Squid Laser
The throne room of King Octibockti was a place of grandeur and alien splendor. The cavernous space pulsed with a dim glow, its walls gently undulating like the surface of an underwater current. Each time the King spoke, the soft, blue light seemed to shimmer in response, giving the entire room a sense of living power, as though the walls were attuned to his royal voice. At the center of this expanse sat the King himself, a towering figure of regal authority and a touch of playful absurdity. His four enormous tentacles sprawled lazily over his toy block throne, each muscle-filled limb subtly rippling as though anticipating motion. His two large white eyes, aglow with an inner light, surveyed the room with a calm yet intense focus. Below them, his oversized pink mouth twisted into a sly grin.
“Ori!” King Octibockti’s voice boomed, filling the room like a low, rumbling wave that reverberated through the very foundation of his kingdom. “Come, I want to see my nursery.”
At his call, Ori, the King’s ever-bouncing and excitable minion, zipped into the throne room, leaving a trail of bubbles in his wake. Ori was a small, round blue squid with a single, large eye and four stubby tentacles that flailed about with unrestrained glee. Every time he moved, a flurry of bubbles followed, as though excitement itself bubbled out of him uncontrollably.
“Yes, your Royal Squidness!” Ori chirped, his voice high-pitched and brimming with enthusiasm. He moved with jittery energy, his small form vibrating as he eagerly anticipated what was to come. “Come, sir! The production is almost complete!”
King Octibockti rose from his throne, his massive tentacles shifting with the weight of the deep-sea monarch. Together, they moved from the throne room, the soft echo of the King’s body dragging across the polished floor reverberating in the quiet space. As they exited, the atmosphere around them shifted dramatically. The throne room gave way to the castle grounds, a beach garden of surreal beauty.
The sand beneath their feet shimmered with an ethereal glow, like stardust caught in the rays of an underwater sun. Waves lapped gently against the shore, the rhythmic sound adding a tranquil backdrop to their journey. Above, the light filtered through the depths, casting a soft, almost dreamlike glow over the entire scene. As they walked, Ori practically skipped beside the King, his bubbling excitement almost palpable.
They passed a towering stone structure, its surface etched with strange, glowing symbols. Two stone eyes, deeply carved into the ancient rock, glowing with pulsing energy, like a bond of raw power flickering between them. It was a reminder of the arcane and powerful forces at play in this kingdom, where the mechanical and the mystical intertwined seamlessly.
“I assure you,” Ori chirped, waving his stubby tentacles toward the path ahead. “You’ll be quite pleased, your Royal Squidness!”
King Octibockti’s large white eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. “I am very excited to see the work you’ve done, Ori,” he rumbled, his tentacles propelling him forward with regal grace.
Ahead of them loomed a grand shell-shaped building, its smooth white surface gleaming in the dim light. It looked both organic and alien, as though grown rather than built. Ori bounded ahead, stretching out one of his blue tentacles to grasp the door and pulling it open with a flourish. A faint hiss of air escaped from within, and as the door opened wide, a gentle lullaby drifted out, welcoming them into the nursery.
Inside was a sight that even King Octibockti found breathtaking. The nursery was an intricate mix of wonder and mechanical precision. From the ceiling, carousels of varying geometric shapes dangled, spinning slowly in time with the music. The gentle lullaby wove its way through the space, soft and soothing, filling the nursery with a sense of calm and creation. In the center of the room, a massive oval mechanism hovered above a conveyor belt of floating bubbles. The mechanism, sleek and otherworldly, sprayed dark blue ink into each bubble as it passed, filling them with a mysterious inky substance. The bubbles drifted lazily through the air, carried along by unseen currents.
All around the nursery, rows upon rows of bubbles lined the walls, an endless display of carefully curated creation. As one wall filled, it seamlessly slid backward, making way for another empty wall to rise, ready to be filled in turn.
King Octibockti’s tentacles twitched with satisfaction, a pleased gurgle escaping his large pink mouth. “Excellent,” he murmured, his eyes roving over the endless production.
“The work is coming along nicely, Ori,” the King said, his voice carrying a deep sense of approval as he gazed at the ever-growing collection of bubbles. The mechanism continued its rhythmic work, the soft hiss of ink and the gentle hum of the conveyor belt filling the room with an almost hypnotic quality.
Ori beamed with pride, his whole body bouncing up and down as bubbles popped around him in gleeful bursts. “Yes, sir! Every day we get a little better!” he exclaimed, his voice brimming with joy.
King Octibockti’s gaze was drawn to a single pillar at the side of the room. Upon it sat a pink bubble, gleaming like a precious pearl amidst the sea of inky creations. The King’s eyes narrowed, his focus sharpening as he stared at the bubble. It was perfect—radiating a soft, alluring light that seemed to call to him.
“The perfect seed,” King Octibockti rumbled softly, his voice reverent. He turned to Ori, his large eyes still locked on the gleaming bubble. “And Ori… have you started work on this one?”
Ori giggled, his excitement bubbling over. “Yes, sir! It is in process now!” he said, wiggling in place with delight.
King Octibockti turned his attention back to the conveyor belt, watching as each bubble was carefully filled and added to the ever-expanding collection. The room hummed with the sound of creation, an almost soothing symphony of progress and precision.
“Excellent…” the King murmured, his eyes narrowing with ambition. His gaze swept across the nursery, taking in every detail, every bubble, every mechanism. “Ori, what else do you have for me?” he asked, his voice filled with the anticipation of discovery.
Ori spun excitedly in place, his small body vibrating with energy. “Oh, sir! We have so many things in the making! It’s quite busy around here!”
King Octibockti leaned forward slightly, his curiosity deepening. “Can you show me your most purposeful ones?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as he considered the possibilities. “Perhaps the ones that could have the greatest impact.”
Ori’s bubbling excitement grew, and he bounced with joy, his body practically vibrating with enthusiasm. “Oh sir, I have many ideas for mythic seeds!” His voice dropped, becoming more serious for a moment. “But production can be tough. It takes real tenacity to bring these bubbles to full form.”
King Octibockti’s smile widened, his large pink mouth curling into a calculating grin. “One seed could take you to the moon, Ori. We must have something like that.”
Ori practically vibrated with excitement, his bubbles popping faster than ever. “Absolutely, sir! I have one I think you’ll love!”
“Show me,” King Octibockti commanded, his eyes gleaming with interest.
With a proud flourish, Ori led the King down a winding hallway. The soft glow of the walls pulsed with each step, the light mirroring the building excitement in the air. They entered a production room, where complex machinery lined the walls, humming quietly in the background. In the center of the room sat a blocky table, glowing softly with an otherworldly light.
Ori beamed as he shined a light onto the table. “Look at this one! We made it loop recursively.”
On the table, a small sheep appeared an augmented number shimmering above its head. A pink butterfly fluttered around the sheep, which walked into a hole in the table. As the sheep passed through, different layers of the table lit up, each a distinct color, symbolizing various stages of the simulation. When the sheep reached the end of the loop, the process reset, the number above its head changing with each cycle.
“It causes growth to continue forever!” Ori exclaimed, gleefully bouncing around the table.
Pointing dramatically to a large white egg with blue stripes sitting nearby, Ori’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “And now, through this process, we’ve discovered a new egg that will accelerate production!”
King Octibockti’s breath quickened as he leaned closer, his eyes wide with awe. “This one? Excellent!” he murmured.
“The egg of Shiva’s Khoi!” Ori giggled, watching as the egg shimmered.
As Ori spoke, the egg began to shimmer, its surface glinting with an ethereal light that filled the production room with a soft, pulsating glow. The light flickered and swirled around the room like a living thing, casting shadows that danced across the walls. Suddenly, the egg itself seemed to melt away, its form replaced by a stunning holographic projection.
In the center of the room, a massive blue fish swam through the air, its scales shimmering like polished gems, each one reflecting the ambient light in an almost hypnotic pattern. The fish moved with a graceful fluidity, spiraling through the room as though it were swimming through an invisible sea. Its body twisted and turned, leaving behind trails of light that hung in the air, swirling in intricate patterns that seemed to tell a story of their own.
As the fish swam, the projection revealed more wonders. Beneath it, a garden of benthic blocks began to materialize, their surfaces sparkling with tiny diamonds that grew from the seafloor-like plants. The diamonds glistened, each one catching the light as though they were alive, their edges sharp and crystalline.
King Octibockti watched, enraptured by the scene unfolding before him. His large white eyes widened in awe, and he reached out with one of his massive tentacles, his gaze fixed on a particularly bright diamond. His tentacle brushed against the light, and to his surprise, the diamond solidified beneath his touch. It was no longer a mere hologram; it was real, tangible. He held the diamond in his grasp, its sharp edges glinting under the soft glow of the room.
“Wow…” King Octibockti whispered, his deep voice filled with wonder. The diamond glittered in his hand, a symbol of the immense potential that Ori’s work had unlocked.
Ori bounced with pride, his single eye gleaming with joy as more bubbles popped around him. “Come, sir! That’s not all!” Ori squealed, practically vibrating with excitement. “I’ll show you the rest of the stock!”
The two continued deeper into the production facility, moving from room to room. Each chamber was filled with creations of startling complexity and wonder. In the next room, square pigs and boars rolled playfully in simulated mud, their oinks echoing through the air. The mud itself shimmered with a faint glow, as though infused with some sort of magical energy.
King Octibockti chuckled softly, his voice a low rumble. “The boars are well,” he commented, clearly pleased with what he saw.
Ori nodded enthusiastically. “The swine you requested, sir!” he chirped, pointing to two particularly bright green pigs who were oinking happily in the corner. Their square bodies rolled across the mud in lazy loops, their contented grunts filling the room.
“They’ll be grown for the Imperium Nexus, your squidness,” Ori added, his tone proud.
King Octibockti’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Good!” he boomed, his voice filling the room. “They will spawn in numbers of one onward to infinity. In the war of night, I was told scale matters.”
Ori giggled in response, clearly delighted that his work had met the King’s high expectations. He turned and opened the door to yet another room, and the two of them stepped inside.
This chamber was filled with water, the light shimmering across the surface as objects floated in the stillness. The room was a museum of sorts, filled with treasures both curious and arcane. Floating objects drifted lazily around them: a mask of Argnor, strange sheep-like boxes, and the heads of dragons and beasts suspended in the water as though held in time.
“Sir!” Ori said, proudly presenting the room with a wide gesture. “The museum has been prepared!”
As he spoke, a single bubble floated up from the water. It had a glowing sigil inside, which pulsed briefly before the bubble popped with a soft, wet sound. The room shimmered in response, a blue light cascading from wall to wall, making everything within it seem to glow.
King Octibockti’s tentacles twitched with pleasure, his large eyes scanning the room with a regal sense of ownership. “Most excellent, Ori,” he said, his voice resonating with satisfaction. “We will now enjoy this kingdom of plenty.”
In that moment, the large gate at the bottom of the pool began to open. The water shifted as the gate revealed a swirling vortex, pulling everything toward it with a powerful force. The room began to transform, the floating objects—monsters, masks, warriors—sucked into the swirling current. The vortex spun faster and faster, and the room itself seemed to spin along with it, twisting into a cyclone of energy.
King Octibockti let out a deep, booming laugh, his voice echoing through the room. “Now,” he declared, his eyes gleaming with power, “it’s our turn to fire up the hyperbeam!”
As he spoke, the vortex expanded, filling the room with a rush of energy. A massive dragon form began to twist and coil within the vortex, its long, sinuous body winding through the air revealing the raw power that made up its form. The dragon roared silently as it spun, pulling everything around it into its gravitational pull.
Ori’s voice echoed through the chamber, his tone filled with both awe and excitement as the scene unfolded around them. “Oma Manchoo!” he called out, his small body bouncing in place as the room became a whirlwind of motion and energy.
Everything was drawn into the vortex—the toys, the props, the monsters, and masks—all of it spinning faster and faster, caught in the dragon’s swirling grasp. The light in the room pulsed in time with the dragon’s movements, creating a kaleidoscope of colors that danced across the walls in chaotic, mesmerizing patterns.
At the center of it all stood King Octibockti, his massive form illuminated by the swirling light. His tentacles spread wide, his eyes glowing with power, as he watched his kingdom transform before him. This was his domain—a kingdom of endless creation, where mythic seeds could grow into unimaginable power, where production was limitless, and where the future of his reign was secure.
Ori, still bubbling with excitement, zipped around the room, watching with wide-eyed wonder as everything unfolded. “The dream has been baked,” King Octibockti said, his deep voice steady and calm despite the chaos swirling around him. “The recipe has been followed, and the renders…” He paused, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the vortex. “Well, the renders are to be delivered.”
With that, the vortex reached its peak, the energy within it spinning so fast that it became a blur of light and color. King Octibockti let out a final, triumphant laugh as the vortex collapsed inward, pulling everything into its core.
And then, in an instant, it was over. The room was still, the light dimming back to its soft, pulsing glow. The treasures, toys, and creations were gone, delivered into the heart of the vortex, where they would be transformed into the seeds of future power.
King Octibockti stood tall, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Ori bounced beside him, still vibrating with excitement, his small form practically glowing with pride.
“Now,” King Octibockti rumbled, “*we begin the next phase.”
“Yes, your Royal Squidness!” Ori chirped, ready and eager for whatever was to come.