Savage Times

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Priapus, Malcolm Tent, Old man of the mountain, Marethyu

The Gamer's Guide to Conquest, Remastered

Chapter 09: Savage Times

– Kuro Tepes –

Despite my desire for a lot of blood, I'm not going about this recklessly. I have a decent rep at the moment, and I don't need a few hundred deaths being attributed to me. I've got a few things on my side, but I still need to be careful.

Firstly, the portal chamber. It used to let me go to different worlds, but now it only connects to Marvel. This isn't perfect, but that doesn't mean I can't reconfigure the portal to open somewhere other than America. This is where my admittedly questionable Marvel knowledge comes into play.

There are plenty of hidden societies in Marvel, and I have a vague idea of where a lot of them are located, enough to portal my way in and cause a ruckus. There are even other worlds I could try since I could use scrying to locate them for the portal, but for now, I'll stick with Earth.

So, where can I find a lot of disposable blood bags? Well, here's a fun fact about Marvel Earth. It fucking sucks. Seriously, you can't go anywhere without finding some gang, conspiracy, terrorist organisation or cult. Finding people to kill who aren't going to be missed was never going to be the problem. The issue comes in how to make sure nobody links the deaths to me.

I could wage war on the gangs or even the various terrorist organisations since the Ten Rings are still running around the Middle East, and that's just one terrorist group out of many. I could head to Africa, where there are warlords and their men just waiting to be harvested, but no. Any of that will draw Shield's attention onto me more than it already is, maybe even the Avengers if I get a little too silly and commit just a few too many murders. I have my illusions, but they're not perfect, and there's a chance people could link any attacks to me.

No, I need to strike where nobody is watching, but again… Marvel has plenty of hidden societies out there.

"Oh, Dark One, your forces are ready to march!" Gnarl cheers, making me smile grimly. Dressed in my full Overlord regalia, I rise from my throne. With a gesture, the portal opens in response to my gauntlet and the minions cheer. Hundreds of browns, greens, reds and blues watch as I march towards the portal, a giant spiked warhammer held in one hand as I rest it on my shoulder.

I am the Overlord. No matter what world I am sent to, it is my very nature to conquer. How convenient it is, then, that Marvel has several places just ripe for conquest. 

As I step through the portal, I look around the jungle I have appeared in with a dark smile hidden by my helmet. Minions pile out of the portal, ready to fight and die for their Overlord, as I look over the Savage Lands.

Hidden beneath Antarctica, it took me a while to find it, but my knowledge didn't fail me. This place is full of primitive tribesmen and dinosaurs, hidden from even Shield and Hydra (as far as I know), which makes it perfect for me to start my hunt.

We aren't far from one of the many tribes, their primitive village huts visible in the distance, their best weapons being sharpened rocks attached to long sticks. The Pandorians, a tribe that worships and hunts big cats like saber-tooth tigers, are good warriors, don't get me wrong. Their entire society is based around hunting giant, bloodthirsty cats, but today they are the prey.

Quest Added!

[Conquer the Savage Lands]

Objective: Destroy or subjugate the majority of the Savage Land tribes.

Objective: Slay or dominate ???, ???, ??? and ???

Reward: ???

A savage smile crosses my face as I march my forces towards Pandori, falling into the all-too-familiar role of the Overlord. 

– Kevin Plunder (Ka-Zar) –

Evil had come to the Savage Lands.

Shanna and Zabu followed behind him as they traversed the jungles, and he heard Shanna's gasp as they reached the aftermath of the chaos he had sensed through his connection to the lands themselves. 

The Pandorians were no friends of his, but they did not deserve this. Pandori was in ruins, burnt to the ground with corpses littering the land, mutilated and torn apart. He reached one of the bodies, seeing the way the man's limbs had been twisted and broken; claws had ripped into his body, and bones had been broken.

Others had been burnt or stabbed in the back, but one body drew his attention. He knew this one, the leader of the Pandorians, a proud warrior. His shrivelled body was tossed aside like trash, his skin unnaturally pale. 

Some of the bodies had been hit with incredible force, ribcages crushed in a single blow, and even more had been put on display, heads stuck on their own spears, but the attackers were nowhere to be seen.

Zabu made a noise to get their attention, the smilodon gesturing his head as Kevin immediately spotted what Zabu had found, the signs that people had been dragged away. Countless unusual footprints told him that these creatures had seemingly abducted all the survivors of this raid, and he shared a look with Shanna.

"Whoever did this was powerful; we need to be cautious," his wife warned, already knowing that he couldn't ignore this. He was the protector of the Savage Lands, after all.

And yet, the tracks led a distance away from Pandori before they just… vanished. One set of footprints drew his attention. The bootprints were far deeper than any of the other tracks. Whoever left them must have been heavy, and he suspected he had found the one who had dealt such powerful blows to destroy a man's ribcage.

His connection to the lands screamed to him, his eyes widening in shock.

"We have to move; the Lemurians are under attack," Kevin ordered, Shanna's eyes widening in surprise at how fast this monster was acting.

– Zala Dane –

The Lemurians had always believed themselves the most civilised of the tribes, and their golden spires in Lemuria were a testament to their arrogance and supposed civilised nature. Those spires now burnt as Zala watched with a grim but satisfied look.

As Queen of the Sun-People, she'd warred with the Lemurians on multiple occasions, though they were often protected by Ka-Zar and their allies, the Aerie Shalan. Where were their allies now, as the Outsider burnt their home to the ground and captured those who his servants did not slay?

With her magic, she had seen the outsider coming. She prophesied the fall of the Lemurians, which was why her people were attacking the Aerie Shalan even now. She knew that she had two choices before her: adapt or die. 

Walking through the chaos, she ensorceled the senses of the strange creatures the armoured outsiders had brought with him, hiding herself from their savage aggression. She watched as the brown ones swarmed some of the Lemurian warriors, beating them to death, uncaring of their own injuries before they pulled something out of the corpses, a form of energy she did not recognise as they carried it into the distance, cheering and squabbling.

'For the Master'. 'For the Overlord!'. These were the words she heard the most in the language of the surface world; these creatures bellowed the Overlord's name as a war cry. The horned red creatures burnt everything around them, cackling to themselves as they turned flesh and buildings alike to ash. The reptilian greens skulked around, unseen by the desperate defenders until it was too late, poisoned claws digging into the Lemurians' backs. The Blues were the most interesting. Magically adept, they healed and even resurrected their fallen allies, always protected by the larger, brutish browns.

The fighting was already over. The Lemurians had been utterly unprepared for the surprise attack and were overwhelmed in an instant. Only a small few kept fighting, being swarmed by the creatures. She watched as a Lemurian warrior charged the armoured figure leading the horde, his blade breaking against the black armour.

The large figure responded with a casual backhand, sending the warrior flying back, smashing into a wall. As the warrior struggled to stand, the armoured leader just strolled up to him and swung the massive warhammer down, crushing the warrior's head in a single devastating blow.

Then the figure turned, staring right at her. For all her years as the Queen of the Sun-People, even after leading her people in a holy war in Garokk's name, she gulped and took a single step back.

To make her situation worse, he tilted his head and raised one of his arms, the gemstone on his gauntlet glowing. In response, every one of his creatures froze and turned her way, her spell broken as the outsider flexed his power and took control of all his forces.

"You aren't one of these… Gnarl, who are we killing again?" the figure asked, an ancient-looking creature hobbling out from behind him, coated in blood with a grin on its face.

"Lemurians, Master! Ah, it's been too long since an Overlord did a proper genocide," Gnarl cackled. 

"Right, Lemurians. Something tells me you aren't a Lemurian, and you don't seem to mind the destruction around you," the Overlord said, utterly calm as he stared her down. "Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself? It's rude to keep me waiting."

As he spoke, he pulled his hammer from the mangled corpse of his latest victim, the gore sticking to it as he rested it against his shoulder, the massive hammer carried in one hand with very little effort.

"I am Zala Dane, Queen of the Sun-People and High Priestess of Garokk, the Petrified Man," Zala said, head held high even as the Overlord strolled towards her with a casual pace that would be better suited for a walk in the park, not a battlefield. "And I am no friend of the Lemurians."

The Overlord didn't respond as he got much closer, close enough for her to be in the range of his hammer, giving her a curious look. His helmet held an enchantment that covered his face in shadows, making his expression impossible to read. 

"Z-Zala, what have you done?!" a voice called out, making them both turn to see a single woman surrounded by the creatures. Queen Leanne looked unharmed, though her green dress was covered in dirt and soot, but her face told of the emotional damage she'd taken from watching her people get slaughtered.

"This wasn't me, Queen Leanne, though are you truly a queen when your people are gone?" Zala asked, her tone malicious as Leanna flinched back. "Now, the Aerians? That was me. Didn't you wonder why your beloved allies didn't come to your aid?"

The Overlord looked at her curiously.

"I thought this one was royalty; her warriors were so determined to keep her safe. How eager they were to die for her. It would have been rude not to kill them!" Gnarl cackled. "I had the greens deal with them and had her brought this way."

"Thank you, Gnarl," the Overlord said calmly. "Zala Dane, I know that name. Dane… Dane, do you have a sister?"

"Half-sister, Lorna," Zala admitted, wondering how he knew that.

"Ah, right… Polaris. So you're from the surface world yourself? Interesting," the Overlord purred, looking at her more intensely. "Well, Queen Zala, what brings you here?"

"I foresaw your coming, Overlord, and the destruction you would deliver upon all who stood against you. I had my people waiting when you began your assault on the Lemurians; I ordered my people to attack the Aerians who would have come to their aid," Zala said, bowing slightly as she heard Leanna's horrified gasp. "I am here to offer you my services in the conquest of the Savage Lands."

She had long sought dominion of the Savage Lands in Garokk's name, and the signs were unmistakable. The Overlord was strong enough to survive the ritual; he would become the avatar of Garokk, her God.

"And to warn you," Zala continued, making him hum.

"Oh?" The Overlord said as she wished she could see his face as the helm gave her no idea of what he was thinking.

"As we speak, Ka-Zar, the protector of these lands, is headed this way, and while he is not a true threat to you, your actions will awaken a powerful monster, Chtylok. Even you, as you are now, pose little threat to it," Zala warned, making him hum again.

She'd seen it in her visions; the Fall People would hear of the destruction of the other tribes and turn to the mindless beast they worshipped in desperation, awakening the monster to defend them. Naturally, it'd kill the fools, but that would still leave a giant, nigh-unstoppable monster raging through the Savage Lands.

– Kuro Tepes –

"Finish looting Lemuria and gather the captives. We're falling back to the tower," I command, giving Zala a curious look. I vaguely remember her from the comics; she teamed up with Magneto during his own Savage Land expedition but betrayed him and died for it. I think she stole Polaris' powers at one point, but my memory of the comics is extremely vague.

Gnarl quickly gets to work commanding the minions to speed up their looting, but we're done here anyway. The last of the warriors have fallen; all that is left is to take what we want and be gone before the heroes get here to stop me. I've missed being the bad guy. Being an anti-hero is fun, but I'm a villain at heart, and donning my armour again feels right. 

[Dark Lord Class Quest]

Crush your enemies (100/100) - Complete

Corrupt do-gooders (4/10) - Complete

Acquire a Dark General (1/1) - Complete

Acquire a Mistress (0/1)

Huh? 4/10, complete?

Master, I've decided to help you out a little. Since you crushed way more than a hundred enemies, I've counted the additional enemies as towards completion of your corruption objective at a massively reduced rate! Nobody can deny that you're pulling off the Dark Lord act after all! 

Heh, thanks Isis.

"Zala, you're coming with us. This isn't optional," I say, rising to my full height as she bows obediently, watching me open the portal and guide my minions to send the captives and loot through it. With so many dead, I had more than enough essence to create far more brown minions, my horde growing larger.

My stomach feels downright bloated with how much blood I've drained, and the Lemurians had some good loot for my treasury. On the one hand, I don't trust Zala, obviously; she even dresses like a villain with black leather trousers, a feathery black cape and a tiny top, but on the other hand, I need a mistress, and she's hot.

Arriving back at my tower, I look through the portal as Lemuria burns to the ground, my reds finishing the job by setting everything around on fire, the flames blazing as I move towards my throne and take a seat as Queen Leanna and Zala are brought before me. 

"You will pay for what you have done, outsider," Leanna swears, rising to her feet from where the minions tossed her down. She looks regal for someone who just watched her people be wiped out, her tight green dress torn in several places and covered in dirt and ash as she stands tall. "Ka-Zar will bring you down."

Yeah, I have no idea who she is talking about. I vaguely remember some dude who ended up lost in the savage lands as a child, like some Marvel Tarzan, but my focus was on his wife, Shanna, the hot blonde who wore nothing but a leopard-skin bikini.

"I'm sure he'll try; it might even be fun," I say with a wave of my hand. "Gnarl, take her majesty to the… royal suite," I order, making Gnarl grin as he barks orders at the minions, leading the captured queen to the dungeons. "Now, Queen Zala. Prove you are worth keeping alive, that I shouldn't turn my forces on your people next. Chtylok, what is it?"

"A hibernating beast, nearly mindless but incredibly powerful. It once slaughtered the Fall People when they wandered into its territory, and they mistook it for a god and have worshipped it ever since. It hibernates now, but they will awaken it in the hopes that it will protect them from your aggressions," Zala explains, casting a spell to create an illusion of… a chicken bear. That's a white bear with a chicken's face. Man, this place is weird. I just wanted to fight tribals and maybe grab some dinosaurs. "Even if you strike at the Fall People next, Chtylok will awaken; whatever you have planned will disturb its slumber."

"And this Ka-Zar?" I ask.

"An outsider child, he has a connection to the Savage Lands themself and sees himself as the protector of the lands. He was on good terms with the Lemurians; he will not take their deaths lying down. If you wish for true domination of the Savage Lands, you will have to slay him," Zala warns, confirming my blurry memories. 

"Then there's just one last question. Why would a queen come to an outsider and conqueror and offer her service? If you know what I have planned, why aid me?" I ask, wondering what the hell she thinks I have planned. The fact is, I've already got what I came here for; I could leave right now.

"Because I have read the signs, Overlord. Ka-Zar is not the true protector of the Savage Lands; Garokk is, and I believe that you could be his next avatar with my aid," Zala says, making me pause. Garokk is her god; she wants to make me a divine avatar. 

"Explain," I order, ready to attack and kill her despite her looks if I don't like what I hear.

"Garokk has had many avatars, but their mortal forms cannot handle his powers for long, and they always die eventually; I believe you could be the true host of his divine powers, the true ruler of the Savage Lands," Zala explains, and I can hear the fanaticism in her voice. "I can perform the ritual and imbue you with Garokk's divine might, enough to easily handle Chtylok and bring the Savage Lands under your control."

Isis, what would happen if I let her do this?

I… honestly don't know, master. Garokk could not possess you; he may be a God, but he's a lesser one, and your Gamer's Mind would prevent possession. Your Gamer's Body makes your body incredibly adaptable, so you would adapt to the divine power, but how would it affect you? Even I can't say. All I can say is that you would survive, but there would certainly be side effects. I'm sure we could mitigate them in time, but this could be very unpleasant.

Unpleasant, but we're talking about divine power. I miss my old strength, and I can't deny that I am tempted.

"If I allow this, you will serve me," I say, and she just smiles with a hint of insanity. "Open your mind to me."

"You would become a living god; I would worship you," Zala promises, making me smile as I delve into her mind, seeing the divinations she did. She means it; she truly thinks I could become her god, and I have missed being worshipped. 

Ah, I miss Raynare.

Well, I've never been the most cautious man. 

"What do you need for this ritual?" I ask, rising from my throne and watching her eyes widen in joy and anticipation.

It's not long until I am lying on my bed, Zala straddling my waist as she paints symbols on my chest with a mixture that I don't recognise. Is this reckless? Perhaps, but with Isis promising me that I will live, I'm willing to take that chance to regain even a fraction of my lost power.

Her chanting grows in fervour, and after a moment, I feel something enter me, letting out a shout of pain as the energy floods my veins, my skin turning pitch-black as it petrifies. I feel something press against my mind, a presence trying to consume my mind and take control.

I don't think so, you little worm. This head only has space for two, and you aren't welcome.

Isis's words echo through my head, and I feel the shock and anger of the presence, but the pressure vanishes as I mentally watch Isis tear Garokk's psyche to pieces, consuming a god. In an instant, I see all, the entirety of the Savage Land in my mind.

I see Ka-Zar speaking with Сhief Tongah of the Fall People. I see everything from the fiercest t-rex to the smallest ant, and then I see nothing as I collapse, passing out while my body and mind try to adapt to the changes.

– Kevin Plunder (Ka-Zar) –

He'd failed. The outsider had attacked far too fast, falling upon the Lemurians and massacring their people long before he could arrive to help them. To make things worse, the Sun-People and their Pteron allies had attacked the Aerians, slaughtering the bird-people who had hoped to aid their ancient allies.

True war had come to the Savage Lands in ways he had never seen before.

"This is a bad idea, Kevin, and you know it. You're letting your friendship with Tongah blind you," Shanna warned, making him frown. Despite having lived in the Savage Lands for so many years, Shanna did not grow up here. She was already an adult when she arrived here, and many of their ways were alien to her.

"The myths of the Fall People are clear. Chtylok will return to save them and the Savage Lands from great disaster. Don't you think this counts?" Kevin retorted, making her sigh.

"This is a disaster, but I don't see how awakening an ancient monster is going to help us. The Fall People see Chtylok as a divine beast, but most tribes tell of it as a territorial, bloodthirsty monster. We're unleashing an evil in the hopes that it will fight another evil. We need to unite the tribes against this evil, warn them of the danger, not-" Shanna tried.

"And we will; messengers have already been sent out, and after we-" Kevin said, cutting off as the land started to shake violently, enough that even he lost his footing and had to grab a tree for support, his connection to the lands screaming into his mind.

Something was very wrong.

– Zala Dane –

None of the other subjects of this ritual had fallen into a slumber afterwards, leaving her confused but hopeful as she looked upon the features of the Overlord, who she now knew as Kuro. His pale skin had turned pitch-black as his skin petrified, but his facial features hadn't changed to match Garokk's.

She couldn't deny that she was somewhat nervous as she awaited his recovery, knowing that if he died, she would have a hard time fighting her way out of this place with the thousands of minions waiting to kill her if anything happened to the 'Mastah'.

The entire realm shook with his dreams, the desolate landscape outside the tower warping and shifting.

"Wha- where… the Tower?" a voice said, making her turn to see three women who had appeared in the room. "What has Kuro done this time?" 

The speaker was a beautiful redhead with soft green eyes, dressed in an expensive-looking red and white dress, and immediately, the white-haired girl with pointed ears turned to her with a scowl.

"Watch your tone, Rose. Remember that he is your Overlord," the white-haired one said. "And who are you?" 

The woman's posture and the way she spoke of Kuro told Zala everything she needed to know. 

"I am Zala Dane, High Priestess of Garokk. Are you one of the Overlord's mistresses?" Zala asked, making the woman pause before nodding.

"Serena, Lord Kuro's first Mistress. These two are Rose and Velvet," Serena finally said after giving her a long look. "And where is Kuro?"

"The Overlord is currently slumbering as his body adapts to the power of the Garokk," Zala explained, getting a look from them that told her that she needed to start explaining immediately. She did not know how strong these three were, but they didn't look pleased.

As she finished bringing them up-to-date (with the help of Gnarl, who was surprised to see the return of three of Kuro's mistresses), she was mildly surprised by how blasé they were about this whole thing. Rose seemed mildly annoyed that she'd have to sort out the logistics of their realm all over again; Velvet shrugged and mentioned that she'd start working on Leanne for Kuro's return, and Serena quickly moved to her Overlord's side.

Stroking his stony hair as she patiently awaited her master's return, she drilled Zala for information on the Savage Lands. Zala recognised a fellow zealot, 

– Kuro Tepes –

As I awaken, the sun rises to its peak over the Savage Lands, making me smile. I turn to see Zala and three very familiar faces watching me. Serena, Rose and Velvet watch as I will my petrified flesh to return to normal, drawing slight gasping from them.

"Welcome back, My Lord," Serena says, bowing deeply. "You have been sorely missed."

"Serena, it's damn good to see you again. What happened? When the tower returned, you were not inside it," I say, making her flinch at her 'failure'.

"I do not know, my lord. The tower shook, and we all saw the tower heart, your very soul, explode. I thought I died; I thought you had died," Serena admits, grief clear on her face before it fades. "After that… I don't know; I can't remember anything from that moment to the moment I reappeared in the tower."

"What happened, Kuro? The Tower Heart held your very soul; how did it get destroyed?" Rose asks, making me sigh as I rise from my bed, feeling the power at my fingertips.

"A spoiled little bitch with colossal daddy issues and far too much power attacked me, she very nearly killed me, but I survived, at the cost of much of my old powers," I admit. "She's dealt with, and I've been hard at work getting that power back."

"So we've heard, how does it feel to have the powers of a God?" Rose asks, making my lips twitch.

"Strange," I admit, pulling Serena into a one-armed hug. Having just three of my old harem back is a very good start, and Serena melts into my embrace. "We've lost my old domain; I might be able to restore it in time but for now… I have a plan."

They straighten up, ready to listen, and I smile to myself. Garokk is gone, but his powers are not. I don't have them all, but I have taken a lot from the Sun God, including his connection to the Savage Lands. I can feel Ka-Zar through that same connection, I can see the United Council of Tribes gathering to discuss my actions, and I can feel the immense amount of creatures inside the Savage Lands.

Huh, fucking Cthulhu Jr is imprisoned under a temple here; cool. Also, there is a lot of Vibranium down here, that's mine now. I call dibs. Wakanda can kiss my ass. I'm pretty sure I have more Vibranium than them based on how much I can sense.

"An Overlord needs a realm to rule, and the Savage Lands will make a good start," I say, reaching out with my powers and grasping the entirety of the Savage Lands, dragging them into my realm, my tower now towering over the jungles.

[Conquer the Savage Lands]

Objective: Destroy or subjugate the majority of the Savage Land tribes.

Objective: Slay or dominate Ka-Zar, Shanna the She-Devil, Zale Dane (Complete) and Chtylok 

Reward: ???

My control over the Savage Land isn't complete, not while Ka-Zar lives with his own connection to the Savage Lands, tainting my control. His existence is an insult.

"Zala, prepare your people for war. Today, the tribes will be united for the first time under me," I order, a dark smile growing on my lips. 

[Dark Lord Class Quest] - Complete

Crush your enemies (100/100) - Complete

Corrupt do-gooders (4/10) - Complete

Acquire a Dark General (1/1) - Complete

Acquire a Mistress (1/1) - Complete

[Goliath]

You are able to convert kinetic energy into mass, growing in size as objects strike you. The larger you are, the more force you can absorb completely and the stronger you can get.

[Parasitic Touch]

By touching someone, you can implant them with a parasite which will consume their mind and soul. Once consumed, their powers and skills will be claimed by the hivemind, and their bodies will become mindless husks controlled by the hivemind, which you can either command or control.

Fitting for a Dark Lord, 

[Vampire Lord] Class Unlocked due to the immense amount of blood consumed, you little glutton!

[Stygian Shroud]

You can spread suffocating darkness across a large area, muting sound and suppressing all other senses. Those within the shroud (except you) suffer from total blindness.

[Swarm]

You can transform into a swarm of smaller creatures, such as bats, rats, or even insects.

[Theft of Vitae]

Allows you to open a wound in a major artery of a distant mortal victim and cause blood to shoot out through the air in a stream toward your open mouth.

I consider going straight back into Dark Lord or Vampire Lord, but after a moment, I pause and change my mind. Archmage has the most utility of any class I have.

[Archmage Class Quest]

Study Magic for 100 hours (0/100)

Create 5 New Spells (0/5)

Cast 1000 spells (0/1000)

Finally… the pay-off from my risk.

[The Petrified Man]

You can turn your skin to stone, making it nigh-unbreakable, and gaining incredible strength and endurance at the cost of dulling your emotions.

[The Savage Lands]

As the God of the Savage Lands, you can shape the very lands to suit your will. You can both control and mimic the aspects of the different animals living there. 

There's more to it than that, but it's a start. I am now a Sun God, even if I'm very much a minor one and I have an upcoming fight with a Vampire. Something tells me that daddy dearest is going to be a little surprised when our fight finally comes.

Wait, pulling the Savage Lands into my Realm hasn't destabilised the earth, right? Ah, I'm sure it will be fine.

– Shanna O'Hara –

It turns out, the Fall Tribe needn't have bothered in their rituals to awaken Chtylok, because whatever had caused those earthquakes did it for them. She really wished she could take any enjoyment in saying 'I told you so' as the giant beast tore through the Fall Tribesmen, shrugging off Kevin's empowered blows and batting him aside, forcing them to retreat.

So, now they had an outsider army going around wiping out tribes, the Sun-People were on the attack again, and the godlike Chtylok was rampaging through the land after his rude wakeup call. That wasn't even mentioning the giant spiky tower that could be seen from miles around.

Listening to the representatives of each tribe bicker and argue, she felt the moment things changed. The clearing they had chosen as a meeting point for the united tribes suddenly felt intensely unwelcoming, the tribesmen going silent as the sun turned to a violent red, the sound of a stampede headed their way.

Sharing a look with Kevin, she realised something. The outsiders were attacking the tribes, and they had just gathered all the tribes' leadership in a single place. Kevin let out a scream, clutching at his chest as the skies darkened.

Clutching her weapon, she watched as a tall figure walked from the jungle, with an army of both Sun-People, Pteron and creatures she didn't recognise behind him, heavy armour covering his body but his face exposed to reveal his blackened, petrified skin. Her eyes widened in shock as she realised exactly what she was looking at, Zala following behind her god with a vicious smile on her face.

Someone, she didn't know who, shot an arrow at the newcomer, and they watched as it struck his cheek and broke, the figure's smile growing darker.

— Bonus Scene — Selene Gallio

Kuro was truly fascinating. She knew that discovering her existence and her plans would cause him to seek out more power, she'd even planned to approach him with something to help him become what she needed him to be.

What she hadn't expected was for him to attack the Savage Lands, something he shouldn't even know existed, steal the powers of a God, even one as weak as Garokk, and then rip the entire Savage Lands into a pocket dimension, causing world-wide earthquakes and utter chaos as part of the Earth, the size of a large country was swallowed into a pocket dimension. Scrying Kuro was always interesting, because she genuinely could not predict what her chaotic son would be doing each time she checked in with him.

So, that was what pride felt like? Her plans were unchanged, and the ritual continued, but as she watched the Hydra occultists unknowingly doom their world, she smiled darkly. She was really starting to look forward to meeting her son.