A gentle breeze caressed the isolated village — a small cluster of wooden huts surrounded by mountains and dense forests. The wind carried the scent of damp leaves and burnt wood, mixed with the dry dust of worn paths.
The inhabitants were few. Their clothes were worn; their faces marked by a lifetime of hard work, suffering, and neglect. The Kanar Tribe, one of the oldest in the world, had been abandoned by neighboring empires and kingdoms. Though resilient, their population was trapped in poverty, hunger, and constant humiliation inflicted by stronger villages.
Every day, they were forced to trade with corrupt merchants who exploited their misery with abusive prices for food, cloth, and tools. Young members of the tribe were often taken as slaves or forced to fight in wars that were not theirs — battles that brought only more pain. Many never returned. Others came back silent.
Living isolated, they survived only on what nature offered. Their faces revealed, beyond suffering, a small spark of hope — a fragile but persistent flame. It was a kind of silent, ancestral faith, passed down through generations by stories whispered around campfires.
That day, like so many others, Ankar, the tribe's leader, an old and weary man, sat in his simple chair at the village center. His gaze was melancholic. He knew his tribe was on the brink of extinction. The crops failed, the hunts grew scarce, and even the forest seemed to turn against them. The old gods, if they existed, had fallen silent.
As Ankar pondered the grim fate of his people, a strange wind blew over the village. It was a cold, silent breeze, but charged with something... different. A presence. The air seemed to vibrate. The leaves stopped moving. Even the birds fell silent.
Instinctively, the villagers' eyes turned toward the sky.
And then, he appeared.
A man of divine beauty emerged, floating above the village with a presence both overwhelming and serene. His red hair, like living flames, waved in the wind, and his ice-blue eyes shone with the intensity of an entire firmament. His aura made the air tremble, and time seemed to slow with his arrival. Every heartbeat sounded louder. Every breath, slower.
The villagers stood paralyzed, fascinated and fearful. It was as if a god had descended from the heavens to visit mortals.
The elders murmured prayers; children hid behind their mothers, peeking with frightened eyes. Ankar struggled to rise, his eyes wide at the celestial apparition. His right leg trembled, but he stood firm. Pride still lived there, even in pain.
Orion gently touched down on the village's dry soil, and the moment his feet met the earth, the environment changed. The trees blossomed instantly. The air, once heavy with misery, became light and invigorating. A scent of fresh flowers spread through the village, awakening forgotten emotions. His eyes scanned the village — from the humble huts to the wary looks watching him.
He was searching for the first inhabitants of his empire. And the Subsystem had guided him here.
『DING』
『Eternal Empire Subsystem guides the host: find inhabitants to populate the newly created Empire』
"Are you the Kanar Tribe?" His voice thundered like distant storms — firm but calm.
For a moment, silence reigned. Then Ankar stepped forward, trembling before that celestial presence.
"Yes, we are the Kanar Tribe, lord... What does a being like you seek in a place so humble and forgotten as ours?" His voice was weak but full of respect. He clasped his hands to control the tremor.
Orion walked toward the old leader. Each step seemed to echo through the tribe's very soul. His eyes met Ankar's — tired but dignified. He saw there the pain of generations, the burden of leading a tribe against time, hunger, and abandonment. He saw the flame still burning, though faint.
"I have seen the future of this tribe" Orion said, his voice heavy with power and compassion. "I saw your pain, your losses, and the decay you have faced for generations. That is why I chose to intervene. I am building a new empire — a place where suffering will have no home. Where those willing to walk with me may prosper"
Ankar remained silent. The words seemed unreal, like a dream too distant to reach.
Slowly, the villagers approached, drawn not only by the promise but by something more: hope. It had scent, shape, presence — it came with that strange man with cosmic eyes.
"But... why us?" Ankar asked, his voice trembling. "We have nothing. Only defeats and humiliations to tell"
Orion smiled. A smile that lit the entire village. "Precisely because of that. I do not seek the powerful or noble. I seek those who understand the value of survival. You are the perfect foundation for something grand. And I offer you a new destiny"
The silence that followed was broken by whispers of admiration and exchanged glances among the villagers. That proposal was more than a gift. It was salvation.
Seeing doubt still linger in their faces, Orion raised his hand.
An intense light enveloped his body. In an instant, the world around twisted. The view of the mountain range vanished — and in its place, the empire he had built appeared.
Golden towers. Crystal palaces. Immortal academies. Eternal libraries.
"This" said Orion, as the vision unfolded before them, "is the place where you will prosper. An empire that will protect you, that will give you purpose. You will be the first to inhabit it. Your names will live forever"
With teary eyes, Ankar dropped to his knees. "Lord... we do not deserve so much. But we will accept. We accept with all our hearts. Our tribe will be forever grateful. Thank you"
Orion gazed at the emotional faces around him. He knew: there, in that moment, something eternal was born.
"Prepare yourselves" he said, with a nod of approval. "You will soon move to the new home waiting for you"
A few days later...
Since Orion's appearance, the village's atmosphere had changed. Where despair had reigned, life now thrived. The villagers, energized, performed their tasks with renewed vigor. Hope — once scarce — now dwelled in every gesture, every glance.
That morning, the sky was clear. The mountains seemed less threatening. Orion stood in the village center, with Ankar by his side. The tribe dismantled their huts, preparing not just to move but to change their destiny.
Orion watched carefully. His gaze caught every detail. He felt the bond between those people and the ancestral land. With a silent gesture, he freed the souls of those who had lived and died there, honoring the ancestors before departure.
He approached a group dismantling one of the last huts. The villagers stopped at his presence. It was still surreal for them to see such a powerful being walking among simple mortals.
"You have worked hard" said Orion, his warm voice contrasting with his imposing appearance. "In the empire, your journey will only begin"
A young man, Rikan, stepped forward with bright eyes. "Lord... that place you showed us... is it really real? A place where we will no longer be humiliated?"
Orion looked at the youth and smiled. "The empire will be what you make of it. I created it with power and purpose, but it is you who will transform it into something grand. You will be the first. Your actions will define the future"
Rikan bowed his head, moved. He knew he stood before an opportunity his ancestors never had.
Orion stepped away, heading to the village's large wooden gate, with Ankar beside him. He stopped and gazed at the horizon.
"Ankar" he said, without turning, "you have led this tribe for years. When we arrive at the empire, your role will continue. You will be a counselor. Represent your people and help guide our new home"
Ankar nodded, voice trembling with pride. "It will be an honor, lord. I will give my all"
Orion then raised his hand. The air around shimmered, and a golden portal formed before the village — vast, shining, radiating a calming energy. It was the passage to the newly created empire.
"The time has come" declared Orion. "Cross together. This is the beginning of a new life for each of you"
The villagers, fascinated, began to approach. One by one, they crossed the portal — eyes fixed on Orion, hearts full of hope.
Ankar was first. Rikan, holding his sister's hand, followed. One by one, the Kanar Tribe set off toward the unknown.
When the last villager crossed, Orion was alone.
He watched the empty village. Made a silent farewell gesture. With a firm step, he crossed the portal, which closed behind him.
And so, the Kanar Tribe was reborn.
Not as forgotten —
But as the first heirs of the Empire of Eryndor.