Sitting in my throne, I look down at the gathering of my followers with a smile, being King of Nova Roma is nothing in comparison to being the Overlord. Honestly, the Shadow Phoenix sitting on my shoulder, nudging her head against mine is doing wonders for my emotional state... its good to have Nyx back.
"As you have no doubt noticed, Sire... the tower has found itself in a rather strange place." Gnarl admits. "Oh, and we are under attack... by several forces." he adds after a moment making me sigh.
"Naturally, I need answers... what happened here?" I ask, making him frown.
"The Tower Heart... exploded. Quite violently at that. That's where things started to act... strange. The artifact you brought with you, the Eye of Magnus, took the place of the Tower Heart, and then the entire tower was pulled into some kind of rift... the next thing we knew we were here. Most strange... I like the scenery though! Very evil!" he adds happily.
"Shortly after we arrived here... we were attacked by some foul skeletons, we managed to drive them away with some difficulty, but they returned quickly... as did another force of strange beings." Rose explains with a scowl, it#s nice to know that she and Velvet are okay...
Skeletons? Raising Hell had wraiths as the enemies, and they looked like Skeletons... great, the Forgotten God.
"I, along with the others, have been driving the invaders away from your Tower, My King, but without you, we have been losing Minions and Undead with no way of replenishing our numbers." Erebus rumbles. "Your lesser undead found themselves... weakened without you."
"I will see to replenishing our numbers soon... these invaders will know the penalty for challenging the Overlord." I growl. I just got my tower back, and it's already being invaded? People need to learn to fuck off and leave me alone. "Who amongst my people are still here? Who is missing?" I asked, leaning back and looking over the people gathered before me.
Serena, Rose and Velvet, Inferna and the still enslaved Hakon, Lady Clarissa from the Shining Justice, Holly Underbelly, Mezuki and Gozuki, the two youkai I summoned to protect the throne room, Celestine and Skarlet... and strangely enough, Raynare, Kalawarner and Mittelt. Raynare was charged with protecting my Tower Heart, so she makes sense, but I never brought Kalawarner and Mittelt here?
"Queen Fay and Oberon were in the elven village when we were taken, Jewel was still in the desert, The Succubi went with Yasaka, Jack the Ripper was hunting the Assassins, Mata Hari was in Heaven's Peak, Cu was in Spree and Edward, along with the undead ninja's were fighting the Empire. We don't know where the other two living ninja's went, they weren't here when we arrived." Serena lists off quickly.
Hm, not great... could be worse, however.
"I would advise you... look around and familiarise yourself with the Tower, Sire! As you can see, it's changed quite a lot since you've been gone!" Gnarl says making me sigh.
"Very well, continue with your duties, for now, once I've gotten a handle on the situation, I'll change them as needed." I command, dismissing them with a sigh.
Watching them leave, I frown as Skarlet remains behind.
"Is there a problem?" I ask after she hesitates.
"I know who is invading this place." she admits making me pause.
"...Speak."
"Outworld. My home." she says with a scowl, my hand resting on the God-killer. "Calm yourself, Overlord... if I was going to betray you I'd have done it already." she says with a chuckle.
"If Shao Khan is invading my world, you'd have run back to him by now. Explain." I say coldly.
"You're right... if it was the True Emperor of Outworld, I'd have rejoined him... but it isn't. Shao Khan is dead, the self-proclaimed Empress Mileena is the one trying to invade this place, and I will not serve that spoiled child. I captured one of the Tarkata and with the help of your mistress, Velvet, we... interrogated him. The Artifact you call the Eye of Magnus is a source of nigh-unlimited magic, and the sorcerer Shang Tsung has convinced the spoiled child to attack your realm and conquer it, taking its power for Outworld." she explains as I sigh.
Great, just... fantastic.
"So... what is your plan? You wanted to defeat Kitana to avenge Shao Khan, but where does Mileena fall into your plans?" I ask as I reach up, stroking the happily trilling Nyx to calm myself down.
Skill Regained
[Familiar Bond] – Nyx [50]
Allows your familiars to be summoned to you at any time
Outworld and the Infernal Abyss... I'm never short on enemies.
"Mileena is a spoiled child and an insane one at that. I won't allow her to destroy Shao Khan's legacy like this... besides, I know this time period... if I leave her to it she'll be killed by D'Vorah and Kotal Khan will become Emperor... this is... unacceptable." she growls out, hmm... I can use this.
"So... what do you want to do?" I ask with a smirk, already seeing where this is going.
"Don't play coy... you've already worked it out, haven't you?" she asks with a roll of her eyes.
"You don't want the throne to pass out of Shao Khan's family. You hate Kitana, and you don't think Mileena deserves the throne... so that leaves just one candidate... the adopted daughter of Shao Khan... yourself." I say, smirking at her.
"Naturally... Mileena would drive Outworld to destruction, Kitana is a weak-willed fool, and Kotal does not deserve to sit on the throne." she scoffs, strutting up to my throne, before she climbs into my lap, straddling me with a smirk, her mask being pulled down.
"And you want my help with that... Mileena has an army, Kitana has her allies, and Kotal's rebellion will have more than a few members. Alone you wouldn't stand a chance."
"But with the all-powerful Overlord at my side, I would have the forces I need to claim the Throne." she says suggestively, her hand resting on my cheek as she leans forward. "You are already at war with Mileena, you'll have to fight her either way... and Outworld wouldn't accept the rule of an outsider."
"But you're forgetting something, I know the future of Outworld as well. Kotal will claim the throne sooner or later, and he's less warlike than Mileena, all I have to do is hold her off until she is killed, which is far easier than actually conquering Outworld." I say making her smirk.
"True... but while Outworld wouldn't accept you as the one Emperor, they would accept you as the Emperor... if you were married to a rightful Empress." she trails off, making me chuckle, my hands gripping her barely covered ass, my gauntlets unequipped.
"Aww... I didn't know you cared." I say with a grin, squeezing her ass slightly.
"I don't, but I wouldn't be the first Empress to marry for power. You're powerful enough that the people of Outworld would accept you, and you're handsome and well-endowed enough for our marriage to be pleasant. In time I might even come to love you, I already... mildly like you." she admits making me laugh.
"So romantic..." I chuckle, kissing her gently as she happily returns the kiss. I almost regret how thick my armour is with how much she's pressing her body against my own.
Conquer Outworld? Interesting... and tempting, the power of Outworld could serve me well.
Breaking the kiss, she smiles at me.
"So... are you interested, Overlord?" she asks.
"I am... Emperor Kuro does have a nice ring to it." I admit.
"Indeed Master!" Gnarl adds, making us both jump as we glare at the little imp. "It's the nature of an Overlord to conquer!"
"How does that midget get around so quietly?" Skarlet mumbles, glaring at the smirking Minion.
"I don't know... what is it Gnarl?" I ask with a sigh.
"There's something I think you should see, Master!" he admits. "I'm terribly sorry about interrupting your time with Mistress Skarlet, but I believe this should take precedence!"
"I'm not a mistre- oh, whatever. I was getting horny, but I'm not giving that thing a show." Skarlet says, climbing out of my lap with a sigh. "We can catch up later, Overlord... when there are less unholy abominations around." she adds as she walks away.
"Gnarl, you better have a good reason for cock-blocking me or you're going in the lava river." I say with a scowl, watching her hips sway as she walks out of the throne room.
"Ahh... sometimes you sound just like the First Overlord. How nostalgic." he says wistfully. "And it's just lovely to have a lava moat, very evil, Sire!" he compliments making me roll my eyes. "But I do have a good reason... and I think it'd be better to show instead of tell." he continued, making me stand up, Nyx still resting on my shoulder as she glares down at Gnarl for interrupting her scratches.
"Very well... lead the way, Gnarl." I say with a smirk, of course the Minion Master of several Overlord's wouldn't be bothered by threats. He's probably been threatened a thousand times before.
As he leads me down into the Minion Hives, I smile seeing the four hives sitting in their proper places. At least I don't have to go and track them down again.
"Here we are, your Malevolence... it appeared at the same time you did." Gnarl explains as we look at the object of interest... a floating black shard with runes etched onto it... and a black mist emitting from it. I know what that is...
The Tower Heart. My Phylactery before it was destroyed. And that black mist pouring off it? My soul... part of it at least. It's... calling to me. Isis, is that good or bad?
Good, Master. Take it.
"I see... this was worth my attention. You can live." I deadpan as he chuckles to himself.
"How magnanimous of you, Sire... it's unbecoming of an Overlord." Gnarl deadpans back.
Reaching forwards, I gently grab the shard out of the air, watching it dissolve in my hand, the mist going into the skin.
Skill regained
Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) (Active)
CP cost varies
Allows the user to manipulate their own skeletal structure.
Control the density of your bones
Create weapons made of bones
[Dance of the Larch] – Makes bones sprout from parts of the user's body impaling any attackers
[Dance of the Camellia] – Pulls out a bone sword, and rapidly stabs at a target, attempting to overwhelm them
[Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets] – Fires the finger-bones from each hand at a target, allowing the user to attack at range
Profession Skill Regained
[Baking Proficiency (Adept)] (Passive)
Gained the knowledge on how to bake all kinds of treats
Baked goods give a large stat boost.
Skill Regained
[Multi-Form]
Allows the user to create and control another body.
Extra bodies will only have 35% of the stats of the original.
If the 'True' form is killed the full power will head to the second form.
Skillset regained
Summoner Skillset regained
Necromancer
Skillset regained
Overlord
Oww... the sudden influx of knowledge is pretty painful as my head burns, my brain overheating from the immense amount of spells and skills flooding into my mind. I can here Nyx trilling in concern as I wince, her song lessening the pain.
My stats have just skyrocketed as well... nowhere near where they used to be, but still much higher.
"You've done well, Gnarl..." I admit, rubbing my head with a scowl. "Tell me... how many minions do I have left?" I ask making him frown slightly, rubbing his chin.
"Not many, Master! Without an Overlord to turn the life-force, we have been gathering into minions, we have been slowly losing forces with every battle! We have thirty-seven browns, fourteen reds, seventeen greens and ten blues left." he admits, his ears drooping slightly.
"Well... let's fix that shall we?" I say, focusing on the mountain of life-force sitting in the hives.
[Minion Master Proficiency (Legendary)] (Passive)
As a legendary overlord, you can control as many minions as you desire, no longer having an upper limit.
Minions deal 100% more damage and take 50% less damage.
Heh, time to get back to work. If my tower is under attack, I need an army to defend it with... and the undead I left here have all been destroyed, even my Skeletal Dragon eventually fell, I can sense what happened... it was just a matter of death by a thousand bug bites... it couldn't regenerate, and over time it was brought down by tiny wounds, and my other summons seem to have de-summoned themselves.
Fortunately my minions had the foresight to gather the dragons bones and store them so I can just bring him back. Necromancy for the win,m pet will be back amongst the living (technically) soon enough.
It seems like the forces attacking haven't tried any massive invasions yet, they're testing the towers defences, small attack forces attacking before they retreat.
Hmm... base minions aren't going to cut it... but I've regained the design minions skill, so I can fix that.
Bestiary Entries added
[Brown Minion]
These imp-like creatures make up the majority of any Overlord's forces, with the intelligence of a particularly malevolent child and the strength of a full-grown man they will happily smash their master's foes and do his bidding with a remarkable lack of self-preservation.
The Overlord can use Brown Life-force to summon one of these tiny berserkers.
[Red Minion]
Unlike their Brown counterparts, these Minions aren't particularly strong, fortunately, they make up for this with their talent with Pyromancy. Nothing makes a Red happier than burning anyone or anything their master wants gone, and they can absorb fire to regenerate their wounds.
The Overlord can use Red Life-force to summon one of these pyromaniacs.
[Green Minion]
The stealthy ones, Greens are masters of stealth and assassination, able to go invisible and sneak up on their foes for a devastating backstab, they can be both assassins or scouts, depending on the Overlord's will.
The Overlord can use Green Life-force to summon one of these sneaky minions.
[Blue Minion]
Far smarter than any of their other counterparts, these minions are the magic casters of the Overlord's forces, healing their allies and dealing magical damage to their foes in equal measure... unfortunately their magical prowess comes at the cost of their physical attributes, making them the weakest of the Minions.
The Overlord can use Blue Life-force to summon one of these spell-casters.
Right... but I need something a bit more powerful than these, so it's time to put that skill to use.
Bestiary Entry added
[Greater Brown Minion]
These Brown's are bigger, tougher and meaner than the others, and they have the ability to command their lesser brethren, forming attack groups within the Overlord's armies. A single Greater Brown can take ten of it's lesser brethren and boost their abilities.
The Overlord can use five Brown Life-forces to summon one of these brutish commanders.
Hmm, that will do for now... they have gathered a lot of Life-force while I've been gone (and there was a lot of it before I left), so I have lots to work with. I had the browns slaughtering livestock and animals to gather life-force before I left, and it's clearly paid off.
Summoning twenty-five of the Greater Brown's, I smirk as they come leaping out of the minion gate. They aren't human-sized, but they're still about fifty percent larger than their midget counterparts. Their skin is far thicker as well, making them much harder to kill.
Two hundred and fifty Browns follow, then one hundred and fifty Reds, one hundred Greens and one hundred Blues. Green and Blue life-force was always harder to get.
"Gnarl, have them protect the tower. I want the invaders to pay dearly for attacking my home." I say with a scowl.
+5 Reputation with Gnarl for protecting the Tower [100/100]
[The Master of Evil] – Gnarl [50]
Minions and Henchmen will feel a deep desire to serve you.
[The Master of Minions] – Gnarl [100]
You have a mastery over the minions that none of your predecessors possessed...
All your minions are stronger, tougher, more powerful, and possess a small healing factor.
Hm.
"Of course, Master! We will brutalise the fools, slaughter their kin, loot and burn their homes, defile their woman! They'll curse themselves in the afterlife for challenging the Overlord!" he cheers, to be honest... he isn't wrong. I do a lot of looting and defiling.
"I'm going to look around, see that the Minions are properly placed." I order, walking out of the Minion Hive room.
First stop, the prisons... might as well check them out while I'm down here.
I'm... mildly surprised to see that Evie Frye is still down here, as is the Amazoness Princess who weakly glares at me, both of them are nude... with multiple scars. They've had Velvet's loving attention without me here to control her. Sucks to be them.
Heading upstairs, I stop by the Smithy to see Giblet, the Forge Master, giving him orders to make weapons for my new minions. I know in the game they take weapons from the corpses of their enemies, but I just think it makes more sense to make them weapons immediately to increase their efficiency.
Moving on, I walk through what seems to be a servants quarters, the Maids from Spree seem to have all made the trip over, and surprisingly they seem... almost happy to see me. I guess I'm preferable to the attackers.
Heading upstairs, I quickly find my favourite room of all... the Treasury and Armoury.
Not everything has made the trip over, quite a few things are missing... not least of which are the Sacred Gear gems, True Longinus and Annihilation Maker, Excalibur Ruler is missing as well... amongst over things.
Do you know what isn't missing?
All the Gold and Silver I stole from Highschool of the Dead, mountains of gold bars piled up in my massive treasury. Heh, knew it was worth the effort I put into it.
Guess I don't have to worry about money for a while.
Heading to the trophy rooms, I smile seeing the trophies from the Overlord Heroes sitting on their stands... along with Kalawarner's Thong for some reason. Why am I not surprised that that survived the trip?
Moving on. The Portal room seems to be... intact. Mostly, it's clearly damaged, and I got a notification that major world jumps will be unavailable until it is repaired.
It does have a selection of Worlds pre-set, but I can't jump worlds until I fix it... not that I actually want to, I'm in no rush. Still, it's interesting to see where my next major world is...
The selections are between Skyrim, Witcher, Dragon Age and Game of Thrones along with a corrupted choice I can't read.
Minor jumps are available, but there's only a single choice at the moment, simply titled The Battle of Troy. Maybe later.
Next, there's a ritual room, I even recognise the ritual circle... it's the one used to summon Fate Servants... but I lack the materials to summon them, I need something linked to the servant I want to invoke, I'll have to keep my eye out.
The second highest floor is the Mistress bedrooms, keeping them close to my own room, and above that is my own bedroom.
Even bigger than I remembered, and at the very top of the tower, it has a king-sized bed with red velvet sheets, a bookcase (which has my Grimoires neatly lined up on it), an en suite with an enchanted bath in it (with hot-tub fuctions), a torture chamber/sex dungeon of to the side (naturally), a balcony from which I can see the entire rocky floaty island.
...This place is ninety percent rocks and ten percent lava. Gonna need to do something about that. It's kinda a shitty view.
What's interesting is the third room coming off my bedroom, a map of the Island, a very detailed one at that, of course, it's just a pile of rocks, so the map isn't that interesting, but the options and choices are what draw me in.
"I see you've found the world modifier?" Rose's voice pulls me back to my senses.
"World Modifier?" I ask, turning to her with a raised eyebrow.
"My name for it... I've spent hours pouring over its options and possibilities, but unfortunately, it's bound to you, so I couldn't actually put it to use." she admits. "I was hoping to use it to deal with some of our larger problems..." she says, walking to my side.
"Hmm, food and supplies, right?" I ask after a moment, the rocky terrain can't be used to grow anything... nor does it have any creatures living in it.
+5 Affection with Rose for being intelligent [54/100]
[The Mistress Whisperer] – Rose [50]
Any women you take as Mistresses, Concubines or other kinds of official lovers will grow attached to you faster, and people will be less bothered by you taking their family members/friends as your lover.
"Indeed, we had a considerable amount of supplies... but we are starting to run out, your new minion army is a wonderful addition to our defences... but they will need feeding like everyone else." she agrees, looking over the lifeless wasteland that my tower is sitting on.
"Then we need to get to work, don't we?" I ask, tapping the map.
Huh... I have a choice to set 'invasion points'... basically, I can control where the invaders will spawn in, well... if you're giving me that choice...
Aww... I can't just put them in the lava lake. Tch.
Messing with the terrain editor, I increase the size of the island, dragging it out by miles, before I put the invasion points in the far corner, far, far away from my tower. Then I add more lava rivers in between us, cause fuck em. That's why.
"I would suggest going into buildings, the defence category to be exact, protecting your tower is essential after all... no use having food if we all get murdered by invading monsters after all." Rose adds. "I can't place anything... but I could explore the menus."
"Good point..." I say, finding the walls, it's expensive (or it would be if my treasury wasn't literally overflowing with gold), but I add a large fortified wall along the entire island, a small distance away from my Tower, so that my invaders will have to scale or destroy it to get to me. Some guard towers along it as well, both to watch for invaders from, and to attack from in the case of an invasion.
I need to bring my Bayrok's back, their archery will be invaluable in a defensive battle.
Moving over to the other side of the tower, I expand it again, the other way this time... making the black rock slowly fade into grassy plains, going for miles upon miles. Rolling hills, vast flat plains, all very idyllic. I even add a gentle river flowing through it, and some cave systems along the hills and the mountain range.
Pausing for a moment, I put a mountain range between the rocky lava deathland and the pleasant grass plains, a single mountain pass allowing travel between them... and then I add a wall there as well, with a large gate with two guard towers to stop people from wandering into murder land when I eventually have some residents.
I have no doubt that I'd somehow get blamed if some no-name moronic peasant wandered into the lava river, and I have no doubt that some peasant would definitely walk into the lava river eventually. Peasants are dumb as fuck... probably would think it's spicy water or something.
I might as well get a herd of cats instead of peasants, they're smarter and have better hygiene, they'll probably listen to me just as much as well.
"There's an option in the fauna and flora tab to add creatures." Rose adds helpfully.
"So there is..." I mutter, looking it over, I can add creatures and monsters in each 'region', but I can't control them.
While I could put Lava based monsters around the tower, they won't be bound to me like my summons, I'll have no way of controlling them... could be useful for holding off any invaders, but they'll be just as much a threat to me as anyone else.
Maybe once I have better defences and a full-sized army. For now, they'd just attack me more than anyone else.
Returning to the grassy plains, I ignore the options for monsters, Kobolds and Goblins, along with plenty of others, and go to animals.
Sheep, Cows, Chickens, Pigs, Horses, Deers, Rabbits, Fish for the river and other creatures like that, they are the ones that will 'spawn' in those areas. I even add a great forest to the east, also filled with non-dangerous wildlife. I can even add naturally growing herbs to both areas, useful for alchemy when I get it back. Fruit trees and berry bushes as well. They'll respawn far faster than average, trees regrowing their fruits in days instead of months.
All in all, it's an ideal place to live... right until I start adding the dangers.
Which I will, because peasants who want for nothing quickly forget to be thankful, goblins to threaten their village should keep them wanting my assistance, wolfs to stop them from wandering away from the safety only I can provide them. The usual.
Looking over more features, I pause... on the 'residents' tab, I can choose to add humans which will slowly start making hamlets, which will become villages over time if I put effort into them.
Or...
Transfer [Village of Spree] into your Hub?
It's... expensive, I had quite a lot of upgrades on Spree before I was killed, but it's also a decently sized town. With a population that already fears and respects me.
Whatever, picking a spot, I add them at the foot of the mountain range, not too close to the mountain pass... but close enough that they won't forget the shadow of my Tower.
I also add a couple of Hunters Huts and Fishermans Huts to help with the food situation. I'll go and see Archie and make it clear that they still serve me soon. I even give the peasants a Hospital and some healers. Truly I spoil my peasants.
...It's nice to be able to spend gold without my mind screaming in anger at the loss of my gold. I'm still a greedy fucker, but I'm not as bad as I used to be.
Next, Farms... Potatoes, Wheat, Barley, etcetera etcetera. Even some strawberries, just for some variety, scattered around the village, I'll get the villagers to work them, keep them producing. I guess I'll add some more watchtowers as well, next to each farm.
Pausing for a moment, I add wolves to the forest, Dire wolves as well, though they are rarer. Bears, Giant Boars, Giant Rats in cave systems, Giant Spiders in the deeper parts of the forest, Goblins in some ruins, Kobolds and Bandits in the forest, Orcs in the hills as well... they can have a small stronghold up in the hills, at the other side of the plains section. Far away enough from Spree that they won't be a major threat, just a looming menace.
Basically... if you stay in the safety of my walls and towers, you'll be fine... wander off or try and escape my rule, you'll get eaten or murdered. The walls wall will stop them from getting into my lava lands, so I don't have to worry about monsters bothering my tower... I even make a stone road going from the tower to the mountain pass gates, then to Spree, scattered with watchtowers to keep it safe for people to travel.
I'll add more... magical creatures over time, maybe an enchanted forest as well with Fairies, Unicorns and stuff like that.
For now, they can just have giant spiders and rats. After a moment, I add more mountains... completely surrounding the island so no-one can fall into the void. I just know I'd get blamed somehow.
"Spree is back? ...Wonderful." Rose adds with barely hidden disdain in her voice, making me chuckle.
"I did some work keeping them loyal, it'd be a shame to let it go to waste." I say, I'll bring the Halfling Village and the Elven Village back eventually, but step by step actions are essential.
"True enough, and your... additions should keep them thankful for your safety." she agrees calmly, looking over the monsters I've added.
"I would have thought you'd disapprove, it isn't very... orderly." I admit, watching her as she smirks.
"That's where you'd be wrong... it's all very orderly, the beasts are for hunting, the monsters will keep the peasants loyal, and the peasants will keep serving us as long as the monsters remain a threat. The monsters might be uncontrollable, but they are predictable and useful." she says calmly, looking over the map with a smile. "Keeping them working will keep our forces fed, besides... I'm sick of rations, and you've just put a lot of variety in our little world."
"True, it doesn't do for a Dark Lord to not have an excess of food and luxuries. I'm going to go and pay Spree a visit... make sure they still remember who they serve." I say as I re-equip my full armour.
"A logical decision... I'll make sure the maids are all working efficiently." she says with a curtsey, before leaving.
As she does, I give the world modifier one last look over, pausing as I see one particularly interesting tab... Game Features.
Clicking it, I look over the settings with interest, it has the data on how many inhabitants are living in this realm, along with two meters that's partially filled...
Current Inhabitants and Faith.
For the realm (and the tower) to be upgraded, I need to fill both... looking over the tooltips, it looks like Faith can be either trust in me as a ruler or faith in me as a god... which is far more powerful.
Spree has a few hundred people in it, not enough to max out the meter, but I can work on that over time. Oddly enough, the Orcs, Goblins, Bandits and Kobolds all count towards inhabitants as well... interesting.
Very interesting.
What is even more interesting... is the Dungeon creation setting. There's also the option to make an adventurers guild at any large settlement...
I had wondered where my ID Create had gone, but it looks like I've found it... only now it's more... permanent. Maybe later... for now, I have a village to visit.
There's also the settings for time here, though I can't use them at the moment... I need more followers before I can alter the flow of time in this realm. The current settings are that time won't move when I am not here and that it runs at half speed, a single day here is twelve hours in Marvel (or whichever world I am in). Good to know, I can use the game to track the time in both worlds at once, so I'm not late back.
It also means I can double my training time, simply coming here and studying here instead, where two hours is only one.
Heading out, I take a small force of minions, nothing massive just a couple of Greater Browns and twenty Browns... it's just a show of power, I don't actually need them.
The sun here doesn't weaken me, which I suppose makes sense since this is my Realm, wouldn't do for my own sun to burn me.
"Gnarl, I'm going to threaten some peasants, keep the place defended until I get back." I order with a yawn, I don't need sleep, but that doesn't change the fact that I can still get mentally tired.
"Of course, Sire! Have fun pillaging! Oh, it's good to have a proper dark lord back in the tower..." the cock-blocking midget replies.
"Oh! How wonderful! I feel a song com-" Quaver starts, grabbing his lute before I quickly leave the tower, slamming the doors shut, so I don't have to hear him.
Heading along the path I placed down, I take my time, taking a stroll to the mountain pass, then along to Spree. It takes a while, a couple of hours actually... but there's a part of me that enjoys the walk, looking over the land I just created from scratch, the towers all perfectly placed to watch out for raiders and danger, manned with human archers (more like golems than real people, they just sit in the tower forever, and they respawn as long as the tower is intact).
I do spot a kobold watching me from the forest, but it just flees deeper into the woods, not willing to attack me when I have such a force with me. Nyx 'scouts' for me, flying high above our heads, but I think she's just showing off as she spins and dives, grabbing a rabbit on one of her dives. Heh, she's cute.
Reaching Spree, the gates are quickly opened up as they spot me in all my armoured glory approaching, making me smirk slightly. They remember me... good.
Walking through the gates, I smile seeing the forces I gave this place on guard, archers along the thick stone walls and soldiers patrolling the borders. Just because I made this world dangerous doesn't mean I want them to die, I just want them to stay put and not get any ideas.
"Your Most Evilness? What brings you to our little settlement?" Archie asks, rushing towards me as fast as his fat belly will let him.
[Lord of the Peasants] – Archie [50]
Peasants and lower class members of society will have an instinct to obey and respect you, recognising the difference between you and them immediately.
"I'm just... checking up on you. As you have no doubt noticed, the Village has moved. It's all very magical that a peasant like you won't be able to understand, all you need to know is that this land is just as dangerous as the old one... I've increased your defences and given you a hospital and healers, but I expect a return for my investment." I say calmly, taking my helmet off.
"Of course, your Malevolence... j-just say the word. We live to serve you." he says quickly, wringing his hands together. "W-whadda you need from us? Sacrifices? Slaves? ...It's sacrifices, isn't it? We can round up a few orphans for your dark rituals?" he blubbers as I facepalm.
"Dude... stop talking. The farms around here are magical, as are the animals... the animals will return quickly, and the crops and fruits will grow fast. It is your duty to work those farms and harvest the livestock, I expect regular deliveries of meat, vegetables, fruit and fish to my tower. Just follow the road, and you'll be safe, don't stray towards the forests, there are monsters and bandits within. The hills aren't safe either, orcs live in them, and goblins roam the ruins to the north of the forest. If you stay within the safety of the watchtowers and along the paths, you'll be safe and protected. Wander out of the safety I provide, and I cannot be blamed for the consequences." I say sternly.
"Don't worry, Boss... I'll keep these guys safe." a voice says, drawing my attention to the top of one of the buildings, Cu sitting on it with a smirk, his lance resting next to him.
Interesting... he was assigned to Spree, and bringing it back brought him back. Which means I can bring all my followers back eventually. Valuable information.
"Good to know, there are a few dangers around here... but nothing that should give you any issues." I say casually, watching him jump down with a spin. "Your orders haven't changed, keep Spree, and it's residents safe."
"You got it, Boss. Gotta admit though... I like the look of that river, does it have fish in it?" he asks casually, leaning against his lance.
"It does, a couple dozen types at that..." I say getting a grin from the carefree warrior.
+5 Reputation with Cu Chulainn (3* Lancer) for giving him a carefree life [47/100]
+10 Reputation with Spree for keeping them safe and assigning them a defender [59/100]
[Peasant Management 101] – The Village of Spree [50]
Villages and Hamlets under your control will grow faster, and their inhabitants will work harder for you.
"I've had worse jobs... gotta admit Boss, this isn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I'll make sure no big bad monsters bother the farmers. This place is honestly... kinda nostalgic." he admits.
"Good to know, as long as you do your job, I don't care what you do with the rest of your time. Fish, Drink, Fuck... whatever it is you do when you aren't killing things."
"That I can do, this shits so much easier than that whole grail war thing, honestly I deserve the break. Heh, I'm heading on patrol, saw some weird green dudes glaring at the farms from the hills, so I'm gonna go throw things at them till they go away." he says casually. "Later, boss." he adds, leaping onto the stone wall, then back down the other side.
Well, I'm glad he's having fun... if there's a full invasion I can just summon him to the front lines to help fight off the Forgotten God's minions and the armies of Mileena, the psycho cannibal bitch.
I honestly have no idea how to judge the forces of Outworld... they can fight in tournaments with actual gods and win... but I remember when they invaded Earthrealm, and they got killed by police officers with guns.
At the very least, the mob forces should be handleable, even without the help of a Heroic Servant. Frankly, if he's happy here... it's in my best interest to keep him happy, happy servants work harder after all.
"So... about that food?" I prompt the dumbly staring Archie.
"Oh! Yes, of course, Sire! We'll bring you all the food you and your pet demons can eat, and then some! All the food and sacrifices you could ever need." he promises.
"...I don't need- You know what? Never mind, just make sure the food is delivered, succeed, and you'll be rewarded, I'll expand your village, give you some more luxuries and defences. Hard work will be rewarded... and I don't have to remind you the penalty of trying to cheat me do I?" I ask making him shake his head rapidly, his tanned skin paling.
As he blubbers something about their eternal worship and my endless mercy, I walk away and head out of the village. I have limits on how much time I'm willing to spend with dumbass peasants in a single day, and I was only coming here to make sure they were still working for me.
Making a Tower Gate in a nice clearing for fast travel purposes to and from the tower, I set off back out of the village.
Heading along the path home, I hesitate before I set off towards the forest instead. There's a certain allure to exploring a world on foot after building it from the eye of god, the map was very detailed... but I have to admit, there's something special about travelling through it in person.
The forest is very... diverse? Different plants and trees filling it, I did put the randomiser setting on to make things less copy-pasted, and it shows. It's also... interesting to see how clearly untouched by human hands it is, the Hunters from Spree are set to hunt boar and deer here, but other than that it's basically all wild, no man-made paths or structures.
I did add some ruins jotted about in the forest, but they're set to be ancient... and overrun with beasts and goblins.
Walking through the forest, I pause as something clamps around my leg. Looking down, I sigh at the rudimentary trap, broken after it met the far stronger metal of my armoured boot, a stone thrown from a sling strikes my helm at the same time, but it merely bounces off unable to dint the enchanted metal.
The Kobolds settled right in... pulling my leg free, I stamp on the trap shattering it, before I turn towards the quiet almost alien whispering, tossing a light arrow at the bush the Kobolds are hiding it, piercing one of them through the neck.
Vampiric senses for the win.
As the others scatter, I stop my minions from chasing them, the kobolds are sentient enough to know an unwinnable battle when they see one... they won't bother me again.
- Kobold Hunter -
Fleeing from the heavily armoured being, a shiver ran through its body, the indifference the supreme being showed to their attack sending a wave of fear through it.
Glancing back, it made eye contact with the glowing red eyes beneath the dark helmet, freezing in place before the being turned and walked the other way with an apathetic disregard for them that just screamed power, it didn't care enough to pursue pests like them.
That was no mortal... it radiated power from the moment they saw it, but its fellow hunter had panicked seeing it step into their trap, set for the giant boars and bears that roamed the forest.
They'd encountered a god this day, and had only been spared due to its utter disregard of them. He needed to warn the village, the elders would know how to appease the god whose territory they had unknowingly moved into.
- Kuro -
The forest is pretty... lively, I might have overdone it with the inhabitants despite its massive size...
"MEATIES!"
Ignoring the celebrating minions as they rip the large bear apart, devouring it raw, I focus and create a new tower gate deep in the forest, far away from the Kobolds village I spotted.
It'll make getting around easier if I have a quick travel point in the forest as well. It'll help me get around more comfortable, and more importantly, help my forces get around without me having to teleport everyone.
Feeding Nyx some berries picked from a bush, I let the minions have their fun... they took down that big ass bear without me, they deserve it.
After about half an hour (which I spend playing with Nyx, I've missed the cute little Phoenix), the minions finish their meal (and have started hitting each other with the bones of the bear, so I get them to gather up, and lead them through the tower gate back home, dismissing them immediately as they run around with their new trophies, one of them trying to wear the bear skull as a helmet.
Now... next on the agenda, Necromancy.
I had plenty of corpses sitting around before I left, and they are all still here (with even more thanks to the invaders and the rebels from Nova Roma), so I have plenty to work with... they think they can invade my home?
They'll pay with their blood.
I have a lot of skulls... without the bodies for some reason, which is mildly annoying but even a single skull has its uses...
Piling all the loose skulls up in a nice neat pile... right on top of a roughly drawn ritual circle, I smirk. It's nice to be able to do this right outside the tower, in the open. No hiding in the cellars here.
The ritual itself is relatively simple, the undead I'm creating is a lower level one, but it's still an instrumental member of my armies.
A few minutes of channelling my power later, and the skulls start to rise, slowly becoming engulfed in flames, two red lights glowing in their empty eye-sockets as whatever flesh is left is quickly burnt away, the smell making me wince even over the scent of sulfur and burning that covers this land.
The Burning Skull Head's aren't particularly powerful, they have decent fire magic for attacking, but their true power comes in their ability to fly. They'll be my main scouts in this land, hiding in the lava rivers due to their immunity to fire damage, if anyone attacks this place, they'll be set upon by flying skulls shooting fireballs from their skeletal jaws.
They make a chattering noise as they fly around, their teeth clicking together, the occasional screech leaving them as they zoom through the air.
Bestiary Entry Added
[Burning Skull Head]
A skull imbued with a spirit of rage and hatred, this undead will hunt the living with an implacable, burning hatred. These spirits died in agony as their bodies burnt, now with the help of their Necromancer, they are back to force the living to feel what they did, to suffer as they suffered.
Next... to fix a terrible injustice.
How fucking dare they kill my precious Skeletal Dragon? I realise my undead had been weakened by my 'death' but still... how dare they?
The ritual circle this time is far more extensive, taking a good few minutes to draw out as I place the corpse of the giant dragon in the middle of it. With my returned skills in Necromancy, I can do this quickly enough... it takes less time than the Burning Skull Heads did, simply because I'm only raising a single undead this time.
The ear-piercing roar makes me wince slightly, my enhanced hearing amplifying the already loud noise, I'm sure the peasants in Spree heard that... my pet is angry.
[Skeletal Dragon]
Dragons are fearsome and intimidating creatures in life, Death has only made them worse. With an immunity to all but the most potent magic, claws and fangs capable of tearing through castle walls, and a breath that plagues anyone and anything that gets caught up in it, woe be to those who cross the Skeletal Dragon.
Watching his tail trash around, smashing into the ground in an undead tantrum, I smirk, reaching out and calming it.
"I know, I know... they'll pay." I promise, stroking it's bony snout as it lowers its head. Its pride is burning at the fact that it was taken down by tiny humanoids, in its mind I can see the Tarkata tribe that defeated it. Outworld threw countless numbers at the Skeletal Dragon to overcome it, hundreds if not thousands falling to its plague breath and claws before the damage was simply too much.
Mileena is a madwoman... and she has been throwing hordes into the grinder, it's how my Death Knights fell as well, and my Bayroks... she just threw horde after horde at my forces, thankfully it seems like she hasn't sent any... notable figures here. Yet.
I know they're coming.
Baraka, Reptile, Kotal possibly depending on how close he is to rebelling, maybe even Goro. I hope so, I might actually fanboy if Goro shows up. It's hard to work out who is alive at this point, especially considering how little Shiro probably cared about canon when he was setting this shit up.
Stroking the Dragon for a while, which sounds like a codeword for masturbation now that I think about it, I convince my pet that 'No, I'm not disappointed in him, he did very well.'
Undead can be surprisingly sensitive.
Moving on, I pile up the more agile looking corpses, I need my Bayrok's back.
More rituals and mana channelling (which manages to increase my Mana Control Proficiency), and the corpses twist and deform slightly, black bows made from stained bones forming in their claw-like hands as their faces contort into an unpleasant grin.
Their black cloaks form again, covering their twisted bodies and deformed heads, shadowing their faces as only the glint of their eyes remains viable.
"Hehehe... here we go again." one of them chuckles in a high pitched voice, cold laughter filling the air as they play with their bows.
"Now, where did those lizard faced bastards go?" Another growls, an arrow already notched.
[Bayroks]
Abnormally agile and skilled undead, devastatingly talented with both bow and claws in combat, these sadistic undead can hide in the shadows and see for miles from their perch, ready to strike with a poisoned arrow the moment their targets dare stick their heads up. Nearly rotting, its smell is distinct... and is the inhuman accuracy with which it strikes.
"They'll be back... and we'll be ready, it's good to have you back, Master... I can already feel my bones growing stronger just from your presence." one of them says with a bow, he's bigger than the others... I know him.
He was the first Bayrok I made, back when we were killing angels in a dungeon in Kuoh.
"It's good to be back, and you're right... they will be back. I've built a wall with towers for you to man, if they come back I want them turned into pincushions before they even realise they are under attack." I order, getting a foul grin in return.
"With pleasure... nothing would make us happier." he chuckles, sinking into his own shadow, his kin doing the same. Looking over to the wall, I can just spot them, lurking atop it as they prepare for war.
Moving on... the weakest looking corpses, the malnourished and out of shape ones, I have a belief that the better the source material, the stronger the undead... which is why I'm using the shitty corpses for something I don't care about.
A half-assed ritual later, and they start to rise, hunched over as the flesh rots and falls to the ground, fading into nothing.
The mindless skeletons immediately set off into the distance... I've added some mines to the mountain range, on my side away from Spree. These Cadavers will work their... forever.
[Cadavers]
Weak and worth little in combat, these mindless slaves serve as the workers for the Necromancer who raised them, never tiring, never resting and never hesitating, they might be nothing compared to their stronger kin, but they can still work harder than any mortal.
They'll supply the forges with metal for my... lesser troops, I wouldn't use mere iron or steel weapons or armour, but the less essential forces can be equipped with it instead.
All the weaker corpses, the slaves of Outworld that Mileena gave rusty weapons and tossed through the portals, will find new purpose in my mines, for all time.
I should thank her when we meet up, right before I break her.
As I look through my options, and the material I have sitting around me, I think about what to summon next... I'm thinking an army of Death Knights? Maybe some skeletal hordes as well...
Before I can start raising more skeletons, a sickening tearing sound attracts my attention, a feeling of... absolute power flooding the air as my Dragon rises up to protect me, a black rift forming in front of me.
Waving my dragon off, I try to focus through the suddenly heavy air, gravity pushing down on my shoulders as I struggle to stay standing.
Despite everything... I'm not afraid, even as the immensely powerful being quite literally jumps through the rift in dimensions, landing on its feet, another one following behind as the rift slowly closes, the damaged barrier between universes fixing itself.
As the eyes of the being lock onto me, I smile slightly, unworried as it storms up to me, stopping just in front of me and staring up into my eyes. Reaching into its pocket, it pulls out a familiar-looking bag, a faint scent of... baked goods hitting my nose, her other hand grabbing my hand and placing it on her head immediately.
"...I ran out." Ophis says sadly, tears forming in her eyes as she stares up at me with a quivering upper lip. "Oh! She is Lilith. She wants some too." she adds as an afterthought as another girl stands next to her, staring up at me with wide puppy dog eyes.
Gnarl... start the ovens. There's baking to be done.
- Bonus Scene – Hellfire and Brimstone -
"...What is your game, Selene?" Emma said immediately as she entered the room, not wasting any time The White Queen's face was mostly controlled, her blank 'Ice Queen' expression she had almost perfected, but she could see the scowl beneath it.
"I have no idea what you mean, Emma... would you care to elaborate?" she asked with a smirk, watching Emma's concealed anger flare up.
"I know you, Selene... and I know you would never serve anyone unless you had a plan to use them, you're too prideful to be so... submissive to Kuro. So, what are you planning? What's your game this time?" she said coldly, staring her down.
Sighing, she nodded towards the empty seat opposite her, gesturing for her fellow queen to sit, which she did... reluctantly.
"Don't worry your pretty little head... Kuro has nothing to fear from me." she said calmly, getting an inelegant snort from the other woman, her usual prim and proper act falling away now that they were in private.
"Bullshit. I know you. You would never serve anyone, certainly not your own son." she said with a scowl.
"Just like you would never let another man touch you after your time with our dearly departed Sebastian?" she asked with a smirk, watching the skimpily dressed blonde's scowl intensify before she got her emotions under control. Sebastian was still a sore spot for the Ice Queen, a blatant weak spot, even the slightest mention of the man could set her off.
"If you must know... I despise the idea of death, even more than the idea of servitude... seventeen thousand years of life has convinced me that I do not want to die. Besides, you're wrong... if I must serve anyone, it should be my own flesh and blood... Kuro has my superior genes and talent flowing though, mixed with that of the most powerful monster, he is genetically superior to mere mortals... if I must submit, then it should be to such a superior being. It isn't ideal, but this allows me to get away from the wrath of Death, I have little parental affection, but I can at least respect Kuro as a master." she explained calmly.
"I see..." Emma said with a frown, she didn't trust Selene... not even remotely, and she certainly wouldn't take any chances with the future of the Mutant race, but Selene's tone had just the slightest amount of affection in it, something that she'd only heard a couple of times before... with her former servant Eliphas before his death at the hands of the last agent of Death, and with her old apprentice, Morgan. Realising that this was going nowhere, she changed her approach. "And what exactly are you doing now?" she asked, making the older woman smirk.
"Keeping track of Kuro's new enemies... Hydra have picked their foes poorly, something I will make them pay dearly for... and Norman isn't nearly as smart as he thinks he is." she said casually, looking at the live feed of Norman in a meeting with a familiar face.
"Trask... what does Norman want with... him." she growled, staring at the mutant hating scientist with barely concealed disgust.
"We stopped his little sentinel program, but it appears Norman has some ideas of his own for it... I'm keeping an eye on him. It appears he has grown sick of being a mere human surrounded by super-powered beings... he's also been focusing on a project called the... Goblin formula. A cheap rip off of the Super-Soldier Serum." she said with a smirk.
"And why exactly, are they still alive? The Sentinel Project was a major threat to-" Emma started before she trailed off from a look.
"Because I think it does have... possibilities, I'm keeping a very close eye on the situation." Selene replied with a smirk.
"You're playing with fire... and if you fail, we will all burn." Emma growled making Selene chuckle darkly. This was precisely why she didn't trust Selene, she had plots and schemes to put even her and Xavier to shame... and she didn't care who got hurt in them.
"Besides, I have some other... ideas of how I can help my beloved child grow stronger, more powerful in more than one way. Morgan still owes me many favours, and I have no doubt she'll want a way off Death's list as well, she could make a decent tutor for Kuro, her mastery of Rituals, Magical Contracts, Necromancy and Druidic magic surpasses even my own. I also have that irritating Red Sonja sitting in stasis in one of my treasure vaults, I took her as a trophy after she tried to kill me but with some... modifications she could make a decent bodyguard... and lastly, I have an outstanding marriage contract between one of my offspring and a royal of Wakanda, something King T'Chaka agreed to when he was young, foolish... and desperate. He required my assistance when he was young and reckless enough to not think about the consequences, he likely thinks I've forgotten. I do not forget. Wakanda is more powerful than they pretend to be, and another royal title will hold off the more... aggressive members of Hellfire. Being a royal twice over will lessen their wounded pride." Selene said casually before she turned to Emma with a raised eyebrow. "Do be careful, my dear... your power fetish is showing." she said drolly, glancing down with a smirk.
Looking down, she scowled as she rearranged her corset, her hardened nipples evident no matter how she tried to hide them. Being connected to someone with as much power as Kuro would soon have was... alluring.
"If everything goes well, and as Kuro said it would... soon I'll have a massive chunk of the shares of Stark Industries, Stark has been rescued from his little vacation, and soon he'll be giving a press conference, my people are ready to devour the stocks when they drop, and Fisk is quickly outliving his usefulness... he's started building an attack force, and I have a feeling they'll be sent to retrieve Vanessa from our... care. Perhaps it's time to replace him with a younger, better-looking model?" she asked, making Selene smirk.
"Not yet, Kuro needs more experience in fighting foes, we can't do everything for him, or he'll grow spoiled and weak. Easy times make for weak men, after all, act as if we don't know that Fisk wants Kuro dead, but assign a bodyguard to watch him, just in case. I'll give Kraven a... nudge to get him to focus his hunt on Kuro when he returns, it'll be a good learning experience for him." Selene said casually, uncaring of the idea of sending a deranged lunatic after her son.
"...fine, but only because I know you'll do something similar even if I stop this attempt, at least this way I can try and lessen the consequences of your plotting." she said with a sigh.
She could have Fisk and Kraven eliminated within the next twenty-four hours... but then Selene would find someone else to test and 'train' her son with. Better that she plays along and keeps everything under control.