Demonic Devourer's Development

After plenty of consideration, I decided to evolve myself 'Chitinous Carapace'. I was against it before. Then, it would've greatly decreased my ability and flexibility. Now, with 'Form Shifting' that allowed me to bend into pretzel if I wanted to, this wasn't my concern. And more protection was always better.

On level 10, I had to choose between 'Steel' and 'Spikes' upgrades, and after I chose the first option, I had to pick between 'Adamant' and 'Orichalcum'. A harder choice this time, since I had very little idea about what was the difference between the two. Good thing that I had my pocket encyclopedia.

'Pest, what's the difference between adamant and orichalcum? They are both metals, aren't they?' I thought I remembered something like that from my past life, or maybe Rosha had mentioned them…

'Yeah. Adamant is super-strong, and orichalcum is just strong, but it can disperse magic, so even if you hit it with a spell, it will just disperse. Partially, at least.'

That was amazing. I picked orichalcum without a second thought. It took me three million EXP in total, but I kept the rest with the intention of saving it and level up my claws more some day.

My new orichalcum carapace was a pleasing sight. Unlike my skin and flesh, it was almost opaque, so it made me overall look much less monstrous. It had a metallic sheen to it and was almost golden in colour. It was rigid, but not much, and not when I concentrated on making it not to. Like wearing a leather jacket. To keep the light of the magic stone visible from under it, I had to push it closer to the surface, but that was fine.

Even Gi was astounded when he first saw it, though he went back to grim brooding almost immediately after. Nevertheless, he couldn't stop himself from asking me questions.

"You weren't yellow last evening… master. How did you turn yellow? What are you?"

Ah, this was the first time Gi called me anything at all. He seemed to be averse to using my name, even though I had given it to him. Not that I cared much one way or another, but acceptance of his circumstances was a first step on his way to greatness.

"I'm a demon, pipsqueak. This is my unique demonic power… I grow stronger with everything I eat, and can gain abilities of the creatures that ended in my stomach."

That put a gloomy expression on the boy's face again, and he didn't ask anything again. No doubt, the destruction of his tribe was haunting him still… he would have to get past that, too. Well, some people say that friendship is magic. Surely he'd find some friends amongst my cultists.

Or, he will tell my innocent girls (in other words, not Yvenna) about how he came to be on the surface and they will get very unhappy with me… Whatever. It won't be a lethal loss, not with Bishop and his cult on my side. Including Yvenna, of course.

It was good to have spares. Though as far as quality went, Yvenna's was… Even after so long spent in the darkness, with only my thoughts and monsters for company, I still wasn't sure what to think of her. The only conclusion I came to in the end is that I had to fuck her again so get a better grasp on my feelings about her.

Our journey with Gi continued until, eventually, we reached the river. It was the same old river I left, full of hungry fish that had a tendency to jump out of the water and bite you on the nose when you leaned over to drink some water.

"It must be very easy to fish here," I noted after catching one such fish mid-air and eating it in two bites. "Just put a hook into the water, the fishes will fight for the opportunity to bite on it."

"We didn't even need to use hooks. We'd just lean next to the water and catch it with bare hands, like you just did. I and other kids would compete in who can catch most this way…" Gi said in an empty voice. "Then, Faut fell into the water and the fishes ate three of his fingers and a wrist to the bone before we pulled him out. Then adults forbidden us from fishing, but I'd still come when I was too hungry."

I looked at the river with new respect after that. Good thing I didn't care for swimming in it before… But that reminded me.

"Say, pipsqueak, do you know about a monster who looks like a worm with a beak and tons of hands, and can spit acid?"

Gi shook his head no. I snorted. Well, no meant no. Too bad. I hoped to find some knowledge of what this creature was. This particular part of the river we got to wasn't the one I could remember or find my claw marks at, but sooner or later we will come to the place where I've met this creature, and that time… That time, I will be ready.

Since I remembered that the last time I went downstream, this time I went upstream. To my joy, it wasn't that long until I began to spot the claw marks I left on the walls to note my progress, but I was disappointed to not see the hand-worm again. After all that time, I even forgot the terrible taste of it, and with much more fondness, recalled its ability to regenerate.

So when I scented a sharp and familiar tang of acid coming from a side-tunnel, instead of walking past it, I told Gi to stay put and went to investigate. The scent became stronger and stronger with every minute until I entered another cave and saw the many-handed creature, the same one or one of the same kind, feasting on a dead giant lizard.

Its body was bloated with fat again, and deceptively slow. But that time, I would be ready for its powers.