Devourer

Chapter 214: Once More into the Flame

I curled up on the ground as Adhaya started discussing the fine details of the new world-spanning factory we were building. Food production would be minimal in this place, and in fact, part of this design was for Limbo not to be self-sufficient.

This place was filled with trash; the Limbo demons could breed, but most were chained fools. The scum of the scum, useless fools who were discarded by even demons.

I needed a passive form of leverage to keep them in line. Rosa had the right concept, but her execution was off. Fear needed to be maintained, but hunger was always present. You couldn’t grow enough food here, so by controlling the food supply, I could basically put a collar on all of them.

“In exchange for raising all of you out of the filth and misery you find yourselves in, our Great King demands your efforts and labour.” Adhaya said as she glowered down at the gathered and trembling Elders.

“Not all the demons here may agree, they are an unruly bunch, we are fearful…” the elder began.

“Of quiet resistance.” I grumbled from my seat.

The Elder visibly flinched and cowered as my voice rumbled through him.

“They won’t rebel overtly. Fear won’t work on everyone. Some will be foolish enough to entertain the delusion they can hide from me. It’s stupid, of course, but I expect I will need to make an example of a few of them. If any of your fellows are so eager to depart the mortal coil, then I am happy to oblige.” I replied with a grin.

“Now then enough of your groveling, it makes me sick. Get up, I want to know what is the situation with all of you and why my servants have seen fit to turn all of your into shivering wrecks.” I said with a huff of slight annoyance.

“There are?” I prompted and he trembled even more.

“There are some who refuse to obey. They claim they are just slaves trading one master for another.” the Elder stammered.

“Well they aren’t wrong.” I replied dryly, and the elders visibly flinched.

“I could turn them into dead slaves if they prefer. I mean look at me, they were expecting liberation after I fed most of this world to my hive?” I asked almost incredulously.

“Great One, their error has been corrected they are loyal now.” the Elder replied.

“Well loyalty can be fixed, dissidents can be crushed but there is one thing you can’t fix…” I said as I mused on this complex problem.

Indeed it is a complex problem, a problem that even I cannot fix. It amazing really how these things go, but I suppose even I have limitations… well technically I can fix it but it would take too much effort…

So a complex problem requires an excellent, effective and of course complex solution!

Adhaya, find these idiots and eat them

You can’t fix stupid

◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.♚.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦

Regari sat on the edge of the lake as he massaged his arm. He just had another training session with Mahaila which just amounted to another one-sided beatdown. Over these few weeks, Regari will admit that he has been enjoying himself slightly. At end of the day he was one of the Great Beasts companions so many of the Limbo demons practically treated him like royalty.

Which he will admit was rather lovely, although his happiness soon faded the moment the training sessions began. Mahaila was out so that left his training to Rosa, the more reasonable one in the group.

Regari sighed as he closed his eyes and remembered the harsh training. The vivid memories of the training sessions replayed in his mind. He could almost feel the blade's sting each time his sword clashed with Mahaila’s. Her strikes were precise, each movement efficient and no energy was wasted. It wasn’t just the physicality of the combat that wore him down, but the sheer intensity of her focus. Mahaila’s strikes coiled around his guard like a snake. Each strike sent pain through his arm, she was able to wear him down even when he was the one striking.

In stark contrast, Rosa’s approach to training was a different kind of torment. Her style was deceptively gentle, yet it had an underlying cruelty. She would engage him with a casual grace, almost as if she were sparring with a child. Her strikes were light and deliberate, meant more to nudge him into mistakes than to outright defeat him. It was as though she enjoyed watching him struggle with the illusion of control she maintained.

Rosa would feint with a smile, her eyes glinting with mischief as she effortlessly sidestepped his attacks. She’d occasionally let him think he had the upper hand, only to disarm him with a nonchalant flick of her wrist. Each time Regari tried to press his advantage, she would pivot, dance out of reach, and deliver a playful tap with the flat of her blade, reminding him that she was always in control, even when she appeared to be barely trying.

Tap

Tap

Tap

Each trade she just lightly tapped his sword at the end, always taunting him. Regari never knew someone could use a fighting style to get so far under his skin.

Her movements were almost whimsical as if she were engaged in a game rather than a serious fight. The more he tried to predict her next move, the more he tangled in her web of feints and evasions. It was a dance of sorts, but one where Regari was perpetually out of step. At times he almost felt like a cripple.

Regari could almost hear Rosa’s light laughter in his mind, a haunting reminder of how she seemed to revel in his growing frustration. He could see her standing just out of reach, her blade flicking toward him in a series of rapid, teasing taps designed to goad him into rash actions. Her skill lay not just in her physical prowess but in her ability to toy with his emotions, to make him question his own abilities.

She truly was a Vampire Queen, Mahaila had told Regari all about them. Cruel and controlling in the extreme. They reveled in torment and loved to control their prey, those under a true Vampire King or Queen would find themselves helpless even when free. They had ways to shackle your mind to them. As far as the lord of Necoronas were concerned this was the only way to ensure control in a court filled with backstabbing traitors.

What was worse, Rosa was a mage at her core and she was still so much better than him at the sword. Regari however could still take some comfort in the fact that the Great Beast was absent for some time. Honestly the Great Beast terrified him, just standing in his presence sent shivers up his spine.

He slowly reached the edge of the square and he apprehensively watched as the Elders begged for… something.

The Great Beast scoffed as he just nodded in Adhaya’s direction and the surrounding hive soldiers instantly sprang into motion. They scattered throughout the town and in a matter of moments Regari started to hear the screams.

Regari stiffened as he watched the Great Beast snatch up the Elder with one hand as he growled into the elder’s face.

“You fools always seem to get too comfortable with me…” the Great Beast growled.

Are you aware I suppress my Ether?

At those words, Regari gagged as the air suddenly turned hazy. Each gulp of air felt like he was inhaling slime. His lungs couldn’t expand and he fell to his knees gasping for air. His throat constricted, and his mouth gaped open instinctively but still nothing.

Regari instinctively clawed at his throat, but it was no use. His lungs burned, desperate for oxygen that simply wasn’t there.

Regari desperatly tried to force in a breath, but the weight only pressed harder. His vision began to tunnel, oily shadows twisting at the edges of his vision. It was as if the atmosphere had turned hostile, crushing him under its invisible fist.

Regari looked up and knew what was happening. The Great Beast had unleashed his power for a moment. He could see the shimmer now as if the very fabric of reality had been stretched too thin and was starting to fray. The cobblestones beneath his feet began to twist and buckle, their once-solid forms warping into spirals and jagged, unnatural shapes. Cracks snaked between the stones, spreading like a virus as they pulsed with the same overwhelming ether saturating the air.

In the back of his mind he couldn’t help but think of something. Mahaila taught him a spell that allowed him to see the Ether in the air and around creatures. She said it was a useful tool for determining what fights he could and could not take. Now with the Great Beast baring his fangs to the world a curiosity crept into his mind.

He could activate that spell, get a glimpse into the true power of the ancients. Mahaila herself glowed like the sun, but that was with her passive suppression of her ether signature. But here he had the chance to gaze at a god…

[Ether Vision]

Regari just managed to gasp out with the last of his air. Then his vision turned white and froze as his eyes suddenly felt like it was on fire.

Then darkness…

◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.♚.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦

“So… what happened with him?” I asked as I glanced down at the unconcious Regari. His eyesockets were now just empty smoldering holes.

Mahaila glared at me before unceremoniously dumping a healing potion on his head. A few seconds later Regari gasped as he sat up, scrabbling at his face.

Mahaila instantly grabbed his arms to stop his flailing.

“Easy, easy, you just got your eyes back, don’t go clawing them out now.” Mahaila said.

Regari took one look at me, then at Mahaila and then threw up all over himself.

“Abit extreme of a reaction.” I muttered, and Mahaila shot me in another glare.

“Hey not my fault he casted that spell. What you forget to mention to him how it works?” I deadpanned.

That spell he casted lets humanoids see ether in a similar way I can. But the catch is all Ether vision basically absorbs the ether into the eyes to help the user see. For something like me the organs in charge of vision are naturally suited to the task. But for a humanoid that does not naturally possess Ether Vision their squishy eyeballs just aren’t well accustomed to it. So Regari’s eyes just got cooked by too much ether.

“I may have forgotten to mention the exact mechanics of it.” Mahaila replied dryly as she helped Regari to his feet.

“You ok?” Mahaila asked, and Regari gave her a shaky nod.

“What was that?” Regari sputtered.

“Our great leader decided to try to kill this entire town.” Mahaila replied dryly.

“Eh they could take it.” I replied with a shrug and of course I got another glare.

“Really?” Mahaila deadpanned as she looked around at the unconscious bodies around me.

“They’ll wake up.” I replied with another shrug, and Mahaila just sighed as she shook her head. I could practically see the migraine forming in her temple.

“So what now?” Mahaila asked, now older and wise enough to realise the best strategy to deal with my bullshit was to just move past it. It was the wrong strategy because it made things less fun for me but well… no one’s perfect.

“We move onto Treachery and work our way up. Alastor has a contact in Treachery.” I said as I glanced at a nearby shadow and sure enough Alastor materialised in gush of flame.

“Indeed my king, Lord Satan and Beezlebub has made arrangements. Seeing your splendid taming of the of Limbo they are certain you will succeed.” Alastor replied with a cordial bow.

“Good.” I said as I turned around and I turned my gaze towards the world gate.

“Meet me at the World Gate, bring the kid.” I said as shot into the air with single flap of my wings.

One last thing before I head out. That wierd goat idiot was waiting at the gate. Well to be fair he was being forced to wait, no that’s not right either. What was the word again? A

I arrived at the gate and I saw a pair of Briars holding in the idiot down into the dirt. Their twin ether cores were powerful enough to overpower even an ancient warrioir. He struggled uselessly as their powerful arms held him down.

Tobias was his name if I recall correctly.

Ah now I remember the word. Captured, that was it.

“You know if you are trying to persuade me that you are useful this is not a great start.” I deadpanned as I looked down at his squirming form.

“I can be useful I just need…” Tobias growled as he continued to struggle.

“Me to remove the Morningstar Brand. You see you can be useful to me, but it is abit awkward how that brand of yours in more useful than you.” I said with a grin.

“What?” Tobias sputtered in confusion.

“Marks like these are links between a piece of property and their owners. So, if you brand is still active it means Magne Morningstar…” I said but paused for a moment.

“Is still alive.” Tobias replied softly.

“You know that of course, no one really knows where she is. All most people seem to agree on is that she is alive. Another thing about these links is that they are traceable. Which means I can use your brand to find her.” I said with a grin and his face went as white as sheet.

“No, you can’t free her. She’s a monster amongst monsters!” Tobias screamed.

“Oh I am sure she is, so thats the deal. You are free to decline of course. But I’m sure I’ll find her eventually. When that happens I wonder will she come back to collect her leashed dog? Or perhaps I can even persuade her to ditch the leash in exchange for freeing her.” I said and Tobias visibly deflated at those words.

“Good I’m glad we understand each other. I mean honestly what were you thinking? You can’t fight, you are about as subtle as a catapult, what the hell was I going to use you for? Why would I even bother freeing you?” I said as I leaned down to look at him.

“So the most useful thing about you is your leash. You let me poke around in that thing and I will let you go when I eventually free Morningstar, sounds good?” I asked and he mutely nodded.

“Excellent!” I said with a small happy clap.

Now let’s shake on it…