Chrysalis

I can feel it. I'm not sure exactly how, or why, but I can feel it. Far, far below where I stand, something has shifted. I feel as though I'm standing in a rail tunnel and somewhere out in front, the very first rumblings of the train coming my way can be felt.

My antennae tingle at the intensity of it. It's like a rush of blood to the head. I can practically smell the rush of mana building far below.

[Ever lived through a wave, Mr Odin?] I ask my new demon friend.

We've made our way to the border city where Sarah lives. I thought it would be useful to introduce him to another human survivor like himself, other than me of course. He seems to be someone who's struggled a fair bit in his time on Pangera, so he might get something from a meeting with Sarah, who similarly struggled.

I've been doing great here, so I can't really empathise as well as I'd like to.

Trying to teach Odin what he needs to know is a draining process. There's just so much that he doesn't know, and a great deal that I don't know either. Which are the greatest human kingdoms? Why would I know that? Why would I want to know that?

I can say which is the greatest ant kingdom in the Dungeon! Why bother with anything other than that?

[A wave?] he replies, acting cagey.

He's always acting cagey.

[Think of it as a period of intense monster spawning. The mana level rises throughout the entire Dungeon, which results in all spawns going absolutely nuts. The number of monsters being created every hour goes up by about a hundred fold. It's quite intense.]

The demon blinks. He has eyelids, dammit. I wish I could blink.

[That sounds… dangerous,] he says, narrowing his eyes.

I can't do that either!

[Of course it's dangerous. Things are going to get wild. What's worse is that monsters from deeper in the Dungeon are able to climb up, since the mana level can sustain them.]

[When is this going to begin?] Odin asks, and I can already tell he's planning how to profit from the situation. His brain is like a mess of gears, always turning, hunting for advantage, no matter what gets fed into them. The more serious the situation I describe, the faster the gears turn.

Just what kind of life has this guy lived?

Ah well. Who am I to judge? He probably had a much harder life than I did, I can cut him some slack. I feel the energy pulsing through the Dungeon beneath my feet.

[Couple of hours?]

[What?!]

Gears churn in the back of his mind like never before and I give him a friendly slap on the back with an antenna to help calm him down.

[Hey, no worries. You're in the safest place a monster could hope to be. Going it alone out there would be a nightmare, but here, me and the family can help support you.]

Odin shifts a little uneasily.

[When you say "family"… what do you mean, exactly?]

I'm confused.

[Like, we're all related. A good number of us are born from the same mother. If not, then we're born from one of her daughters. You know… a family?]

[Oh. I was thinking about a different type of family.]

What does that even mean? I'm confused, but I don't want to ask him any questions about it, he has a far off look in his eye and I swear I can hear offers that cannot be refused being made. I'll let it go.

There she is!

[Heeeeey, Sarah! How's things going, you grumpy old bear?]

The giant bear trots over to us with a disgruntled expression on her muzzle.

[Don't call me that,] she complains. [I don't even like honey.]

[Sorry, I got carried away. I came over to introduce you to another human monster I bumped into out in the wild.]

I give Odin a nudge, but he doesn't introduce himself. He's too busy staring up at the intimidating ursine in front of him.

[Hey… you going to say your name? Or… anything?]

[Are you the most perfect killing machine the world has ever seen?] he blurts out.

You what, mate?

[Uhhhh,] Sarah is taken aback, blinking slowly as she looks down on the much smaller demon.

I sling a leg around his shoulder and pull him toward me.

[Don't worry about Odin, he hasn't been here long, still a bit miswired in the head,] I tell Sarah across a closed bridge.

[What the heck was that, man?] I admonish the demon over another closed bridge. [Sarah doesn't like fighting and you go on and call her a killing machine the first time you see her? That's messed up! Just because she's an Asura bear, a nigh unkillable engine of destruction that feeds on rage and pain and destruction, doesn't make her a killing machine! You need to apologise immediately!]

Somewhat shaken by my words, and the fact that I'm shaking him, Odin manages to say sorry and things settle into a more normal rhythm.

[You poor thing,] Sarah says, shaking her head. [I couldn't imagine being born as a demon larva. It's terrible down there for them.]

The little demon seems stunned to have someone actually sympathise with him. He sits still for a little while and then nods.

[Yes, it was difficult. But I was prepared for such an existence. My life on Earth… wasn't simple.]

[Mine was!] I cheerily say and Sarah flicks me a baffled look. [By the by, Odin, you haven't mentioned what type of demon you are yet? Tier five by the feel of your core?]

He hesitates but eventually decides to answer me.

[I just reached tier six not long ago…] he says. [Assassin Demon.]

[So that means you feel a powerful urge to assassinate people all the time? That must be a little weird.]

[... Not really.]

[Cool. Well, welcome to the gang! What?]

The last bit is addressed to Sarah, who is staring at me horrified.

[Anyways, I've got to go. Wave breaking and all that. Sarah, can you help Odin get settled in for a bit? Thanks, byeeeeee!]

[Anthony! Get back here!]