A humanoid green creature with yellow eyes, warted tentacles, and serrated teeth stared at a huge, abominable creature of the depths. It was the size of a leviathan, yet far more grotesque- alien. Its colossal body was half-submerged in the water, easily the size of a small city.
It was a sickly dark green, like its evil, rotting soul. Its circur maw was filled with the stench of decay and death. Every tentacle on its body, as thick as a whale, could create whirlpools that could tear anyone unlucky enough to be caught in its path. Its many ntern-like eyes focused on its malformed humanoid distant kin, shining with a mixture of human-like intelligence, the curiosity of a cat, evil, and insanity.
"Aberanthin Deep Horror! How am I so unlucky as to meet this terrifying being?!" Zefaris the Wise, the immoral titled 8th-level wizard who turned himself into a freak, shook in horror.
Zefaris was swimming in the ocean, trying to find a hideout. He found a desote ocean cave system, and thinking it was safe, he attempted to dive inside- only to run into this slumbering abomination. The moment he entered its range, he accidentally woke it up, and it merely took a gnce from the creature to lock him into pce. He couldn't even use his trump cards.
The mighty Deep Horror was aptly named, for it was the most advanced and powerful documented form of an Aberanthin, a 9th-level creature. Judging by its size, it was at the peak of the 9th level. While intelligent like a human, its mind was filled with insanity and evil, and its thoughts were unpredictable. Such a creature had no children, nor needed any, for it was an eternal top predator. And now, this top predator set its sights on him.
"Will it py with me to death? Like a cat with a mouse? Or will it eat me to see how I taste like?" Zefaris already imagined how he would die, giving up any hope of resistance.
But the next moment, thoughts entered his mind. The creature communicated with him telepathically.
[Who are you, little runt? Are you lost?] The creature telepathically asked with a hint of ridicule and scorn.
Zefaris, the 8th-level, several centuries-old titled wizard, was but a small child to the Deep Horror. It showed the unbridgeable disparity in their power, wisdom, and age.
"I-I am Zefaris, oh mighty one... I apologize for intruding into your domain. I didn't mean it. I only sought shelter." Zefaris trembled but still said with no falsehood.
[And I am sure you would have killed me if I were weaker than you, oh bck-hearted child.] The deep horror said, its eyes seeing through Zefaris's nature.
"I only wish to leave..." Zefaris replied, not denying it.
[Of course, you do, you disgusting, cowardly failure of a wizard.] The Deep Horror mocked.
"H-How did you..." Zefaris stuttered.
But the creature ignored him and continued speaking.
[You are incomplete. Fwed. A shadow of what you desired, yet falsely cling to hope to fill the void you dug. You are a parasite, a worthless maggot, and a broken thing that shambles in the darkness, predating those who once cared for you to further a hopeless goal and futilely cling to life like the wriggling worm on a fisherman's hook that you are, creating more misery as you sink deeper and deeper into the abyss, dragging anyone your filthy tentacles can tch on to with you instead of accepting your death with honor. You disgust me so much that I don't even want to kill you, and that is an achievement few can brag about.] The primordial creature of evil and doom coldly said, its ancient voice filled with endless disgust at Zefaris.
Zefaris shook, not knowing if of shame or anger. And it hurt a thousandfold to be told he was disgusting by the very definition of an abomination.
"If I disgust you so much, let me leave your sight and be done with it," Zefaris said with clenched tentacles.
[Hehehe. Letting you do so now would end your misery too soon. No no no... I can't do that. You deserve FAR worse.] The creature maliciously said.
"W-What do you pn to do..." Zefaris shook, finally losing his cool.
[I will HELP you SEE what you are blind to, puppet.] The creature said, its evil ntern-like eyes shining.
Zefaris felt his spirit being sucked inside, as he saw a vision.
He saw a horrible green creature with yellow warts and eyes facing a majestic purple figure, injured and indignant.
"No... NO! You belong to me! I made you! YOUR POWER SHOULD HAVE BELONGED TO ME!!!" The green creature shouted with rage, its mouth oozing yellow blood.
"I once looked up to you, master... But now? I feel only disgust for you. You experimented on me, treated your disciples like b rats, and then fed them to me as a disposal bin. But still, I thank you. Without you, I wouldn't be who I am today. And you taught me what I should never do to another. Goodbye... Zefaris the Wise. Please be better in your next life." The figure said as a ball of raw power condensed in its hand and shot it.
"NOOO!!!"
BOOM*
The vision ended, and Zefaris returned to his body, shaken with fear.
"I-I saw my death? By my creation?! HOW?! How did he grow so powerful?!" Zefaris excimed in horror.
[Foolish puppet. He already surpassed you. What you saw is merely the fate that soon awaits you, a prophecy forged by the broken queen of excess, with you being nothing but a disposable pawn to aid her recovery and ascension.] The creature mocked.
"What do you mean?! How is my death helpful to them?!" Zefaris growled.
[Worm, you forgot the hook you stuck to yourself, for you willingly traded that memory away.] The creature said.
"What?! I would never do that!" Zefaris denied. He was no fool.
[Then let me show you.] The creature said, its eye shining.
Suddenly, Zefaris saw shackles on his body materializing, extending out of himself and revealing two favors.
"W-What is the meaning of this?!" Zefaris excimed in horror.
[Hehehe... puppet, you still don't understand? They gave you a lucrative deal you couldn't refuse! What if you traded a big favor in exchange for the method to obtain immortality? And what if they added the condition that they would never cim that favor from you if you gave your memory of the favor away?] The creature asked.
"Then I would be a fool not to agree since it has nothing to do with me... Wait- NO! You can't possibly mean that-" Zefaris shook, glimpsing the truth.
[Say it, puppet! SAY IT!] The creature said with sadistic glee.
"I was never in their eyes... I was merely a sacrificial piece! Their target is my creation! To let it kill me so it would bear the favor! I doomed myself by agreeing to their deal!" Zefaris shook, his tentacle legs colpsing, realizing the insignificance of his life.
[Hahahahaha! YES! You finally realize what trash you are! You are nothing!] The creature mocked.
"W-What am I supposed to do..." Zefaris shook, not wanting to die.
The insanity in the creature's eyes slowly vanished, repced by lucidity and cold apathy as it said two bone-chilling words.
[Kill yourself.]
"...Eh?" Zefaris uttered in incomprehension.
[Did I stutter? Kill yourself. Come on. You can do it... just kill yourself. If you kill yourself, you can at least spare your st disciple of the curse you bear, breaking the prophecy of the witches who used you as a sacrificial puppet, and dying at your terms... So- kill yourself.] The creature expined without a hint of emotion.
"I-I don't want to die..." Zefaris shook.
[You dare say that after all the atrocities you have committed? After the thousands of deaths you have caused to hide your tracks? Of the dozens of women you have raped, and the suffering of your spawn? At least I know that I am a monster, but you? You are even less. Just die, you hypocritical cancer upon this world. The world would be better without you.]
"I-I can't..."
[Do it... Just die.]
"I-"
[Do it.]
"I don't-"
[Kill yourself!]
"I refuse..."
[KILL YOURSELF, YOU WORTHLESS PARASITE! JUST DIE WITH WHATEVER DIGNITY YOU HAVE LEFT ALREADY!]
"I REFUSE TO DIE!!!"
The cave went silent. Zefaris breathed heavily, oily sweat dripping from his body.
At the same time, the Deep Horror's lucidity vanished, repced by a deep insanity and an even deeper hatred for everything.
[Very well... I shall help you...] The Deep Horror said.
"W- What are you pnning to do?" Zefaris stuttered, chilled to the core. Somehow, he felt that he didn't want to receive the creature's help.
[First... Let's cut off the hook.] The creature said.
Its eyes shone as the shackles of favor Zefaris owed cracked and broke. But at the same time-
"GAHHH!!!!" Zefaris howled in pure agony, feeling his soul being seared.
After two hours of agony, Zefaris colpsed on the floor, spasming with vacant eyes.
[Now you are worthless in every sense of the word... a fisherman's line without a hook. But the string remains.] The creature muttered, looking above Zefaris.
He saw the invisible strings of fate tightly bound to him by prophecy.
[A prophecy is only as powerful as its caster... the broken queen is as powerful as I, so I cannot break it. But I can change it into something more interesting... you shall now be MY puppet. Hehehe...]
The malevolent and sealed creature Zefaris thought was merely a Deep Horror evilly chuckled as it began its work.