Hero of Darkness

Chapter 1284: Chosen by the God

As Kahn made his long-awaited appearance in front of the netizens of the Rakos Empire, he chose to divulge a shocking truth to the masses.

[[I have been chosen as a Hero by a God.]]

His words reverberated throughout the empire as people widened their eyes in disbelief.

Most could barely fathom the idea of Gods and Goddesses being real. And on top of it, Kahn declared that he was suddenly chosen as a Hero by a God.

“Wait… what is a ‘hero’? Is it anything like those stories we heard as children?” asked one of the citizens while watching the broadcast in Rathna, the capital of the empire.

[[You may be wondering what is a ‘hero’? And what kind of authority that title holds.]] said Kahn.

Meanwhile, in the imperial palace in the capital, Kahn sat on his throne, opposite various projection artifacts.

Behind them was Sirius Blake, the Chief Minister of Finance, as well as all of Kahn’s subordinates.

He left for the capital as per Kahn’s instructions a day ago just to arrange this nationwide broadcast.

Kahn then switched to his usual courteous tone.

“All of this happened right the next day after my coronation as the new emperor all those months ago.

I was sitting in my throne room, going through recruitment records for the new key positions in both the military and several government institutions, and suddenly…

I was summoned in a completely different realm, a world both indescribable and almost unreal.” he spoke, expressing his experience.

Kahn then proceeded to explain how he met the God of Darkness, who later chose him as his new representative, and thus, he gained the title of Hero of Darkness.

And afterwards, the God of Darkness told him about the Demon God and what was about to happen soon.

Kahn then told the people that the God of Darkness summoned a soul from a different world and fused it with his own.

“Do not worry. I am not someone else now. Otherwise, I would not be revealing it to any of you if I were an entirely different person,” he clarified.

“As per the history, the souls of humans from other worlds are far more compatible with the world energy in Vantrea.

It allows them to grow at a rapid pace and helps them carry divine abilities granted by the Gods,” he reiterated and added more information to the lore.

“As you all know… my meteoric rise in strength was thanks to the first emperor, Rathnaar Whittlock, choosing me as his successor.

He guided me till now to become a 7th-stage saint so I could protect the empire as its leader.

But according to the God of Darkness… it will not be enough to defend our people against the Demon Empire and the entity called the Demon God.” his words echoed through people’s minds.

“The other empires are already ready to fight during a historical phenomenon they term as the ‘Great War’.

As an empire, we have also received many invitations to join them over the centuries. However, it was never given a response by any of the reigning forces of the past.

But this time, after meeting the God of Death… I have chosen to partake in it.” he revealed his intentions.

Gasp!

Millions of people, regardless of their gender or species, were shaken by Kahn’s declaration.

“It is not because I crave war. I would do everything in my power to avoid a single son or daughter of the Rakos Empire needlessly dying in a war we have no reason to partake in.

I would rather stay out of their business and focus on the development of our great nation instead.” he spoke with an earnest tone.

“But to our dismay… the situation is so dire this time that if we don’t even enter the battlefield… the whole Rakos Empire may be erased out of existence.”

This sudden declaration soon sent waves of fear and hysteria across the empire.

“If the Demon God achieves the Demi-God Rank, something that surpasses even the Peak Saint rank, he would destroy the entire world to its last atom, and we all will die with it.

Thus, it is detrimental to preserve our lives that we must fight.” iterated Kahn with a serious tone.

“One of the reasons why the God of Darkness chose me was also because he had seen what I achieved despite my age, and he was impressed by my devotion towards the people of the Rakos Empire.” he said with a prideful tone.

“The exact words by the God of Darkness were…

[I need a representative who not only has strength but also the character to stand up for those in need and those who have been oppressed.

I want someone who lives and bleeds for their people instead of acting like a tyrant just because they have some meager strength.]

To be honest, I also felt doubtful of his intentions despite those words.” revealed Kahn.

“But what happened next was… unexpected.”

He then explained the history of summoned heroes and how their war against the Demon God had been happening for the past 3 thousand years.

“As you now know… the entity called the Demon God is someone whose existence is a threat to the entire Vantrea.

And we, as an empire, had stayed out of this war. And it was a deliberate decision taken by none other than the First Emperor himself.” he divulged this information to the masses.

“What? So it was our first emperor who chose to hide the truth from us?”

A valid question was raised among the masses. Some felt betrayed, while some anticipated an explanation from their emperor.

“Our great first emperor, whose remnant soul you all witnessed that day during my coronation… was so incredibly strong that even the other empires feared him and incessantly attacked our Rakos Empire over a millennium ago.

And the main reason behind their hatred for us was that the Emperor banned the practice of religion or any institutions that spread their doctrine; primarily due to how many people he had seen die during his early life in the name of the Gods.

Their constant attacks on the Rakos Empire forced his hand to the point that he had to fight and kill the Earth Dragon King of that era and forge a weapon made from its horns.

The exiled species from other empires, such as Elves and Dwarves, who later helped in founding the Rakos Empire, helped him forge a weapon so powerful…

That he killed 9 out of the 13 Heroes and Heroines of his generation, all by himself,” stated Kahn.

Shock!

Bewilderment!

Kahn then recounted the hidden past and how Rathnaar was an existence that even the other empires didn’t dare to offend after he had almost wiped out an entire generation of chosen heroes just because they had pissed him off by attacking the Rakos Empire.

The reaction to this revelation was even more intense than what Kahn had told everyone before.

Because that meant the first emperor was even stronger than the chosen heroes of his era if he alone could kill so many of them.

“I confirmed all of it by talking with the soul of the first emperor. Not only was he assured of the legitimacy of all those events, but he also showed deep regret that he did not end this war by killing the Demon God himself.

He was the only Peak Saint of Vantrea in the era long gone. And now, as his successor and the Emperor of the Rakos Empire… that responsibility falls on my shoulder.” spoke Kahn, his voice burdened with the responsibility of the crown.

“There is another event that you all must be made aware of. And that event is…” spoke Kahn, and his voice turned heavy.

“The Fall of the Abyss Empire.”

******************

After a few moments of respite… Kahn recounted what the previous Hero of Darkness did 300 years ago and what the consequences were for the Abyss Empire, which led to their downfall.

“However… I did not take on such a risky endeavor knowing that it might threaten the fate of our empire.

I am not such a fickle man to act only upon instinct.” he clarified.

“After my soul was fused with another and I received the Divine Abilities possessed by these so-called Heroes…

I’m stronger, faster, and better than I ever was,” he stated firmly.

“You all already witnessed how I fought a Peak 7th-stage saint as only a Beginner of the same rank.

And I can gladly affirm that now… my strength has almost tripled.” he spoke with a gleeful tone.

“What?! Does that mean the Emperor can alone take on the 3 Peak 7th-stage saints now?

He is basically an 8th-stage Saint himself, isn’t he?” asked one of the citizens as if he was directly talking to Kahn himself.

A sense of relief washed over the people of the Rakos Empire.

“On top of it…There was one detrimental fact that made me bear the responsibility and become the next Hero of Darkness.

The fact being…” spoke Kahn, his tone now filled with a confident fervor.

“The Abyss Empire still lives!”