Demonic Devourer's Development

"I understand, but that doesn't mean that I agree," I hissed through gritted teeth. "Conceited bitch."

Aivena frowned. "Well, it was irrational to hope that you will be any more reasonable than an average demon. Shock."

An arch of lightning that came from her finger passed through the invisible barrier like it was never there and hit me right in the chest. The current coursed through my body like a wave of lava, leaving small aftershocks in its wake. Painful, but short-lasting. Still, I growled and pretended that it was harder to bear than in truth.

Aivena dropped her hand and hummed. "Electricity is a fine way to ensure obedience, isn't it? Highly painful even in potencies far from lethal. Consider this to be a preview of the methods I will employ to ensure your compliance to my rules."

I glared at her in silence. She didn't mind it—the woman appeared to like the sound of her own voice more than that of any other. She made another bite of her apple, unhurriedly chewed, swallowed, and only then spoke again.

"Tell me, Devourer, how did you get into my sanctuary in the first place?"

I narrowed my eyes. This was my chance. The rage was seething in me, but my determination to get out kept it in check. It was just below, simmering. "I will answer your questions, if you will answer mine. One for one, how about that? It will be faster than you torturing the information out of me."

My offer didn't seem to impress Aivena as much as I hoped. She chewed on her lip and gave me a suspicious nod, but finally, nodded. "I suppose this would be more effective. Of course, I always can go to the torture if I don't want to answer. And I will see no reason to answer if I am dissatisfied with your reply. Now, tell me, how did you get through the sanctuary's barrier?"

This was as much as I was going to get. But that answer wasn't a secret. "I got caught in an avalanche and found myself here when I got out. I think the snow must've just broke through."

"Hm… This is certainly a possibility. The barrier has its limits…"

"Your turn now. Why would a heavenly official like you build a lab in a middle of nowhere and guard it with spells? Can't you just do the same in Heaven?"

"These are two questions, Devourer… But fine. You will owe me. I conduct my experiments in the mortal realm because I don't have the same opportunities in Heaven. My boss, Goddess of Druids, only accepts aesthetically pleasing creatures in her realm, and most of my experiments don't fit her tastes. I had no other choice." Aivena shrugged. "As for the spells, I wouldn't want any roaming beast or an adventurer to find this place, or for my specimens to escape."

I wondered if there were any good people in Heaven at all. I knew that since the Twelve Bastards handled Heavenly Judgement, it would be as fucked up as they are. The promise of Heaven to all adventurers also was common knowledge. Did the Twelve Bastards accept anyone else in Heaven at all, or just threw them straight to Hell?

"Now, Devourer, I want to know more about the way you appear to have features of so many different creatures. I heard rumours about you… Is it true that you add the power of every creature you eat to your own?"

"Yep. Wouldn't mind adding your power to mine, too." I showed her my teeth.

"Keep dreaming. Hmm, I see some similarities with the attributes of local creatures in your appearance, but either you ate a few that aren't endemic to this region, or they have changed when you attached them to your body. These claws, for example. What creature you got them from?"

I wondered how much I should tell her. Even if I kill her, Aivena would just go straight to Heavenly Judgement, where she will be free to report everything she found straight to her bosses. Since I still had to fight them, giving up information they didn't know yet was giving them weapons. On the other hand, knowing the ways I got stronger won't give them much to stop me from keeping stronger, unless they caught up to me, in which case it was all about how strong I already was.

It was much more important to hide the abilities I already had from her. Sadly, I already showed plenty when I tried to kill her. But I still had some hidden, mostly because they weren't as visible, or because I didn't have an opportunity to use them.

"I don't know. From someone with claws. Oh, you mean these?" I grew out the magic blades on top of my normal bone claws. "Frost Griffins. As you said, some abilities that I attach, change."

"Very interesting. What about your sliminess? It's not not even close to anything that lives around. Have you acquired it somewhere else?"

I grinned again. "It's my turn to ask now. I want to know, why do you do your experiments in the first place?"

Aivena's haughty face became a little colder in displeasure, but she didn't shock me again. "This is very easy to answer. I do this because I like it. In life, I bred animals as a hobby and an additional source of income, but going to Heaven gave me more power and more opportunities. If only not for this edict…" She tsked. "I wonder why you are so interested in me, Devourer. I didn't peg you for someone who cares for the inner world of the creatures he's going to eat."

My grin, that malicious, ferocious expression that came to my face not from joy, but from an instinct to show my teeth to people I wanted to terrify, widened. "Well, until now, I didn't think that angels would be just as big bastards as their bosses.. Mostly because I didn't think about angels at all."

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