Five years had passed. Muria, now a towering ten meters in height, sat within the newly rebuilt royal palace, his appearance transformed beyond recognition from the original dark-haired, blue-skinned Ikon. He looked down at the commanders, each clad in technologically enhanced armor. His bloodline had caused their bodies to mutate dramatically, growing to over five meters tall, with faint golden divine patterns emerging on their exposed faces.
These commanders were practically a new species—an evolved form of Ikon, though this evolution came not from natural development but from Muria's intervention. For individual Ikon, this transformation brought immense benefits, but for the civilization as a whole, it posed a critical disadvantage.
The Ikon civilization was still in a primitive stage, and population limitations already constrained its growth. By elevating the life essence of the Ikon around him, Muria reaped immediate benefits, but over time, this enhancement caused a critical issue—a dramatic drop in birth rates. A civilization hoping to grow and strengthen cannot survive a population crisis, so Muria set boundaries for those living around him.
Only Ikon with exceptional talent or contributions could reside on Cloudwatch Peak, while ordinary Ikon were left on the ground. In this way, Muria minimized his long-term impact on the civilization's future.
"King Ural, the fifth round of military expansion has been completed. This time, we recruited 37,672 new soldiers, bringing our total army to over 200,000!"
"Very good," Muria nodded with satisfaction.
Over the past five years, Muria's troops had successfully persuaded and relocated various Ikon tribes outside Ayarei Forest to come under his rule, a process facilitated by the Sacred Tree's endorsement, with transportation as the only major challenge.
With a growing population, Muria held recruitment ceremonies annually. Now, to join Muria's army, one had to qualify as a Bagdar—a standard that was previously daunting but had become more achievable thanks to his teachings.
Muria promoted a foundational breathing technique among the Ikon, allowing anyone with discipline and physical fitness to absorb the Light's Power and form a divine mark. Bagdar was a broad term—one divine mark was enough to qualify, but some Bagdar warriors were covered in divine marks, indicating a vast difference in strength.
With the increased population and time, Muria's vision for Ikon civilization to surpass Earth Civilization was slowly becoming a reality. He believed that a civilization combining technology with extraordinary power would far exceed the sum of its parts.
However, Earth Civilization would not allow Ikon civilization the time to develop without interference. A natural space-time portal had emerged between the two worlds, drawing them closer together. As Ikon civilization grew stronger, Earth Civilization would inevitably perceive it as a threat, and war would follow. Peaceful development for a weaker civilization so close to a stronger one was a fantasy. For a civilization to rise, it had to dominate decisively, to instill fear in the stronger civilization and dissuade them from interference.
While Earth Civilization had sent countless mining ships to Pandora over the past five years, they hadn't initiated another war. This temporary peace was not the result of any diplomatic persuasion but rather the lasting impact of Muria's actions five years ago.
Dr. Ellen had persuaded many Earth Civilization legislators to move toward a pacifist stance, but their influence had little effect on this peace. The brief war five years ago had shown Earth Civilization's leaders the potential dangers Pandora might harbor, and the unknown threat deterred them from further action. As a result, these officials, without contributing any effort, received life-extending crystals from Muria.
For Muria, these life-extension crystals were merely idle creations, crafted by drawing vitality from a few trees in Ayarei Forest—a trivial matter that didn't even cause a single leaf to wilt. While the Earth leaders thought they were getting a bargain, Muria remained the sole supplier, allowing him to shift the ruling class's perspective on Pandora.
Pandora was rich in energy resources that could alleviate Earth Civilization's energy crisis, and the gods of Pandora offered life crystals that turned immortality from a dream into a reality. This potential transformed Earth Civilization's approach, leading its ruling class to prohibit any weapons capable of devastating Pandora's resources or harming the sources of the life crystals.
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On Earth, in a luxurious residence, a sophisticated young woman who seemed recently graduated entered and greeted a smiling middle-aged woman who approached her.
"Ms. Hera."
"Dr. Ellen, you've returned from Pandora after meeting that being again. Did you bring back any new gifts?" Hera asked with a knowing smile.
Ellen's influence had enabled Hera to establish a powerful political bloc, where she held a de facto leadership role, granting her access to vast political resources.
"Just a few trivial trinkets," Ellen replied, smiling as she retrieved a crouching statue of Chaima from her bag.
"What is this…" Hera's eyes narrowed at the sight of the purple-black statue adorned with gold-patterned scales, recognizing it as the creature soldiers called the "warship destroyer."
"This is a deity known as Chaima. By praying to it three times a day for ten minutes each time, you may notice unexpected benefits," Ellen said with a persuasive tone.
"What kind of benefits?" Hera asked, brushing her face thoughtfully.
"It could help you regain youth or grant you powers beyond those of a typical human," Ellen replied with a hint of allure. "After all, this deity is on the same level as King Ural."
"Is that so?"
"You could try it for yourself; after all, a few minutes each day is a small price compared to the potential gains," Ellen urged.
"True," Hera agreed, nodding as she considered the proposal. With her extended lifespan, a bit of time each day seemed inconsequential.
"Well, I'll take my leave. I have other legislators to visit who might also appreciate this god's blessing," Ellen said as she prepared to leave.
After Ellen left, Hera gazed thoughtfully at the statue. She felt an odd mix of envy, awe, and a slight fear toward the supernatural power in Pandora but also a desire to experience it for herself.
"Yaron, take this statue to the lab for testing. If it checks out, bring it back to me."
"Madam, do you really intend to believe in this foreign god?"
"If it can make me younger, why not?"
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