章 1: The Son of the First
The Blacklight Empire was an anomaly on Kra. Seemingly founded overnight the Empire had conquered most of the continent in just a few short months, by relying on the power of the founding emperor Holy Emperor Regulus I, the apex level existence of his generation. If he had claimed second no one would dare claim first.
For over 100 years the Empire had stood firm, growing in power and population. For their part citizens of the empire were protected from the monster hordes and taxes were acceptable considering they weren't forced to serve in the empire's military. Life was relatively stable as long as you didn't cross anyone part of the three large powers; the nobility, the magi and the priesthood.
The Blacklight Empire's patron god, the Lord of Blacklight had no scrupulous moral codes to follow or anarchic demands of his followers, like ritual sacrifice or constructing flesh totems. In fact, he demanded nothing of his faithful at all. His message was to live strong, bow to no one and spread the faith. The church therefore encouraged an uninhibited life where everyone could live as they desired to, so long as they didn't offend others with their choices or breach public order.
Magic flourished under this liberal attitude, the empire's own national magi school, the Black Thunder Academy fostered a generation of mages who could call on the divine Blacklight, making the Empire pioneers in magical and religious synergy.
The unreserved nature of the empire actually boosted tourism making the capital city Krastint into a popular holiday resort around the world. Despite religious doctrine the empire had never hesitated to expand their lands. With an army 200,000 men strong with over 2,000 magi ready to deploy and 3,000 more in reserve. They had no equal on Kra.
An elite force of magi, known as the Divine Tribulation Platoon also existed. Composed of the 20 strongest magi in the empire their purpose was clandestine operations and monster genocide operations. The empires only real weakness was an undeveloped naval fleet. They were the uncontested ruler of Kra.
This world-renowned power, the apex of human civilisation on Kra, was currently on its last legs as the hordes of goblins surged past the broken city walls and into Krastint. Of the army only 500 soldiers remained, all the magi had been targeted and eradicated by the horde of greenskins or they had fled to other continents.
The lands of the Empire were now either goblin territory, or they had been burnt to ash as the goblins advanced ever forward, seeking out and eradicating every human settlement they could in their fight against the Empire.
Despite numerous subjugation expeditions the empire never could eradicate the goblins that plagued their borders. It had been hard to even find a single goblin village. They were now being forced to bear the cost of their failure and complacency.
The Holy Emperor Regulus III's crown weighed heavy on his head as he bore witness to the decline of his empire, the butchering of his people and the torching of his lands. Worse still he felt powerless to stop any of it. He had not inherited his grandfather's martial prowess or his father's magical power and outside of a keen mind for political intrigue Regulus lacked all qualities an emperor should have.
He was weak-willed, cowardly, had all the muscle of a new-born and could scarcely conjure a ball of regular light never mind the Blacklight. He adamantly refused to take a wife from among the noble ladies, providing a constant headache to his council of advisors, leaving his position as emperor tenuous and the nobility arrayed against him, each noble house poised to stage a coup should he show any exploitable weakness.
The army only followed his orders because he paid their wages, the generals disregarded his advice on all strategic moves and he was absolutely terrified of death, a phobia which made him indecisive and unwilling to act in any but the worst circumstances.
The goblins had begun feasting on the corpses of the citizens, but Regulus sill felt only the desire to preserve his own life. His castle was still safe, but the slaughter of his people could be heard even over the Royal Musketeers firearms as they conducted a life and death defence of their Emperor, desperate to preserve their homeland and their benevolent Emperor. They were so sure that if they could defend their Lord everything would turn around.
Regulus did not share these thoughts. He knew this was empire's death throes and there would be no second wind. He didn't care if the empire fell so long as he could live.
Regulus was aware of only option left to him-he had to call his Master to descend but by his ancestors he wished he didn't have to resort to this. His father warned him that carelessly inviting the Lord to intervene would be courting death. The Lord simply didn't put mortal struggles in his eyes and inviting him to descend when there was no great peril, meant you would be executed for wasting time.
Regulus knew he was out of both options and time and so steeled his resolve. This seemed like a big enough problem to trouble the Lord with. He focused his thoughts on the mental bridge between he and his Lord, conveying one word "Help".
Exhausted from the effort of sending a communication to a higher realm Regulus slumped into his throne. His loyal bodyguards attended him, bringing him water and mana crystals in an effort to rejuvenate him. He declined knowing that if this failed he would certainly die. Better to die exhausted having expended every effort than to die full of energy and regrets.
Before long a ripple in the air manifested followed by a crushing pressure manifestation, so strong it forced Regulus and his bodyguards to bow before the true ruler of the Blacklight Empire, The Lord of Blacklight. His mere projected presence was enough to shake the castle and crack the floor.
The goblins sensed it too. Their instincts were telling them to run, that there was an opponent no one could hope to beat in that castle. They didn't start retreating but it made them pause. They remembered their Chief, and immediately returned to charging at the castle. The Chief was way scarier.
"The Lord of Blacklight has descended" Regulus barely whispered as his head was forced onto the rapidly deteriorating marble floor. "May he have mercy on our souls"
The air rippled and swelled with an ungodly amount of mana as a voice spoke directly into Regulus's mind, the sheer power of a higher existence making Regulus feel as though someone had lit his brain alight.
"REGULUS, THIRD OF YOUR NAME, OUR LOYAL CONTRACTEE, AS THE TERMS OF THE ANCESTRAL CONTRACT DICTATE WE HAVE ANSWERED YOUR CALL FOR AID AND WE…"
The voice trailed off and silence filled the throne room. Outside the goblins whooped and cheered as they killed and feasted, the Royal Musketeers were on their last legs as their defence became increasingly desperate. By now all thoughts of the Emperor had been abandoned- they were fighting to save their own lives.
One by one the Royal Musketeers rifles grew silent, until the gunfire had stopped entirely. Regulus naïvely hoped they had fended off the horde of greenskins and were now reloading and preparing for the next push by the invading beasts. Then the screaming started. Followed by a few gunshots as the goblins figured out how to shoot. Then more gunshots and the screams died down. To top off the disaster the goblins shot the gunpowder reserves, cackling as the explosion shook the castle walls.
"WOW YOU REALLY MESSED UP HUH. YOU KNOW WHAT I'LL HUMOUR YOU. TELL ME EXACTLY HOW THIS HAPPENED"
The voice of the Lord was booming now its powerful yet bored tenor reverberating inside Regulus's skull. The power of such a supreme existence forced tears from Regulus's eyes. He could hide nothing from his Contractor. To oppose such a vast power? Impossible, naïve and foolish!
"Lord Blacklight, this humble servant regrets to inform you that despite the valiant efforts of the Imperial Platoons, the Goblins have united beneath one standard and a vile Goblin Chief has emerged to bear his kin upon your Empire. The Empire is most likely lost, within minutes my life will follow suit if you do not intervene oh Lord"
The palace shook as the air flashed with the ominous black light. Unlike the Divine Tribulation Platoon's pale imitation this was the full might of Blacklight.
"I INSTRUCTED YOU TO CULL THE GOBLIN POPULATION DID I NOT REGULUS? I MEAN I REMEMBER WARNING YOU THIS EXACT SCENARIO WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU DIDN'T, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT DO I KNOW? I'M JUST AN OTHERWORLDLY BEING WITH NIGH INFINITE POWER"
Regulus could only stammer in response to this statement. It was true he had been ordered to hunt the Goblins to near extinction, but their high population combined with their low threat level led to Regulus neglecting his orders. It had been taxing on his Platoons to hunt for an enemy which always seemed to evade them. The generals eventually ordered the expeditions to stop and Regulus could not protest. The Lord had ordered the goblin cull's true reason to be kept secret. His mind scrambled as he fabricated a plausible excuse for his failure.
"They are under holy protection Lord Blacklight, no matter how we hunted they would evade us"
This gave pause to the Lord of Blacklight. Regulus could only hope he hadn't jumped from the frying pan and into the fire.
"UNDER WHOSE PROTECTION THOUGH REGULUS THIS IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. IF YOU GET THIS WRONG I'LL HAVE TO ROAST YOUR SOUL IN MY SOUL ROASTER. ITS PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT WOULD SUCK FOR YOU. NOW THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU ANSWER WAS IT THE ROSE MAIDEN? THE IMPERIAL MONARCH? DON'T TELL ME IT WAS FULGUR?"
Regulus choked back his tears and snot and with an immense amount of willpower raised his head to give the answer he was near sure would result in his painful execution. His gambit had failed miserably, instead of his Lord being angry at him, he had believed Regulus that another higher existence was involved.
Regulus knew if his lie was exposed he would die so he decided to gamble once more. He prayed it would work this time and that his Lord wouldn't shoot the messenger.
"The Son of the First my Lord"
The ripples in the air descended and seized the Emperor, suspending him above his throne. It was at this moment Regulus knew he had irrevocably messed up.
"Please my Lord hold back your anger and spare your humble servant!"
This plea fell on deaf ears as the Emperor was robbed of both his arms, twisted out of their sockets methodically and slowly, like removing screws, except the screws gushed blood as they were taken out and were made of meat.
Once the two meaty screws had been rent from the Emperor's body they were thrown at his despairing bodyguards who could only gawk as a being far beyond their ken continued to rip their beloved Lord apart. One unlucky guard was hit by an arm, the sheer power of a light toss from the Lord of Blacklight had ground the poor man into a paste.
"REGULUS I HAD WARNED YOU"
The Emperor had his legs ripped out and with a sickening squelch they followed his arms down onto the blood drenched marble. The Imperial Bodyguards were now despairing at their own personal failure to protect the Emperor and had begun to beg for mercy from their god.
"YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HIM DON'T YOU?"
Regulus would have tried begging too, but he was pre-occupied with screaming. With a final pop Regulus's head was squeezed off, and the blessed lineage of the Holy Blacklight Empire was extinguished. The founding king of the sub-sequent Blacklight Kingdom reported the Emperor's final word to be "My ancestors are smiling at me goblin scum; can you say the same?"
This was a blatant lie; the Emperor's last words weren't really words at all and were instead prolonged screams as he longed for the torture to end and a swift death to follow.
The godly being seethed with rage as he recalled how many times his plans had been spoilt by the Son of the First. He then swept the rest of the guards into his grasp. Their cries had been irritating him for a while now and he needed to vent some pent up aggression.
His ethereal fist tightened and where once the Imperial Bodyguards had stood instead was a mangled ball of flesh and bone, oozing blood and marrow onto the ruined marble.
The Lord of Blacklight was furious his empire had fallen but he now knew his adversary was the one behind the goblin outbreaks. It was actually not a bad trade, since the information would be worth a lot to the right people.
"FOUND YOU AT LAST, MY OLD ENEMY"
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