The water running from above crashed down in a beautiful, relieving torrent. It was cold and bone-chilling, just the way Amari enjoyed it. He let out a small groan as it beat against his sore shoulders.
After about an hour of standing in the shower, he stopped the faucet and stepped out to dry himself
It was nice to have a working shower after years of bathing in lakes and rivers, or not bathing at all. Showers in this world run on simpler things than Earth. This was no surprise. He hadn't even known showers existed here.
When he asked how he only got one answer.
Dwarves.
No one wanted to answer anything more than that, and each person wore a very obvious frown of disgust when talking about dwarves.
"I wonder what dwarves did to them," He muttered out loud while walking away from the shower.
'Crazy to think I lived so inhumanely over the past few years.'
Well, that didn't really matter. He wasn't more inhumane than the red-skinned demons he ate breakfast with later that day.
They headed out later that afternoon and found a vast forest. It was a few times wider than the forest he had lived in before, but the feeling was the same. It felt like home.
Belat whimpered excitedly. It seemed he felt the same way, too.
Amari whispered devoutly, "Come on, let's check it out.".
This place was so similar to his former home. Trees, mountains, rocks. All of that seemed insignificant, but he had lived there for a while. Some things were oddly specific and should not have been found elsewhere.
Yet, here they were, in another random forest in the Pit.
"Raion, I can feel Mom and Dad…" Belat murmured, marking his first words since he met Lilia and the others.
Now that the little pup mentioned it, Amari felt it, too. The vague shadows that followed Reida and Felaud wherever they were. The faint scent of blood that weirdly lingered as well.
"Mom?" His whisper was even lower, but the demons could still hear.
A familiar swirl of shadows appeared, and Reida's ever-reassuring figure showed up.
"Raion'shalang, my boy, you've been a bad boy. I thought I only told you to come look for me after three hours. You're lucky you found your way home."
"I thought you were gone."
"No, silly! Those invaders had you under their strange spells, so it's no surprise you think that. Felaud and I have been worried about you. You too, Belat!"
"Come home, and we'll discuss everything."
Reida reached forward and placed a paw on Amari's face.
He stepped back.
'Impossible. I saw her die!'
But there she was. Her familiar scent, her powers, her touch. It was no illusion. Or was it?
"Why so shy, boy? Belat, why don't you come here!"
Belat didn't think as he did, though. A pup was still a pup after all.
"Mom!" He ran forward, rubbing against her. "There was this big, scary man that killed you. I mean, I'm not sure, but he was there and Big Bro killed him!"
"It's okay. We can discuss it later. Let's go home, Raion'shalang.'
And there, the illusion broke. The smiling face of his mother had turned hideous. It was a large butterfly-like creature, with dreamy purple wings but a disgusting insect body.
Its body oozed with yellow pus from time to time and tiny spores flew out of the pus each time. The only admirable feature the creature had were its wings.
'I need to make sure it doesn't know I know.' Amari shuddered.
"Alright, let's go home," he muttered finally as he watched the retreating back of the strange demon beast
'Observation,'
Soon enough, a detailed screen meant for only his eyes appeared before him.
[Name: Spore Goblin Fairy]
[Species: Variant Goblin Fairy]
[Race: Demon Beast]
[Rank: Higher Demon Beast (Weakened)]
[Attributes]
[STR: 40 < ???]
[AGI: 180
[STA: 200 < ???]
[INT: 500 < ???]
[Skills: Spore Creation (Passive), Hypnotize, Allure, Acid Shot, Magnetism(Passive), Spore Cannon (expand)]
[MP: 987/1000]
Amari's face turned white as he read on, almost tripping over himself. The beast's INT was twice as high as his own even in this weakened state. The only stat they had an advantage over were strength, but that was it.
He realised that the creature had only used a passive skill to lure them forward. This was almost enough to compel him to go. What if it used an active skill?
What if it wasn't even weakened?!
Amari didn't want to find out.
Flash Step!
He circulated his mana and stepped forward. He appeared next to both of them in an instant, then delivered a quick kick to the monster.
Both the Goblin Fairy and Belat shook non-stop while this happened.
His surroundings returned to normal. They were not in a forest at all. Still in the barren plains. All the demons seemed trapped in their own illusions and only broke out because of Amari.
"What happened?! I was just talking to my Master?" Fuller yelled. He didn't look as composed or confident as he usually did. Tear signs appeared in his eyes.
Lilia was different, but not that much. Her ragged, heavy breaths were barely audible under her fellow demons' murmurs, but Amari heard them clearly. Her knuckles looked pale as death and her eyes glowed orange. Faint craters appeared next to her and the air twisted violently from the heat she emanated.
"There's a Higher Demon Beast over there. Snap out of it and get ready for battle!" Amari called out, as he dropped Belat to the ground.
"Raion, how did Mum just turn into that thing?"
"That wasn't mum. She's gone remember?"
"Yeah, I do."
"So, man up. That vile thing disrespected our mother. It needs to die for that."
"O-okay,"
The pup was fine. At least that was what he hoped for.
"Come on, while it's still down!"
He charged forward, activating the skill Rush. Blazing red lightning sparked around his body as he collided with the Goblin Fairy.
The Beast fell backwards, leaving Amari with enough space.
"Force Fist!"
An invisible powerful aura shot out from his pores and covered most of his fists. The punch connected easily and left Amari wishing he hadn't done that.
Yellow goo covered his fist and engulfed it rapidly.
He pushed back his hatred for slime and jumped back quickly, trying to get the thing off him.
Fuller appeared next to him with a single flame lit atop his finger. He dangled it over the liquid spores for a short while, solidifying it gradually. It would take a while, but when it solidified completely, he could break it easily.
Amari nodded at Fuller, and the red-skinned demon nodded back.
"Don't worry, I'll deal with the beast in the meantime!" Lilia called out, already facing the Goblin Fairy.
The familiar flame crackles appeared. She struck out with a fist, accompanied by a large flame gout, successfully burning one of the beast's wings.
She stood in front of the miserable creature heroically and raised a final flaming fist to finish it off.
Then an ethereal voice rang out.
"Enough with your childish games!"
The "defeated" Goblin Fairy rose up from the ground. Its injuries were healed, and Amari and Co noticed tiny yellow spores lingering about.
"I had fun while it lasted. It's not me, it's your delicious demonic source! I should be able to recover to a quarter of my full strength after! Blame that damned mage for what he did to me!"
It gave a wicked smile, then spread its mystical purple wings out. The spores multiplied until they could no longer see anything.