Dream Of Eternity By SlaneeshSaysHi

by lucifuge 101

This story is a copy pasted fanfic By SlaaneshSaysHi on Questionable Questing . com with there generous allowance. For the Link to this specific story go to forum. questionable questing .com /threads /dream- of- eternity- bloodborne- start- gamer- jumpchain- currently- resident- evil .13184/ remove spaces it is now caught up to the authors work.

100. Love Azathoth! P6

My great thanks to TodaBruh, who kindly chose to use some of his free time to be my beta reader!

In a dimension beyond local space-time:

Holding on the now clothed form of Anga, I held back a sigh at the look in her eyes as she gazed at me.

I expected it, but seeing the near worship in her eyes still didn't feel right. Yes, I saved her, but this level of loyalty towards someone you've barely met, much less know anything about, just felt wrong.

Zealotry, no matter the cause, was not a good thing. Loyalty was good, of course, but not blind devotion.

It was part of the reason I was very, very clear about how important I considered Free Will. Emphasizing the importance of Freedom of Choice and that I did not mind if people did not worship me would hopefully help ensure that my followers wouldn't start screaming about Heretics all the damn time, or forcing people to convert, or use mind control or whatever else zealots get up to in the name of their God.

Oh, I fully expected to still have Zealots. They always existed, and not just for religion. But at least, I wanted to try and limit their number and influence.

"Don't look at me like that." I told her, choosing not to remain willfully blind to the way she was looking at me.

She blinked, caught off guard, and I frowned at her. "Yes, I saved you. Yes, I understand that you feel like you owe me. That's fine. But you still barely know me, so save your devotion for when we actually know each other and you can properly make up your mind on whether you like me for me, or because you feel like you owe me. One is not the other."

I gave her a sharp look. "I'm not one for pride myself, but you lived a long time without even knowing about me. So find your pride, stand up, and act like an actual individual, not a schoolgirl discovering she has a crush for the first time."

Anga flushed at my words, taking a step away from me and feeling embarrassed… but also annoyed at herself.

Good, I can use that.

I nodded once. "Better."

She took a deep breath, sending me an emotion-laden look, but I still knocked her out of the worst of the emotional gratitude loop she had been stuck in.

"I… Sorry." she muttered.

My expression softened.

"It's normal to be relieved and grateful after being freed from the fate I saved you from. But I don't want you to become a mindless yes-woman, or someone unwilling to ever see faults in me. I'm not perfect. To think otherwise will bring neither of us happiness. You have a mind. Use it. If you do decide to worship me as a greater being, then do so only after you've gotten to know me, and you can make a proper, informed decision." I finished firmly.

Anga swallowed, but took a deep breath and nodded, looking a lot more resolute.

Good enough, I suppose.

I smiled at her, ignoring the way her cheeks darkened at the sight. "Right then! I need to go back to where the others are, since I didn't want to freak them out by showing too much of my True Self to them. Since I'm sure that you'd rather leave this place, feel free to follow me."

Anga's expression turned blank at the mention of my True Self, her eyes, the windows to her soul, turning empty like two all-encompassing Void… but she blinked and looked around at the prison she was in a second later, as if nothing had happened.

She shivered at the sight of her old prison, then turned back to me with a slightly pleading expression.

"I… Yes. I'd like to leave… Anywhere but here." she finally replied.

Nodding, I opened a portal to the Hunter's Dream-

"Ooof!"

-only to be hit by a fast-moving missile in the form of Aza.

"You're alright!" she sighed in relief, snuggling against my chest.

I blinked, bewildered, while slowly bringing my arms around her, hugging her gently, something she was more than happy to accept.

"I'm fine." I confirmed. "Why did you think differently?" I asked, confused.

"My apologies." Yog spoke up, looking at the scene along with the other goddesses present with some amusement and relief both.

Well, except Lucy, who was just shaking her head, giving me a dry look.

"But you did close the portal behind you, trapping you with one of the most potentially dangerous Outer Goddess in existence, and not long after…" she trailed off looking almost fearful. "Something happened in there. Even I don't know what, but what little I could get from where you were was… It reminded me of the Void, except…"

She trailed off, looking both confused and concerned.

Then she blinked, and her eyes went wide as she stared at Anga.

"Oh. Oh! So that's what happened." she muttered, her sight peering through Anga's body to look at her soul. "Strange though, you binding her like that still shouldn't have felt like it did… It almost felt like parts of Reality itself ceased to exist for a moment…" she continued.

"Anga's binding required the use of enough of my powers that I decided to be… thorough in ensuring nothing would go wrong." I replied calmly.

The local Eldritch Goddesses looked at me curiously, except for Aza who stiffened in my arms at my words.

'You called on one of your greater forms.' She telepathically sent me, her words coming as a statement more than a question.

'I did.' I confirmed.

'That explain what me and Yog felt.' she mused.

Then, apparently satisfied with the hugs she got, she stepped back and looked at Anga curiously.

Said goddess froze under the weight of the gaze of Azathoth, gulping loudly, but Aza merely smiled a moment later.

"You're my Beloved's Avatar, now." Aza stated, seeing the Truth of it on her soul.

"Hm, y-yes, my Lady." she stammered slightly.

"Good. Make sure to make his enemies suffer before you destroy them, okay?" Aza said calmly, though the look in her eyes made it clear she wasn't joking.

Anga opened her mouth, paused, then decided to merely nod silently in reply to that command.

I sighed. "Aza-"

"Yes, dear?"

I paused, giving her a look.

Aza merely smiled at me, thoroughly unrepentant.

"I'm not one to waste time making my enemies suffer when I could just kill them, Aza." I pointed out.

"Even if they are Beasts?" Aza asked, the emphasis on the last word making it clear she wasn't talking about just any kind of beasts.

I paused, my expression twisting as hatred and pragmatism fought in my heart.

Finally, I answered, though with gritted teeth.

"Even then." I growled, pragmatism having won that internal fight.

Aza studied me for a moment, then looked back at Anga.

"Make sure to make his enemies suffer at the same time as you destroy them, okay?" she said cheerfully.

Despite everything, my lips twitched in amusement at her words.

"Yes, my lady." Anga replied, quite wisely choosing not to get involved in this.

"All that aside, I do believe we are done with the introduction of potential Servants?" I asked, turning towards Yog.

She tilted her head. "Well, there are a few other people I'd like our new King to meet, before we call it a day."

"How many more people, exactly, are you planning on dragging into this?" questioned Aza with a frown.

"Oh, you know, just one or two." Yog commented offhandedly. "Speaking of which-"

I perked up, as the mental image of a massive, if still normal-looking, octopus suddenly entering the Hunter's Dream flashed through my mind.

"AUNTY!"

"Hppmh!" Kass grunts in surprise as something, or rather someone, crashes into her back, arms wrapping around her body into a tight hug.

"Cthylla?!" The purple-haired Eldritch Goddess of disease exclaimed in surprise as she looked down on the smiling face of a young human woman, around 19 to 20 years old, wearing a straw beach hat and a white-blue sundress.

"What is she doing here?! Does Cthulhu know that she's here?" Yidhra exclaimed next, looking at Yog with wide eyes. "Please tell me that you didn't kidnap the daughter of Cthulhu!"

"Not his only daughter." muttered Kass indignantly, unnoticed by her niece.

"Relaaaaxxxx. Old Cthu wants his little mollusk to get out, as long as she's properly supervised since, well, you all know what happened last time." Yog answered, waving a hand around vaguely.

"Humans tried to impregnate her." Aza whispered to me in answer to my curious look.

"It wasn't like they tried to rape me." Cthylla corrected, scratching her head awkwardly. "It was just some scientists that thought I was a rare giant octopus that might go extinct. Or was it squid?" She shook her head to clear away her rambling, before smiling brightly towards me.

"Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Cthylla, daughter of Cthulhu and Idh-yaa. But most people on Earth just call me the Kraken." she explained sweetly.

I blinked. That's… no, you know what, that's fair enough. Figures that Cthulhu is the Kraken's father…

"Well, I'm happy to meet you." I replied kindly. "I have a lot I'd like to talk to your dad about, not the least of which is how to bring him and R'lyeh back without causing an extinction event or something."

"I'm still working through the fact that you can apparently pull that off before the end of the week if you wanted to." said Kass, staring at me for a moment before shaking her head.

Cthylla's eyes went wide, and she froze. "You… You can do that?" she whispered hoarsely. "You can… you can bring back my dad?"

My expression softened, a kind smile spreading on my lips as I felt the storm of emotions coursing through her at the news.

"I'll have to talk to him about the details." I honestly replied. "But yes, I should be more than capable of bringing him and R'lyeh back very, very soon in a way that won't cause issues for Humanity."

Cthylla swallowed, blue eyes filling with tears at the news, and the goddesses around me sent her sympathetic glances before looking away, letting her take a few deep breaths before calming down, though I could see her body was still trembling from the emotional shock of the news.

"I… If there's any way I can help…" she choked out, and I gave her a soft smile.

"For now, just be ready to help out your dad. He'll have a lot of work ahead of him, once the city is back."

She nodded firmly. At the side, I caught Aza leaning towards Yog and whispering. "Did you bring her so that she could hear the news from my Beloved's own mouth, or for another reason?"

"She also has very good odds of becoming one of his servants." Yog whispered back. "Those odds increase immensely if he does bring R'lyeh back."

Aza nodded, a look of understanding on her face.

Then Yog straightened, and stepped forward with a wide grin, catching everyone's attention.

"And now, ladies and gentleman, time for a field trip!" she said grandly, suddenly twirling her sword and trying to open a portal.

There was a single moment of resistance, as my True Self did the equivalent of raising an eyebrow in her direction for so casually trying to open a hole outside of the Hunter's Dream, but after that the portal opened without issue.

I think the only ones who caught it were Yog, me and Lucy… maybe Aza, too.

To her credit, Yog didn't even blink.

"Yooooog, what are you doing? Where does that lead?" Aza asked, staring at the vortex dubiously. Maybe because she did catch the moment of resistance?

"Borea." Yog replied simply, letting that word sink in.

"... Okay, not as bad as what I imagined." Shub admitted as the other eldritch goddesses looked relieved.

"Oh, so that's why you brought her up weeks ago!" Aza said with a look of realization.

"I did?" Yog asked with visible confusion, before smiling. "Well, I know what I'll be doing after this." she mused, prompting several facepalms from the local eldritch Goddesses, while I began laughing.

Okay, yeah, now that was what I expected of a Goddess of Time.

"Now everyone, into the wonder-prison before the chill starts seeping into this dimension, and his flowers start dying off." Yog declared while waving towards the vortex.

"It'll take more than mere cold to kill off these Lunar Tears flowers, don't worry." I spoke up, fearlessly going through the vortex while Aza almost stuck to me like glue, and Anga stayed just a step behind us both.

The other goddesses and one giant octopus followed suit, though at that point I was left blinking up at the mental image of a giant and emaciated humanoid figure wandering alone through a tundra, a feeling of such misery shrouding said being like a cloak that I couldn't help but feel a strong stab of pity in my heart.

"Brrrrr!" Cthylla's shivering broke the vision as Kass wraps an arm around her. "Why do ocean cold and snow cold feel so different?!" she exclaimed in alarm to herself, getting amused and sympathetic looks from everybody around her. Though Lucy acted before I could, her eyes flashing a kaleidoscope of colors as she put a hand on Cthylla's nearest shoulder and casted a spell that would keep her warm, my Eyes and mind idly noting the math-based magic that Lucy tended to favor blooming into existence around her.

Cthylla paused, then blinked at the lack of cold, before sending a grateful look at Lucy, who gave her a smile back before they both looked at what was held prisoner in the room.

Or rather, who.

Without the vision getting in the way, I could easily see the woman suspended in the middle of the room, blindfolded and held up with so many bindings that it all gave me flashbacks from first seeing Anga. I could feel my newly bound Goddess of Ruin stiffen at the sight, the still all-too fresh memories of being in much the same situation clear to see in the way she tensed and paled.

The long, frosty blue hair of the woman before us shifted as her blindfolded face tilted towards us, though I could feel the weight of her gaze settle on both me and Anga for a moment before focusing on me entirely.

"This is Ithaqua, daughter of Hastur." Yidhra introduced, somehow looking and sounding both angry and apologetic towards this new eldritch goddess. "She-"

"With respect, miladies." Ithaqua's slightly strained voice interrupted as her head shifted towards Yidhra and then Aza. "I have little else, so please allow me to introduce myself."

For once, Yog turned towards Aza curiously, silently asking for orders, and after a moment Aza nodded.

"Very well, Itha. Just remember, you fulfill your end of the deal and we'll remove a full digit off your sentence."

"Thank you Sultana." she replied, her unseen eyes lingering for a second on Anga before settling down on me. "I am Ithaqua, once a Great Old One of the Frost. Now I am a prisoner, but well-deserved I will not deny. But it is all but impossible to completely imprison an Eldritch deity. When one is locked up and blocked off, our minds tend to wander on the… mental channels, shall we say. I know many things. Things that many know individually, but that I pieced together into something… more."

"Where is this going, exactly?" Kass asked curiously, scowling just a bit. Considering her past with Cthulhu, facing the Goddess imprisoned for having sunk R'lyeh would naturally not be pleasant for her.

But… There was more to the story than that, wasn't there? I could see the Truth.

I caught the saddened look on Cthylla's face as she looked at Ithaqua, and the way the Frost goddess' emotions went wild when said child of Cthulhu showed up.

Former close friends, definitely, but… maybe a bit more for Ithaqua? At least, once. Ithaqua might be held prisoner for sinking R'lyeh, but I could tell it was more of an accident, a cruel tragedy rather than malice which brought that catastrophe about.

Ithaqua might have done something stupid out of love, and everyone paid the price since… but the reasons for it were never revealed, were they?

And I could tell that Ithaqua actually deeply loved Cthulhu as family, and R'lyeh as her home.

I held back a sigh. It figures the fall of R'lyeh happened because Ithaqua wanted to show off or something towards both her crush and family. Of all the possible reasons for it…

And Ithaqua had never said anything about it, because she didn't want Cthylla to blame herself.

If Kass was the eldritch equivalent to Helen of Troy, I wonder what that made those two…

Either way, it was yet more tragedy for me to fix, even after so long.

"It has been a while, Aunt Kass. I'm sorry about the twins." Ithaqua replied earnestly and with deep sympathy, which only made Kass flinch harder. Then Ithaqua looked back at me, the weight of her gaze studying me for a moment before she spoke up.

"I know of several cosmic problems, potential enemies, and… feasible projects, shall we say, that our new King may desire to handle. Or may not. Regardless, I am willing to talk about them."

"Then let's hear it. What have you got for me?" I asked, my voice turning more business-like.

"The first are the Void Worms." declared Ithaqua. "Not to be confused with the Dholes. Void Worms are ancient space leviathans that grow with age and feast on energy. Primarily Arcane and Eldritch Energies. Yes, these things try to eat us. Don't be fooled, they are intelligent and have their own form of immortality- their minds automatically leave for and merge with those of their children when killed, or relatives otherwise."

I frowned. That was certainly a problem. I didn't particularly care to be hunted by overgrown worms, of all things… Of course, any hunter worth the name knows that hunter and hunted can all too easily be flipped in an instant.

I'll have to remind these guys of that fact, before erasing them from existence.

"They have learned over the eons to fight us in swarms and, sadly, we've never been able to fully kill all of them off." continued Ithaqua. "Elder Gods and some Great Old Ones are their frequent targets, only the extremely rare and oldest of Void Worms dare challenge Outer Gods. Even Yog can't find all of their nests though, as they sense being observed through Time."

I glanced at Yog, who grimaced and nodded.

Too bad for those worms I wasn't Yog, and could both use Omniscience while hiding it from anything below… Well, a level far, far beyond these things.

"Next are the Eldritritans, or the Titandritch, both work." continued Ithaqua. "They call themselves the New Cosmic Order, a group of young and hot-headed next-generation Eldritch with the power to take humanoid form with ease, fine controls of their limits, and lacking the innate power to cause fear and insanity amongst mortals. To their preferences, if we're being honest."

I frowned. That… didn't sound so bad, though I could already see why they would be a problem for the older Eldritch Gods.

Too much idealism and not enough realism could be just as poisonous as the opposite.

"Much like the Titans and later Olympians, these children seek to overthrow the current order of Eldritch Gods, declaring some of us Evil and the rest of us negligent in our rule of Reality… especially Azathoth herself. They're mainly rallying mortals and sympathetic (or opportunistic) Eldritch to their side, but we'll have to deal with them one day, by diplomacy or war." finished Ithaqua, and I frowned harder.

From what I know, their point of view wasn't without basis, since Aza herself admitted that she had not been the best ruler for a long time. Yes, she got better after the tragedy of her chosen people's world being destroyed, but that still left a significant amount of time where she was a lot more hand-off.

Of course, my existence was going to be like a slap to the face to the status quo, considering I fully intended to be a lot more active.

So, potential allies, or potential troublemakers to crush. Time will tell.

"The next problem is… Well, the mad eldritch Gods." Ithaqua said next, her words earning a shiver from some of the goddesses present. My eyes narrowed at her words, even as Aza winced at my side.

Ithaqua nodded, as if seeing the reaction to her words. "Not something you expect to hear from us, but these are both kinds of mad: insane and pissed. There is a small host of these foes and their servants, but only three priorities:
-Uvhash, the Blood-Mad God of the Void. A blood-sucking Eldritch deity only interested in painting the cosmos crimson red with blood and to drink it dry. His spawnlings are the Star-Vampires, invisible and taloned beasts.
-Cyaegha, the Destroying Eye and the waiting Dark, a massive green Eldritch Eye with tentacles that desire nothing more and nothing less than utter nihilistic destruction of all that Azathoth has wrought.
-Ngyr-Korath, the Ultimate Abomination, leader of the Mad Gods, son of the Unnamed Darkness. This one hates mortal "Life", enraged by its mere existence. Of all the Eldritch, this was the only one Azathoth disowned as her grandchild. And of all the Eldritch, he hates you the most, former mortal." Ithaqua finished, gazing at me pointedly at the end.

I scowled, since I had already seen the work of at least two of those. Uvhash was the one who drove Oedon's local version insane, and Cyaegha was the one who destroyed Azathoth's people.

I could see both Aza and Xada react with hatred at the second name, and I had a feeling that destroying them all was going to earn me a lot of friends.

Uvhash wasn't going to last long, not with Oedon on the Hunt already. But as for the other two…

A slow, cold smile formed on my lips. A would-be destroyer of Reality as my first target, and a god hateful of mortals as the second.

I wonder how the first would react to my Void form. It ought to be… interesting, finding out.

As for the second, well, I almost wanted to just throw Saitama at them, sit back, and laugh.

Tempting. Deeply tempting. But at the same time, there was something to be said about doing something with one's two hands…

Well. I'll think about it later.

"The first of those won't be a problem for long." I declared. "Not with my first wife hunting it down. As for the others… I'll see to it that they are dealt with. Permanently." I said coldly.

That sent a shiver among the goddesses who were present to see me deal with the Servant. Eldritch Gods dying for good was still something of a shock to them.

Though the third god felt like an Outer God, which was going to… complicate things.

Ah well. At the worst, it just means I'll have to get creative. There were some experiments I'd love to perform on some Eldritch targets I didn't need to morally worry about, after all…

"If you do track down Cyaegha, please let me know." Aza spoke up, her voice cold and almost cruel. "I'd like to take some old frustration out of him before you destroy him utterly." She smiled brightly. "I wonder how much I can make him scream before killing him…"

I shook my head with a smile. "I suppose that I can hold him down for you while you get your pound of flesh. Torture isn't really my thing, but-" I thought back to the beasts of Yharnam. "I know a thing or two about hatred."

Aza gave me a wide smile before she leaned up and gave me a kiss on the jaw. "I'll hold you to that."

"It's a date." I joked, making her laugh. "You, me, and the screams of desolation of our enemies? My, Beloved, be careful, or I might cut this meeting short for more enjoyable activities." she purred, golden eyes glowing with lust.

We grinned at each other, even as Lucy sighed and started grumbling about how "there are two of them now."

Still, as fun as flirting with Aza was, I should keep this meeting on track.

Glancing back at Ithaqua, the woman began speaking again once everyone's attention was back on her.

"The next matter is that of the escaped gods. I'm not the only one imprisoned, and most are not so willing to stay imprisoned as me. These next three gods have already escaped their prisons, and like the mad gods are out for blood. Just this time out of revenge rather than anything complicated:
-Nyctelios. The Cyclop God was once a prodigy amongst the Elder Gods before he was imprisoned below the Mediterranean Sea for creating a servitor race to take over Earth. His power now approaches Outer God level.
-Nycrama, the Zombifying Essence. Another Elder that can give Great Old Ones a run for their tentacles these days. He was sealed in a parallel universe that leaks into South America. His crime is in the title.
-Uitzilcapac, the Lord of Pain, a truly sadistic Great Old One. He was sealed out of the Space-Time Continuum. Supposedly by an Elder Goddess, Yhag-Thaddag. The rumors goes he wanted to torture not just mortals, but all his fellows gods as well."

I hummed at the names. Well, they weren't really too strong, except perhaps for the first. I could just go track them down and destroy them utterly, but… Perhaps I could call upon my Hunters instead? It would do them some good to fight and kill some deities as well. How were they supposed to grow into proper badasses with terrifying reputations of their own if I didn't send them to do some God-slaying every now and then?

Hell, if I sent Gerhman, they sure as hell wouldn't ever return to become problems. The Burial Blade was no joke, after all.

I nodded. "Thanks for letting me know about them. I'll get to them eventually, though they might be something for some of my Hunters to deal with. They don't sound as powerful as the mad gods, thankfully."

Lucy hummed in thought. "I suppose that it depends on who you send. Someone like Sherry or Rebecca could handle the Zombifying Essence pretty easily. Not sure about the other two, though."

I snorted. "If nothing else, the Zombie god would be pretty familiar to deal with, wouldn't it?"

Lucy laughed. "That it would!"

I shook my head with a smile, imagining the looks on my Hunters' faces if I told them about the very real evil Zombie God.

That would make it a very personal Hunt for any of them from RE!Earth who chose to join up.

"Alright, what's next?" I asked, turning back towards Ithaqua.

"The next matter has to do with the part of Existence known as the Void, or the Abyss. It exists beyond the material universe and the Dreamlands, beyond the countless dimensional Gates that leads to the Ultimate Gate which opens to the Void. At the center of the Void lies the Black Throne of Azathoth, but it also serves as the home and Kingdom of two out of three of Azathoth's children: Mist, and Darkness. Two of the mightiest, oldest yet most uninvolved Eldritch beings in existence. The two love and hate each other to extremes, having spent eternity in a strange duet of fighting and mating. And now, they're your step-children." Ithaqua finished with the barest hint of humor in her voice at the end.

I paused and sent a dry lok at Aza, who blushed. Certainly, we got a preview on the matter with Kai'sa, but that's twice now I got told bluntly that my new step-children spent their lives doing nothing but fighting and fucking.

And the third daughter of Aza was the Crawling Chaos, so the less said on the matter, the better.

Seriously, Oedon and I did a bloody fantastic job with Sherry, in comparison…

I let out a sigh. "Well, I suppose that I can add relationship advice to two all-powerful Outer Goddesses to my busy schedule, on top of everything else…"

"I'm sorry." Aza said with a wince. "I'm really not doing a good job of looking good, between all the issues Reality has and my own family, huh?" she muttered, looking ashamed.

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. Honestly, compared to some other pantheons, yours is doing fantastic. I mean, at least you're not anywhere as bad as the Greeks!"

That sent a few shudders throughout the surrounding goddesses. "Oh goodness, the Greeks…" grumbled Yidhra.

"No, just… no." agreed with a shiver Kass, who looked mildly ill at the thought of the Eldritch being as much of a clusterfuck as that divine side of things.

"See? You're already a million times better than Zeus. Which isn't hard, but it's still something to be happy about!" I joked.

"Honestly, I'm half wondering how you're not going to just smite the guy when you see him…" asked Lucy.

I took a deep breath. "I'm going to try and make Olympus a better place. They love power, right? Well, I'll give them their shot at power… I'll just make them better people along the way."

I chuckled. "I'm not a Devil, but I know a thing or two about deal making… Why, the first deity I ever made a deal with was never quite the same by the end of it!"

Lucy blinked. "Wait, isn't that the Moon Presence?"

"Yup." I replied, eyes gleaming darkly.

"... I almost feel bad for Olympus. Almost." Lucy chuckled.

"Heh. They'll live!" I said cheerfully.

"Which is a lot more than the Moon Presence can say." muttered Lucy.

Ignoring the muttering coming from Lucy, I glanced back at Ithaqua. "So, giving proper relationship advice to Mist and Darkness, and preventing their mortal followers from going to war. That's the plan for the Abyss. What else have you got for me?"

Ithaqua smiled. "Remember the Dholes? Well, exterminating those would do everyone some good."

"Ah, they are the animalistic version of the Void Worms, those who breed with abandon on various worlds only to die off after consuming all resources on that world, right?" I asked, and Ithaqua nodded.

"They also exist in the Dreamlands, so they aren't just a threat to the material universe. But yes, those things have proven to be the end of worlds, and a lot of civilization and entire species would owe you a lot if you could wipe them out." Ithaqua pointed out.

"Alright, maybe…" I hummed, wondering if some sympathetic magic would work. Make it a ritual, base it on the concept of [Dholes], get some actual Dholes in the middle of it for the magic to work off of, and then spread said magic across all of Reality… or at least enough of it to wipe out the entire species instantly.

Such a ritual would be beyond the vast majority of gods, considering the conceptually infinite nature of the local Creation. But to me, it would be, like, an afternoon's work?

Besides the sheer scale of the magic, everything else is pretty straightforward. Lesser deities of magic could do the same, though on a much lesser scale.

Anyway, the point is, this was not much of a problem for a god on my level. Most deities just didn't bother to work out such cosmic show of might for some reason.

Ah well, their loss, my gain.

"Okay, so besides the Dholes?"

Ithaqua smiled at my question. "Ever heard of the Shoggoths?"

My eyes widened. "Some basics, though not much else."

She nodded. "The Shoggoths were created as a shapeshifting servitor race several hundreds of millions of years ago by Earth's first colonizers, the Elder Things. In fairness, they were originally non sentient, but evolved and mutated over the ages to have consciousness. They eventually overthrew and killed off the Elder Things, but the Shoggoths are going extinct themselves these days. No one particularly wants them to die off, but no one has stepped forward to 'adopt' them yet. If you want, you can take on the task of gathering up the remaining members and build them back up as a species."

I paused at that, but I was definitely interested.

A species who fought off slavery was one I could empathize with, and they could definitely be very useful if I could earn their loyalty.

Also, Shoggoth Maids. As a Man of Culture, how could I pass that dream up when I could make it reality? Not just for me, but others too, in time?

Truly, in the Name of Humanity, such vision of Greatness could not be allowed to die!

I squared my shoulders and looked at her in the… well, in the blindfold. Good enough. "I'll work on it, then. Might even bless them, space-theme Shoggoths sounds awesome." I said with a wise nod.

"Everything space-theme sounds awesome to you." Lucy pointed out with amusement.

"That's because it's true! Believe me, I'm a god of Truth." I replied with a grin.

Lucy snorted in amusement, but noticeably did not argue. Wise woman.

Turning back towards Ithaqua, I nodded at her. "Okay, so Operation Makes Shoggoths Great Again is a go. What else is next?"

Yog and Lucy chuckled at my choice of words, though I didn't miss the way Ithaqua's emotions turned chaotic and very hopeful all of a sudden, and she visibly hesitated before speaking carefully.

"The next matter is more of a possible project. It's about R'lyeh-"

"He's already got a plan to bring it back!" interrupted Cthylla, the young-looking woman blushing when all attention turned towards her, but wasting no time turning back towards me with an hopeful look on her face.

"That's true, right? You can bring my dad back soon?"

"I can." I said firmly, which made Ithaqua stiffen in her bounds. "And without causing issues for Humanity. I understand why bringing back the city and its many stasis-bound inhabitants might be an issue for most gods, but it's not one for me. I just have to go talk to Cthulhu to plan things out properly, but it won't take long at all before I'll have him back along with R'lyeh."

"T-that's…" for the first time, Ithaqua seemed visibly stunned silent, staring at me with a storm of emotion that reminded me eerily of Anga.

I smiled knowingly at her. "A news that is sure to bring joy to the hearts of many, you included, no?"

That earned me some curious looks, especially with Ithaqua remaining as frozen as a statue under my gaze.

Most present only knew that Ithaqua sank R'lyeh, and while the fact that she willingly remained in prison is well-known, most didn't suspect the full truth of the reason why R'lyeh fell.

"As you say, my lord." Ithaqua finally replied.

"Oh! Will you free her after R'lyeh is back?!" Cthylla suddenly exclaimed while looking at me, her expression one of deep hope and joy.

I chuckled. "I don't see why not." My expression softened. "I trust that you will have learned from the past, yes?" I asked the shackled woman, who visibly swallowed before nodding.

"If… If you can truly bring R'lyeh back…" Ithaqua's voice was trembling, and I was yet again reminded of Anga from the storm of emotions I felt within her.

And by the look on Anga's face, both women were definitely becoming aware of how alike they were.

"Let me bring R'lyeh back, first, before anything else. Okay?" I interrupted, Ithaqua obediently bowing her head a moment later.

Yeah, I was going to end up with both women on their knees before me sooner rather than later. And I was pretty sure it wouldn't be just for them to swear their fealty to me.

Not unless it involved fucking them both, at least.

… Was it wrong of me to wonder if they were into bondage sex, after so long being shackled?

Right, questions for later. For now…

"Okay, so putting the matter of R'lyeh aside for now, any other project I could do?" I asked.

Ithaqua visibly pushed back her emotions to focus on the moment, and after a moment managed to speak up again.

"Well, there's the idea of a next 'Humanity', if you will, in the sense that Humans have become a very well known mortal species when it comes to getting cultists and the likes…"

I was already shaking my head. "I appreciate the logic, but as a God of Humanity, I'm just not interested in creating a species to effectively replace Mankind."

She nodded. "Fair enough. Well, the next matter to discuss is Hastur's rehabilitation."

I blinked. Wait, did that have anything to do with…?

"You might be confused. Your mythos identifies my father as a Great Old One. This isn't false. He was one before Old Man Henderson killed him. However, lately my father returned, gaining his power back unnaturally fast, at least to peak Elder Gods level, but for some reason he hasn't or can't go further than that to take back his place amongst the Great Old Ones. Moreover, he's been keeping quiet, remaining almost hidden entirely ever since his return. Many Eldritch, myself included, are worried for him. I would be personally grateful if you could take a look, see if you can meet him and if he needs help." Ithaqua both explained and pleaded softly, genuine concern for her father in her voice and body language.

I frowned, glancing at Yog, who merely smiled in amusement and winked at me.

My frown deepening, I decided to take a look. My True Self ought to know-

To-

I froze.

For a moment, my eyes, glowing brightly, just stared off into the distance, as my True Self showed me what was going on there, with pure amusement radiating from him.

"... Ah." I muttered.

"Beloved?"

I glanced at Aza, who was looking at me curiously. "Is something wrong? You suddenly stared off into the distance, saying nothing, while looking deeply surprised?"

"It's… nothing." I shook my head, ignoring the look of increasing smugness and amusement from Yog. "Just…"

I looked back at Ithaqua. "Don't worry about your… father. There's nothing wrong. Hastur will come back soon enough, it's just…"

I trailed off.

How the hell was I supposed to explain to the guy's daughter that Hastur was now a woman… currently enjoying her time with Eli Burning, aka Old Man Henderson reborn, her new husband, after they just married?

Seriously, what?

"It's just…?" Ithaqua said leadingly, and I sighed. "Hastur's busy. Happy, very happy, just… preoccupied right now." I shook my head. "It's not my story to tell."

Ithaqua was obviously still very confused, same as most goddesses around me, but I ignored it.

Hastur getting married definitely should be something Ithaqua learns from the deity itself, not from a random god she just met.

"Anyway, what's next?" I asked, eager to move on from the vision my True Self gave me of their honeymoon.

That poor island will never be the same again. Especially with all the garden gnomes…

I held back a shudder.

"Well, the next matter is the war in the deep seas of Earth." Ithaqua continued, pushing away the questions she definitely had about her dad.

Or was it mom, now? Damn it, Eldritch gods and mortal languages aren't meant to work together…

"Between the war that Cthulhu and his followers had with the Elder Things and R'lyeh sinking, a lot of Eldritch Blood was spilled into the seas of Earth. And as was the case with the war on Glyu-Uho, this tends to create monsters. And Earth is, or rather was overflooded with them beneath the waters. We've managed to contain the issue by connecting Earth's oceans at the sea floor with oceans across the cosmos, prompting the various sea monsters to be drawn elsewhere. While dangerous, as all things of Eldritch Blood tend to be, we have volunteers to occasionally go in and trim their numbers or kill a particularly troublesome monster." The goddess of Frost explained, and I was actually impressed.

Performing a ritual opening the sea floors of Earth to other oceans across the cosmos couldn't have been an easy feat. I could see several ways I'd go about doing that, and each of them would require quite a bit of prep-work for regular gods and mortals to do the same.

Combined that with the fact that they wouldn't have been able to call on Cthulhu to help, being stuck in a sunken R'lyeh, and yeah, as a God of Magic I was actually, genuinely impressed.

"Huh. That sounds like some really impressive magic that you managed to cast. Great work to whoever came up with it all." I spoke up, earning pleased smiles from Yidhra and Yog.

"Thank you, my lord." Said Yidhra. "Me, Yog-Sothoth, and several others had to work hard to create the necessary ritual to accomplish this, and make sure no mistake would cause catastrophic backlash to the planet itself. Still, it worked well, and many of the worst monsters were sent on worlds capable of handling them, or without sentient life which would be bothered by them."

I nodded. "Well, again, my congratulations. As a god of magic, I can tell that had to be one spectacular ritual that you must have come up with. I'd love to take a look at it up close one day, but for now…"

I frowned, considering things. Truth was, I didn't really have anyone I could send to fight underwater battles.

At least, not yet. Though considering what I soon intended to create, perhaps…

"I'll think about it. There are some things I must do before I can send anyone there." I finally replied to Ithaqua.

She nodded. "Very well then. As for the next matter…"

She looked towards Anga. "I knew that you being bound to the new King of the Eldritch would work to control your powers, though I admit I didn't expect our new King to have been so quick on the uptake as to do so already. Still, I am glad to see you free to live, after so long running from Fate."

Anga smiled, glancing towards me. "He actually offered me several choices to choose from. I just… took the option I was most comfortable with. The one that would let me live without regrets."

Ithaqua looked visibly surprised and curious, but did not press. "Still, I'm glad to see you free. It is good to see that some very old wrongs are finally made right."

Anga gave her a knowing look. "Yes. I can see why you would feel that way."

Ithaqua bowed her head, acknowledging the point being made.

Then she looked back at me. "With Anga's situation already handled, the next thing is a project based on your origins: Whether you would be interested in turning Eldritch Gods into Human Gods… or at least, more like mortal ones, by changing our True Forms into ones more acceptable for mortals."

"Ah, I already made the decision not to pursue that path." I explained. "I will, strongly, recommend and support Eldritch Gods developing alternate forms capable of interacting with mortals safely, or at least as safely as possible, but I won't demand anyone to change their True Forms."

Ithaqua smiled wryly. "I take it you already had this talk with a certain Eldritch Goddess turned Human Goddess?"

"Yes." I replied with amusement. "Yes I did."

"You forgot to mention the part where you casually raised her back to her previous level of power instantly, beloved." Aza pointed out with a grin.

I could feel the blinks of surprise from Cthylla, Xada and Ithaqua at those words, though I merely shrugged. "It's hardly like it cost me anything."

Ithaqua tilted her head, peering at me through her blindfold. "... I suppose that explains why the Hindu pantheon is in chaos right now…"

I shrugged shamelessly. As I said, it wasn't that big of a deal for me.

And my True Self felt like he was essentially eating popcorn while watching the chaos unfold, so it probably was the entertaining kind of chaos, rather than the Blood and Fire kind.

"Right. The next matter is about the Bunny Tribe of the Lost Child-"

I started coughing, Lucy doing much the same nearby.

"I'm sorry, the what?!" I wheezed in shock.

Ithaqua paused. "The… Bunny Tribe of the Lost Child?"

I blinked slowly, then glanced at Lucy to confirm I did hear what I just heard, but by the look of sheer confusion on her face… I wasn't going crazy.

The universe was.

"Right." I muttered. "By Bunny Tribe, you mean…?"

Ithaqua shrugged slightly.

"There is a plant goddess named E'lior, who has been trying to find her lost child for some time now. E'lior once ruled over what is now considered Easter Island but was driven away by deforestation. Her child, however, had long since vanished by then, having been attacked by the natives as they started to turn desperate and cannibalistic. The Green Goddess, a still nameless child, took to hiding as one of the Eastern Island heads but was teleported to England by accident. There she was found and cared for by a tribe of human women that, after eating fruits created by the scared Eldritch-Child, mutated into bunnygirls."

Lucy and I stared at her incredulously for that outrageous story.

Ithaqua smiled, seemingly amused by our sheer disbelief. "Yes, bunnygirls. They are rather powerful by mortal standards and their presence helps the Green Goddess teleport them all to further hide. They don't know about E'lior, so they think they are just protecting their infant deity. They'll be difficult to catch and convince."

I sighed. "I don't even…" I started grumbling under my breath about crazy universes, even as my True Self laughed at me in the back of my mind, before taking a deep breath.

"Eldritch Bunnygirls. Right, sure. Why the fuck not. If winged women called Angels can exist, why not bunnygirls? I'm not going to question it. I'll just go out and kill a few Beasts, it'll be for my own good." I declared, my right eyebrow twitching as I decided to just… embrace the wisdom of my old mentor on this one.

"Okay. Anything else?" I asked.

"Well…" Ithaqua glanced towards Xada. "If you hadn't already performed a world-level miracle, I would have mentioned the Shan, Xada's people, but that matter is one you already took care of completely."

"And me and my people will never forget it." Xada said with deep reverence and gratitude as she looked at me.

Though by the look in her eyes, I had a feeling I knew how she intended to personally repay me.

Seriously, when I first came to this reality, I didn't expect to so quickly end up drowning in bitches…

Okay, that was unfair, but really, if Cthulhu himself starts making eyes at me too, I'm seriously going to start screaming.

At least Hastur was very firmly taken, thank goodness…

"You're welcome." I replied, doing my best to hide the fact I was freaking out more and more about the fact I was seriously starting to create universal peace through seduction of all things.

Where's my grand, all out battle of Good versus Evil I was worried about?! Why is it all waifu, all the way down?!

I came here ready to start the cosmic war to end all wars, why is everyone so eager to settle things in bed?!

Oedon, if I didn't know better, I'd say you somehow sweet-talked Reality into making it so that you would have all the babies you could ever want!

What unholy pact have you made that caused every Eldritch deity to be female, single and waiting for someone to swoop in and solve their troubles, thus sweeping them off their feet at the same time?!

Oedon, were you the real final boss all along?!

… Why are you laughing so hard, my True Self? You're not reassuring me, you know that, right?!

I sighed.

"Alright, is there anything else, now?" I questioned Ithaqua.

I was almost relieved when she shook her head negatively.

"No, that's essentially everything, my lord." she replied.

"Well, I certainly have a lot of hard work ahead of me." I muttered, very firmly not thinking of how much of that hard work seemingly involved seducing waifus in the name of cosmic peace and stability.

Seriously, since when did kingdom-building involve literally seducing all the potential allies?

"Can you really do all that, mister? That seems like a lot." exclaimed Cthylla.

"Don't worry, I'm up for it!" I said brightly. "I'll get Cthulhu back as soon as possible, I promise!"

The way she looked at me with almost literal stars in her eyes made me both smile brighter, and internally sigh about all the sex headed my way.

Truly, what is a man to do when surrounded by so many beautiful women, when all he wants is to punch evil in the face?

I glanced at Yidhra.

… I'm throwing you at Mercer, I thought firmly.

Let someone else have some, too, or I'll never get anything done.

Aza leaned up towards me. "I'll support you no matter what path you choose, Beloved, even if all of Reality rebels against me for it." she whispered, which made me sigh fondly.

Right, women are worth all the headaches that came with love, simply to hear things like that and know she spoke the Truth.

… I still really wanted to go kill something deserving of it, though.

Some of the surrounding goddesses shifted a bit at Aza's words, but they all couldn't help but smile at the obvious love she held for me.

I hugged her, whispering softly "I know." which made her beam happily. Honestly, unconditional love and support, from the literal creator deity of all things… I was a really lucky bastard.

We all looked away towards Yog a moment later when she cut a portal open again, turning towards us with a grin.

"Well, we should give our new King some time to think over everything, Azathoth." she suggested, waving an arm towards the portal. "This will send all of you back home, including him. Though for you, Anga, there's a lot of things I'd like to get you to catch up on, so I'd like you to follow me."

Aza and Anga both looked at me with concern and hesitation, neither clearly wanting to leave me for their own reasons.

"He'll be safe." Yog declared, looking at me with a smile. "I promise."

I had the suspicion that she wasn't looking just at me when she said that, but I could also tell she meant her words.

That, combined with what I felt from my True Self…

Hmm.

Aza finally made her decision, as she quickly hugged me tightly and gave me a searing kiss full of passion, one that I eagerly returned.

She gasped, moaning and giggling as she clung to me, golden eyes bright and happy, before smiling. "I will return soon, Beloved. Human-soon, not Eldritch-soon." she adds on hastily. I had to wonder what "Eldritch-soon" actually meant, honestly…

Either way, Aza left, smiling softly over her shoulder until the moment she went through the portal. Xada followed suit, bowing respectfully and looking determined to hold up to my orders for her to reconnect with Aza. Kass was next, giving me a smile and a short bow. "It was nice to meet you… Your highness? Sorry, I've been casual with Aza for so long that formal feels strange now. Still, thank you for giving my twins a chance. They're good kids, I promise." she declared, with a mother's unconditional love and genuine hope. With that said, she turned and left.

"Bye, Mister Azathoth! I'll tell Daddy to wait for you to come so that you can all bring R'lyeh back!" Cthylla said with a bright laugh before literally jumping into the rift.

"It has been a pleasure to be of help to you, King of Eternity." Yidhra said next with a warm, if nostalgic look about her. "It will be nice to have another native Earth-Eldritch to converse with. And… I'd really like to meet this man you mentioned that I reminded you of." she finished more quietly, but with clear hope in her voice, before vanishing into the portal.

Shub stepped forward next, a gentle smile on her face. "I hope that everything stays well and loving between you and Aza. And I'm sorry if Yog overwhelmed you a bit with all of us. She means well, but can have such trouble letting things go on their own." Shub offered, stroking one of her horns self-consciously. "Now, if you would excuse me, I have to go back to tending to my children."

"Or when not to let them go." Yog muttered, looking away as Shub disappeared, leaving me with her, Anga and Lucy. She turned to me and her smile was… strange, as if she was endeared by my very existence somehow. "It has been a long time since such a big variable has been completely beyond my influence. I can't even foresee anything your True Self doesn't let me see, and your personal divine realm might as well not exist to my sight. Still, you shouldn't worry much. Aza will be there for you, for everything. And at least until we know you better, we will at least be there for her. Oh, and one more thing? Don't worry. I really don't think you need to fear your last and final guest of the day… Not with you being as you are." she declared, gently leading Anga through the portal.

I turned towards Ithaqua, who bowed as much as she could towards me. "Fare thee well, King of the Eldritch." Ithaqua called softly as Lucy went through the portal, with me following suit a moment later.

I looked around, taking a deep, fortifying breath as I took in the Hunter's Dream. I was in a layer of it deeper than the one that Lucy returned to, and I knew well why.

Time for the next, final guest… One that I had been anticipating meeting for quite some time.

After all…

"You're not really alone, are you?"

I turned, and stared.

And the Crawling Chaos stared back.

*CHAOS*

I could feel its might pressing against my mind and soul, seeking out any hint of weakness, even the smallest of openings as it battered my very being with cognito-hazard so foul and twisted that it would consume entire pantheons of gods into orgies of madness and Sin.

My expression, cold and emotionless, stared into the abyss of pure madness and evil standing before me without a flinch. Even as my mind was battered by the dying scream of untold quintillions, even as memories of countless dead civilizations assailed me, even as I was assaulted by visions of countless horrors across reality, I did not look away.

*SIN*

I stared, resolutely, unflinching, into this living embody of madness and dared it to blink first.

Power and will enough to wipe out countless multiverse laughed in a billions maddening tongues, and for a moment that may have lasted for eternity I stood as the unbreakable rock upon which all of this broke against, the sea of foul curses, madness and cruelty finding not even the slightest of chink in the fortress that was my mind.

*MADNESS*

And then, as quickly as it arrived, it was over. The storm pulled back, the shadows casted upon the Hunter's Dream disappeared, and all that was left was a smiling woman, red eyes staring at me with maddened joy and fascination.

"So, you're Azathoth's beloved. Our Kungur, our 'King of.' Of what, or better yet, of what not?" she mused knowingly, and I could see the teasing smile she sent my way. "Pardon the entrance, but most beings don't react well to my presence, and I thought it'd be better if we had a private chat." she explained carelessly.

I held back a snort. She hardly cared about anyone's opinion, she just did what she found most interesting… and potentially entertaining.

"Oh, but where are my manners?" she asked rhetorically, her smile growing. "It's been a while since I had to wonder which form to best use to introduce myself with. Still, I rather like this one, and I'm sure you do too. Most humans do, especially men. I'm Nyarly, by the way. Short for Nyarlathotep. I'm sure you know me as the Crawling Chaos, the Black Pharaoh, or one of my many other nicknames?" she asked playfully.

I tilted my head. "I wondered when you would show yourself. Especially after I took out several of your toys."

Nyarly laughed at that. "So you did! Poor little Anga, my, the sheer fear in the Gate and the Key as she scrambled to keep killing that one, over and over… until it didn't work. A masterful little curse, wasn't it? The more Yog-Sothoth fought against it, the more power it gathered for itself. It got to the point that even killing Anga simply wouldn't work anymore! And then there's Andhice, oh, so much potential for destruction if only she'd have slept around… Alas, Yog found her too quickly. And of course…" she leaned forward, red eyes burning with glee and maddened fascination. "The Servant. That poor, deluded little mortal, serving the glory of us evil Eldritch Gods. My, but she really enraged you, didn't she? What wrath you exuded, what power! And you… you annihilated those evil gods who supported her!"

Nyarly's red eyes were wide and bloodshot, glowing like the fires of Hell, a wide, ugly grin on her face, showing too many teeth to be humanly possible.

"I could hardly believe it! Eldritch Gods actually dead for good! Ah, Ahaha, AHAHAHAHAHA!"

She threw her head back, her laughter echoing unnaturally, warping reality around her with madness and chaos, though I crushed most of it with ease. This was the Hunter's Dream. Its form was whateverI wanted it to be, not her.

"The horror they must have felt, at the very last instant before their End! What terror they must have experienced! And oooh, my King, what terror you brought into the hearts of all who saw your miracle of Death! To save the Shan and their world, and then to unleash such horrifying power of destruction! You should have seen how many gods and their servants started freaking out over it! It was glorious, utter chaos!" she exulted, her voice warping unnaturally at the end.

She giggled darkly for a second more, her eyes glinting with cruel joy, before she smiled at me.

"No need to be so tense, my King. I wouldn't dare harm you- what happened before was just me seeing how much of an Eldritch God you truly were. I would have pulled back immediately if you hadn't been able to handle it. Not that I needed to worry. You have the most perfect mental protections I ever had the pleasure of seeing." her voice turned almost awed. "What wonderful seas of stars, which shine their strange, ethereal lights only within your mind and soul…" she trailed off, before shaking her head.

"An Eldritch God indeed. And one that earned my dear mother's love, at that. Aza would kill me over and over again and never forgive me were I to ever truly harm you, you know? Unless you do, that is. Can you imagine how much she loves you, that she is willing to torture her own daughter for eternity?" she asked musingly, idly inspecting a human skull that appeared in her right hand.

"Somehow," I said with a very dry voice "I doubt this is just a simple meet and greet."

"Oh, can't a girl welcome her step-father to the family?" Nyarly asked with false innocence.

I scoffed. "Considering who you are, I can't imagine that Aza isn't used to you causing trouble."

"Trouble. Yes, that is a good word for me." she mused, and I just rolled my eyes. "You want something." I said firmly. My eyes narrowed. "Something you're very eager about…"

She raised an eyebrow, a hint of an approving smirk on her lips. "Your Truth shows you some things, huh? Good, good. Just as the others helped you with various matters, I shall as well. Obviously, Yog was aware of this. Probably why she arranged all of your meetings so soon: she didn't want me explaining anything else, I'm sure, lest I tempt you down some design I like or for some plots I made on the spot. I admit, it sounds like me."

I stared at her carefully. I had a growing idea about something, and the more she spoke, the more certain of it I was. Wether from my True Self running interference, or Nyarly simply being mistaken, if I was right…

I double-checked with my True Self. The reply almost made me smile triumphantly.

Almost.

"So she made sure that I explained the one thing I will enjoy, no matter what you decide." Nyarly continued with a dazzling, predatory grin, making me tilt my head. "Oh, it isn't obvious?" she asked in false alarm before smiling. "Perhaps I should take a more appropriate demeanor when addressing you, Kungur." she mused as she sank to her knees-

"I am your slave, master. How may I serve you?" she purred, chains appearing suddenly to connect to a metal collar around her neck and shackles around her ankles and wrists, while her clothes turned into something straight out a harem girl outfit.

…

…

…

…

For a long moment, I stared.

"Bullshit." I deadpanned. "There are no words, even in Eldritch languages, that can properly express the sheer amounts of suspicion and doubts you have about this dubious claim. Not even calling Bullshit is strong enough."

"Oh, naturally, master." Nyarly cooed affectionately as she played with the chain connected to the metal collar around your neck, the end of that chain lying before me as if to invite me to take hold of it. I easily resisted the temptation. "You should doubt everything I say, except this: I am your slave. I am a thing of chaos, master. I like to see things change, warp and distort. And I can think of no bigger stone to throw into the cosmic pool than to swear myself to you. Confirm it with Azathoth, Yog, Shub, Yidhra, even my sisters, anyone you wish. They will see the Truth: I have chained myself to your will, and I cannot undo it even if I wanted to."

I stared, saying nothing. My True Self alone confirmed her words beyond a shadow of a doubt.

… She still had that misunderstanding going, however, and I was seeing more and more how and why my True Self planned it. Ah, little goddess, you truly have no idea what you are standing in front of, do you?

But far from me to stop her now. Not when it'll be all the more impactful to reveal everything at the end.

"All I ask in exchange for my absolute enslavement? Allow me to speak. Allow me to tell you all the great, dark secrets I have to give you, Kungur. I don't know what you truly desire, and I really don't want to. Let me be surprised. I merely wish to supply you with endless means to do as you wish with the cosmos. For that, you can do anything you want with me, or to me."

She paused to put on an alluring, hopeful, devious smile.

"Actually, let me rephrase that line of mine, master: I am your slave. May I serve you?" she asked, bowing her head to the floor in utter fealty and submission.

I stared at her for a moment… and then I summoned a throne of cosmic matter, distant galaxies shining their light within the throne as they spinned endlessly within the Void of space, before I sat back upon it as I looked down at her emotionlessly.

"Very well." I told her. "Tell me of these grand secrets you claim to possess."

Time to play my role, at least for a little while. Once she is done, then the masks can come off.

She chuckled at my words, red glowing eyes glinting mischievously.

"Just let me prove my worth, master. Between all your new… friends, you should feel safe from my tricks. And, once I'm finished here, you can just gag me until the end of Time," she offered, licking her lips meaningfully, "Or until you desire to hear more from me, at least."

"Then get on with it." I replied coldly.

Nyarly smirked as she waved a hand, images of Aza and the other Eldritch women I met appearing around us. "Even we Eldritch beings have our own problems to deal with, important personal issues. Issues that would greatly help our soon-to-be crowned King of Reality, if he knew of them. And, not to mention, but if it wasn't clear Azathoth has no issues with you gathering a right and proper harem around yourself." Nyarly stated, looking up at me with lidded red eyes. "So this is my gift to you, master. I will tell you secrets about your new friends and subjects, and let you do with that as you will."

She grinned as the image of Yog took center stage.

"Let us start with the Gate and the Key herself, our dear Lady-Lord of Time, Yog-Sothoth. So smug, so playful, so confident in all she does. Such a liar!"

She laughed.

"It would make sense for the ruler of Time to be self-assured and nigh-all-knowing. But Yog, in all actuality, is just a coward, afraid of messing everything up around her. You ever wonder how many times she's watched a conversation play out or even redone and aborted the timeline before stopping? Infinites chances would let anyone keep a perfect image, and so few of us can sense it, let alone remember what the aborted timeline was like. Oh, sure, most of us are aware of the big changes to Time, but minor things she changes mere minutes or even seconds after they happened? Ha!"

Nyarly shook her head with a mocking smirk.

"She's terrified that without her time power, everyone will see her for the fraud that she is. That she's not wise, just too afraid to stop undoing even her most minor mistakes."

Nyarly gave me a wide grin, red eyes gleaming.

"To marry Yog-Sothoth is to marry Time itself, with all of its many certainties and uncertainties. And as with Schrodinger's cat, everything eventually becomes certain or is certainly not. She would accept the arrangement with her usual smug knowingness, but inside she's worried. Azathoth knows her secret, fully capable of sensing the many time loops, but she doesn't bring it up. But what about you? What if you call her out on it?"

Nyarly looked at me with amusement at the very thought, before shrugging. "Oh, and let's talk about Yad-Thaddag, while we're at it. She was mentioned before as a Time goddess, but she's actually a much younger Yog, sort of. She's the result of what happened when a much younger and more inexperienced Yog tried to change her own past the very first time. Uitzilcapac, in Yad's timeline, went off to torture many gods until Yad went back to change it. Due to her inexperience at the time, they're now stuck in a paradox of both existing. However only one can be the greater Ruler of Time. Thus Yog is an Outer Goddess, and Yad is a mere Elder Goddess. That's why Yad is much more serious and solemn than Yog: she can't cheat through time loops. Her powers aren't great enough for her to do what Yog does to hide any mistakes, leaving her far more grimly focused on getting things right the first time."

I nodded. Credit where credit was due, Nyarly knew her stuff. I had to wonder how she had managed to find out all of that, but then again… Nyarlathotep.

"The next one on our little list is, of course, Shub-Niggurath." Nyarly continued, visibly enjoying herself a great deal. "Aaahhh, one of my most favorite amusements: Shub-Niggurath, Mother of a Thousand Young. One of the first of us to take mortal form. As a Black Goat. Sheep, I suppose, but still."

She chuckled.

"Oh, you've heard of this I know, but you should have seen it! The hot and hazy confusion as base instincts she didn't understand took over and let that fine goat climb on top of her. She's never gotten over that, you know? Her humiliating experience of Eldritch bestiality. How could she? Everyone knows her by that title, even her cultists."

The Crawling Chaos grinned, far too many white, sharp teeth appearing.

"Shub may be a mother, but her weakness isn't her children. No, she loves them, but she's had so many of them, watching them grow and die. She's used to that. No, her secret is much more wicked and hidden."

"She liked it~!"

The Crawling Chaos threw her head back and laughed.

"Oh, not the goat or the mating especially, but the feeling of it all! The loss of control, the feeling of being bred, the utter helplessness of it all! She hates that she wants it but she does want it! She cleaned herself so often just to forget, but it never stopped. It's why she's never truly stopped being pregnant, albeit she is usually able to control when she sprouts more Dark Young."

Nyarly looked at me with gleaming red eyes, shadows dancing unnaturally on her face.

"Shub wants nothing more than to be taken, properly. Not by a beast but by a sapient being. Marrying her would not be hard. But once you get far enough into her bed and heart, you will have a choice. Do you take her lovingly and make her your precious brood sow, or do you just take as you please, tie her up to be a baby factory? She won't resist, she wouldn't have the will to deny her desires right in front of her."

I stared at the wickedly grinning goddess in silence, gaze thoughtful.

Nyarly did see quite a bit of the Truth of Shub… But she did miss a specific bit of information.

One very important secret into all of this.

After all… no one seemed to have remembered the goat who bred Shub-Niggurath for All of Time.

But I knew ALL things from the moment my True Self touched this multiverse. And that was one matter I'll have to bring up to the deity involved eventually…

But not yet. That wasn't something I could casually bring up, even if doing so would bring closure to two people in desperate need of it.

All in due Time.

Heh. Time.

I nodded at Nyarly to continue, as the show must go on… for a little while longer.

Naturally, Nyarly is all too happy to keep talking about the darkest secrets of the Great and powerful of the Eldritch Pantheon.

"Let's talk about Yidhra next, the figurative Black Sheep of the family. No, not Shub again, her title is much more literal. See, we Eldritch didn't truly 'get' mortal lifeforms for a long time, so imagine our surprise when an Outer God of all things formed out of them. Enter Yidhra, the Dream-Witch."

Nyarly nodded towards me. "True, there's you now, but Yidhra was a first: a creature that absorbed others to survive the ages, all the way to modern time. Perhaps being made of them is why she has such a large, secret following among humans. We honestly have no idea how she came into being to begin with, but, well… in Yidhra's younger ages, she 'smelled' a bit like my sister Darkness to me, but I was never able to confirm or deny this."

Nyarly shook her head. "But enough about that, Master, you're here for the juicy details! You see, Yidhra is an outcast not out of social stigma, but out of sheer awkwardness. She's been unable to connect with other Eldritch very well, a mutual issue on our part. Adding to this, she has some very mortal quirks, and for good reasons. Unlike most Eldritch, her eternality is dependent on her absorbing lifeforms, which grant her their memories. This causes her to have something of an identity crisis, never sure who she really is and what she really wants."

She shrugged, smiling wryly.

"This is why she keeps herself to high standards of behavior and the likes: if she doesn't keep herself in check, her whole reputation and image among both mortals and gods could go right up in smoke. It'd be easy, so very easy, for you to take advantage of that. All you'd have to do is show her affection, to pamper and spoil her. As a mortal turned Eldritch, she is sooooooo hopeful that you'll be able to relate to her, connect to her, understand her. Desperate even, enough to become rapidly addicted and dependent on your company. With her hooked on your mere existence, you can decide who the 'real' Yidhra is."

I frowned. This whole thing reminded me of the differences between concepts-based gods, and faith-based ones. Gods born from concepts, worshiped by mortals for their powers, and gods born from the faith of mortals and thus more at risks of being influenced and changed by them over time.

Yidhra definitely felt more like the second, though with very clear differences. More like… Well, if Alex Mercer, as Backlight, had been born a full-blown Outer God, but without the core personality of Alex Mercer to serve as a stable base for his existence.

Still, from what I had seen, it was hardly a problem without answers. Above all else, what mattered was the very concept of [Self].

… I suppose that I could always help, though I definitely needed to introduce her to Alex. Those two had a lot in common, issues with interacting with other people included.

Yes, my plan was quite literally to throw an antisocial goddess at the epitome of antisocial behavior that was Alex Mercer, but to be fair the man got much better since those first days in Manhattan, and I firmly believed they could help each other.

Also, I wasn't the only one who could fix problems. That was something I always kept a sharp eye on, as it was far too easy for me to decide to just… do everything by myself. But just because I could do something didn't mean I always should.

Yes, getting Yidhra as my loyal wife would have many benefits, but… Well, bro code. Alex frankly deserved to be happy, and Yidhra did too, and both could very well make each other happy. Fuck focusing on Kingdom-building, I'd rather be a friend on this one.

So with that in mind, I looked back at Nyarly. "Alright. Who is next?"

She grinned. "Kassogtha. Poor, poor Kassogtha. Such a sad tale. A single mother, raising troublesome twins sired by her trapped brother, and being the Helen of Xoth?"

She chuckled darkly, mockingly. "Doesn't it sound strange? Cthulhu and his family, being kicked out by his brother, Kthanid? All the scattered siblings he has? It was all over this pretty face. Two brothers in love with the same sister. And just like Paris and Menelaus, Cthulhu won the girl but Kthanid won the war, while Kass lost everything. They are now a broken family."

Nyarly paused, shaking her head. "Kass was the heart of Xoth, but her heart is her daughters. The only good that came out of this senseless mess. She will do anything to help them. Anything. Azathoth is compassionate but isn't up for letting them go free without supervision. Hence why she was desperate to have them be your servants. Taking those two was an easy way of gaining her gratitude. If you even hint at your displeasure with them, she'd jump to keep you from changing her mind. Or you can be the firm, guiding hand they never had growing up. Something Kass will thank you for in time. But there are ways even if things go wrong. After all, putting the twins in Jupiter's version of solitary confinement and denied visitors would be quite… unfortunate for Kass. She'd rather have them under house arrest with herself, I'm sure. Unlike Azathoth and her twins, she would be non-resistant to the idea of a foursome with you and her daughters, or 'cleaning up' in bed after them."

I blinked at that last part, mentally filing it away for later consideration.

The most important part, though, is that dealing with the matter of Kass, her daughters, Cthulhu and his brother was going to be an important part of the beginning of my rule. Getting Kass's daughters into being… respectable eldritchs would not only get my Kass and Cthulhu's gratitude, it would serve to show that I can truly rule over even the more chaotic members of the Eldritch community.

And if I could bring peace back between Kass, Cthulhu and Kthanid, well, that would do wonders for my reputation.

Also help bring peace. That too, obviously.

"So that's it for Kass. Pretty straightforward, but fair enough. After that is-"

"Cthylla." Nyarly said with a chuckle. "Sweet little Cthylla, also known as Cthulhu's emergency resurrection option. Old Cthu sure gets mentioned a lot, heh? The notion of giving birth to your own father is an odd thing to swallow at first for most, more so when it does not involve Yog's domain. Still, what could I have on this sweet, sheltered little thing? It's me, so, a lot. But that's not what we're here to talk about. No, let's talk about Cthulhu a bit more. There's a reason he comes up a lot. He's a great guy, honestly, if not a bit too nice for his own good. You heard how he got trapped in R'lyeh to save as many as he could. He's a Great Old One, so he can still interact with things, obviously."

She grinned.

"Why is that important? Well, Cthulhu has a lot of regrets. He had to kill his own son once, you know? But Cthylla is his biggest regret. He was young and his war with his brother left him paranoid. It took him a while, but he tapped into the Circle of Life power with some excess potential. But again, he was young and paranoid, so he botched it. Cthylla can only resurrect him so long as she remains a virgin. In a race full of tentacles and a lot less moral and biological issues, you can guess that this isn't easy. So she was hidden away. She was born on Xoth, the last of Cthulhu's group to be so. Even Kthanid wouldn't sour his victory by forcing a pregnant mother to move. On Earth, she is guarded by her three older brothers: Ghatanothoa, a male medusa of sorts, Ythogtha, a giant one-eyed Deep One, and Zoth-Ommog… imagine a starfish with tentacles and a T-rex's head. Each of them have a little underwater base, working with local Elder Gods to keep Cthylla safe."

Nyarly snorted. "Like a good daughter that loves her father she never, ever protested. How could she? She would bring her Daddy back through her womb if there was no other way. But Cthylla is not young anymore and she has been skirting further outside the gilded cage of her life every decade, something that brings her great guilt but can't resist doing. The cosmos is too large a place to ignore after three hundred million years. Of course, with you as her chaperone, she should be safe, right?"

I hummed in thought. Well, that was actually pretty simple to fix. First, bring back Cthulhu and R'lyeh. Then, well that went with what I could do as a whole to Eldritch Gods, that is to say… I was pretty sure I could accelerate the "rebirth" of dead Eldritch Gods by a lot.

So all I had to do was teach Cthylla how to use magic to bring back her dad if he ever dies, problem solved. The D&D equivalent to a True Resurrection spell, just for Eldritch Gods. Something I could cast with ease, and teaching someone else to do it shouldn't take too long… Especially by Eldritch standards.

"Okay, so that's it for Cthylla. Who is next? Ithaqua?" I questioned.

The Crawling Chaos chuckled. "Aah, Hastur's little brat, Ithaqua. Oh, you hear stories of her roaming Borea and the Arctic, but her true self is what you saw: bound in human form and chained up. You see, there is a way to release Cthulhu and the others from their watery prison. Ithaqua, Cthulhu's adoring niece, knows it well. But doing so would wipe out Humanity and much else of Earth. Despite the apathy many of us share, even 'I' don't want that to happen. Earth has become kind of an important place and semi-neutral grounds. Ithaqua's powers are of an Ice Elemental persuasion, whereas Hastur favors the Wind. So he thought his half-brother could help her a bit better than he himself could and sent her off to R'lyeh. She loved it here and tried desperately to impress both her Uncle and Cthylla."

"And then she sank R'lyeh." I declared.

Nyarly laughed. "Exactly! Oh, it was an accident of cataclysmic proportion. Literally. So much potential in this one! Still, when she realized what she had done, she had to make it right. After all, it was her fault. Even now, she thinks she deserves this, fighting for freedom only to save dear old Uncle Cthulhu. But the Eldritch community will never let her end Humanity."

"And then I came along." I mused.

She grinned. "And then you came along, and from what I understand, you have a plan to quickly bring R'lyeh back without causing issues to Humanity. If you do it… If you can pull that off? Ithaqua, with all the potential to be an Outer Goddess once she finishes her training, would be even more of a slave to you than I am. She would kneel before you and swear herself to you for Eternity with a smile. In exchange for fixing her most horrific mistake, she would do anything for you, Master."

The Crawling Chaos licked her lips, red eyes dancing with the fires of countless civilizations destroyed in fire and Blood. "Anything."

I stared at her, before nodding.

I wasn't one for zealots, but properly earned loyalty was another thing entirely.

And besides… I could use a General for my armies. Anga was a weapon. One that I would train to be a leader of armies as well, but I wanted her to be as much of a warrior as a general.

Ithaqua could serve as my Commander in Chief, however. Heh, having a literal Icy beauty as the leader of my armies… Somehow, I dare say military recruitment is never going to be a problem with her around.

"The next on the list…" Nyarly smirked widely when the picture of Aza on her Throne appeared next.

"And here is my dear mother and your blushing bride, the Daemon Sultana on her Eldritch Throne, overseeing her cosmic court, attended by her Madrummer and Curseflutists. What? Did you think that innocent act was all there was to the most ancient being that Rules-"

"NYARRRRRRRLAAAAAAAAAAATHOOOOOOOOOOTEP!"

"-Ohshitshewaslistening!"

Nyarly flinched and shuddered as physic blows came out on her, the blows mostly for show but unquestionably radiating annoyance.

I snorted. Really, the Crawling Chaos should have known that Aza, being as overprotective as she was, wouldn't let me meet her without keeping an eye on things.

… Also, Aza was totally secretly freaking out about me meeting her deadbeat daughters, and terrified of me not liking them. Which, well, the Crawling Chaos.

That would give cause for anxiety to anyone.

"Owowow! Okay mom, I'm sorry! OW! I was joking, I swear!" Nyarly cried out.

There was silence for a moment, before the red-eyed woman slumped in relief.

"Okay, good, she's gone. Hm, please pretend you didn't hear or see that?" she asked me hopefully.

"No." I replied with blunt amusement.

She cringed, then sighed. "Fair enough. Anyway, now we get to the lady of the hour herself, Azathoth the Blind Idiot God!"

I raised an eyebrow, half-expecting Aza to smack her upside the head for announcing her like that. Surprisingly, nothing happened.

"There is a reason for the title, you know. Azathoth isn't stupid, she just used to be… slow, for lack of a better word. You might think of retardation or a similar condition, but it's a lot more complicated. Azathoth was the first great being in existence, so she had no sense of Time. Because Time is relative, years could be like seconds or eons to her, literally perceiving them as such. This is why Yog was born in the first place. Yes, Aza can do that, we'll get to that later. Blind is more of the same, as Azathoth couldn't perceive things at smaller scales at first. The more Outer Gods started showing up helped, but it was still difficult as she was just that much greater than them all. The frustration that she felt resulted in… me."

I nodded. So far, that went along with what I had seen for myself. Eldritch Gods were like pieces of a puzzle, allowing Azathoth to illuminate more and more of Existence in ways she could comprehend. They also served as the pillars holding Reality together, and defining how Reality itself worked. That was part of why I suspected that Eldritch Gods couldn't die as a result of Azathoth subconsciously protecting Reality itself, to ensure she wouldn't fall back in her older days when she struggled to perceive Reality.

The fact that I could bypass that was, again I suspected, as much born of my sheer power, my nature as an existence unbound by her Dream, and the fact that I was her Beloved.

There was another theory running in the back of my mind about my own existence, and how much Azathoth subconsciously played a part in it. That, however, was something I had no proof one way or the other.

Was my very existence part of Azathoth subconscious's Will? A part of her plan to better understand and interact with Reality itself? It would fit the fact that Outer Gods are all meant to play a part in Azathoth's growing comprehension of Reality.

At the same time… Was I instead a truly unexpected development? A shard of her Dream who took a very literal life of its own, until such a Time as I stood as the closest thing to an equal as she ever had?

My own nature reflecting Reality as it did was making me suspect the first theory more than the second, the pieces fit too well, but at the same time there was a great deal of doubt to be had on the matter.

After all… What about Saitama? There was no reason for him to exist as a being as powerful as he was. So was I an intended part of Azathoth's subconscious Will, and him an unexpected development? Were we both in fact unexpected developments?

I did not know, and I could hardly find any evidence to prove things one way or the other. All I had was suspicions, theories, and the evidence of two different individuals who both found their ways into becoming unbound to Azathoth's Dream.

Still, it did not matter. I was here, and I would live my life as I desired. The rest was a matter for meditation when I had time to spare.

Either way, Nyarly continued, unaware of my thoughts.

"So what's the catch, the secret, the Truth behind your supposed bride? There is none. I hate and love to admit it, but everything you saw and heard was the truth. The her on the Throne was her attempt to look like a sexy, badass, Eldritch-Human woman. She made it on a whim one day, and that is the kind of woman she is. Thus, the girl you met on Earth, danced across the stars with, and made love to while offering you all of Existence? That is the real Azathoth. A girl desperate for your love."

She grinned.

"Sorry, a Goddess desperate for your love. That's the fun part. While there is no secret behind Azathoth's love for you, there is an open secret to her. Azathoth doesn't want to rule. I know, it sounds strange, but Azathoth just… is. She didn't conquer Creation or declare herself Ruler of it all, she just indisputably is so. She keeps the Omniverse going, but only in a circle. She has no desire, ambition, drive, or vision for it all. That's partially why she'll give you such free reign and everyone is so accepting of it. We're all curious what'll be like to have a more active Ruler."

I smiled. "Well, ambition is certainly something I do not lack. Or, for that matter, vision."

Not when I had plans going to the end of the Omniverse and beyond. I chose the name Aeon for a reason, after all.

Eternity will be mine, because I will be Eternity. Beyond Time and Space, beyond multiverses and Omniverse, Existence as a whole was what I sought to claim.

After all, if there was an Omniverse… Who says there can't be more?

Do they already exist, somewhere beyond even Azathoth's sight? Or is there truly only one? Even I did not know the answer…

But I would find out, one day. And if need be, then I would create a multiverse of Omniverse. And then keep going, on and on into True Infinity.

This entire Omniverse was only the beginning. The training wheels before I truly launched myself into seeking out Infinity. No matter how long it would take me to reach Amaranth, becoming a level 7 Being on the Kardashev Scale, it would only be the very beginning of my story.

I never forgot my roots. I, the God Aeon, was born of a mortal who dared to Dream of seeing all that Was, Is, and Will ever be. Who dared to, truly, be Eternal.

I could never accept to merely exist. I could never accept to remain static. I could never ever, ever be satisfied with believing myself all-knowing.

Perfection was my goal, and my bane. An ever-distant Dream, one never meant to be achieved, but always sought after. One day, I wanted Omniverses to be like drops of water in a river made of my personal lifetime.

But I did not need to make that journey alone. In fact, I abhorred the very thought. That was what and who I was, in the end.

A guide, into an eternal journey called Eternity. Someone that would path the way forward for others to follow, into ever-distant lands. That was why I fought so hard for Reality, why I stood against Evil so unflinchingly.

I wanted to protect as many souls as I could so that they would all follow in my footsteps. So that as many righteous souls as I could gather would follow me ever onwards, into Infinity.

I smiled slightly as a quote from a certain game came to my mind.

'Tremble before the Majesty of the Emperor, for we all walk into His Immortal Shadow.'

Well, in this case Creation shall tremble in my Immortal Shadow, now and forevermore.

I looked back at Nyarly, on her knees even now.

Even her, for all her evils, I would save and guide forward, into that ever-distant tomorrow.

And speaking of which…

"Well, that should be about everything, master-" Nyarly began, before freezing when a picture suddenly appeared before me and I caught it, raising an eyebrow as I saw a naked Nyarly quite obviously enjoying some BDSM.

"Wait, what?! How by the Abyss did this get here?!" she screamed, eyes wide. "Ignore this! No, that's not me and I'm not blushing!"

A second picture appeared, and I raised my other eyebrow, as it got even more kinky.

"Dammit, there's more?!" she exclaimed, finally standing up and looking around in a panic. "Where are these coming from?! Wait…" she froze. "Oh shit, she's back! Excuse me for a moment! And ignore the pictures!" she screamed as she turned on her heels and disappeared… except I could still hear her. The magic collar around her neck made sure of that.

"Mom! Aza! What the seven suns is this abou- Oooooh, crap! Yog, What are you doing here?! What did you show her? Where would you have even found these? When would you have found these? Wait-"

Ooooh, look, a third picture! Oh my, that's quite a few ropes involved this time…

"Why can't I breath- Yog, stop time-altering my attacks you little- Okay, okay, I'll calm down mom! I promise! Just… What is this? I already explained that picture! Huh? It's about that? Huh… Okay… Yeah… Wait, what? You want me to what?! Why would- Geh… How would you even know that? I never told anyone that! In any manner of the world told! You… You mean, he…? Then why would I need to say that, I already gave him myself?"

Ooooh, look, a fourth picture! And, oh my, barbed wire? That has to hurt. Oh yeah, she's definitely hurting. I can almost feel the pain through the picture, very nice…

"Why are you still showing him more?! Why would you show him that on-?!"

The voice froze, a feeling of dread almost palpable in her next words.

"He can hear me, can't he? I… forgot he could hear me through the collar. Abyss-Fuck! You planned this, didn't you, Yog?! Fine. Fine! I'll do it! Just… Just get out of here before I share with him your embarrassing kinks! You know I will, mom! Thank you, yes, no more usurping my pictures. Now go! … I love you too, mom."

A moment of silence, before-

"I'm still your aunt and senior, Yog-Sothoth! Go before I tell Shub how to find your liquor in the Timestream!"

A pause, then a deep sigh.

"Oh boy, I can't believe I'm doing this… Okay, deep breaths, Nyarly. You're the Crawling Chaos, and he just arrived in this multiverse. Just jump back over and-"

Nyarly reappeared, blushing at the sight of me holding the pictures up with raised eyebrows and a look of interest on my face.

"Hello, Master! Yeah, we need to talk. I've got some cards to put on the table." she declared.

I stared at her, then, without breaking eye contact, summoned a table and put the pictures upon it.

Nyarly flushed at the move, squirming in embarrassment.

I said nothing, leaving her to stew in her own misery.

Finally, Nyarly spoke up again, having found the strength to look me in the eyes again.

"Ahem, allow me to reintroduce myself, Master: 'I am Nyarlathotep, I am a subby little bitch that likes to cause trouble until someone spanks my naughty little ass black and blue because I can't help myself! Please be my master!'"

Nyarly flushed at her own words, radiating a storm of emotions, before once again staring me in the eyes.

"There, I said it. I've been wanting someone, anyone, to get tired of what I do and just do something about it. But no one does! All the Eldritch that are not scared of me are scared of Azathoth's reaction. The rest? They just pity me because I was born of Azathoth's frustration with the Omniverse. I even tried mortals, but they just end up insane or worshiping me instead. Most of the time both. The truth is, I'm a sadomasochist that had plenty of chances for sado- but with nowhere near enough Maso- to go with it. I'm also, yes, submissive towards the right person."

Nyarly breathed deeply for a moment, before taking a deep breath.

"And before you bring up Azathoth herself, let me remind you that she's not getting into bed with her daughters. And don't get me started on Mist and Darkness! They were so caught up in each other it's a miracle they know I exist! That's why I leashed myself to you. I figured that you would be human enough to get fed up with me and Eldritch enough to do something about it. Aza and Yog, apparently, think I should be a bit more… blunt about what I want. I wasn't because, well, you didn't believe me earlier."

She let out a breath.

"I was serious, you know? I'm your slave. I want you to pull on the collar tight and hard so that I know I can't do as I please, that you will punish me for stepping out of line. Because I deserve it, or just for fun. I want you to be my master, my Kungur, my King of Nyarlathotep. Not out of gratitude or love, but because I want to do this, and you to do it to me."

She stared at me for a moment, before smiling.

"Don't worry, you don't have to trust me. You don't have to do anything with me. I already made sure of that. This collar is about to bind me to a special pocket dimension. Only you and Azathoth can reach me. Maybe Yog-Sothoth too. But only you can release me. You don't have to. I'm Eldritch, I don't need a break. Keep me there as long as you want. Do whatever you want. Punish me, ignore me, use me, anything. Anyway, that's-"

"Stop." I spoke, making her freeze.

Leaning forward, I called the free end of the collar to my hand, examining it for a moment, while Nyarly stared at me with bated breath.

Then, I looked up, and stared at her dead in the eyes… before tossing the end of the collar over my shoulder like the trash that it was, the curse I placed on it destroying the collar utterly.

Nyarly's mouth dropped open, a look of genuine emotional pain on her face at the sight.

I said nothing, staring at her in complete silence, not a shred of emotion on my face.

For a long moment, nothing happens… and then Nyarly turns away, visibly eager to leave and never return.

And that's when I spoke.

"KNEEL."

Nyarly fell on her knees, forced to kneel before me on the ground.

She scowled, a look of anger on her face-

Only to freeze in pure, utter shock when she failed to call on her power. When not even the slightest shred of power answered her, no matter how much she struggled.

"You seem to be under some mistaken belief that Yog-Sothoth was the one behind all of this. Thing is, Yog-Sothoth cannot see anything within the Hunter's Dream unless I allow her to." I declared, Nyarly staring at me with wide eyes as I finally stood up.

I stared at her with a small, cold, victorious smile.

"The pictures? My True Self found them. All that you told me? My True Self knew it all from the moment he made contact with this Multiverse. Everything that has happened was born from My True Self's Will, not that of Yog-Sothoth. She's merely along for the ride, playing the part I wrote for her. From the moment that Aza recognized me as her Kungur, I held Authority over all Eldritch. I cannot kill you, as an Outer God, but make you kneel at a word? Make you helpless before me? Only Azathoth stands beyond my power. You fantasized about giving away your power, your freedom to someone else."

I moved before her, seizing her throat with one gloved hand, the same cold, victorious smile on my face not budging an inch as I looked into her wide, trembling red eyes.

"But the truth is that I don't need your consent. I would have made you kneel one way or another. You're right, I'm human enough to hate the Evils you have caused, and Eldritch enough to do something about it. If you had not chosen to give yourself to me, I would have broken you in submission myself. No matter how many quadrillions of years it would have taken, I would have seen you broken before me. You want to know one of my secrets, Nyarlathotep? When I first came to this Reality, I was ready for war against the entire Eldritch Pantheon."

The Crawling Chaos stared at me in shock, and I laughed.

"I had expected to meet evil, cruel gods of terrifying power. The very gods spoken about by Lovecraft. And if you had been those gods, I would have started a war the likes of which Reality would have never seen the likes of before. Multiverses would have been lost as mere collateral damage of one of the battles I came here ready to wage. The very fabric of the Omniverse would have been shattered beneath my blows against you and yours. I would have unleashed terrors of such power and destruction against you that all the Ruin that Anga would have wrought would have been but a scratch compared to what I would have done to you all. I would have stopped at nothing to bring terror in your hearts. I would have erased countless Eldritch Gods as my opening gambit, and saw the Black Throne of Azathoth herself shattered before me."

My eyes glowed with a determination so terrifying that the Crawling Chaos felt terror for the first time in her life, and I smiled.

"No matter how many eons it would have taken, no matter how many multiverses I would see burning before me, no matter the sacrifices I would have to endure to see you and yours broken forevermore, I would have not stopped. I would have not hesitated. I would have hunted you down like beasts and slaughtered you down to the very last one of you without a shred of hesitation, even if I needed to hunt you down to the very end of the Omniverse to see it done."

The Crawling Chaos, the greatest and oldest force of chaos and Evil in existence stared into my eyes, and the visions she saw inside them brought horror to even her heart.

"I am the Good Hunter, and before me, even the mightiest of Gods are nothing but prey." I hissed, with a mad determination that would put the craziest Eldritch God to shame.

There was a reason I was the only Eldritch God of Humanity.

It took a special kind of crazy to merge the insanity of Mankind with that of the Eldritch.

I just so happened to be the end result of what happens when one succeeded.

"You wish for a master, Nyarlathotep? I will be yours. I will shape you, remake you into an evil I can make use of. I will drag this omniverse into Eternity with me, one way or another, and you will be a part of it. Rejoice, for all your dreams will come True. I will bring you pain like you could never believe. I will bring you pleasure and joy like you could never imagine. And by the end of it I will make you into a being I will use to fulfill my vision, and drag even your wretched soul into Paradise with me, kicking and screaming if need be."

I took her by the hair, and turned away.

"Come along, then. I have the sex dungeon ready for you. I usually use it for those of my wives who are into that kind of thing, and it will serve just as well for you. The bindings within can hold anyone short of Azathoth or Oedon helpless, so I can assure you, combined with the Time dilution effect, we will have all the opportunities we could ever dream of to get to know one another in full by the time I free you from it."

I dragged Nyarly with me as I began moving, and while one might think she would have looked at me with terror in her eyes…

The truth was that she looked at me with eyes worthy of a picture for "Worship" in the dictionary.

For in one fell swoop, I had answered all of her greatest fantasies beyond anything she ever dreamed of.

Moreover, the part of her that was a Goddess of Chaos had been humbled for the first time in her life by what she saw in me as I spoke, leaving her unwilling to put up even the slightest of resistance.

I had turned out to be beyond anything she could have ever imagined… a being so utterly, completely insane in his own way that even the madness of Nyarlathotep couldn't top it.

And at this point, she wanted nothing more than to drown in that madness forever.

Well, she'll drown in all the cum I was going to fuck into her, so good enough.

The guy that said to never put your dick in crazy quite obviously never had the balls to act as the master of a BDSM-loving sado-masochist goddess.

But I was god of Humanity, and pulling off miracles through using the craziest tactics unimaginable was a time-honored tradition for Mankind.

I was going to fucking fix the Crawling Chaos herself through mind-blowing sex, and fuck sanity and logic along the way!

If I couldn't have my ultimate showdown and epic fight for the fate of the Omniverse, then I'd just have to embrace the lewd and go full hentai in the name of creating a brighter tomorrow!

Witness me, O Humanity, because I was going to put fucking hearts into that sado-masochist goddess's eyes if its the last thing I do!

*SMACK!* *SMACK!* *SMACK!* *SMACK!* *SMACK!*

"Ah! Ah! Gah! Ah! Aaaaaah!"

"Come on, you slutty goddess! That's only the hundredth times we've fucked! Put more strength into those fat hips of yours!"

"Yes master! Gah! Ah! Aaaaah!"

"Look at those massive tits! Let's see if your nipples like some concentrated essence of [Pain] and [Pleasure] injected into them at the same time!"

"Mast-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"That's the spirit! Keep moving those hips, and I'll reward you again!"

"Yes… Ah… Master!"

*SMACK!* *SMACK!* *SMACK!* *SMACK!* *SMACK!*

"Ah! Ah! Gah! Ah! Aaaaaah!"

"Move faster, you waste of divine spark! It's only been a million time we've fucked! You don't get a break until at least the billionth time, and only if I'm satisfied with your work!"

"Ah! Yes, master! Ah! Guh!"

"Faster, you slut! I've seen mortal women bounce on my dick faster than you!"

"Bullshit-"

*SMACK!*

"-AAAAAH!"

"You enjoyed that essence of [Agony]? There's a lot more where it comes from! And I wasn't kidding, Tatsumaki can get wild in bed! Now move those hips faster!"

"Yes… Ah… master…"

*SMACK!*

"And call my title louder! Do I have to tell you everything?!"

"No master!"

"Good! We'll start using some sex toys around the ten millionth round, so you better show me a good time or I'll use the painful ones first before the pleasurable ones!"

"Yes master!"

*SMACK!* *SMACK!* *SMACK!* *SMACK!* *SMACK!*

"Ah! Ah! Gah! Ah! Aaaaaah!"

"Come on, it's only been a few billion rounds of sex! You're an Outer Goddess, I expected better of you!"

"Ah! Gah! Gah! Gluhhh…"

"Bah! No stamina. Well, tough shit! I'm not letting you go until we hit the quintillion, if not more! Besides, I still need more Data points for those fascinating experiments about infusing Concepts into an Outer Goddess, so we'll make plenty of use of Essence of [Pleasure] and [Pain] going forward!"

"Aaaaaagh…"

"Faster, you slut! Goodness, you Eldritch Goddesses have really been a disappointment when it comes to capabilities, except for Aza. Even in bed you don't measure up…"

"Glluuuuh…"

"Bah!"

"Aeon?"

"Yes, Lucy?"

She silently pointed at Nyarlathotep, currently mindlessly drooling and looking like a mind-broken slut with barely-visible hearts in her rolled-up eyes while I held her by the hair after our time in the sex dungeon.

I looked down, then back at Lucy.

"Skill issues." I replied, before I kept walking. "Outer Goddesses except Aza really don't match my standards in or out of the bedroom, apparently."

The still drooling Nyarly continued to mindlessly drool, even as I walked towards the nearest bedroom to find a bed for her to let her sleep in at least some comfort.

Behind me, Lucy kept staring at the scene, then she shook her head, wisely deciding that she really didn't want to know more, before she walked away.

A.N: Alright! Here is the next (Extra long!) chapter in which we continue the events of Love Azathoth!
With this chapter, we're essentially done setting up the Love Azathoth setting! From next chapter onwards, we'll get back to the various plot points and characters previously introduced, and get to interact with the setting properly.
So first is finishing with Anga, who will become a symbol of Aeon's power and the dangers of standing against him. She'll be a mix of a warrior, general, spy-mistress, and whatever else he needs her to be to destroy his enemies. Her concept is Ruin, and you can get creative with a concept like that…

Then we have Cthylla! Aka the Kraken! A bundle of energy and positivity, though with a few shadows in her life still, who will end up serving Aeon sooner rather than later. In a rather funny way, too… Though it'll be both funny and sexy.
Then we have Ithaqua! A character who will get along a lot with Anga, though Ithaqua will be more along the lines of hot military Commander in Chief and only occasional warrior. Still, who doesn't love a hot woman in uniform?
Also, Hastur is obviously a bit… busy, what with her honeymoon with Eli Burning/Old Man Henderson reborn. That's news which is going to send shockwaves among the Eldritch once the whole story comes out…
Oh, and I found the picture for Kass! So that's pretty good.

There are many other characters worth mentioning, but the next big one is obviously Nyarlathotep. She served quite well as expositions about the secrets of various characters that True!Aeon would naturally already know (because genuine Omniscience is no joke) while also showing off Aeon's character at the end. Aeon may be very human, but he's still an Eldritch God. He can be rather terrifying at times, even by Eldritch standards. The fact that he means well doesn't change that fact. And yes, I did finish the chapter with the visions of BDSM between the two because… Honestly, I thought about writing full scenes of sex and BDSM between the two, but I felt like this worked just as well. Especially considering how long I decided to make this chapter as is. Don't worry though, there will definitely be some full scenes of sex between them in the future.
Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, Oedon goes hunting, and another avatar of her and Aeon gets to talk with Alexstrasza, among other activities…