Chapter 569 - Gluttony (1)

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*Oblivion, the Hollow City*

During the past two years, the Hollow City was finally establishing itself to be a safe zone in hell like it once was a thousand years ago. After Jon liberated the city from the Realm of Coldharbour causing it to become its own realm, the Hollow City expanded as Soul Shriven inhabitants were fighting for it as their eternal salvation.

More to that, a temporary portal would open every month to trade goods between the city and people who came from Tamriel, those, of course, are the people of the Dare Dragon Company but never really revealed that name in Oblivion for discretion purposes. The DDC would send goods and food to the Hollow City in exchange for Cold Iron and materials that can only be harvested in Oblivion. Of course, it is illegal to conduct business in Oblivion especially after the Oblivion Crisis and opening such dangerous portals is very prohibited so Jon made sure to place that portal in a cave under the sea. If the Daedra ever manage to discover the Hollow City and cross to the Mortal World from it, a safety mechanism would completely sink the underwater cave and send a terrifying splash of water pressure to the other side of the portal.

So with these security measures at hand, Jon would find no problem dealing with anything related to the realm.

After two years, Jon stepped foot once again in the Hollow City which looked completely different now. Sir Cadwell and his Pale Knights order have started doing actual raids against the realm of Coldharbour. Jon couldn't believe it but that calculative and cunning old soul was actually freeing more slaves from Molag Bal in order to increase the number of his Soul Shriven comrades and as he said, he is searching for the "fresh ones".

The Soul Shriven of Coldharbour are people who used to be Mortals but Molag Bal has tempered with their souls taking away their Anuic Animus and replacing it with a Daedric one like the Daedra. It makes the Soul Shriven almost immortal but at what cost! They had an expiration date to their minds. After they die a few times in the extensive torture of Coldharbour, their minds become completely broken and they turn feral. Those ferals are used by the Daedra as labor animals and cattle in the best cases.

What Sir Cadwell was looking for was people who haven't died even once and had the ability to preserve their minds like himself. After all, he has lived (technically as a Soul Shriven) longer than anyone or anything putting him in a close age to people like Divayth Fyr.

Whatever the result, Jon didn't have that much hope regarding the Soul Shriven. As long as they are useful, he will conduct business with them. If they are not, he will cut ties right away.

But there was one thing important that made him be appreciative of the fact that he has Soul Shriven on his side. In the Hollow City, Jon discovered that Serana Volkihar, Princess of the Vampire Clan Volkihar, has left him a message.

"Your spell has been broken but I recovered the thing you left behind. My Father is calm on the outside but his rage will be directed towards you once the Castle reaches the Mortal World once again. Be warned. Take those who are close to you and flee. I don't wish for my father to possess the power you can grant him."

Cold words after cold words making Jon sigh between every sentence as if he was being pitied.

"Where's that Xikil?" Jon threw the message in the fire and started looking for someone to vent some stress on.

Jax, who accompanied Jon in the Hollow City, pointed out towards the edge of the realm where the waters of Oblivion edged the reality. Jon arrived there and found Xikil having some quality time bossing some Soul Shriven miners around.

"Look who's here? If it is not our friend Xikil whom we totally ran into by chance and totally weren't looking for him on purpose." Jon said as he made himself visible to Xikil.

Jax snorted knowing the sadistic nature of his Master is obviously up to no good again.

Meanwhile, the Daedric Titan that is Xikil tried to slide away silently acting as if he didn't notice Jon.

"Hey! I am right here you, asshole." Naturally, Jon left no leeway for him.

"Ahaha haha! Mortal? What are you… what are you doing here?" Xikil turned around feeling like he would bury himself if he could.

"Why are you stuttering, old friend? If I wasn't here to reward you, I would have thought you were thinking I am here to bully you or something." Jon said as he pulled the horn of the Daedric Titan down by one hand.

"Come on, Mortal. Last time you summoned me was the most shameful of all. I got killed in less than a minute." Xikil couldn't believe Jon.

"Exactly. Last time you were against a real Dragon, you idiot. It is praiseworthy you lasted a few seconds." Jon slapped Xikil forehead and continued, "That's why I will bestow a gift upon you today."

Seeing Jon all excited, Xikil didn't let his guard down and replied with narrowed eyes.

"What kind of reward would it be?"

"Take a wild piss."

"I don't know, you never rewarded me."

"You unloyal bastard. How could you forget that I bestowed upon you this body of Daedric Titan making you the coolest Daedra in Oblivion and sat your revival location here so that you never get caught by Molag Bal? Tsk tsk tsk tsk. Jax, this child has become too unruly."

"Yes, yes. Master must see to reeducate him." Jax nodded

"Argh! I get it. What do you want from me, Mortal?" Xikil decided he can no longer escape the tragedy about to befall.

"Xikil, we have known each other for three years now. Aside from turning you into a Titan, I am now going to turn you into something new." Jon said brightly.

"Hold up! I very much like being a Titan." Xikil started shaking his head and backing away.

"Oh! Don't get me wrong, me too. I am only going to give you an extra ability." Jon said, "You see, I have been experimenting with Daedric Princes' Spheres of Power lately and I have come to discover some interesting new things. I have been hiding you here in this realm for some time now so that Molag Bal doesn't notice you but I can now break you from his influence."

"Huh?"

"Come on, Xikil. Don't you want to live freely? You are basically a slave to Molag Bal but you can break that bond now once I remold you."

Jon's offer sounded too good… too good to be true at that. Xikil thought of the best-case scenario and asked a certain question.

"How painful will it be?"

Jon's sly smile crumbled and gave out a long sighed.

"You see, that's what I hate about Daedra hanging around Mortals too often. They can get some brains after all." Jon said as he looked coldly at Xikil.

"I knew it." Xikil seemed proud of his achievement exposing Jon but he soon came to regret it.

"Plan B!"

Out of nowhere, Jax threw out a long orichalcum chain over Xikil which caused the Daedric Titan to panic but on the other side, [Wrath] appeared and received the other end of the chain.

In a few swift movements, the Chain was wrapped around Xikil binding his legs, hands, wings and mouth.

"Kuh o moal!" (Curse you, mortal)

"Who told you to use your brain, you fool." Jon said as he opened a portal with [Pride] while putting on the mask [Krilon] and donning [Greed] as a cloak.

"Didn't you have an Overkyn sister who works the Black Forge in Coldharbour? Let's go pay her a visit."

What Jon did a while ago was something and what he said just now was an entirely new form of horror. Xikil is used to Jon's bullying but there is one that he fears above all else. His sister.

***

The Black Forge was a place famed in Oblivion for being the most unfortunate spot a Dremora or a Soul Shriven can be assigned to. It is basically Hell incarnate. The Soul Shriven would be used like animals to transport ore and rotate the mills under the whip of the Dremora slavers. Even the undead would receive better treatment compared to what the Soul Shriven get. On the other hand, the Dremora workers of the forge would work day and night in folding metal and shaping weapons.

The overseer of this hellhole is Vixili, Xikil's sister.

For Daedra to become brothers and sisters is not something unusual. Xikil and Vixili were from the same patch that was created from the Chasm of Oblivion. As they were adopted in the same Dremora clan, they were considered churls together and dreamt about vanquishing mortals together. Still, reality was too cruel since Xikil was very frequent to get summoned by Mortal Wizards while Vixili found her opportunity in the Black Forge.

Over time, Xikil became a low ranking Dremora while Vixili became an Overkyn, a noble among the nobles of Oblivion.

But one day, an invader broke into Coldharbour and Xikil disappeared for almost three years yet on this very day, Vixili could finally since Xikil nearby.

"Shaka! Axuka! Bring me my Hammer… not the Forging Hammer, the Disciplining Hammer." Vixili shouted as her assistants ran around to bring her a very sinister hammer that she can wield properly with one hand.

Vixili's appearance is not that different from any female Daedra. She is bald, mean-looking, ugly and definitely with some bone spores and horns on her head. Aside from that, her outfit was made of Daedroth Leather with a lot of nails and coming out from it and had many piercings on her nose, cheeks, tongue and ears. She is basically a metalhead even among the Dremora.

As she walked towards the direction she expected to meet Xikil, her troublemaker brother, she felt something really ominous.

An unnatural amount of power, an endless stream of energy focused on a small point to create the most destructive pressure ever, an unrelenting force that can make anyone feel the absolute creeps.

All that power landed on the front gate of the Black Forge blowing it open with a bang.

"Well well well, it is as if I only was here yesterday."

The Voice of a Mortal echoed around the forge displaying a terrifying amount of power that would stun your average Daedra motionless.

"Not on my watch!"

Vixili roared in anger seeing her turf being invaded. Such insolence hasn't happened in three years and she is still angry about it. Now that it happened again, there is no way this would go unpunished.

She charged to the gate only to witness one of the most bizarre scenes ever. Hundreds of her kin were lying around motionless while a man was standing over them holding nothing but a staff. To make it all weirder, there was a Daedric Titan, one of the top Daedric creatures, tied with chains and being dragged by two strange entities. One was a Bone Colossus and the other a Minotaur.

A Mortal, a Beast, an Undead, and a Daedra. If that's not an intercultural assembly of some sort then Vixili wouldn't know what kind of situation she's facing. Still, that mortal has a particular mask, something that many Daedra are familiar with.

The Mask of Krilon, something that belongs to a human mercenary named Krilon who angered Molag Bal quite badly. It was also the man whom she suspects of kidnapping Xikil.

"DIE!" Vixili ran towards Jon swinging her hammer at him but… all Jon needed to do is to kick her away.

The difference in power was overwhelming.

Three years ago, this man known as Krilon had to outsmart her in order to escape with the Cold Iron he came to steal but now, she didn't even last a single exchange.

"You abhorrent Mortal! Lord Molag Bal will personally come after you. You think you can cause trouble in his realm and walk away like last time?" She stood up not that much hurt from the kick while glaring and shouting.

The Dremora of the realm started to gather towards her and circled Jon with their blades and spears.

"I'll give you this warning only once. Stay out of my way while I do my business and leave you in peace." Jon said in total arrogance.

"Hmph! Get him!" Vixili roared.

Jon took a few steps ahead implying that he will take them all by himself. The Dremora couldn't resist the challenge and all charged at Jon with the intent to cut him to pieces.

"Fools!"

Jon had only one word to say as he called out a small hammer in his hand. He raised it effortlessly and then descended with it on the ground hitting it once, twice, thrice, to no end.

The hammer was small, the hits her performed weren't even that powerful but for some reason, the land was shaking.

In the next instant, strange figures came from the ground wreaking havoc in the army or Dremora surrounding him.

"Metal… Metal Atronachs!"

"Retreat! We can't defeat them. This Mortal is treacherous."

"Damn you, Mortals. Dishonorable bastards!"

The Dremora were so angry as Jon seemed to have conjured an Army of his own. Metal Atronachs no less.

An Atronach is an Elemental Daedra Golem but the term Golem has fallen out of favor since many Atronachs possess lives of their own. Still, this wouldn't apply to a Metal Atronach. They are artificial golems through and through.

How Jon created so many so fast was the mystery of the day but it all can be attributed to the small hammer he was carrying and his ability to control an enormous number of summons.

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[Deadland Hammer] <Daedric>

- Create Iron Atronachs

- Hazardous Touch

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"Clean the place." Jon said and the Metal Atronachs started making loud metal screeching as they moved towards the Daedra.

A Metal Atronachs is simply a walking pile of scrap and metal ore. They looked like Frost Atronachs but by their metallic nature alone, they were the ultimate ground force any Conjurer would dream of controlling.

In mere minutes, the Dremora of the Black Forge were being stomped down and pushed back to the Fire Pits that exist all around the forge. Only Vixili and a handful of Dremora remained.

"Filthy bleeding mortal! I'll make you suffer."

Even when cornered, the Dremora were a relentless bunch read to fight till the end. Still, only one man was able enough to make racist comebacks at those Daedra putting them into their natural place as lesser beings to Mortalkind.

"Lowly Dremora creatures, your kind is one pain in the ass yet scamps have more use than you are." Jon said.

"Say that again, Mortal. I d…"

The Dremora that just spoke flew out of his place right to the hand of Jon being held up from the neck.

"For a fake lifeform with fakes souls, you have a lot of goddamn ego." Jon said and turned to Vixili, "Tell me, Dremora. If I come one day and tell you that the fake souls you have which let you reincarnate endlessly after death can simply be… extinguished, will you still have that same ego?"

Anyone who is present whether Mortal or Daedra can pretty much tell that the fun Jon is now gone. When it comes to putting the Daedra in line, Jon would turn into the meanest most terrifying creature on Mundus or Oblivion.

Still, the words he said about extinguishing the lives of Daedra are simply absurd. You can't kill a Daedric creature unless you are a Daedric Prince with powers that transcend…

That was where denial ended and all the stages were slipped right to realization. The Dremora in Jon's hand now withering… he was turning greyish then losing all the color of his skin before simply… crumbling.

What he turned into was simply dust.

"You're all but dust and to dust you shall return. Amen." Jon spoke in full display of his might.

The Dremora can tell, they can swear that they saw the red light of their kin's eye be extinguished. They can no longer feel his soul, remember his name or… they can't even see the realm this Mortal is standing on.

It was a suppression mechanism. Unlike the Mortals, Daedra have limits and these limits are made into their souls to keep them forever as lesser creatures that serve the Daedric Princes. They have no shred of potential to speak of even though they may have desires and emotions. Their emotions were made to give them a sense of their world but only a mortal can play on these emotions like this.

Fear! That's the Magic without Magicka. Lead them by fear and they will never utter a word. Jon knows how to use fear even though he hates it for fear is the weapon on the cowards.

"Aside from extinguishing Daedric Souls, I can very much create a Dremora Centipede… don't look at me like that, it is not as disgusting as the movie. We're just going Hancock style, you're head in his ass and the next, centipede style. No? Alright… as long as you know who's Boss."

There was no longer an escape from a mortal like this. Today, every Daedra in the Black Forge shall know the suffering of their kin, Xikil.

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