Chrysalis

It's a comforting thought that here, even two strata out of date, my mandibles are still capable of getting the job done.

OMEN CHOMP!

With a crunch that reverberates off the walls, the dark mandibles of manifest energy slam shut, causing devastating damage to the poor demons caught within. Before the caster demon can even begin to weave a spell to heal or defend, the bodyguards are already in action, appearing from thin air to execute their devastating takedown strategy once more, leaving no opening as they remove a single demon from the equation.

With no proper front line to hold down the fort, there is little the remaining demons can do, too busy fending off the myriad of tentacles of Crinis to properly protect themselves from Tiny as the big ape wades forward, his mighty fists almost appearing to vanish as he unleashes a blistering combination of punches that shatter the air with powerful bolts of electricity.

Just like that, the fight is done.

I really do wonder if it's too easy? Are these demons weak? Are we strong? Being equal tier, they should have the advantage over us considering the gap between strata. We might have upgraded various parts of ourselves, but we can't hope to match up with them, who are made of better stuff from the moment they were spawned.

I suppose some of the difference can be explained by the difference in evolution. I get the feeling, watching the little ankle biters go at it, that most of them don't evolve with complete cores every step of the way. Their struggle is so desperate that they likely evolve the very moment they feel that they can, particularly in the first few tiers.

Still, it doesn't seem to add up. To sort out my confusion, I turn to the burning corona of all wisdom, Al.

just me, Al, or are we dealing with these groups of demons a bit too easily? They're

secret reservoir of media from my previous life. Outside of Tolkien, I'm yet to detail any sort of fiction at all! I have enough juice in the tank

major factor, which directly affects the strength of a demon's Skills and mutations. But in this case, I simply think that you are being underestimated. Most demons have a poor opinion of the

here probably never even see a first stratum monster, let alone have to fight one. Far from having their guard up, they practically have their pants around

me of these…

our journey back to the plains of leng, I explain the concept of pants to the giant flaming eyeball, who takes quite

some of these pants be…

I never did find that out. All I can tell you is that such things do, or did, in fact,

[Fascinating.]

guess so? To be honest, I find the variety of demons

have lived with them my entire life. I long ago learned as much as I could of my kind. I do not believe that I know all, but that

my interest a

demons you haven't met? I mean, types of demons? I would have thought that there wouldn't be much you haven't

flutters in the air

stay in an out of the way location like this, someplace I can lay low. Inconspicuous. This means that I