Clack…!

At my words, one of the figures stepped forward, though the sight of those half-corrupted wings made the motion feel wrong in a way I could not fully explain.

When it spoke, the voice did not come from its mouth alone.

It echoed from every direction at once, rising from the walls, the floor beneath me, even the air I was breathing.

“You recognize the name,” the voice said, and there was a faint note of interest in it, something a little close to satisfaction.

“That is unusual. Most who exist within this realm do not even realize there is anything beyond their fragile systems of gods and order.”

I kept my face still, refusing to show any reaction, while my thoughts raced through everything I remembered.

The knowledge came from another life, from pages I had read long before I was thrown into this place.

Nyarlathotep.

The Crawling Chaos.

The messenger who served the Outer Gods.

Unlike the others, who existed far beyond the reach of both mortals and gods, hidden in places no mind could truly understand, Nyarlathotep walked among lesser beings.

It wore countless forms, slipping from one identity to another, spreading madness and decay not through raw force, but through careful planning, manipulation, and a cruel sense of intent.

Where Azathoth existed as blind chaos at the center of everything, Nyarlathotep was something far worse.

It thought.

It understood.

And more than anything, it enjoyed what it did.

“The books I read gave you a name,” I stated simply.

“They called you the Crawling Chaos. The mind and messenger of the Outer Gods. The one who moves freely among gods and mortals, hiding behind countless faces.”

Another figure stepped forward, and then another, until all twelve had closed in, tightening their circle around me.

“Books,” the voice repeated, though now it carried several tones layered together, some deep, some light, some not fitting any human shape at all.

“You speak of knowledge that does not belong to this realm. Knowledge from the place you came from before you took that body and claimed power that was never yours.”

A cold chill spread through me at that moment.

Only the supposed creator could have known where I came from.

And yet… they knew…?

They knew I did not belong here and had come from somewhere else.

“We have observed you since the moment you arrived,” the voices continued, and the painting on the wall pulsed faintly with each word, as if it were alive.

“We have watched you build your organization piece by piece, gather followers, and create tools that do not belong in this world. Your efforts are… entertaining. Ambitious, in a small and temporary way.”

“If you have been watching me this whole time, then you already know why I am here,” I replied, buying time as I tested the chains again.

They did not move, no matter how much force I put into it. The golden energy held strangely unyielding.

By now, I was sure that this wasn’t divine energy, but some energy coming from the outer gods.

“I came to bring down the Primordial Court.”

The twelve figures laughed together, the sound rising in perfect sync, sending a chill across my skin and making something deep inside my divine core tremble in response.

“The Primordial Court already belongs to us,” one of the voices said calmly.

“It has for centuries, though none of them are aware of it. We do not take control through open force the way your gods do. We work slowly. We corrupt. We place the right thoughts in the right minds, and over time, entire civilizations fall without ever understanding why.”

Another figure lifted an arm slightly, drawing attention to the wings behind it, where golden light and creeping darkness mixed in an uneven struggle.

“These twelve were once the highest angels of the Court,” it said.

“They stood for order, for purity, for law. Now they serve something greater. Through them, the influence of the Crawling Chaos spreads, one soul at a time.”

I looked more closely at those wings, at how the darkness was not clashing with the light but steadily overtaking it.

“Then why tell me any of this?” I asked.

“Why show yourselves now instead of ending this?”

Thwoom~

The painting pulsed again, stronger this time.

For a brief moment, I thought I saw something move inside it, something tall and thin shifting behind shapes that made no sense to my eyes.

“Because Nyarlathotep finds you interesting,” the voices answered without hesitation.

“You are something unusual. A being from beyond this world who arrived here and did not break, who adapted and even grew stronger. The Crawling Chaos has an interest in such anomalies. It studies them. It tests them. It watches how they fall apart.”

One of the figures reached out and rested a hand against the chain around my wrist.

A surge of foreign energy rushed through my arm, cold and wrong in a way that made my body tense.

“You believed the Primordial Court was your greatest enemy,” it continued.

“You believed defeating them would give you safety. You were mistaken. They were never the true threat. We are. We have existed far longer than any god you know, longer than this version of the world itself. We have been waiting, watching, guiding everything back toward the chaos that came before order was forced into place.”

The figure tilted its head slightly, the empty eye sockets of its mask fixed on me.

“Nyarlathotep has chosen to offer you a decision,” the voices spoke.

“You can join us, as these twelve have. In return, you will be given power far beyond what you hold now. You will see truths that would destroy lesser minds and learn what exists beyond the limits of this small world.”

There was a pause, and the silence pressed down on me with a weight I could almost feel.

“Or you can refuse,” the voice continued, quieter now, but no less present.

“If you do, we will break you slowly. We will observe how a being like you comes apart under the right conditions. Either way, Nyarlathotep gains something. Either way, you become a source of interest for something that has existed since before time held meaning.”

The chains tightened again, harder than before.

“Argh…!”

I felt strain build inside my divine core, my power struggling to hold together under the pressure of the energy binding me.

Behind them, the painting seemed larger now, though I could not tell if it had truly changed or if my mind was beginning to distort what I saw.

The shape within it leaned forward, just slightly, as if whatever part of Nyarlathotep existed inside that image was now watching me with full attention.

Waiting.

Watching.

Expecting an answer.

“Fuuu…” I drew in a slow breath, feeling the cold presence of my Authority trying to rise, only to be forced back down by the chains.

Then, despite everything, I let a small smile form.

After all…

I wasn’t exactly alone right now.

『 Haaa~, hum~ 』

‘…You see… appearing when I need someone the most won’t exactly give me positive feelings towards you.’

I thought, glancing at the fractured system panel to my right.

『 Ah! Really~? That’s such a pity~ 』

‘….’

『 That aside~, it’s time for your choice! It’s been a while, huh?~ 』

‘Been a while…? Until now, the system has only offered me a single choice!’ I couldn’t help but scoff.

『 Ha~, that’s because you didn’t need them, but now~』

Her words suddenly halted.

[Ding! An option choice event has been triggered! Please choose one option, or you’ll probably die!

Option 1: Accept their offer and become an Outer God! You become an Outer God and lose the system, and also earn my disappointment, hehe~!

Option 2: Directly awaken the limits of the Fallen God race and fight them! You will get the ability to maintain your race power as long as you want!

Option 3: Ask for my help! You will get my help, but I’ll get something in exchange~!]

‘…These options are a little… far-fetched, no?’

『 Well~, do make your choice… Time is running out, dear~』

“I’ll ask again.”

The voices came back as I now notice that they were barely two meters away from me.

“Will you join us?”

Hearing them, I started racking my brains. Obviously, the best choice would be the third one; however, the second one was fucking enticing.

“Choose. Die or become one of us!”

And these damn outer gods only seemed to want to increase the pressure on top of me.

‘…Hey, if I choose option three, can you also take my army away from this place with a letter saying that everything is fine, and they can come back in… a week to meet me?’

『 Mhm~, I mean, I could, but… 』

‘Would you rather let the supposed man who can realize your dark wishes die?’

『 I could simply gift the system to another person… It’s going to be almost impossible to find another you, but I can wait millions of years if needed… 』

She laughed in my ears.

It seemed that I truly had no upper hand in this kind of situation.

‘…What do you want then?’

『 I want you to… 』

Her words halted slighly, and suddenly, I actually felt a breath on my left ear, causing my body to quiver slighly.

『 …unleash your race after this battle ends. 』

At her words, my lips curled up.

I was planning on using my race against those Outer Gods, so this was the easiest choice that I was going to make.

So, to both of them, the creator and these damn outer gods, I finally spoke.

“I choose option three, you ugly fuckers.”

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