Daemon gave out a long exhilarated sigh, as he stood at the edge of the village above the oasis. Coldly ignoring those who passed him by, people would give him long curious glances. He had changed his clothing using his new augmented abilities, wearing now a sleek dark green suit with gold trimming, bowler hat with a gold band and golden goggles with green lenses.

Daemon found that through expending his own body mass he could create things through the green energy that flowed through him. And the green energy was highly condensed into his body mass. He could create things like weapons, or clothing. Or like before, alter his own body. Using this ability he snuck back into the village, unseen but very much noticed as his attire gained him all kinds of attention. But he didn’t care, he enjoyed the attention.

Smiling all the while as he entered the village proper, glancing at the bulky iron buildings through his new elevation. To Jayce the buildings looked large and terrifying, to Daemon they just looked ugly and old.

The village though was still very much large. The Oasis was a land mass of around 800km squared, massive compared to normal standards. Above it was the village, a beastly construct standing around 600km squared. Held up by steel pillars, the buildings were iron reinforced with a steel skeleton. The paths people walked on were wooden, held up by iron and minimal steel.

From afar it might have looked impressive, but up close the village was rusty, old and poorly maintained. Yet within it lived over 6 million people.

It was called The Village but in reality, it was an entire city.

An entire city Daemon looked forward to burning down to the ground, as he roamed its streets pondering and plotting.

(“First thing’s first, I need all the information I can get my hands on.”) He decided, having little to go on other than Jayce’s memories. (“And what better place to gather information at…than the Masters.”) Daemon then thought with a smirk, as he stopped in front of the city’s central governmental building.

Standing a dozen times taller than the rest, the building was a steel skyscraper. Starting out bulky and armoured till one third up where the building turned sleek, glass paned and posh. This was where the Village’s high class lived, where the leaders of these people watched from above.

Daemon stood in front of the Master Spire, an amused smirk as he was faced with a small army of guards at its entrance. Wearing a full suite of powered exoskeletal armour, they stood tall and menacing wielding a long staff-rifle in both hands.

He knew exactly what he was facing, but fear was absent in his mind. The emotion alien to his augmented methodical thinking. He had a goal, had thought up several paths to achieve it. And achieve he would.

Daemon stepped away from the entrance, it was still morning so the sun was bright out. Most might have waited for night time but…Daemon wasn’t like most.

Turning the corner and into the building’s shadow he glanced about and stepped out of sight, finding himself hidden and unwatched he began. His mind was like a computer, reading millions of lines of code which he could call upon to activate certain things the energy could do.

The energy was full of this strange yet understandable language, he didn’t know how he could understand it but something inside his head decoded it as he went through it. Within the data that lay inside his head Daemon found many things he could make the energy do.

While still outside the village he had tested with many things, understanding what each of these ‘Scripts’ did. Some accessed a specific part of his body, bones, skin, muscles and such. Others were a call to alter the previously called on part, changing it to iron, steel, glass or any other material Daemon knew the molecular make of and he knew many.

It was all stored inside his head in long rows of data.

And now he accessed that data, quickly making sense of it and calling upon script after script to create a new ability like he had with morphing his hand to a lightning blaster.

He called upon his skin, then activated the alteration script.

Daemon went through the recorded materials that lay in a list within his mind, ‘scrolling’ over each one he’d gain access to a short description of each. It was a very long list but alas his mind was working faster than the primitive computers he sensed within the building he was standing by.

He found what he was looking for, called upon it and the alteration began. His skin glimmered briefly before suddenly beginning to disappear, starting from his hands, toes and head the alteration working from out to inwards as it was coded.

Quickly Daemon called upon his clothing and hair, then activating the same alteration on them too.

Before long he was entirely invisible within the building’s shadow. He had altered his skin, hair and clothing to a certain material whose properties allowed this pseudo-invisibility. But he had to be careful, as movement made his entire body shimmer like glass next to a flame.

So he moved fast, lowering his stance he accessed his legs and bones. Reinforcing the bones to a stronger material he then altered his legs entirely, accessing several materials at once with the alteration script and then accessing a new script. He gave the material new form, reshaping his legs at the same time until he stood over two long sonic propellers.

Silent yet powerful, he had copied the propelling system from a bike-like vehicle these people used. He then altered some of energy into fuel for the propellers, willing them to activate he waited for them to charge up.

Silently they briefly whistled, before suddenly Daemon shot up into the air leaving behind a cloud of spreading dust within the shadows. It was a brief burst but enough to shoot him all the way up to half the building’s height. He reactivated the propellers at minimum power, allowing him to hover in place.

He altered his back then, giving himself tiny propellers to hover close to the glass pane he stood before.

Daemon looked through the red tinted window, seeing the lavish living room within. He carefully pressed his left hand to the reinforced glass, slowly as to not shimmer. He sensed the alarm system within the glass, and connected to it.

Visibly one could see yellow lines of light forming on the glass, spreading and flowing in perfect 90 degrees angles. Daemon was surprised at first, he didn’t willingly do that…

But accepted things as they were, and made use of it as inside his head he gained access to the upper security system within the building. He forced his way through, the primitive computer language it was made of proving to be nothing compared to what flowed through his mind.

Within his mind Daemon could easily alter and change anything he connected to, and as he processed the security system he found doors and windows into others. He roamed through the different systems, searching, hunting down any database that he might find an interest in.

There were many databases he easily gained access to, but none that interested him that much. Sure he could have drained the Master’s bank accounts but seeing as he was going to physically burn them later…what was the point?...

(“Nothing on their databases…a hard database perhaps?”) He then thought, and logged off from the system. Pulling his hand away as the window pane in front of him flipped open. By his own doing. Daemon hovered inside, the window closing behind him as his back and feet turned back to normal.

The floor was smooth tiled marble, the walls birch wooden and ceiling whole marble. All around him he could see priceless decorations that would have costed someone outside more arms than they actually had.

The white wood alone was priceless, difficult to grow due to the environmental requirements needed. The marble was also very rare, the mines having little to offer in its regard. Daemon immediately knew he wasn’t in just any Master’s room, but a well-regarded one.

Looking around he figured he might as well get cosy, finding himself a costly looking peach arm-chair he sat down. Making himself comfortable he took off his bowler hat and laid in deeper into the soft material “I could get used to this.” He grinned to himself.

He waited a few minutes, until finally the sound of shuffling in the next room caught his attention.

(“They’re here.”) He thought and stood up, putting his hat back on he stood in the centre of the room with an expectant smile. Invisible.

The wooden door ahead slid wide open as armed men rushed inside, five of them wearing light suit armour and wielding small ray cast weapons for close range engagement. They silently checked the perimeter, looking into other rooms with what seemed to be a rush.

Nobody had ever successfully infiltrated the Master Spire, so the guards having received a perimeter breach were more than just anxious. Daemon hadn’t hid his access to the system at all, so the system had recorded the anomaly that was his access and tracked the location of it.

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He noticed that the guards relaxed as another entered the room, casually this time “Nothing here.” The man noted as another guard turned to him.

“What the hell captain?” asked a female guard “Not even a breach, nothing.” She was scanning the room for electronic anomalies with her goggles but she couldn’t find anything, her technology unable to detect the being standing right beside her.

“Must have been an error then, the system hasn’t needed change in years…” suggest another guard as he stepped out of the next room.

“I don’t know…We’d have to check in with Judith and-” began saying the Captain before being cut off as an unarmoured woman pushed him aside from the doorway.

“Done with your check? Can you get out now?” a woman Daemon recognised as Master Zyra, one of the four called on to judge Jayce’s case.

“Oh but I’ve only just arrived.” Suddenly spoke a different voice, Daemon’s voice.

Zyra’s eyebrow immediately rose as she stared at the guard Captain, until she and everyone else noticed that it was neither of them who spoke.

Daemon dropped his invisibility.

The six guards immediately turned their weapons towards him, some from the side rooms moved to surround him while the Captain moved to stand in front of the Master as she stared with wide surprised eyes at Daemon.

“Breach found, requesting assistance flo-” One guard began speaking into their helmet.

“It’s no use.” Commented Daemon as he glanced at the guard, then at the ground where yellow lines of light had spread from his feet and into the guard’s armour “Nobody is listening.”

The guards immediately stepped away from the strange lights, but they clung to them as electricity flowing through the air. One even began kicking around his left leg, but it was no use, the light stuck on.

“Keep, calm.” Said the Captain as he noticed the quickly faltered guards around him, confused at what was happening. “Bjorn, how are the comm-”

“I grow bored of this.” Sighed Daemon as he took a step forward, and each guard’s weapon straightened at his head. Before suddenly a jolt of electricity surged through each of their suits, decapacitating them all.

As the guards fell unconscious to the floor, Daemon stepped closer to Zyra. Who seemed strangely calm, faking calm actually. Sternly looking at Daemon, as she clenched her hands but keeping them low. “W-Who are you?!” she demanded.

Daemon didn’t answer at first, he was going through the guard’s coms and had gained access to their systems. He searched it for something of interest but yet again, nothing. He sighed before turning to fully face the Master “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, so let’s just keep it short because I’m in need of your head at the moment.”

Zyra paled as she glanced about at the fallen guards “M-My h-head?” she stuttered in fear.

Daemon smirked “Apologies, I meant your mind. I’d like to have a pick at it.” His smirk turned into a wide wicked smile, as his right hand suddenly changed into metal.

Zyra immediately stepped back, before taking several more. Through the confusion she tripped and fell back, trembling as she sat there.

Daemon chuckled lightly as he raised his now metal arm in front of himself “You don’t need to know who I am, only what I am. So tell me, Master.” He crouched down before her “What am I?” he asked, whilst looking into her eyes.

Which he noted…weren’t as terrified as her demeanour showed.

“Fucked that’s what.” Said Zyra as she suddenly kicked forward with one leg, which Daemon grabbed with his left hand…now noticing that she wasn’t terrified at all, just a good actor.

Daemon tilted his head to the left as her other leg shot forward towards it, evading the painful looking shoes she was wearing before grabbing that leg too with his metal hand. He sighed in annoyance and stood up, carrying her up with “This is going to be bothersome isn’t it…” he mumbled out before noting to himself that she was wearing a night dress…that fell down as he pulled her up.

“Don’t look!” Zyra shouted as she struggled with her legs…her naked lower body gloriously in full view.

“Hm? Oh goo-” Daemon’s eyes went wide but he wasn’t given the chance to finish as Zyra’s leg struggled out of his left hand…and kicked him across the face. Daemon stumbled back, completely letting go of her as he held his jaw “F-Fwuck whoman…” he groaned. That kick somewhat damaged his jaw…

“Suits you!” shouted Zyra as she pulled her dress down and stood up, rushing to a nearby table on which she opened a touch-lock and pulled out a gun. Turning back to face Daemon she watched as his unset jaw changed to a greenish light before reshaping back into a well set one… “What…are you?” she mumbled out while aiming the gun at him with both hands.

Daemon caressed his fixed jaw as he turned to face her “Oh you don’t know? Well shit, I don’t either.” He glanced at her gun “What I do know, is that won’t help you.”

Zyra smiled devilishly “We’ll see about that.” then pressed the trigger.

The weapon quickly charged up, volatile red energy forming in its barrel before suddenly bursting forwards and towards Daemon. It was completely silent, not a sound was made as the deadly ray of cast energy flew towards him.

Daemon didn’t make a flinch, he didn’t react where he very much could have even though the projectile of energy was so fast. He stood there, smiling as it burned through his left bicep. There was no force behind it, nothing like a bullet. Just heat, quickly spreading and disintegrating on touch.

He grimaced as his flesh was seared, a brief grimace before suddenly the pain was all gone. He shut it off…Daemon turned off his own pain. Straightening himself as he stared at Zyra’s faltering smile, as she stared at the still bright and burning hole in his chest. Then glancing at his smile.

“Must I really repeat myself?” he said, while gesturing at the gaping hole in his flesh “You see, there is one thing I do know about myself for sure.” He explained as green energy flowed out of his flesh and filled the hole…”I’m no longer human.”

The energy looked malleable, nothing like electricity or the projectile of heat. It was similar to light yet so much slower, like a hologram but seemingly physical. Zyra stared at it, her expression frozen as she watched it turn to flesh…then clothing.

Slowly she met Daemon’s eyes “Wha…” she dropped the gun and pulled her arms back, hugging in her own shoulders as she rubbed them against the chill that suddenly went through her “What…”

Daemon chuckled in amusement “Oh what’s this? Now you’re afraid? Or is that confusion? Oh wait, it’s both.” He stepped closer towards her “Let me spell it out for you. The things out there? The monsters you call Wyverns of Rust? They are beyond what our people think they are.”

As he walked closer, his form changed…shrunk too whilst he continued to speak “I want to know what, because this…is what they did to me.” His voice changed as well, as suddenly Jayce stood before Zyra.

She fell to her knees “You…t-the child…H-how?”

He changed back, retaking his form as Daemon “I don’t know!” he sighed in annoyance “But I won’t stop till I find out…” he glanced down at his own hands “What do you see, when you look at me? Master?” he suddenly asked.

“I..I don’t…” she slowly stood back up, carefully stepping away from him.

Daemon smirked “You see an abomination, tell the truth. But I? I see potential, I see a gift brought down upon me by the luck of probability. I’ll take that luck, I’ll abuse of it. I’ll make the best out of it.” He then gestured around “But to do that, I NEED to know more! And I’m sure someone in this damn village knows something.” He then pointed at her “Now you must be wondering, why am I telling you?”

His smile grew “Because you’re going to help me.” into a wicked grin as his eyes looked right through her, seeing what possible use she could be to him. As if he was looking at potential, at a tool. Not a person.

Zyra slowly shook her head “W-What if I don’t want to help you?!”

Daemon briefly looked away, chuckling before suddenly turning to glare at her with cold eyes “I don’t believe that was a choice? Was it?...because you don’t have one.”

“Y-You can’t keep me against my will! S-someone-” she began, but Daemon cut her off…as he laughed hysterically. She froze, staring at him with actual terror now.

“Oh Boohoo I cannot keep you against your will! Someone! Anyone! Will surely come…to save you?” he asked with a wide grin, then gestured for her to follow with his still metallic hand “Maybe the guards, maybe the wound…weren’t enough.” He whispered now whilst walking towards this room’s window paned wall.

He looked back at her, still grinning while raising his right hand to the window…pressing his palm onto the glass “I’m not human, I’m somewhat of a machine. Somewhat of a computer I’d say. But like nothing we’ve ever seen before, so different…that it makes what we use in our own military defence seem primitive in comparison.”

Daemon turned to watch outside, looking over the city he looked for a target…for an example. “Hm…Ah, see that open street?” he pointed with his free hand at a plain looking vehicle path that took from one sector of the city to another. It was in plain view from this high up. “Pay close attention to it…”

Daemon glanced back to see her reaction, as he connected to the system like he had before. He searched through the doors, snuck through windows of other systems…everything within the village was hard connected. Each database, each system, was its own standalone machine.

There was no Wi-Fi.

There was no Bluetooth.

There was no internet.

The people here knew none of that, only wiring and at best radio connection. But it was enough for Daemon…to connect to each and every system within the city. What had no wire-less connection, he accessed by flowing his energy physically from one machine to another…Like he had with the guard’s armour.

It moved to his will, even when outside his body.

Until he finally reached that road, and from a traffic light connected to a passing by vehicle…

Zyra jumped back as a vehicle suddenly swerved off the road, crashed into a building and exploded.

“No matter where I am, no matter from where I must. I can find you, I can reach you…I can hurt you.” Calmly said Daemon as he stared her straight in the eyes.

She moved from the now bloody scene that lay miles away, and met his cold dreadful gaze. “Y-You’re insane…”

He smiled, turning around then stepping close to her. She was frozen, unable to react from the fear as he suddenly caressed her left cheek with his metal hand “Hardly. I simply don’t see the point in the feeling of guilt or compassion. I turned those off alongside pain and fear.” it was cold and something else…

She stared up at his smile, it was uncaring yet full of amusement…now filling with excitement as he glanced back outside. Zyra felt the energy within his hand through her skin, it wasn’t numbing like electricity…on the contrary actually. It made her very aware of the touch, so much more aware than should have been possible.

“I’ll turn off this entire city too one da-” Daemon glanced back at her “Are you even listening?”

Zyra was definitely not listening; her entire focus was on the touch she felt through her left cheek. It was an exhilarating feeling, forcing her full attention on it unnaturally. As if she had been possessed by it.

It was more than just touch.

It was more than just sensual at this point.

It was a pleasure so intense that she couldn’t hold back…Yet she just couldn’t go through either. As if it was being blocked…as if she was stuck in the moment. And the moment was insanely gratifying, until it became too much. She wanted it to stop, but at the same time she wanted it to continue.

“What the…” Daemon stared down at her in confusion, as her eyes rolled over into her head and she fell to the floor “Uhm…?” He stepped back and glanced at his hand, then at the unconscious Zyra who lay on the ground.

As his eyes wandered he also noticed…the dress that fell upon her shape became incredibly wet where her legs met.

“The actual hell?” he kicked her leg gently but no reaction came back "Well...so much for my monologging...Fuck".