>>4472054
One way or another, you'll have to fight this thing.
The only question is, how? You're weak, injures and barehanded. It may only be a normal demon, but in your current state nothing is certain.

>Pick one

>Try to fight the demon barehanded
>It might exhaust you completely, but try to use your magic one more time
>Maybe break off a branch of the tree? It saps your strength, but it would also make an excellent stabbing weapon
>Write In?

>>4472058
>Try to fight the demon barehanded

>>4472058
Write in
>Shout your name defiantly, and summon your rage to try and take it down with you as you die

>>4472058
>Try to fight the demon barehanded

>>4472058
>>Try to fight the demon barehanded

>>4472058
>It might exhaust you completely, but try to use your magic one more time

>>4472080
>>4472081
>>4472069
Roll me a 3d6, best of three.

Rolled 4, 4, 3 = 11 (3d6)

>>4472123

Rolled 6, 3, 4 = 13 (3d6)

>>4472123

Rolled 2, 2, 4 = 8 (3d6)

>>4472123

You figure your best chance is to fight the demon with your bare hands, like your father would have.

The demon flaps it's wings and takes off towards you with a surprising burst of speed, lashing out at you with it's claws.
You try to dodge, but you're barely on your feet to begin with and your reactions are far too slow. The demon bird's claws tear through your blood-soaked furs and into your side, causing you to bleed once more.

Still, you remain calm and focused. You turn to face the bird as it circles around and dives as you again, this time aiming for the exact moment it reaches you. Focusing your strength, you imbue your limbs with power and strike out, hammering the demon bird in it's beak-like mask. Although the mask shatters with a spiderweb of cracks, it's not enough to kill the beast. Instead, the sudden stop from impacting your fist snaps it's neck, and it falls limp to the ground without disappearing.

There are two surefire ways to kill a demon. Your mother's method was to burn and blast them with magic, and your father's method was to shatter their mask with brute force. Either way, they'll always scatter into the winds afterwards.
It's still possible to kill them by stabbing their bodies or bleeding them out, but the demons are tough, and you can never be sure that they're dead unless they've been purified.

This one though, seems too weak to get back up after having it's neck broken. It twitches once or twice, but shudders as it's life fades.
Safe for now, your wounds become the bigger issue. Immediately, you grab some of the dreadfully coarse and dry sand and pack it into the fresh wound on your side. It soaks up the moisture as if this land hadn't seen a drop of rain since the dawn of time, staunching it immediately.

Now though, you're even more exhausted than before, and filling your body with strength like that always makes you hungry as well. Your stomach gurgles in protest and you find yourself lightheaded both from blood loss and hunger.
If only you had something to eat....

Well, there's that...
You'd never even considered it before, but these things are made of flesh and blood as well, right?
Can you even eat a demon? What if it curses you or worse? But are you better off starving to death in this desert?

What should you do?

>Eat it
>Don't eat it

>>4472167
>Eat it

Don’t be a pussy

>>4472167
>Eat it
Grug eat puny bird

>>4472167
>Eat it

>>4472167
>Eat it

>>4472193
>>4472190
>>4472170
>>4472198

There's no other choice.
For people like you, food is life. If you don't eat, you die. It's as simple as that.

Using a shard of the demon's own mask, you begin hacking away at one of it's legs until eventually you get a big hunk of meat off.
There's nothing here to cook it with. You're pretty sure if you tried to cook it with magic, you'd either exhaust yourself and die or burn it to ashes instantly. Mabe both.

So, little better than an animal, you begin tearing into the raw flesh with your teeth.
It smells of nothing at all, but the taste is awful. It's bitter and sour, astringent and almost rotten all at the same time.
Not enough that you can't choke it down, but still disgusting.

No matter how disgusting it is though, you find that the more you eat, the more it fills you with strength. More than any fruit or small animal possibly could.
You tear off bigger hunks of meat and chew away despite how hard and tough it is, eating your fill until you can't bear another bite.
Unbridled strength fills your limbs, and you can actually see your wounds closing as they begin to hiss and steam!
However, that only lasts for a short while. While you relax and digest, your stomach begins to ache, and then your whole body begins to tingle before a sharp pain runs through your heart.

You clutch at your chest and scream from the pain, dropping to your knees from where you stood.
Your vision goes white all at once and your mind begins to fade, filled with memories that aren't your own.

You see a beautiful woman who you think to be your wife. You meet for the first time, and you fall in love.
Your first child is born, and then your second. You're happy, and all is well until an enemy tribe comes to raid your village.
You try to fight, but you are no warrior. The men from across the river storm in and burn everything to the ground, they run you through with spears and the last thing you see as you die is your lover being stripped down by two men as your children are bound to sticks and carried out of the village. Your heart is filled with pain, anger and sorrow as you pass from this world.

From there, the memories become fragmented.
You see yourself, chained to your own corpse. You hear your own weeping as you watch everyone's bodies get eaten by birds, and then... nothing.

Your eyes fly open as you gasp for air, back in the endless white desert.
Struggling to your hands and knees, you vomit up what remains of the demon's flesh in your stomach.
The pain in your chest is intense, almost like you've been stabbed, and yet at the same time it feels like a deep sorrow.
Although you examine your chest, you can find no wound there, and after a time the pain begins to fade.
Whatever you saw, it was of a place you'd never been to, and of people you'd never met. Even so, you felt as if you'd known them your entire life, and you felt the pain of loss when they died.
For the second time, it feels as if you've lost everything.

>>4472217
You can't help but wonder why you're still here. Why you lived when everyone else died. Why you had to suffer through all this. Does fate have some plan for you? Are the spirits laughing as they watch your torment?
Or maybe... there just isn't a reason. That pain in your chest returns for a moment as you sit down in the sand and think to yourself.

A great deal of time passes, but the moon in that strange black sky overhead doesn't move.
Demons pass by in the distance but seem to ignore your presence.
Why are you still here? Everyone you know is dead, and everything you knew is gone.
You have nothing left. For a time, you think it might be fine to just sit here until you waste away.
The air here is terribly dry. Your mouth feels like it's full of sand, and yet you never seem to feel thirsty.
It's dry, but there's something in the air that seems to keep you alive, no matter how long you sit.
You won't be able to find a peaceful death here.

In the end, your strength has returned. You reach out with your senses just like mother had taught you, and feel for the presence of a demon.
In one direction, there is a large group of weaker demons who are all moving about. You can't tell if they're fighting or not.
In another direction, there is a single strong demon who seems to be walking along slowly with two others.
And then, far off in the distance, you feel something terrifying. It's a strange sensation, like you can't tell how big or how far it is, as if your senses have been smothered.

Finally, you sense something even more disturbing coming from underneath you.
Below the sands, there are thousands and thousands of incredibly powerful demons shambling about slowly and steadily.
Right underneath your feet is a mob of them, spread out to the limits of your senses and beyond...
Suddenly the ground doesn't feel quite so stable under your feet anymore.

Which direction should you head?
>Towards the mob of weak demons
>Towards the strong demon
>Towards that strange presence in the distance
>...Underground?

This is my last post for the night, it's already getting quite late.
Will update sometime tomorrow.

>>4472227
>Towards the mob of weak demons

>>4472227
>Towards that strange presence in the distance

>>4472227
>Underground

>>4472227
>>Towards the strong demon

>>4472227
>Underground
kill em all

>>4472227
>Towards that strange presence in the distance
Mystery box

New bleach quest? Yes please!

>>4472227
>Towards that strange presence in the distance

>>4472595
>>4472579
>>4472249

That strange, muddled presence in the distance is setting your nerves on end.
Whatever it is, your instincts are telling you it's dangerous. If you'll find your death anywhere...

So, you set off towards it. Only, you aren't sure how far it is.
It's like looking at a tall mountain in the distance, and though you walk all day, it doesn't seem to get any bigger.
As you travel, not a single piece of scenery changes. Sand, stone trees and demons as far as the eye can see.
Some demons avoid you, while others rush to attack you. But, with your strength returned and your wounds more or less healed, normal demons don't stand a chance.

How many hours or days you've walked is impossible to tell, as it seems like time simply gets lost in this place, but you can tell that you're getting closer.
You can tell, because it's making you sick. Your joints begin to ache and your stomach turns on itself, but there's nothing to vomit up either way.
And towards the end, that oppressive feeling of power simply disappears, like it had never been there at all.
Still, you keep walking in that direction, and it doesn't take long at all to find what you were looking for.

Except, it's not what you expected at all.
Rather than some demon god or titanic beast, all you see is a woman sitting naked in the sands.
Her body is lithe but beautiful, with long white hair draping down her back and flowing behind her as she sits.
A solemn expression adorns her face, and she doesn't bother to turn and look at you.
Most strikingly though, is the pile of dead demons that surround her on all sides. All different shapes and sizes, though you can't tell how strong they might have been, it's clear she killed them all somehow.

You approach the woman, and it feels almost like a haze of heat from the campfire is pressing against your skin. It actually presses you back as if a wind were pushing against your body, though only slightly.
Bearing the heat and pressure, you sit before the woman and try to find your voice despite the dryness in your throat.

"...Who are you?"

The woman doesn't react at first, her eyes unfocused as if she's not really there, but after a moment she seems to take notice and raises her head.
When she locks eyes with you, her own eyes widen in surprise and she simply sits there in shock for a while, so you speak again.

"Are you okay?"

Her expression doesn't change, but she slowly and carefully reaches out to touch your face, like a father reaching down towards his newborn daughter for the first time, as if you would break from the slightest touch.
As her fingers brush against your cheek, you feel the cold touch of her skin, and the woman begins to break down.

Slowly at first, her whimpers quickly turn into sobs as she wraps her arms around you.
Well, you can understand. If she's been here for any time at all, it must have been terrible...

But, even after she calms down, she doesn't let go of you.

I have to put up a ceiling in my living room today, so updates will probably be sparse, sorry about that!
I'll get to it when i can, it's just going to be busy today.

Sorry lads, i'm completely exhausted after today.
I just finished eating, and i'm going directly to bed.

I'll have to update tomorrow.

I lied, i don't want to flake that hard even if my everything hurts, so i'll go to bed after posting this.

>>4472608
It doesn't seem to matter what you say to her, she simply doesn't respond.
There are some people who don't yet have a language, but you haven't met anyone outside of your own tribe before, so you're not sure of what to do.
So, you just hold on to her, letting her cry to herself for what feels like hours before her sniffling stops.

When you stand, her hold on you gives. She looks at you with here eyes puffy and red, then looks back down at the ground.
This girl, whoever she is, is lost out here, just like you. She's also strong enough to survive, just like you. More than that though, she seems not just lonely, but afraid.

You could bring her with you, but you're someone who's already supposed to be dead. Even if you did, it's not like you can give her a home, good food or even a fire to sit by. This place is surely the underworld, the home of demons. You'll both die here eventually, perhaps to something like the monster that wiped out your village.

Until then though, what will you do? If it's simply looking for a place to die, then the demons beneath the ground might give you that.
But it might not be so bad to kill as many demons as you could before you go, either. After all, each demon you kill is one that won't attack a fellow human someday.
If did that, just wandered around and slaughtered demons day after day, it might be nice to have someone watching your back.

So, what will you do?
>Abandon the girl and look for a good place to die
>Offer the girl your hand, see how far you can go together
>Abandon the girl, see how far you can go alone

>>4473226
>Offer the girl your hand, see how far you can go together

>>4473226
>Offer the girl your hand, see how far you can go together

>>4473226
>Offer the girl your hand, see how far you can go together

>>4473226
>>Offer the girl your hand, see how far you can go together

>>4473226
>Offer the girl your hand, see how far you can go together

>>4473226
This girl... she almost reminds you of your big sister, just a bit. The way she cries and holds on to you is just like her.
You might not be able to forgive yourself if you just left her here like this, so you offer your hand.

"Come on, we can't stay here."

The girl looks up again, seeming almost unsure for a moment before grasping your hand and getting to her feet.
Hand in hand, you begin walking until that pile of corpses is no longer in sight.
It was in the following days that you realized exactly why that pile of corpses was there.
You're attacked by no less than two dozen demons in less than a week, all of them too weak and stupid to pose any real threat.
Sometimes they did attack while you were sleeping, but she took care of that. The demons can't handle the heat and pressure she gives off, and they just fall over dead if they get too close.
Admittedly, it was hard for you to adjust to it as well, but after being so close to her for so long, you've gotten used to it somehow.

Thinking back, you remember the feeling the strange sensation of her presence before, and how it muddied your senses completely. It felt so dangerous at the time, but this girl hasn't so much as raised a hand towards you or even a demon. Not that she has to.
Maybe that's why nothing strong has attacked you. That sensation, that feeling of danger. Anything with a shred of intelligence would avoid it if they had anything to live for. It's only because you were looking to die that you'd actually found her.

Two more weeks pass, and nothing changes at all. The desert still stretches on no matter how far you walk, and you haven't seen anything new in all this time.
One thing you did manage to do in that time was to craft the girl some clothes. A robe made from the hide of a hollow, stitched together with bone needles and that same hollow's hair. It's a simple black robe that occasionally seems to flow even in the stillness of this land's stagnant air.
The contrast against her long, white hair is quite beautiful, actually. It looks just like the black sky and white sands that surround you.

Things are going... well enough. You guess. You're killing hollows after all, but... it's just so empty here. Day after day, there's nothing to do but keep moving forward. Even if you sat down and did nothing, you feel like a part of you would die, even if your body isn't allowed to.
While you're lost in thought, a demon attacks you for the second time today. It's a dog-shaped demon with spines on it's back.

Taking a moment to confirm there are no other demons around, you let go of the girl's hand and walk out to meet it.
This one seems stronger than normal, and there's definitely something wrong with it. It's shaking and foaming at the mouth.
Well, let's just see what it can do.

>Attack with your hands
>Attack using magic
>Other? (Write In)

ignore me calling them hollows, i'm bad at being consistent

>>4473938
>Attack with your hands

>>4473938
>Attack using magic
Try to figure out why this hollow is acting so strange as well.

>>4473938
>Attack with your hands

grab it's maw and rip apart it's jaw

>>4473963
>>4473940

Roll 3d6, best of three

Rolled 2, 4, 2 = 8 (3d6)

>>4474016

Rolled 5, 3, 1 = 9 (3d6)

>>4474016

Rolled 4, 2, 4 = 10 (3d6)

>>4474016
I'll roll again if nobody else will

Rolled 3, 6, 2 = 11 (3d6)

>>4474016

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4474020
>>4474029
>>4474047

Dropping down into your usual fighting stance, you watch the dog-like demon's eyes carefully, but it barely even seems conscious...
Without a hint of warning, the beast charges towards you at blinding speed! This thing is fast!
You get ready to kick at it, but at the last moment the dog-beast jukes to the side and fires a volley of needles from it's back!
Filling your fists with power, to manage to dodge or deflect most of them, but three needles make it through and hit you in the chest, arm and leg. At each of those points, you can feel a burning sensation as the areas begin to go numb.
The demon isn't done yet though, and as you're busy deflecting it's needles, it charges in right behind them and lunges at your neck!

Fast as it is though, you're already expecting this much, and you manage to grab it's jaws as it closes in on you.
With a heave, you snap the beast's jaws open with a loud crack, partially shattering it's mask before twisting it's head hard enough to snap it's neck. The beast loses it's strength and falls to the ground, but doesn't yet die, so you finish it with a solid punch that finishes shattering it's mask.

As the dog-demon fades away, you notice there's something that doesn't. A worm-like creature falls to the ground and begins rapidly slithering away... straight towards your companion.
That was a mistake. As soon as the creature gets close to her, it actually bursts into flame.

Well then.
The fight itself didn't take much out of you, but that poison is worrying. The needles are still stuck in your body, and you can feel the poison spreading.
Grandma taught you a few things about poison before she passed, but that was so long ago...
This is a demon's poison, so there's no telling what effect it might have. It could thin your blood, rot your organs, paralyze you or who knows what else.

How should you deal with this?
>Remove the needles and just try to staunch the flow of blood
>Leave the needles in and hope the poison isn't fatal
>Remove the needles and try to suck out the poison using grandma's technique

>>4474315
>Remove the needles and try to suck out the poison using grandma's technique

>>4474315
>Remove the needles and try to suck out the poison using grandma's technique
Loving this quest so far OP

>>4474315
>Remove the needles and try to suck out the poison using grandma's technique

>>4472058
>Use magic one more time

>>4474466
>>4474406
>>4474375

Let's see... you have to cup your hands like this... or was the thumb placement like that? And then suck the poison out with you palm like so!
Ah, a little bit came out! It's a nasty glowing green color, and it hisses and spits as it falls into the sand. Oh man, is it dissolving the sand? That's not good.

Your companion sees the glowing green fluid at the same time you do, and her eyes go wide. That's weird, she's usually pretty expressionless.
Then, she does something you didn't expect. Normally she just follows you without speaking or really even paying attention, but just now, she jumped at you and began sucking the poison out of your wounds on her own.
When she spits the poison out onto the sand, not only that glowing green fluid comes out, but a bunch of tiny worms as well! The worms burn up after being exposed to her, and after a while she finishes removing the poison.

Still, some of it seems to have gone to your head, and now you're getting woozy.
You try walking for a bit, but end up collapsing forwards as you sweat profusely. The poison already in your system is making your whole body go numb, and it actually feels kinda good.
Over the next few days, your consciousness fades in and out, but every time you wake up, just briefly, you can feel your companion's warmth seeping into your body. She's holding onto you from behind, keeping you safe while you're sick.

When you finally wake up fully, your companion is asleep next to you. Even after waiting for hours, she doesn't wake up, so you carry her on your back to continue walking.
Man, if she hadn't been there, that would have been it. Forget "seeing how far you can go," you wouldn't have even lasted a whole month.

Hey, wait a minute...
The heat and pressure you normally feel from this girl... it's gone? Is she sick, or did she tire herself out watching over you?
Either way, it's not good news. Without that weaker hollows can swarm you easily, and you might have trouble defending her while she's asleep like this.

What should you do?
>Hunker down under a big tree or tall dune somewhere and hide
>Keep going, you're confident you can keep her safe
>Other?

>>4474688
Find a weak hollow for both of us to eat.

>>4474688
>Hunker down under a big tree or tall dune somewhere and hide

>>4474688
>Hunker down under a big tree or tall dune somewhere and hide
Then
>>4474712
If she needs strength then that'll do it

>>4474688
>Hunker down under a big tree or tall dune somewhere and hide

Last update for the night

>>4474767
>>4474856
>>4475013

You decide that it's not worth the risk to keep stumbling around a desert full of monsters with a sleeping girl on your back, and so you look for a place to hunker down.
Most of this place is pretty flat, but some areas do have high and low spots where you could potentially hide. It takes about half a day before you find a particularly good low spot with a tree sticking out from the center, and you decide to make camp there.

Touching the tree itself is no good, so you pile sand up around it and try to flatten the area out a bit. After that, you you dig a small trench and place your companion inside, then cover her over with sand to hide her body from the demons before doing the same yourself. You don't seem to get hungry here, so you can wait as long as you need to for her to recover.

...

Well, although you said that, this is still absolutely mind-numbing. It's not like you can just doze off, what if something happened to find you and attacked in your sleep?
If it was strong you'd probably feel it coming and get woken up, but a weakling might sneak up on you. In fact, some of the weaker demons specialize in sneaking.
So you lay in the sand for who knows how long. You've been judging "days" by how many times you've slept, but now?
Just when you think you're going to go crazy, you feel something nearby. You weren't trying particularly hard to sense anything, but you still felt it anyways. Whatever it is, must be strong.

They get closer and closer... wait, haven't you felt this sensation before?

"Damn it, where could she have gone? Even if she went down to the forest floor, i should still be able to sense her."

"Maybe somethin' killed her, chief?"

You hear a meaty thwack, followed by the sound of something tumbling through the sand.

"If there was something that could kill the witch, i'd sure as hell feel it too. I know i felt her in this direction..."

"...Unless she killed herself, maybe?"

The sound of their movement stops for a moment.

"Not another word, Ura."

The sound of their footsteps continues, and as you glance out of the corner of your eye, you catch sight of what looks like a human wearing a hollow's mask peeking out over the edge of the dune. His back is facing towards you, so he must not have seen you. Shortly afterwards, two humanoid hollows follow behind him.

It's not until they're long gone that you realized you'd stopped breathing.
That guy, he was way stronger than the beast that wiped out your village. tens, maybe a hundred times stronger. There's no way you could beat something like that.

...If he ever descended upon the earth, who could possibly stop him?
You don't even want to think about that.

>>4475042

Once that guy passed, the tension all seemed to fall away. You weren't supposed to be sleeping, but you ended up passing out at some point...
When you woke up, you found that your companion had done so as well. She's sitting up and rubbing her eyes as she yawns. Looking around in her morning stupor, she finds you awake and immediately jumps up, wrapping her arms around your neck and making cute little noises.

...Maybe it isn't that she doesn't understand speech, but that she can't physically talk? Odd. You'll have to try speaking to her more often.

"Hey, you're awake. Are you alright?"

She actually shakes her head "yes" in response to your question. What the hell?

"I see. I'm glad you're okay. I'm alright as well, so don't worry."

This time, she just tightens her arms around you, burying her head in your shoulder.

"Hah, you really are just like sister was."

Alright, well then.
You stand, dusting the sand out of your furs and off the girl's robes as well.
Until now, you thought you had nothing to live for. Even now, you suppose there isn't a whole lot, but you figure there's still something you could do with your life.

There are monsters beyond anything you could have imagined lurking in this hell.
Beasts that swarm in numbers, that fill your body with poison and parasites, and those who are simply strong.
These lands, even though they're desolate, are teeming with life. Teeming with demons.
And you're a demon hunter. Or rather, you thought you were. You'll have to get a lot stronger before you can call yourself that without laughing now.

You figure there are a few ways you could do it. In truth, you were a lazy kid and never paid a whole lot of attention to your family's teachings. You still remember the basics and a few more advanced techniques though, so maybe you could pick your training back up.

Or, like grandpa said, maybe the best way to learn something is to "throw yourself into the river" as it were.
But then, grandpa "got lost in the woods" and never came back when you were young, too.
Now that you're older, you wonder if grandpa didn't poison him for cheating on her. He was quite the lecher.

In any case, if you do focus on your training, you'll have to do it while you're on the move.
That strong guy, he's looking for your friend here, and it seems that he can sense presences just like you can.
In that case, maybe a mix of both? Practice your techniques while you walk, but then test them against hollows as you go.
You've made your decision.

"Hey. I'm going to try and get stronger, okay? So, we need to move. There's a big, scary guy following us, you understand?"

She doesn't react much to the first half of your sentence, but when you mention the "big, scary guy" her expression turns serious.
Her head turns in the direction of his presence, and she seems to confirm something with herself.

Surprisingly, she grabs your hand and begins dragging you off as if she knows where she's going.

>>4475629
You've been running for a whole day now. Not walking like usual, but running. Faster and faster as time goes on, actually.
Even as your stomach grumbles from constantly having to fill your legs with strength, she keeps picking up the pace until eventually you hit a particularly large gap between two particularly large sand dunes.
Almost on reflex, you strengthen your legs even further and try to jump the gap. In that instant, your surroundings blur together and you appear all the way on the other side of the gap, only to fall flat on your face and slide down the side of the hill.

As you lay in the sand, sweating and heaving your breaths from exhaustion, your companion appears over you out of nowhere, accompanied by a strange, booming sound. She looks down at you with a smile, then offers her hand to help you back up.
Guiding you up the dune, she points across gap to where you'd jumped from before. With that same booming noise, she disappears from your side and reappears across the dune, then waves you over to her.

"...Just do it again, huh? Let's see, i pushed off with my toes kinda like this, right?"

Filling your legs with strength again, you push off hard with your toes, using the strength of your entire foot. Your surroundings blur into a rush of black and white, and as soon as you can see again, you see that you've completely overshot the dune and are currently floating in midair. And now you're falling.
Although falling isn't enough to hurt you, the spray of sand on impact does temporarily blind you. God, you hate this sand.

It doesn't take you long to get a bit of control, and from that point on she forces you to move at this speed, only stopping when you trip and fall from exhaustion.
By the end of the second day, your stomach is completely empty and you feel like you're starving to death.
Your companion also seems to be having some sort of issue. About half a day ago she began to seem uncomfortable, but now she's clearly struggling with something. When you finally stop at the end of the day, you find out what her problem was.

All at once, a torrent of heat and pressure erupt from her, easily overwhelming her normal output for a few moments and blowing you over before returning to normal. She seems utterly relieved now.

"You were holding it in? So he couldn't feel your presence, right?"

She nods in affirmation.

So that's why she was in such a hurry, trying to make a distance between you and that monster while she could still hide her presence...
Even now though, she's still tugging on your hand for some reason. It's not until you round one last dune that you see what she's been bringing you to.
There's a cave here, seemingly formed from sandstone.

She leads you inside, and what you see is incredible. The walls on the inside aren't sandstone, but some sort of beautiful white crystal. It's all sharp and jagged, and there are tiny glowing flies gently illuminating the interior space.

>>4476315

Against a far wall of the cave is a small patch of actual plants, none of which you've seen since coming here.
There are a few flowers, but most of what's there appear to be mushrooms of some sort.

Your companion digs a number of small, half-buried items out of the sand nearby. A cup, along with a pestle and mortar made of the same crystal as the walls in here.
She plucks the heads of a few flowers before burning them to ash inside the pestle and mortar using magic, then grinds the ashes together with a small piece of crystal plucked from the walls.

Once she's satisfied that the crystals have been thoroughly powderized, she opens her mouth wide for the first time, and you immediately notice that she has some surprisingly sharp-looking canines.
With her mouth open wide, she bites down hard onto her own hand just behind the thumb and allows the deep red blood flowing from her wounds to drip down into her strange mixture.

Then, she plucks a shelf-shaped mushroom and pours the mixture into the mushroom's exposed flesh.
The mushroom greedily drinks up her blood, which spreads throughout it and turns the whole thing a deep shade of red.

Then, she offers the mushroom to you with a smile.
You... really don't want to eat this thing. What's all this even for, anyways?
Your stomach grumbles in argument.

"C-Can't i just eat a normal mushroom? There's a bunch of them over there, you know..."

She just pushes the blood-red mushroom further into your face with a big grin.
You're not sure you like her style of cooking.

Well?
>Eat it
>Don't eat the mushroom

>>4477476
>Eat it

>>4477476
>Eat it

>>4477476
>Eat it

>>4477476
>Eat it

>>4477476
>Eat it

>>4477748
>>4477613
>>4477568
>>4477506
>>4477483
Reluctantly, you ignore you better judgement and eat the mushroom.
Taking the first bite... it's actually delicious. Even though it's raw, the savoriness and texture doesn't lose out to a nice steak, and there's no hint of blood that you can notice. Not only that, you feel a massive rush of energy as all your fatigue is blown away at once, and only feel stronger after the first bite!

It's quite a large mushroom as well, so your stomach is well and truly full by the time you're done eating.
You sit down in the dim light of the cave, utterly satisfied. Your companion seems to have "cooked up" a second mushroom in the time you were busy eating, and begins chowing down as well. Everything seems fine until the room starts swimming and you begin seeing new colors that you've never known before.

It's not unbearable, but you definitely can't function like this. Your companion actually laughs as she watches you stumble around, until she realizes you aren't goofing around and actually collapse.
It seems whatever's causing this doesn't affect her the same way.

When you wake up next, you find your companion snuggled up against you, humming some tune you don't recognize. It's a nice sound, and she has a gentle smile on her face.
When she notices you're awake, she hands you a small cup full of... water? where in the hell did she get water from?
You sniff the cup but don't detect any funny smells, and so you drink. It's incredibly refreshing after going so long without drinking.

"Thanks, i'm feeling much better now. Where did you manage to get water from, though? And where did these plants come from? Can you show me?"

Dusting herself off, she pulls you deeper into the cave, towards an area you have to crawl through to actually enter.
It seems the cave goes a lot deeper, possibly to whatever underground area those masses of demons live in. You're having second thoughts now, but she produces a light using magic and begins pulling you down into the depths.

It's a single, long tunnel full of razor sharp crystals. Twisting and turning, the sand that filled the entrance disappears before long, and you have to be careful not to cut your feet.
When you exit through a small hole, you realize that the cave wasn't a cave, but the fossilized remains of some gigantic, worm-like hollow. What you just snaked your way through must have been it's digestive tract...

More importantly though, the area around you is expansive. Gigantic crystal trees seem to hold up a ceiling made of sand, where light filters only occasionally through small gaps in the sand, and mainly through the trunks of the trees themselves.

"So those trees on the surface were only the tips of these giant things..."

It's incredible. How are these trees holding up the entire desert above? Shouldn't the sand fall down?
Before you have long to think, one of the demons you'd been worrying about stumbles it's way out of the darkness and looks down at you.

>>4477870
...OP?

>>4480376
Sorry, rough few days. Family issues.
I'll try and get something out tonight.

>>4477870

It's absolutely gigantic, taller even than most trees. The demon's body is itself like a giant tree trunk, with no visible limbs and no neck leading up to a massive mask with a long, pointy nose.
The demon stops, then looks down at you and growls in a deep, throaty voice that seems to rumble the ground under it's feet.

It bends at the waist to stare the two of you straight in the face, then lets out a shreiking cry that echoes far and wide in this great underground forest, provoking similar cries from other far off demons, not unlike the howling of wolves at night. It's so loud that you have to cover your ears for fear of going deaf.

What you had assumed to be a solid mask cracks open, slowly at first and then all at once as it's mouth gapes wide, an angry red light gathering in it's maw. At the same time, you begin to feel a familiar pressure radiating from it's body, similar to your companion but with a far darker and much more malicious feeling to it.
This thing, it wants to kill you.

You aren't sure of what to do. Is this magic? Can you block an attack like that?
You barely have time to think about it before the light gleams brilliantly and shoots forth like an enormous red arrow, straight for you!
But before it reaches, your companion steps in front of you. Her pressure flares wildly, and with her right in front of you like that, you almost feel like passing out, but you hold on.
As the beam reaches her, she simply holds out her hand, and the beam splashes off her like rain running around an immovable boulder.

It takes what feels like ages, but eventually the light subsides. When it does, your companion jumps far up into the air and right in front of the demon's face!
Her arm cocks back, her muscles bulge with power, and for the first time you hear her voice for just a moment.

"HAAAAH!"

Her whole body twists and throws power into that single punch, enough to shatter even that giant mask all at once. You feel the impact in your chest, and the cracking of it's bone-like mask sounds more like a rock-slide that a ceramic vase or plate breaking.
The demon's body is blown backwards, and now you actually see it's limbs... the legs are hidden inside it's... robe? not unlike what you'd crafted for your friend, just far larger... the arms however, seem to melt out of the body as it tries to catch itself, but it's strength is already gone.

Your friend floats gently back down to the ground, landing with a soft scattering of sand as she sighs out in relaxation.

"Wow. Maybe i should call you "Rabbit" with jumps like those! A strong hunter should have a proper name anyhow, don't you think?"

"Rabbit" turns to you, tilting her head and raising her eyebrow as if she doesn't understand.

"Ah, you know, it's just that you look a bit like a snow-hare with those eyes and that hair of yours. It's a compliment, honestly."

She simply shrugs it off and turns to watch the demon slowly disappear.

>>4480663
Damn, sorry to hear that

>>4480733

The tree-like demon disappears completely after a few minutes, and you move on.
Still moving at the same break-neck pace you did on the surface, only now weaving inbetween gigantic crystal tree trunks as you do, you continue on for half an hour before reaching a deep slope.

It's a canyon, in a forest, underground, in the desert, in hell.
And you can't see the bottom.

Rabbit forms a small light in her palm, then tosses it off the side where it gently drifts down, illuminating the walls at it goes. It keeps going down, and down, and down, until it finally just seems to disappear.
It's a very deep canyon. You don't want to go down there, nope. Nothing good could possibly be down there.

And she's dragging you. Shit.
She's dragging you by the arm now, landing on small ledges and digging her fingers into the stony surface of the wall.
Actually, isn't this the first solid stone you've seen since you got here?

Well, she's already dragged you this far. Her grip loosens as you begin making your own way down alongside her, your own small light in hand. You'd be completely blind down here without it, and that's kind of terrifying.

You have no idea how long it's been since you've been focused on not falling, but you're beginning to notice something.
The deeper you go, the heaver you feel, as if you were dead tired, or your clothes were soaked with water.
Your limbs take more effort to move, and it slowly becomes a struggle to keep your balance as you jump from ledge to ledge.
It's as if this pit is trying to devour you, to make sure you won't ever climb back out.
But, Rabbit doesn't seem worried at all, nor does she seem affected by the weight pressing down on her.

It gets worse faster and faster the farther down you go, and now your knees ache with every landing.
You doubt you could make some of the jumps you'd need to actually get back up now.
Just when you think you can't take it anymore, you spot the bottom. It's actually right below you, quite close in fact...
Wait, has it gotten darker? The strength of your light hasn't changed, but it feels like the shadows are stronger here, and your light barely reaches past your own body anymore.

That's... odd.
>Try to pump more power into your light
>Put out your light, see what happens
>Maybe try a different source of light, like fire?

>>4482351
>Maybe try a different source of light, like fire?

>>4482351
>Maybe try a different source of light, like fire?

>>4482351
>Put out your light, see what happens

>>4482371
>>4482408
>>4483572

You decide to test this darkness, and see if there's some simple way to overcome it.
To that end, you convert your ball of magical light into a ball of flame, and the effect is instant.
The darkness retreats by a dozen feet, revealing hundreds of twisted-looking demon that were hiding just inside the darkness, all waiting to strike at you.
They shriek and hiss as the light washes over them, some of them even being burned despite their distance from the flame.
They scramble over eachother to run back into the darkness at it's new distance.

You can't sense their presence even after they were revealed, but you get the sense that they aren't necessarily weak despite that.
Their twisted forms were sickening to look at, but under their stretched and folded skin were wiry muscles layered on top of eachother again and again. Underestimating them would be a mistake.
You focus just a little harder on making sure your flames don't go out as you strain your eyes out into the darkness, and just barely make out the faces and gleaming eyes of the demons at it's very edge.

"Shit. Where the fuck am i?"

Although you were just thinking out loud, Rabbit stops and takes a moment to hug you, patting your head in reassurance before continuing on.
Even so, you don't want to be here. Your instincts are screaming at you that you shouldn't be, that something is wrong in this place.
You don't need your damned instincts to tell you that. No human should ever come here.

Well, it's not like you have much choice at this point, so you stick to your lifeline and follow Rabbit as she weaves through several small paths in the rock face.
When you finally come out of the last, long tunnel, you're still more or less inside a cave, but it's an open cave.
More importantly, there's water here. An entire pond of it, even!

Almost immediately, you begin stripping out of your sand-ridden furs and make to jump in, but Rabbit catches you by the arm and flicks you on the head.
She's wagging her finger at you just like mother used to. You aren't supposed to jump in here, then?
Ah, but you want to bathe so badly...

Well, Rabbit quickly shows you what is apparently the proper etiquette here.
Stripping out of her robes, she picks up a large, roughly bucket-shaped demon's skull and uses it to gently draw water from the underground pond.
The pond glows with a dull blue light as ripples flow across it's surface in strange patterns that seem unrelated to her disturbing it.
Bulges seem to appear along the surface, swimming here and there as if searching for something before diving back down, although they themselves were also made of water.

While you were busy watching the haunted pool, Rabbit has gone ahead and begun pouring the water over her modest body, washing away the sand and grit that gets into absolutely every crevice of anything that lives on the surface or in the forest below.

>>4484081

After she's cleaned herself off, she hands you the bucket and begins dressing while you go to draw water.
As you dip the skull into the water though, it flares up in brightness and the demons lurking within all shoot towards you at once!
Before you can draw back completely, one of them wraps around your arm and threatens to pull you in, but you forcefully sever the tendril of water making up it's body with a chop of the hand before it can do so.

Okay, so you're drawing water incorrectly, somehow.
Rabbit picks the skull up from where you'd dropped it, then slowly and carefully draws the water once more.
This time you watch closely, and you see that she actually didn't disturb the surface of the water at all.
The speed, the flowing angle of her "cut" into the water, it was all perfect, and didn't make a single ripple.
The only thing alerting the demons was water flowing into the void left behind by the water she'd taken.


She splashes you with the surprisingly cold water, then hands the bucket to you again, gesturing for you to try once more.
Ah... something about this water, it's incredibly refreshing. Even just splashing it on your bare skin feels wonderful...
No, no. Focus. Don't just dip the skull in, but take a cut out of the water like she did.
You fail. Once, twice, three, four and five times, and have to fight off the watery tendrils each time.
It's incredibly difficult to draw water without making a single ripple, and even the slightest movement can disturb the surface.
Rabbit shows you once more, and you strain yourself to take in every little movement.
That angle, that perfect angle. The little vortex of water left behind as she scoops it out.
Even that is perfect, and closes up without any ripples or bubbles at all.

Come on, just one perfect cut...

>Roll 3d6, best of 3

Rolled 6, 3, 3 = 12 (3d6)

>>4485406

Rolled 4, 5, 3 = 12 (3d6)

>>4485406

Rolled 5, 3, 2 = 10 (3d6)

>>4485406

Rolled 1, 5, 1 = 7 (3d6)

>>4485446
>>4485429

You can feel yourself sweating as you focus your mind and body to the limit on this simple task.
But, Rabbit comes up behind you, and begins guiding your movement with her arms.
At the same time, you feel her magic flowing into your body through your back, just a bit.
It feels warm and comforting, like a campfire on a cold night, and you feel your muscles relax a bit.

"Like this..." she almost seems to say.

You can feel the way her magic flows through you, not unlike your father's technique, but so much more refined.
There's strength, but it isn't wild or brutish. You feel like you could shatter a boulder and pick up an insect without crushing it at the same time.
And with her guidance, you're able to scoop water from the haunted pond without the demons feeling you, just like she did.
Rabbit takes the bucket and slowly pours it back into the pond before handing it back. Now it's time to do it on your own.

You can remember clearly how it felt before, and although your control isn't quite as good, you manage to scoop the water out a second time.
Finally, you get to wash this damned sand off, even though it took entirely too much effort. Even drawing water down here means fighting demons, apparently.
You begin washing yourself, but halfway through you feel like you're in danger. You drop the skull and turn quickly to defend yourself!

You duck just barely in time to avoid a large claw that would've torn you in half. When you fall back, your enemy comes into view.
It's tall, but it's body is skin and bones, almost literally. It looks somewhere halfway between a tree and a rotting deer carcass, complete with antlers on it's mask.
It's gut is sucked in, and there's a long, thin tail with a spike on the end coming off of it's hind-quarters. A piercing red light bears down on you from it's empty eye-sockets.

...Can you even call this a demon? Something about it is far, far worse that what you normally face. This is a being born of hatred and malice beyond reason.
No, maybe this is a true demon, and all those others were merely pale shadows of the evil standing before you.
Whatever it is, it lets out a terrible shriek that freezes your blood. You can't let yourself be caught by this thing, no matter what.

The beast strikes out at you again, and you manage to dodge despite how heavy your body feels down here.
Despite throwing a powerful enhanced punch at it's arm in an attempt to break it, you only manage to knock the beast off balance.
This thing, it lives down here in this hole. Even though it looks like something that died of starvation, it's strong.
It's skin is tough, it's bones and muscles are dense... you aren't sure how effective your strikes will be on it.

Wait, where is rabbit? Although you look around for her frantically in the dim light of your magic, you can't see her at all...
In fact, you can't even see the light from her own spell. She's gone!

File: Spoiler Image (47 KB, 675x420)

47 KB JPG

>>4486382
You're on your own for now, so how will you deal with this?

>Try to fight it like usual, with your fists. Break through with force!
>Maybe try to apply Rabbit's technique, add a little finesse to your punches?
>Fall back on mom's techniques, you think you've got a spell that might do the trick, if you can pull it off...
>Just run, try you best to get away from this thing.
>Write In

Pic related, it's what you're fighting

>>4486387
>Maybe try to apply Rabbit's technique, add a little finesse to your punches?

>>4486387
>Maybe try to apply Rabbit's technique, add a little finesse to your punches?

>>4486387
>Maybe try to apply Rabbit's technique, add a little finesse to your punches?

>>4486439
>>4486455
>>4486487
Roll me some dice, 3d6 best of 3

Rolled 6, 5, 3 = 14 (3d6)

>>4486499

Rolled 6, 4, 5 = 15 (3d6)

>>4486499

Rolled 6, 4, 6 = 16 (3d6)

>>4486499

>>4486545
Good roll!

I want to try to show off our magic in front of Rabbit when we get the chance to, she might give us some insight on it.

Rolled 6, 4, 3 = 13 (3d6)

>>4486545
>>4486536
>>4486514
>>4487079

If you can't get through this thing's hide with brute force alone, then maybe rabbit's technique could help?
The demon's body is a lot harder than water though, so you sacrifice some fine control in exchange for a LOT more power.
You don't have a weapon, so you just use your hand like a blade, clad in so much power that it's visible to the naked eye.
Compressed and sharpened to the limit, the magic feels hot against your skin!

You push power into your legs as well, watching almost in slow motion at the demon aims for you heart with it's tail.
The world blurs around you as you strike out, feeling but not seeing your hand contact something as you move.
When everything comes back into view, your hand is covered in blood and the demon is missing a chunk from it's side.

It's still looking at where you were rather than where you are, and all at once it realizes that it's tail strike missed and it was injured as well.
It immediately locks on to your new position and screams out in pain and anger, charging at you again.
Your legs are already feeling heavy after that brief exchange, but you can't stop yet.

The demon strikes out furiously with it's claws, but you break through by knocking it aside with your enhanced strength, then stab your hand past it's hard flesh and deep into the demon's chest!

"HAAAAAH!"

Converting the cutting edge on your hand into burning magic, you pump your flames directly into it's organs!
With your left hand free, you throw a follow-up punch to the underside of the creature's mask, lifting it's tall frame off the ground and sending it flying backwards.
It lands hard against the stone floor of the cavern, sliding back against the wall on it's side where it comes to a stop, smoking and burned from within.

You're panting from exhaustion now, as if you'd run a marathon already.
You've always had trouble holding back, when helped in some ways and hurt in others.
But, it looks like going all out just this much wasn't quite enough...
The deer-like demon gurgles out a low growl, slowly rising even as it continues to smoke and steam.

The angry red lights in it's eyes flare violently, looking almost like real flames for a moment.
Just like that giant demon, it's mouth cracks open, only all at once!
It charges and fires it's ray of light practically in an instant, and your body is far too heavy to dodge this time.
Thankfully, it seems weaker than the giant demon's attack, but your left arm and upper torso were still burned by it, only having moved partially out of the way before it struck.

The demon twitches and jitters unnaturally, but doesn't make another move...

What next?
>Just go in for a melee strike. You're tired and hurt, but you won't give up that easily.
>Your body is failing you, but magic might be able to finish this.
>Just run, it seems stunned and you might be able to get away from it now
>Write-In?

>>4487649
>Your body is failing you, but magic might be able to finish this.

>>4487649
>Your body is failing you, but magic might be able to finish this.
Melee combat hasn't failed us yet, but for the sake of variety let's try it out.

>>4487649
>Your body is failing you, but magic might be able to finish this.

File: Spoiler Image (104 KB, 700x771)

104 KB JPG

Rolled 3, 2, 5 = 10 (3d6)

>>4487932
>>4487824
>>4487731

If it's not going to move, then you have a chance to try something.

Everyone in your village knew to fear the power of the gods.
When they were enraged, great flashes of light would arc across the sky and rattle your homes amidst the storms.

Your mother was both great sorceress and a bit insane, so she thought to grasp that power.
For months, she would stand out in the storm, calling for the gods to strike her down so that she might feel their power for herself.
And eventually, they answered.

Her whole body was burned, and she carried markings in the shape of those flashes as proof that she was touched by the gods, for the rest of her life.
But, she managed to grasp that power, just like she'd always wanted.
After her recovery, she spent every waking moment training to cast a spell based on what she'd been struck with.
It took her two years.

They were small at first, like the embers of a fire floating up into the air.
Over time, they grew bigger and bigger, until we could no longer hear the difference between her training and a wrathful storm.
She tried to teach the spell to all of her children, but only you and your sister could properly grasp it.
Even then, neither of you were as good with it as mother. It still takes some time to properly visualize and collect that kind of energy, so it's not something you could use on a whim...
But the thing about it, is that it ignores defenses. No matter how thick your hide, it pierces deep into your soul, just as you'd expect from the wrath of an angry god.

Energy crackles around your body and your hair stands up on end as you gather power in your hand.
This spell, it was the last one your mother ever cast. The one that put a hole in that powerful demon's side...
You have faith in this spell. You have faith in what your mother taught you. It's time to put it to use.
The energy slowly gathered in your hand cracks and hums violently as you get ready to throw it, but the demon seems to sense the trouble it's in and makes one last desperate charge.

It's mouth opens wide and a ray of red light shoots out towards you, but you blow it away with the spear in your hand and thrust it into the demon's chest as it reaches you.
A great flash of light illuminates even the unnatural darkness of this pit, and for a moment you think you can see thousands of demons clinging to the walls...
Immediately afterwards, you go deaf. You feel the thud in your chest as your enemy is blown backwards, a spray of blood blasting out from his back.
It smashes into the far wall, shattering the stone behind it and falling to the floor in a slump.

You too begin to fall, dropping to your knees as your consciousness begins to fade.
But, you can't pass out this time. You see the little ball of flame you'd been maintaining begin to fade, and the demons around you close in.
So you hold on, and just focus on keeping that flame burning.

You're so tired, you can barely hold your eyes open.

Rolled 4, 4, 3 = 11 (3d6)

>>4488787

Minutes pass, and rabbit doesn't return.
However, you feel the ground shake several times, even though you can't seem to feel her presence. She must be fighting.

The floor feels so cold and inviting, you'd love to just close your eyes and take quick nap. But you can't do that.
Mustering up your willpower, you manage to drag yourself to the edge of the water pool. If you mess this up, you're probably dead.
Using your hand as a cup, you lightly scoop up some water. The demons inside seem disturbed for a moment, but quickly calm down...

And then you take a sip of the water. It's full of energy, the same sort that's in the air of this world, the stuff that's been keeping you going.
And that energy rushes into your body, revitalizing you just a bit. So you scoop up another handful, and sip.
Again and again, until you have the strength to grab the skull you'd been using before and scoop up a bunch all at once.

After chugging it all down, you feel... tired, still. Your energy has been replenished, but your body is still tired. Your wounds haven't properly healed yet either.
You just feel so damn heavy, it's like you have a dozen people on your back. Every step is a tremendous effort.

The ground trembles violently, and bits of rock and dust fall from the cavern ceiling. Some fall into the pond and rile up the demons, though there's nothing for them to attack.
Your gaze turns to the deer-like demon slumped against the wall.
You hadn't cracked it's mask, so it's body hasn't yet faded.

You think back to when you first came here, and ate the flesh of that carrion-bird demon.
Your body was rejuvenated and your wounds were healed, sure, but it made you terribly sick as well, and you're not sure what else it might have done to you.
Carrion-birds are filthy creatures though, so you aren't sure if that's what caused it.
There's nothing wrong with eating a deer though, is there?

If you could recover your strength and heal your wounds, you might be able to help Rabbit, if you can find her.
So, what will you do?

>Eat the deer
>Don't eat the deer

And also

>Snap off the deer's antler to get a bone knife
>Don't bother

>>4490079
>Eat the deer
>Snap off the deer's antler to get a bone knife

>>4490079
>>4490217
Support these options
Hmmm yes yes, why would eating demons be a problem… we have proven the flesh is somehow edible before so let's go all the way being some demon-phage yup

>>4490217
Supporting

>>4490079
>Eat the deer
>Snap off the deer's antler to get a bone knife

>>4490408
>>4490384
>>4490284
>>4490217

The elders always said you'd never get anywhere as a hunter without taking risks, so you've made up your mind.
You walk up to the deer, and... god, this thing's still alive?!

It's breathing is shallow, erratic and wet-sounding. What's left of it's lungs must be full of blood, and yet it still refuses to die.
Well, it doesn't have any strength left to stop what's going to happen next.
This thing is pure evil, without any of the innocence or natural beauty you'd attribute to a normal woodland creature. You don't feel particularly bad for it.
First, you slice off it's arm with a chop of your hand. It seemed so impossibly hard before, but now it's hide is like wet clay.
The demon tenses and grunts in pain, looking up at you with what are now very dull red lights burning in it's sockets.
Planting your foot against it's chest, you grab it by both antlers and heave... but they don't want to break off.

Instead, you hear a sickeningly wet sound, like tearing flesh. The antlers begin to come loose, along with the demon's mask...
Despite it's weakness, it screams in pain so loudly that you nearly cover your ears on reflex, but you keep your grip and tear it's whole damned face off.

The demon is quiet, seeming to go slack now that it's over. However, that only lasts for a moment.
All at once, it's muscles bulge and it's dim eyes flare back to life, the demon roaring out with newfound life and power!
You take an instinctive step back and you feel an intense pressure radiate from it's body, threatening to choke the life out of you.
It's nothing like what you feel from Rabbit. This is purely hostile, and you're about to be crushed...
But then, just as it looks like it's about to attack, it stops cold. The pressure disappears and the wild beast bursts into brilliant blue flames!

It stands there, almost like it's in shock. A moment passes, and then another. The only sound is the quiet fluttering of the flames engulfing it's body.
And then... it's just gone. With a sigh that seems to echo out, it simply burns to ashes before it can even hit the ground.
All that's left of the beast is the mask in your hands and the arm you'd cut off earlier.
As for you, you're left drenched in sweat. You were sure that was it. It was going to swing it's arm, and you'd have been cut in half.
It was just like when the beast attacked your village, but worse.

But, you don't have time to think about that right now.
You have a bit of energy to spare this time, so you flash-fry the demon's meat before tearing into it with your teeth.
This time, it's your muscles bulging with power, and your wounds that bubble and steam as they heal over.
And then, the pain starts. A thousand times more intense than what you'd experienced before, it's indescribable. You can't even scream.

Your eyes begin to burn, and your vision turns red before blacking out.
When you wake up, you're in a lush, green forest not unlike the one you used to live in.

Sorry, probably no update today, i'm completely exhausted and still have work to do

>>4491575
No worries man, take your time.

>>4491626
just now finished and i want to die

>>4490489

Looking down, you see yourself. A man, nothing but skin and bones, covered in sores.
Ther's a knife at your side, and a bow over your shoulder.

You seem to be stalking a deer. It raises it's head from the brush, and you see that it's also extremely malnourished.
And then you remember. A plague, caused by a demon.
Taking the bow into hand, you nock an arrow and draw back to your cheek. Your arms tremble with weakness, but you manage to land the shot.

You struggle to lift the small deer over your shoulder and carry it back to the village.
On your way home, you see the corpses of birds and small animals littering the forest floor.
As you near the village, even the trees and grass seem to yellow. Brown spots appear on their leaves, and they wilt as if they've had no water.
Your breath is shallow and you feel light-headed from walking all this way through the brush, but you've made it...
And then you trip over something. A leg. Ah, that's the body of your young niece. She was one of the last to fall ill.

You don't have the strength to pick up your quarry once more, so you simply drag it through the dirt to the cooking area.
Bodies lay where they fell, and none are left to pick them up. Your uncle, your best friend and his wife, their two children... even the village chieftess and your village's greatest warrior have all fallen.
The fires have long gone out. You use a stone to create sparks, and while the fire builds you roughly cut the deer's meat.
You boil the meat for hours to make it soft, tending the fire to keep it hot all the while.
And that damned demon is looking down at you again. It comes, every few hours or so, to watch.
It's waiting to see if you're dead yet.

You're no demon hunter. You couldn't kill it no matter how hard you tried, and Olmec, your village's demon hunter, he never got the chance.
It came silently in the night, spreading it's poison over your houses. Many died before you even knew the cause.

The food is done. You mush the meat apart, and walk back to your hut.
There, your wife lies on a bed of straw. The last one remaining besides yourself.
The baby in her arms is silent. He hasn't moved for three days already.

"Here, you have to eat."

...

"Please..."

She won't respond.
Her eyes are open, but she doesn't see.
Her chest rises and falls, but she's not there anymore.

"Layla, please don't do this..."

...

You slump down onto the floor next to her.
The bowl falls from your hands as the last of your strength leaves you.

>>4492911

When you awaken again, you find yourself elbow deep in a demon's chest cavity, bile and blood dripping from your arms, chin and chest.

Immediately, you vomit. Enough flesh to swell your belly, all in big chunks that haven't been chewed properly.
Your body aches, and you feel jittery for some reason. Your chest is pounding, and you have a terrible headache.
Overall, you feel awful. However, you sit down again the wall, and the feeling begins to fade somewhat after a minute passes.
What were you doing again...?

Shit, that's right! Rabbit!
You jump to your feet, but realize that you aren't in the pond area where you were before. Even then, you didn't know where she was.
You seem to be along the bank of a small underground stream, although the cave itself couldn't possibly have been carved by the water, it's far too large for that...

One way or another, you need to move. Right now your body feels light and you aren't injured, so there's no reason to sit around.
In one direction is, you suppose, the source of the stream. You can't see to the end of it.
In the other direction, the stream splits into two even smaller streams. You could go either left or right, but both look identical.
However, you do sense the flow of air following one path more than the other. It's deviating towards the left tunnel.
Probably an exit of some sort. The other is either a dead-end or goes deeper into the cave system.

Which way will you go?
>Towards the stream source
>Towards the deep tunnels
>Towards the exit

>>4493464
>Towards the exit

>>4493464
>Towards the exit

>>4493464
>Towards the exit

File: bone knife.png (148 KB, 750x414)

148 KB PNG

>>4493648
>>4493616
>>4493598

You decide that the exit is probably your best bet, and begin heading down the increasingly narrow path.
At one point you have to slide through a very narrow passage by turning to the side, and you feel something catching against the rock at your waist...
When you make it to the other side, you find a pair of knives hanging from leather straps at your waist.
They're made of bone? No, it's highly-polished horn... You have no idea where these came from, but you aren't complaining.

The blades are thin and serrated, but they feel extremely strong. And they're light! Incredibly light, so much that you can barely feel them in your hands. They're almost like an extension of your own body.
You find yourself almost mesmerized by them, but you snap out of it and continue on down the narrow tunnels.
The wind picks up more and more the further you get, along with the water under your feet. Small side-passages keep feeding the flow.

It takes over an hour to reach the end, and when you do, what you see is shocking.
You find yourself on a ledge, with the water passing by your feet flowing off the edge in a raging waterfall.
Before you is a bottomless pit, deeper, darker and wider than the one you climbed down to get here by far.
The walls seem to stretch on forever into the darkness, and you can't see the ceiling any more than you can see the floor.

While you gawk at the foreboding darkness, something approaches. Skulls, hundreds of them. Formed from mist, they fly through the air and seem to evaporate against the light of your flames.
Even so, they keep coming in endless numbers, hissing and moaning as they do. Some are red, others are blue or green.
They don't feel like demons to you. You're not sure what they are, but they seem almost like they aren't even there. Like they aren't real.
You're not sure why you think that, but that's the feeling you get.

Well, at this point, you have a few options...

>Go back and try a different path
>Climb down this hole, one way or another
>Write in?

If you try a different path, which way do you go?
>Towards the stream source
>Towards the deep tunnels

If you climb down, how will you do it?
>Use your enhanced strength to dig your fingertips straight into the rock face
>Just jump down, you can handle a fall like that despite the gravity if you enhance your legs, probably.
>Write in?

>>4494763
>Go back and try a different path
>Towards the stream source

>>4494763
I... honestly have no idea what the skulls are supposed to be. My memory of Bleach must be spottier than I thought.

Do we feel any kind of presence, other than the skulls? If yes, and it's not a demon, I suppose we could find out who it is. In that case we could climb down by running along the wall until it's too steep then by making handholds and footholds with our fingers and by kicking the wall.
I'm worried about the increased pressure however, as descending the first canyon got us good.

In case there's no presence other than the skulls, or there's only demons, then there's no harm in exploring out the the other way, expecially considering that climbing back up is likely to be a hardous endeavor. In that case I propose to go for the stream source.

>>4494820
who says we're sticking to bleach canon?

You still feels demons crawling and flying around outside the bubble of light created by your flames, but far less than before.
There is no major presence around that you can tell, but the walls block out anything past a few feet, so that's not a good indicator.
You are currently stronger than you were before eating the deer demon, but you have no idea what effect descending this hole might have.

>>4494823
Oh boy.
Well, isn't that ominous?
I suppose we can spare the time to check the other paths before committing, then.

>>4494763
>Go back and try a different path
>Towards the stream source
I miss our friend

Rolled 4, 5, 2 = 11 (3d6)

>>4495132
>>4494814
>>4495044

This place looks incredibly dangerous, and Rabbit isn't here to pull you out this time.
In the end, you decide you're better off trying a different path, so you follow the stream back to it's source.
The source, as it turns out, is the haunted pond from before. Perhaps it's a natural spring? You'd thought it was unique at first, but there were other streams as well.
Perhaps there are lots of underground springs like this one, even in this hell?

But, that doesn't matter right now. You're looking for your friend.
You could feel the fighting from here, so maybe there are clues nearby as to what happened.
Heading back through the branching tunnels you first came here through, you do your best to head in the direction you thought you felt them in.
It's difficult because there are lots of tunnels, but you spent many years hunting demons and animals alike in the forests around your home, so you have confidence in your sense of direction.
Although you have no idea where you're actually going, your mental map of the cave system improves as you mark the walls to show where you've been, and eventually you rule out quite a few undisturbed tunnels.

Finally, after several hours, you find something.
The walls of this tunnel are cracked, burned and even melted in some areas. There are claw marks and holes that look fresh and dry, as opposed to the ancient and weathered looking stone around them.
Not only that... you can feel traces of Rabbit in here. Almost like a faint scent of her imposing presence.
Your mother's training ground was the same. She used tons of magic there day after day, and the air there always had her scent to it.

You're about to try and track her down when you hear a voice, soft and gentle, but deeply unnerving.
You sense no outright hostility, but it's like ice water is running through your veins, and every hair on your body raises at once.

"Hello, little one. How are you feeling?"

Your senses were already focused because you were looking for Rabbit, and yet you didn't feel anything coming.
You still can't feel it.

"Are you sad? Are you lonely? ...Are you afraid?"

Your little fireball flares out, and your eyes shoot back and forth around the room as you try to determine the voice's location, but you don't see anything.

"Tell me... do you want a friend?"

The voice is resonant, and it booms loudly as if it were inside your head rather than coming from outside.
You feel yourself panic as the room begins to shake, and your light snuffs itself out against your will.
You can't move. You can barely think. All you see is darkness. All you feel is fear.

"Will you come with me?"

>Yes
>No

Also, roll me 3d6, best of three.

Rolled 1, 1, 3 = 5 (3d6)

>>4495390
>No
I don't trust weird head voices I want Rabbit

Rolled 1, 5, 3 = 9 (3d6)

>>4495390
>No

Rolled 6, 4, 6 = 16 (3d6)

>>4495390
>No

>>4495767
>16
nice clutch

>>4495390
>No

>>4495776
>>4495767
>>4495755
>>4495606

It takes everything you've got just to break through the fear and utter your response.

"...I R-Refuse"

You can feel both the anger and disappointment of the being speaking to you, and for a moment you think it's going to kill you or worse, for sure.
But it doesn't.

"What a shame. But don't worry, i'll be there for you when you're weak. Just call for me, and i'll never abandon you."

The all-consuming darkness that fills your vision stirs all at once, whirling and swirling around before rushign away in all directions like shadows crawling across the walls.
It feels like all of the air was sucked out of the room as it left, and you collapse to your knees, gasping for air.
You didn't realize you had stopped breathing.

The flame you had been maintaining flickers back to life, and the darkness is kept at bay once again.
Oddly, no demons took advantage when you were trapped in the dark. In fact, there isn't even a single one nearby.
Maybe, whatever that thing was, even demons are afraid to come near it.

You don't blame them. You're still shaken, and in fact, you're shaking. Your arms, your legs, your whole body is trembling, and you're drenched in a cold sweat.
You don't want to be down here. You want nothing more than to escape back up to the desert above.

"Oh god, oh god, get me outta here! I don't wanna die!"

Wait, that wasn't your pathetic crying. Who was that?
Just around the corner, you find a strange-looking demon sitting with his back against a rock, still trembling like he's been swimming under the ice in winter.
He's a tiny, red-skinned creature with pointed ears and a smooth, painted mask covering his face.
Two long horns jut from his head, and a long, thin tail sticks out from his hind-end. His legs both seem to be injured.

It takes a while before he notices you, but once he does, his response is abject terror.

"FUCK FUCK FUCK I'M GONNA GET EATEN! CHIEF, SERIOUSLY, HELP! PLEASE!"

"I haven't decided whether or not i'm going to eat you yet, actually."

"CHIEF! CHIIIIIIEEEF!! URA! THE WITCH! ANYONE?!"

"Calm down, idiot. I'm not going to eat you. I was joking."

"W-Why should i believe you?! I saw what you did to that awakened being!"

"Awakened? You mean that deer? Well, it was my prey, and it was dead anyways. I don't plan on hunting you, at least for right now. Nevermind that, though. That name, i've heard it before..."

"Wha..? Oh, i get it! Forget it, i'm not telling you anything?"

"Oh really? You seem awfully protective of the guys who abandoned you."

"...They didn't abandon me! I'm sure... i'm sure there's around here, somewhere..."

"Well then, maybe we should look for them together."

The little red demon seems to perk up at that.

"Really? Tha- HEY! You tried to trick me! You're even worse than Ura! I told you, i'm not selling out my family!"

Ah, this guy... he's an idiot, but a loyal idiot. Getting anything out of him might be tough, but he could be useful.

>>4496023

What should you do with him?
>Just kill him, he's not worth the effort
>Patch up his legs and drag him along, maybe he can help find Rabbit
>Try and torture him for information, he seems like a coward and might give in with some pain
>Write In?

>>4496024
>Patch up his legs and drag him along, maybe he can help find Rabbit

>>4496024
>Patch up his legs and drag him along, maybe he can help find Rabbit
"Tell me what you know about the witch and where she might be right now"

>>4496024
>comic relief: acquired

>>4496708
>>4496174
>>4496063

"Fine, whatever. I don't have time for this."

Taking off the your outer coat, you tear off some strips of fur and bandage up his legs.

"You're helping me? Why?! Is this some kind of trick?"

"Just shut up and hold still, i don't want to drop you."

You grab the little demon by the scruff of his neck and throw him over your shoulders, holding him by the legs like a toddler.

"Hey, let go of me!"

Ignoring him as he smacks you on top of the head, you calm your nerves enough to stop your body from trembling, then focus and begin searching out the traces of rabbit's presence.

"How do you humans keep getting into hell like this, anyways? I don't get it..."

"Well, i don't know about Rabbit, but i caught a ride on one of you demons."

"Through the void, huh...?"

The little demon is quiet after that, and doesn't struggle as you make your way through the tunnels.
This place really is like a maze, and you're having a lot of trouble sensing her presence. Once she stopped fighting, her scent got a lot weaker...

"Shit. Did she go this way? Or up there...?"

"They went up, through that one..."

The little demon points up to a smaller hole in the ceiling that you didn't see at first.

"How'd you know? And why are you telling me? I thought you weren't going to help."

"I'm not helping you! I just want to see the chief again, alright? I'm sure he'll kick your ass when we find him, so it's fine... he always says i have sharp senses, i'm a good tracker, you know!"

"Yeah? Maybe so... I guess we'll see about that. Both your senses, and whether i'll lose."

Sure enough, as soon as you head through the tunnel, Rabbit's trail picks up again. It seems like she started struggling again right here, which must mean that guy has actually captured her.
Every time you start to lose her trail, the little red demon accurately points out where they went.
Eventually, you make your way back up to the underground forest, and now you can actually sense her presence, along with the asshole who captured her.

"That's him! That's the chief! See ya later, sucker!"

Suddenly, he breaks free on your grip. He hadn't struggled with you at all, so you weren't really holding onto him...
You feel his weight lift off your shoulders, and then see him overhead. He's sprouted a pear of leathery wings from his back, and he's flying away!
Only, he's not nearly as fast as you.

"Hey, where are you headed, Berber?"

"Huh?"

Berber looks back and nearly smacks into a tree.

"Wha!? Why are you there?! And who the hell is Berber?!"

"You are. Your skin looks just like the berries of a bush by the same name."

"Nobody asked you to give me a name, damn it! And who wants to be named after a berry anyways!"

He nearly smacks into a tree again as he looks back to speak to you.

"Well, i have to call you something, so don't worry about it."

"Shit, shit shit! CHIIIIIIEEEF! HELP! SHE'S AFTER ME!"

So, can i take a moment to ask how you guys feel about the quest so far?
I've never run a quest before, and i'm not a writer either, so i know i'm probably not very good at it.

Is there anything that you particularly like or dislike so far?

>>4496878
>i'm not a writer either, so i know i'm probably not very good at it.
I think your writing is great. I'm enjoying the quest so far.
>Is there anything that you particularly like or dislike so far?
Good quest, I like reading it. One thing I noticed was that in terms of the 'writing to player options' ratio it's a little heavy on the writing side which I think makes it easier for QMs to railroad and/or make decisions for the players that they should be making themselves, but I don't think you're doing that. It looks like you just have a lot to write and that's ok.
Overall nice quest very fun

>>4497148
Well, i've just been trying to write long updates, because i only have time update once or twice a day at most.
I do try to break off and let the players make significant choices where they pop up though.

>>4497159
Yeah that's ok I like reading what you write so I don't think you have to change it

I have a question as well: why did you choose to go with d6 as opposed to other dice?

>>4497180
Another QM i follow uses this system, and i quite like it.
It averages out the rolls more, so there are less wild swings in either direction and really high or low rolls are rare.

>>4496878
I'm enjoying it! As the other anon said it is a bit writing heavy, but I think that's fine.
Are you sure you're a beginner at narrative writing?

Rolled 3, 6, 1 = 10 (3d6)

>>4496826

"The Chief" is quickly coming into view. It's the same human-looking guy you'd seen back when you were hiding beneath the tree.
He looks human, but he's definitely not. His presence is overwhelming, and it feels just like a demon. Grandpa spoke of legends along those lines.

"If it's taken human form, that can only mean it's particularly old and powerful. Or so my own grandfather told me, many ages past. I've never seen one myself, child."

You'd always thought they were just legends, but here one stand before you. He turns towards you as he hears Berber's commotion.
He's both lean and tall, but his muscles are clearly visible. His hair is short, spiky and black, as are his eyes.
He drops Rabbit unceremoniously to the ground, and you can see that she's severely injured, covered in cuts and blood.
But so is he. His entire upper torso is burned, as if he fell into a fire and couldn't get back out. He's panting heavily, either from pain or exhaustion.
His arms and legs both have burns and cuts across them as well, but less severe than up top.
It seems like he's got one or two puncture wounds as well. Rabbit didn't go down without a fight, huh?

Your eyes lock with his, and the pressure you feel from him is enormous. It doesn't matter if he's injured, this guy is dangerous.
You see him pull what looks like a sword of some sort from his side as he and the other demon both prepare to face you.
There's still some time before you reach him, unless you increase your speed. There's a few ways this could go down...

What will you do?
>Don't attack, just try to talk with him.
>Continue at this speed, prepare a bolt of god's fire and strike him with it
>Use your rapid movement technique, get in the first strike while he doesn't expect it
>Write In?

Also,
If you step in and strike, do you use your new knives or just your fists?
If you decide to speak with him, what will you ask? (Write in your questions)

>>4497404
>Don't attack, just try to talk with him.
"I saved your friend, and I've come to save mine. Do we need to fight?"
If it goes to fighting, then use the knives.

>>4496878
You're doing great, Barbatos. At least as a fellow QM, I like your style very much. It doesn't feel like it's your first time writing a quest at all.

>>4497404
Maybe he won't listen, but it's worth a shot:
>Why have you chasen down the one you refer to as "witch"?
In case they immediately turn for the offensive, prepare the knives

>>4497452
Oh yeah, that's also a good one

>>4497452
+1

>>4497512
>>4497454
>>4497452

You decide against attacking him right off the bat. You're no savage, so you'll at least give this bastard a chance to explain himself.

"Chief, Chief! I'm so glad i found y-GAH!"

You grab Berber's tail as he flies towards his leader, cutting him off mid-sentence as his whole body jerks to a stop.
The demon chief's muscles tense as you close on him, and don't relax even after you stop short. He's ready to strike at any moment.

"Hey, Chief. I just saved this little idiot from getting eaten back in that pit. Don't you think you could let my friend go in exchange?"

The man's eyes narrow, and he speaks to you in a gruff, tired voice.

"That worthless little impling has no value to me anymore."

"C-Chief?"

"Even if he did, this witch belongs to me. I won't be giving her up to some human woman."

"...Come now, be reasonable. She doesn't look very much like she wants to go with you."

Rabbit grunts weakly from the ground, barely able to lift her head and look at you.

"I wasn't asking if she did. Begone, and i might just forget that i saw you in my territory."

Although he told you to leave, he doesn't take his eyes off you, and his sword stays at the ready. He's not arrogant enough to lower his guard against an enemy.
He's also not aggressive enough to attack without reason, or maybe he's trying to avoid a fight due to his wounds...
But, it seems like he's not going to let Rabbit go just because you asked nicely.

"Just... tell me one thing. Why do you want her so badly?"

The man pauses, seeming distant for just a moment. You're still certain he'd strike if you moved into his range, though.

"I need her alchemy to heal someone. That's all you need to know."

"...Is that all? Why would she fight so hard just to refuse?"

"That's two questions, and i've told you enough already. Now, are you going to leave, or are you going to be a problem?"

That's a very good question.

>Let him take her
>Attack him (Magic or Knives?)
>"...Let me come with you."
>Write In?

>>4497543
>"...Let me come with you."

>>4497543
>Attack him with knives

We're a woman?

>>4497827
Yes, you are. You still don't know your own name, or what you look like.

>>4497543
>>"...Let me come with you."

>>4497837
>>4497827
>>4497794

"...Let me come with you."

The chief raises his eyebrow at you.

"Why?"

"Because, she's my friend. I don't know why she doesn't want to help you, so i'll decide for myself what i should do when i see what you're trying to do. And i'll make sure you don't hurt her, either way."

"...Fine. I won't stop you from following, but don't get in my way."

He turns and picks Rabbit up again, slinging her over his shoulder.
She grunts in discomfort, elbowing him weakly in the back of the head, but he ignores it despite the blood you see trickling down his neck.
He isn't looking at you, but you can tell from the way his ears are twitching that he's still focused on you. Listening to your footsteps, probably focused on your presence...
He doesn't trust you, and you don't blame him. You don't trust him either.

Berber flies up to his "friends" after they begin walking towards their destination.

"Hey, Chief... you didn't really mean that, did you?"

"I already have the witch, so what would i need you for?"

"No way... ain't that too cruel?!"

...

You travel for several days in one direction, walking at first but eventually running after the chief's wounds begin to heal, rather slowly actually.
During that time, you find out that his real name is "Argus" and that he doesn't speak much unless spoken to. His mind always seems to be elsewhere.
He allows to you sleep with and comfort Rabbit during your journey, and for her part Rabbit doesn't try to escape anymore.
You're thankful, because if she did, he'd certainly attack her and then you'd have to kill him.

Demons don't bother you often during your journey, but several do still attack. With Rabbit weakened, her pressure isn't enough to kill weakling by presence alone, and so the job of killing them fell to... Argus, apparently.
You would have thought he'd leave it to Berber and Ura, but he does the job himself each time.
From what little you see, he's an expert with the sword unlike anything you've seen before.
Your village had little access to metal, and unlike the rich kings of the valley, mostly used spears and arrows with stone tips to hunt and fight.
The way he moves when he swings his sword is almost like a dance, both nimble and powerful.
He's so quick on his feet that you'd have trouble fighting hand to hand unless you got right up into his face.

For the past several days, Berber has been sulking. It seems Argus really has abandoned him, and as a result he's become pretty upset. He refuses to speak with Argus or Ura, and mostly sits some distance away from the group.
Still, he's following them. Probably because he doesn't have anywhere else to go.

You could try talking to him, but what would you say?

>Say nothing, it's his own choice whether he wants to stay with guys like that or not.
>"You know, you don't seem that bad. You could come with us, however this turns out."
>"Try and stay on his good side, maybe he'll keep you around as a spare meal."
>Write In?

>>4498864
>Say nothing, it's his own choice whether he wants to stay with guys like that or not.

>>4498864
While we could offer him to come with us, it's not like we actually have a plan or a direction other than "Follow Argus" for now. So what could we even say to him?
Better to say nothing for now.

>>4498864
>"You know, you don't seem that bad. You could come with us, however this turns out."

Rolled 5, 1, 1 = 7 (3d6)

>>4499526
>>4499518
>>4499161

You consider saying something for a while. You hate seeing someone like this after all, but in the end you aren't sure anything you could say would really help, so you say nothing.
Sometimes it's better to just let people work through it on their own, rather than butting in.

Several more days pass, mostly in silence. Rabbit's wounds have mostly healed. Argus' wounds on the other hand, although they've healed, seem to have healed somewhat poorly.
Scars mark his body where he had been burned, and are visible from up close.

Although Rabbit continues to sulk right alongside Berber, she hasn't made an attempt to escape yet.
Maybe she's worried about you, or maybe she doesn't think she can get away from him. You can't be certain.
Finally, after more than a week at a moderate pace, you stop before the usual resting time.
Argus, who's at the head of the group, cocks his fist back and punches the ground with significant force, causing the sand to rumble and shake before liquefying and falling to the forest below.

"Hurry up. It's around here."

His voice is barely audible from here. You're certain you could get a lead on him if you ran now, but Rabbit simply jumps in after him. You're never sure what she's thinking.
You strengthen your legs and jump in after her, landing with a solid thud in the freshly settled sand. Berber simply flies down, but Ura...

Well, he looks kind of like a bear. He's big, rotund and covered in shaggy fur that seems uncomfortably warm.
He must also weigh quite a bit, because it seems his legs couldn't take the force of the impact and gave way as he landed.
Ura falls forwards and skids some distance across the sand before smashing headfirst into a pile of it, sending a spray of sand everywhere.
But he immediately stands up and dusts himself off like nothing happened. He might be tough, but you aren't really sure how strong he is.
He's usually pretty quiet as well, so it's hard to tell his personality.

It seems Argus' entrance has disturbed several of the nearby giants, who come trodding over slowly.
You still haven't gotten a chance to test your new power, or your knives. Although it's Argus who usually deals with any demon stupid enough to attack, you could probably try taking one of these guys on while you've got the chance.

What will you do?
>Fight (Knives, Magic or Fists?)
>Don't Fight

>>4500162
Fight with newly acquired knives to test out

>>4500162
Time to shiv a bitch

>>4500162
Fight with knives
I'm not stoked about the whole surprise female MC thing but as long as it doesn't go into yurishit territory I guess it doesn't matter

>>4500257
i'm not big on yuri, no worries there

>>4500257
>>4500240
>>4500229
Roll me 3d6, best of three.

Rolled 2, 5, 3 = 10 (3d6)

>>4500346

Rolled 3, 5, 1 = 9 (3d6)

>>4500346
Is it best of 3 3d6s or best of 3d6?
Another way of putting it is is it 9 d6s that get rolled or just the first 3?

Rolled 4, 2, 1 = 7 (3d6)

>>4500346
If you need another roll

>>4500662
Each player rolls one set of 3d6.
Out of those three players, the one with the highest total score is taken.
So in this case you guys rolled a 10, which is pretty average.

>>4500941
Yeah, barred the occasional 16, rolls have been rather average.

>>4500854
>>4500662
>>4500655

You can hear Argus sigh out and draw his sword as he prepares to take them down, but you've already ran past him and towards the closest one.
You can feel power welling up inside you as your draw your knives, and their power makes itself known as the demon stomps down at you.
Your body is lighter than a feather up here on the surface, and you dodge the stomp nimbly, following up with a powerful slice from your main hand.

Despite your blade only being a few inches long, it somehow manages to cut through the entirety of the demon's oversized leg, causing it to topple over.
As it lands, you jump onto it's side and begin running towards it's face, where it's already gathering light in it's mouth to fire at you.
You make it there before it has a chance to do so, and with a heavy right hook it's giant head is rocked to the side, causing it to loose it's blast into the sand.
Then, with the knife in your left hand, you swing down and sever the giant demon's mask cleanly. It falls away with an enormous, sickeningly wet sucking sound, falling to the ground with a thud and adding to the cloud of sand that kicked up when your blade cut through it's face.

The demon begins to, for lack of a better word, fall apart. With you standing on it.
It's body shivers for a moment, then begins to split apart. You fall through the surface as it becomes thinner and thinner, and are blinded for a moment as what seems like thousands of ethereal demons cry out, swarm around you and then quickly fade away into the air.

Right now, you're feeling pretty good.
A quick look confirms that Argus is already in combat with his second giant, and so you get started on your second as well.
There's one nearby with it's back turned, so you run for it, but before you manage to reach it the cold chill and darkness of the forest disappears.
You turn towards the source of the light and heat. It's Rabbit, standing before a giant whose engulfed in a raging whirlwind of flames!
Sand is being pulled into the torrent and the grains burn like brilliant sparks as they heat up. The giant roars in pain, but it's booming voice gives out as it crumples to the ground.

Wow. You've never really seen her fight before, but you figured she was strong. You really don't want to get caught up in an attack like that.
Lost in thought, you almost don't notice in time... You get your knives up just in time to catch the blast. The giant you were going after had turned and fired at you while you were focused on Rabbit!

The pressure is intense, and this light is hotter than any normal flame! You have to brace yourself under the weight of the attack, and you're being slid back on your feet in the loose sand.
But, the light can't seem to burn your knives, so you're shielded for now. You aren't sure how well blocking this with your hands might have went...
God, when is it going to end? Surely it can't keep this up forever, right?

You'll have to do something.

Rolled 4, 5, 5 = 14 (3d6)

>>4501190

What will you do?
>Just wait it out, the beam will probably end soon
>Fire back with your own magic! God's Fire might be enough to blast this thing!
>Slide out of the attack and close on the demon, it can't fire at it's own body!
>Call out to Rabbit, have her attack while it's distracted
>Write In?

Also, Roll me 3d6, best of 3

Rolled 6, 5, 1 = 12 (3d6)

>>4501193
>Slide out of the attack and close on the demon, it can't fire at it's own body!

Rolled 5, 6, 6 = 17 (3d6)

>>4501193
>Slide out of the attack and close on the demon, it can't fire at it's own body!

>>4501377
nice

Rolled 5, 4, 1 = 10 (3d6)

>>4501193
>Slide out of the attack and close on the demon, it can't fire at it's own body!

>>4501381
>>4501377
>>4501282

The demon actually begins pushing harder than before when it realizes you aren't dying, so you pull one arm back and twist, using the force of it's own attack to rotate your body, then enhance your legs to the limit and jump back, away from the beam of light.
With your legs still enhanced, you blast off towards the demon at full speed, not even giving the slow giant a chance to track you.
Sand blows up behind you as you kick off the ground, and you're in front of it in an instant. From there, you jump with everything you've got.

Your right arm thrusts out, and as you brace it with your left hand as well, you notice just for an instant that your deer-horn knife glows with a peculiar blue light, right before plunging so deeply into the demon's mask that your hands and arms enter the wound as well.
And then, it shatters. Not just the mask, but the demon's entire head is blown apart in a spray of blood and gore!
You too are blown backwards by the force, much farther than the giblets that remain of the demon's head.
As you find yourself flying through the air, you manage to right yourself and land spectacularly in the sand, digging deep trenches with your feet as you skid to a stop.

Despite the massive spray of blood, the only blood that actually got on you is on your hands.
The rest has dyed a large portion of the sand and trees nearby a deep, blackish-red.

You can't see yourself, but you're certain you have a manic grin on your face right now.
And just like that, you go on to kill three more giants in quick succession before all the ones in your area have been dealt with.
At the end, in addition to your five, Rabbit killed two while Argus killed four. You're pretty sure he wasn't giving it his all, though.
You on the other hand, are pretty winded after going at it full force like that, repeatedly.
Still, you're completely uninjured besides maybe a tweaked muscle in your leg, and your stamina recovers after having a moment to rest.

"That wasn't half bad, kid." Argus mutters almost under his breath as he passes by you.
You aren't sure you want to be complemented by a pushy asshole like him, but you'll take it anyways.

>>4501425

From here, you travel some distance before reaching a hill made of stone.
It's hidden away in a cluster of trees, and in the middle is what looks like a cave, but was clearly carved out by a demon's claws.

"In here, come on."

Argus ushers you all inside, and through the short tunnel is a larger space. There honestly isn't much inside.
However, at the very back, laying atop a pile of demon hides and fur, is a rather pale and sickly looking woman.
She's rather tall, with pale white hair and a hole through her bare chest just like a demon's. She doesn't wake from our entrance.
Argus looks like he's about to push Rabbit towards her, but she moves on her own to look at the woman.
A long moment passes in silence. You can see Rabbit balling up her fists from behind.

To your surprise, Rabbit actually begins forming a ball of fire in her hand! She's trying to kill this woman!
Argus is on her in an instant, grabbing Rabbit's arms and restraining her. She kicks and spits at the woman, but can't break free.
From all the commotion, the woman wakes from her slumber and slowly turns her head. Her eyes open slightly as she sees Rabbit's face, but she quickly relaxes.
And then she speaks.

"Ah... it's you, isn't it? The little one from all those years ago. Yes, i remember..."

You've made your own way over to them now, and Rabbit's face is flush both with anger and from her own tears.

"Let her go, Argus. It's alright." She insists.

Surprisingly, Argus actually listens to her. Rabbit's feet touch the ground, and she stands there without fighting.
The anger is already gone from her face, replaced entirely with sadness.
The woman struggles for a moment to sit up, covering her chest with the furs she'd been wrapped in as she does so.

"I'm so sorry, little one. It must have been terribly difficult, for all those years. But, your mother never once forgot about you."

Rabbit runs out of the room. You can feel that she's just outside, and isn't going any farther. Argus heads outside with her.
You suppose now would be a good time to ask this woman some questions.

>Who are you?
>You and Rabbit know eachother?
>What's your relation to Argus?
>Write In?

>>4502019
>Who are you?
>You and Rabbit know eachother?
>What's your relation to Argus?

>>4502213
This
All the questions are good questions

>>4502236
>>4502213

"I have a lot of questions..." You remark. "But i think it's best to ask who you are, first."

"You're her friend, aren't you? Very well. My name is Niobe, once the wife of Phoros and until recently, wife of "King" Inach as well. Might i know your name, young one?"

Ah, that might be a problem... you don't technically have a name right now.
In your village, only those who lived to adulthood earned their name. The right of adulthood was completing your first hunt, or in your case your first demon hunt.
You had killed plenty of demons before, but never while out on an actual hunt, so you'd never been given a proper name...
Some of the villagers, including your own mother, had jokingly taken to calling you "The Huntress" due to the way you'd go out on your own to kill demons, even though father continuously scolded you for it.
But, that's far to embarrassing to use as an actual name.

Still... you know that some of the far-off kings worship a huntress known as Artemis.
Perhaps a name like that might be suitable, or you could think of something else entirely.

Actually, you were quite fond of your mother's name... "Astra" was derived from a word referring to the god's fire that your mother wielded. You aren't sure what her name was before that, but you know it changed to Astra after she learned the technique.
Taking up your mother's name might be nice as well. You're the only one left alive who knows the technique anyways, as far as you're aware.

"Miss? Are you alright, there?"

The pale woman, Niobe, notices your pause. You'd best hurry up and decide.

What sort of name should you take up?
>It's embarrassing, but "Huntress" the closest you've got to a name given by your village
>This is just stealing someone else's name, but "Artemis" might be suitable.
>Take up your mother's name, "Astra"
>Write In?

>>4503261
>Not your mother's name, but heavily based on it. "Astraeli"

>>4503261
Astrid

>>4503350
Support

>>4503410
>>4503350
>>4503325

You have to make up your mind quickly, so you just go with something based on your mother's name.

"My name... is Astrid. I'm the last survivor of my people."

"I see. It's nice to meet you, Astrid. And i'm sorry to hear that."

"Then, as for my next question... what's your relationship with Argus? He's extremely determined to get you healed, you know."

"I know, he's been worried about me for some time. Argus is my second child, born between myself and the Demon King, Inach."

"A king amongst demons...? I'm surprised there is such a thing, but i also have to wonder what you're doing here, if that's true."

"Certainly, a queen shouldn't live in such squalor as this, should she? But no, i received no such treatment. None of his wives do, and when he tired of me, i was cast out into the wastes. Making it back to the surface from the depths was no easy feat for someone as weak as myself, and i took several wounds that never quite healed before i managed to make it back. Ever since then, my health has been failing me."

"What do you mean by "the depths"? I'm afraid i don't know a whole lot about this place, as a human."

"Yes, i'd been wondering about that... it's not often a human makes it to the demon realm alive, but i have a guess as to how it happened.
As for the depths... well, there are quite a few layers to the demon realm. The desert above is the highest, and the layer we're on now is the forest, but it goes much, much deeper.
Past a certain layer, you enter what is known as "The Depths" of the demon realm. Terrible creatures lurk down there, some of them very old and very strange, perhaps even from a time before men walked the world.
And at the very bottom is a paradise of sorts. There, it's like the curse of this land does not reach. Grass and flowers still bloom, and ancient trees still grow as they have done since the dawn of time.
That is where Inach lives. He's taken Paradise for himself, and rules over it with absolute strength."

"That's... a lot to take in."

"Perhaps you will see it for yourself one day, if you grow strong enough. Though, i'd hope you would take the advice of an old woman, and return to the human world.
There's nothing here for you but suffering."

"I... honestly, i don't know how to get back, even if i wanted to."

"Your friend out there could take you home at any time, i'm sure. Hasn't she told you?"

"Rabbit...? She knows how to use that ability?"

Niobe giggles for a moment, but begins coughing and has to settle herself down.

"Rabbit? That's quite an interesting name you've given her. But yes, she should be able to use it. She's a half-demon after all."

"She is? How can you tell? And i've been meaning to ask anyways... how do you two know eachother?"

"You heard me before, didn't you? "Rabbit" as you call her, is my daughter. She was born between myself and the man i loved, my husband, Phoros."

Wait, doesn't that make Argus and Rabbit... brother and sister?

>>4503547

"I'm honestly surprised to have found her. After so long, i'd assumed she was dead. I'm not sure what my son will think of having a sister, but i hope they'll be able to get along."

"Yeah, about that..."

You explain how Argus essentially beat her half to death and drug her here against her will, and how she's not exactly fond of him right now.

"Oh dear. He's a well-meaning boy, but he does take after his father sometimes. I doubt he spoke to her for long."

"I doubt he spoke to her at all, considering i've never actually heard her speak."

Niobe pauses at that, and seems to be thinking deeply. She speaks after a few moments.

"Her father... also had such a condition. I tried for many years to find a cure, but whatever the cause was, it seems to be deeply ingrained."

"Well, that's just how she is. I wasn't particularly worried about it in the first place."

"Yes, that was the conclusion i'd eventually reached. He understood me as well as anyone else, and i eventually came to understand him as well."

"You said Rabbit was a half-demon, right? That means her father was a human, doesn't it?"

"Yes, he was. It was a rather chance meeting between myself and a demon-hunting clan, back before i'd fully regained my sanity..."

"Your sanity?"

"...And you're a demon hunter, are you?"

"I was from a small village, alright? Go easy on me."

"It's fine, you're still young after all. To put it simply, there are several stages of a demon's life. When we're first born from a tormented human soul-"

"You're WHAT?!"

"Demons are born from human souls, dear. Please, let me finish."

"Sorry... i just... nevermind."

"When we're first born, we're filled with a deep hatred and sadness inside of us. There isn't a single pureblooded demon who didn't suffer immensely in life.
However, as they say, time heals all wounds. If a demon manages to live long enough and eats greedily enough, they might grow past that feral stage of their life.
When that happens, they end up becoming something akin to an animal, and if they're lucky, they might regain their consciousness, the person that they once were, at least in part.
However, once they grow into their animal form, they must continuously eat without being eaten in a cycle that lasts for ages upon ages.
After that... it's a bit complicated. Most of them never make it past the animal stage, no matter how many of their fellow they eat.
Some do, though. Those that manage it, they regain both their human form, and a portion of their humanity..."

"That'd be you, and Argus i assume?"

"No, my children are both a bit different... One was born half human, and the other was born between two being who'd regained a portion of their humanity.
Neither of them is truly a full-blooded demon, from what i can tell."

"God, it's all so complicated... Human, Demon, whatever. Rabbit is my friend, and you don't seem like you're going to eat anyone, so that's good enough for me. And Argus, well... we'll see if he eats anyone."

>>4504677

You're about to ask Niobe another question when Rabbit comes back into the room, her cheeks puffy and her eyes red from crying.
She walks over to her mother, and after stopping for a moment, begins examining her.
You see it as well. There's a mangled-looking scar under her breast, with an identical scar on her back. A through-and-through wound.
There's also a large cut near her liver, and although you can't see it, she tells you that she'd suffered a severe head wound as well.
So her lungs, liver and brain are damaged.

"Why haven't they healed? Most demons can heal from just about anything, can't they?"

"No. Sadly, starting from the animal stage, it becomes much harder to heal severe wounds. As you get closer to being human, so does your body."

Rabbit taps you on the shoulder, then begins drawing in the sand with her finger. There are four different plants, each of them somewhat strange looking.

"I recognize these from the lower levels... that one in particular, might be difficult to get." Niobe points to a vine-like plant with large sacs growing across it's length.

"You need these for your alchemy, don't you?" Rabbit nods in affirmation.

"Well," you say. "I'm honestly not a big fan of going back down there, after what i've seen..."

"Oh, don't worry, dear. Except for the Amber Vine, none of these are particularly deep. If you're lucky, you might even find them near the surface caves."

"No, no, that's quite alright, i think i'll just stay here and, you know, guard Niobe whil-"

Argus grabs you by the nape of your collar and begins dragging you along with him, even as you protest. Rabbit follows at his side, brushing away the remainder of her tears.

What will you do?
>Elbow him in the back of the head and run away
>Accept your fate and go back down the scary hole

>>4505911
>Accept your fate and go back down the scary hole

Welcome to the scary door

>>4505911
>Accept your fate and go back down the scary hole

No update tonight, just letting y'all know. Been a particularly rough few days.

>>4506616
That's ok. Hope things get better for you.

>>4507037
Yeah, me too. Thanks, anon.

>>4506598
>>4506251

You decide to accept your fate, and rather than be drug back down the scary hole, you'll walk, or jump, or whatever, on your own two feet.
But, as Rabbit takes the lead, she doesn't immediately bring you back to the pit.
First, you make a stop back at her cave, where she digs through her things until she finds a small vial that looks to have been carved out of a giant demon's mask.
Uncorking it, she gives it a sniff and seems satisfied. She digs a few other small items out of the sand, and then you head off again.

Just like before, you begin heading down the narrow ledges of the canyon below, although this time you find it far easier to make the jumps than before.
Argus seems nervous at first, but calms down when you and Rabbit both generate small flames using magic. It seems he can't do that.
So, was he fighting off those demons the whole time he was down here? While blind? Yikes, you don't even want to think about it.

Rabbit leads you back through the tunnels, but as you approach the haunted pond, she stops you. It seems she senses something.
Although she urges you to be careful, all that remains in here is a few blood splatters and demon bits. It stinks like hell, though...

"What happened in here?" Argus asks.

"What do you mean?"

"It feels like there was a battle here, just recently. Something bad was throwing around a lot of power."

"Ah, that was probably the deer demon..."

You explain your fight with the deer demon, and what happened afterwards. Argus and Rabbit are both staring at you with wide eyes.

"You... ate it? You ate an ascended demon."

You just shrug at him.

"Can a human even do that? Demons eating each other is normal, they even gain power that way, but for a human...?"

"It's not the first time i've done it. I'll be honest, the meat doesn't really agree with me, but i haven't noticed any serious negative effects just yet."

He just palms his face and sighs out.

"I haven't met many humans, but you're definitely not normal. It's weird that you're even still alive out here."

Argus walks over to the haunted pool and casually scoops out some water, first to drink and then to wash his face.
Berber, who's been quiet lately, tries the same thing but nearly gets dragged into the water. Ura actually manages to get some water on his own.
While you're there, you also take the opportunity to have a drink. You may not need water here, but your throat is so dry most of the time that it's unbearable.

Argus watches from the corner of his eye as you carefully scoop the water out with your hands, and seems to smile as you manage it successfully.
After resting for a bit, you continue forwards with Rabbit in the lead. When you get to the split in the tunnels from before, you stop Rabbit to ask her about the pit.
She points her finger in the direction of the pit, and then mimics cutting her throat with her thumb. She shakes her head, and continues down the opposite path, leading down lower into the caves.

Rolled 5, 3, 2 + 1 = 11 (3d6 + 1)

>>4507429

When you come out of the tunnel next, there's an absolutely massive cavern expanding out before you.
No matter how bright you make your flames, you can't see the ceiling, nor the far walls.
There are ancient, ruined buildings down here that seem to be cut from the same grey-blue stone you're standing on.

The air down here feels moist, unlike the air up above, which is so dry that it feels like you'll be turned into dried jerkey.
Maybe that's why, but, for the first time, you actually see plants down here. Moss, mostly, but there are a few different plants.
For some reason, they're all shockingly white, almost the color of bleached bone. Some of them bear colorful fruit despite that.

You reach down and pluck one, thinking to take a bite... but Rabbit smack it from your hand, and makes the same throat-cutting motion from before.
However, she then picks a differently-colored fruit from the same plant, and hands it to you. She plucks another for herself, quickly biting into it and checking some other small plants.
Looking at the fruit, it's shaped almost like a heart, and it's just as blood-red as well. There are small, white speckles on the skin, and it smells... sour.
Still, you take a bite. It's incredibly crisp and crunchy. It tastes almost like dirt, but not quite in a bad way. It's also sour as you thought, but it's more refreshing than overpowering. Not what you'd call good, but not quite bad either, and it certainly tastes better than some demons do.

Argus looks increasingly nervous and you and Rabbit stray further from eachother, and ends up breaking off to stay within the radius of your light.
It seems like he's had some bad experiences with the demons down here, or maybe he's just afraid of the dark. You wouldn't blame him. Sometimes terrible things lurk in the darkness...

After stumbling around the ruined town for a while, Ura speaks.

"Chief, i know a place where Urdmut Grass grows, not too far from here. It wouldn't take long to gather some."

"I... Yeah, it's fine, i guess. Come on, let's go."

Pushy as ever, Argus grabs your arm and ushers you forwards, though he does let go as soon as you start moving.

"You don't need to be so forceful, you know. Nobody likes being pushed around."

Argus doesn't respond to you, but he sighs out like he's heard that before.
He's annoying, but you ignore him. After a few minutes of walking, Ura leads you to a small pond where you can see the grass growing before you even reach it.
It's even whiter than the other plants down here, and in fact it's glowing with a strange white light...

"We use this stuff to make dye. It'll turn just about anything it touches white, so don't get the juices on your skin."

"Good to know, i guess. I don't want to end up looking like a ghost."

"Human souls look just like normal humans, though."

"Not to to people who are weak enough."

You chat with Ura for a bit and collect the glowing grasses, which he puts in a small pouch for later.

>>4509682

As you're headed back, you hear Berber scream, followed by the characteristic cries of several demons.
When you arrive, Berber is still under attack. He's flying around frantically, trying to stay within the range of Rabbit's light.
Rabbit herself is busy, trying and failing to strike at a distance while several weaker demons launch projectiles at Berber.

Ura and Argus run ahead to deal with the demon that's troubling Rabbit, so you guess you're left to take out the ones trying to eat Berber.
Flaring out your little flame, you create a wall of weak fire that pushes the demons back, burning their skin and sending them running. Easy.

"Are you alright, Berber?"

"I'm fine! I didn't need your help for those guys..."

Well, he doesn't seem injured.
Looking over, you're surprised to see that the other demon hasn't been dealt with yet, and you quickly understand why.
Every time they try to attack him, he simply melts into the shadows and escapes. No matter how many times they punch, cut or blast him, he simply melts around it...
An enemy like that could be troublesome.

What will you do?

>Try using pure light, maybe that'll work on him if he's a demon of shadows
>Try wrapping power around your fists, see if you can make contact
>Have everyone put out their lights, he might not be able to escape if there are no shadows, even if you'll be vulnerable too.
>Write In?

>>4510389
>Try using pure light, maybe that'll work on him if he's a demon of shadows
Nobody else around? Im a lurker

>>4510653
I only post once a day, so people don't check often.

>>4510389
>Try wrapping power around your fists, see if you can make contact

>>4510653
Support

>>4510389
>Try using pure light, maybe that'll work on him if he's a demon of shadows

Rolled 1, 6, 2 = 9 (3d6)

>>4511012
>>4510704
>>4510658
>>4510653

Roll me 3d6, best of 3

Rolled 2, 6, 5 = 13 (3d6)

>>4511013

Rolled 6, 2, 4 = 12 (3d6)

>>4511013

Rolled 2, 6, 2 = 10 (3d6)

>>4511013