The world was no longer silent.
Not since I awakened.
The ashes of the Apex Beast still glowed red in the cracks of my chamber. Lava bubbled softly around the edges, casting shadows across the stone walls. The ceiling above trembled. The earth below pulsed in rhythm with me.
Not a heartbeat—but something deeper. A steady beat of power.
I wasn't just alive.
I was in control.
> [Infernal Sovereign Core — Status: Active]
[Core Level: 1]
[Core Radius: 50 meters]
[Named Minions: 3]
[Sub-Core Authority: Partial Access]
[Essence Bank: 147 units]
[Lair Integrity: 64%]
[Threat Proximity: Low]
[Available Actions: Expand | Spawn | Forge | Upgrade | Evolve]
These were my first real choices.
But before I could act, my generals moved.
Vel'Zhar, the magma beast, stood like a living volcano. His black plates steamed, and glowing lava flowed through cracks along his body.
Nyxilith, the shadow being, floated without shape. Her body flickered between mist, thread, and strange forms that didn't quite look human.
Sil'thir, the spider queen, clung to the ceiling. Her egg-sac twitched. Something inside moved—growing, waiting.
The three monsters knelt before me again.
> [Loyalty Detected: Vel'Zhar (85%) | Nyxilith (77%) | Sil'thir (81%)]
[Note: Loyalty above 80% enables Conditional Autonomy and Personal Quest activation.]
Even though they had no voices in my mind, I could still feel their thoughts. Faint emotions.
Vel'Zhar burned with the desire to conquer.
Nyxilith was curious and restless, drawn to secrets.
Sil'thir was silent, focused only on her brood and survival.
I reached out with my will and gave them orders.
Vel'Zhar, scout the area. Check for tunnels without lava. Mark anything that feels dangerous.
He grunted and stomped away. The ground shook under his feet. The lava along the walls bent away from him as if it feared his presence.
Nyxilith, explore the outer tunnels. Find what's hiding in the dark.
She vanished into smoke without a word. Her body stretched into hundreds of tiny threads that slipped into cracks, gone in seconds.
Sil'thir, prepare your hatchlings. Feed them. I'll give you more strength soon.
The large egg-sac on her back pulsed once. She didn't speak, but I could feel her acceptance.
> [Command Executed.]
[Minion Loyalty +1 (Sil'thir)]
[Note: Hatchling incubation accelerated.]
That was good.
I needed time. To think. To grow.
I remembered a voice from the failed ritual. One of the summoners had whispered:
> "If we lose control, it will build a kingdom of monsters… from blood, from ash, from soul."
They were afraid.
They should have been.
> [New Trait Unlocked: Core Dominion]
[Allows psychic link to controlled territory and loyal minions.]
[Passive effect: +5% loyalty gain per command success.]
I reached out with this new power. My mind touched the earth around me. I could now feel more than the chamber.
I could feel the tunnels beyond.
Dark stone halls. Old ruins buried under time. Rivers of glowing mana. Caverns filled with silence—and waiting eyes.
The system responded to my expanding awareness.
> [Core Expansion Option Unlocked.]
[Spend 100 Essence to extend influence by 25 meters. Upgrade lair or terraform.]
I would grow—but not yet.
I looked inward again.
My lair was damaged from the earlier fight. Deep cracks ran along the walls. One lava channel had dried up, the light fading.
But in the center, the stone still glowed.
Old runes from the summoning circle were etched deep into the floor. I could feel the energy still lingering there. Faint. Sleeping.
But not gone.
> [Lair Feature Detected: Incomplete Ritual Circle]
[Option: Reactivate and Convert]
[Cost: 50 Essence]
Result: Upgrade to Core Altar. Unlocks Advanced Summoning and Mutation Refinement.
It was a powerful upgrade. But something made me hesitate.
I felt a presence. Far away. Not nearby—but not completely hidden.
Watching.
> [Distant Entity Ping Detected.]
[Unstable Core Signature: 6.7 km away.]
[Classification: Rival Spawn Core (Status: Growing)]
[Advisory: Eliminate or dominate before it matures.]
Another core.
Another being like me.
Or worse… a hero born with purpose to destroy me.
I would deal with that later.
First, I needed more allies.
> [Essence Available: 147]
[Spawn Option Unlocked: Elite Tier | Limit: 1 until next core level]
Options:
— Dread Howler (Fast, causes fear)
— Venom Golem (Tough, poisons enemies)
— Cinder Witch (Magic, fire support)
I studied each.
Speed and fear had value. Poison could break defenses. But I needed control—burning, magical control. Something that could hold a battle line with fire and curses.
I chose the Cinder Witch.
> [50 Essence consumed.]
[Elite Minion Summoned: Zarakhna, the Ember-Tongue]
The floor split open again. Black slime rose like before—but now, flames danced through it.
A figure stepped out.
Tall. Thin. Robed in burned, tattered cloth. Her hands were long and sharp, glowing with red heat. A cracked porcelain mask covered her face. Smoke flowed from beneath her sleeves like she bled ash.
She knelt without hesitation.
"Command me, Core-Father," Zarakhna whispered.
Her voice sounded like burning bones.
> [Zarakhna Loyalty: 50% (Neutral)]
[Note: New Minions must prove themselves.]
That was fine.
They would all prove themselves.
Those who earned my favor would evolve. Grow. Gain names, like Vel'Zhar, Nyxilith, and Sil'thir.
The others would die in service.
I would do more than hide in a hole and defend a dungeon.
I would create something lasting.
A nation.
A monster kingdom, made of loyal beasts, burning magic, and pure fear. A place that would grow beneath the world—then rise to the surface to burn everything above.
I looked around the chamber once more.
Ashen Hollow was broken.
But soon, it would become my first capital.
One pulse at a time.