Chrysalis

Chapter 733

"If you're going to talk to that thing, you better make it quick, Eldest!" Protectant calls as the fight continues to keep the press of demons from overwhelming me.

Right, don't want to waste any time here, need to get our info and get the heck out of here. Still, this is a precious chance to talk to a fellow sentient monster. I've heard that there's tons of them down here in the third strata. What to ask? What does the Colony need to know the most?

[You mentioned a city?] I ask the trapped Anga, [whereabouts might I find it?]

[You don't see it?] the demon says in a near mocking tone. [Look down the spire!]

I'm going to assume the spire refers to the gigantic pillar we are close to the top of. Glancing over the side of the ramp, I can see straight down the absurd, vertigo inducing sight of the giant stone formation holding up the roof of the third strata. Just as before, I can see the rocks teeming with lifeforms climbing their way up dotted by flowing rivers of lava that flow out of the pillar at various points. Then I notice something odd and it takes me a second to reconfigure my perspective to understand exactly what it is that I'm looking at.

Is that… what I think it is?

What I had originally thought was a rock formation around the base of the pillar appears to be something else. Looking almost straight down at it, I couldn't quite make out the difference, but when I look a little harder, I realise it isn't actually on the ground. What I'm seeing is, in fact, a plate-like rock formation that circles the entire pillar about halfway down. And as I stare harder, I realise that those aren’t rocks, but rather buildings that are formed on that flat ring. That's a city?!

It appears as though I might have found it... Suspended halfway up the pillar, multiple kilometres above the floor of the strata, the demon city exists on the pillar itself. How do they avoid getting swarmed by the climbing monsters though? Try as I might, I can't make out the details from this distance to work it out.

I feel the thoughts of my captive shift in an unpleasant direction and I wrench his arm with my mandibles as I return my full focus to him, dashing his hopes of knocking me off the edge.

[I'd tell you not to think about it, but I don't think you're capable,] I say.

[Demonic nature cannot be changed,] he seems to agree.

from the city

[I did.]

[What for?]

rise to the second strata. I was sent to scout and search for

to move up in the world, so to speak, and why wouldn't they seize this opportunity to check out the lay of the land? In a general sense, they have more to fear from attackers descending from above than those rising from below, since waves are rare. If an army like the Legion, or

that I'm not being told, though

sent by yourself?

gurgles a

full-grown demon has little to fear moving up,

picked on the

run into on his climb if I hadn't been

have a name? Or this place… this area of

The demon grins.

Plains of Leng, bug, and the

but it's nice to know that the place has a name at all. Perhaps Granin will

when you crawl back

I will be punished,] I can feel from the demon's mind that he doesn't much care. [They

I'm not sure I want

the demon growls, [either finish me or let Anga go

along

will speak no more,] he says and cuts the mind bridge once

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