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墨書 Inktalez
In the calm expanse of the universe, a few small particles slowly drifted into the escape layer of Earth's atmosphere, their descent resembling that of a child gazing longingly at toys in a shop window. Below them lay Earth, but that was not their intention; however, the shuttle gliding silently above seemed to have other plans.
Despite trailing flames, the shuttle made no sound at all, and the comfort within its cabin was so inviting that one could easily fall asleep. Indeed, Jenas was sprawled in his seat, fast asleep.
"My King..."
"Don't wake him! Let him sleep a little longer!"
Two attendants hesitated for a long moment as they looked at King Jenas of the Inner Beings, whose head had tilted to one side in slumber. Though the destination he had in mind was now within reach, they dared not disturb him.
The shuttle named "Faisoto" was reserved exclusively for royal use. Both its technology and onboard services were top-notch throughout the entire realm of Inner Beings. It was said that King Jenas wished to visit their neighbor Vamulel, and several stewards had gone to great lengths to retrieve the Faisoto from Warehouse Curry. The king rarely traveled; most of his time was spent on state affairs, and this sightseeing shuttle had languished in Warehouse Curry.
"Why is it that the king wants to travel through interstellar space? And why on earth is he so insistent on bringing such an important item with him?"
A few of Jenas's attendants gathered together, listening to the royal private steward, who was tall and robust, muttering quietly. All eyes turned toward a nearby box shimmering with green starlight.
"Oh dear, it's better not to speculate about the king's thoughts," one person advised. "Haven't we heard that something major has happened in the Divine Realm? Half of the Ghosts have been slaughtered by Ban Sa. The king seems to have expressed concerns about the Life Wand; if he's bringing it along, it might not just be a simple trip."
The group fell silent. Suddenly, alarms began flashing urgently on the cockpit display! They immediately stood up and returned to their positions, guiding the shuttle into a smooth descent.
"Should we open the Time Portal?" someone asked.
"If we do, we might wake the king; be careful about your pay!" replied the tall steward as he controlled the main steering wheel.
"Pay? I've never deducted your wages!"
"Ah?!" A collective gasp echoed among the stewards as they realized their king had awakened.
"I woke up early; I just wanted to see if you would call me," Jenas said as he stretched and walked over to the window. He gazed out with admiration at the pristine grasslands below. "Such beautiful scenery, and none of you thought to wake me up to see it. Really... you didn’t even inform me when we arrived. I suppose I need to reconsider your salaries."
Paleolithic Era, approximately 2.9 million years ago
Wildness has always been nature's best trademark. On this vast land, herds of prehistoric creatures wandered through wild grasses with scattered yet dense steps; each footfall startled insects no larger than half a finger into flight. Beneath the hazy hills lay lush trees and crystal-clear streams. A gentle breeze caressed the beasts' fur as if it were a daily public broadcast.
Of course, hidden among some thickets was a very special race—humans.
The sunlight gently brushed aside the leaves' eager invitations and danced with them for a moment before softly settling on this shaded ground. Underneath this canopy, dozens of people sat around their camp—mostly women and children—waiting for the men to return from hunting.
In plain sight nearby, a group of men chased after a Sika deer with wooden and stone weapons; this would be their family's sustenance for days to come. Meanwhile, several Yellow River Mammoths watched like spectators, munching on tufts of grass while observing from the sidelines.
However, in the clear sky, a strange sound suddenly echoed, and right after that, a Time Portal appeared in the air. A small flying ship slowly emerged, seeming a bit timid and shy.
In the camp, a child was the first to notice the Time Portal; he raised his hand and pointed at it. Immediately, the flying ship captured everyone's attention, including the men who were chasing deer. The small ship landed on the ground, blocking the escape route of a Sika deer. Suddenly, a cannon fired, and flames flickered from the ship, hitting the Sika deer! The men were startled, and a few brave ones wanted to step forward to drag the Sika deer back.
From the flying ship, several individuals descended. They were all dressed in light blue, with scales-like patterns on their arms. The braver men hesitated to approach, watching these newcomers with suspicion. The two groups stood facing each other across the fallen Sika deer, sizing each other up.
Finally, the leader among them moved. He grabbed the deer's antlers and dragged it over to the Earthlings who were retreating in fear, saying in the language of the Moon People, "Take it; don’t lose your spoils." He smiled amicably.
The Earthlings seemed to understand what he was saying and worked together to drag the Sika deer back into their group of men, cheering as they walked toward the nearby camp.
"What a bunch of uncivilized savages; they don't even know how to show gratitude," one attendant remarked as he stepped forward. Jenas smiled and replied, "It’s alright. The intelligent life on this planet is just beginning to grow; they need time. Although our civilization is much more advanced than theirs, remember that this is our mother. Without this planet, there would be no glorious civilization."
Jenas was visiting Earth for the first time with his Moonheart people and using a Time Portal for the first time as well. As the king of the Moonheart people, his motive for traveling to Earth was simple—tourism. Jenas and his attendants climbed all nearby mountains, admired all the flowers here, and waded through all the streams. Time flowed by second by second as the sun set from the eastern peaks to the western horizon. The orange glow of sunset enchanted Jenas; on the Moon, they could not enjoy the warmth of the sun.
"What a charming planet," Jenas sighed. He took out his magic wand and walked toward a pile of rocks by the stream.
"My king, where are you going?" Several attendants wanted to rest a little longer but had no choice but to stand up and follow when they saw Jenas getting up. Jenas was in an exceptionally good mood; he wanted to leave his mark on this planet as if saying "someone visited here."
He gently tapped his wand against the rock wall and murmured an incantation. To his surprise, this pile of rocks began to move. The attendants watched in amazement as these rocks pieced themselves together in mid-air.
"Truly worthy of being our Moonheart people's foremost sorcerer..." remarked one attendant in awe.
The rocks connected left and right until they formed a humanoid shape towering four meters high. Jenas felt that this wasn't enough and cast another spell. Suddenly, eyes appeared on the head of this rocky figure. Countless cracks opened on its stone body like rivers intersecting each other. A blue liquid gradually filled these cracks as if it were this newborn's blood.
As soon as the spell ended, this Stone Man's first reaction was to lower its head and make eye contact with Jenas. It knelt down curiously examining Jenas with outstretched hands as if trying to express something. "My king, you haven't given him the ability to speak," one attendant reminded.
"Oh right! How could I forget such an important thing?" Jenas slapped his forehead and gently tapped his wand on the Stone Man's palm while murmuring an incantation. Soon after, a mouth appeared on its face. The Stone Man touched its mouth and said in Moon People’s language, "Is it you... who created... me?"
Jenas smiled and nodded: "Yes. I have granted you the ability to understand all biological languages in this world and infused your body with Cosmic Energy—meaning your body will become indestructible." He stroked its hand and said: "You are the first Stone Man on this planet!"
"Stone Man..." The giant looked down at its body and hands. "Thank you."
"My goodness! He's so smart," exclaimed one attendant in surprise. "He knows gratitude right after being born."
Jenas beamed even brighter as he reached out to touch the Stone Man's face: "I have cast countless spells in my life, but you are my greatest creation." After pondering for a moment, he said: "Let me give you a name. Child, you shall be called Yuan Zun because you are indeed the first Stone Giant on this planet."
Yuan Zun nodded and asked Jenas a question: "Yuan Zun... do I have companions?"
"Companions..." Jenas exchanged glances with his attendants. "I'm sorry... there really aren't any." Jenas looked at Yuan Zun's sad eyes with some guilt.
Jenas lowered his head and looked at the wand in his hand. "Here, Yuan Zun, I will give you the wand..."
"What?!"
"No, Your Majesty! This wand is too powerful; it can only be used once every three hundred thousand years..." The attendants immediately protested strongly.
Jenas was resolute. He turned to the attendants and said, "This planet needs more life, and Yuan Zun needs companions. No matter how powerful this Life Wand is, it can only bestow life upon an object once every three hundred thousand years. Trust me, the Life Wand will be safe here. This planet is worth my sacrifice."
As he spoke, Jenas handed the wand to Yuan Zun. "Child, protect it well. Every three hundred thousand years, you will have the power to give life to any object. The shape, character, and abilities of that life will be entirely up to you. Your companions are within this wand."
"Protect..." Yuan Zun looked at the wand and then at Jenas.
One attendant glanced at Time and said, "Your Majesty, the Time Portal won't hold much longer; we should prepare to leave. Otherwise, we might get trapped here." Jenas shot him a glare before saying a few more words to Yuan Zun about how to use the wand. Reluctantly, Jenas held Yuan Zun's hand and said, "Child, your father must leave you now. You must take care of yourself while living here."
As he prepared to leave, Yuan Zun asked anxiously, "Master, where are you going? I want to go with you."
"No need," Jenas replied as he turned to Yuan Zun. "You must stay here to guard this wand and the world. This world is vast and worth your exploration." Jenas looked at Yuan Zun seriously yet gently. "And remember, I am not your master; you are your own master." With that, the Moonheart people left the hillside under Jenas's lead, running toward the location where the flying ship was docked on the plain. Jenas turned back three times but ultimately disappeared from Yuan Zun's sight.
Yuan Zun sat by the stream, watching as the flying ship entered the Time Portal, which then vanished into the twilight between night and sunlight.
In the first three hundred thousand years, Yuan Zun tried to interact with various races. He got along best with the Sika deer. Over time, it seemed that all the Sika deer in this land recognized him. His daily joy came from watching them drink water and running alongside them.
However, he had a hard time with humans. Every time he approached them, they would scatter in fear and throw stones and bones at him. Yuan Zun could never understand why they were so afraid of him.
The first three hundred thousand years passed. During this time, Yuan Zun constantly recalled how to use the wand, fearing he might forget. Finally, he successfully created his first companion with the wand. He gradually noticed that human territory was expanding rapidly. To avoid disturbing human life, he moved with his companion to live deep in the mountains.
Time passed day by day and year by year; generation after generation of humans appeared in history only to quickly vanish again. Only Yuan Zun and his nine companions stood steadfast in the long river of Earth's history.
Now let us pull the timeline forward to 2058 and see what the world looks like at this moment.
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