novelraw Chapter 5 : Annexation
Chapter 5 : Annexation
Chapter 5: Annexation
Huang Xing stood on the altar.
His gaze pierced through the darkness and saw the returning group.
When the old priest saw that everyone was injured, his heart sank. The wounds were too severe—he could not save them.
Apollo looked at the old priest expectantly, but the old priest shook his head helplessly:
“Their injuries are too severe. I cannot save them.”
Apollo nodded, set down the tribesman on his back, and walked alone onto the altar, kneeling.
At this moment, his heart was filled with complex emotions.
“God!”
he called out, his voice trembling.
He felt ashamed.
The god had never demanded anything from them, yet he kept asking for help again and again.
He was afraid—afraid that his own incompetence and constant requests would bring about the god’s disdain.
Huang Xing sensed the fear in Apollo’s heart.
He felt a wave of helplessness, along with a trace of tenderness.
How could he possibly disdain Apollo?
In this strange world, Apollo was like his child, a projection of his emotions.
“Bring them here.”
A gentle voice sounded within Apollo’s mind.
Apollo suddenly lifted his head, the panic in his eyes instantly swept away by overwhelming joy!
The god had agreed!
A smile returned to his face as he hurried down the altar, directing everyone to carry the injured and place them upon it.
Once everything was arranged, Apollo knelt again, a hint of embarrassment on his face, yet filled with anticipation as he called:
“God!”
Huang Xing did not act immediately.
His gaze fell upon Apollo, and deep within his consciousness, he resonated with Leo among the stars.
He knew clearly that as the foremost of the Twelve Constellations, Leo’s authority could not possibly be limited to merely enhancing physical strength.
The true power had always been slumbering within Apollo’s body.
And now, it was time to awaken it.
With a slight movement of Huang Xing’s will, the stars of Leo in the night sky suddenly shone with incomparable brilliance. Vast starlight traversed distant space and time, descending with a roar and enveloping Apollo on the altar!
Bathed in starlight, Apollo felt a warm and powerful force awaken within him!
All his wounds healed at a visible speed.
When the starlight faded, Apollo’s appearance had undergone a tremendous transformation.
His hair turned into a radiant gold like the sun, shining brilliantly. His eyes also became a majestic and sacred gold.
Simply standing there, he naturally exuded an aura of warmth, light, and reverence.
He looked at his own hands in disbelief, feeling the surging new power within his body.
“Go.” Huang Xing’s voice guided him.
Under Huang Xing’s direction, Apollo came before one of the injured.
He extended his hand, and a gentle golden light flowed from his palm, enveloping the wounded person.
Within the light, wounds deep enough to expose bone began to wriggle and heal, broken bones reconnected, and the pale complexion rapidly returned to a healthy flush.
When the light dissipated, the dying tribesman suddenly opened his eyes and sat up in confusion.
“A miracle! This is a miracle!”
Shocked cries erupted from the crowd.
Apollo was filled with excitement. He immediately turned to the next injured person, repeating the process.
For a time, golden light rose and fell across the altar like successive sunrises.
When the last injured person was healed and awakened within the golden glow, the entire tribe erupted into thunderous cheers!
Apollo looked toward the totem pole in excitement, wanting to express his boundless gratitude:
“God!”
But at this moment, Huang Xing had already returned to the top of the totem pole, hidden within starlight and shadow.
Below, having witnessed the miracle, the tribespeople, led by Apollo and the old priest, danced their most fervent dances around the blazing bonfire and sang their most devout hymns, praising the greatness and benevolence of the Lord of the Stars.
……
At dawn, Apollo walked alone toward the Sun Tribe.
“Monster!”
“The monster is here!”
The people of the Sun Tribe cried out in terror.
They had never seen someone with golden hair and eyes.
In their eyes, Apollo was not human at all!
Though trembling with fear, they still picked up their weapons and shakily aimed them at Apollo.
Apollo remained expressionless and took a step forward.
The surrounding crowd seemed to be pushed back by an invisible force, collectively retreating in fear.
“Call your priest and your chief out.”
Every tribe had both a priest and a chief.
And in his own tribe, the position of chief had been taken by him ever since he received the god’s blessing two years ago.
The crowd immediately stirred, looking at one another.
In the end, a burly middle-aged man with scars on his face and an old man draped in worn animal hides, holding a bone staff, stepped forward reluctantly.
They were the chief and priest of the tribe—they had to protect their people.
They had to defend their tribe.
“You… what do you want?”
the chief of the Sun Tribe asked.
Apollo raised his hand, and a blazing flame appeared out of thin air in his palm.
With a casual flick—
“Boom!”
A nearby pile of dry grass instantly ignited, flames surging upward and illuminating faces filled with shock.
The priest immediately knelt and shouted:
“God!”
Everyone followed, kneeling and shouting in unison:
“God!”
In their eyes, only a god could control fire.
“I am not a god!” Apollo said.
He was merely a believer of the god.
The flame just now, as well as the healing light from last night, were all powers granted to him by the god.
The people of the Sun Tribe were confused. They could not understand why the god claimed he was not a god.
Apollo did not explain further. He began to declare their punishment:
“You harmed my people.”
“Therefore, from now on, you are my slaves.”
They did not understand what “slaves” meant, but they still followed Apollo, leaving their own tribe behind.
……
Back at the tribe, people looked at the large group Apollo had brought back, their faces filled with surprise and confusion.
The old priest stepped forward and asked:
“Apollo, why did you bring them back?”
Apollo loudly announced, his voice spreading across the entire tribe:
“From today onward, they are the slaves of our tribe!”
“Slaves?”
“What are slaves?”
No one understood—not even Apollo.
The word had simply appeared in his mind.
This era was too primitive; even the concept of slavery had not yet emerged.
But they understood one thing—if the tribe wanted to grow stronger, it needed more people.
Thus, the people of the Sun Tribe were kept.
The tribe, which had once been just over fifty people, suddenly became a large tribe of more than one hundred and forty.
In Huang Xing’s view, the emergence of slaves signified that the tribe had entered the age of slavery.
Unfortunately, they still had no written language and could not yet be considered a true civilization.