CHAPTER 14
I spot a gap that cuts through the forest roughly twelve kilometres due west. I take one final look at the facility's disguised entrance; it blends into the surrounding rockface without indicating its existence.
I unfurl my wings, and two small, leathery appendages sprout from my lower back. They feel almost foreign after so long, but the ability to control them is instinctual to every Devil. They were more magical than physical. The Anatomy of A Devil was one of the most fascinating books I have ever enjoyed reading.
I took to the skies in an effortless flap of my wings and immediately divebomb towards the treeline. The distance is closed in less than a second. Oh, how I love being a Devil. The trees pass by in a blur, yet small details like a colony of ants that took refuge inside a hollow trunk do not escape my eyes.
It took me no time to reach the small stream I spotted earlier, and I quickly changed direction to go downstream. I hope I am not too far from civilisation. The Underworld is about the size of the human world but twice the landmass.
I keep myself inside the treeline and run parallel to the stream. I do not know how long I flew, my tired and battered body not protesting the harsh treatment. This is do or die. If He shows up, I am dead, no ifs, buts, or maybes.
By this point, the sun had long dipped below the horizon, but my perfect night vision was more than enough to navigate the dense forest. The stream eventually joined a river, and my hopes for a settlement were reignited. I did not dare fly too far from the bank, as monstrosities often roam unpopulated parts of the Underworld.
I have travelled a couple of hundred kilometres by now and have spotted the telltale lights of Devil life just a few dozen kilometres down the river. I stop by the riverbank, remove my tattered clothes, and dip into the water.
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The water was freezing, and the riverbed was a rough, sharp stone that dug into my feet. It was the best bath I had ever had.
I eventually forced myself out of the water, put my old clothes into my inventory, and donned the only set that didn’t look like it had crawled out of a super-secret Devil experimentation facility. I fly the rest of the distance to what now appears to be a small town and land just a few hundred meters away from the gates. I quickly glance at the artificial moon hanging overhead.
It looks like we are still just past midnight. Safe.
Putting on my best innocent kid look, I approach the guards.
“Who goes there?” The only guard awake asks in a bored tone.
“I’m so sorry, sir; I was camping out with friends and got lost. Would you mind pointing out the way to the closest city?”
“Are you serious? Who in their right mind would camp out in these woods? The night holds dangerous beasts, boy.” The guard was mildly surprised yet maintained his bored tone. As a fellow country bumpkin, I could empathise with the amount of stupidity these guys have to deal with.
“I’m sorry, sir; I had a little too much to drink, and my friends left without me.”
He sighed, evidently unimpressed with my apparent stupidity. ‘Kids these days. Well, the Belial city is about a hundred kilometres to the North of here, and you can take the train or teleport from there to wherever you need to go.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Whatever, if you get killed, it ain’t my fault. Now piss off.”
The damn cretins did not bother to hide their base too far from a major city. Are the Belials in bed with the Nebiros?
I cast one last glance at the guards and use my newest skill [Observe].
Town Guard
Level: 25
Threat: Lethal
Even a tiny town guard can relieve me of my life, huh?
I quickly scurried off into the night and settled on a tree not too far from the town, too tired to continue. The rough bark provided little comfort, but it was nightmares that were responsible for my restless sleep.