The 6 of them bowed and said, "We greet Count Xigger."
Their greeting was respectful and deferential despite them knowing that he killed their family and friends and everyone that they cared about. He looked at them with a sneer. He can see the hatred hidden deep within their eyes. He doesn't need to use his authority over them to know what they truly think of him. He has been in their shoes in the past so he is intimately familiar with their loss.
He briefly entertained a show of strength to discipline them and put them in their place. It is not needed since they will obey him absolutely regardless. But he is still giddy from his earlier indulgence. He wants to shed more blood.
"Maybe just a little." He thought to himself. "It doesn't hurt to show them that planning for revenge is futile."
The voice in his head chuckled and said to him, "You have become the devil that you hate."
Scenes of what he just did flashed in his mind. The sounds of the cries of pain and the sights of grisly injuries that he caused suddenly bombarded his mind. His exhilaration fell immediately. He suddenly felt the impact of what he had just done.
"It is for the greater good." He replied.
He didn't let guilt or regret influence him at all. He tried to convince himself of his motive.
"If you say so." The voice is clearly not convinced.
The voice knows that he enjoyed it. He doesn't want to admit it as he should but the voice is not going to call him on his hypocrisy. Instead, the voice offered him advice.
"Know this, there is no good or evil. They are just social constructs meant to keep a society together. It is a notion used to herd sheep. If you are not part of a society, then it is right for you not to obey the rules of that society."
"What do you mean?" Xigger asked.
"Is it bad to kill? Society will say that it is bad. But that same society will kill members of another society and honor the act. Soldiers are honored for their actions of killing other soldiers. The society does so that more of them will be encouraged to risk themselves in service of that society."
"The ties of the society bind mortals together but also divide them. Everyone is selfish. They can care about the ones that are close to them or members of their own society but another society is fair game. So don't be burdened by the concepts of good and bad. Concern yourself with what you want to protect and what you will kill in other to protect what you love or care about."
Xigger listened and he was surprised. The voice in his head is usually edging him on to kill and murder everything and everyone. This is the first time that it is saying something logical and reasonable. It is surprising to hear something other than the requests for Carnage or the ranting about the disrespectful white bitch.
He finds that he agrees with what the voice said. Then he realized that he has been swayed by the words of a demon. Demons are present in every culture. They are said to be very cunning and persuasive. Their sweet tongue can talk a saint down the path to the abyss.
So he said, "Nice try. But I don't agree. I killed members of my race for my own selfish benefit. What I did was wrong. I will make sure to atone for my sins."
The voice snorted. "The notions of wrong and right are but shackles for the weak. Break out of your limit. Pursue greatness and only greatness."
Xigger refused. "I like the way I am. It is the notions of wrong and right that help me keep my humanity and restrain my impulses. Without it, I would be a wild animal."
"I have seen it again and again. Power without an evolution of the mind is nonsense. A fool with power is just a powerful fool. Power doesn't make one great. You are still a fool."
CARNAGE has seen this situation several times. Because of its blessings and deals, mortals gain power and immortality quickly. It is a power that they didn't work for and they shouldn't have in a normal situation. This power corrupts but it doesn't change who the mortals really are. It just makes them reveal their true self and indulge in the reverie of pleasure. Unfortunately, they remain the same weak-minded naive fools that they are despite the power that they possess.
Xigger didn't retort. He believes in his moral superiority and he believes that his stance on right and wrong, good and bad, will help him from falling deeper into the clutches of the evil being in his head.
"As long as I make up for my evil, everything will be alright."
"How do you propose to do that?" The Voice asked.
Xigger answered with determination. "I will unite the Warrogs and fight back against the oppression of the wood elves. Then I will find a way to free my race from their curse."
The voice laughed. "What a fool! Then again, I like working with fools."
Xigger ignored the comment on his intelligence. He left the mountain with all his fledglings.
"Too late now. You have enemies incoming. The wood elves have caught up to you. They seem to be transcendents." The voice in his head warned him.
"How many?" He asked.
"Just two." The voice replied.
"Perfect. Just perfect." He said while grinning. "It seems that my luck has turned."
He did not gain much strength from snacking on Mana entities and weak Vitality core refiners despite the amount that he killed. The quality of the blood matters more than the quantity to a vampire. He needs worthy prey if he wants to grow stronger as a predator. He is a lion. He is not a cat. He can not grow fatter by living on mice.