“With respect, Sir, you have never met N°47. 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°47.
“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.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
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°47 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°47, delivering divine retribution.
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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.
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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.