I’m tempted to utilise my new gravity wells to help lift me up to the plate city of Roklu, but I decide not to. I’ll be damned if I appear undignified in front of the entire nest built against the pillar.

So I climb instead.

For quite some time now, my ability to Grip hasn’t increased in line with my size. I’ve allowed my training to stall on this particular Skill and now I’m paying the price.

Now that my weight is up to multiple tons, I mean, I easily outmass an elephant at this point, maybe even a couple of elephants, the little claws at the end of my legs are struggling to lift that bulk. I’m too damn swole! I’ve got the muscle power to hold on, but seriously, I need to engage in some hardcore grip training. The idea of an ant who can’t hold on upside down indefinitely is absurd!

Eventually, I manage to haul myself up onto the plate, with maybe a little help from Crinis, and I immediately set off to try and find Al. The burning eyeball of doom is rather hard to find when he doesn’t want to be found. Rather, it’s impossible.

Fortunately for me, he seems to be in the mood for discussion, since we find him rather easily. His house is still standing in the outer areas of the city and when we check, he’s in there, floating, reading a book.

I didn’t even know demons could read….

I have to say, the picture of a giant eyeball made of fire hovering over a lectern is an odd one to say the least. A question immediately pops into my mind.

[How do you turn the pages?] I ask.

The book floats up into the air, snaps shut, then drifts toward a shelf where it slots itself into a gap between two other volumes. Of course, he uses magic.

[Second question, how many books have you set on fire by staring too hard at them?]

The demon turns to face me, although all he can really see is my eye peering in through a window.

[Curious. It has been some time. I see you have evolved.]

[That’s right, Al. I’m the same tier as you now. BEHOLD ME.]

The burning eye glitters.

[You have become strong. Interesting. I hope that you are strong enough to survive what comes.]

That’s a leading statement if ever I’ve heard one.

[Any chance you can get a little deeper into that?] I ask. [And also, can you come outside? I’m having to crouch quite low.]

He floats on out and I stand to my full height.

[You are certainly much larger than before,] he notes, almost dismissively.

[Hey, I don’t have a pocket dimension to stick my organs in, alright? Those things are expensive.]

[I received mine for free.]

…. Demons.

[At any rate, is there a chance you can explain what’s been going on with the demons lately? There’s fighting all over the place, even in this city some demons have gone off the handle and attacked others at random.]

[I have some knowledge I can share. For a price.]

Heat rolls off the floating demon in waves at the mention of knowledge. This guy and his damn obsession.

[Fine. Where were we up to?]

I’ve been bargaining with him using information from Earth, feeding him plot lines of various shows and books in exchange for his wisdom. It doesn’t even seem to matter that the info I give him is completely useless, his obsession demands that he learns new things, regardless of their utility.

[... so then they bricked him up in the tunnel, until he changed his mind and decided to be a good engine. The end.]

Al is burning so hot it's scalding even to me.

[Excellent,] he purrs. [I find this world of talking… trains… to be most interesting.]

[Next time, I’ll tell you about the one where a kid throws rocks off a bridge and gets beaten by his dad.]

[Wonderful.]

[Now… the demons? What the heck is going on with you guys?]

Al falls silent for a moment as he ponders where to begin.

[How much are you aware of Arconidem?] he asks finally.

Ancients again? I’m so sick of those morons.

[All I really know is that Arconidem is an Ancient, one of the most powerful monsters in the Dungeon.]

Al flickers with bright flame.

[That much is correct, but it is the connection between Arconidem and the demons that is the root cause of the current strife. The title Arconidem took for themself, is “Demon God”, and there is a reason for that.]

[Is this Ancient like the Queen? Were you guys initially born from one monster before the floor started spitting you out?]

[No.] Flat rejection. [The connection between the Demons and the Ancient is closer to the one between you and your family.]

That flame burns smugly and it seems like Al can see a heck of a lot more of my status than he has any right to. I feel exposed.

[There is a link between the demons and Arconidem, all demons, whether we wish it were there or not. Some feel it more strongly than others, some resist it, others don’t want to. I have no desire to engage in the wanton slaughter that the Demon God demands, there is no knowledge to be had, so I resist, though it grows harder.]

[Why?]

[Because Arconidem is awake.]

… Is that special?

[What do you mean? The biggest baddest monster in the Dungeon has been getting some shuteye?]

[The Demon God has been asleep for hundreds of years.]

[Oh.]

[All the Ancients have. But they are slowly waking as the mana levels rise. This new wave will cause even more to rouse themselves from slumber. When the mana reaches its peak, they will rise and hunt through the Dungeon, even reach the surface itself should they be able.]

Well that aligns pretty well with what Granin and company had to say. I should check in with them before I leave, see if they have any further insights.

[Right, so this big bad Demon God has woken up, and that’s messing with you guys’ heads? What does Arconidem want you to do?]

[Arconidem demands that we fulfil its obsession. Annihilate, burn and slaughter, endlessly. Eventually, they will come here themself, and at that point, it will be impossible to resist. Every demon will succumb.]

[That… sounds bad.]

[Yes. It is.]