Chapter 10: "New Lifestyle."
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"Lord Kardia, is this heaven?"
Silas Mordren observed the scenery around him for quite some time, and after some 'time,' finally asked the question that had been nagging at him since the beginning.
Kardia, who was silent as he was watching the reactions of the group, paused and he felt perplexed at the question.
'Heaven? Where the fuck did he get that idea from? This is not heaven at all.'
Kardia was impressed by Silas's perspective, but he didn't dwell on it.
But when he turned to look at his Space Station, he shut his mouth.
From an innocent point of view, like the point of view that Silas and his group most probably had, this space station could be considered "heaven."
No, you could even consider this space station "Paradise."
When Kardia was building the Space Station that also functions as a "Star Forge," he began to experiment with his powers due to boredom.
In those experiments, Kardia came up with a good concept to implement. That concept was inspired by the Aeldari.
This concept is the same implemented concept that the Aeldari of the Craftworlds used on their ships.
The Aeldari from the Aeldari Craftworlds had learned to manipulate the dimensional space of their spaceships. This allows them to practically create perpetually moving spaceships that have the length, width, and height of an entire planet inside of them.
In other words, the "Craftworlds" of the Aeldari are practically "moving" planets.
After successfully accomplishing in recreating that effect, all thanks to the information and knowledge about dimensions from Aspros, Defteros, Saga, Kanon, Abel, and Cain of Gemini from Saint Seiya, Kardia applied the results to his "Space Station."
At first, Kardia wanted to create a moderate space. Not too big nor too small.
However, when he remembered that he needed to give his new subordinates a shelter, a safe place where they can stay, Kardia decided to make his "space station" that temporary "shelter."
So to accomplish that, Kardia made the interior of his personal "Space Station" as big as an entire large city.
At the end, the result was 'perfect' as you can expect.
This inside of this "Space Station" is what other people in this universe would consider "paradise," or as just how Silas and his group described as "Heaven."
The interior was a perfectly clean, and it had that ancient, modern, yet futuristic feeling that Kardia and Raphael liked very much.
In other words, It was the 'city' of your dreams.
An utopia.
An utopian city where you can enjoy watching the ancient, modern, yet futuristic style, and feel immersed in it. Anyone could feel like this utopian city that Kardia created matched the "culture" and aesthetic that Raphael and Kardia were going with.
This was a city where the green of nature did not overwhelm the modern and futuristic aesthetic, and where that same modern and futuristic aesthetic did not overwhelm the "green" of nature.
It was just... perfect.
Anyone that enters this "city" could say that this city belonged to an extremely advanced civilization.
Kardia and Raphael had actually taken inspiration from Septimont, a region in the video game of Wuthering Waves. Of course, Kardia and Raphael not just Septimont, they also used Wakanda, Asgard, and other places to make this city feel something entirely new.
Kardia loved this design, after all, this was supposed to be his "moving" home. So, it was fair that Kardia loved it.
And it seems that other people as well like it.
Kardia, who was proud of this space station, cleared his throat, which seemed to attract the attention of his now subordinates.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Kardia addressed the sixteen people he had brought to his space station.
When he said those words, he caught the attention of nearly everyone.
"Welcome to my space station, your temporary home."
He stretched his arms wide, as if showcasing a masterpiece.
In fact, it was a masterpiece.
No one in the galaxy could have imagined a space station that also functioned as an infinite factory had an entire city inside.
"S-Space station?" Silas stammered, questioning everything he knew.
He had thought this was Heaven, and it turns out to be a space station.
If this were a space station, then every one that he had visited before must have been a shithole. A nasty piece of shit.
The design, the environment, and the overall experience of this space station were hundreds, if not millions, of times better than anything any noble on their home planet could ever afford.
The interior of this Space Station was like the royal capital of planets that were ruled by Gods.
Or at least that is how Silas thought of it.
"That's right. In fact, if you come with me, you can see the planet," Kardia said, motioning for the crowd to follow him.
As they walked through the clean streets of this city, the group saw the trees, the buildings, and even saw and touched clean water, as there some artificial small ponds in some areas.
For the group of people, this was like being on a "Holy Land."
They later approached a massive window, and as they gazed to the outside, they saw it. There was the planet they once called home.
"If we're currently in space and outside the orbit of this planet, how come we've never seen the 'space station' before?" someone from the crowd asked, prompting a smile from Kardia.
"That is because I used invisibility technology to make this space station undetectable by all types of spatial radars and sensors."
Kardia didn't hide the truth from his new followers and answered their questions calmly, knowing they needed time to adjust to their extraordinary situation.
After a few more minutes of questions and allowing everyone to settle down, Kardia turned to Silas.
"Your name is Silas Mordren, correct? You must be the leader of this group. Introduce yourself properly."
Kardia ordered, sitting down in a floating chair that seemed to appear out of nowhere. A holographic tablet then materialized in his hands.
Kardia intended to gather in-depth information about the people who joined him, including their blood types, allergies, and more.
Silas, having been called upon, quickly complied.
"My name is Silas Mordren, sir. This is my wife, Marin Mordren, and this is my son, Grey Mordren." Silas introduced himself and his wife and son.
He later turned to three men in the crowd.
"These three are my best friends and the only fighters in our group: David, Clark, and Kikas."
Kardia nodded, keeping his attention on the tablet in his hands as he swiftly moved his fingers, uploading the information Silas provided.
After Silas finished his introduction, Kardia invited others from the group to introduce themselves as well. After gathering their information, he nodded and rose from the floating chair.
"Alright," Kardia said cheerfully, looking at his new followers.
"Since you've all been kind enough to introduce yourselves, I will introduce myself properly as well."
He adopted a more serious tone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you now know, my name is Kardia."
"I am a God, and I'm not joking about that. However, I also used to be human. If you need a direct comparison, I'm much like the Emperor of Mankind—a human turned god."
"Unlike the Emperor of Mankind, though, I don't want our people to suffer because of a 'greater' plan. I cannot stand the corruption of the Imperium either. For this reason, I 'quit' the Imperium and decided to create my own."
"Congratulations! You are the first to follow the inaugural citizens of my future Empire."
Kardia spoke with a serious tone while maintaining a hint of warmth to avoid alarming his new followers.
Although he had to lie about having "quit" the Imperium, because he had never been part of it, Kardia judged it better for them to perceive him as someone who disliked the current declining and decaying form of the Imperium rather than as a complete stranger.
He also needed to lie about the "Emperor" of Mankind, making people suffer because they were poor souls sacrificed for a better future.
To say that Silas and the group were silent would be an understatement. They sat in quiet surprise, shock, intrigue, and awe at Kardia's words.
A living God was standing before them.
As Kardia introduced himself, the entire group of sixteen quickly bowed their heads in respect.
Kardia didn't stop them; he understood that mortals often react this way when encountering a God.
While he possessed the soul of a God, his physical form had not yet attained that status to fully embody the title.
"Rise."
As he spoke, they immediately stood back up from their bowing positions.
"I don't like others kneeling before me. Stand up. Although I am a God, I used to be human, and bowing is still new to me. Treat me as your leader."
Kardia expressed this sentiment but could sense that some in the crowd were only half-listening, their attention drifting as if they were ignoring his words.
As the crowd listened to Kardia, admiration began to swell within their hearts. For a God to show humility was something they had never witnessed, not even from the nobles of their home planet.
"Alright, follow me. I have a lot of clean water and food for you to eat."
Kardia said, but before he could proceed, he paused as he noticed certain individuals. Silas and the group also stopped what they were doing, sensing his gaze.
Those who felt his attention understood why he had halted; he was observing their horrible scars and missing limbs.
Kardia took particular note of Silas's wife, Marin, whose lower jaw had been completely replaced with a respirator.
Before anyone could say anything, Kardia, wanting his people to appear less battered and to gain their favor even more, waved his hand.
At first, they were unsure of what had happened, but when Silas began to look around, he was shocked by what he saw.
His wife, Marin, who had lost a significant portion of her respiratory system and half of her jaw to the respirator, suddenly found it vanishing as if by magic.
To Silas's astonishment, the missing bones, flesh, and jaw began to regrow.
In mere seconds, Silas, witnessing the transformation, was left in shock.
Marin herself was equally astonished; she felt better than ever, realizing her body had returned to its natural state.
"I-I-I can speak normally again!" Marin exclaimed, her voice clear for the first time in months following the incident.
After that extremely poisonous mushroom had nearly killed her, Marin had thought she was no longer a woman, that she had lost the ability to speak normally, to kiss her husband, or to communicate with her son.
But her God had now saved her.
Kardia had saved her family from being unable to properly connect.
"Mommy! You are back to normal!"
Grey, the son of Silas and Marin, who seems to be a nine-year-old boy, rushed and hugged the leg of his mother, and Marin, in tears, also hugged her son.
"Y-yes.. my baby, I am back."
Marin kissed the cheeks of her son, and later kissed his forehead. Marin was now in heaven. She was finally able to kiss her son as any mother would.
Silas, who saw this scene, rushed to hug his wife and child, extremely happy that his wife was fine. He later turned to watch Kardia with determined eyes, with eyes of gratitude and devotion, and he quickly bowed down.
"My lord! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I will do anything to repay you, even if it costs my life."
Kardia, who saw the scene, smiled softly, but he didn't do anything; instead, he gave Silas a nod and turned to look at the other people.
Some of them, who were missing limbs, suddenly regrew their limbs, and some of them that had extremely horrible scars, those scars later vanished, and skin and flesh regrew back in them.
After a lot of the people showed their gratitude, some of them even cried, some of them swore even more loyalty towards Kardia.
After they calmed down, Kardia spoke again.
"Alright, like I said, I have a lot of clean water and food for you to eat. Come with me."
Kardia, this time, did turn around and began walking towards an area. Silas and his now healed wife and son, and some of the people he used to lead, began to follow Kardia around.
Through the small walk, the crowd of people was getting more and more surprised by the aesthetic of the city of this Space Station.
After some time, they reached a massive building, as they entered the building, they saw all kind of accessories. They were surprised.
After more walking, they arrived at what seems to be a large dining table.
As they walked toward to the table, some people saw some individuals moving, but when they took a closer look, they were surprised.
"Wait...? What is that?"
Marin, the now healed wife of Silas, pointed out to a robot that was walking towards the table, and they were putting certain things on the dining table.
"A-are those walking metals?"
David, a close friend of Silas and one of the three people who fought against the Gene Stealers alongside Silas, spoke out, giving his own idea of what that robot was.
Of course, they didn't know what a robot was, as the Imperium saw robots like that as Heretical technology.
"That is a robot."
Kardia spoke out to the crowd, and as soon as his words were heard, a lot of people were quiet.
A lot of the people in the crowd knew what a robot was, or at least knew that some Robots were seen as heretical technology by the Imperium of Man for some reasons.
Most people didn't know the details, but they know that some robots were seen as heretical because they had "AI" in them.
"I-Isn't that heretical technology, my lord?"
Someone in the crowd asked, and Kardia scoffed at the words of the person.
"The Emperor made them heretical. In fact, during the Golden Age of Humanity, we used to use them on a daily basis."
"The reason they were deemed 'heretical' was for another reason. Also, we are not the Imperium of Man; we don't have to abide by their rules."
Kardia said as he looked at the person who said those words. Kardia also didn't tell them the reason why Robots were seen as Heretical.
One of the reasons is that to tell them about something that happened nearly twenty thousand years ago is not even worth it.
That shit happened years ago, and with Kardia here, Kardia can solve the problem and make sure robots aren't trying to pull some funny shit.
"Enki, bring enough water for all of them, please. Also, start the arranging phase for "Vaccines."
Kardia suddenly spoke out, and as he did, another voice responded immediately.
"As you wish, master." Enki, the Machine Spirit, but also Artificial Intelligence that Kardia created, spoke.
As the somewhat human voice of Enki was heard throughout the entire room, the crowd of people began to frantically look around, as if trying to identify where the voice came from.
"My lord, is there anyone there? What is a "Vaccine"? Who is Enki?"
Silas, being the old leader of the group, still held a higher position, and as the "leader," he spoke out with his questions.
Kardia looked at Silas with a smile, but in reality, he was disappointed in the Imperium. The Imperium had fallen so long that not even "Vaccines" were given to its residents.
Silas could barely understand most of the things that this Space Station had, nor could he understand the last words that Kardia had spoken.
Kardia simply chuckled at the sight. Even if he tried to keep his composure, he couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.
He had to blame his generation, Gen Z, who didn't take shit seriously and simply just laughed about anything that didn't have aura or hype in it.
"Enki? She is an artificial intelligence that I created. She is the one who checks everything in this Space Station. If you need something, you can always ask Enki for it."
Kardia didn't explain much, and there was no need to do so; he just needed to explain who Enki was, and the people would understand.
Silas's group didn't understand much. Still, they saw that Kardia didn't want to talk about it further, not because he kept the secrecy, but because it would take too long to explain.
"The vaccine?"
"The Vaccine is something I created that helps you restore your body."
Kardia explained briefly, thinking it would be disregarded by Silas and the rest, just like when he explained Enki to them. But Marin, Silas's wife, was interested.
"My lord, but... we are okay now. You healed all of us. Isn't that enough?" Marin asked, and Kardia chuckled once again.
To further explain his new words, Kardia suddenly summoned his tablet into his hands once again.
From it, a blue holographic picture began to be displayed to them, and Kardia began to speak.
"You are right, Marin. I did heal your bodies, and technically, you guys are in perfect health. However, I am talking about damage that still hasn't been repaired."
"I am talking about your purity. The purity as a race. Many of you only have a fifty percent purity as humans. In another setting, you guys would be renamed as "non-human," but this is not your fault."
"This is due to the radiation and long-term consumption of various unclean foods, liquids, and this also takes into consideration the environment you guys live in."
"The vaccine will help you guys restore your purity as a human to at least 98 to 99 percent. It will also help you increase your lifespan to around five hundred years."
Kardia talked about the "Vaccine" that he created with careful words and patience. But anyone who saw him speak about it could tell that Kardia was proud of his creation.
After all, this vaccine was technically a masterpiece among masterpieces, and Kardia, as someone who still retained his humanity, wanted to show off his incredible technology to his new subordinates.
Silas and his group couldn't understand a single word that Kardia said. Still, they just nodded when Kardia seemed the happiest and when he paused as if trying to give them a chance of understanding what he was saying.
"What is the Immaterium Corruption?"
"WOW! I CAN LIVE FOR FIVE HUNDRED YEARS!"
Although most of the words spoken by Kardia were not understandable for this group of people, when Kardia said they could live for five hundred years, it was as if the neurons of these people were suddenly activated
Kardia chuckled at the reaction, but he didn't get mad.
He knew the situation he was going to get himself in when he invited these people, people who didn't have the slightest education, but who were good people and had a good heart.
They also had the determination to change things.
That is the only thing that Kardia needed.
During that long talk, the group of people didn't notice that certain robots had actually surrounded them and had injected them with the Vaccine.
When they noticed that they had been injected, the robots had already left, and there was nothing they could do.
After everyone seemed to calm down, Kardia pointed towards a specific area.
"Now... Do you see those robots over there?"
Silas, who noticed them, nodded but didn't understand what was happening.
"Well... They will escort you around the city," Kardia began explaining.
"After the tour is done, they guide you towards you new temporary residence. Whenever you are inside of those "rooms," all of you can clean yourselves, and will have the chance to change your clothes. Those old rags you guys are wearing won't work anymore, and I also don't want to see them here."
Kardia explained, as he made a holograph, showing them what the robots will do with them.
He also explained to them what they can do in those rooms. Those will be the "temporary" residence of these people.
He also show them some clothes they can wear.
Various styles for women and men.
In fact, Kardia wears these types of clothes.
This clothes are the combination of Greek, Roman, Mesopotamian, and Indian robes.
His robes are of the highest quality.
His style is having his robe cover only one shoulder, and the other shoulder is naked, clearly exposing his powerful and perfect physique to the world.
He also possesses various golden accessories to adorn his body. Not because he was materialistic, but because of what the color "gold" means.
Gold represents the purest metal in alchemy. And he was the purest in this world.
"Inside these rooms, you will find this screen."
Kardia said as he made a hologram of the screen he was talking about.
"This screen is on a certain wall. This screen is used in case you don't know how to use something that you find in the rooms I gave you."
"You can click on it, and it will give you the information needed. It will also give you short videos on how to do certain things. It will be very useful for a lot of you guys."
"I'll give you ten hours. After those hours, the robots will drive you back here, and we'll eat the food that I prepared for you guys. Is that alright?"
Kardia asked, and when no one complained, he smiled and turned to leave.
Sila and the other knew what they needed to do, but everything was so new to them that it scared them.
Well... it was more like when facing the unknown, you don't know how to act.
Silas, as the leader of the group, decided to take the risk and follow the robots. The other people followed them.
....
"Honey, look! This water is so clean! It is so warm too!"
Marin, the wife of Silas, called from the bathroom of their shared room, which had been assigned to them by the Robots. Silas, hearing her voice, got up from the soft bed and walked towards the bathroom.
He had been reflecting on how wise his decision to pledge loyalty to Kardia was.
Ever since they entered this room, it felt as if they had stepped into the chamber of the richest noble in the galaxy—almost like the chamber of the Emperor himself.
Everything was pristine and well-maintained; the bed was as soft as a feather, and the temperature could be adjusted to their liking.
This was something they had never had since... they were born, actually.
It felt like an apartment, but with a highly intelligent, sci-fi twist, seamlessly integrating an ancient yet modern and futuristic theme that Kardia envisioned for his empire.
"Truly, it is impressive," Silas remarked as he touched the warm water flowing from the shower. Something he had never done in his lifetime.
He had always touched the moody and cold water of the Bottom Hive; he had never touched something as "sacred" as this beautiful and warm water.
He turned to Marin, who was beaming at him with the same smile that had captivated him years ago.
"Marin, what do you think?" Silas asked, locking eyes with her.
Marin's expression shifted to one of seriousness for a moment before breaking into a smile. "You made the right choice, honey."
"As Lord Kardia said, the journey ahead will be difficult, my love." Marin looked deeply into Silas's eyes, her callused hands gently cupping his face with care and affection.
"Yet, I am willing to fight for a better future, just as I know you will too."
"You knew that joining Lord Kardia could cost us our lives, but you still chose to follow him, and we all followed you because we trusted you. Your decision brought us hope."
"We're touching clean water—warm water, no less. We can sleep in a room that resembles the Emperor's personal chamber."
"Your decision, while unexpected at the time, has brought us all of this, honey. He saved me. He saved everyone. So please, don't start doubting yourself."
"You brought us to our new master. To our new god. Just like you, I will follow him for a brighter future—for the future of our little Grey."
Marin poured her heart out.
As Silas's wife, she understood that he wasn't truly doubting himself; he simply needed validation to know that he had made the right choice and wouldn't bear the weight of a potentially devastating regret.
"Y-you're right…" Silas nodded, his emotions running high. As a man, he tried to keep his feelings in check, but it was challenging.
He couldn't believe his luck in finding such a fortune.
"I've decided…" Silas began, his determination evident. Marin, feeling the warmth of her husband close to her, was curious about his decision.
"I've decided that I will fight for him," Silas spoke softly, but Marin could sense the strength of his emotions and resolve. "I want to repay him for the lives he's given us, and for the lives we will live in the future. I want to protect what we have now and what we might have in the future."
"I don't want to be like the Imperium, which takes and never gives back. I don't want to be a parasite. I want to fight to protect the life that Lord Kardia could provide us."
"I want to repay him for saving my wife and my child. And if I have to fight to the death to repay my debt to him, I will."
Marin listened as her husband poured out his heart, expressing his desire to repay the person who offered them this new way of life.
Normally, she would be the first to caution Silas against doing anything reckless. Still, she understood his perspective and could see the positive in his decision.
They had witnessed the advanced technology Kardia possessed on this space station.
From what they observed, it was clear that Kardia was no ordinary man. He was a god, but not just any god—if that even made sense.
"I-I agree. I want to repay him for what he did for me and for all of you. So… I will support it," Marin said with a smile, leaning in to kiss Silas gently on the lips. The kiss was brief but filled with passion.
"Now… go and take a shower. Lord Kardia said we could take five hours, and at least four have passed since we last saw him."
Marin helped Silas remove his old clothes and urged him to shower.
Afterward, she left to find clothes for both of them, planning to also check on little Grey to organize his things and assist with his bath.
You might think Marin and Silas were confined to a small room, but in reality, their space was nearly the size of an entire house. Little Grey had his own room within their quarters.
When Marin saw the clothes, she was mesmerized.
These clothes were clothes that only "nobles" would be able to use in their now previous lifestyle.
She quickly put the clothes on.
Marin was now acting like a small girl fascinated by the everything.
Marin, in fact was anxious to learn about everything.
After putting on the robes, which were made from a material that was extremely breathable, slash and fire resistant, and even if water was spill on them, it wouldn't become transparent, Marin looked at herself.
She was shocked.
Marin Mordren was quite a beautiful lady, but because she used to live in the Bottom Hive, she wasn't very well-known for her beauty as people in the Bottom Hive weren't focused on trivial things like looks.
In fact, everyone in the Bottom Hive was smelly, filthy, and they didn't care about their looks. They care more about surviving.
But now that Marin had reached her "prime," after she was healed by Kardia, and she had taken the time to properly take a bath, Marin looked like an extremely beautiful woman.
This beauty was further enhanced by the now "Greek" styled white robes she was using.
These robes were perfectly made to fit her pear-shape figure, and make her look beautiful, composed, and elegant.
What made her look even better, aside from her own looks and the clothes, were the golden accessories that were also handed to her.
When she put them on, she was even more impressed, as even small things like accessories can further enhance a woman's beauty.
Marin cried as she saw herself like this.
This was something she never imagined wearing, but here she was, wearing things that she never thought of wearing.
This strengthen her resolve to serve Kardia further in the future.
She was not going to waste this second opportunity handed to her by a God himself, nor was her husband was going to. She would make sure that she and her husband, and their son, would serve Kardia for the rest of eternity.
....
[Master, everything is going smoothly,] Raphael reported, observing the sixteen individuals that Kardia had brought to the Space Station.
In reality, she wasn't monitoring their behaviors; instead, she was closely watching the effects of the "vaccine" that the robots had injected into them.
The vaccine was proving to be highly effective, performing even better than anticipated.
The vaccine consists of two phases.
Phase one has already been administered and is designed to purify the body.
Phase two will enable the subjects to evolve from ordinary humans to what are referred to as "high humans."
Kardia, who was working on the battleships for his future empire, smiled upon hearing Raphael's words.
"Perfect. We'll wait until tomorrow for the vaccine to complete its process, and then we'll distribute the second dose later."
"Right... You mentioned earlier that I unlocked the requirements for the Ultimate Skill 'True Hero, Lord of Heroes,' and the Ultimate Skill "Fortuna, Goddess of Fortune and Luck?'
"Can you explain what that's about?" Kardia asked, intrigued.
[Of course, Master,]Raphael replied, her excitement evident when Kardia asked her about skills.
He sometimes forgets that she loves creating skills that benefit him in almost every scenario.
The two skills mentioned were skills that Kardia asked for, but he had never used them, or had their effects affect him at all.
Now he was realizing they were locked until he met certain conditions.
[That's correct, Master.]
[You have met the conditions to unlock the Ultimate Skill 'True Hero, Lord of Heroes,' and the Ultimate Skill 'Fortuna Invicta, Lord of Luck,' Raphael confirmed.
Kardia nodded. "Can you tell me why I needed to meet these requirements?"
As he continued working on the holographic screen in front of him, finalizing the design for his future empire's battleships, Raphael began to explain.
[Just like the Unique Skill 'Chosen One' possessed by the character named 'Masayuki' from the anime 'Tensura,' one of your integrated templates, you must meet certain conditions to activate the Ultimate Skill 'True Hero, Lord of Heroes,' Master.]
Kardia nodded, and now things began to make sense.
The Unique Skill "Chosen One" is the origin from which the Ultimate Skill "True Hero, Lord of Heroes" evolved.
In fact, the Ultimate Skill "True Hero, Lord of Heroes" shares the same sub-skills as the Unique Skill "Chosen One."
The difference is that the potency and range of the skills of "True Hero, Lord of Heroes" are much higher than those of "Chosen One."
In the anime and light novels, the Unique Skill "Chosen One" also required specific conditions to activate.
Therefore, Kardia, after hearing Raphael's words, felt it was reasonable that his Ultimate Skill should also need to meet certain conditions before activation.
"So, what kind of requirements did I meet?" Kardia kept asking, his eyes still locked in the holographic screen as he truly wanted these battleship plans to be finished.
[The first condition is "Courageous Action."]
[This condition has revealed the following sub-skills: 'Hero's Haki' and 'Hero's Blessing.']
[You, my esteemed master, achieved this condition by bravely confronting daunting odds following your reincarnation.]
[You also embarked on a mission to cultivate your influence and power, all in pursuit of providing the members of your race, the human race, with a more serene existence.]
[The second one is 'Courage to Stand Up to.']
[This condition has unveiled the following sub-skills: 'Hero's Charisma' and 'Hero's Action.']
[You, my Master, unlocked this condition the moment you resolved to challenge the inequities of this galaxy.]
[More specifically, it was when you chose to defy the oppressive system imposed by the Imperium of Man.]
[The third condition, "Courage not to Run Away." This condition has granted you the following sub-skill: "Banner of the Supreme King."]
[You attained this condition when you firmly declared your refusal to cower in the face of adversity.]
[You committed your entire being—strength, courage, and unwavering resolve—to the vision of liberating humanity and yourself from alien monsters and from its own shackles.]
[It was the indomitable courage to confront life's challenges head-on, to forge a clearer path for both yourself and your people. That is what unlocked this condition, Master.]
Kardia fell silent.
He struggled to digest what he was hearing.
But he quickly regained his composure, and he went back to designing his battleships.
"Remarkable. I wouldn't have thought that my deciding to create my own Imperium would allow me to unlock the conditions of that Ultimate Skill."
Kardia smiled.
"But if I met the conditions before, why didn't I gain these skills right away?"
But the answer that Kardia got made him freeze in place.
[Because you didn't save anyone, Master.]
[It is as simple as that.]
[The Ultimate Skill "True Hero, Lord of Heroes" is a skill representing the concept of heroism, Master. Heroes are people who save people. You didn't save people until earlier, and for that reason, you did not unlock this skill.]
That hurts.
The truth sometimes hurts.
Being called out for not saving people was harsh, but Kardia knew that he deserved it. Especially when he took so long to save the people.
"Well... It is good that we have that skill. Is there something noticeable that you want to mention about it?"
Kardia asked, wanting to know what Raphael thought of the skill.
[In fact, there is something I wanted to notify you, Master.]
[The sub-skill "Hero's Haki" evolved into the sub-skill "Divine Holy and Demonic Hero's Haki."]
"That is a long name," Kardia said as he heard the words of Raphael.
[Correct, Master.]
[I'd like to rename it as "Divine Haki" for short.]
Raphael was also a bit disappointed by the long name, but it made sense, as Kardia was a divine being, but he was also a hero and a holy being.
So when adding everything together, the name was going to be longer, but Kardia wants shorter names for a lot of things.
"Alright. That is enough, we can think of that later." Kardia said as he didn't want to continue talking about that.
"Is it time already?"
[Yes, Master. Ten hours have passed, and your followers are waiting for you in the dining room.]
Kardia was actually keeping track of the time, as he did not want to miss eating with his new followers.
The first followers you need to take care of them as a baby, and when the crowd grows bigger and bigger, you can start letting go of them, as they will surely have other responsibilities.
"Alright, let's go. When dinner is done, we come back, and we can continue designing this." Kardia said as he got up from his seat, and he began to walk towards the area designated.
....
As soon as Kardia entered the dining room—a massive space perfectly decorated with the aesthetic he envisioned for his empire—he immediately felt the gazes of sixteen people upon him.
"Oh my, you all look refreshed! Did you enjoy the showers?" Kardia initiated the conversation, acknowledging his tendency to struggle with conversation starters.
Of course, they liked the showers; they had never experienced one before, and if they had, it was likely with muddy water that did little to clean them.
Silas, who was seated near where Kardia intended to sit, rose from his chair and bowed his head deeply.
"My lord! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Everything you have provided us is more than we could ever repay."
Silas spoke with sincere gratitude, loyalty, and devotion.
"Please, sit, Silas. You don't need to thank me for everything every couple of seconds. I just did what I felt was the right thing to do."
Kardia was genuine in his response; while he had ulterior motives—such as recruiting them—he had truly saved them.
"Now, let's sit down and enjoy our meal properly."
As Kardia mentioned the food, seven robots—one for each person and one for Kardia himself—approached the table, each holding a plate.
In front of each guest rested what appeared to be a hamburger.
Kardia had opted for something simple yet delicious.
But these hamburgers were far from ordinary; they were crafted to be juicy and perfectly seasoned, creating an experience for those who had never tasted anything like them.
As expected, the guests, now subordinates of Kardia, having never seen a hamburger before, looked confused yet intrigued.
"My lord… What is this?" Marin, Silas's wife, asked a question echoed by others in the group.
"This is something we've never seen, sir. It looks incredible, and it smells wonderful," Kikas, the friend of Silas, added.
Kardia chuckled at their bewilderment as they grappled with this unfamiliar food.
"This is called a 'hamburger.' It's a type of food that humans used to eat back in the 21st century. Trust me, it tastes fantastic. Go ahead and try it."
Kardia didn't shy away from the truth; he explained to them that this food was something enjoyed by people before their time.
His words elicited shock from some, while others eagerly took a bite.
As they tasted the hamburgers, their faces lit up with surprise at the delightful mix of flavors.
These hamburgers were specially made and properly cooked, so they shouldn't be compared to those from McDonald's or other fast food restaurants. These were GOOD hamburgers.
"I've never tasted anything this good! I doubt even the nobles have had something as luxurious as this," one person exclaimed, tears of joy streaming down his face as he savored every bite.
"Sir, you mentioned this is something we used to eat in the 21st century? It truly surpasses everything we've had in our lives," Silas said, his curiosity piqued as he began to understand Kardia's perspective.
"Exactly. This is food that people in the 21st century consumed," Kardia affirmed.
"This was considered human food—not the type you've been eating. If someone from that time were to see what you've been eating, they would likely consider it savage, even inhumane."
Kardia didn't hold back; he expressed his beliefs candidly.
It was true—if someone from that era, or even a later one, were to witness what humans in the 41st millennium consumed, they would probably label them as savages and inhumane beings.
"Is that what you mean when you say the Imperium has fallen?" Silas asked, intrigued.
He thought of Kardia as a divine being who had lived for more years than they could count.
Unbeknownst to him, Kardia actually came from that time period, rather than being an immortal who returned from it.
"Partially, but yes."
"The Imperium of Man has degenerated to such a point that it is disappointing. Humans, who used to live happy lives, now have to live in fear and are being exploited by their own people as if they are nothing more than cattle."
"It angers me just to think about it."
"Humans are forced to eat other humans to survive. Do you know how the people of that time referred to that? "Cannibalism." It was considered horrifying for both the body and the mind."
"Yet now, you guys consume similar things as if it were normal."
"Do you think it is normal for you to eat something that was likely made from the remains of your sister or mother? For people back then, that was not normal. And it shouldn't be normal."
"I want to bring peace to our race. To this galaxy, but... to do that, I need to fight against all odds. Impossible for some, but I know we can do it."
Kardia began to pour out his heart, expressing his anger at how messed up this galaxy had become.
Over the last six months, Kardia had some time to reflect, and he knew that his choice was the right one. He needed to put a stop to all of this conflict. Or at least, lower the conflict.
Conflict was always going to exist in the galaxy, but at least, it should be "balanced" conflict.
That he knew that peace needed to be brought in blood.
Silas and the rest stood quiet, and they could feel Kardia's anger. It was the same anger that they had towards the injustice that they had lived through.
For the same reason, some of them, feeling Kardia's emotions, truly began to see themselves going out there and bringing people to the light side.
"My lord... I have some acquaintances. Can I introduce them to you?" Silas, ever now emotional and loyal, rose from his seat, and he quickly pushed an idea out.
When Kardia heard this, he was perplexed for a second, but he later smiled.
.....
End of chapter 10.