Four hundred years ago, the entire planet Buriean began to plan how to escape the solar system into another. After spending thousands of years pinpointing the best location to go, they finally left three hundred years later.
These groups consist of the most authoritative people on the planet, where one word can bring upon an army: the government, the rich, the powerful, and the churches.
For the government and the rich, nothing is needed to be said. For the powerful, people who yearn for safety under the protection of another is also a powerful force. For the churches, however, it is a different matter. Unlike the government, which holds authority over the army and such, the churches had the people and their beliefs.
These believers can contribute as little as possible, but it is enough when these small contributions add up. Another thousand years ago, on the planet, once the apocalypse was announced in public, the weakwilled began to look for salvation. For a moment, churches began to thrive once again. Being a supportive pillar for the weakest of the mind, the church was able to form a large community under the basis of contributions.
Since the solar system was about to fail, local currency immediately dipped into oblivion. Without the promise of safety, fiat currency holds no value. Hence these "small contributions" were in the form of energy crystals. Even a small 100GW energy crystal, if ten million people were to contribute one, it'd add up to 1 exawatt of energy. This is enough to warp a ship that can contain at least ten thousand standing bodies for ten galaxies away.
However, unlike the more credible religions that survived in the test of time, these "churches" turned out to be a scam. They only saved the "priests" and higher, telling everyone that their soul would end up in heaven, hell, reincarnation, and other scammy things they could come up with.
Unable to accept reality, these believers prayed devotedly so that their souls would end up somewhere safe, living with eternal happiness and all that.
These people remained zealous even at their deaths. Either way, it's easier to accept death, believing that something good comes rather than leaving absolutely nothing behind.
But of course, not all fake religions succeeded.
A church called Church of Salvation was found to be a scam due to one of the priests snitching out. Unlike his other colleagues, who only wanted to escape the planet, the man actually believed that their church was real. So when he finally saw the ship, they were to leave, brimming with luxury. He broke down and began to spread the information.
Before the Church of Salvation escaped, the believers assaulted their ship, leaving everything into scraps. Mass exodus didn't happen only to those who escaped. There were even more who committed suicide.
That priest was called Mengsk Haytham, a half-human, half-camel man. The man, who was brimming with holiness as he dons a white robe, is the same man currently lying down in front of Zhenin. One evolution of the camel species is that they are able to absorb energy from crystals. They still require nutrients for their body to remain healthy, but when it comes to surviving. The nutrients converted from energy crystals can support them.
Besides books, there are also energy crystals. Some are Type-R, some are not. Most seem to carry around 10GW or less energy.
Of course, Zhenin saw these but didn't really care much. His visor already shows how much energy the crystals have left. Since Jack could reward him with energy crystals, he wasn't too keen on collecting anymore, especially since his mission was to turn the man in front of him into a believer.
Looking at the man in front of him, Zhenin couldn't help but feel doubtful. Compared to the undying with the dead body yet bursting vitality. The man in front of him seems… normal?
With a glance, he could tell that the man was old. Around 95% of his lifespan already. Was he the clerk of this library? Did he really stay here all this time? Zhenin pondered. To him, this was utterly unreasonable.
Being a bookworm is fine, but why so extreme?
Why did Jack suddenly want this man to be a believer?
Could such a wastrel be someone good?
Even with all his doubts, Zhenin maintained his cold, expressionless face. One thing that the battlefield has taught him is that you can judge all you want but never let down your guard.
As he got close to the man, he saw the pages filled with scratch marks. Without a pen, it seems like Mengsk decided to highlight the words by scratching everything else.
On each page, words such as "judgment", "order", "end of all things", "salvation", "destruction", "the last coming".
Regardless of religion, every single book in front of him carried these words on a page.
All of them, except for the one in Mengsk's hands.
As if it was his daughter, the old man held the paper as if it was his own child.
In his hand is a page of the Book of Shadows. Compared to the original one by Gerald Gardner, the book is authorless and new. According to the book, a new god shall befall this planet. In the first day is his name, the second day is the calling, the third day is the salvation and the fourth day is destruction. The rite requires the shadow from the reflection of two, and three is a false hope.
This was the only paragraph on the page that isn't scratched.
Zhenin felt chills all over his body.
Compared to the passages that he read along the way, this one contains information. It was too vague, and yet, it was too familiar.
After thinking for a bit, Zhenin couldn't think of the reason. He reached out his hand and tried to grab the piece of paper.
Just as the tip of his finger was about to touch the paper, Mengsk's eyes opened wide as he grabbed Zhenin's face.
At that instant, the mask lost its energy completely as the UI disappeared.
His green night vision suddenly went dark.