Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2226  Nephilim

The Nephilim have been one of the leading factions of the human race. While many factions seek absolute strength, the secret of their growth lies in nurturing planets and civilizations. Their rise to power was driven by three prominent families: the Amarhikss, the Aztebas, and the Azazel.

By the time they reached the status of a grade 5 faction, they governed 8 galaxies and over 100 worlds across three quadrants. The Nephilim's influence extended through a hierarchical structure: 3 main families ruled by the highborn, 30 secondary families, and over 100 subsidiary factions managed by their low-born and outsiders. This intricate system allowed them to efficiently manage their vast dominion.

Approximately 2,500 years ago, the Nephilim discovered a particular blue planet in the Alpha Quadrant. This planet, with its massive size and perfect alignment with its sun, presented an ideal habitat for life. Its discovery marked a significant moment in their expansion.

Initially classified as a Savage 2 planet, it harbored just over 100,000 primitive humans living among low-tier beasts and basic resources. However, what truly captivated the Nephilim was the recent discovery of a primordial wisp within the planet.

The Nephilim conducted a century of observations, during which it became clear that the primordial wisp, known locally as Gaia, was highly aligned with the planet. This wisp demonstrated significant growth, promising untapped potential and resources that were immensely valuable to any factions.

The presence of Gaia indicated that the planet had an inherent spirit affinity, making it a rich source of spirit energy and materials. The natural lines of spirit energy that crisscrossed the planet, were more potent than those found on many other worlds. To cement their claim and establish control, the Nephilim selected a member of one of their noble families to become the first settlers on Earth.

This responsibility fell to young King Anu of Akkadia. Anu was a descendant of a renowned Nephilim supreme guardian who had sacrificed his life for the faction, an act that had left a lasting legacy. However, despite their storied past, the Akkadia family had fallen on hard times. The death of their patriarch had left them weakened, nearly to the point of extinction, making them the weakest among the thirty secondary Nephilim families.

Recognizing the merits and sacrifices of the Akkadia family, the Nephilim leadership decided to grant them stewardship of the newly discovered planet. This decision was both a reward for their past loyalty and a chance to reshape their future. The opportunity to govern and develop Earth offered a path to restore their former glory and influence within the Nephilim hierarchy.

2350 BCE, Earth time,

A contingent of 300 Akkadian family members and their servants, including about 50 magus, migrated to Earth. This group was a mixture of scholars, and warriors, all dedicated to the mission of transforming Earth into a Nephilim stronghold. They shared their advanced knowledge and technology with the primitive human populations, offering protection and guidance in exchange for loyalty and service. This benevolent rule led the local populations to revere the Akkadians as gods, forming the foundation of Earth's first civilization, known as Mesopotamia.

Under the leadership of King Anu, the Akkadians established themselves as divine rulers. They introduced advanced agricultural practices, complex irrigation systems, and the basics of written language. These innovations spurred rapid development in Mesopotamia, turning it into a flourishing civilization. A key aspect of their settlement strategy was the directive for mixed marriages with the local population. This policy aimed to integrate the Akkadians deeply into Earth's human societies, ensuring loyalty and creating a hybrid lineage that combined Nephilim and human traits. While the general populace of Akkadians was encouraged to marry and start families with humans, King Anu, bound by his royal blood, was prohibited from such unions. He watched as his cousins and nieces established their own families, spreading Akkadian influence across the planet.

Despite his restrictions on marriage, King Anu was far from lonely. His exceptional mastery of nature and light magic allowed him to forge deep connections with Earth's extraordinary flora and fauna. He became particularly attuned to Gaia, the primordial wisp whose presence had drawn the Nephilim to Earth. Through his communion with Gaia, Anu developed a profound understanding of the planet's natural forces and ecosystems. This bond not only strengthened his rule but also deepened his respect for the delicate balance of life on Earth.

Three hundred years passed, and Earth thrived under the Akkadian's influence. The population multiplied a hundredfold, leading to a remarkable increase in the planet's overall spirit energy—far beyond initial expectations. During this period, King Anu successfully ascended to the realm of a grand magus. His reign saw prosperous dealings with new arrivals, the Vanir, with whom he shared a significant portion of the planet, further solidifying Akkadian influence.

Under Anu's guidance, the Akkadians appeared set to ascend to a prominent position within the magus alliance. However, in 2020 BCE, King Anu's mysterious death triggered a catastrophic upheaval. His sudden demise shattered the delicate equilibrium the Akkadians had cultivated, unleashing a colossal natural disaster that severely diminished the planet's advantages.

The once-thriving spirit energy, closely tied to Gaia, plummeted dramatically. The planet's growth rate fell below average, causing it to lose its allure to other factions. In the wake of this upheaval, control of Earth was relegated to the insignificant subsidiary faction led by Kronos, who was entrusted with governing the now underwhelming world.

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"I don't need a history lesson, tell me something that I don't know!" Emery demanded, glaring at the weakened Ishtar.

With Ishtar's mental defenses compromised, Emery began to delve into her memories, seeking valuable insights. Through the fragmented recollections, he glimpsed a series of events that had shaped her time on Earth.

The young and beautiful princess of the Nephilim, Ishtar, had harbored high dreams of becoming one of the successors within the Nephilim line. Despite her aspirations, the Astiel family ranked lower among the secondary families, and she faced the daunting challenge of competing against her numerous brothers and sisters. Her arranged marriage to a member of the struggling Akkadia family was a bitter pill to swallow, especially since her intended was one of the king's nephews. Though she found the warrior Gilgamesh somewhat charming, her rage flared when the mixed-blood man dared to reject her.

"I don't need to hear your life drama," Emery interjected, his patience wearing thin. "I want to know about the king, how did he die?"

"I don't know…" Ishtar replied, frustration evident in her voice. "When I came to live on Earth, the King had been dead for over 20 years."

Not giving up, Emery pressed further. "I see you lived there for a few months; you must have heard or suspected something… what about the Kronos? tell me about them!?"

Emery expected a hidden conspiracy between Ishtar and Kronos. However, to his surprise, he saw Ishtar's disgust with Kronos and his family. Despite Kronos being a mere magus guard, he was allowed to be the caretaker after failing to protect his master.

"Kronos was only in the magus realm at that time and only a guard. He can't be the one responsible. Tell me if there is anyone else... a grand magus figure, perhaps!" Emery pressed, his tone insistent.

After further thought, Ishtar found herself suspicious of the intense interest her faction had in Earth. In particular, a renowned grand magus elder of her faction was known to frequently visit the planet and was known to have been in touch with Kronos, even before her arrival.

"Who is this person?" Emery asked, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the importance of this revelation.

The thought of the man was enough to make the usually haughty Ishtar uncomfortable. This particular grand magus had managed to reach great fortune and became the foundation that led the Astiel family to prestige.

"Everyone knows him as the Sky Lord," she replied, her voice dropping to a whisper.

The name startled Emery. He recalled hearing whispers about the "Sky God," a figure loathed by Gaia, and the connection between this name and the Sky Lord became ominously clear. He couldn't help but heave a deep sigh, realizing the gravity of the situation.

The Sky Lord was not just a respected elder; he was a formidable figure in his own right, a three-cosmos grand magus on the verge of a breakthrough into the supreme realm.