HBWnovel Chapter 17: Necropolis of the Gods (2)
Chapter 17: Necropolis of the Gods (2)
Chapter 17: Necropolis of the Gods (2)
In the world of [Bright], Hyades was often described as a peaceful place where magic thrived. Magic, technology and culture were booming in this golden age of humanity, and the collaboration between massive organisations has never been smoother.
However, it wasn't always like that.
After the Age of the Dragons came to a close, no absolute Gods ruled over humans any more. Some created fiefs that turned into Kingdoms. Some merged Kingdoms that turned into Empires. However, one thing was for sure. The void at the top led to a bloodlust-filled warring period where the strongest humans vied for absolute authority, seeking to become the new overlords of Hyades.
The war lasted hundreds of years, causing as much bloodshed as the Great Dragon Dragon War. Even the Solaris House's founder, the most powerful human of his time, couldn't end the war. Alas, the war wouldn't last forever as, ironically, the only way to stop a war... was with another war.
As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
While humanity was busy killing themselves, a threat beyond their wildest imagination appeared. The seat at the top of Hyades wasn't just coveted by its inhabitants... but extraterrestrial ones as well.
When the Demon race first invaded Hyades, it took humanity by surprise. They came from another dimension and decimated everything in their path. They had waited for the Dragons to annihilate each other and had instigated humanity to weaken themselves while hiding in the shadows.
The Demons' goal was clear.
Eat Hyades whole.
They were going to enslave the population to do their bidding and colonise the planet to expand their resources. And with Hyades' best protectors weakened, their plan might have succeeded too.
Unfortunately for the Demons, humanity was nothing if not resilient. While the first generation of heroes perished during the Great Dragon War, their bloodline remained thick. All those centuries of in-fighting have made humanity's best more powerful than their predecessors.
And the one who rose above all was none other than the Second Hero of the Solaris House.
The Solaris Saint.
If the Solaris House's Founder was considered the hero who ended the Great Dragon War, the Solaris Saint was the hero who saved humanity from the Demons. As the second person who wielded the Holy Sword, the Solaris Saint blazed through the battlefields with her sacred flames, burning any heathens in her way.
Blessed by the Goddess Hyades herself, the Solaris Saint was well-regarded as the most powerful human of all time. Together with the next generation of humanity's heroes, they pushed back the Demonic threat and expelled them from Hyades altogether.
After their victory against the Demons, humanity formed a peace treaty. No one wanted to repeat their forefounders' mistakes and the dreadful Demon invasion. Hence, they united and founded the Hyades Republic—a government where no single entity was above another. Their own respective leaders could still govern each region, be it democratically elected or inherited through bloodline.
However, none were allowed to wage war with each other if they wished to fly the banner of the Hyades Republic. And if one state refused to follow the rules, the rest would unanimously denounce them, essentially turning the entire world against them.
The creation of the Hyades Republic ensured that humanity would be united should the Demons invade once again and that humanity wouldn't be fractured and blindsided when the reckoning arrives and the planet's fate hangs in the balance.
And that peace has continued ever since.
But...
"As you are well aware, the Demons are the cause of all the calamities we will face in the future."
Yue wiped off the sweat on her face and casually exposed the truth behind the villains of [Bright] to Amon.
"But the Demons aren't the only threat we will face. The Herald aims to resurrect the Titans and revert Hyades to the Age of Myth. And if that happens, humanity would be wiped out either way. The Titans would destroy humanity just to restore their reign, while the Demons would exterminate and enslave us. That's the Fifth and Sixth Calamities, Amon. And the reason why we lost."
Fighting against the Demon race with an army with billions in their reserve alone was a near-impossible task. Add the ancient Gods that ruled over the Dragons into the mix... It was no wonder the Amon in Yue's timeline failed.
"We may have won the war if it were just the Demons. But the Titans had weakened us... weakened you, Amon. And that caused the Demons to run over Hyades and claim the world for themselves."
Amon's face stiffened and he clicked his tongue. It wasn't pleasant to hear about his failures, even if it were him in the future.
"Is that why we're here? To stop the Titans from resurrecting?"
"Amon! What is your favourite food?"
"I'm sorry, what?"
"As your wife-to-be, should I know my husband's likes and dislikes? Ah, but I don't know how to cook now, so I will take some time to learn your favourite dishes. So bear with me, okay?"
"..."
Words could no longer escape Amon's mouth. Eventually, the young boy gave up and decided the best way to deal with this incessant girl was to move on from the conversation and ignore her probes entirely.
"Tell me what lies at the end of this cave."
Much to Yue's disappointment, Amon hurriedly changed the topic. However, he allowed the despondent girl to continue sticking to his body, so Yue counted it as a minor win for herself.
"The Guardian of the Necropolis." Nevertheless, Yue was delighted to answer any of Amon's questions and continued: "I'd told you that the Dragons defeated the Titans aeons ago. But not all of the Titans could be killed. Some of them were made by Hyades and are considered part of Nature. If they were killed, the planet would become vulnerable, and our world would be infinitely weakened."
The Titans weren't just a race of sentient beings; they were part of Hyades itself. Some possessed the power to create landmasses, while others could raise oceans. Their existence was why the ancient world could thrive and new life forms were created.
Therefore, while the Dragons won the war, they couldn't wholly annihilate the Titans. While most Titans had been killed, a small minority who controlled Nature had been sealed inside the Necropolis.
"After the Dragons sealed those Titans, they needed to ensure that no one could unseal them. Be it accidentally or purposefully. Hence, they hid the Necropolis in the North Pole, where no living creature would live. Furthermore, they created a series of illusory spells to obscure the entrance to the cave. And finally..."
Arm-in-arm, Yue and Amon walked through the wide corridor into the final chamber at the deepest depths of the cavern. Amon felt as if he was being pushed through a birth canal as he went from obscured darkness to a symphony of lights.
The first thing that caught Amon's attention was the endearing amount of light within this chamber. It looked more like a throne hall or an atrium than a dark, gloomy cave. The next thing that Amon saw was the ungodly amount of runes carved into every corner of the dome-shaped chamber. Each rune possessed much more mana than Amon could draw out, and millions of them were scattered throughout the dome, reminiscent of a starry night sky.
And finally, the cherry on top of it all...
"No way..."
Amon's soul was shaking for the first time in his existence. Frozen in place, his pupils dilated, unable to believe the sight before him. His heart rate accelerated beyond his usual limits, and every fibre of his being was screaming out at him to escape.
Why?
[Children of humanity. Why have you disrupted my slumber?]
Two golden Suns stared at Amon's body, paralysing his soul from the neck down. The serpentine neck that connected the two Suns to the rest of its body was covered in resplendent golden scales that shimmer brighter than starlight. Its massive body was enough to cover an entire palace compound, as just one of its fangs was double the size of Amon's body.
Adorned with golden scales all over its sinuous body, the colossal being stood straight up and spread its wings so wide that it covered the size of the dome. The claws that gracefully hung over the ground showed numerous signs of cracks and tears, telling tales of formidable battles forgotten epochs ago.
Yet, it wasn't the size of the monster that overwhelmed Amon.
The unbearing amount of mana from its body suffocated the former Transcendent, and he unwittingly bent down his waist. The pressure it emitted was far beyond that of gravity, and Amon felt himself naturally submitting to the mystical being.
It was his bloodline screaming back at him.
Submit or die.
Biting down on his lips till they bled, Amon defiantly went against his body's wishes and gazed up at the indescribable entity once more. The two golden orbs locked eyes with Amon, showing the first signs of shock within them. But the pressure instantly lessened, and Amon found it easier to breathe again.
[Child of Solaris... This one is Yval, Guardian of the Necropolis and the First Golden Dragon... Now, tell me... How did you get here?]
This was Amon's first meeting with Yval, the original Golden Dragon Sovereign and the Progenitor of the Golden Dragons.