had erupted, only small-scale skirmishes.
Chino's three gods, working together, had drawn a relatively complete sea map within two years.
The interconnected outer sea area of this world was approximately 45%, with another 7% being continental inland seas, only some of which connected to the outer sea.
Additionally, the largest single continent in this world was broadly connected, linking all the North and South Pole landmasses!
Its overall shape resembled an irregular oval.
This continent's area was approximately 32% of this world. Chino called this continent the Central Continent.
Aside from that, there was another continent, much smaller, located behind the Central Continent. Its specific shape was difficult to describe.
That continent's total area was only 14%, with all other overseas islands combined making up 2%.
It didn't sound very large, but this planet's total area was roughly 2.55 billion square kilometers.
Whereas the total area of all continents on Earth combined was only approximately 149 million square kilometers.
That 14% continental area was about 357 million square kilometers.
This was already more than twice the total landmass of Earth.
Upon learning this, Chino pondered for a moment.
With over 70 monsters each bringing a thousand people, under an evenly distributed scenario, the probability of them encountering each other in the short term was almost infinitesimally close to zero.
Of course, it also didn't rule out the possibility of two being born in the same place.
And during this time, Chino discovered a monster. That monster was born on a small overseas island, and its national territory was only a cramped, tiny size.
This was a rare opportunity.
But after confirming who the opponent's revered god was, Chino fell into a brief hesitation.
Because the opponent's revered god was known as the God of Light, God of the Sky, God of War, and various other divine titles.
From these divine titles, it wasn't hard to deduce that the opponent's god was most likely 023 Angel.
Moreover, the people on that island all had pristine white wings.
Angel could actually create familiars?
Could it be that...
...
Overseas, Paradise Island.
Angel Moon resided here. She was assigned to this small island, which, strictly speaking, was unfortunate.
But even more unfortunate was that Angel had no ability to create familiars.
So, Angel made a decision. She drank the forbidden potion she had been hiding and hadn't yet consumed.
That forbidden potion was called The Lord.
After drinking the forbidden potion, Angel directly ascended to the upper 5th Step, yet she did not break through to 6th Step.
Vaguely, she seemed to have a premonition. She appeared to be just one step away from 6th Step, yet it felt like a chasm between heaven and earth.
Even if she drank a forbidden potion of the same type, she would not be able to reach 6th Step.
Even if she drank many ordinary potions, she still couldn't reach 6th Step.
If converted to game levels, the upper 5th Step was level 30, and 6th Step was level 200.
Furthermore, 6th Step still had 5 stages, each stage also a 200-level difference. This description was not exaggerated in the slightest.
Even if you were given abundant energy and the best energy cultivation techniques, to reach 6th Step through self-cultivation would require cultivating for countless eons.
Therefore, to reach 6th Step, one could only rely on Mei's power; self-cultivation was almost impossible.
And this time, Angel reached the upper 5th Step. Although the breakthrough in ability wasn't huge, some of her abilities underwent a qualitative change, and she acquired new characteristics.
For example, she could steal the sound of all things, and could also return sound.
But if Angel returned a sound that wasn't that person's original sound, that person would immediately go mad.
However, if Angel gave her own voice to those people, those people would immediately transform into two-winged warrior beings.
And besides these winged people, Angel could also create another type of familiar.
As long as she enveloped a human within her wings, she could perform a ritual called the Holy Baptism, transforming the recipient into an apostle more powerful than the winged people.
But there could only be twelve apostles, which reminded Angel of a story from the Holy Bible.
Jesus's followers, the twelve apostles.
Angel had forgotten the details of the story, but that didn't matter. The apostles were no less powerful than any monstrous derivative.
Angel had them guard the king, and the twelve apostles remained inseparable on Paradise Island.
Meanwhile, the winged people, using their ability to fly, explored the world beyond the sea.
The winged king followed Angel's command, sending everyone to search for the overseas continents, and also to bring all nations, all people, under the protection of her divine wings!
This winged king was chosen and selected by Angel. He had passed countless trials, possessing not only wisdom and vision, but also essential ambition.
Thus, he was crowned king.
But the position of king was also a form of shackles. He could not leave Paradise Island for a single step. He had to be under the protection of the twelve apostles at all times.
This was the price of power.
...
Central Continent, Principal Starry's domain.
One magnificent city after another rose abruptly from the ground. His territory rapidly expanded. His cities and followers gradually spread across mountains and rivers, north and south of the great river.
And in the beginning, within the first city built in the Fertile Land of Anganas, stood a grand and splendid temple.
Inside the temple was a colossal altar, used to perform the ascension ritual and receive the supreme power bestowed by the stars.
Their speed of development was truly terrifying. Ever since their intermarriage with the Raople, the nation's population had been steadily increasing!
The Empire of Stars was officially established.
Every city in the empire was named after the stellar spirits of this world. The study and application of astrology were pushed to their peak!
And over the past two years, they had consistently searched for the portion of Raople who had escaped.
Because, after the initial group of Raople intermarried, the blessing of life within the bodies of their offspring gradually weakened.
From initially being able to have a baby every two days, it became one a week, one a month, one a year...
The weakening of the life blessing caused the reproductive rate to slow down.
Therefore, the best solution was to continue capturing new Raople!
And so, the Raople fled east and west, but were repeatedly captured by the imperial army, along with their crops and livestock.
This endless plundering caused the Raople immense suffering, and due to frequent relocation, they never developed.
Until Iset, the Goddess of Life behind the Raople, could endure it no longer!
She directly led a Raople emperor to meet the Empire of Stars, and also to meet their deity.
She proposed an alliance agreement!
They just wanted the blessing of life, right? Fine!
She was willing to submit to the Empire of Stars. She only desired survival; beyond that, she had no other demands!
Principal Starry accepted the proposal. This one-sided war was officially declared over. The Raople became citizens of the Empire of Stars.
The two deities had reached a verbal agreement.
Iset blessed all the subjects of the Empire of Stars.
From that moment on, the empire's expansion and population growth became unstoppable!
But the Goddess of Life never fully trusted Principal Starry. After all, as long as there was no crown-based alliance, the other party could break the treaty at any time!
But she had no choice; she could only pray.
Pray for the swift appearance of a civilization to be defeated by the Empire of Stars, so that with crowns and blood, the two could achieve a formal alliance!
...
Central Continent, in the south.
A fully armed army marched across the southern frontier. They recorded every geographical feature they encountered, drafting maps as they advanced.
The leading knight possessed a slender figure; by her build, she appeared to be a woman.
She wore violet armor and carried a black one-handed sword. She was one of the Empire of Stars' three ascended commanders, named Messaka.
Known as the Crescent Knight.
The Empire of Stars, a nation focused on military intimidation and external expansion, divided its forces into three main legions.
Led by three commanders, they pushed into the west and south, opening routes, founding cities, and charting the unknown.
Of these three commanders, Gawain was stationed in the capital, Anganas, commanding the central imperial guard.
Crescent Knight Messaka commanded the Southern Legion.
Griffin Knight Remod commanded the Western Legion.
In addition, various cities across the land were ruled by feudal lords with real authority over local development.
The two dispatched commanders also held total autonomy, their status similar to that of feudal princes.
Regarding the rules of the empire's expansion, Principal Starry paid no attention, delegating full authority to the king.
The Star King promoted the widespread use of feudal land grants and the establishment of the rule of law.
The so-called feudal superstition—specifically the "feudal" part—referred to this system of granting land and enfeoffment.
But Principal Starry, as an otherworldly being, spent his days in the High Tower researching the stars and magic. He did not understand the inherent drawbacks of feudal land grants.
On Earth, throughout ancient history, such systems rarely led to peace.
He had long realized that both the king and the people lacked absolute loyalty to the deities. Since rebellion was always a possibility, feudal grants were a dangerous gamble.
"Lord Messaka, we have reached new territory ahead."
Messaka looked into the distance, seeing only a vast wasteland of jagged rock debris. The soil was sparse, and the vegetation had withered away.
They continued their advance through the stone forest, only to find a golden sea of desert revealed before them.
"This is?"
Messaka was bewildered. She had never seen this terrain before: loose soil, dust filling the sky, and strange rocks rising like pillars.
They pushed forward. Traces of green gradually appeared on the horizon.
It was an oasis, a massive one situated in the center of this sand sea.
But before they could investigate, they were ambushed by native creatures!
Insects!
Countless colossal sand worms erupted from the dunes. Their bodies were longer than snakes, eyeless, with mouths full of serrated teeth.
The attack caught the group off guard. The worms burst from beneath their feet, devouring several soldiers alive in a single moment of distraction.
Messaka stepped forward, her blade cleaving several sand worms in two, but their numbers were overwhelming!
"Break through!"
Messaka ordered a forced charge. The ascended knights instantly struck.
Their legion consisted of ascended Star Familiars and many ordinary humans.
These humans wore heavy armor and followed the ascended ones across mountains and rivers. If they found fertile land, they would stay to build cities.
Among them, the knights who held the power of ascension numbered in the hundreds, while the ordinary soldiers numbered over ten thousand.
Under Messaka's lead, they finally reached the oasis by nightfall.
There were no sand worms here, and life was abundant.
Messaka ordered the army to regroup while she inspected the strange desert.
Using the Star Familiars' unique ability, she analyzed a handful of sand to sense the energy within.
"This place should have been lush, but for some reason, the water has been drained from the earth."
"There are fragments of rare minerals and rock layers of varying densities in the soil. Could it be that this place... was once a mountain range?"
Messaka stood stunned. She surveyed the desert, a profound shock surging through her.
If this was once a mountain range, how had it turned to dust?
Aside from a deity, who could possess such Stardream-like power?
Or was it... related to those sand worms?
Her doubts remained unanswered. However, late at night, her scouts captured a local human.
The man had pale yellow skin and a gaunt frame, wearing thin, linen clothes. Upon seeing the ironclad army, he immediately knelt, begging for mercy.
Messaka approached him. "Who are you? What is your name?"
The emaciated man looked up. "My name is... Abel."
"Where is this place?"
"Solon... Oasis City."
Messaka questioned him further, confirming the extent of Solon.
This entire desert region and the lands beyond were collectively known as Solon.
Just as their own capital was called Anganas.
Their nation was the Sun Kingdom, and their deity was the Sun God.
He claimed this land was once mountainous, but the Sun God, with supreme power, had flattened the earth, turned the soil to sand, and created this boundless sea.
This confirmed Messaka's suspicions.
However, when asked how the Sun God had achieved this, the man could only recite legends.
Some said it was done with insects; others said it was the fire of the sun.
Messaka asked about the creatures outside, and he replied that the insects were guardians.
The worms would not harm the locals, but would block any invaders from crossing the desert.
Messaka turned to one of her guards. "Return to Anganas immediately. Relay this intelligence to the royal city."
Hearing this, the prisoner was stunned.
He looked up at Messaka. "Then who... are you?"
Messaka raised her sword. "We are Star People. we follow the trajectory of the stars to bring all life under the protection of the Star Nation."
"We do not strike those who cannot resist, nor do we harm women or children. This is the glory of our empire."
"Isn't this... an invasion?"
Messaka understood the man's gaze. "Whether you are willing or not, this is fate. It is the guidance of the stars."
The Arch Priest of the Empire of Stars, by observing the constellations, had determined the existence of other civilizations to the southwest.
They had marched toward that light and, finally, found the land the stars had promised.
Solon.