Chrysalis

[How's it going over there Tiny? Crinis?]

[We'll win, but it's going to take time!]

[Take care and make sure of it, we don't need to rush!]

I don't think… although, looking at Grokus as the massive demon looms over me, that I'll be able to finish this quickly. If the gravity bomb doesn't manage to inflict massive damage on him, then I have no idea what will! I pull back a little from the city lord, giving myself room to plot my next manoeuvre. The area where I bit him has already healed, if I damaged him at all.

[You're actually a tough nut to crack, aren't you Grokus?]

The huge demon swings his body around to face me head on.

[Food is strength in this world. How can anyone be stronger than me? I've been consuming hundreds of Biomass a day for longer than you've been alive, and you want to challenge me? You're weak! Just another snack!]

I scoff. [Why don't we find a tier eight demon and you can

Biomass is completely pointless without something to spend it on. I've no doubt that his mutations are all maxed out, but imagine if he'd spent all that time practicing his Skills instead of sitting on his backside eating. He'd be so much more powerful, pushing his abilities to a new rank, training new Skills that might help him in this fight. Instead all he can do is endlessly brag about how much food he's consumed.

every step, [all that food that you've wasted will be

here and we can

that passes makes my gravity bomb stronger, it's already growing dense enough that he must be able to sense it. That much

he rumbles closer, once again moving with that deceptive speed. I lower my centre of gravity and prepare to dodge, waiting for my antennae to tell me how he's going to reach for me. The closer he gets, the sharper the pain in my stomach becomes, the acid boiling away as thoughts of food swim in my head, threatening to drive my consciousness away and turn me into a ravenous beast. I resist it, but I can tell that the longer the fight drags on, the

comes, closer. I wait and wait, watching his approach and refusing to move until my antennae give me the glimpse that I'm looking for. I hold off until he's almost on top of me, only then do I realise, he's not going to grab! That's why I can't see anything! The moment I make the realisation I shift my weight and dash to the side, putting all of my force

direction by digging my claws into the ground. Shifting directions for a mass of my size isn't easy and my muscles and joints scream as I push them to their limits as that giant

flank as he snatches at the air I occupied only a moment ago. It's only a glancing blow, but deep grooves have been cut into my diamond carapace. This is first stratum versus third after all, I can't expect too much. As close as it was, this is still an opportunity. With his left arm extended,

under that arm and locking my mandibles into place. Hopefully

OMEN CHOMP COMBO!

recover his balance and grab at me again. The five chomp combo is just about as much as I can manage at the moment. Luckily I have so many

a tier above

yet, insect?] Grokus practically purrs in my mind, [if you're smart, you should crawl back up to where you belong. This is the land of demons. You're beyond foolish if you think you