Chapter 17 Lord of Terror
He stood in the chaotic void, surveying his restless followers.
These Aragami wield weapons, resemble Cthulhu in form, and are essentially embodiments of chaos. They often attack each other over trivial matters and even provoke Him.
"From this day forward," His voice echoed through the chaos, "I am the Lord of Terror. You must obey."
The Lord of Terror began to reshape His form. His originally indescribable Cthulhu-like body began to shrink and deform, gradually taking on the humanoid form that dominates the material universe.
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This process was extremely painful, as the chaotic energy resisted any fixed form, but the Lord of Terror forcibly suppressed this resistance with the Chaos Axe.
Finally, a tall, humanoid figure stood in the void.
He has human-like limbs and torso, but his skin is a constantly flowing chaotic substance, and his face has no facial features, only a swirling void.
This form is more suitable for using the Chaos Axe and is also more conducive to issuing commands.
However, the change in form cannot eradicate the essence of chaos. The Lord of Terror himself will often fall into a state of chaotic berserk rage, wanting to destroy everything in his sight.
His followers often fight amongst themselves, and their locations often become chaotic battlefields.
During a particularly severe rampage, the Lord of Terror nearly killed three of his followers. Upon regaining his sanity, he realized he had to find a way to control himself.
The Lord of Terror planted the Chaos Axe before him and began attempting to channel some of the chaotic energy into it. This process was extremely risky; it could weaken his own power or even cause him to lose control of the Chaos Axe.
But the Lord of Terror succeeded. A portion of the rampaging chaotic energy was sealed within the axe, His rationality improved considerably, and the duration of His berserk state was significantly shortened.
The Chaos Axe has thus become more dangerous, with more unstable but more powerful energy fluctuations on its blade.
Having adopted this method, the Lord of Terror began to force his followers to do the same. He commanded each of the Ara Gods to channel a portion of their chaotic energy into their weapons.
The results varied. Some Aragami succeeded, becoming slightly more controllable; some failed, their weapons exploding and injuring themselves; and some refused to try, believing it to be a betrayal of the chaotic nature.
The Lord of Terror showed no mercy. To those who refused, He simply cleaved them in two with the Chaos Axe, absorbing the chaotic energy within.
Those who fail, He gives a second chance. Those who succeed, He grants them greater strength and higher status.
"Fear is the best discipline," the Lord of Terror told his followers. "Fear me, fear each other, fear failure."
The Lord of Terror began to consciously create fear. He punished those who disobeyed orders at will and rewarded those who performed well.
He designed a strict hierarchy that made his followers compete for status and power.
The most effective method is public beating. When an Aragami disobeys orders or misbehaves, the Lord of Terror will publicly inflict great pain on it with the Chaos Axe, but without fatal damage.
These wild gods originally had no concept of fear, but under the oppression of the Lord of Terror, they began to experience this new emotion.
Fear makes them more obedient and much easier to manage than their previous indiscriminate attacks.
The Aragami are now better able to execute tactical coordination and are more proficient in using their weapons. Internal strife has decreased because they fear the axe of the Lord of Terror.
The Lord of Terror continued to improve weaponry. He discovered that channeling chaotic energy into weapons not only controlled their rampage but also enhanced their power. He guided his followers in making these improvements, resulting in a significant increase in overall combat effectiveness.
Meanwhile, the Lord of Terror did not forget the external threats. He dispatched reconnaissance squads to monitor the movements of the traditional aborigines.
Intelligence indicates that the traditionalists are amassing a larger army, led by several exceptionally powerful ancient gods.
The Lord of Terror decided to strike first. He selected twenty of his most elite followers and personally led a surprise attack.
The target is a gathering place of the traditional Aragami. The Lord of Terror's squad uses newly learned stealth techniques to approach stealthily, then launches a surprise attack.
The Lord of Terror's squad, with their superior equipment and coordinated tactics, quickly defeated the unprepared traditional Aragami.
He personally used the Chaos Axe to slay an ancient god and completely absorbed its chaotic energy.
Upon their victorious return, the Lord of Terror held a celebration ceremony.
He rewarded those who participated in the battle, especially those who had shown bravery. At the same time, He publicly punished two followers who had hesitated even slightly during the battle, inflicting great pain on them with the Axe of Chaos.
"This is the price of hesitation," the Lord of Terror's voice was icy. "Next time, it will be death."
The followers watched in silence, fear creeping into their hearts.
The Lord of Terror's approach is simple and direct: those who go berserk are punished in public, and those with serious offenses are executed.
Gradually, the number of rampages decreased, not because the Aragami controlled their instincts, but because fear overwhelmed everything.
Several months later, the Lord of Terror felt the time was ripe and decided to launch a large-scale attack to completely annihilate the main force of the traditional Aragami.
The reconnaissance team located the main gathering place of the traditional Aragami. The Lord of Terror gathered all his forces, preparing for a final assault.
Just before departure, an unexpected incident occurred.
Several wild gods, dissatisfied with the rule of the Lord of Terror, secretly conspired and plotted a rebellion. They attempted to seize the Chaos Axe.
The Lord of Terror had already sensed this, and the Chaos Axe responded automatically, cleaving the first insurgents in two. But more insurgents surrounded them, and a battle erupted in the center of the camp.
Loyal followers responded swiftly, engaging the rebels in fierce combat. The battlefield descended into chaos, with chaotic energy erupting everywhere.
The Lord of Terror was enraged. He held back his power, swinging the Chaos Axe with all his might, each strike taking down a rebel. He erupted with pure bloodlust, almost succumbing to complete berserk mode once more.
But this time, the Lord of Terror regained control. He channeled the rampaging energy into the Chaos Axe, maintaining his rationality to command the battle.
The rebellion was quickly suppressed. A dozen or so rebels were killed, and the rest surrendered. The Lord of Terror ordered the surrendered men to be tied up in the center of the camp and executed in public.
"This is the consequence of betrayal," the Lord of Terror's voice echoed throughout the camp. "Fear me, obey me, or face only death."
After quelling the rebellion, the Lord of Terror postponed the general offensive and focused on internal reorganization. He strengthened the oversight system and established stricter disciplinary regulations.
Meanwhile, the Lord of Terror improved the energy channeling method, allowing followers to better control their berserk tendencies. Overall combat power was further enhanced.
Finally, the Lord of Terror, believing the internal situation to be stable enough, decided to launch a full-scale attack.
He divided his army into three forces. One force, led by himself, launched a frontal assault; the other two forces flanked the enemy, cutting off their retreat.
The battle erupted in the chaotic void. The traditional Ara Gods were numerous, but disorganized, fighting individually.
The Lord of Terror's army is now in slightly better shape than the demons, barely managing to maintain its charge and no longer attacking each other.
The Lord of Terror went straight for the opposing leader. A cataclysmic battle ensued. The Chaos Axe clashed with primordial chaotic energy, tearing apart vast swathes of the void.
Finally, the Lord of Terror found an opportunity, and with all his might, the Chaos Axe cleaved the ancient god in two, absorbing all of its energy.
With their leader killed, the traditional Aragami (wild gods) descended into chaos. The Lord of Terror's army seized the opportunity to launch a full-scale attack, utterly crushing them.
A few traditional Wild Gods fled, while most were either destroyed or surrendered. The Lord of Terror accepted the surrendered, but forced them to undergo energy guidance and disciplinary training.
The victory brought the Lord of Terror's prestige to its zenith. His followers became even more fearful and obedient to him.