Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe

“Elder James, have you seen this?”

James Cobalt, the chief military officer of the Terra and one of the two Terra elders in the Union, was shown something on a tablet by his secretary.

It was an article about a man who, despite being a Terra, had won the Meias tribe’s tournament.

“Of course, I’ve seen it. He’s the most famous person right now.”

Although the magic tournament was open to all species of the Galactic Union, it was essentially a Meias event. The Terra who caused an upset and won had completely overturned the perception that Terras could only manage low-level magic at best.

Despite this, Terras still couldn’t learn magic or anything of the sort.

They lacked the innate ability to handle energy, and they didn’t possess the advanced scientific technology of the Lubaran to create superior weapons or machines.

They didn’t have the strong exoskeleton and natural reproductive abilities of the Kapteri.

They were a species that could only mimic what others had sown.

Terras were seen as weak and insignificant.

Despite their relentless efforts to improve their technological prowess and climb to a mid-upper rank within the Union, prejudice and discrimination against Terras persisted.

“Even a Meias elder was jealous and tried to kill him. How did we not know about such a person?”

“Well… the Union did ask us to verify his identity some time ago.”

“And?”

“We couldn’t find anything on our end. It was as if his records had been erased.”

James tilted his head in confusion at his secretary’s words.

“If his records were erased due to exile, there should have been a separate record of him as an exile. Could it be that he was considered dead long ago?”

James tilted his head, puzzled.

Yujin’s records had been erased from the Terra’s database, likely classified as deceased.

However, such talent should have been known, yet there was no memory of him.

“Perhaps he was born secretly elsewhere to avoid being recorded.”

“Well, that’s irrelevant now. Make contact with him. See if we can bring him over to our side since he’s a fellow Terra.”

James didn’t care about Yujin’s origins or records.

What he wanted was Yujin himself.

A formidable talent, envied even by the Meias elders, and a natural-born powerhouse.

If they could recruit Yujin as a Terra warrior, it would significantly bolster their strength.

Moreover, being the disciple of a Meias elder and the winner of the magic tournament, Yujin’s presence could potentially forge a special relationship between the Terras and the Meias.

With this in mind, James quickly instructed his secretary to make contact with Yujin.

#

Oh… it seems the Terras are starting to move as well.

Yujin’s name has indeed become quite well-known due to this incident.

Knowing Yujin’s personality, he’s likely to reject any offer to join the Terras.

After learning magic from the Meias, he probably plans to travel the universe and become a true space adventurer.

He’s bound to stir up quite a commotion within the Galactic Union.

Though, it might not be as significant as the upheaval caused by the emergence of the elves and Metalians.

Meanwhile, in Lumolasi Village, they began digging for copper, hoping to find it in other locations as well.

“We’ve discovered a silver-colored stone.”

“This one… looks like a slightly reddish stone, but its smell and texture are somewhat unique.”

In addition to tin ore, they found iron ore.

They explored various places, including the village, surrounding forests, hills, and caves, discovering multiple veins of minerals.

Thanks to the elves’ keen senses, they quickly noticed that the ores had a distinct smell and appearance compared to ordinary stones.

Iron ore, for instance, might just look like a slightly reddish stone at a glance.

However, without a furnace to process it, the iron ore would likely remain unused and stashed away.

Still, discovering it was a positive step.

If they could achieve the necessary temperatures for extraction, they could quickly enter the Iron Age.

While copper and bronze alloys are relatively easy to melt, extract, and cast, they are softer and heavier compared to iron, making them less versatile.

For weapons and farming tools, iron is essential.

Meanwhile, what’s happening with Muwan?

It seems they’re focusing more on territorial expansion rather than various discoveries and inventions.

“Come on, let’s plow the fields. This is where our food will grow.”

“Grr…”

As expected, subtle social hierarchies were beginning to emerge.

Although they hadn’t formally established classes, their actions and speech suggested a division based on their roles.

Muwan was akin to a king.

Below him were the village overseers, a managerial class.

Then there were the warriors, originally from Muwan’s village, who became warriors due to their exceptional physical abilities.

Next were the laborers who farmed or provided manual labor.

And at the bottom, though not treated as slaves, were the outsiders from the highland village, who even the laborers could command.

These outsiders handled almost all menial labor.

Tsk tsk, wherever people go, hierarchies form, but to see it at the village level already…

Muwan certainly exudes the aura of a ruler and dictator.

However, despite this, the people of Muwan’s village lived very well.

They enjoyed a prosperous and comfortable life, with abundant food grown in fertile soil.

Thanks to the warrior class’s exceptional hunting skills, there was no shortage of meat, ensuring a varied diet for everyone.

Even the general laborers could enjoy meat two or three times a week, living in abundance.

This was also true for the highland village elves, who were considered outsiders.

Despite being treated as menial laborers, they were content with the bountiful meals they could never have imagined back in the highlands.

Moreover, Muwan and the warrior class’s aggressive territorial expansion had significantly enlarged the village.

With many laborers, the houses were built large and sturdy.

Even the outsiders lived in spacious, well-built homes and ate plentifully, so they had little reason to complain about Muwan’s dictatorial rule.

As they rapidly expanded their territory, they soon found themselves close to the highland village.

If they continued to expand around the highland village, the two villages would eventually merge into one territory.

Their territory had grown so large that it could be considered a small city rather than a mere village.

With the influx of highland villagers and the birth of new children, their population was quickly approaching 2,000.

With a large population, rapid expansion, a radical leader, and exceptional military strength, they had everything they needed.

There would likely be no elf in the southern hemisphere capable of stopping Muwan now.

…Wait a minute.

It seems something is happening with the cultists as well.

Switching the perspective quickly to that side.

“What, what’s this? Other elves?”

A scouting party from an elf village near the coast had discovered the cultists.

“Oh! Outsiders! The gods have sent us outsiders!”

“Welcome, welcome the outsiders!”

They joyfully greeted their fellow elves from afar.

…But seriously, if they keep screaming and dancing like that, the newcomers will run away in fear!

“These people are strange…”

“Look at that… they even built a bizarre statue… Are they a group of lunatics?”

See, I knew it.

They’re being treated like a bunch of crazies.

…Or so I thought.

“Oh, great six-handed elf god!”

“Bless our scouting party and our village!”

“The outsider is with us! Let us all pray together!”

“Oh, god…”

……

Damn, they’ve been indoctrinated.

The scouting party from the coastal village got indoctrinated by this crazy cult, learning their language, rituals, and prayers to their god.

They even became fanatics, joining in their dances.

Oh, for crying out loud, this is insane.

Did I ever include such fanatical elements when I set up the elves?

Or did they develop this on their own…

Anyway, this might be a serious issue.

Cults are dangerous once they take hold, but I never expected them to spread this easily.

If this keeps up, these lunatics might spread across the entire planet, turning all the elves into a crazy cult.

Should I pretend to be a god and tell them to tone it down…?

No, that would only make them crazier. They’d think the god has spoken to them directly and go even more berserk.

They’d twist my words to mean that their faith isn’t strong enough!

They’d start spreading their fanaticism even more fervently.

“Let’s go to your village together! It’s blasphemous that you’ve lived without knowing the god’s existence and blessings!”

“Yes, let’s go to our village! The villagers will be overjoyed to learn about the god’s existence and will join us in prayer!”

Oh no!

Those lunatics are actually going to evangelize to another village…!

What should I do?

“Oh, great six-handed elf god!”

“Almighty Creator!!”

“Guide us on our path!!”

…Sigh.

I give up.

If they want to believe in a god, let them.

Our elf planet supports freedom of religion…