The Record of Unusual Creature

“A myth that is similar?” Hao Ren gave Big Beardy a surprised look. “What do you mean?”

“A part of the tomes of the Disciples of Glory have records and knowledge learned from other religions. These records are not part of the scripture but every high level clergy would study them, to get a better understanding of what had happened in the past and this includes stories and myths.” Big Beardy explained slowly. “I’ve read this from the tomes, that a small sect south of Holetta had propergated the story about the Manular Nova.

Hao Ren’s ears perked up. “Tell me more.”

“The Manular Nova is as also called the Manular Banestar, it was a story from the south of Holetta and was used as part of the heresy by a heretical sect to influence the people. The stories say that east of the skies lay hidden an ancient banestar that is playing dead. It was called ‘Manular’, the eye that the Goddess of Creation left to monitor the world after the destruction of the old world. This Banestar was red as blood, and it was engulfed by a flame that burnt for eternity. Ten thousand years ago, the prelude to the Goddess’s destruction of the world was the appearance of the star in the sky, and with Manular’s gaze, the land went ablaze. After the apocalypse, the Goddess closed her eyes, and the Banestar too went back into its slumber in the darkness. But after a period of time, The Manular Nova will reappear like how it did ten thousand years ago, and heralds the end of the world.”

Hao Ren rubbed his chin. “Seems like it’s very close to the records of Tannagost… A supernova?”

“Seems very close indeed.” the MDT agreed. “I’ve calculated the calender of Tannagost and Holetta, and the incident happened at the same point of time. The crimson supernova recorded probably refers to the same thing.”

A bold assumption appeared in Hao Ren’s mind, and it seemed plausible with all the evidence that he have as of now. Trying his luck, he hypothesized. “Could that be the Goddess’s real form?”

The MDT seemed to immediately catch on what Hao Ren had in mind. “Based on the scene you saw last time?”

“If what I saw was real, then the Goddess of Creation is probably on an oceanic planet that is covered by a sea of blood. At least the colour matches. Perhaps some sort of supernatural power allowed this planet to be seen like a star elsewhere.” Hao Ren nodded. “All this… are just too coincidental. Both Tannagost and Holetta saw a red supernova before they were destroyed. Seems just too fishy to me.”

“But therein lies a problem.” The MDT reminded. “Both Holetta and Tannagost are at least billion of light years apart and even light would need billion of years to travel that distance. So that is to say, after Arkana I or Manular went supernova, it would take tens of billions of years for the Holletans and the Tannaeans to see it. If that is the case, the speed with the coming of First Born Apocalypse and the supernova is simply too horrifying.”

“What if the First Born only went on a rampage after being radiated by the crimson light?” Hao Ren rubbed his chin.

The MDT agreed with the theory. “Hmm.. there is a possiblity. If the Goddess of Creation is a real god then anything to do with her may indeed defy the laws of the universe.”

Lily was chomping on the rabbit leg as she listened to Hao Ren and the MDT discussed about the Goddess of Creation. She suddenly looked up. “Can we pinpoint the position with the information we have?”

“We won’t be able to triangulate its position with just two points I’m afraid.” Hao Ren waved his hand. “You will need at least four points. And we don’t even know how far the crimson star is from Holetta or Tannagost. We only know that the explosion could be seen from both planets. So we need to look for two other points in space, and base on the supernova’s timing only can we discern where it actually is at. Besides, this is based on the waxing and waning of the glow being on a regulated rhythm, if it is random, then there’s no way to look for it.”

“If it is even there in the first place.” The MDT interjected. “Based on the various reports…. after the supernova the star was no longer visible. It could very well be totally annihilated.”

“There should be something left.” Hao Ren shook his head. “Even just debris will do. At least I’ll gave something to show to Raven12345.”

At the same point, Big Beardy spoke, his voice grim. “You think that the Manular Banestar is the Goddess of Creation herself.”

Hao Ren then remembered he had a member of the clergy beside him and quickly added, “It is just a possible home for the Goddess of Creation…. while this may be heresy, but you too know that the history of the Disciples of Glory were spotty, so we need to look at this from all angles. Say… what became of that heretic cult?”

“Them? Heh, after years of doomsay prediction and none of it happening, their heretic pope ran out of ideas and could not come up with an excuse. So he found a convenience excuse to expunge his heretical scriptures, and he was beaten to death in front of his house by a bunch of disenchanted followers. We were lucky to manage to recover two of their tomes.”

Hao Ren had cold sweat running down his forehead. “Well… that’s one lesson to not dig your own grave…”

“So, this supernova will be included in our future searches and this is at least something on the Goddess of Creation.” The MDT’s surface glowed in blue as it included the data regarding the supernova into its system and it then tapped Hao Ren by the shoulder. “Say… you plan should give this star a proper designation? The Tannaeans call it Arkana I, the Holettans call it Manular, we should have a unified term for it.”

Hao Ren rubbed his chin again as he demurred. “This star is red as blood, and it heralds death and destruction. How about we call it the Red Comet?

Lily smacked him by the arm with her tail. “Copyright infringement.”

“Then…. Sparkly Red Star?”

Lily literally bit into the bone of her rabbit leg as she heard that. “Mr Landlord, give it some more thought.”

Cold sweat quickly formed as Hao Ren tried to figure out another name. “If we are to go by Holettan myths, this star is on the east… so shall we call it Eastern Red….”

Lily gave out a long sigh. “Can’t we just call it the Crimson Nova? If you want it to sound cool, just at Nova will do the job…”

The MDT quickly recorded the name in file as Lily rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. “Your name ability is worse than a husky.”

Hao Ren was stunned. This dumb lass was previously so indignant when someone called her a doggie, and now she was so proud of her own identity… This is clearly a case of cognitive dissonance!

So the star that appeared in the legends of both Holletan and Tannaean was named the Crimson Nova. As of now Hao Ren had no way to work on this celestial body, and so just bookmarked it until he could gather more information on the star when he come across them.

Two days later, a message came from the Petrachelys. The mass production of the disruption formula used to put the First Born into a slumber and the cognitive suppression device (ie an imitation of the Sacred Sacrophagus) had been completed. Hao Ren now planned to visit New Aerym and activate his one billion tenants.

Y’lisabet new that she was about to go back to see her people, and had woke up early to doll herself up. At least now she looked the part of a princess, rather than the runt who kept having soot on her face. Y’zaks too would be tagging along. He wanted to see how Helcrown was doing.

Aside from that, Lily and the Nangong siblings too joined the party. The husky was a given, going out without her is nearly impossible. Nangong Sanba wanted to see things for himself. He had never seen the one billion tenants on Hao Ren’s planet, and Hao Ren thought it was high time to show the demon hunter what an ‘Inspector’ actually do.

Nangong Wuyue’s reason to visit was rather simple: She missed New Aerym’s vast oceans and planned to go for a long swim, enjoying her life as a mantis shrimp…

The rest stayed home to look after the house. Besides, the teleportation gate to New Aerym was just at the basement. This was not a long voyage in any case, at least for this bunch who had cross-dimension teleportation.

As Hao Ren led his crew down and was about to activate the teleporter. Rollie appeared out of nowhere. Happily the cat girl circled around Hao Ren. “Boss Cat! Are you going out to play?”

Hao Ren did not understand her, “No, I’m not going to play, I’m going out for some business..”

“Meow? So you are playing business?” she seemed to have totally misunderstood him. Happily meowing about, she put on her collar and passed the rope to Hao Ren. “Bring me along! Bring me along~~!”

Hao Ren was taken aback, but something then struck him as he nodded cheerfully “Come on, lets go!”