The world twisted around us, and the teleportation gate spat us out into a massive hall of red stone.
Rough, uneven, carved as if demons had punched the walls into shape rather than built them with tools.
Statues lined the walls—wild, muscular demons in strange poses, most of them naked or wrapped in scraps of cloth, their horns sharpened, their fangs bared. The sculptures felt so real it was as if they were alive, watching us enter their domain.
Multiple demons arrived through the gate at the same time, some with leathery wings, others with scaled skin, a few with floating orbs of flame around their shoulders. Their voices were loud, their footsteps heavy.
Ahead of us, a long line snaked toward a group of demon guards behind floating stone counters.
"We join that," Primus murmured under his hood, guiding Lara closer to him. Both of them had their horns hidden under the shadow of their cloaks but left just enough skin exposed to pass as demons at a glance.
North, Steve, and I kept our bodies fully hidden. Cloaks drawn low. No hands or skin showing.
We moved into the line. It progressed quickly. Demons didn’t talk much in queues: they glared, snorted, and moved on.
When our turn came, the guard: a bulky demon gestured lazily.
"Permit."
I simply willed it, and a floating screen appeared in front of me. Pale blue. System-generated.
The guard’s eyes flicked through the information.
Name: XXXX
Race: XXXX
Residence Permit: Blue Spiral Galaxy
Behind me, North and Steve did the same. Even Primus and Lara hid their names. It was normal. Safe.
Just as Primus had told us earlier on the ship—
The closer you get to the Prime Galaxy, the deeper the System’s roots. Here, the System handled identity, travel rights, crime logs, law enforcement... everything.
A resident permit was everything here. Without it, you were no one. Worse than no one, you were a target. If the System tagged you red, you lived the rest of your life as a pirate, hunted everywhere you went.
The guard scanned all our screens.
A moment of silence.
Then he nodded once.
"Next."
We stepped through.
The thick, iron-banded doors opened, and heat rushed over us.
Armus.
Demon world.
Red skies. Dry winds. The scent of burning stone and hot earth.
I took a step forward and my mind drifted to the conversation we’d had on Dante’s ship, just a day before arriving.
********
Steve leaned forward on the table. "So... what exactly is our plan on Primus’s world? Just walk in and fix everything?"
Primus sighed. "I told you earlier, it won’t be simple. Armus isn’t peaceful right now."
North crossed her arms. "Then what do we do?"
I looked at them silently before speaking.
"We create our own faction."
Steve blinked. "Our own... organisation?"
"Yes," I nodded. "We won’t join any existing one. Eternals have influence everywhere. Even the strong organizations are riddled with infiltrators. So we form something of our own, something hidden."
North tilted her head. "And demons will follow us?"
"They follow strength," I replied. "They acknowledge power. They don’t bend because of race, rules, or diplomacy."
Primus nodded. "That’s true. Our culture respects only results. If you stand above us, we bow. If you don’t, we crush you."
"So the plan is simple," I continued. "First, we help Primus reclaim his world. If the Bloodreaver family takes Armus, Primus becomes the one in charge and Armus becomes one of our silent allies."
Steve’s brow furrowed. "And after Armus?"
"We go to Dragos," I said. "The Demon Headquarters."
North let out a slow breath. "That’s... ambitious."
"That’s necessary," I corrected. "We need small allies and big ones. Armus first. Then Dragos."
Primus nodded to himself. "And the Blood and Fire Ritual. If we perform it, your strength will increase further. It might even awaken something."
Steve raised an eyebrow. "Explain again?"
Primus leaned back.
"It’s a ritual tied to Armus’s world core. One of our ancestors nearly reached saint rank and raised the core’s power. Because of that, the ritual can boost evolution, strengthen talents, and help comprehend Laws of Blood and Fire."
"And no other demon world has something like that," I added.
North nodded slowly. "Alright... then Armus first."
I stood up and finished. "And after that we go to fulfill my promise to Anjee."
*****
The present rushed back as we stepped onto a wide street.
And Armus hit us like a punch.
The moment my feet touched the red stone street, I spread my perception outward. The world unfolded in an instant.
The entire capital city, Aurora, entered my awareness like a living map.
The strongest presence on the planet sat right at its center.
A single transcendent.
An envoy from the Demon Headquarters.
His aura coiled at the top of the tallest tower. He wasn’t watching us, but that didn’t matter. His existence alone meant caution.
But to me he was weak. A level 310 transcendent was nothing.
Everyone else?
Grandmasters.
Not one or two.
Millions.
And in the chaos I identified another layer, three distinct quadrants woven into the city.
Three domains, three powers.
Three families.
Each one had their own capital far from here, but within this neutral city they claimed territory. Districts marked by subtle energy signatures—fiery red for the Bloodreavers, glowing blue for the Del Rey, violet for the Ronic.
The city was wild.
Red stone buildings, tall and cracked like ancient temples. Thick bridges hanging between them made of dark metal. No hovering cars, no floating screens, no soft music playing in corners.
Instead, demons.
Dozens of them walking openly with naked blades strapped across their backs. A few wrestled in the middle of the road, throwing each other like boulders while bystanders cheered.
A demoness with fire for hair cackled as she drank alcohol and cheered the fight. A horned demon hammered a glowing metal plate in the open street, sparks shooting everywhere. A group of young demon warriors sparred in circles, roaring with laughter.
Energy was everywhere.
This was not a "civilized" world.
This was survival or a long drawn out party.
"This..." Steve whispered, "...is insane."
North blinked twice. "I’ve never seen anything like this."
Primus smiled faintly under his hood. "Demons don’t like pampered lives. No polished cities. No empty fake politeness. Just strength and freedom."
A demon ran across the road on fire, screaming happily.
Steve coughed. "Freedom, huh?"
We walked deeper into the city, turning into a quieter stone street. The noise faded behind us.
Primus glanced around.
"This is enough distance."
I nodded and waved my hand.
Space bent.
We vanished.
We appeared at the edge of a massive forest, just a few kilometers outside the city walls. The air changed instantly. Even the leaves were tinted red, as if the whole forest had been painted in blood and dusk.
Primus pulled off his head covering and took a long breath.
"Finally... home sweet home."
Steve looked at the red sky, then at the crimson-tinted trees, then at Primus.
"Don’t get offended, but... this doesn’t look like a great home."
Primus chose not to acknowledge that comment.
Instead, he turned to me.
"We should head to my family’s capital next. First I want to hear directly from them, what’s happening, who’s doing what, and how accurate that broker’s information really was." He paused, jaw tightening. "I know you have plans, and I’m not against helping you. But my wife comes first. I want her safe. Once I have that... then I’ll join you in whatever war or madness you want."
I chuckled softly.
"There won’t be any war on this planet. It’s too weak."
Primus scoffed instantly. "Yeah, yeah....for you it is. For the rest of us it’s still dangerous. And we don’t know what kind of undercurrents are flowing here. Anything could be stirring."
I nodded and smiled.
"Sure. I agree with you."
I raised my head staring at the red sky as the thought of taking over this planet’s world core crossed my mind.
’Patience.’ I thought inwardly.