As Sterl observed the scene around him, tears streamed down his cheeks. An overwhelming sorrow enveloped him, wrapping around him like a shroud. Suddenly, a wave of joyous emotion surged from deep within his heart.
What was it...?
He looked up and saw it: the formation spoken of earlier by the warriors of the Starry Clan had successfully manifested. Countless life forces of the fallen members of the Starry Clan were being drawn up into the sky, while the magnificent palace rapidly dissolved into a massive orb of light, soaring into the clouds!
Then, countless beams of light burst forth from the formation in the sky, transforming into points of light that shot out in all directions. At that moment, the entire main world resembled a map, and under the surge of these light points, flowers began to bloom everywhere!
Each point of light concealed a resource that Sterl could sense was incredibly precious, and the outer shell of these resources took on the form of a small, ethereal underground palace.
The glorious spectacle left Sterl in shock, and just then, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
"Hello, future descendant."
Sterl turned and looked, his pupils constricting in surprise; he had been caught off guard by someone standing so close. However—
In the illusion, everything could be erased at will.
Sterl analyzed the situation and concluded it wasn't his fault. Yet, as he gazed at the person who spoke, he felt something was off—the robe the figure wore was identical to that of the one who had sat on the throne outside the illusion!
Earlier, when he had observed the figure's skeletal form, he thought the Starry Clan on the throne resembled a Frost Giant, and now that the skeletal form had been restored to flesh and blood, the resemblance was even stronger!
However, this should not symbolize the Frost, but rather another type of giant, one whose eyes were filled with wisdom...
Unlike that powerful individual outside who was devoid of substance!
"Hello."
Sterl cautiously replied, his mind racing with thoughts.
What connection could there be between the Frost Giant and the former Starry Clan...?
He had spoken out of courtesy, not expecting a response, but the giant of the Starry Clan nodded earnestly.
"Hmm, indeed."
"It seems that the inheritors of my clan have not yet devolved into savage beings; there is still some intellect."
The giant's voice was warm and gentle.
Sterl looked up again, realizing that the giant existed within the illusion, yet spoke as if he were a real person.
"Who exactly are you...?"
"Me? I am merely a long-dead specter."
"You need not pay too much attention to it."
The giant waved his hand and settled into a nearby crevice, positioning his head level with Sterl's, making their conversation much more convenient.
"I am among the Starry Clan..."
He struggled to articulate, and then his form flickered as if he were about to fade away, prompting the giant to quickly change his words.
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"Apologies, it seems I cannot mention my name yet; the curses from those clan families upon the Starry Clan are still in effect."
"Our lineage is destined to be forgotten."
As the giant spoke of the curse, he exhibited no anger, merely an overwhelming calmness.
The atmosphere became awkwardly still.
After a moment of contemplation, Sterl finally spoke, "I felt a summons."
"And then I found myself trapped in this environment."
"What do you wish to convey to me through this illusion?"
The giant did not respond immediately; instead, he closed his eyes and sensed the atmosphere before revealing a smile.
"I never expected that the luckiest one would be me.
And not parents.
Sterl had never forgotten that before he transmigrated, he had been an ordinary person, but he had experienced warmth. On Christmas Eve, he would sit by the fireplace, holding his family's Samoyed, "Coco," while the sound of crackling from the fire filled the air.
Upstairs, his overly energetic little brother was playing with his toys.
From the kitchen, the delicious aroma of his parents cooking wafted through the house...
For a moment, Sterl's vision blurred with emotion.
However, he quickly felt disappointment.
Stars Change provided no explanation, remaining silent for a long time before finally responding.
[Unable to open the spatial passage.]
It did not specify whether it was because no one remembered him in his hometown, or if there was another reason altogether.
During this period, the giant maintained his composure, patiently waiting.
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," he said. "There are situations in which the Relics of the Stars cannot be activated. For example, if you want to open a passage back to your hometown, but the distance to your hometown is simply too great."
"The good news is, if you can become the true leader of a new era for our Starry Clan, you can activate the Relics of the Stars and strengthen them."
"You will have a chance to fulfill your wishes."
The giant's words sparked a flicker of hope in Sterl's eyes.
However, he was also a bit puzzled...
A leader of a new era?
The leader of the Starry Clan?
Hadn't the Starry Clan already faced annihilation?
He voiced his confusion.
The giant chuckled softly.
"Do you know why we went to such lengths to melt down numerous underground palaces and countless lives to preserve our legacy?"
"Because the Starry Clan was on the brink of destruction, surrounded by attacks from other races?" Sterl tentatively answered.
"That was indeed the case."
"I lived in the era when the Starry Clan faced a brief period of annihilation; at that time, an unprecedented calamity descended..."
The giant sighed.
"Prior to that, the Starry Clan had endured countless calamities against other races."
"To us, they were merely bizarre beings that would devour everything."
"While they were difficult to deal with, as long as we could unleash attacks far exceeding their devouring capabilities, we could defeat them."
"Our generation of the Starry Clan had already survived 173 such calamities."
[Your 'generation'?] Sterl found the term a bit strange, but he refrained from interrupting the giant's tale.
At that moment, the environment shifted.
It showed the many soldiers of the Starry Clan confidently hunting the Devourer of All Things, wearing proud smiles on their faces.
"Even as calamities approached, our clan continued to conquer other races, gathering their elite warriors."
"We of the Starry Clan do not take inherent races into account because star power exists as an innate force across countless worlds."
"Anyone can cultivate, and our clan has pushed the methods of cultivating the stars to their utmost limit."
"As long as there are talented individuals who join our clan and practice the methods of the stars, we can communicate and continue to refine those methods together."
"Moreover, those who cultivate the methods will produce offspring who are better suited for the cultivation of star techniques."
"Thus, we are indeed a race."