It seems like I've gotten so into the role of a cheeky elf that I've actually become one. Hehe, amusing. Meanwhile, the severed tongue ended up in the overgrown grass nearby, which hungrily devoured the offering. I knew there was something off about this clearing.
"Why were you buried here, anyway?" - I asked the demon, trying to pass the time. - "I hope it was something amusing."
The demon gnashed its teeth but couldn't resist the pleasure of talking to someone. Judging by the surroundings, no sane demon would come near this place. The local "grass" didn't attack me, only because I had disguised myself with all the spells and barriers I knew. And besides, there wasn't a drop of demonic energy in my body.
"Yes, quite amusing" - the demon growled, recalling something that stirred anger in its emotions. - "I was the previous Azathoth, the Dark Lord of the entire universe, ruling over all realms. But one day, a pitiful human came to me. A wretched human with the Mark of the Sacrifice on his soul. He challenged me to a battle and... he won. That day, I learned of the existence of the Flame of Oblivion. This little human burned me and my entire soul, leaving only a small fragment. And then he possessed me into the body of a giant and buried me in this place, so that my pitiful appearance would instill fear in anyone who dared to oppose him. Since that day, this new Azathoth has ruled this world. Well, how do you like the story?" - the retiree asked.
"Very funny. But you know what's funny? Right now, a person with the Mark of the Sacrifice is rushing to see Azathoth. And he will surely try to kill him. But I doubt that your story can repeat itself. Well, who knows. Maybe tomorrow, another head will sprout from the ground next to you."
“Ha-ha, elf, I haven't heard such a funny joke in a long time. And what's the name of that brave soul who challenged Azathoth himself?”
“Guts. His name is Guts, which in your language should sound like Intestines.”
“Ah, well then there's nothing to worry about.” - The head, which had flared up with hope, calmed down. – “With a name like that, the most he can achieve is getting stuck in intestines and causing constipation. But I wouldn't even hope for that. Name determines destiny. How are you called?”
“I am not called, I come on my own.” - I replied indignantly. – “I call myself Atman. But players call me Cheater.”
“Players? So, you're a game figure? Then it's clear how you ended up here at all. Let me guess, that Guts was your offering to Azathoth?”
“Is it that obvious?” - I asked sadly.
“Ha-ha, I think he'll appreciate the joke of a Sacrifice trying to kill him. Such a hint will even reach his dimmest followers. And if he doesn't punish you... then he must have some plan for you. Well, I'll wait to see how your life ends. Waiting is all I have left.”
With that, the head fell silent and stopped reacting to my jabs.
I sat bored on the demon's head for almost an hour before there was commotion in the palace where Guts had headed. First, we were overwhelmed by a powerful surge of demonic energy. And the most important thing was that this energy was almost entirely composed of Chaos. The energy of "ordinary" demons didn't attract me much because of its qualities. Inconspicuously to the user, it would change them, turning them into hideous monsters. But this energy was much purer. It could almost be called Primordial Chaos. Almost, but not quite. There was something about it that sent shivers down my immortal spine. The original energy of Chaos, which I knew from faint glimpses, even attracted me more than this strange mishmash.
Following the surge of energy from the palace, a thunderous roar came, striking fear into anyone with a brain. Luckily, I didn't have such vulnerability. Neither did Guts. I brainwashed him so thoroughly that he would sooner throw himself into the jaws of Azathoth than be afraid of him. And even in those jaws, he would cut the Demon Lord into pieces.
The bursts of energy and cries continued for about fifteen minutes, after which I received a signal about the destruction of the 'indestructible' Vritras crystal. As I suspected, Azathoth showed Guts the tongue on which Griffith's last seconds were spent, and he himself jumped into the demon's mouth. And then, in just a second, the stupid swordsman was 'digested'. I didn't know what happened to him after the crystal was destroyed, but it didn't end well for Guts.
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“That's it, lunch is eaten.” - I commented on this event.
“And is it time for a small snack?” - the head asked.
“No, it's time to discuss how to strip half of the universe down to their underwear.”
The head skeptically remained silent in response to my statement. And I also didn't burn with the desire to discuss such delicate matters. Now was the turning point of my journey, in which it was determined whether the Eternal Oracle’s advice was useful or not.
Half an hour later, a group of demons appeared from the forest. They approached the edge of the clearing without getting too close to the grass, and the strongest of them shouted:
“Cheater, Azathoth wants to see you. Come here.”
“What? I can't hear you.” - I shouted in response. – “Come closer.”
“Ha-ha, come here, why are you standing there?” - the head laughed.
“Cheater!!!” - the demon shouted, spreading waves of anger.
“Alright, alright, I'm coming.”
I flew vertically upwards to a height of fifty meters, then flew over the grass and landed next to the group of demons.
“Follow me.” - The leader said, then walked away without bothering to check if I was following him.
Soon, we emerged from the forest and walked along a path. We were now heading away from Azathoth's Palace, and I was more than satisfied with this direction. Half an hour later, my companions limped their way to another palace. We entered through the grand entrance and made our way to the Throne Room, where another demon sat in the center... not particularly powerful, I must say.
“Before you is Azathoth, the ruler of the dark side of the Universe.” - My guide proclaimed with pomp. – “Kneel and show your respect.”
This is Azathoth? Doesn't look like it. He's too weak. I consulted with my parasite, but it confirmed that this was indeed Azathoth, or rather, one of his projections which deals with minor matters.
“Well, greetings, Lord of the Universe.” - I nodded.
The demons hissed irritably at such familiarity, but they didn't take any action, waiting for their boss's reaction.
“You really are an audacious upstart.” - The demon sitting on the throne responded almost admiringly. Well, he doesn't strike me as Azathoth. It all looks like some kind of setup. I went to meet the president, and ended up with some bum. – “I am the divine projection of Azathoth, and my will fully aligns with his. I am aware of your situation, so let's get straight to announcing my decision.”
Well, no bureaucracy here. I decided, and that's it - wipe yourselves off.
“First of all, you will undergo a transformation into a Soul Devourer. Narskrudzhak will take care of this.” - The small demon standing next to me silently bowed. – “After he decides that you have sufficient qualifications, he will take you to Shubniggurath. And he will give you a task that you must fulfill. It will be participation in some game. During this game, you will be granted temporary protection from the Being and its minions. If you complete the task, you will receive the Devil's Mechanism. When you use it, you will be transported to another world, where you will have time during which the Being will not be able to find you. Also, in each world, you will have a task, after completing which you will have the opportunity to activate the mechanism again. Do you agree to these conditions?”
Well, what choice do I have? And these conditions don't look worse than the Being's. I traded one bad situation for another.
“I agree.” - I nodded.
“Then follow Narskrudzhak.” - Azathoth commanded grimly, losing all interest in me. – “He will show you what we have here.”
The small demon and I exchanged glances, after which I followed him.
As soon as we left the throne room, the demon immediately perked up, as if being in the presence of Azathoth was the greatest risk in his life.
“Well, let's go.” - He gave me a cheeky look. – “Since Azathoth has decided that I should tell you everything, I will give you a little tour.”
We left the palace and walked along the path. From time to time, demons passed by us, each of whom sniffed and licked their lips at the sight of me. And most importantly, all these demons were insanely powerful, and I was no match for them. Now it's clear that my previous journey was a complete setup.
Meanwhile, my companion had completely relaxed and started chatting non-stop.
"Right now, we are in Lange. This dimension is called the End of Universe. Azathoth constantly devours millions and billions of worlds. They all become part of Lange, and then all living beings, planets, and stars end up in Azathoth's stomach, where they are digested by him. And also, this is where the paths of reincarnation are finished. Every soul after death ends up in Lange to pass through the Squeezer."
"The Squeezer?" - I exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, that's exactly where we're going. You know what Bahion is, right?"
"Yes, it's the energy of faith."
"Well, you could say that, although that's not quite the right definition. Bahion can be obtained by making sentient beings worship you as a god. But it can also be extracted from the suffering of souls. That's what we're doing here."
"So, you have hell here?" - I asked.
"Not in the way you imagine it. No cauldrons and demons. You'll see for yourself soon enough."