His standing as a general, built on strategic acumen and disciplined command, no longer held the same value for minds tainted by the Abyss. They needed to see him as something else entirely: a supreme demon, an apex predator who would tolerate no dissent, no 'nonsense' from lesser beings.
There were undeniable downsides to this strategy, his tech core meticulously cataloged them. This approach would forever erode any trust they might have had in him, replacing it with a primal fear and a grudging, resentful obedience. They might harbor thoughts of rebellion, like how most demons, given the chance, would turn on a weakening leader. However, the probability of such an open revolt was low, Kaelen's analysis assured him, as long as he himself stood strong, an unyielding pillar of power that outmatched their own raw, chaotic strength. He had to embody the very dominance they now instinctively understood.
