The Monster's name continued to grow within the world. Depending on who was asked, they would tell paint him in a different light. Some saw him as a foul beast that brought nothing but ruin, while others saw him as a guardian for the natural world. In a way, he was seen as the balancer.

Whenever humanity got too powerful and intruded, he would wake up and set them back, causing great civilizations to fall. The same applied to the Grimm; whenever their numbers got too large to ignore and caused endless havoc, he was there to reduce their numbers. When it was all said and done, he would slumber once more after staying awake for several years.

With each sleep cycle, he gained a deeper understanding of his own body and its abilities before started to manipulate below the surface of the planet. He dug deeper and deeper into the planet. All throughout Remnant, he created a network of massive tunnels at an unsettling and alarming speed. Half the time he didn't even dig but merely manipulated the world in front of him. The energy he constantly let out from his body would be absorbed into the surrounding area.

The nomadic tribe, even after all these generations, still followed him. They followed him on the surface and even into the underground biome that he started to shape. Even though they were a different group each time he woke up, their scents still remained the same. With each new generation that followed him, they started to smell more like him in a sense. There was no affection to them despite that fact.

He didn't know it was due to them ingesting his blood for years upon years. The very same blood that pumped through his veins wriggled through theirs. Their stature increased as well as their build. Some had an unusual glow in their eyes in certain environments.

A new language was born from the tribe, one that only they could understand. It was one that was guttural as it was beautiful, like the two sides of nature. The previous language they spoke slowly died from their group before they eventually started to speak the new one completely. The same applied with the writing system. It was a use of symbols that tied into the world around them and ultimately to the Monster himself.

Eventually the tribe split into two groups. One would remain on the surface while the other would follow the Monster to his new underground domain. It wasn't due to a schism within their people, but simply due to expanding on what they could do and to get closer with their god. The language and writing system that they had created would ultimately remain the same.

While they were making advancements with their culture, the Monster simply slept time away. The energy he had spread across the underground kept him nourished while he slumbered and he only woke up when he either felt like it or would feel a disturbance that was possibly a threat.

Plants of all kind started to flourish in the underground surprisingly. They fed off the energy from the area and the crystals that hummed with power. It was a substitute to the sunlight on the surface. Animals eventually flocked to the underground and adapted to the environment to fit their needs. Many grew to large sizes and some even to an unsettling gargantuan proportions, constantly evolving over the course of hundreds to thousands of years.

A whole ecosystem was born, one that was an untamed land that was horrendously dangerous to anyone with no knowledge of it. The tribe that followed the Monster underground had adapted to it as well, growing larger as time passed. The average male stood nearly seven feet tall, a more muscular physical build and denser bone structure. The same applied for the females, although a few inches shorter.

Despite them living deep underground, it wasn't uncommon for them to find their way to the land up above and interact with their surface counterparts. Unlike them, the tribe on the surface had broken into several clans. They weren't as nomadic anymore seeing how the Monster had gone underground and thrived there. It had been centuries since he's been on the surface, much less woken up from his slumber.

The clans on the surface all held different views towards the Monster; while there was still devotion to him, some believed that he belonged on the surface to rule. They were keen on waking him up and leading him above ground while the subterranean tribe vehemently refused. To them, the Monster was a sacred being and trying to force him in any way shape or form was seen as taboo.

Tensions rose and a civil war broke out between the two sides. The subterranean tribe that defended the Monster's free will and desire to go where he pleased; and the surface clans that wanted him to rule the land above with them. It was a series of bloody conflicts that was largely unknown to the other kingdoms on Remnant, but it was known to a certain witch and wizard. Both these individuals had found out about the Monster's possible location.

Neither one were doing it for the tribe nor the balance, but simply for themselves to smite the other.

It was only when the Monster woke up did everything come to a halt. From the massive caverns deep under the surface of the world, he woke up and stormed to the land up above. The sound of battle was loud as he ascended like a forsaken god back to the heavens. When he erupted into the battlefield filled with hundreds of people and breathed in the fresh air for the first time in thousands of years, his reveal was nothing short of a calamity. The skies turned red, smoke spewed from the ground and up into the air, and the thick scent of molten rock was heavy for all to smell. Like an erupting volcano, he caused destruction that was akin to a natural disaster, wreaking havoc on the source of his disturbed sleep.

A scent so vile that it threw him into an animalistic rage. It was heavy on two individuals, ones that had been plagued with the scent of the Brothers. Hunger wasn't felt for once, it was replaced with hate and it drove him wild.

His first victim was the wizard, the one who's intentions were noble to some but fell short on others. The Monster ripped the man apart violently, eviscerating the knights that followed him as well. His horrifying death shocked the others into fleeing and the Monster didn't even eat the corpse, he simply crushed it until it was nothing but a red paste on the ground.

The manipulative witch was next. The Monster ripped her to bloody ribbons and slaughtered her forces in the process. When he saw that she kept regenerating, he swallowed her whole. Her first time encountering the Monster was nothing short of a horrifying tale. His stomach acid constantly melted her flesh, bones, organs, and nerves. Due to her regenerative abilities, she had to experience it over and over again. The magic that she knew never got a chance to be conjured. Her vocal cords were melted into a sludge and her limbs would constantly dissolve in front of her eyes.

For six days and six nights, it was an endless cycle of regeneration and melting. A pain so horrible that it was forever seared into her mind from that day on. Every time she tried to claw her way out, she would be pushed further into his stomach when a wave of fresh bodies would fall on top of her, essentially resetting her progress. Not even her Grimm were able to save her because they were swallowed as well.

Only when she was thrown up like a disgusting piece of food did she truly realize that the beast that ate her was something else. A being from some bygone era that wasn't even described as a creature or simple animal. This was a force of nature that she and her enemy attempted to tame. She mustered all of her magic and disappeared in a portal back to her castle the first chance she got.

Two immortals truly felt fear that day when they tried to take control of something not even the Brothers could. It was a lesson that would forever be burned in their minds and souls.

That day they had learned that they weren't the top players in their shadow war. They weren't the king or queen, witch or wizard, ex-lovers...

Both of them were simply prey to a more primordial force...

After that incident, the Monster retreated back to the underground and went back to sleep. The subterranean tribe and the clans on the surface had realized how foolish their war was. It made them realize that their god was something that couldn't be controlled and that fighting each other over him held no point.

However, it made the surface clans realize how much they had drifted away from their god's grace. The subterranean tribe were closer to him; in fact, they had built a temple around him while he slept. Although he was sealed off, something he had done himself, they had dedicated an entire place of worship for him. They still wore ceremonial and regular clothing made from feathers and the pelts of animals. Whereas the surface clans had taken on a more modernized look, even getting with the times.

After the war, things weren't the same as before. The clans above ground were usually met with deep suspicion from their underground counterparts. They had noticed that they started to take on a more... bestial appearance. Their skin started to harden and act like a natural armor while their bones became absurdly strong. Whenever they spoke, it was more aggressive and guttural sounding, almost like a snarl.

The Faunus traits they had from the past slowly started to disappear and simply be replaced with that from an unknown species. Some had tails that were short but extremely muscular while others had tusks and sharper teeth. Even their fingernails started to sharpen into claws.

It was only did the surface clans realize what had happened to get their underground counterparts to this point. This was due to the constant consumption of the Monster's blood. With each generation that passed, they became more and more like him in some way. Heightened senses, greater strength, a larger appetite, and more aggressiveness during hunts and battles. Part of the reason why they were so feared during the civil war was due to their uncontrollable bloodlust when surrounded by bodies.

When this was brought up, the tribe simply threw a celebration. A few of the clan leaders just cast worried glances at one another, slightly unnerved that the people closest to the Monster were slowly losing their humanity. Not all of them felt like this. Some of the leaders saw the underground tribe as simply expressing their freedom the best way they could. To them, this underground ecosystem was their home and they never had to worry about food, strife, nor politics.

Only survival.

The Monster's existence was enough for them. While they were utterly devoted to him, he simply ignored their presence for the most part. If anything, they kept the smaller pests from entering his lair and disturbing his sleep. After dealing with the witch and wizard, along with their forces, he simply tolerated the existence of the others. Of course there were times when one or two got bold and ended up being swallowed. It served as a reminder that they could still be eaten by him.

They mistook his tolerance of them for love. However, that wasn't even remotely the case. He simply allowed them to go about their business so long as they left him alone and didn't interfere with his food supply. Not a single one of them was special to them and he usually ate the village elders who made the mistake of trying to get close to him and do something. Unfortunately, due to them constantly consuming his blood for thousands of years, they tasted odd.

It was like he was eating a part of himself and he usually spat them out if he wasn't all that hungry.

After several incidents, the tribe realized that it was foolish to get close to him and simply stuck to their distance like before. Things slowly went back to normal and they thrived in their home. The Monster thrived as well, since there was larger creatures for him to hunt and fill his belly. Some even threatened to take his territory and he had to defend himself.

With every gargantuan beast he slaughtered and consumed, he gained more experience. Like the people of the past, the underground dwellers were there to pick up the bits and pieces of damaged, natural armor that he shed after the battles. Depending on the size of the chunk and what it was, they made use of it in different ways.

This was the way things were for the next few decades that he was awake. The tunnels that he dug centuries in the past were filled with wildlife and flora that would boggle even the most brilliant minds. Some things shouldn't have existed below the surface yet they did, they defied reality just as the Grimm did. Surprisingly, the creatures of darkness rarely made it down to the underground ecosystem.

If they did, they would grow tower over even castle spires and one even dwarfed the Monster one time. This was due to him slumbering and allowing the beast to absorb the surrounding energy from this place. Unfortunately for the creature of darkness, it upset the balance of things and made the mistake of waking the Monster up. There were four encounters between the two gargantuan titans was witnessed by the tribe, each one more violent than the last.

When it was all said and done, the Monster emerged triumphant. He was quick to consume the colossal Grimm and establish himself as the ruler, pounding his chest like and ape and sending shockwaves that echoed across the world. A sound so mighty that it made even the people on the surface felt the vibrations with each chest strike.

After that, he fell back asleep like always. A temple was built around him for worship and as long as he didn't wake up, then the natives would be fine to get close to him. His blood ran deep enough into their veins to the point where they could feel his power whenever they got close. Sometimes it was too much for some, but the strongest ones were able to stand within his presence without buckling.

Even though he didn't care about their existence, they loved their god dearly and were usually quick to eliminate any outsider that didn't belong to the surface clans or use the unfortunate victim for sacrifices. They started doing this when a faction that previously belonged to the wizard invaded, seeking resources and stumbled upon the natives. After realizing their intentions and the fact that they couldn't speak the language, they slaughtered the outsiders without a shred of mercy.

This was when their more bestial side from the consumption of the Monster's blood started to shine. Instead of simply killing the outsiders and dumping their bodies in some unknown location or offering it as a sacrifice...

They consumed them like their god would have.

Bodies were torn to bloody ribbons and quickly eaten, skulls were taken as trophies, and personal belongings were destroyed. Fortunately for the natives, their counterparts above ground never found out about the cannibalism. However, they did find out about the slaughter and were slowly growing more disturbed. Eventually, they deemed them too dangerous and sealed off every known entrance to the subterranean ecosystem.

This didn't even bother the natives in the slightest. Doing that meant that there would be no intruders to trespass and they could simply go along with their lives in peace. That didn't mean that they wouldn't miss interacting with the other group. It took a lot of time and resources to constantly descend miles underground for a simple interaction with one another.

While all of this was happening, the Monster simply slept... like he had done so many times in the past.

So this is a bit of a shorter chapter, but I felt like I shouldn't keep a majority of the story in the prologue any longer. The next chapter will be a bit closer to the modern day setting so there's that.

I don't know when the next chapter will come out for any of my stories. This isn't goodbye by any means, but I recently started a new chapter in my life and I just wanted to say thanks to you all for sticking with me through the thick and thin.

Depending on if I update my other stories in the next few weeks, you all might expect a new chapter from me some time in late May or early June. It all depends on how this new job will go.

Anyways, I'd like to thank you all again for powering through my shit over the years. To be honest, I never thought I'd be able to entertain so many people over the course of time, but you all were the ones who made it happen. It's been a blast so far.

Like I said before, it's not goodbye but more or less a see you all later whenever that may be.

So again, thanks for everything and I'll see you all on the flip side. Take care, everyone and bye.