If I’m honest, I know exactly why there weren’t any visitors during the wave. I’m sitting in the most dangerous place it’s possible to be inside the Colony’s territory. It’s not a mystery that nobody wanted to drop in for a chat. Still, it would have been nice if someone had given me at least a little of their time. I was dangerously bored!

Actually, now that I think about it, I could have reached out to chat to people through the Nave whenever I wanted… and there are quite a few people in there too….

DAMMIT!

Well, the next visitor to pop into my chamber is indeed someone who has a spot in the Nave, but I certainly didn’t expect to see them again. Especially not here!

In they float, an eye, burning with both intensity, and fire.

[Al! Good to see you again. How have you been?]

Allocrix, or Al for short, is a knowledge demon from the third stratum and was a lot of help when the Colony and I first arrived in that confusing and chaotic place. In exchange for his assistance and wisdom, all Al required was that he be provided with new information. As a knowledge demon, his obsession is rather straightforward: he wants to know things, and with an entire life in another world worth of useless facts to share, I had a lot of material to work with.

After we moved into the fourth on an emergency quest to save the Mother Tree, Al remained behind in his natural stratum and I haven’t really heard from him since.

As before, he appears as a burning eye, with little by way of a physical body, at least one that can be seen. Just like Invidia, most of his body is tucked into a pocket dimension, allowing him to maintain a small size whilst still having a brain the size of a car.

[It is good to see you again, Anthony,] he says.

Is that a twinkle in his eye I see? Maybe he really is glad to see me! No, wait, his gaze is flicking around the room rapidly, soaking in all the information he can. I think he’s just happy to be in a new place and seeing things he’s never seen before.

[How does it feel to be the first demon into the fifth? Well… second.]

Invidia is still a demon, even if he didn’t have the typical demon upbringing.

[There is a great deal I have learned travelling in this place, and so much more still for me to absorb. I very much look forward to having the chance to converse with you. At length.]

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[Err… well… yes. I suppose you would.]

Talking to Allocrix is a lot like being interrogated by an insane person. He can be a little… intense.

[There are of course others who know a lot more about the fifth than me. The general Solant is here right now, did you know? She managed the entire invasion and has insights I’m sure nobody else could possibly provide.]

His eye flashes greedily.

[Interesting. I will take advantage of this and speak with her also.]

Dangit, thought I might make a neat escape there for a second.

[But what brings you down here, Al? I thought you were going to stay in the third with your people?]

At tier seven, Allocrix is powerful by demon standards, though he did have a few enemies he was trying to stay away from. Inside Colony territory, he was perfectly safe as far as I was aware.

[I came to learn new things, of course. If there is a chance to learn about the fifth, then I must take it. More than that, I heard that you are going to travel into the sixth stratum.]

[Well, yes, that’s true.]

There's a flash of intense heat from the demon as his eye burns with intense need.

[I will go with you.]

[What?]

[I will go. I must go.]

Well… it’s kind of hard to say no to him. He’s powerful and certainly would be helpful, even at tier seven, but if he were tier eight, it would be a lot better.

[It’s going to be dangerous down there, Al,] I tell him. [Are you sure you’re up to it?]

[I will be, do not fear.]

[Alright. Well, I can’t really say no, since you were such a big help when we were in the third. You helped us, so now I’m happy to have the chance to help you.]

[There is more I wish to learn as well. I am hoping spending time in your company will help me solve this riddle. I have made progress in my investigations regarding this matter, but to learn more it will be useful to be close to the source.]

[The uh… the source of what?]

[The source of the protection against the influence of Arconidem you have been able to provide. You may be unaware, but the Demon God is continuing to expand his influence in the third, with more and more demons falling under his control. Even though the loss of the heralds was a setback, it isn’t enough to stop it. However, the demons inside the Colony’s lands have been strangely resistant. As have I.]

[I can honestly say I don’t know anything about that,] I tell him.

[That is most likely true.]

Ouch.

[But I’m sure I can unravel the mystery. I will know the reason.]

I hope not. I get the feeling the answer is something I don’t want to know. Well… it’s good that it’s helping the demons, though. Arconidem isn’t exactly my favourite person.

[Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad to have you along for the ride. Welcome back!]

[I will leave you be and go find this Solant. I have questions.]

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