The sound of gunshots echoed across the magma beach, drawing Korvus's attention away from the insect-like demon corpse he had been examining. He peered around the large unhatched egg that had been his temporary shelter and observed the source of the strange noise.
A demon, not much larger than himself, was fending off attackers with what appeared to be a crude metal object. As Korvus watched, the demon pointed the object at another approaching threat and a flash of light erupted from its end, accompanied by a thunderous bang. The attacker fell, purple-red blood seeping into the black sand.
"A gun," Korvus whispered to himself, recognition flooding through him. "That shouldn't be possible here."
The demon with the gun was injured, blood flowing from wounds on his left shoulder and arm. Yet despite this, he maintained a defensive posture, using his weapon to keep the other demons at bay. There was something calculated about his movements—something distinctly un-demonic.
With a start, Korvus realized this must be another reincarnated soul. Someone like him, but with different abilities.
Korvus studied the demon carefully from his hiding place. The other reincarnated demon had somehow crafted a weapon, something Korvus hadn't even considered possible in this realm. If demons could create tools, perhaps there were other human concepts that could be adapted here.
The injured demon finally managed to drive off the last of his attackers. Korvus watched as the demon collected what appeared to be a glowing orb of light from his fallen enemy. A soul—the currency of power in this realm.
"Souls," Korvus murmured, remembering what he'd learned from his eggshell. "They're the key to everything here."
He knew he should probably try to make contact with the other reincarnated being, but caution held him back. Just because they shared a similar origin didn't mean they would be allies. In this brutal world, trust was a luxury neither of them could afford.
Instead, Korvus decided to use this opportunity to observe and learn. The Essence of Training would allow him to rapidly absorb knowledge, and The Essence of the Blank meant he could eventually learn any skill—even seemingly impossible ones like creating weapons.
Korvus watched as the other demon retreated, limping away toward what looked like a small hollow between two large eggs. Only when the demon was completely out of sight did Korvus emerge from his hiding place.
He approached the area where the battle had taken place, careful to stay alert for any other dangers. The body of the four-eyed demon lay sprawled on the sand, its blood still seeping into the ground. Korvus knelt beside it, examining the wounds.
Four small holes punctured the demon's body—three in its abdomen and one in its head. The precision of the damage was unlike anything he'd seen from the claws or teeth of other demons.
"This is what a gun does here," Korvus said to himself, committing the knowledge to memory. "But how did he make it?"
As he pondered this, a tremor suddenly shook the ground beneath him. It was faint at first, but rapidly grew in intensity until Korvus had to brace himself to avoid being thrown off balance.
The other demons on the beach stopped their fighting and raised their heads, as if listening to some silent command. Then, as one, they began to move—away from the sea and toward the interior of the land.
Korvus hesitated only briefly before following. His inherited knowledge provided no context for this behavior, but the unified response of every demon around him suggested this was important. Perhaps even a matter of survival.
As he ran, Korvus noticed the landscape gradually changing. The heat from the magma beach began to recede, and the air, while still acrid and sulfurous, became marginally easier to breathe. Ahead, a massive black volcano loomed against the purple sky, smoke billowing from its peak.
"They're running toward the volcano?" Korvus thought in disbelief. "That can't be right."
Yet the stream of demons continued unerringly toward the mountain. Those with wings flew directly toward its summit, while those bound to the ground scrambled up its slopes with desperate urgency.
Korvus followed, driven partly by curiosity and partly by the primal instinct that had begun to assert itself through his demonic form. Something was compelling him forward, a knowledge embedded deep in his new body that his human mind couldn't fully comprehend.
As he climbed, Korvus caught glimpses of the demon with the gun some distance ahead. Despite his injuries, the demon was making good progress up the volcano, occasionally using his weapon to deter any who came too close.
The slope grew steeper, and Korvus discovered that his clawed hands and feet were perfectly adapted for climbing. He dug them into the black rock, finding purchase where there seemed to be none. His new body moved with an agility that still surprised him, scaling obstacles that would have been impossible in his human form.
Finally, he reached the summit and stood at the edge of the volcano's mouth. Below him stretched a vast crater, at the bottom of which a thin crust of solidified magma was beginning to crack. Through the fissures, Korvus could see the molten rock beneath, glowing an angry red.
The demons around him were not jumping into the crater as he had feared. Instead, they were climbing down the inner wall, searching for something. Korvus observed as one demon tapped at the rock face, then called out excitedly. Others quickly joined it, and together they began to dig into the wall.
A hole appeared, and without hesitation, the demons disappeared inside.
Cave systems, Korvus realized. They're escaping the eruption through caves.
All around the inner circumference of the volcano, similar scenes were playing out. Demons dug frantically into the walls, revealing hidden tunnels that led away from the impending eruption.
Korvus knew he needed to follow, but which group should he join? His gaze settled on the demon with the gun, who had just uncovered his own entrance and was disappearing inside. That one, at least, seemed to have an intelligence and resourcefulness that might increase Korvus's chances of survival.
Decision made, Korvus scrambled down the inner wall toward the same hole. He had nearly reached it when the ground gave a violent lurch, and a deafening roar erupted from below. The volcano was beginning to erupt.
Korvus quickened his pace, ignoring the heat that scorched his feet and the toxic fumes that burned his lungs. The Essence of the Involate Self protected him from the worst effects of the hostile environment, but it couldn't shield him from the magma that would soon engulf everything.
He reached the hole just as a surge of demons pushed into it. Korvus squeezed himself into the press of bodies, allowing the flow to carry him forward into the darkness. The passage was narrow and rough, and he had to contort his body to fit through some sections.
The tunnel led downward at a steep angle, twisting and turning through the volcanic rock. Complete darkness enveloped him, but Korvus discovered that his demonic eyes could perceive shapes and movement even in the absence of light.
The journey seemed endless. The tunnel continued to descend, carrying the fleeing demons deeper beneath the crust of the island. Occasionally, Korvus would feel the tunnel shake as the volcano above continued its eruption, but the tremors grew fainter the deeper they went.
Finally, after what felt like hours of crawling through the cramped passage, Korvus sensed a change ahead. The tunnel was widening, and a dim, reddish light began to filter through the darkness.
The demons in front of him picked up their pace, their movements becoming more excited as they neared the exit. Korvus followed, his curiosity mounting with each step.
When he finally emerged from the tunnel, Korvus froze in awe.
Before him stretched an immense underground cavern, so vast that he could not see its boundaries. The "sky" was a dome of dark rock from which stalactites hung like petrified trees. Rivers of magma flowed across the landscape, casting everything in a ruddy glow. In the distance, mountains and forests could be seen, all rendered in shades of black and red.
This was the true Demon Realm—not the hatching grounds of the beach, but the world where demons lived and thrived.
As Korvus took in the spectacle, the other demons scattered, each heading in different directions. Some flew off toward the distant mountains, others followed the magma rivers, and still others disappeared into the twisted forests that dotted the landscape.
The demon with the gun had already descended from the cave exit and was making his way toward a particularly dense patch of black trees. Korvus hesitated, then decided to maintain his distance. Better to observe from afar than risk a confrontation.
With newfound determination, Korvus began his descent into this hellish world. The Essence of the Blank gave him limitless potential to adapt and learn, The Essence of Training would accelerate his growth, and The Essence of the Involate Self would protect him from many of the dangers this realm presented.
But raw potential wasn't enough. He needed knowledge, resources, and most importantly, souls.
As he reached the ground, Korvus looked down at his clawed hands and made a silent promise to himself. He would not merely survive in this world—he would master it. And to do that, he needed to understand how power worked here.
The first step was clear: he needed to hunt.
With a final glance at the retreating form of the gun-wielding demon, Korvus turned and headed toward a different section of the forest. It was time to put his essences to the test.
For now, he would hunt alone, gathering strength and knowledge. But someday, when he was ready, he would seek out that other demon. Between the two of them, perhaps they could unravel the mysteries of this realm—and find a way to truly thrive in their new existence.
The hunt had begun.