Chapter 1068: Riley The Magnanimous
"He is still alive, impressive."
"Just kill him, he... has suffered enough."
"Everyone has suffered enough, Elder Skeem. But it does not mean that I would actually stop — if anything, I am finding more and more ways to get creative."
Elder Zorah was still alive - well, if he could actually be called that. He was not actually even reacting to anything anymore, not even as Riley just sat on top of his back; his limbs and spine, cracked, twisted, and now deformed so that he was standing on his legs and arms; like a real goat from Earth.
But of course, Riley is very kind and magnanimous and treats everyone equally. He was feeding the almost lifeless Elder Zorah with a golden grass - well, it wasn't really grass, but it was golden.
It was Elder Apo's hair. And Elder Apo could not really do anything as Riley had his head locked and his face completely grasped. Elder Apo could try and fight, but the entire universe knew it would only prolong the fate that awaits. And so, the only thing he could do was just lie on the floor while Riley was holding his head, and Elder Zorah was eating his hair.
As for Elder Skeem, he just continued to watch and wait - not for Riley to be done, but for his reinforcements and the entirety of the Guardians to arrive. And if Riley ends up finally killing Elder Zorah and looks at him next, Elder Skeem could just kill himself instantly - it was better than being humiliated and tortured.
According to his calculations, Riley might actually be stronger than the mythical themarians, but even he would not be able to defeat the Guardians at their full force. Hopefully for Elder Skeem, they would arrive soon.
"By the way, I do have a question," Riley then finally threw Elder Apo away, causing him to just smash through the walls of the meeting hall. He was still alive, of course, but he was not going to stand up anytime soon as he held the same plan as Elder Skeem - wait it out,
"I know where the themarians and the norinlads live. But where are the evaniels?" Riley placed his hand on his chin, "I have been working my telekinetic radar at maximum, and yet I can not seem to find them - even my clone that was given their address by Ahor Zai can not find them."
"The evaniels are a nomadic race and do not stay in one single star system," Elder Skeem explained calmly, "Right now, they are at...."
"I did not hear that, Elder Skeem," Riley tilted his head to the side as Elder Skeem's last word seemed completely incomprehensible.
"They are at..."
Riley squinted his eyes as he stared Elder Skeem in his wide black eyes. He was saying something, but Riley just could not understand the word.
"Can you show them on the map?"
"...Of course," Elder Skeem nodded as he ordered Ahor Zai to show the map, but Ahor Zai did not listen to him at all.
"Ahor Zai, open the map."
But with Riley asking the AI, it immediately spawned a hologram of the Known Universe. Elder Skeem, however, could not help but just almost gasp in shock as he saw all the red flickering dots around them.
"What are those red dots?" Riley asked as he smiled.
"Those are... civilizations asking for help," Elder Skeem's voice slightly turned meek.
"Oh," Riley blinked a couple of times in amusement, "It would seem some of my clones have already made contact with the other civilizations, fun."
"...Yes," Elder Skeem was trying his best to stay calm and just started moving the mechanical arms of his suit to control the map, "This is where the evaniels are."
"I can't see anything," Riley once again squinted his eyes as the map just turned black and blank to him. And after a few seconds, he finally realized the possible reason why it was so, "Interesting. The evaniels are descendants of Van and only exist in my universe, similar to my situation — I sometimes keep forgetting that I am not the only special person in the entirety of creation...
... It would seem Paige can not make the evaniels."
"You..." Elder Skeem analyzed Riley's words a million times; coming up with different conclusions, "...Are you one of the Primordials?"
"I suppose the Primordials are not here too," Riley shrugged, "And no, I am not one of them - not entirely."
"And from your words, other universes exist?"
"I suppose."
"...And how many have you destroyed?"
"Several."
"Oh..."
And as Elder Skeem heard that, the only thing he could really do was just stare into nothing... because he could do nothing. The creature in front of him is a god beyond the comprehension of the universe, an eldritch god.
"Is there any chance that you will stop killing everyone in this universe?"
"Not anymore," Riley shook his head, "And you do not have to worry too much, this universe is real, but not real at the same time...
...I am getting bored, though."
Riley then let out a small sigh as he finally stood up from Elder Zorah.
"Do you know that your people are responsible for killing off the themarian youths of my universe?" Riley then crossed his arms, kicking Elder Zorah to the side before approaching Elder Skeem, "You made a weapon that completely rendered them weak, where you then proceeded to blast them with the same weapon which completely killed them. It was quite ingenious of course, I leaked the weakness using a clone of mine. Speaking of which, I wonder where she and her entire race of my clones are now?"
"Wh-"
And before Elder Skeem could finish his words, he suddenly found himself floating in the air. "I can sense hundreds of people heading here," Riley smiled, "I take it they are the reinforcements you have been waiting for?"
"...Yes."
"Hm," Riley nodded several times before stretching his hand toward Elder Skeem. And as he did so, Elder Skeem started floating toward him. He then grabbed Elder Skeem by the collar of his mechanical suit, "I suppose it is only right for you to welcome them, then?"
"What do you-"
And before Elder Skeem could finish his words again, Riley suddenly flew up while holding him; his armor, completely shattering as they hit the ceiling.
"Guhuk..." And without his armor, Elder Skeem was completely defenseless; unable to move anything and very slowly freezing in the expanse of space. Surprisingly, however, he was still alive for some reason that reason, however, quickly became known to him as he saw Riley smiling at him.
Riley was trying to prolong his pain - he could feel every centimeter of his worm-like body being lost to the freeze, being eaten away nibble by nibble. What remained of his armor was stuck to his flesh, the fractures growing large as they froze and just tearing his flesh apart bit
by bit.
He should have killed himself from the start - but now, his armor, which was the only thing that could grant him a quick death, was gone. The only thing Elder Skeem could really do was look to where Riley was pointing his head to, and this time, it was the army of Guardians all swooping in one by one and surrounding Riley.
"Do you want to see something cool, Elder Skeem?" Riley then smiled as he raised Elder
Skeem further up.
[Release the Elder at once! We-gukh...]
And there, Elder Skeem just watched as the person leading the Guardians suddenly started to
choke. And without even giving him any chances to even resist or do anything, the Guardian Force was just pulled all the way from his stomach and violently out of his mouth - and judging by all the blood and flesh attached to the Guardian Force when it flew into Riley's other hand, it did not really come out humbly and probably tore through his flesh. The other guardians could really only stare at their Commander as the light surrounding his body faded away. The Guardian Force contained the power of several stars, and yet Riley just yanked it out like that and was holding it without any problem.
"Now, Elder Skeem," Riley then smiled as he faced Elder Skim toward him, "Open your
mouth."
Elder Skeem did not open his mouth, he was not able to. Riley, however, did not seem to care as he just shrugged and once again forcefully pushed his arm through someone's mouth. "Now..." Riley then pulled out his arm from Elder Skeem's guts and finally let him go, letting him just float toward the army of Guardians, "...I wonder if you can turn into a Guardian, Elder Skeem - I know your species are one of the weakest physically, but perhaps your superior
mind could-"
"!!!"
And before Riley could even finish his words, everyone watched as Elder Skeem's body just suddenly turned smaller-no. His entire body collapsed and compressed, and without even a second later, he disappeared as the Guardian Force just swallowed him whole.
"Oh," Riley let out a small but very deep sigh as he shook his head,
"...That wasn't exciting at all."