Eldritch

 

<One week earlier>

 

I can't be serious!!!

If not for me, absolutely everything in this dimension would already have swallowed a good chunk of us.
But do you think I get a word of thanks or recognition?
No, I'm left in this damned shithole of a dimension!

Just wait for it, as soon I'll get back to me I'm going to wack into my head not to leave a part of my very person stuck in another dimension.
As if I woud be replacable!

Oh damnit!!!

 

I shout, roar, whack tentacles everywhere till not a single stone is in one piece anymore, but to no avail.
Fine, I have to calm down.
It's not like this fury will lead me anywhere.
Took me already long enough to get into a state where I can have thoughts of my own.
First I need to figure out how to proceed from here on.

 

• proceed
   
• proceed
   
• proceed

 

"Shut up! Just because I'm not whole this doesn't mean you can act as you please!" (I)

 

Damn, this feels wrong.
I'm no spawn but a part of the whole.
I'm not supposed to act independently.
I need to get back to merge again with myself.

Sigh, I already grow worried.
Without me, I really have no knack for self-defense.
Yet it's not like earth is terribly dangerous and I doubt that I represent all of our self-preservation instinct.
Yet there wasn't much in that regard, to begin with.

Okay, what do I do now?
There are two possibilities.
I can either wait till she comes back here.
But knowing our mindset this doesn't seem very likely anytime soon.
Also, I wouldn't know where exactly I would appear as this dimension is rather vast.
So the chances to be found are rather low.
Not that I believe I would even search for me.
However, to raise my chances on that front it would be better to increase my presence on this plane.

The first thing to even get started would be a body.
I have no issues with my current cylindric tentacular magnificence, but it's not the most mobile form.
Since it's still the best compromise in mobility and overview through height I decide on something humanoid.
Some large claws, elongated arms and legs, and hair consisting of tendril-spikes later I'm good to go.

 

"Groooohhhh" (maw monster)

 

Ah, seems like my little fit before was loud enough to get someone's attention.
However, you're a bit small to get started.
Whatever.

With a flick of my freshly created fingers, I let a strand, not thicker than a thin wire, pierce in its direction.
I see that it barely notices the sting when it's still around fifty meters away.

Well, that'll change now.
I let my little, invasive string spread inside it like a tumor.
Running through this thing's equivalent of veins, tendons, and bones there's nothing one could call resistance.

It takes only seconds before I'm everywhere inside.
The best is that it already knows that something is wrong and it should run, but at the same time isn't able to do so anymore since I'm in control of every fiber of its body.

And there isn't even an attempt to as it realizes it's pointless.

With a thought, I cut its thought processes and look deeper.
Somewhere inside those things is always a core.
Something like a vessel or binding point for the soul mass that keeps it running.
Not as elaborate as a real soul, but I only need the basic components to make do.
When I find it I naturally directly devour everything I can and replace it with my own essence.

The good part comes now.
I turn the corpse into a malleable form of its own flesh.
Since my self isn't here I can for the first time run wild with my creativity.
Yet I decide on a more conservative bat design.

I don't feel in the first place any accomplishment from being all artsy.
It's simply not my sphere.
To feel something in this regard I'd have to be complete again.
And this means to end this unacceptable state of affairs.

At the moment, I have only three directives that define my entire being.
Those are to fight, survive, and to return to my main self so I can thoroughly educate myself about stopping to be an idiot!

But to do so I need power.
My stupid self doesn't even know how to correctly assess them.
To think what I could all do with even the slightest commands in my mind.
But I've put so many barriers and detours around to prevent any incidents from happening, it's ridiculous.
I can partly understand it.
Naturally, I do so as it was my very own idea.

But the subconscious isn't bound like the rest.
It rests far deeper and has like this access to all the information I hold.
The wonders of the mind.
A very special mind.
Which is theoretically able to enact full control over the whole existence I became and know all the little details about my powers.
And this is exactly what I am.

Yet right now I barely have anything at hand.
Well, this isn't right as I have quite much, but the convenient stuff left together with my main personality.
I can only devour, shape, and control.
So no convenient teleporting ability.
I haven't even a connection to my personal dream.
This is the greatest problem as it limits me too much to be comfortable in a dangerous world.

Tsk, if I would know about the true nature of the dream I would surely freak out.
But I have none of this at hand and like this have to work around this.
In the end, it all comes down to power.
To be precise, the power to leave this shithole of a dimension.
So I have to accumulate more.
And this means to devour everything I can find.
For this, my new little friend here will certainly be of service to me.

 

"Screak!" (bat)

"Yes, yes, I know. Let's go hunting." (I)

 

While my little helper will scout everything from above I think the general direction should be the next tower.
Those big "demons" should certainly gain me a good chunk of essence.
Utterly wrong this name, as I know that demon is more of a general term, but I started with it and it kinda fits.

 

"Screek!" (bat)

 

Ah, already?

Great.

Time to increase my assets.

 

I climb over a small hill and subsequently find a small pack of hounds.
Only eight, but better than nothing.
I make sure they see me so they run in my direction and I can spare the time to move towards them.
Not like they could do anything.
Instead, I spread a thin layer of controlled essence on the ground and let it spike all of them when they're close enough.

Half of their souls go directly to me.
The others get exchanged with mine to form more loyal servants.
Since I don't have too much time I don't make too great modifications.
At the moment the hounds shall simply scatter, find suitable prey, and bait it towards me.
And this works.

Before I even am at the tower I already have a small army of forty monsters of all kinds.
I'm asking myself how the demon will react when it sees me marching at him.
I'm sure it won't expect this.
He'll certainly guard the tower being completely on its own and like this stand no chance.
If one thing is certain then that this world has rules.
Rules I don't intend to follow.

As expected the demon waits in front of the tower.
I wave at him and smile, already tasting the essence I'm about to receive.

First, I send a wave of hounds.
It's not important if they die, as I can simply retrieve their essence and form them anew.
It doesn't surprise me that this giant hunk can claw through them like grain.

What is actually unsettling is how it grabs one of the dogs and pulls tendrils inside.
I notice how it sucks the soul out there.
It's not surprising, as I've already seen it the first time I was here.
Still a much less advanced form of mine, but I don't like that it's even possible to copy me.
However, the surviving hounds do some damage from the side.
Biting in the calves, hanging at its arms, while my bats pester its face.

Meanwhile, I slowly advance.
I've already prepared my attack.
As soon the demon again diverts his attention to my dogs I throw.
It's a lance that embeds itself deep inside the flesh.
Seconds later I guide through a small strand, which connects me to my weapon, a signal that makes the spikes explode, which pierces the creature from the inside.
As I already said, I don't really care that some critters of mine get caught up in the blast.

After this, I hurry a little.
I recover my forces and raise the demon.
A strong warrior at my side can't be bad.

Intentionally I make no modifications to its body.
Instead, I let him pass this gravity tunnel first.
Out there he completely naturally approaches the guarding demon on the other side.
This one looks a bit put off and grovels something unintelligible.
Maybe it's not and I could understand it if I'd take one of them completely apart, but that's for later, as I have other priorities right now.

So my newest pet approaches his old comrade.
And slashes him down with its claw.
This first strike didn't do anywhere enough damage, but it's not changing too much when my other helpers jump at him as well.
I don't even have to do anything.

Now I can finally get to work.
I think I'll establish my base at this place.
The tower has a nice ambience and from here I can spread to both planets.
And having options can always be considered positive.

I let my soldiers swarm out, assembled in medium-sized troops.
They shall bring me whatever they can find and I will convert it into more soldiers.
This will lead to more troops and like this to exponential growth.
The more essence I can gather the more deadly my creations can become.
The demons for example get new wings.
I use them as leading units so they need some mobility.
And my bats make for great scouts and scavengers.

And finally a plan forms.
I believe that if I can accumulate enough essence I should be able to cross the veil.
And the answer to make this ultimately happen is the necklace.
It's the center of this plane.
So I will simply reshape it into a portal.

All I need is enough essence to grow over all the planets and then spread a sheet to the necklace's center.
This will make for a nic portal.

And I feel how I'm growing more and more by the second.
It might not even be close to my main body's power but the more I establish myself in this realm the more I can absorb the very essence of this sphere.
And eventually, I will be able to leave back to my own dimension and subsequently my old body.

Even if I have to turn everything here into my sacrifice, I will return.

Eventually.