The question brought silence to the room since many of the Leaders here weren't very well aware of the exact numbers of the Knull Set that appeared in each Gate. But the words of Sir Azraken rang out not long after.
"It was a total of 100,000 Knull Sleepers. About 35 to 40 Knull Walkers, and 12 Knull Wanderers," he said, as easily as someone reading the lines of their palm.
A shocked flutter went through the eyes of the Leaders.
That number was unthinkable.
Equal to a 100,000 army of Grade C to B creatures. A total of 35 to 40 Grade B to A creatures, and 12 Pseudo-Eternal beings.
It was an assemblage that could easily march through anything without being stopped.
Yet somehow, they had been able to come out on top still.
"And I'm guessing these Wanderers are at the Pseudo-Eternal stages?" Asteralaxia followed up, resulting in a nod from Sir Adraken.
"Then, you didn't defeat the Knulls in the Last War," she said, this time with a surety that surprised all.
"According to the hierarchy of Knulls as I know it, the Knulls are each targeted toward conquering a planet, and with every Knull invasion, there is usually one assigned as the Leader, responsible for the army."
"Unless this one Knull is defeated, then a Knull army has never truly been defeated."
"You can think of it as having to seize the head of the king of an enemy army before being allowed to lay claim to the name defeat."
"And this Knull will have at least a cultivation stage that will be anything but below the Eternity stage."
"So, there should be a higher stage of Knull. One who is the King, with a cultivation level at the Eternity stage—possibly even above."
"If you didn't defeat it, then you haven't conquered the Knull army," Asteralaxia said to them, drawing deep breaths from the leaders.
"So, there was still a higher level of Knulls. The Knull Wanderers aren't the peak?" some of the leaders murmured amongst themselves, even as Sir Azraken had his eyes flashing with light, seemingly coming to a realization before a smile appeared on his lips.
"Seems like we've judged things a bit too early," he said.
Ryuk's eyebrows furrowed deeply as he remembered the last words of the blue-scaled Ryuk when he had last seen them.
'Could he be the one. The one with my body part?' he silently wondered to himself.
"If you're able to kill that Knull that leads the rest of the army, then your world would have been noted to have conquered the Knulls."
"And only then would you get into consideration from a Celestial World for protection," she said, drawing back their attention.
"A Celestial World?" It was a term they hadn't heard before.
"The Knulls' only menace isn't this world. They are in hundreds, if not thousands, of worlds like yours, going through a Knull invasion."
"The Knulls destroy life and thrive on chaos, and if allowed, they would reduce entire civilizations into a lawless existence."
"For this reason, a Protection Credential has been issued by the Higher Races—beings just as strong as the Knulls, if not stronger."
"They are known as the Celestial Race."
"To prevent the Knulls from endlessly feeding upon worlds and bringing chaos, they designed a pact that enables lower worlds to be under their protection—hence automatically stopping them from Knull invasions."
"These worlds are referred to as Spirit Veil Worlds—worlds under the protection of the Celestial Race and avoided by the Knulls, rendering them free from invasion."
"But there are millions of world-worlds out there, so the Celestials can't just be placing them all under the Astral Veil."
"There is a requirement—and that is by a particular world being able to at least survive a single Knull army invasion, which Endearth is currently facing."
"If you're able to survive this invasion—which you will do by getting rid of whoever is leading this Knull battalion, then you will be noticed by a Celestial Race who will promote you to the Spirit Veil stage, and you will get onto their protection."
"This is the only way if you all wish for this world to survive."
"And I'm guessing if you're able to do that, then the pact made by the GodKing on those of you that have been transported here, like the Knulls, would be realized—and you will all be able to return back to your various worlds, leaving the original occupants, Humanity, behind while they are protected as a Spirit Veil World and free from another invasion," she explained thoughtfully, as the Leaders' ears perked up, various hypotheses flashing in their heads as they thought her words over and over again.
But then, it just made perfect sense—and they found not even a hole they could explore.
Everything seemed to perfectly align. And with how easily Aster said it, it wasn't like she was going on some guessing spree.
She was fully confident of her words, which were gained from an in-depth knowledge that was no doubt beyond them.
"Now it all seemed so clear."
"A GodKing was able to predict the appearance of the Knulls on Enderath and, to help the Humans—who weren't even beginning to cultivate yet—summoned other races into the Human planet to help fight against the incoming Knulls."
"Once the Knulls have been successfully defeated, the various races get to return back to their worlds, and Enderath will gain the qualification to become an Astral Veil World, coming under the control of a Celestial Race and forever preventing such an invasion from ever happening again."
"The Humans avoid the fate of getting destroyed, and the Others get to return to their original worlds. This is a perfect setting. A perfect setting that leads to the happiness of all..." Ryuk mused calmly to himself, as each of the Leaders remained quiet, even as a minute silently passed by.
The words they were hearing were not just born of shock—but massive shock.
It was hope—as they'd thought they were forever stuck on Enderath and would never get to leave.
But now, they have been told—their presence here isn't some phenomenon, but a meticulous plan of a higher being.
And they would return—on fulfilling the conditions which have now been known to them.
This was news that would cause uproar if released in their various races and families.