Chapter 102: Hermaeus Mora

The tentacles twisted together and gradually detached from Euron's eyes, floating in the air. Euron Grejoyn's magical eye ability lost its effect, and the two Draemora Lords regained consciousness. Wright commanded them to stand guard on either side. It was now afternoon on a bright, clear day. The sky began to darken rapidly.

The bubbles swirling within the mass of tentacles turned black, resembling thick, tar-like sludge. The sticky black liquid dripped onto Euron's head, covering the wound where his jaw had been severed. The bleeding immediately stopped. The sky had now completely darkened, and every black bubble sprouted an eye. Dozens of eyes appeared, vanishing and reappearing within the writhing tentacles.

"Sea God?" Wright thought, recalling the Ironborn's worship of the Sea God and the Grejoy's octopus banner. But the Sea God had no specific form; in Ironborn religious texts, the deity was more often depicted anthropomorphically. Wright stared at the writhing mass of black tentacles and eyes, the shape oddly familiar.

A large bubble formed in the center of the mass, and a face-sized eye opened within it, watching Wright with two connected pupils. The two Draemora Lords nearby lowered their weapons.

"Come closer. Bathe in my presence," a lazy, mocking voice emanated from the eye.

"Shit!" Wright exclaimed, his surprise unmistakable. The voice was familiar to anyone who had played certain games — a voice that no one could interrupt or skip, forcing you to listen to its slow, drawn-out dialogue.

"Hermaeus Mora, the Demon God?" Wright was stunned. When he had arrived in this world, his game interface had been corrupted, with not even a single potato left in the inventory. No dark magical scriptures, no Miraak's Sword — nothing.

How did this Demon God arrive in the world of Ice and Fire?

"I am Hermaeus Mora. I am the invisible guardian, the knower of all things unknown. I have been watching you, Dragonborn. You are impressive," the Daedric Prince's voice echoed.

Even in the face of a Demon God, Wright wouldn't show fear. Besides, this particular god wasn't known for combat, which made it even less intimidating. Wright fought the urge to lash out and allowed the Demon God to finish speaking. He then asked, "I don't remember having any connection with you, nor did I summon you, and I certainly haven't entered your domain of annihilation. How did you come here?"

"These are histories, accumulated through the passage of time into knowledge. Dragonborn, what will you offer in exchange for this information?" Hermaeus Mora responded.

Wright raised the Dark Sister, pointing it at Euron. "I'll trade his life for yours!"

Having seen Hermaeus Mora and linking it to Euron's situation, Wright was sure the two were connected, and he could kill Euron at any moment.

"Euron Grejoyn, my servant. He has served me for a long time. Under my guidance, he gained knowledge and power, bringing me what I desired. All his secrets come from me," the Demon God continued, his voice slow and deliberate. "Five thousand years ago, someone used a dark tome to open a portal to this world, connecting it to my domain. Other gods connected as well. However, this world is lacking in magic and is far too backward; none of the gods care for it," Hermaeus Mora added.

Five thousand years ago? A dark tome? Wright's mind raced, piecing together possibilities.

"Wright Baratheon, I know you have been in search of knowledge. All knowledge has been accumulated by me, stored on the endless shelves of my library, to satisfy your thirst for learning."

"So, you've had your eye on me for a long time. Did you send Euron to find me?" Wright deduced, realizing that this Demon God had a particular interest in Dragonborn.

"After hearing about the events in Braavos, I sent my servant to seek you out. If you grow tired of searching for knowledge, come and serve me. Dragonborn, my realm can fulfill all your needs!"

"I'm not interested in being anyone's servant!" Wright rejected the offer without hesitation.

The Demon God's voice dragged on, slow as ever: "I know what you desire. You wish to use your power as a Dragonborn to make the world bend to your will! This is the knowledge you need, though you do not realize it. The previous Dragonborn served me well and was rewarded. I can grant you the same power, but all knowledge has its price."

Wright thought about this. The idea of using his power to subjugate the world didn't appeal to him. He understood that controlling loyalty through enchantments or the bending of wills would only produce puppets — mindless followers. This would make him no better than a tyrant, someone with the strength to crush others but no real power. Even the Night King had something more — he commanded the undead.

Hermaeus Mora continued, "Through Euron's eyes, I allowed you to experience the power of a Demon God, and you summoned the Draemora Lords!"

Wright recalled that he had wanted to summon two Fury Demons, but under the influence of Euron's illusion, he had instead summoned two Draemora Lords without even realizing the difference. He had always feared making a connection with the Demon Gods from the Elder Scrolls world, hesitant even to summon something like a simple Arvak, fearing what might happen if these entities came into the world.

Now, hearing that they had arrived here five thousand years ago and that he had already summoned the Draemora Lords, Wright felt it didn't matter anymore. If he could summon them once, doing so again would be no different, regardless of whether the Demon God was truthful.

Wright was furious that the Demon God had used powerful illusions to manipulate his thoughts. He answered firmly, "I don't need it!"

The disgustingly slow voice returned, "You will serve me, whether you wish to or not. Anyone who seeks the world's taboos becomes my servant."

Wright shot back, "Everyone has different pursuits and different boundaries. I seek knowledge, but I won't be anyone's dog! Hermaeus Mora, take your servant away!"

Countless black tendrils reached toward Euron's body.

"Wait!" Wright suddenly shouted. "You said you only sent Euron to find me, but he brought so many people trying to kill me. I don't know if you're lying or telling the truth, but today, I've been attacked by Euron. He came prepared. It wouldn't be right to just take him away like this."

"My servant mentioned that your family once waged war against his family. That's a matter between your mortals, not something that concerns me!" Hermaeus Mora's voice replied coldly.

Wright walked over to Euron. Ice spikes rapidly melted, lowering Euron's body to the ground. The black eyes and the mass of tendrils followed suit, lowering in height as well. Wright grabbed both of Euron's Valyrian steel daggers and strapped them to his waist, then began removing Euron's armor. The Valyrian steel armor couldn't be wasted. After a bit of effort, he piled the armor aside and retrieved a Valyrian steel one-handed axe. Now, Euron was left in nothing but his underpants, sprawled out on the deck.

"Alright, you can take your servant now."

Several black tendrils grew longer and thicker, wrapping around Euron's body. They pulled him toward the large eye, where he slowly sank into the black liquid. Wright knew it was the Demon God's domain of annihilation, vast and boundless.

"We will meet again, Dragonborn!" Hermaeus Mora's voice echoed as Euron was pulled into the depths.

"Maybe," Wright replied calmly.