I could hear the screams of the scientist as I flayed him, tearing his skin off and revealing his muscles and nerves. It was like an angel singing, to me at least as his screams echoed out of my tower and into the city, frightening all who were in earshot.
They tried to ignore his screams, to continue life as though it were normal as if nothing horrific was happening to their friend and family member.
Once large bits of his skin were exposed, I grabbed some large nails and a regular hammer and began to embed them in. I leaned in towards his ear, as his screams continued with no way to stop the pain.
"You will be the first of the sleepless, of those who will serve as an example of failure."
"You will work alongside them all, still alive with the new skin I plan on providing you, that will torture you and remake your body so that it wants to sleep but it does not need it."
"You will feel the same pain you feel now over and over, you will never know peace for as long as you live, for as long as you fail me."
He merely cried as I began to cover him in pure-black skin, as it formed spikes and attached itself to his muscles and nerves. Once I was done with the torture, I let them slump to the floor, done with the transformation process.
"You free to leave, but do not forget I could make things a lot worse if you and your fellow scientist continue to fail me."
He merely nodded his head and began to walk out of my tower, still in pain, he would continue to writhe in pain even if he tried his best to ignore it, at least to my knowledge it was a he. It was a small way to pass the time but well even I knew this activity would leave me bored afterwards.
Perhaps it would be good to explore the other cities and villages my army has conquered and see if any more of their powerful warriors died along the way. Perhaps I would be able to retake some of my power and rely more on my generals instead of overwhelming force.
After all, having a few powerful beings under you will work out better in the long run than a bunch of weaklings who would soon be outdated if these scientists could get their act together and create my machines.
Sitting down on my thrones I saw the horrified looks on the people's faces as their fellow citizens walked out of the tower after being tortured and their skin being peeled off and replaced with something else.
He would tell them why this happened to him, the price for failure, what they would now need to do, and what they could look forward to if they disappointed me again.
Opening up the top of the tower, I watched as the last bit of sunlight soon faced another day. With a bored smile as the stars showed themselves once more, as the recent moon began to shine down on this world. The residents went home, with a smile on their face knowing that in sleep they could dream, they could run away from this awful nightmare.
Their friend however would not be so lucky, no he would suffer and work until the machines I wanted were completed.
I looked up at the sky for yet another sleepless night as those annoying lights blocked the beauty of the darkness. If I could I would pluck them out of the sky and destroy them, leaving nothing but a colorless void.
Yet I would not have this power anytime soon, I would have to spread far across the universe before I could take on the full force of the sun and destroy it. As an hour passed I saw an odd moving ball, no it was a figure I think. They were coming closer and closer to the planet, which if it was an organic being should not be possible.
That was when I saw it, a white-skinned humanoid figure wearing a strange white suit with a gray pattern on it, they had an odd black mustache and evenly cut black hair.
I smiled a wicked grin as I got up and cracked open the tower growing to a far taller height and floating up, hoping to meet this figure halfway. I didn't need them destroying the city where my machines and statues would be made after all.
Once I got a bit closer to them, they were a lot less muscular than the warrior I had killed and later turned into my general, in fact, they were a lot less impressive than them. But you know what they say about looks and whatnot, better not to assume how strong they were based simply on looks.
"I am Byoki the soon-to-be ruler of this world, what do you want from my world?"
They were a bit confused by my nonchalant attitude but they hid it well and quickly regained composure.
"I am Tharo of the Viltrumite empire, and I am giving you and this planet a choice to etiehr join us willingly and become part of something greater or be conquered and if unlucky destroyed."
Once they finished that sentence, I turned my right arm into a giant scythe angered by this beings arrogance. I slashed at them, and while they did not move that would be their downfall, as I sliced into their arm letting out a large spray of blood. The only problem was I didn't get much further as they registered the pain and moved back.
The being known as Tharo looked at his arm and touched it flinching in pain as he realized that he was injured, perhaps for the first time in a very long time.
"Your arrogance before Byoki the Master of all Evil and Darkness is astounding, tell me are all you Viltrumites like this or are you a special case?"
With eyes full of rage and yet a clam face he charged forward, ready to battle me, with no hesitation.