"They want to turn us all into nobles?" Datma'ad asked incredulously. "Into prey?!?"

Ezra nodded, frowning slightly. "It's strange… First they replace all our captives, and now they turn around and tell us they're making us noble, which defeats the purpose of everything they just did! If they had this capability, why did they not make use of it sooner?"

Datma'ad spat. "Because they want to toy with us! To watch as we scramble about at their whims! Confusing us is just another part of their game!"

Ezra's frown deepened. "I don't think they would do something like that for no reason… Was it all just to get the bounties? To take our people for themselves? But why? What possible use could they have for them?"

"What use does anyone have for gifted soldiers?" Datma'ad sneered. "Or maybe they just did it to deprive us of them, to weaken us so that we'll capitulate to their demands!"

"Or both." Ezra nodded thoughtfully, before pausing and frowning again. "But what could we do to resist them in the first place? With or without the bounties, we would be at their mercy. Particularly since those they took were focused on raiding, not defense. We are just as capable of resisting them now as we were before they took them."

Datma'ad gritted his teeth. "You give these Eternals too much credit. All they have are claims! They throw out a few interesting tricks as a smoke screen for their lack of true ability! They only say they could destroy Obleck! They've provided no proof that it's actually possible!"

Ezra shook his head. "Datma'ad, I've witnessed their capabilities. Capturing Lithmara, healing injuries that even our best healers couldn't touch, immortality! You can visit Renaedica's tavern and witness their ability to play with matter like a child playing with blocks for yourself! Even their ability to turn us noble speaks to their power! Do I think they could defeat us in battle? No, but they wouldn't have to. They can simply set everything we touch to ruin, until we have nothing. Run us ragged until we lower our defenses, and throw us in a deep, dark pit to suffer for eternity. You can doubt many things, but their power isn't among them."

"Then all we have to do is avoid them." Datma'ad retorted. "Keep everything we value somewhere they cannot touch. Avoid their notice as we set everything they touch to ruin. We may not be able to face them in the open, but even they cannot hurt what they cannot find."

Ezra sighed. "And how long can you avoid their notice? A month? A year? They're immortal Datma'ad. No matter how long you go, they can go longer. Their victory is inevitable."

"Then I will make it the bitterest victory they've ever tasted!" Datma'ad roared. "Every act they take, I will ruin! Every noble they save I will hunt down and subject to unimaginable horrors! Every monster they turn will just be more fodder to spread my spawn! They want to turn into prey? Then prey they shall become!"

Ezra's expression twisted. "Why? What will this accomplish?" He shook his head. "As confusing as their actions are, would it be so bad to be noble? To no longer need to victimize anyone to perpetuate our species?"

"If they have their way, we won't have a species!" Datma'ad retorted. "They'll turn us all into wimpy little elves or some shit! Is that what you want? To live the rest of your life as an elf?!?"

Ezra grimaced. "There are worse things to be… besides, they are apparently working to create races that are as close as possible to our current races, while still being noble."

"It doesn't matter!" Datma'ad growled. "They're trying to turn being monstrous into some kind of sin! And if they're going to call me evil for who I am, I'll just have to show them what true evil is!"

Ezra shook his head. "So you'll just prove them right? Validate everything they say about us? That we're savage beasts who want nothing more than to prey on every noble we see?"

Datma'ad sneered. "Better to give them the monster they want than to roll over and become their dog!"

Ezra sighed. "This is a dark path you're pursuing, but… ugh, I don't know. If you want to do this, you'll need to disappear. Now. Obleck is no longer a place for anyone who wishes to be a monster."

*

Two men met in a small office. "This is ridiculous." One growled.

"It is the Will of the Emperor." The other shrugged.

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"They're monsters, Sam!" The first retorted. "I don't care what you turn them into!"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dean, what's the difference between this and an Uplift?"

"An Uplift never raped anyone!" Dean retorted.

"And neither have many monsters." Sam shrugged. "They just happened to be born over there instead of here."

Dean snorted. "They still exist as a result of the victimization of our people! Dress it up however you want, these creatures have terrorized our people for millennia! And now we're just supposed to forget all that?!? Forget all the people they've hurt? The lives they've ruined!?! Absolutely not! We need to make them pay!"

"And how do you plan to do that?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. "The Emperor won't support any action against them, and the Senate always swings in whatever direction will net them the most benefits. And I assure you, most of them will see more benefit in new trading partners than a long, resource draining war. Particularly since we'd be going against these Eternals in the process."

"Eternals." Dean spat. "Who are these people? Where did they even come from?!? They simply popped into existence, complaining about the weapon, and the Emperor just hands them a fucking guild! He only has the power to appoint four guilds without Senate support and he wastes his last one on them?!?"

"It is a bit suspicious." Sam agreed. "But apparently they have the ability to turn every member of the monstrous races into a noble, so you can't say they don't deserve it."

"Ridiculous!" Dean smacked the desk.

"Do you actually have anything to say, or are you just going to keep complaining?" Sam asked, rolling his eyes.

Dean glared at him for a moment. "We cannot allow the monsters to get away with everything they've done." He growled, pausing for a moment as he thought. "These Eternals seem to fear the weapon, don't they? What did they call it… a 'nuke'?"

"You want to use the weapon?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "I already told you, the Emperor and Senate would never approve it. Not anymore."

"And why should that matter?" Dean grinned. "I still have access to the design team, and I'm sure I can find plenty of ex-Raiders willing to take on some covert missions."

Sam frowned, before cocking his head thoughtfully. "You'll need to cover your tracks… the moment the bombs go off, you're the first person people will look to. You'll need an ironclad defense. There has to be absolutely zero evidence that you've had anything to do with this, and an alibi or two wouldn't hurt either."

"So you're on board?" Dean asked, smirking slightly.

"Of course." Sam smiled, a spark of madness lighting in his eye. "Those monster fuckers need to pay."

*

A rat-like ape, or maybe an ape-like rat, skittered through twisting tunnels, picking the various fruits and fungi growing within and shoving them into its mouth. As it finished one last fruit, the creature suddenly shifted, growing larger, with longer claws and fangs. Shadows cloaked it as it scuttled upwards, leaving the tunnels swarming with its brethren, all scrambling for the same food it'd been eating, some advancing like it had and scrambling above as well. In the caverns above, the creature was immediately forced into battle, contending with creatures of similar advancement in pitched combat, most dying almost instantly to others of a higher level, until they reached their next advancement and climbed to the next level where the process repeated again.

At the peak of the caverns, a lone creature waited patiently for its next meal to arrive. Shadows and lightning flickered around it as it flexed all four of its hands, talons clicking together in anticipation. It shifted on four large legs, as a long tail covered in spikes lashed out behind him. Drool and venom dripped from its fangs, slicking off its thick coat of fur before hissing as it hit the floor.

The Ruin examined the fruits of its labor, hidden within its spatial folds, safe from the destruction that so often rained down upon it. Though that destruction had been less frequent as of late… an annoying development. It truly wished they would continue to feed it the Energy it needed to grow. But it mattered not, its development was inevitable, whether they fed it or not. All that would change was time. Once it finished with its final creation, its spawn would swarm out from its womb to gather all the Energy it could ever need.

*

In the hidden depths of reality, existences swirled around the material plane as waves of change beckoned them, the temptation of delights yet untasted and experiences yet unlived. The few still barred from the plane whined in frustration as the others teased them before beginning their descents, eager to see what these changes had to offer. But they'd have to be careful. They didn't want to get too eager and end up banished like the others. No, they wanted to fully appreciate these new developments.

*

"Fuuucking finally!" Thomas collapsed back into a couch. "Man it feels good to finally be fixing things instead of just making the best of a bad situation."

"Eh?" Greg wiggled his hand. "Kinda wish it'd taken a bit more fighting and a bit less politics."

"Kinda wish I had something to do with it, period." Andrew grumbled. "I feel like I'm just along for the ride most of the time."

"Dude, explore your ability!" Thomas rolled his eyes. "Seriously, you can't complain about not doing anything if you aren't doing anything to figure out what you can do."

Andrew grimaced. "Yeah, yeah. I just- ugh, I'd rather play with magic than figure out new ways I'm a freaking monster."

"Embrace the monster." Greg chuckled. "You know what they say, it's easier to destroy than create. Then, once you figure out how to hurt people, twist it so it helps them instead. Corrupt the destruction into creation!"

"Okay, what he said, but you know, less batshit." Thomas sighed.

"What's guano got to do with this?" Greg snickered, causing Thomas to roll his eyes at the bad joke.

"It is nice to have things figured out." Chris commented. "Now all we have to do is level, build up the Army, and hunt down any monsters that refuse to change."

"Monstrous races." Andrew interjected. "Don't be racist."

"No, I think if they refuse to change, we can call them monsters." Chris replied.

Andrew paused. "That's… fair, I suppose."

Thomas sighed. "I'm just glad that this World finally seems to be on the right track."