69novels Chapter 26 Nathaniel, the Last Patriarch
Chapter 26 Nathaniel, the Last Patriarch
When an exceptionally tall crystal rock giant suddenly appeared in front of him, Cheng Xu was instinctively startled.
But he soon discovered that the crystal rock figure in front of him didn't look very high resolution and didn't seem to be a physical entity, but rather existed as some kind of projection.
Perhaps because his thoughts were somewhat hazy in his consciousness, it was only then that he belatedly realized that the voice he had just heard came from the crystal rock man.
The Crystal Stone Man actually spoke?
It says this is a space of consciousness? But what exactly is the Crystal Core?
Filled with doubt, Cheng Xu scanned the crystal rock man from top to bottom with an appraising gaze.
Compared to the crystal rock creatures he had seen on Golun Star, the crystal rock creature in front of him was much larger.
The entire body is composed of the special crystalline rock components seen earlier, and intricate patterns emerge on the composite rock layers covering the surface.
Through the cracks in the rock armor, one can see that the inside of this stone giant's body is not mixed with any other colors; it is pure black.
The various features on its body suggest that this is not an ordinary crystal rock human.
"Was that you speaking just now?"
Unable to glean any further useful information from observation, Cheng Xu took the initiative to ask questions.
"That's right. Here, our consciousness can transcend the constraints of species and language, and communicate directly."
"So that's how it is..."
Seeing that the other party did not show any hostility, Cheng Xu felt a little relieved.
Before he could even ask a question, the stone figure in front of him introduced itself, its slightly distorted voice echoing in Cheng Xu's mind.
"My name is Nathaniel. I was the chieftain of the Crystal Rock Clan thirteen hundred years ago."
Thirteen hundred years ago? That sounds familiar.
Cheng Xu was certain that he had heard about this time point somewhere before.
He quickly remembered.
About 1,300 years ago, for some purpose, the Crystal Rock Clan initiated a massive ceremony that affected the entire planet.
The ritual ultimately failed, and the Crystal Rock Clan suffered annihilation as a result.
Thirteen hundred years ago was the time when the Crystal Rock Clan perished, and also the beginning of the appearance of the Anomaly: Crystal Rock Tomb.
What?
The intense shock was like a bolt of lightning, piercing through Cheng Xu's thoughts.
Is this Crystal Rock Man the last patriarch of the Crystal Rock Clan?
The clan leader who survived the extermination of the Crystal Rock Clan?
Is the patriarch of the Crystal Rock Clan from 1,300 years ago still alive in this world?
But Cheng Xu immediately dismissed this idea. The crystalline rock figure before him was not a physical entity, but rather seemed to be communicating with him through this space in the form of some kind of residual consciousness.
But how does it know that thirteen hundred years have passed in the outside world?
"Judging from your reaction, you know a lot. You must be from that organization called the Anomaly Management Bureau, right?"
The voice of Nathaniel, the Crystal Rock Man, rang in Cheng Xu's mind once again.
"That's good, it saves me a lot of trouble explaining."
After regaining his composure from the initial shock, Cheng Xu realized a fact.
If the other party is not lying, and the person in front of him is indeed the last patriarch of the Crystal Rock Clan, then he must be a witness to the ritual that brought about the disaster.
"I am Cheng Xu from the Chengmingxing Branch of the Abnormal Management Bureau."
He initiated a conversation with Nathaniel.
"Chief Nathaniel, why are you in this consciousness space? What exactly happened on this planet thirteen hundred years ago?"
Upon hearing his question, the massive body of the crystal giant Nathaniel slowly lowered, shrinking proportionally to only two meters tall, so that Cheng Xu no longer had to strain his head to look up.
"well……"
A long sigh, seemingly containing rather complex emotions.
Let me start from the beginning.
Nathaniel began his narration, and Cheng Xu listened intently, his eyes fixed on the last patriarch.
Countless years ago, Golun was a barren planet, devoid of any signs of life.
This planet is filled with veins of various rocks and metals, and its mineral resources are incredibly abundant.
After countless years of change, perhaps as a result of countless extremely low-probability events, or perhaps as a miracle blessed by the gods, life was born on this planet.
"Unlike you humans, we store memories from ancient times within us, passed down from generation to generation."
"My earliest ancestor was just a tiny cell in a rock, unconsciously absorbing the surrounding mineral components to survive."
"Starting from the simplest life structure, they reproduced and evolved. Over the long years, the Crystal Rock Clan you speak of was born and formed in the Crystal Rock Mine."
Nathaniel's tone carried a hint of pride.
The Crystal Rock Clan initially lived underground, feeding on crystal rock ore and various underground mineral veins.
Over a developmental process spanning tens of thousands of years, this race has continuously refined its "genes" through intergenerational transmission.
They gradually developed intelligence from their initial ignorance, eventually acquiring the thinking abilities that could be described as "higher intelligent life".
"Later, the underground mineral veins could no longer fully meet the needs of the group's activities, so my ancestors began to migrate to the surface."
As their living areas changed, the ancient clustering patterns also began to change, with the Crystal Rock Clan forming several small settlements on the land.
These settlements mostly surround the crater, because volcanic lava can quickly replenish the "body fluids" needed for the internal circulation of the Crystal Rock People.
Like many intelligent races in the cosmos, the productivity of the Crystal Rock People society steadily increased over a long period of time.
They obtained nutrients from the ore, they built simple dwellings from the rocks, and they began to build high walls to defend their settlements.
With the development of productivity, the expansion of territory, and the deepening of the general level of intelligence among ethnic groups, conflicts and frictions between settlements have become more frequent.
These conflicts and frictions eventually escalated into war, a massive war that engulfed all the Crystal Stone People. Countless Crystal Stone People perished in the war, returning to the earth.
Finally, an exceptionally powerful Crystal Rock Man led his settlement to defeat all other enemies, establishing his rule over the entire Crystal Rock race.
As time went by, the original rulers were overthrown, and new rulers succeeded to the throne, generation after generation, in an endless cycle.
"It's somewhat similar to the rise and evolution of ancient feudal dynasties... There's really nothing new under the sun."
Cheng Xu had not expected that the social development of the Crystal Rock People would bear such a striking resemblance to the ancient human civilizations he remembered.
"As the number of new Crystal Rock people increased, food and living space quickly became the biggest problems within the race. In the process of expanding outwards, the Crystal Rock race finally encountered enemies from other races."
"This planet is very large, and species that evolved from the earliest life forms are now found all over the planet. Most of them are life forms that originated from different types of minerals."
"My ancestors realized that the Crystal Clan's territory only occupied a small part of this land."
"Later on, in order to compete with other races for territory and resources, the social structure of the Crystal Rock Clan underwent another transformation."
"The strongest individual in the entire tribe will be elected as the chief, leading the tribe to fight against external enemies and seize more food and territory."