《A Collection of One-shots》
Awakening of the Great One [Oneshot]
¡°With respect, Sir, you have never met N¡ã47. I can assure you, it is an entity completely removed from everything you have ever dealt with, operating on a completely different plane of power. Please, I beg you, do not jeopardize the survival of our species over such a small matter!¡±
Amon spoke with conviction, trying his best to show his sincerity and make his superior understand the magnitude of the mistake he was preparing to make.
¡°Enough, Amon. Your complaints have been heard and noted, but your orders remain. The federation has already announced this would be a televised public execution, and it was a well thought out and mature decision.
The world is in chaos, our authority is challenged on a daily basis, and we cannot afford to lose credibility or appear weak by going back on our word. No, we must stand tall, and deliver the strongest blow to deter the world.¡±
Amon softly stomped on the dark red carpet, imagining all of his fear and frustration leaving him and getting pushed into the ground. He simply could not afford to let emotions cloud his judgment while he was arguing for the survival of his species.
¡°Then shoot them, chop their heads off or hang them, anything you want, but leave my charge out of it. Can¡¯t you see what would happen if anything were to go wrong? This is the beginning of the end. The thin edge of the wedge. A belite solution! The smallest misstep would end up destroying the world! How can your pride be more important than the world?¡±
Amon immediately regretted his choice of words and the raising of his voice, knowing how poorly his superior reacted to confrontation and attacks on his character. He just had to hope he had not just destroyed all of his chances.
¡°It¡¯s not about pride, it¡¯s about power. The Federation has risen from the ashes of china because it was relentless in its pursuit
We need the world to know that nothing can stop us, that we are scared of nothing. The federation is like a bulls charge, barreling through walls and knocking down any obstacles. How can a charging bull take a step back? That would destroy all of his momentum and leave him vulnerable and helpless. Similarly, the march of the Federation can never be stopped.¡±
¡°But the federation is not about to tear through a paper wall, it is preparing to run off a cliff. Surely taking a step back, even at a great cost, is better than jumping in the abyss?¡±
Before Amon could explain his point further, an exasperated sigh coming from the phone told him the man had lost his patience.
¡°We know what we are doing, and can handle the consequences. Killing them simply would not be enough. Capital punishment is not enough to frighten the masses anymore, which is why we will grant these cultist their ultimate wish, to become one with their idol, their very existence consumed without hope for reincarnation. Perhaps then, people will finally realize that we are the masters of the world, not those ancient relics.¡±
He understood why most officials felt that way, since he had held the same opinion only a few years ago, but since then, he had seen true horror, and true power. It was pure naivety to think that humanity had remained the rulers of this world.
¡°Ancient they may be, but how can you call them relics? Have you not seen the sites of Pirn or Pernrith? A single rampaging soggoth caused more damage to two atomic bombs, and those creatures will not accept our surrender. Once you provoke them, the damage can never be undone.¡±
As he desperately tried to convince the official, he shuddered as he felt something wet gently caressing his back, unhindered by his military vest. He held back the urge to turn around and look behind him, as he knew he was better off convincing himself he was just imagining things.
¡°And since then, we have adapted, learned and improved, as we have always done. Do you know why you have never seen that soggoth since? A single strike from our God-Empress was enough to finish it off, that''s why.
It is time you and the rest of the world understood that these eldritch horrors that terrify all of you merely jumbled masses of power, fancy natural disasters with low level sentience. We have long mastered the ways to predict, control and even dissipate them if need be.¡±
Amon had to strain to hear what was being said, as a cacophony of incoherent voices had appeared in his head, forcefully distracting him. he knew he needed to calm down, that fear and anger only made things worse, and that he needed to quiet his mind, but he had no time. His sanity would mean nothing if the world ended.
¡°But even if the rumors are true and Her Majesty has truly ascended, how can she fight against dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of powerful wild deities? We should be doing all we can to avoid confrontation, instead of giving them a taste for blood and showing them that humans are nothing but defenseless food! We...¡±
Amon suddenly heard a series of sharp clicking coming from the phone, and he recognized the sound of his superior tinkering with his astrolabe, a clear sign that the man was done listening to him.
¡°Amon, this is my last warning. Quit complaining and follow your orders. I have only entertained you this long because of your friendship with the General, but soon even with his protection will not be enough. You know insubordination will not be tolerated, or have you forgotten how you got this job in the first place? Do you want to be reassigned to fight in the front lines, or will you do as you are told?¡±
This ultimatum actually made him smile, causing the hordes of illusory demons that plagued his mind to temporarily retreat. Looking around at the plain room, the brand new light already flickering and the clean white walls looking as if they oozed blood, he tried not to focus on the unnatural shadows taking the shape of nightmarish monsters.
¡°With respect, I am already in charge of surveying an eldritch entity with which I have spent each passing moment fighting to keep my soul from being devoured. You cannot threaten me with the prospect of an easy reincarnation, especially not when you are about to cause the end of the word anyways.¡±
His voice had lost all trace of anger and frustration, replaced by profound fatigue and hopelessness, as he already knew all was lost. He had tried everything, called everyone he knew had power to stop this, but this execution was inevitable. He could already feel defeat wash over him, his negative emotion given weight by their proximity to N¡ã47.
¡°Stop dramatizing. You may think you have nothing to lose, but you and me both know that no man is an island. For your friends sake, I suggest you fall in line. The prisoners will be arriving next week, and you better welcome them properly, or their escorts have been authorized to take over your station and include you as the third sacrifice.¡±
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Amon slumped in his chair upon hearing the telephone cut off, cursing the incompetence and blind recklessness of the federation¡¯s official, and most of all cursing his own powerlessness. After all, his superior was right, there was truly nothing he could do.
Unconsciously touching the black sigil marring his arm, he shivered in both ecstasy and horror. He could not tell them what he knew or how he knew it, and no matter how much he racked his brain, he found no way of stopping the ceremony. How on earth was he supposed to make them understand how close N¡ã47 was to waking up, and how different he was from those lowly abominations they had dealt with before.
It was not a mindless monster, it was an ageless king, filled with infinite wisdom and power. The only thing it seemed to be lacking was any hint of mercy or kindness, and he could easily foresee how it would react to learning puny humans were using him as waste disposal.
Kneeling reverently towards the slumbering form of his Lord, a gesture filled with endless joy and respect, he let the soothing ramblings of incomprehensible knowledge wash over him, his anxiety drowned by the joyous prospect of his Master¡¯s awakening.
Only the existential terror and dread of losing himself to this monstrosity let him regain a modicum of sanity, and plan his next move. He needed to stop this somehow, but there was nothing more he could do.
With his talent and the blessing of his Lord, he had managed to cultivate to the verge of apotheosis himself, but masters such as him were not that rare, and the federation would have no problem killing a fanatic like him and sacrificing him to the Great One along with the other criminals.
Taking a deep breath, Amon finally decided to execute his most drastic plan. Rather than look from the side as the world silently headed towards its inevitable doom, he would rather throw caution to the wind and do something crazy.
Humanity was simply too weak, too unprepared. Their fate had been sealed the moment the Gods had descended onto earth, and they never stood a chance. The world would end the moment his master woke up, a final end with no hope of reincarnation or resurrection.
Since destruction was inevitable, he planned to cause it himself, because dying by a mortals hand only meant being sent back into the wheel of reincarnation, whereas dying by God''s hand was absolute.
By leveraging the eldritch truth he had learned, he had the power to destroy the world. After all, Earth was not as stable as it once was, and he wielded the power of an ancient god. Of course, his attack would only target commoners, as such a spread out blow had no way of harming powerful beings. However, this was a good thing, as those surviving elites would raise the next generation of humans, and start preparing for the next fight against the Great Ones.
Meanwhile, without the nourishment of souls, the Great Old Ones would no longer be able to erode their seal, and would instead be forced to spend all their remaining energy resealing themselves to avoid being devoured by the wandering lesser Gods.
Without the beacon of spirituality Earth had provided, those would drift off into the infinite cosmos, waiting for the next era to call them to gather once more.
They would come back when humanity had grown to a certain extent, but this time they would be prepared, and would have a fighting chance.
Amon gave a wry smile, knowing that he was not truly saving humanity, he was only giving it a chance to try again. He was probably only delaying the inevitable, but he desperately held on to the faintest hope, that they could grow to defy the odds and triumph against incomprehensible Eternal Beings.
Gathering his resolve, Amon started his ritual, intent on destroying the world. He forced himself to forget his overall plan, focusing wholly on his immediate goal. While he might be heavily restricted in saying or doing anything that could harm his Lord, it was only just and proper to punish the insolent species that dared to use his Master as a tool. This meant he was able to consume his life and soul to harness the power of N¡ã47, delivering divine retribution.
Rae stared off into the void, barely listening to the clowns arguing about unimportant budgets and responsibilities beneath her. They were wasting her time, unaware of just how precious each second was, but she had to smile and bear with it, for the priceless materials these men had access to was even more precious.
Still, an audience with a distracted Empress was all they were going to get, as there was no way she was going to pay attention to the meaningless dribble that endlessly sprouted from their mouths.
She tilted her head upwards, her exalted eyes effortlessly piercing through the ornate palace roof. She smiled slightly as she gazed at the stars, contemplating the tremendous power contained in the cosmic array.
This was the result of decades of tireless work, a great plan that had required the complete cooperation of all of humanity''s elites working together to stem the threat of the Great Old Ones. This was their first and only a universe class array, a formation that would propel humanity on the throne of eternity. For the tenth time that day, she pushed her deducting abilities to the max, even borrowing the luck of her dynasty to augment her power, making sure there was no mistake anywhere, and found that the entire thing was flawless.
Everything was ready, and they only had to wait for the Great Old Ones to wake up from their slumber and shatter their seals, before they could target them and send them beyond the void. It wasn¡¯t a perfect solution, as their powers would still be able to extend through time and space to reach earth, but it would be enough. They would lose most of their power and influence, and she would take care of the remaining traces.
Cultists across the world kept chanting that the end of times was near, that the Great Old Ones were insurmountable, but they did not understand that humanity had tamed the powers of the universe. Nothing, not even Old Gods, would withstand her wrath, or stop her from creating an eternal dynasty.
Suddenly, she jumped up from her throne, her face turning livid as she felt an unstoppable power striking at the earth''s core. Realizing the danger, she found hundreds of wills to react in the same way she did, reaching out to disperse, hold off or redirect the attack, only to be burnt by the presence of a Great Old One imbued in the attack.
Then, before they could even try again, it was too late, and earth¡¯s core exploded. In an instant, the delicate balance of earth¡¯s magical energy broke, and the entire planet started disintegrating.
Rae exploded with power, her sphere of influence reaching as far as she could to protect her country, but even as a God, she could only safeguard her capital. She gave up extending her reach any further, prefering to let the luck of her dynasty be available to her subordinates, believing they would need it to emulate her and protect their respective cities.
The powerfull Godess watched helplessly as the earth mantle wrap and collapse, taking billions of lives with it, feeling the ancient gods lose interest in the decaying earth, returning to their eternal slumber.
That last part would normally be cuase for celebration, as ancient gods were a terrifying plague on the world, but that hardly mattered now. However, if they retreated now, it would mean all of their plans had been for naught, and the Great Old Ones would remain as the ultimate tyrants of the universe. Someday, they would wake up again, and destroy anything she rebuilt.
Desperately trying to salvage anything she could from this disastrous situation, Rae thrust her spiritual will upwards, starting off the star array ahead of time, hoping it would still lock on to a majority of the fading eldritch horrors.
The last thing she saw was countless shooting stars raining down from the sky, before her vision turned dark and she powerlessly fell to the ground, her fate unknown.
He commended humanity''s power as He felt an insignificant portion of his power being sent back to his birthplace, before slowly seeping back into his current reality. The End of an Era was always so interesting, desperation and hopelessness engendering so much creativity and passion.
Still, He didn¡¯t really care to repeat himself, so He moved to shatter humanity''s wheel of reincarnation. He was curious to see what new species this universe would raise as his next enemy, and how they would fare.
Taking one last look at the few cities floating motionless in the void, as well as the occasional wandering soul that had somehow escaped the reincarnation wheel¡¯s destruction, he predicted the next era would be extremely chaotic, just as He liked it. And as long as he was interested, this universe could survive.
A Waning Era [Oneshot]
Kharis motioned for his men to lower their weapons, stepping over the battered remains of the fortified gates.
He understood their nervousness, and appreciated they were only trying to protect him, but such caution was unnecessary. Even if there was still someone in this city capable of harming him, something he very much doubted, he knew how honorable his brother was. under the white flag, no harm would be done to them.
Yet as he strolled down the citadels¡¯ ruined main avenue, he too found himself unconsciously grasping his casting amulet, not out of fear, but to seek comfort.
He was traversing a ghost city, an unwelcome conqueror treading upon land that hated him. Hundreds of lifeless faces, young and old, peeking through windows, filling the side streets, sometimes even staring down at him from rooftops and towers. They were unnaturally still and silent, but as they beheld the monster who had caused so much death and suffering, their eyes clearly expressed an abyss of fear and resentment. The entire city was covered in an aura of defeat and despair, rendering the once glorious fortress of the God of War practically unrecognizable.
However, despite the eerie atmosphere, there was no ambush, no violence, only a few shuffling figures proving the city still had some vitality. He arrived at the central palace gate with no trouble and hailed his city lord with the traditional victory greeting.
¡°I, Lord Kharis of Royal House Tyr, have fought for this land and been declared victorious. With our Imperial Ancestors as witness, and under the eyes of the almighty Ahriman, I have won the right to rule, and request to be given the keys to the city.¡±
He had intended to shout victoriously, but all that came out was a muted cry, which sounded unbearably soft even to his own ears. He resisted the impulse to repeat himself, knowing that it would only make him look more foolish.
He had dreamed of this moment countless times, imagining how glorious it would feel to stand in front of his old mentor as a victor, and the ecstasy that defeating a living legend would bring him. There would be anticipation and hope too, as he finally took this first step towards accomplishing his dream.
Years of training, preparation, and planning had led to this, a victory that would be the start of his righteous crusade, his path against destiny to liberate the world from the tyranny of his father. With the fortress as a stronghold and the Adris tribes as allies, he could finally stand tall before the empire¡¯s army, and bring down the hammer of justice upon this nation of depravity.
Truly, the spark of his battle frenzy had been roused for the most fleeting of moments, only to be ruthlessly drowned by the oppressive melancholy of a defeated legend. This was not his day to shine. It was a day of mourning, for the birth of legend came at the cost of the death of another.
A creaking sound woke him up from his somber reverie, and he looked up to see the ornate palace doors slowly opened, revealing the majestic figure of the defeated general.
Even in his last moments, the man still wore an unimaginably imposing temperament, and his mere gaze was enough to make Kharis feel that he was facing a giant, or an eternal demigod who held limitless wisdom and strength.
He knew the man was a crippled to which the doors to become Extraordinary had been closed forever, but the serene aura he exuded would force even timeless dragons to kneel. Such was the Majesty of Master of Strategies, the man who had defeated gods.
Kharis barely stayed conscious as he completed the traditional ceremony and received the title of Lord of Andoset. Only decades of harsh education let him thoughtlessly follow and play his part in the ancient ritual as he focused on fighting off the vanquished general¡¯s tranquil aura.
It was only much later, as he found himself alone in the previous city master¡¯s chambers, and as the ocean of aura that had been resting upon his shoulders melted away like snow in spring, that he stumbled into a chair and regained all his mental faculties.
¡°You are the best student I have ever had. Your talent is astounding, your courage admirable and you possess a heart of gold. Yet not a single night goes by when I do not regret teaching you the art of war, and not a single day goes by when I do not regret being able to take up my sword and end your life.¡±
Kharis watched on mutely as his elder half-brother laid out a huge battle map on the table, carefully arranging thousands of small statues to represent all the various armies in the world and their respective positions.
¡°Alas, I have failed, and it is too late now. The die is cast, and nothing can stop the start of this ill-conceived war now. All I can do now is to prepare you for the carnage that is sure to come, and pray that by the time you sit on the golden throne, there is still a nation to rule over.¡±
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This rekindled the flame inside Kharis, and he suddenly sat up straight, looking intently at the stoic general, and spoke in a conspiratorial tone.
¡°Then join me! I will let you keep your citadel and give you an army of Extraordinaries the likes of which the world has never seen, and together we will crush this degenerate empire under foot, and rebuild a golden nation that will bring peace and prosperity to all! With my sorcery and your wisdom, this war would end in a fortnight!¡±
¡°Join you? You may be ready to trample your honor by plotting to commit the triple sin of regicide, patricide, and deicide all at once, but I will have no part in it. All my life, I have done my utmost to never do anything that could bring shame to my ancestors, and it will be so until my death.
I wholeheartedly hope you obtain a quick and easy victory, for a defeat or prolonged civil war would be disastrous for the entire world, but I also wish for you to never find peace in the afterlife, and be forced to linger as an earthly spirit, left to wander in the red dust, and atone for the atrocities you have and will cause.¡±
¡°Atrocities I have caused? You think I am to blame for all the suffering in this war? I am not the one at fault here, the empire is.¡±
Agitated, Kharis violently stood up and swept away the battle map, illusory flames coating his body as his rage overflowed.
¡°What about the countless officials who live in luxury while the country¡¯s most vulnerable live penniless on the streets? What about the innumerable slaves that have lost even the freedom to live or die? The millions of souls that our Imperial Father¡¯s taxes have turned into hungry ghosts?
Have you even forgotten what happened to your own mother? Do you think sending aging concubines to the cold palace, to be slowly driven insane by yin qi, just to preserve the luck of the dynasty is right and just? ¡°
The old general did not bat an eyelid at this outburst, not even when the magical flames licked his hands, or when Kharis unintentional mental attacks made blood pour out of his eyes and ears. He only whipped away the blood, and bent to pick up his discarded battle map.
¡°One does not fight fire with fire. One does not quell the flames of resentment through blood and hatred. One does not repay injustice with blind revenge. The epitome of the art of war is to become unnecessary, for there is no victory in war, only death.
There are innumerable ways to better the empire, and war is the most inferior one. You are just an impatient kid who has lost the upper hand and knows no other way than to flip the board and treat mutual destruction as victory.
You have no idea how many of these officials have toiled day and night to save lives and help those less fortunate, or how many virtuous men and women have fearlessly sacrificed themselves to fight evil moving one piece at a time to regain the advantage, and to bring forth the fire of righteousness.
Our empire is sick and tired, but one does not kill the wounded soldier, one does his utmost to heal him, so that he can once again spring forth with incomparable vitality and righteousness.¡±
Kharis'' mind was a mess, and he did not know what to think. He trusted his childhood teacher, but he had peered into the abyss of magic, and heard the fateless crow¡¯s oracle. This rebellion was not an impulsive decision or a battle for glory, it was just crusade, one that, until a few seconds ago, had wholeheartedly believed in.
However, before he could organize his thoughts, he realized the battle map had been completely set up.
¡°Enough wasted time. The winter months are fast approaching, which means no army will be mobilized to fight. This is both a blessing and a curse for you. You desperately need the time to consolidate your rule over the citadel, and train your new troops, but managing a war fortress that has just succumbed to a prolonged siege during a harsh winter will be extremely challenging.
You claim to be the future ruler of the empire, bringing forth a new era of prosperity for all, and this will be your first trial. By governing a starving population through a famine, you will prove to the world that you have more to offer than fancy speeches and pretty ideals, and that you can open up a future brighter than what the empire can offer them.
Ruling is about more than the number of troops or the amount of magical power you have. Leadership is not about being heroes or villains, good or bad. It''s about making sacrifices, compromise, and making tough decisions for the good of all, despite the cost.
Do not expect to be left to deal with your problems in peace either. While winter will protect you from the gathering of armies, the empire has contacts with many of the northern Ymir tribes, and it will surely use them to wear you down.
Let us discuss countermeasures and prepare your spring assault. Their Synodic Festival is approaching, so you should take the opportunity to¡¡±
Much later, Kharis stumbled out of the governmental office, leaving behind the corpse of his esteemed mentor, who had chosen to commit suicide according to a traditional ritual. This had been the only way he had seen to atone for his sins and offer an explanation to all the virtuous men and women that have valiantly laid down their lives for a victory he failed to grasp.
Rigidly walking to the balcony, overlooking his city, citizens and army, dyed red by the fading light of the setting sun, he took a deep breath and forced himself to shout.
¡°Victory is ours! For the Golden Lady, and for freedom!¡±
There would be time for doubt and regret later. For now, it was time to finish what he had started, and bring forth a new era of prosperity. It was time to forge his own legend, and fight the war to end all wars.