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Interlude 1

PRESENTATION OF THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY

The world I inhabit is the central hub for humanity's final planetary formation, a place destined to be humanity's refuge. Over 10,000 years ago, our people abandoned their original home planet, Earth, in search of survival. Humanity had no other choice during the decisive moments of war, as Earth had become a wasteland of oppression and destruction. Many chose to end their lives, unwilling to witness the continued ruin of their home planet due to unrelenting conflict.

The so-called government on Earth failed to make any significant impact on the injured or surviving population. Over 50 years of chaos eradicated Earth's natural resources—plants, animals, and even clean air—polluted by the remnants of war. Humanity's decline worsened as time passed; in just 25 years, the population had diminished by over 300 million people. Life on Earth crumbled, leaving only a faint hope for survival. Looting and plundering became rampant across cities, villages, and every corner of Earth.

To survive, humanity resorted to inhumane measures, breaking government regulations and rebelling, but such actions were meaningless to those in power. The government ruthlessly eliminated any rebels by shooting them down as they approached government territories.

The persistent wars and post-apocalyptic era led to the extinction of even more people—over 300 million lives lost. Seventy percent of humanity was wiped out, leaving countless others to die of starvation and despair. The relentless wars drove humans to resign themselves to inevitable death on Earth.

However, an unexpected miracle occurred, seemingly out of nowhere. Amid the escalating global conflict and humanity's surrender to their grim fate, a sudden intervention appeared on Earth. This being, revered by the remnants of humanity, exuded an aura of profound power. To them, it seemed like a divine presence had descended to save them from annihilation.

This entity did not physically manifest on Earth but mysteriously emitted waves that spread across the planet. These waves entered the minds of all humans, specifically selecting those deemed worthy. The waves radiated within the chosen ones' thoughts, imbuing them with an ancient script that mysteriously appeared on their foreheads.

A mysterious voice resonated in their minds, declaring, "The fate of destruction cannot be altered, just as a tree that reaches its peak will face death and decay." Before they could respond, the voice returned, slowly stating that those who had received its call were deemed worthy to depart together.

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The chosen ones trembled, some even fainting as they heard the proclamation. The strange waves vibrated in their minds, creating ancient markings on their foreheads. A command embedded within the markings surged through their consciousness, triggering an explosion of radiant light from their foreheads.

“What? Your body is glowing!” one person exclaimed in shock as they witnessed the phenomenon. Within minutes, the entire world was illuminated by the bright light emanating from the chosen humans, especially from their foreheads.

"The Equilibrator, I have completed the transfer of humanity's life pulse from Earth. Provide me with the coordinates of the cosmic chest to transport these chosen ones to the star system," a grand voice echoed in the void near Earth. A crimson light gathered, forming an enormous hand that reached toward the planet.

Through teleportation, the radiant light from Earth was slowly drawn into the atmosphere. The winds trembled above Earth's surface, creating a barrier that encapsulated the light. A voice of reverence requested the mapping of a location.

A small, cosmic chest emerged within the barrier created by the winds. The original hand snapped its fingers over the chest, and the light from Earth was funneled into it. A vertical seam closed the barrier tightly after gathering the light.

For a long moment, the void remained silent as the hand prepared a pathway for the light. Slowly, the original hand dissipated, and the wind barrier retreated from Earth's atmosphere after collecting the light.

Two lights expanded in the void and materialized. One took the form of a towering figure, four times larger than an average human. The other formed a man of normal proportions, adorned with a pale blue crown and simple purple attire.

"Andarion, has he completed the task you assigned him?" the colossal figure asked the crowned man.

"Yes, I have delivered the message. Judging by the planet's condition, he should have completed it. He also conveyed a request for the cosmic chest," Andarion, the man with the pale blue crown, replied calmly.

"Very well. Given this planet's ruin caused by human greed and conflict, I authorized the rescue of the chosen through you, Andarion. As the Equilibrator, you should have completed this sooner, but we arrived too late, and the planet is on the brink of collapse," the colossal figure sighed while observing Earth.

"The distance between this planetary system and myself was vast. Even if I had used the planet's resources, it would have taken immeasurable time to reach here. Before you tore through the spatial rift to join me, I encountered him, which delayed my arrival," Andarion explained his predicament.

"What! You encountered him? He shouldn't have been able to reach this stellar structure. Fine, since the situation here is resolved, let us leave. I will activate an illusion storm to ensure that no Yu creatures—or any others—can enter this system," the giant figure declared.

The void around Andarion and the giant figure began forming a crystalline sphere, enclosing several nearby planets. Spatial distortions fragmented as they stepped away, retreating into the void.