Chapter 18: Chapter 18: The Fearsome Feast
The thick atmosphere within the dungeon was a juxtaposition of both dread and power. Dark shadows lingered, twisting around corners and nooks, as if the very walls were alive with trepidation. A forceful, otherworldly energy punctuated the stifling air, one older than time, one that commanded respect from even the most formidable.
Lucius stood tall, his crimson eyes glowing like twin stars. A maelstrom of primordial chaos energy danced around him, the aura so potent that it shook the dungeon's foundations, causing eerie whispers among the very stones.
Before him, the Hellguard, a towering infernal creature, found itself gripped by an emotion it had never felt before: fear. Its typically indomitable spirit quivered in the face of the ancient aura. Recognizing the unimaginable power emanating from Lucius, the Hellguard felt an instinctual, primal terror. This was energy from epochs long before its own genesis.
Reacting from this place of deep-rooted fear, the Hellguard lunged, its bladed limbs shining menacingly in the dim light, poised to deliver a deadly strike. Lucius, however, effortlessly caught one of its fierce blades in his hand. The resulting collision of these titanic forces was cataclysmic; the dungeon trembled, cracks emerged, and dust filled the air.
Outside, guards looked on in horror. "What devilry do we bear witness to?" one stammered, his face a palette of disbelief and terror.
"By the gods, is this the end?" another whispered, his voice quivering.
Without warning, the Hellguard, attempting to exploit any chance of survival, launched into a frenzied assault on the guards. Despite their elite training and the supposed strength of their dark armor, they stood no chance. Each slash of the Hellguard's blades brought a swift, brutal end, their armors torn apart, bodies falling lifelessly to the ground in a gruesome spectacle.
Yet Lucius remained the looming threat. Channeling his vast reserves of power, he crafted a devastating projectile of pure primordial chaos and launched it towards the beast. Upon impact, the beast was violently thrust back, crashing into the boundaries of the pit, its monstrous form laid low by the ancient might.
Barely clinging to consciousness, the Hellguard found itself caught in a fierce grip. Lucius, his eyes radiating pure malevolence, began drawing out the creature's very essence. Though the beast lacked a mouth, its entire being screamed in silent agony. It felt every fragment of its soul being torn out, replaced by a void of nothingness.
Lucius's method was surgical. He took the Hellguard's energy, using it to repair the ancient scars on his soul, meticulously mending every wound sustained in his fateful battle with the Archangels. The very act rejuvenated him, enhancing his might to previously unknown levels. Now, with mere flesh and bone, he possessed the strength to decimate the city with a single blow.
Surveying the destruction around him, Lucius felt a pang of bitter nostalgia. "Once, I was an unrivaled Demon God, whose very name would make universes tremble. And now? Drawing sustenance from these pitiful creatures? How far I've fallen. But this... this is just the beginning."
His voice held the weight of trillions of years, echoing with past glories and present determination. Returning to the palace, he commanded the emotionless city lord, "Gather the citizens by the palace at dawn. Tomorrow, they meet they shall witness thier new monarch."
The city lord, fully recognizing the gravity of the impending proclamation, bowed in acquiescence.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone