Reborn! Wait, what am I?

Broken, shattered, and left formless.

The Terrarian — a mere speck in the vast universe — had somehow triumphed over the Devourer of Gods.

Compared to the Devourer, a powerful entity that assimilated the essence of various potent beings, the Terrarian seemed insignificant, only armed with… a yo-yo. 

Impossible, the Devourer thought.

The humiliation inflicted by the Terrarian would forever linger in his memory.

Despite the tearing and destruction of his physical form, remnants of his essence continued to traverse the vast universe.

Eventually, the Devourer will return…

…And return he did, albeit in a manner no one could have anticipated.

"What accursed form is this?!" A lone voice shrieked in anger and confusion, resonating with a dissonant symphony, stemming from their non-familiarity with human vocal chords.

As daylight pierced through the thicket, an unnatural sight unfolded; his once beautiful scales, a gradient of purple and blue… had vanished!

"A hairless ape is no fitting vessel!"

Gone was his colossal cosmic being, with a maw capable of churning and devouring anything in its path. The Devourer poked and prodded at his newfound human set of teeth, almost breaking his jaw at one point. "A predator, reduced to these disappointments!"

Attempting to move...

...he resorted to slithering on the ground.

"Inferior lifeforms and their mode of travel!" He cursed. 

This was the pitiful remains of the once proud Devourer of Gods, a man with pink hair and blue eyes, floundering on the cold, unforgiving ground, attempting to execute the worm dance move.

The Devourer would be a great breakdancer.

Finally, the exertion required to move even a meter became overwhelming. In his original form, the Devourer could have engaged in a battle for years with an evenly matched adversary. Now, he could barely catch his breath while lying on the floor.

"I hate these…" He stammered. "…legs!"

Contemplating the situation, the Devourer's mind replayed the image of the Terrarian who defeated him — gracefully dodging each attack, effortlessly flowing like water in a river.

The Devourer snapped his jaws as if still possessing his original body. "Drats! It's not over yet!"

Lifting one foot, then the other, and repeating the process — the Devourer succeeded in standing upright!

"Too easy!" He proclaimed. "I can do whatever that puny human did—"

His legs experienced a universal collapse as soon as he attempted to move forward. Lacking the instinct to shield his face with his arms, he inadvertently eats a fist full of soil.

"Hmph! Why am I even wasting my time like this?! Even as a human, I shall tear the fabric of space!"

And then there was silence…

…

Only the rustling of leaves and a distant howl echoed as the Devourer persisted in his attempts to create wormholes with nothing changing.

Beneath his skin and down to what remained of his soul, a spark struggled to light. Nothing.

The Devourer's eyes widened, then narrowed. "I don't need it! I can conquer my legs as I have conquered Gods! Nghhhh!"

Left… right… left… right!

The Devourer achieved it, taking a few steps in the wilderness surrounded by trees — the first of many hurdles overcome.

The way he swung his legs; tight, awkward, and careful. To an outside viewer, he looks like he's on the verge of shitting himself. 

"Hmm…" The Devourer pondered while walking in circles.

His form had been altered. The remains of his soul consumed minuscule amounts of energy in the universe, perhaps some roaming source of power on the planet he was reborn on.

With small amounts passing by during his journey through the universe, the energy proved sufficient to give him a small body.

But… why a human body? He should've transformed into a juvenile.

The Devourer realized what might have happened. "That Terrarian, his influence still lingers even in my resurrection!"

Even his soul acknowledged the Terrarian's strength, unconsciously shaping his rebirth into the thing he despised most.

"...I wonder then? Is it a curse or a blessing?" The Devourer began to contemplate. Evolution was a natural process for any species, perhaps leading him to turn into a human to understand their strength.

"I have become a human… to destroy the humans!" The Devourer exclaimed.

An intense gurgle from the Devourer's stomach caught his attention. He momentarily halted his circular walk, searching for anything nearby to eat.

"Must feast," he growls… which sounds odd considering he was in a human body. 

It was a return to the old times, chasing down creatures smaller and less intelligent. Animals lacking in cognition became the initial prey for the Devourer until he progressed to more formidable beings that required strategic approaches.

This journey saw the Devourer adopting the traits of his prey, enabling him to outsmart and feast on the essences of those who had once eluded him. Inevitably, he even consumed Gods… who tasted like chicken. 

It was back to square one, considering his shattered soul, only the base of what he once was remained. The Devourer was confident he'd retain his ability to assimilate creatures. 

The hunger intensified… albeit oddly reduced compared to the insatiable cravings of the past. The Devourer theorized that it was a consequence of his diminished size.

Walking was gradually becoming second nature. While still occasionally stiff and far from the agility displayed by the Terrarian he once battled, it marked a commendable start. Adapting to an entirely different species was already an impressive feat.

"Food!" An uncontrollable stream of saliva escaped the Devourer's mouth.

A rabbit went about its business, oblivious to the looming threat. It was a far cry from a worthy adversary for a God slayer, but hunger dictated the Devourer's choice.

As the adult rabbit turned away, the Devourer lunged forward on his new legs. Unfortunately, the act of running on this unfamiliar pair usually ended in frustration.

"Argh! Why won't you just sit still?!" The Devourer continued the chase. "This body is too slow for even a simple hunt!"

Minutes passed, and the wild man in the forest persisted in his pursuit of a meal. Eventually, the Devourer's sheer determination wore down the small herbivore.

With no opportunity to pause and recover stamina, the rabbit succumbed to being grabbed by the relentless Devourer.

There was one last look at its beady black eyes, the Devourer stretched his mouth at its maximum, and with instinct still going strong, the Devourer put his prey's head in his mouth and severed it from the neck.

Finding the head harder to chew, he spits it out and proceeds to tear off what's left of the body piece by piece. Blood and gore splatter all over the ground as his eyes roll up in ecstasy. 

The taste of raw viscera, a metallic flavor from all the blood, and the soft, sometimes hard pieces of meat enveloped his taste buds. 

"Delicious…"

As the Devourer continued to live up to its name, he felt his legs grow stronger. Not a large amount but it remained noticeable enough for the Devourer to comment on. "Nothing has changed, I am still a God!"

His base ability, assimilation, remained. 

Even if he were to be reduced to something smaller, as long as he consumed more, he would grow as well. In his eyes, he could still rise from the ashes and take revenge… well, only after learning what the Terrarian had that led them to beat him. 

Gulping down the last of the animal, the Devourer's hunger was momentarily satiated. However, from the recesses of his mind, a craving for more power emerged.

One thing remained clear to him — despite some of his intelligence being replaced by primal instinct, the Devourer recognized the imperative need for improvement.

If he was going to have the same pace of growth as he had with his worm-like body, he needed to eat more than just a rabbit. 

Catching prey with determination and patience was insufficient; he needed to acclimate to being bipedal.

This didn't excuse aimless wandering in circles. No, he sought a trial by fire, something more substantial than mere poultry or small game meat — real food.

Without hesitation, the Devourer sprinted across challenging terrain, marked by inclines and rocks. He learned to raise his arms for balance while upright, making minor adjustments to his strides.

Constantly on the lookout for sustenance, he scoured his surroundings whenever he caught his breath. For an hour each time, he would halt, rest for fifteen minutes, then resume running.

Unlike before, finding prey wasn't as effortless. This only heightened his hunger as he continued to run.

Eventually, he reached an opening and, with a smile, spotted a deer grazing in the distance.

The Devourer realized that his current body wasn't suited for the hunting style he employed during his early decades as a massive worm. Anything could easily outrun him. However, he observed how his body excelled at sustained running.

This realization prompted thoughts about human natural talents. Even if something could initially outrun a human, they would inevitably catch up hours later.

Without the means to rely on biting chunks off deer, the Devourer was vexed by the absence of more prominent canines. Weapons, once ignored, became a necessity. Although finding an exact replica of the swords or spears he had seen other humans use was impractical for now, he had to make do with what was available.

Something pointy would suffice, the Devourer concluded. He explored the surroundings and stumbled upon a fallen tree branch.

Picking it up, he deemed it decent. The branch, half his height, was thin but not fragile enough to break after one thrust.

The Devourer attempted to chew on the end of the branch, but it proved futile. So, he found a rock and began grinding away at the end of the stick to fashion it into a somewhat sharp point.

Satisfied, he returned to the clearing in the forest and located the same deer.

Slowly, he followed. Suddenly, the deer jolted its ears back and looked at the Devourer.

Deciding that there was no time to lose, the Devourer leaped from behind the foliage and started chasing after the deer.

In pursuit, he immediately felt the fruits of his efforts. Running was easier, but the deer remained faster. No matter, as long as he kept his eyes locked on the target, he would eventually consume the beast.

Minutes passed, and he could feel his heart beating inside his chest. Breaths grew deep and hastened. All of that effort, and at last, the deer was tired.

With one great push from his arms, the spear he fashioned lodged itself center-mass. As he did so, the Devourer taunted the dying creature — a display of his sadism that persisted even after death.

"I'd rather consume lower lifeforms whole, but a splinter or two wouldn't ruin a good meal!"

Wails and screeches left the injured deer flailing its hind legs and desperately attempting to flee. It occasionally slips from the crude wooden spear, but the Devourer always chases it down, causing another great puncture.

It finishes in a pool of blood; the creature's death was not painless, and any good hunter would weep at the barbaric effort to hunt.

That doesn't matter to the Devourer; it's earned its next meal, as seen by the aggressive way he tore the spear-made holes and shredded the skin to get inside.

"It's all so tough… but always so satisfying—"

"Gods, what the hell?!" 

The Devourer snapped a look to the right, seeing that dreaded species he despised.

A human… holding a gun.

He had seen those in an army before, and it tickled him. As a human, he had no idea the harm it could do to him. So, to acquire some of his well-earned flesh, he immediately grabbed the limbs he had chopped off and stood up. 

The man averted his eyes and yelled again. "Gods, never have I seen a bloodied man buck-fucking-naked in the wild! Hey, where are you going—"

Looking back from his sprint, the Devourer munched on a liver while hauling a piece of deer leg over his shoulder. The human that saw him didn't give chase, today would be a tactical withdrawal. 

It was shameful to run from potential food but necessary. The once-great cosmic worm needed to learn more about humanity, no sense in trying to fight them now. Eventually, he'd kill them all anyway.