How The Kreegans came to be
The Kreegan civilization, once proud and peaceful with a strong connection to nature, faced a dire situation as their planet gradually drifted into the gravitational field of their sun. Over time, the Kreegans' world became increasingly inhospitable and barren, and the species, which had shunned technological advancement as contrary to the laws of nature, found themselves on the brink of extinction. In a stroke of luck, the Anunnaki arrived on the planet, offering assistance to the struggling Kreegans. The Anunnaki, who possessed the ability to see into the future, warned the Kreegans that their planet would become completely uninhabitable in a mere century. Thus, the Kreegans had only 100 years to master the technology necessary to leave their planet and search for a new home among the stars.
Initially, the leaders of the Kreegan were skeptical of the Anunnaki's warning about the planet's impending doom. They believed that their deities would have forewarned them of such a catastrophe, and that the Anunnaki were merely causing confusion. Unbeknownst to the Kreegan, their gods had abandoned them to their fate long ago. Nonetheless, the Anunnaki remained on the planet and extended their assistance to those who were receptive to their teachings. One such individual was Diyu, a young warrior who was keen to learn about the new ways. Having spent most of his time away from the village, Diyu had already noticed the receding of the seas from the shores. The Anunnaki were impressed with Diyu's aptitude for space and distant galaxies, and he soon became the intermediary between the Anunnaki and the village elders, who were disinclined to interact with the extraterrestrial visitors. Diyu made consistent efforts to convince the elders to heed the Anunnaki's counsel for the sake of their people, and to relinquish their old customs and gods, who had forsaken them. Yow, the eldest of the village elders, attempted to reason with Diyu, contending that if it was their time to perish, they ought to be grateful for their lives and accept their fate, as the planet's destiny was intertwined with theirs. Diyu was incensed by this response and proclaimed that he would not idly watch his people succumb to hunger and thirst when he possessed the capacity to assist them.
After his unsuccessful attempt to persuade the village elders to listen to the Anunnaki's warning and embrace the new knowledge, Diyu turns to the Anunnaki for help. However, he is met with disappointment when the Anunnaki explain that they cannot directly intervene in changing the fate of the Kreegans. Frustrated and confused by their response, Diyu expresses his anger, causing the Anunnaki to withdraw and give him space to collect his thoughts.
In the midst of his rage, Diyu encounters a new Anunnaki who offers to help him despite the other crew members' reluctance to interfere. Although initially skeptical, Diyu accepts the offer and is told to meet the Anunnaki later that night at the High Hill, after the village has gone to sleep.
Later that same night, Diyu, intrigued by the promise of survival and a future among the stars, heads to the high hill to meet the Strange One. Upon arrival, he is taken aback by the sight of the Anunnaki performing a bizarre ritual. As he questions the Strange One about the ritual, the Anunnaki asks him if he wishes to lead his people to survival and escape their doomed fate on their planet. Without hesitation, Diyu responds affirmatively.
Suddenly, the ground begins to shake, and an orb made of molten lava and ore materializes and hovers over the high hill. With a wave of the Strange One's hand, the orb begins to glow with a purple and red hue, and bolts of blue electricity emit from it. The Strange One then lifts Diyu off the ground and holds him in place with his other hand. After warning Diyu of the pain to come, the Strange One claps his hands, and the orb and Diyu move toward each other.
As the sphere envelops Diyu's body, he screams before the molten metal covers his face and body, even moving down his throat to cover him entirely inside and out. The transformation is accompanied by metallic cracks and thuds, and when it is complete, the molten metal cools, and what remains of Diyu hovers back down to the ground.
The Strange One examines Diyu's transformed body, expressing surprise and amusement at the unexpected outcome. With a laugh, he heads towards the Anunnaki ship, remarking to himself about the unexpected twist, "I bet you did not see this coming." He disappears in a blink, leaving Diyu behind with his new, otherworldly form.
Diyu, in a fit of rage and confusion, wakes up after his transformation. The molten metal had enhanced his negative traits such as ego, anger, jealousy, and hatred. His physical appearance had changed dramatically, with his once muscular structure now replaced by a blocky metallic form. In his anger, he slams both fists into the earth, creating a large crater and a crack that shoots out from the sheer force of his blow. Driven by instinct, he heads back to his village, where he is met with screams from the women and children. However, his mother seems to almost recognize him and calls out his name in confusion. She approaches him and touches his cheek, which calms him momentarily. But his rage returns when he hears the village elder scream insults at him, calling him a "heretic," a "betrayer," and a "monster." Diyu's calm is shattered by this attack on his character, and he punches the elder in the face with such force that it smashes in his skull and decapitates him. The lifeless body falls to the ground with a thud, leaving the village in shock and horror.
The village is now gripped with fear and shock as a result of Diyu's actions. Even his own mother is in disbelief and chastises him, reminding him that their village doesn't behave in such a violent manner anymore. However, Diyu's metallic voice booms through the village, and he declares that they are all doomed to die, including their youth. He points to the sun and claims it will be their downfall. Despite this grim statement, he offers them a chance to follow him and reclaim their lives, promising hope for their young and their people.
Diyu appeals to the Anunnaki for their recognition of what he has become, believing that his transformation will rally his people to follow him, even if out of fear. When one Anunnaki appears from a large ship, he is startled and bewildered by Diyu's new metallic form. The Anunnaki immediately inquires how this transformation occurred and who assisted him. Diyu reveals that an Anunnaki aided him atop High Hill the previous night. However, the Anunnaki rebuffs this notion, as it is strictly forbidden for them to tamper with a being's evolution in such a way. He explains that if they had intervened, they would have known what Diyu would become and would have foreseen the consequences of their actions.
Diyu argues that his transformation has made him the very thing that will survive in space and help his people endure, even if he has to impose his will. However, the Anunnaki responds that Diyu has become a tyrant, and he has foreseen a bleak future for him and his followers if they leave the planet. As a result, the Anunnaki quickly departs from the planet, leaving the Kreegans to their fate. A village elder accepts this turn of events as the peaceful end they all deserved. But Diyu disagrees and approaches the elder, challenging him with the question, "Who says?"
After ninety years of autocratic rule, Diyu has become an all-powerful and immortal leader, commanding his people with an iron fist. Under his leadership, the Kreegan race has conquered neighboring villages and Diyu demands the development of metalworking and forges across the land. However, Diyu's people are starving and dying due to malnutrition, and with only five years left until the end of his world, they are running out of time.
In the midst of this dire situation, the Strange One suddenly reappears from within Diyu's private chamber, offering him a deal: a spacecraft in exchange for Diyu's service to carry out the Strange One's orders from time to time. Diyu agrees, but on the condition that he can turn all his people into metallic versions of their former selves to better carry out orders in space and save them from starvation. The Strange One agrees, and with a flash, every living Kreegan undergoes the transformation. However, Diyu soon realizes that his wish has had unforeseen consequences, turning his peaceful people into a nation of warriors where only the strongest survive and the weakest submit. Diyu's thirst for revenge against the Anunnaki who abandoned them remains unquenched as his people board the spacecraft to embark on their uncertain journey.
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