Tsiyaha dusted off her shoulders with an expression of disgust. She indifferently stomped the demon’s skull beneath her foot in a cloud of dust. Helios was distracted by the changes going on inside his body. Muscle and sinew writhed underneath his skin under the guidance of his Soul Brand.
I can feel the Newborn’s life force is now a part of me. The Soul Brand’s using it as energy to change me. The options are limitless. Should I increase my strength, form a natural weapon, or copy Tsiyaha and develop camouflage?
Wait, there’s something strange about the Soul Brand, I can actually mutate it. What if I evolved the Soul Brand instead of my body? There’s only one way to find out. Tsiyaha didn’t mention it, so it shouldn’t be dangerous.
Helios became enamoured with the thought and started directing the life force into the Soul Brand to test his idea. It greedily devoured the offering, imperceptibly growing in size. New tendrils sprouted from the sigil and imperceptively swayed inside his consciousness.
The muscle and sinew beneath his skin stopped writhing, returning to normal. Tsiyaha frowned in confusion, circling around him to closely inspect him for changes. He became aware of his nakedness and subconsciously stepped away. Ignoring his modesty, she stopped in front of him and made eye contact, gasping in surprise at what she discovered.
“Your eyes. I can see your Soul Brand through your eyes!” Tsiyaha exclaimed, leaning close with eyes wide in wonder.
“Is that good or bad?” Helios hesitantly asked.
“I’ve only seen that mutation once before. It was during the one time I left the Birthing Pool. Despite being not much larger than a Newborn, the demon slaughtered three Primus demons with ease. It unleashed a chain of lightning between them that burned them all to a crisp in an instant. What I saw it do allowed me to become aware of how strong the demons outside the birthing pits truly are,” Tsiyaha replied. In response to her words, Helios attempted to stimulate his Soul Brand. Nothing Happened.
“What does that have to do with anything? I can’t use lightning. By the way, you mentioned Primus demon, what’s that?” Helios asked.
“A Newborn becomes a Primus demon after its first evolution. The only reason I survived was that after it noticed me watching, it was utterly indifferent. Don’t you get it? I was too weak to entice its appetite. All magic users are unique, it’s not something that can be learned. How did you manage to awaken a magic seed?” Tsiyaha fiercely asked, tightly gripping his shoulders to peer into his eyes.
If what Tsiyaha says is true, I should keep this a secret until I know if I can trust her. I can faintly feel a connection to the world around me through the Soul Brand’s tendrils. I’m not strong enough to influence anything yet. After seeing her reaction, I believe I made the right choice by upgrading it instead of a different mutation.
“I’m not sure exactly. The life force acted on its own, flowing toward my eyes. I just let it,” Helios lied. He wryly smiled while shaking his head as he made up an answer to her question.
“Don’t lie to me. I’ll tear your throat out right here and take it for myself!” Tsiyaha aggressively sneered. As soon as she finished her sentence, she lunged to grip his throat in a clawed hand.
Helios could detect the faint aroma that had rendered him helpless earlier. Its effect had lessened, he could now ignore it to an extent and move on his own. He reacted quickly, placing the jagged obsidian rock against her neck. He pushed down with steady pressure, causing her to involuntarily retreat. Baring his teeth in a menacing grin, he maintained the blade in place while following her.
“Release my throat. I believe you should think very carefully about what you do next. We’re still useful to each other. Unless, of course, our agreement has changed?” Helios threatened, quizically tilting his head.
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“Mercy. I apologise,” Tsiyaha hastily replied, quickly releasing his throat and placatingly showing her palms.
“Wise choice. What’s our next goal? Find shelter for the night or do we continue to hunt?” Helios said, pulling the weapon from her neck and stepping away.
“Night? There is no night. Haven’t you noticed the sky never changes here? The vortex above is always active, providing light to every corner of this place. There’s nowhere for you to hide when the Primus demons come to feast,” Tsiyaha testily replied, expansively gesturing to the sky with one hand while rubbing her neck with the other.
“Feast? I thought you said nothing will waste their time eating Newborns?” Helios suspiciously asked, his grip tightening, the jagged obsidian cutting into his palm.
“That’s a half-truth, most don’t. The weaker ones, such as myself, don’t have the luxury of choice. Also, look at us. We’re no longer Newborns. We’re now considered Primus demons despite being feeble,” Tsiyaha scoffed.
“Then we must form a strategy to hunt since we can’t hide,” Helios resolutely answered.
“I have a lair we can retreat to in an emergency. Stronger demons than us will be especially covetous of your demon sight. Very few demons have developed into magic users naturally. All will be wanting to steal it from you,” Tsiyaha informed him.
“Of course they do. It’s never easy, is it? I can’t even use magic yet. I need mutations that can help me survive because I’m still a Newborn for all intents and purposes,” Helios mumbled dejectedly.
“That may be true. But you still have the demonic aura of a Primus demon. It’s better to be the predator than the prey,” Tsiyaha answered with brutal honesty.
“Demonic aura? How come I haven’t noticed that on you?” Helios asked in confusion.
“It would defeat the purpose if you could. I’m an ambush demon. I have a mutation that allows me to suppress it. Demons with strong detection abilities or predatory senses can still find me. But only if I’m not careful. You’re not so lucky, your aura has grown after your first kill. It can become another tool for you to hunt, or it will become a liability for stronger demons to track you,” Tsiyaha indifferently replied, shrugging her shoulders.
“That’s a lot to process. When will the Primus demons be coming to feast?” Helios asked, cautiously surveying their surroundings.
“They will come out during the mass hatching when the red lightning strikes the Birthing Pool. The lightning will awaken the Demonic Larvae into Newborns. You hatched early and gave yourself a head start. That means you’re a natural-born predator who mercilessly hunted your own kind,” Tsiyaha said in approval. She looked upward to the sky before turning back to Helios. “That’s your good fortune because judging by the sky. It won’t be long until it starts.”
Helios followed her gaze upward, red lightning was becoming more common as it streaked in every direction across the sky. Excited howling and roars echoed in the distance. He turned to investigate the sound. Demons could be seen closing in on the oily lake all along the beach.
“They’re already here,” Helios whispered quietly to himself.