Having recruited Lix, Harvey had received a thousand Void energy units. Although this amount was relatively modest, it was a significant step towards reaching his goal of one hundred million Void energy. The key was to get more of Lix's people to believe in the Void.
"You have received my blessing and joined the Void, so remember these three rules," Harvey said.
"First, with my blessing, you can consume any energy-infused substance to evolve and gain greater power, but you must not consume living creatures."
"Second, while I will not intervene if your increasing power causes disputes or deaths, you must never, under any circumstances, engage in cannibalism."
"Third, always maintain your reason. Do not let desire turn you into a mindless monster. Should you become such a creature, I will personally come to execute you."
"The great Void will offer the opportunity of faith to all beings."
Harvey addressed the reverent Lix, setting forth these guidelines.
"Respected Void God Kassadin, I will remember your teachings and establish them as the eternal commandments of our temple," Lix responded solemnly, acknowledging the gravity of the situation.
He had witnessed the terrifying and vast presence of Kassadin and understood the god's might. The blessing Kassadin bestowed was nothing short of miraculous. At over two hundred years old, and with a body nearing its end, Lix had been rejuvenated, his hair turning a youthful red. The prospect of gaining more power through consumption was almost beyond belief.
"Good. I look forward to your future actions," Harvey said. "As long as your people are devout and believe in the Void, I will grant them blessings, allowing them to join the great Void."
Lix, thrilled by this promise, eagerly nodded.
Meanwhile, others prepared the defeated desert plague for Harvey. They carried it to large stones, readying it for the Void God.
"Lord Kassadin, your meal is ready," Lix said, feeling his hunger but controlling his urge to eat as he addressed Harvey respectfully.
Harvey removed his mask, his features obscured by golden light, making it impossible for anyone to see his face.
"Take your time with the meal. Allow me to excuse myself for now," Lix requested respectfully.
Harvey waved his hand, and Lix hurried back to his home to find something to eat. He didn't want to risk making a rash move out of hunger, which could lead to divine retribution.
The desert plague's shell was extremely tough and tasted somewhat like pork. Given the planet's gravity was twice that of Earth, the meat was particularly dense. Without strong teeth, it was not easy to chew.
Harvey gained fifty thousand evolution points for each large piece of meat he consumed. With thirty-four segments of the desert plague, consuming it all would result in a complete evolution.
Had he not needed to keep the plague's head for a report, he might have devoured even that several-meter-wide head.
However, the king of the Mogrians likely needed the plague's head to calm the populace. To leave a positive impression and ensure the temple was properly established, Harvey decided to leave the head with them. There was no need to rush as there were many powerful beings in the universe.
The Mogrians watched in awe as Harvey consumed the entire desert plague, which was over a hundred meters long, within a few hours. They were not frightened but deeply impressed.
After finishing his meal, Harvey's evolution points reached two million one hundred seventy thousand. He chose not to evolve immediately, planning to complete his task and find a suitable place to evolve later.
At that moment, the roar of engines echoed through the area. Thirty beige fighter jets surrounded a massive battleship, landing precisely outside the town.
As the battleship's door opened, a towering figure with a muscular build and a red hue emerged. Standing at nearly three meters tall, the figure exuded immense power.
Seeing this, Lix immediately knelt on one knee, and the other townspeople followed suit.
The red figure leaped from the ground, covering over a hundred meters in just a few high jumps, landing near Harvey. Noticing Harvey in unfamiliar attire and not bowing, the red figure also saw the large head of the sand-shell scorpion ten meters away.
"I am King Aub Mogri of Mogri Prime," the figure introduced himself. "You must be the warrior who dealt with the desert plague."
The man approached Harvey with a smile and extended his hand.
"I am Kassadin, from the Void," Harvey replied. "You brought the payment for dealing with the desert plague, I presume?"
"Of course. You resolved a problem that plagued our people for over twenty years. You will be adequately rewarded," King Aub Mogri said, gesturing to those behind him.
One of his men whistled, and several strongmen carried five enormous boxes from the battleship.
"Kassadin, your strength in solving the desert plague is the greatest I have seen. I hope we can establish a friendship," King Aub Mogri continued. "In the future, should we face beings we cannot handle, we hope to collaborate with you. Of course, payment will be provided."
"May I exchange universal signals with you?"
King Aub Mogri extended his hand with a smile. He understood that directly recruiting Harvey was unlikely, but establishing a friendship for future cooperation was a good start.
"I don't have universal signals at the moment. I will visit Mogri Prime again in the future," Harvey responded. He was interested in exchanging signals as it was part of his mission, but he had no universal translator or communication details at present.
"Very well. When you visit again, please come to our capital, Shalin," King Aub Mogri said, surprised but understanding that Harvey intended to leave after receiving payment. He decided not to insist and offered a friendly invitation.
"I will," Harvey said, shaking hands with King Aub Mogri.
With that, Harvey took a single step and crossed several hundred meters to stand in front of the five boxes. He touched the boxes and then vanished from sight.
King Aub Mogri was astonished by this teleportation-like ability and turned to Lix.
"Lix, you look younger," he noted. "Tell me more about this Kassadin."
"Yes!" Lix stood and began to explain. "When the king arrived, I established a relationship of faith and protection with the Void God Kassadin and received his blessing…"
"An alien god can grant blessings if one is devout?" King Aub Mogri pondered. "Lix, you are the only Void believer on Mogri Prime."
"I permit you to build a temple for him," he added. "I will arrange the funds for you when I return. I look forward to seeing the results."
King Aub Mogri, having considered the long absence of divine signs on Mogri Prime, saw this alien deity as a potential opportunity for his people. However, he planned to observe Lix for a while to ensure there were no uncontrollable effects or side effects before making further decisions.