Currently, down below, the imps are fighting with a horde of monsters.

This isn't quite as cataclysmic as it sounds, as I quite indiscreetly watched the demoness unlock several well-hidden cage doors embedded into the walls.

At the time, I wasn't really sure what was going on and quite valiantly attempted to join in on the monster massacre, only to find myself entangled in a now familiar hair whip thing.

Thus, much to my dismay, I was crawling through the equally familiar building, upside down, with an equally familiar demon lady whose name I feel I should really know by now, if only to apologise for when I plunder their resources, heh heh.

I quickly looked around after concealing the maniacal grin on my face.

Well, it's not like I asked to be here or anything. And yes, this is my fool proof excuse, though I will do everything in my power to minimise the damage... probably. Definitely.

On a side note, this is quite good for training stealth and manoeuvring. So far, the stealth skill has levelled up one time, but I haven't heard anything from the other... Perhaps I should try to teeter on the edge of what I can currently do.

A part of me thinks this'll speed up the process; I mean, it seems to work for stealth since the woman below keeps having to look back up when she loses track of my presence.

Though I'm not too sure how she even keeps track at all. It's not like everyone has access to the same titles as me... actually, maybe the title just amplifies a feeling I'd already be getting as an imp. That does make sense, actually.

Well, right now, I'd still rather be looking at my soul-type and giving it a thorough check through, but I feel like I need the free time and to be alone, since I have no idea what interacting with an inner-world entails... besides energy vortexes apparently.

[Ambidextrous Manoeuvring lvl3 --> lvl4]

Ooo, almost a milestone. I wonder if anything will happen at five or above. I can only imagine some skills must change over time since, just looking at the demon below me, I don't think "Scratch" is a staple in her arsenal...

Hopefully I don't just have all these redundant abilities I don't use, but even then, I don't think I can rule out the Emulser class coming in handy for this if it becomes a problem.

Huh? This feeling... and especially after upgrading the stealth skill. The feeling of being watched was as perverse as ever, and like a feather caressing the gaps of my scales, I shivered unconsciously.

Yet it wasn't coming from her below me.

There was no one else around here; this was quite an open space right now, having gone through two or three sets of stairs to get here, and there wasn't a soul who'd make me feel this seen through.

It put me on edge, and my awareness of this area's design deepened.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Is this place confusing on purpose? I'm sure that many fast and unobvious contingency routes probably exist, but does that extend to spy holes and the like?

All this furniture, bookshelves, tables, all unused...

There's not much order in the outside spaces, as if to confuse potential intruders.

All of a sudden, the sensation vanished, and I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding.

Maybe I can assume that there's no one powerful enough nearby, or at least no one powerful and willing enough, to attack this place directly. If there was anyone who could obliterate it, then what would be the point in this unconcealed paranoia?

Some of these spaces could be considered abstract art pieces...

But why was someone watching me? While concealing themselves too.

Just now, a voice cut through my thoughts. It was a now familiar one, with a familiar word.

Though I'm not sure exactly what 'drau' means.

Hah, I've got an idea...

I quickly climbed across a horizontal beam, picking up speed before leaping forward.

I opened my claws with a maniacal grin on my face and shot through the air like a diving eagle.

She appeared startled. Having not expected the attack, she was completely too slow to react.

But before I drew too close, I opened my limbs and tilted my body, catching the air and arcing to the ground as if I were some kind of flightless bird stalking prey on trees.

An affronted gaze bore down on me as colour returned to her cheeks.

I chose to just sit there, very clearly ignorant of my actions, while comfortably rolling my shoulder for effect.

A slight laugh graced my ears, though I wasn't sure if it was genuine or just letting go of annoyance.

I hadn't quite pinned this demon's personality down yet.

But it doesn't matter; I've had my revenge for being dragged here while entangled in a web of hairs.

I revelled in my accomplishment for a few moments before noticing her begin walking through the small entrance to our side.

Quickly following her in, I watched as she placed her hand against a smooth metallic surface.

It had no discernible grooves or inflections of craftsmanship, yet black magic poured from the demon's hand into the wall, and a series of interlacing lines and symbols made themselves apparent.

Many I could barely recognise, but a few near the centre stood out to me. Several were identical to those I had seen within the monster sanctuary.

Walking up closer now, she glanced in my direction.

She was actually struggling. So I wasn't going to distract her this time, not that I wanted to; I merely came in for a closer look...

The outer rim began to shimmer before the glow drew back inwards and towards the centre.

I watched, enraptured, as the dark lustre gleamed with a golden sheen. It was a strange, bright darkness.

The energy converged back on the first layer, and the metallic structure split from itself, pulling out of the wall like a freshly quenched blade in the final stages of being forged.

Quickly, she turned and grabbed a strange lantern-esc object from a table--it looked somehow like rusted wood.

It was eternally dry and aged, completely asynchronous to the pristine magic I had seen moments ago.

There were no runes on its surface, but I could see faint blue streaks coursing in waves through its withered cracks, like a beating heart lacking any rhythm...

A focusing breath entered my ears, and I looked up to see a stoic look on her face.

This was clearly extremely important.

The black aura I had seen before now made itself visible to me in her hands as she condensed her power.

She pushed her hands down into a fluid within the rod and drew out a brilliant white, spherical stone.

A pained look adorned her face while her magic dissipated into the air like black smoke; it had seemingly been vaporised by merely being in contact with the stone.

She'll drop it, at this rate.

I jumped atop the table and quickly pinched the stone in my claws.

Immediately, they began melting into its surface like ice pressing against white hot metal. We were both surprised for different reasons, and I quickly pulled the stone and pushed it into the centre of the archaic lantern before it could melt into my fingers.

The rhythm of the lantern had stabilised, and a waterish, calm flow oscillated back and forth across its surface.

Too distracted, I wasn't paying her any mind, but for the first time, she appeared genuinely shook by what I had done—not that I noticed—and she quickly wiped it from her face.

I, on the other hand, was shocked at something completely different...

[Partial absorption of Crystal Soul Stone: exp +432]