Chrysalis

The air burned as Torrifex strode past, superheated by the seemingly endless energy that rolled off the massive demon in waves. Omen had not been able to determine exactly what species the tier eight monstrosity was, but it clearly had some root in a fire affinity. The demon had many other weapons he could deploy, Omen had witnessed this, but the oppressive heat that ignited the oxygen around his frame was enough to defeat some enemies alone.

[Keep up little mouse. I have no patience for your dithering.]

Omen stumbled as his indignation rose, but he forced down his ire to keep his thoughts level.

[I am not as fast as you,] he stated, [it takes longer for me to cover the same ground.]

The bigger demon snorted in contempt.

[You are the weakest servant our God has ever used. I do not know which is greater, the honour done to you, or the disgrace inflicted upon the rest of us.]

He wanted to retort that he did not ask to be contacted by that horrific creature, but he knew that Torrifex would likely take his head off for the insult. His carefully honed survival instincts weren't needed to deduce that much, his captor did not tolerate any form of disrespect towards his 'god'. Omen wasn't sure if he was prepared to accept that the terrifying being he'd encountered when evolving was divine, but he was certain that he never wanted to stand in front of it in his physical form. Such an experience was to be evaded at all costs, that's what his instincts told him.

At his lack of response the giant monster snorted once more before he put his head down and continued his breakneck run. He wasn't the fastest creature the reincarnated human had seen since his rebirth not that long ago, but he didn't stop. Torrifex seemed to be a boundless source of energy that needed no rest as he continued his endless journey. Odin did not share his bottomless reserves of stamina, far from it, he had crafted himself to be a burst hunter, capable of incredible strength and speed but only for a short, intense period of exertion. This marathon run was torturous to him.

[Where… are we … going?] he managed to push out as he steeled his mind against the pain in his body.

giant demon only turned to grin back

see, little mouse. We are

captor so instead he grimly continued to put one of his clawed feet in front of the other. After another twenty minutes of running, he began to make out something in the distance, something other than the constant, monotonous outcroppings of rock that jutted up from the stone all around them. This looked too uniform, too structured, to be a part of

medieval style gate. This was the first sign of civilisation that Omen had come across in his second life and it surprised him how much the sight buoyed his spirits. Humans hadn't been kind to Omen in his past life, and he hadn't been kind right back to them, but to see something familiar, even if it appeared more similar to something he would have seen in a

demons didn't seem to have the same effect on the figures who occupied the distant fort. Even as he approached, he could see the flurry of activity taking place. Figures dashed across the parapets that loomed ever higher the closer they drew, enormous gates that on Earth

threatening to press the young demon into the ground. He felt his mind

This place is forbidden to your kind!

presence had exerted, Odin might have thought that the owner of this voice was truly powerful. Whoever had reached out to them was definitely stronger than he himself, but was nothing next to

Stand aside or face the

shoulders. It wasn't clear if the creature was confident or just suicidal to Omen. If Torrifex wanted to charge headfirst into this garrison then

monster. Do you really think you can storm these fortifications by yourself? The tower has held

Omen concurred.

his mind. [You have guarded this

did he mean he wasn't alone? Omen would be no help at all against a force such as this! Did he refer to something else? Mind spinning, the former

poured more energy into it until his fists glowed incandescent white, chasing back the darkness of the third stratum for kilometres around. The tongues of flame that burst forth writhed and licked at the air, rising as

create distance lest even his demonic flesh be burned by it.