Even the air feels smoother and more relaxed, as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Pushing forward, the twirling shades grew increasingly intricate and clear, resembling numerous bubbles densely pushing up against each other.

An opening arose in my field of vision, and an emerald haze could be seen drifting around the periphery but never entering the connecting tunnel.

So this is strange.

I reached out my hand and ran my claws through the strange mist with tact. It was not dissimilar to dust dancing in the light, but as I pushed it to the side, the iridescence deepened.

It wasn't overbearingly dense, yet the opening beyond was vast enough that I couldn't see its boundaries. It didn't help that I could see the occasional figure moving deep within the mirage, disrupting the commune of energies there.

For some reason, I felt beckoned inside, and I even felt distrustful of my own distrust. How unsettling... Or it should have been, but the fog felt as familiar as my own mind, and I desperately wanted to trust it.

Those creatures from before came from this direction... Then, at the very least, I can be somewhat confident that I won't be killed so easily in there.

I took a step forward with a light stride.

It was difficult to see, and the faster you moved, the denser the immediate surrounding mist became. This place was somehow dangerously safe—or was it safely dangerous?

Either way, I found myself scuttling around the irregular stone outcroppings around the edge of the cavern.

I crunched my shoulders with mild anxiety and immediately stilled my building momentum. A new colour had entered my vision—or should I say scent?—which juxtaposed the ever prescient luminescence around me.

Leading with my claws, I ensured they were visible before I was. After all, I didn't want my head to be suddenly attacked because I wasn't tactful enough.

I flinched at the sudden sight of my reflectio...

No, it's another imp.

It barely moved, but I noticed it jittering slightly in place, as if excited or afraid. It was too close for comfort, and I quivered my scales instinctively in response to the sensation of frozen static now running across my body.

Its stare is quite perverse, but I get the impression that it's more of an effect of my title.

All of a sudden, I felt the air around me become heavy. I could barely even stand.

What?

I grew more defensive, and the mist reciprocated in kind. It had become opaque, almost solid, and began washing over itself in layers upon layers like a violent deluge of waves.

My knees buckled, and my face planted into the ground, shattering the few scattered stones that found their home there. In my daze, I gave up the struggle to fight back, and was surprised to find that the pressure had abated dramatically.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

What? Is this some kind of non-aggression smoke thing? Is it natural?

These thoughts stewed in my mind for a moment while I climbed up and massaged my jaw. In the corner of my eye, I caught the other imp staring at me incredulously. Maybe it was my imagination, but there seemed to be a faint glimmer of intelligence coming from the gleam in its eyes.

Actually, now that I looked closer, the imp was more lanky, and its scales were more sparse in its limbs.

Is it growing? Evolving? I really don't have enough information here. But it appears to be confused by my actions.

Eh, whatever, it's probably just some scaly weirdo, definitely lacking in monster social skills. Unlike me.

I began moving and graciously climbed the wall to my side after spotting an overhang not too far up.

Ooo, I can at least make out the ceiling here. Now that I have my barings, I should check the system.

[[Health: 64/69] [Mana: 29/29]

[Soul-type: Inner-world (Awakening 0.01%)]]

Huh. HUH. Five whole health points! I mean, awakening?

I can't believe it. I never expected to find this here, though maybe this is just an essential part of development. That would explain the coercive instinct to walk in and the strange defensive measures that limit aggression.

Maybe I can... control it in some way. Before, I fought harder and harder against the current; perhaps I could be more graceful with it, although it doesn't sound likely.

You can't climb a waterfall, but you can let it flow over you—or something to that effect.

Letting out a breath, my eyes faced forward, but I was looking inward. Slowly, I rattled my scales and took a defensive stance. I visualised the memories of my last bouts, immersing myself within them, and that... riveting, almost lustful sadism returned and coursed through my mind.

I felt afflicted by the adrenalizing strength as if it were some disease, but it was woe brought about entirely by my awareness of it—an awareness I'm becoming more confident I shouldn't have.

This feeling of strength... it isn't reflected in the interface, so it's entirely the fault of being an imp; that's the only explanation I can think of, at least.

Changing my focus, I realised I could barely see an arm's reach in front of myself.

I held my emotions in stasis, and the mist could be seen percolating in my immediate vicinity, as if there was some threshold it struggled to overcome.

Very briefly, it would break through, and a microscopic slither of energy would pierce through my scales and into my body. It was a biting sensation, nothing more than a pin prick, but it wasn't particularly appealing to watch.

I reigned my emotions in, and the fog followed in kind, dispersing itself. I felt kind of connected to it now, or maybe it was more akin to a pet imitating my behaviour.

Still, this was quite hard, but the visual feedback made it easier to grasp the feeling of intent I should let permeate within my mind.

It was like trying to balance a long stick on the end of your finger; it was inordinately hard, but if you stick a weight on the end, it becomes much easier to feel around how you should move in either case.

I glanced over at the system and saw that the awakening had only increased by 0.2% and my health had only dropped by a single point.

Haha, I truly impress myself sometimes.

I thought this completely seriously, as if I had not only been alive for about an hour...

But it's still not fast enough.

I let the mist disperse around me, and I looked deeper into the open space.

It's definitely thicker over there, and I can see faint flashes of light shimmering outward. If it can even pierce that opaque cloud, then there must be something enviable inside.

I certainly don't want to sit here for days on end only to waste my time. And, as the embodiment of ingenuity that I am, my keen senses are violently pulling me inward.

I'm certainly not looking for excuses to follow my emotions.

It is completely thought through.

Now, of course, literally every creature here would have the exact same idea as me, yet they have achieved nothing. So I will not take a direct approach.

While pondering this, I ran my eyes across the ceiling, mapping a path towards the centre in my mind.

Well, even if it's some sort of inexhaustible reservoir of energy, approaching from above is likely the best idea.

After rolling my shoulders a few times, I set to work climbing the wall behind me.