For decades, the world was at war.

An incursion had opened the banners of war, and man fought an unyielding war against it.

Empires and kingdoms put their differences aside against a common foe.

Every creature, from a wolf to a spider, helping to fight against the incursion.

Once vibrant forests were replaced by vast deserts branching across the world.

Vast ecosystems perished, lost forever, as the world continued its fight.

Still.

The world was losing.

Dying.

Mana drained as [Indora] spread his domain.

___

On the vast battlefield, an enormous skull nestled in the middle of dunes of bone dust. The great land was full of dunes as far as the eye could see. They were known as the death plains. Though confusing at first, the name was a reminder of what was once here. Vast grassy plains had once sprawled in every direction. The only thing left of such history was death and bone. The plains took over my high-reaching dunes of dust that spoke of the sheer death that haunted this place. All manner of men and beasts had converged here time and time again to defend their dying home. The magnitude of loss surely felt as one gazed at the cruel majesty of the towering dunes.

How many had to die to make this place so?

[Indora] had taken this skull as his home. The philosophical questions of death were for the vain-minded mortals that did not know the simple truth of the universe. It was an eat-or-be-eaten world, and survival of the fittest was the game. He had made sure to always stay on top, and his path was riddled with the bones of his enemies. He would continue his climb till the bitter end.

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[Indora] slowly squeezed the world dry as legions of lesser abyss horrors lay waste to the world at his bidding. The growth for a world eater was precarious early on, but once a domain was set, the powers that be had little they could do to get in the way. It had taken meticulous planning and preparation, and he was sure that deep within his domain was a safety matched only by the homes of a few eldritch. He had worked long as hard to make sure it stayed safe.

Patience is one facet that every young world eater had to nurture early. The war was long and the start had been hard, but with the resources he had acquired from his clan, he barely managed to take a hold. He had played the long game, spurring wars against kings and queens.

Empires came to stand still after he manipulated their leaders with promises of real power. Kings were feeding from his hand as he laid out his plans.

That was the textbook—the "folly of man and power" that he had bought before his incursion set the table for him.

He was sure of his victory and grew careless, his small wins making him careless, and he made a mistake.

Once the world's consciousness realized who he was, he lost all of his momentum and grueling work defending against the world and its people came to his doorstep.

Priests and priestesses of every religion received the same word, and soon the whole world was at war. No expense spared and no stone left unturned as the very world fought tooth and nail against him. The few that had denied the world call were in turn denied by the world.

He capitalized on the decision of a nascent mind and brought those denied to his side. Fighting and politics against a nascent world consciousness was like taking candy from a baby. Too easy.

The armies of man and every creature that came to constantly harass him over years started out amusing, but soon their attempts grew dull and boring. With no need to complicate things, he killed whatever insect came near.

He would focus on his meal. The mana of a world was the sustenance of his race. Each world they conquered not only increased his power but his prestige in his clan. This was his third nascent world, and he felt he was ready for more.

Bigger planets with stronger entities and large reserves of mana were his next goal.

[Indora] knew he was only left with a few years, and once done, he would enter his next phase of growth.

The occasional snacks of energy from the insects that deigned to enter his domain had added a bit of flavor to his delectable meal, but the essence of a planet was like a sweet nectar that was forever exquisite.

This world was his to enjoy, and nothing would get in the way of his last few tastes of his meal.