Klaus looked at the people in front of him with an unreadable expression. He was in the war room of the tower. This large, extravagant chamber held two tables, each displaying a map—one of the Dream Realm, the other of the Waking World.
Right now, Klaus was focused on the Waking World's map. More specifically, Egypt.
After Makarov and Mark reported their experience in the Western Desert—describing the people, the pyramid, and every insane detail they had witnessed—the map changed. Now, miniature pyramids had risen from the surface of the table, surrounded by tiny figures kneeling in worship before Set.
"So he's really worshipped… That mad cunt."
Klaus muttered, a little baffled by the revelation.
Like, what kind of shithead do you have to be for that kind of bullshit? What are you gonna do—have people pray to you and then what? You can't even hear their prayers… Fucking chuunibyou.
Mark nodded with a casual smile.
"Well… that's how it is, boss. His soldiers are no different—carrying sickles in the desert to cut grass."
Klaus glanced at Mark with a humorous smile, shaking his head in amusement. That guy just couldn't stay serious for even a second.
"So, did you figure it out?"
Mark nodded, staring at the pyramid with bitterness, as if it had wronged him in some unforgivable way.
"Yeah, he's really a Transcendent, alright… and a powerful one at that. From what I learned, his Aspect is a strange one. I don't even know exactly how it works. But I can deduce that the more people worship him, the stronger he gets. If, for example, millions—or even tens of millions—worship him, then even if you became a Transcendent yourself, you'd still lose to him. And trust me, boss… that guy is seriously fucked up in the head."
Klaus furrowed his brow. That wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear. So that cunt could just keep getting stronger? All he needed was people? Really concerning stuff.
"Still… from what you told me, he only has hundreds of thousands worshipping him."
Makarov's expression darkened as he looked at the figures praying to the statue on the map.
"It's not that simple. He's forcing people to reproduce. Because of that, around a hundred thousand humans turned into several hundred thousand in just a decade, boss. And as if that wasn't enough, he's been kidnapping women so his people can reproduce even faster—just to brainwash the children later and turn them into zealots.
All in all, he's gained hundreds of thousands of followers in just a few years."
Klaus blinked. What in the actual... fuck?
He took a deep breath. I thought Amelia was messed up in the head, but this guy might be even more fucked.
Sighing, he glanced at Anna—who was... Why is this woman always eating something?
Whatever. Let her eat her stupid ice cream.
"So, what did you find, Anna?"
Anna nodded, raising her hand as if asking for a few seconds. And indeed, within moments, she devoured an entire container filled with ice cream.
Since transporting food in the Dream Realm was always a pain in the ass—even with enchanted bags—Klaus had decided to build a giant fridge. It was located in one of the underground rooms of the Tower. He had expanded the space using ritualistic magic and used the soul cores of fallen tyrants with ice-related abilities to turn it into a mystical artifact that constantly lowered the temperature and effectively turned the whole room into a freezer. Time's frozen there too so nothing would spoil.
As for the ice cream… well, the kids liked it too. So, Klaus had brought in a massive container—roughly the size of a cottage—filled to the brim with the stuff, just so those little shits could eat it whenever they wanted.
...Though by the looks of it, Anna had found it too.
Anna composed herself, wiped the cream from her mouth, and sighed.
"It's worse than that desert. Apparently, the Amazon rainforest has been revived. That woman has power over nature—she can give life to plants. And I don't mean normal plants... they're alive. They can think, they get hungry, they get angry. The whole forest is basically a den of abominations."
She paused, her expression darkening.
"As for Gaia... she's powerful. Too powerful, in fact."
Klaus nodded, then frowned. Wait... so why did she let Anna go? That doesn't make sense. Knowing that bloodthirsty woman, she should've caused a massacre there.
"So why are you alive?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "I thought you'd be cooked."
Anna blinked, tears welling up in her eyes as she grabbed Klaus's leg and wailed dramatically.
"Don't say that, boss! I almost died! You don't know how scary it was!"
Klaus sighed. This coward... After he beat her—practically tortured and traumatized her—she ended up like this. But wait... why is she only like this in front of him, yet a psychotic murderer with everyone else?
So what now? She's my bitch or something? That's confusing.
"Stop crying and talk. Why did she let you go?"
Anna nodded, sniffling as she wiped her tears… and then her snot on his pants.
Klaus grimaced. Disgusted, he stared down at her, then took a deep breath—before kicking her square in the ass with full force. She let out a squeak, but thanks to her monstrous physical strength, she barely even budged.
Anna giggled sheepishly, avoiding his gaze.
"Uhmm... Since I was just a messenger, she didn't harm me. Though, I was sure she would—she's a lunatic—but surprisingly, she's very gentle and kind... if you ignore the fact that she turns people into trees. That's why the plants are alive. At some point, all of them were people."
She paused, her face a strange mix of humor and lingering horror, wiping away tears.
"She told me to tell you:
'My name is Gaia. It is a pleasant surprise to have made contact with you. I hope you do not consider me an enemy. My only enemies are that bloodthirsty woman who's destroying nature with radiation, and that awful man who's desertifying everything. I hope you truly value nature. If you do, then we have no reason for hostility.'"
Klaus blinked, then suddenly burst into laughter.
Woah, so I found myself a Nymph? Bloody hell. That bitch's messed up in the head. Still... genjutsu of that level doesn't work on me, old hag!
Klaus shook his head in amusement. Anna, thinking he was satisfied with her report, let out a relieved sigh, a happy smile spreading across her face.
But Klaus had a lot to consider.
Hmm... so that's how it is…
"Anyway, it's too early to make a move. We'll keep observing for now," he muttered. "Amelia's too unpredictable—hellbent on destroying the great clans. Set has the same ambition, but with a different flavor. He wants to dominate the world by turning humanity into his cult of worshippers, feeding off their devotion to grow stronger. And Gaia… she wants to turn the entire planet into a damned forest, with people as her trees."
Makarov nodded calmly, then turned to the map with a conflicted gaze.
"But… you do understand what will happen if this war breaks out, right? This won't be like the Legacy War. This is a clash between four monarchs—each one fighting for total supremacy."
Klaus shrugged. He knew war all too well. And the wars he waged… they were far more horrifying. They mirrored Earth's own violent past—nuclear devastation, biological horrors, chemical plagues. Catastrophes on a global scale that turned entire continents into graves.
"I do," he said flatly. Then his gaze sharpened. "Tell me… are the people in Egypt a lost cause, or can they still be saved?"
Mark was the one to answer, shaking his head slowly. He already knew what kind of people they were. Their culture was nothing like normal society. Twisted, violent… alien.
"They worship Set," he said grimly. "And anyone who doesn't follow their so-called god's teachings ends up as food for the Abominations."
He paused, his jaw tightening. The disgust in his voice was barely restrained.
"It's not even brainwashing anymore. It's how they're raised. Killing is just breakfast to them. Cruelty isn't a sin—it's tradition. They kidnap women and use them solely for reproduction. Doesn't matter if she's dying from childbirth, too sick to survive, or begging for rest. They don't care. They rape their own mothers. They kill anyone they think isn't faithful enough and call them heretics. They kill their own children without hesitation. Kinslayers… monsters. Abominable. Disgusting. Cruel beyond reason."
Mark looked away, voice quieter.
"They've abandoned their humanity long ago."
The room fell silent as Mark finished speaking. Even he—always the prankster, always unserious—looked shaken. Whatever he'd seen in the Western Desert had stripped away that layer of humor, leaving only grim clarity.
Klaus sat still, unmoving. His deep violet eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, unreadable. Then, to everyone's disbelief, humorous smile appeared on his face.
His subordinates stiffened, staring at him in shock. How could he smile? How could he not be furious after hearing something so horrific?
"Sure," Klaus said, voice light with mocking calm, "I don't really care what they do. Let them worship their god, rape, kill, and rot."
He stood slowly, his smile widening now, humorless and arrogant.
"When the time comes, I'll wipe the Western Desert from existence. I don't care if I have to kill hundreds of thousands... or millions."
His voice dropped into something colder.
"There's only room for one god. And it's going to be me."
Klaus looked calm as he spoke with absolute confidence. He would do whatever it took to be at the top of the food chain. And if he couldn't manage it? That was fine too. He would keep trying, just like he always had.
Yet, a part of him clashed with his relentless, hardworking nature. It was as if his very essence rebelled against it. Balance, order, and discipline felt like something repulsive.
It screamed at him to abandon all purpose and direction — to embrace chaos and wander endlessly down a path filled with horrors, bizarreness, and disorder. To become Everchanging, and through that, everlasting...
Klaus knew what this feeling was: damned corruption.
Even though he had spell protecting him, Klaus felt far more vulnerable to raw corruption than others. Forbidden knowledge couldn't corrupt him, but if an Abomination with the power to spread defilement appeared, fighting such a foe would be far more dangerous for him than for other Awakened.
And it didn't felt like corruption was trying to twist him or drive him mad on purpose like it does to others. It didn't seek to plant its seed deep in his soul and watch it bloom.
It felt more like a call — something familiar. So familiar that he felt the urge to surrender, to give up entirely. A invisible connection between him and something that darkness points at.
But he would never do that. He refused to accept it.
"Nik, it's time for us to depart."
Klaus blinked, barely registering Tatiana's entrance before sighing.
"I'm not in the mood for ball, my lovely sister."
Tatiana smirked, tilting her head like she was savoring his misery.
"Cassie'll be there. And I picked out a dress that's basically 'drop dead gorgeous' for her."
Klaus froze mid-sigh, his face twisting into a sour grimace.
"…Fine. Give me a minute."
Tatiana chuckled, her voice dripping with mischief as she shook her head.
"Simp."
"Go fuck off."