※ Long, long ago, a young ape-man opened his eyes. He found himself suspended in a gleaming glass tank, his body submerged in viscous nutrient fluid, surrounded by countless other similar cultivation tanks, each containing an ape-man much like himself.

At that time, he had only just achieved self-awareness, his mind as clean and empty as that of an infant. After emerging from the tank, he underwent two years of intense, spoon-fed learning with the aid of advanced instructional apparatus, forming a basic framework of knowledge. He knew he was a lifeform created by the great Kustar people, as was his entire race; their inherent mission was to fight for the Kustar people until death.

During combat practice, the young ape-man discovered he could move objects merely with his consciousness, without needing to physically grasp them. This discovery instantly set him apart from the other ape-men, elevating him to the ranks of the higher primates.

His innate talent was exceptional. After three hundred standard planetary cycles of psychokinesis training—which, in Galactic Standard Time, equates to roughly fourteen Earth hours, a unit later substituted by 'days'—his psychic power broke through the barrier of the first level, advancing him to the second level: Lower-Tier Higher Ape-man.

This achievement was outstanding across the entire ape-man race, leading to his selection once more to receive opportunities for deeper, esoteric training. This time, he was sent to the Kustar homeworld, where he studied arcane arts and staff techniques alongside several dozen Kustar individuals, under the tutelage of a third-level Master instructor.

The young ape-man’s performance astonished the Kustar people time and again. His rate of progress accelerated, eventually surpassing the records set by the Kustar themselves. He reached the peak of the second level with unprecedented speed, and in combat, he displayed unparalleled aptitude. He mastered any spell or technique instantly; proficiency followed immediately, leading to complete comprehension. When facing an opponent, he could extrapolate and adapt, even managing to fight his third-level instructor to a standstill using only his second-level strength!

Yet, this immense talent brought him no joy. He keenly sensed that the gazes from his instructors and his peers held a strange quality—a look steeped in jealousy, hatred, and contempt. At times, this omnipresent scrutiny made it difficult for him to breathe.

The young ape-man understood that he was, ultimately, merely a biological weapon, manufactured rather than naturally conceived. No matter how powerful he became, he could never attain the status of the Kustar people. However, they were his creators, the benefactors who granted him life; he could not repay kindness with betrayal. He accepted this realization as his unavoidable fate and, for a considerable period, harbored no desire to change his circumstances.

But as his insight and experience deepened, he gradually began to comprehend what would happen to the ape-man race if things continued as they were. They were destined to be sent to a place called the Sol System to wage war against a race known as Humans. This war would be endless, continuing until all enemies were annihilated, or they themselves were wiped out.

The young ape-man began to grieve for his race, and from that sorrow sprouted a trace of bewilderment: Was the very reason for their existence simply to die?

Carrying this hint of confusion, he was summoned by the supreme guardian deity of the Kustar. His talent was so potent and widely known that even this fourth-level existence had heard of him and grown curious.

This meeting altered his destiny. The Kustar Guardian God, named Karagunis, appeared as a giant whose skin resembled rough stone, looking much like a small, moving mountain range. He deemed the young ape-man’s talent sufficient to become his disciple, immediately taking him on as an apprentice. He erased the name bestowed upon the ape-man when he emerged from the tank and gave him a new one: Hardek.

While studying under Karagunis, the young ape-man confronted his inner self. He resolved the confusion within his soul, and upon achieving the third level, he made a grand vow: to free his kin from their status as biological weapons and see them stand in the Galaxy as a free race!

Karagunis saw through his intentions and informed him that achieving this goal was not impossible, but only through one path: conquering the Sol System, eradicating humanity, and taking over humanity’s position in the Galaxy. Although the humans held a low status in the Galaxy, they were, nevertheless, a free race. Only then would the Kustar people liberate them, allowing the ape-man race to step onto the great stage of the Galaxy as a vassal race to the Kustar.

Ultimately, war was the only way. But Hardek was no longer confused, for the internal driving force was fundamentally different: fighting for self-liberation was utterly distinct from fighting for the destiny of a mere biological weapon.

Hardek consciously shouldered the future of his entire race, studying desperately to become fit for the role of ape-man leader. His knowledge and cultivation grew daily.

As his wisdom matured, reaching the pinnacle of the Master rank, Hardek began to discern from subtle indicators that the Kustar had no intention of allowing the ape-men to conquer the Sol System; they merely wished for them to bleed indefinitely there. This made him realize that relying on the Kustar to grant his race the status of a free people was nothing more than a beautiful dream.

However, ever since his promotion to Apex Master, Karagunis’s eyes—eyes that could seemingly pierce everything—constantly swept over him, holding a hint of cold scrutiny deep within, often causing Hardek’s heart to tremble.

Hardek meticulously concealed his true thoughts, maintaining a normal external demeanor. Fortunately, an Apex Master was capable enough to effectively mask his inner world, and he managed to persevere over the long stretch.

After some more time passed, the day of departure finally arrived.

On that day, the Ancient Legion was formally established and secretly transported via Kustar interstellar carriers to the periphery of the Sol System—a measure taken to avoid alerting the Singers. After a period of feigned cooperation with humanity, during which they ascertained the conditions of the human world, the Ancient Legion launched a surprise assault, commencing a war between the two races that would last for half a century.

The Kustar clearly were not entirely trusting of the ape-men. In the early stages of the war, Karagunis secretly manipulated the course of events, only handing over full command of the Ancient Legion to Hardek when he judged that the hatred between the Terrans and the ape-men had deepened beyond any possibility of reconciliation.

The moment war erupted, death claimed lives annually. Regardless of whether they were Terrans or ape-men, the blood spilled on the battlefield became uncountable. With each passing year, Hardek’s desire to liberate his entire race strengthened. By this time, his heart had carried the burden of his entire race for decades; this great vow had long since become as solid as bedrock within him.

When he was impaled by Yang Ying’s myriad swords, facing the boundless darkness of the world of the dead, Hardek could not let go of his grand vow. He knew clearly that if he died there, the final hope for the entire ape-man race would vanish, and Vonsale would surely be overwhelmed, leading to the complete annihilation of his people.

Thus, he returned.

No language could describe the shock Yang Ying felt. Since becoming an Apex Master, he had believed nothing could shock him again, but a being who had entered the death world and returned, moreover, having gained a fundamental enhancement—what could be more absurd, more unbelievable?

Yet, the massive ape before him was undeniably real!

“Hardek, how could you possibly be resurrected?” Yang Ying scraped his feet against the ground, adjusting his stance, gripping his invisible light-saber once more, completely alert.

“Why not?” The giant ape’s voice boomed like thunder, shaking the wilderness, sounding like a heavenly decree. “There has been precedent on Earth. Approximately two thousand five hundred years ago, Jesus was nailed to the cross. At that time, he was already at the Apex Master level. He foresaw the betrayal of his disciple Judas and his own demise, yet he willingly let himself die at the hands of mortals without using any divine powers. The Bible records that he was reborn three days after death and returned to Heaven forty days later. In truth, after experiencing death and gaining rebirth, he attained a god-like realm.”

“Records in ancient texts are often exaggerated; how can you know this is true?” Yang Ying, hearing Hardek speak of Jesus with such certainty, found it deeply strange. While questioning him, he secretly instructed his clone to notify the ten Beast-class Battle Cruisers waiting outside to prepare for two contingencies: arming the Yamato Cannons, and being ready to jump into hyperspace. Which action to take would depend on his signal; for now, he needed to assess the situation.

Hardek looked down. His giant ape form towered a hundred meters high, making Yang Ying and the other five look like mere ants. He appeared supremely confident, in no hurry to strike. “Because Jesus is now in the Kotoine Star System, in the Orion Arm of the Galaxy, where dozens of planets are under his protection. This is information told to me personally by the Kustar Guardian God, Karagunis, so there is no mistake.”

Yang Ying could not immediately refute this. He knew little about Jesus and had never paid close attention, but he did recall Father Vandermar speaking with certainty about the existence of God, claiming that God had abandoned Earth and vanished. Hardek’s assertion seemed quite credible.

“Besides Jesus, Shakyamuni was the same! Buddhist scriptures state that he entered Parinirvana between the Sala trees. Hmph, Parinirvana also signifies the death of the physical body, a concept where the soul ascends to the fourth level. Shakyamuni also achieved his enlightenment after death; while he lived, he was, at best, at the level of an Apex Master!” Hardek offered the Buddha as his second example.

Yang Ying inwardly gasped. Hardek was comparing himself to God and the Buddha. He wondered if the Three Pure Ones were also Level Four experts, or if they too occupied a territory in the Galaxy, living as carefree immortals.

It was worth noting that in the tens of thousands of years spanning the Singers and the Kustar, each only possessed a single Guardian God, yet it seemed Earth had produced quite a few gods—Jesus and the Buddha already accounted for two.

Reading the comments today, many readers expressed dissatisfaction with the novel’s choice to have Hardek undergo Nirvana and rebirth. I must explain this: Hardek was a character established from the very beginning of this book, even earlier than Horace, making him a highly important figure. Even if he had to die, it should have been in a spectacular fashion; dying under a mob beating was simply too frustrating.

Do not treat Hardek as a high-level boss in a game, nor as a mere stepping stone on Yang Ying's path to advancement. Game monsters possess only standardized combat attributes like attack power, defense, and level. Change their names, appearances, or stats, and they remain essentially the same. Hardek is not like that. He is a true leader, possessing all the qualities of a leader, a figure worthy of respect, even when opposing humanity. I hope readers can take a moment to look past his opposition to Yang Ying and appreciate the antagonist; perhaps this will change some views on Hardek.

Furthermore, achieving godhood in this novel is absolutely, positively not an easy task. Hardek’s Nirvana rebirth is an isolated exception. Breakthroughs do not simply happen upon death; if that were the case, all Apex Masters would achieve divinity just by slitting their throats! Readers who think this way are likely assuming that Apex Masters are just strings of data, identical in every respect. Let me reiterate: this is not a game; they are all different, each a unique entity.

In addition, many readers have discerned that the story is soon entering Volume Four, The Brilliant Galaxy, where Yang Ying will leave the Sol System to interact with extraterrestrials. However, that is not immediately. Currently, Yang Ying only commands ten battle cruisers. With such meager forces, rushing onto the grand stage of the Galaxy would only lead to being slaughtered, wouldn't it? He needs at least a hundred cruisers to feel somewhat confident, considering the Galaxy contains over a hundred billion stars, not just Earth!

Roughly estimating, the Sol System arc will take about ten more chapters to conclude. To those impatient readers, Diamond offers a preliminary apology here and hopes that the support for the book Star in the Palm continues. Thank you.