The Isle of Hunger [DE, R]

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

Making his way down to the basement of this building with the soldier by his side was taking longer than Asmoskon preferred. That first creature had gone down far easier than he had been expected based on what he was seeing. He’d been expecting to fire at least half a dozen arrows before such a creature went down. Still he wouldn’t drop his guard because the first one was weak. Just keeping his single eye open and alert he followed the soldier.

“I’m beside you right now so let’s continue. You don’t need to apologize or justify this. I can see these creatures as well so let’s just find your team and do what we can to prevent them from continuing whatever all this is.” Asmoskon could feel his boots sticking to the strange substance below him much more now. This wasn’t a good sign especially for those that relied on distance in combat like himself and this soldier.

Asmoskon could see that she had trouble getting the door open which given the substance on the floor wasn’t surprising. Asmoskon wasted no time extending his right hand out, in the moment that followed the door was flung off its hinges through the space on the over side. Also like a toy had been thrown by a child. That’s when he turned and saw the creatures moving down the hall. “No you want to see your team so let’s continue.” Asmoskon formed his longbow in his left hand. In the span of two seconds the Quincy pulled back his bowstring forming a single arrow and firing it in perfect fluid motion. The arrow flew down the hall yet halfway to the creatures it split apart a single thin spring of reiatsu connecting what was now two arrows. The creature in the front would find that the arrows soared past it on each side only to wrap around, connect and then explode in a large blast more than likely killing all of the creatures due to their close proximity. “Now let’s continue.”

Remaining Reiatsu: 2280/2500
Verwüstung: (-100)

[Edward]

As the flesh and the black blood of the large kraken like demon fell to the ground Edward heard the soft rumblings of a roar starting to echo out from the jungle behind them. As the sound echoed out he watched as the large beast slowly moved back over to the remains of the cruise liner, eventually slumping it’s body over the cruise liner. He knew that the cut he did wouldn’t have killed something like that, it was akin to having your hand cut off, lethal eventually, but not right away. Something else was going on and it was coming from the jungle, where the sound originated.

Taking a quick look around he saw that the rest of the beasts were all either falling down to die or were already dead. Everything had stopped moving, everything but the arrows of Alexander. He saw then starting towards the container. Without missing a beat Edward spoke. “Captain Alex recall your arrows, we don’t need them anymore.” He had expected them to vanish as he had given Alex a direct order, so he wasn’t able to react in time to stop the killing of the survivor they found. He heard the screams of the man and his anger was turned towards Alex thinking that this was him disobeying a direct order.

Without even thinking Edward severed the connection Alex had to his powers. This supposed disobedience would have to be punished and Edward wasn’t going to be lenient on the punishment. Yet the arrows that Alexander had created hadn’t vanished. Edward knew that Alexander no longer had a connection to his power yet these things were still walking around. This wasn’t due to Alexander and as such Edward resorted his connection to his power. Edward hadn’t heard what Alexander was saying as he was upset over the idea of blatant disobedience to his face. Still the fact that Alexander’s powers were able to be affected wasn’t something Edward was too keen on having to deal with.

Not that the arrows would pose an issue to him, but rather that he didn’t want to have to worry about Alex’s summons constantly turning on them. These shadows wouldn’t last long as Edward swung his blade creating a wide and long shockwave from the swing. This shockwave rushed forward and upon the moment of impact would cut the shadows in two as well as the remaining cargo container. It wasn’t much effort to do so, it would be after this that he would see the remaining shadow walk deeper into the jungle and Alexander following behind it.

Edward went to follow the Captain as he had an idea as to what Alexander was doing. Once in speaking distance Edward spoke in a hushed tone. “Alexander, I’m asking that you don’t use that power again till we understand what is causing them to turn. I’d rather not have to worry about your arrows as well as these demons.” While it wasn’t a direct order he hoped that his fellow Vandenreich would understand that it didn’t make sense to try and add more numbers that they had to fight.

[Ippin]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Blehblehbleehhhhh = Music}

One. Two. Three. Four bodies falling before the single swipe of the blade that came to meet their twitching figures. Just as their remote forms were spasming like living puppets, it suddenly came to an end. Cut through their midsections the possessed shadows only to leave their stilled carcasses where they fell. Their moments of shuffling movements ceased while leaving the last, Naginata, to continue on using the distraction to venture further into the forest ahead. Behind the buildings that were stained with blood and residue resides the forest that made up a vast majority of the island's landscape. Thick brushes with heavy roots burrowing into the ground at the bases. It was as quiet as the city was. Void of wild life down to the smallest sounds of the insects that should be present. But there was nothing other than the groaning of the Naginata that hauled its armored figure up the numerous slopes.

Despite being void of life, the reiatsu here was different. When stumbling past the third slope the air quality changed; reiatsu filled the air. It was certainly humid, dank, heavily moist as it loomed through the air almost moving about itself. It was here that the landscape started to shift. Trees were melting. Bushes had wilted and seemingly droop down into the ground. The dirt that the possessed shadow walked upon transitioned from its healthy brown soil to a moldy green. Life here melded with one another, mixing, merging, joining, with even a few of the branches over head being weighed down by their own mass. A branch fell, or what was left of it as it collided with the pulsating trunk at the trees base, the branch splatted like liquid before turning black. From there a puff cloud of reiatsu erupted from the interior of the now mushed branch.

A loud explosion shook the ground from beyond the growing haze of rotting air, responding with a stream of smoke pluming over what use to be trees. A long trail of dark clouds flowing the top of a mountain that vented a secondary explosion, hollowed in a sense. The humidity continued to grow the closer that the people approached the mountain. Further along did the stages of corrosion appear of the islands nature. From what began as regular trees that they had been introduced to, untouched, to life slowing melting, falling apart as they lost their structure. Now, further along was that of pulsating vines. Thick tubings that connected the molding trees to the next behind it, continuing on the closer to the mountain they approached. No longer did the landscape resemble what it had appeared before, pulsing more, beating, stirring about as life broke down into nothing more than biomass.

The reiatsu grows thicker here, soon enveloping the surroundings. Only here did life, or what could be called life came out. Groaning from behind was heard. Black residue fell from above down onto the mush that was now the ground. Then, laughter. Naginata vanished from sight, snatched up from above by fleshy tendrils as the chuckling drew closer. The shadow hovered over the ground 20 feet in the air as its body slowly became thinner, with arms and legs melding with the vines themselves. And with each passing second the flow of reiatsu that once inhabited it passed down like a stream through many opened gaps leading toward the mountain. Yet, pulling itself away resided an arm. An arm that stretched itself away from the melting frame of green mush that equaled the size of the Quincies body. A forearm that was 6 feet in length that clenched its drooping fingers into a fist to smash the pair beneath its might. Only then did the body and head emerge from its origin surface, plopping out its right breast with only a crossed section of its upper torso exposed.

A head, right shoulder, an arm, and right half of an upper torso, this distorted figure's body shuffled its physique as it was unsure which form to take. What remained constant was its feminine gender. It chuckled, yet groaned in pain. Both tunes carried each time a sound escaped its malformed lips with a dozen different voices corresponding all at once. Lips that were made by disfigured bodies, legs to arms to pelivs' of women, that meshed into a single entity, or rather mass.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reference Nsfw}

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Much of what Asmoskon feared was to be true. What resided beyond the door was nothing more than the mass concentration of this pulsating biomass. It dripped down from the ceiling, only basking in the heavy humidity that was kept inside the interior of the parking garage with little ventilation to escape from. Here the number of cars that remained parked were overtaken by the growth of fleshy webbing. Metals encompassed by the material, leaving them intact. The soldier opened fired after the first of the Quincy's arrows made contact. Small bursts of fire lightened the dark musty parking structure with flashes of light. The sounds of more of the creatures drawing closer through the door, only making what the man said all the more apparent to be committed to.

Their boots clung to the ground as more cars were passed. Each one devoured by the growth that continued to only thicken. But, it was not merely the cars that were covered by the biomass. What resided on the edges of the eye, what made up the clumps of bubbly, skin like pods were Human figures. Dressed in the fleshy material, bodies that were glued to the vehicles, to the support pillars in clusters. Some remaining whole while others seemingly broken down with oozing fluids of black residue that seeped out from the seams. The woman gagged, hunching over for the moment to release plops of fluid that was forcibly arched her off to the side. Aside from the civilian transports resided those of Military grade vehicles. Humvees, Supply trucks, caches of ammunition with empty tents pitched up with laptops, all in which were empty. Among were clusters of pulsating sacks located off to the corner of the site.

Ten, twenty, thirty sacks in total beyond counting those that were already torn open. Similar in consistency in which the soldier was kept in, with the heavier equipment that the individuals were carrying before hand left outside, ripped from their possession. There resided the portable equipment. The soldier coughed, gagging once more. She dropped to her knees, grumbling in frustration. She wept. The Solider already knew what the scene meant altogether, still, unable to bring herself to move even as the sounds of horde were drawing closer, now echoing off the walls of the garage level. "Go to grab the portable satellite and a laptop. They should be there in a black case by one of the sacks. I'll get the documents that we need." she merely said, slowly climbing back up to her feet to rush forward.

Scrambling can be heard as a flood of reiatsu flooded the area of the south east from their current position. The same shaped creatures would approach soon as their numbers literally flooded the surfaces that they clung to. The ceiling, the walls, the floor. Shadows moved from the distance as they spread their numbers searching. Despite the humidity there was a small breeze of warm air that did ventilate a bit of the air. A flow that noticeably came from the North end of the level. Would it be possible to fight a legion of up and coming shadows? Numbers that were piling up to be around 100, and growing. With Energy Sensory, their strength could be determined to be insignificant. Meager if not similar to what Asmoskon faced first at the upper level of the Mall. Or take the moment to escape while the horde remained unaware? A quick decision was needed to find the entry to the garage or to properly defend oneself.

Plopping could be heard from the cluster, wrestling going on in the darkness near them. What resided beyond was that of the forest. Another tremor shook the interior of the shopping center, quaking the ground beneath the pair. What was the decision to be made?

[Deleted]

<sub>Most interesting, most interesting, indeed. If Alexander was more scientifically curious he would probably be wanting a complete understanding of just how his own reiatsu creation had been so easily subjected and turned against him. The connection between him and his own arrow had been severed in such a simple manner that it left him curious. Alexander wasn’t a scientist but he certainly had a cat's curiosity. He stroked his index finger up and down his chin as he followed behind his naginata wielding shadow. Like a mindless drone it followed a straight path single mindedly. Was it being called somewhere or was it being driven by influence? Alex had to wonder.

”Why is it that we’re not affected?” Alex wondered aloud as he followed a safe distance behind, trailing his arrow as it made its way through the abandoned town. More scenes of violence and chaos littered each new street and wall that they passed. Seemed that there really was nothing or nobody left. ”Hmmmm..” he mumbled to himself as he thought of everything that had transpired so far. The demons that they faced. The lack of any people. The possession of his own arrow. A puzzle that was being connected two pieces at a time only to reveal that there was still so much to put together. ”At this point I think we can assume we’re not going to be finding any of the locals. No, rather, we’ve already met with them.” Alex commented, exhaling through his nose a little as he did so.

”Those creatures we fought with back on the docks were more than likely this island's inhabitants. Transformed, one way or another, into little worker ants. Drones sent out to find and collect more food. You asked earlier, Captain Supervisor, whether it was normal for demons to act like that? Answer is no. Whether they be Saika, Hason, Akki or worse… all demons tend to be unique between one another just as people are. For a horde of such similar looking creatures to exist would mean that they are not naturally created. Factory produced from one entity. Similar to my own powers, even, but on a different scale. Did you spot any chains or pieces of on any of their bodies? I didn’t either. Even if a being from the underworld is successful in breaking their binding chains remnants will always exist somewhere on their bodies. A permanent mark that shows where they belong.” Alexander explained to his superior as they exited the city and began to enter into the jungle wilderness.

”Of course the explanation could always be that the islands people were just eaten. In their madness some develop a taste for human flesh. But I don’t believe that’s the case. I’ve a hunch they were taken and transformed. For evidence I present what we’re following. My arrow. Somehow something has gotten into it. Is it not transforming because it isn’t flesh and blood? What’s the transmission vector? Why is this one heading to wherever it is it’s heading while the others chose to attack us? Instinct or command? Are we being baited? Lured into a trap? So many, many, questions. Of course I’m certain that we’re being watched. They have to know we’re here by this point. And I’m sure they’re rather frustrated that all their efforts have only led to her children being killed.” he was more than capable of doing enough talking for the both of them.

Even though Alex hated having to explain things to people he was also in love with hearing his own voice. A boot came down upon foliage and fallen branches as the pair left the structures of humanity behind and entered into the harsh and wild jungles. He really didn’t like having to trek through wilderness of, really, any sort. He hated the woods. He hated hiking. He was so, so, happy that spawn of the underworld migrated into the concrete jungles like humanity had and stopped hanging around in dark forests and ominous caves. Made getting dirty that much harder.

But it was quiet. Silent just like the town. Not a bird, not a monkey, not a bug. Despite the green plants life was just, well, dead. Nothing was living around them. Ravenous appetite indeed. With a frown Alexander noticed the change in reiatsu rather quickly. Lifting his right arm he slipped the thread holding his Quincy Cross across his hand, relocated it around his neck to wear as a necklace. Next he hid it beneath his collar. For some reason he felt safer doing so. More secure. The reiatsu felt strange, ominous, as he took it within himself and added it to his stores. The Medallion he wore continued to heat itself and hummed ever so slightly against his chest. They were getting closer.

The healthy brown soil turned rotten green rather quickly. The air was hot, humid, almost like the men had stepped into a stew. Alex leaned his head to the side, exposing his cheek forward, as he raised an eyebrow to eye what he was looking at. ”Aah…. Been awhile since I’ve seen this.” the man uttered rather amusingly as he resumed walking after his pause. Though he didn’t take many steps before he stopped and lowered himself to one knee. He slid his fingers through the dirt below him, scooping some of it up and noting the change in its texture and feel. ”Did you know, Captain Supervisor, that the World of the Living is not compatible with the presence of the Underworld? Similarly in a way that we Quincy are like a volatile version of oil and water with Hollows, so too does our world reject the other. But ours is the weaker of the pair. So when the World of the Living is exposed to too much reishi that originates from Hell ours starts to break down.” the demonologist explained as he lifted his head in response to the breaking branch.

”Of course something like this only occurs in response to a large amount of reiatsu from the underworld. Similarly to those with powerful spirits affecting the souls of normal humans. One or two demons? Nah, they wouldn’t cause something like this. It would have to either be a Gate or… a particularly powerful object. That, or, this is just the natural effect of what we’re hunting. So much fun.” he closed, flicking the odd dirt out of his hand and returning to his feet to resume trailing his Shadow. An explosion rocked the island that drew the Quincies attention to the mountain. Dark clouds billowed from the top as a second explosion tremored through the ground. A volcano? An active one? Oh this just keeps getting better and better. he thought to himself, scoffing a little as he resumed the hike. The air was getting worse the closer they got to the mountain as well.

The environment was getting worse as it got hotter. Now there were pulsating vein like vines attached to this and that. Lovely. ”What’s your favorite iteration of Hell?” Alexander would suddenly ask Edward. ”Lake of fire? Metallic and mechanical? Organic and fleshy? I’ve always found the idea that Hell was actually composed of ice quite fascinating. It’s not accurate, of course, Hell’s built up of various levels with differences between them. One is an endless wasteland and another is a city. Oh and floating islands” he commented again after looking at the pulsing veins. Alex’s boosts squished against the soft, fleshier, biomass like substance they were walking into. Seems they weren’t going to wait much longer for something to happen.

Alexander’s medallion suddenly grew hotter, vibrating intensely, as something came. A pair of tendrils suddenly snatched at Alexander’s shadow warrior, spiriting it away without much resistance at all. Though, Alex had to wonder how useful that would actually be. The arrow would just go boom if enough damage was done to it. But he didn’t think about that for long as something emerged from the green mush. Something seemingly built together by an assortment of female forms. Alexander leaped backwards as a enlarged fist came crashing down upon his position, skidding to a stop some meters away. ”Well, well. What an escort we’ve been provided.” he commented playfully as he looked upon the horrific abomination rising to meet them. ”Gross one, aren’t you?” he asked, standing straight up again.

”Captain Supervisor… seems I’ll have to leave this to you.” the man suddenly said, his blue eyes drifting to side eye his superior. ”Per your soft orders I’m not to use my powers. And, unfortunately, I’m something of a conjurer. We wouldn’t want anymore of my creations turning against us. This’ll serve as a good opportunity to build up my reiatsu for what’s awaiting us past this. Being a caster type is so bothersome sometimes. So she’s all yours.” Alexander remarked, lifting his hands in the air after a shrug as he turned away from the creature and retreated some ways to allow Edward to fight against this monster. He would, in turn, simply watch, study, and regain more reiatsu.</sub>

Remaining Reiatsu: 4,000 / 3,000
+800 from Cross + Fragment

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Before I can grade this, gotta know the Difficulty of it. It's not listed anywhere I could find.

[Ippin]

Sorry Sorry, this was suppose to be Average/Nomral Difficulty hehehe.

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

1,200 TP and 6,000 Ryo to Participants

3,000 TP and 30,000 Ryo to DM's character of choice.