Lugubrious

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

The Qliphoth - the Great Bole

Lvl 9 Goldlewis (69/90)
Sectonia’s @Archmage MC Pit’s @Yankee Ganondorf’s @Double
Word Count: 749

As much as Goldlewis wished he could stop and rest, he knew that the hollow where he and Geralt faced off with the Keepers would not be a safe place to recuperate. That brawl had been a messy one, and if the sounds of battle didn’t draw floodfested reinforcements from the demonic woodwork, the tremors that accompanied the misplaced basement’s demolition probably would. He figured that wherever he and the Witcher ended up would probably be just as or even more dangerous, but the chance of linking up with one of the Seeker’s healers was enough to make him push forward. While the two men were tough as nails, they could only go so far without someone to patch their wounds, after all. At the very least he’d probably be safe while pushing up through the xylem vein like a five-hundred-pound blood clot, even if it didn’t do much for his headache.

Ultimately, Goldlewis had very little control of where he ended up; after his initial separation from Sandalphon, he couldn’t even guarantee that he and Geralt would emerge in the same place. Like real veins, these ones branched in odd places, the xylem within flowing in any number of directions. He could only wait until his pressurized ascent slowed down, and the increasing translucence of the bloodstream’s tubular walls suggested a way out. Taking hold of his coffin, he pushed its spiked top through, then tore open an aperture large enough to see through. Sure enough, he could see what looked like a section of floor about twenty feet down. Right away he could tell that this area was very different from the claustrophobic hollow he emerged into previously, but Goldlewis didn’t have much of a choice. Better this than be stuck with nothing but open air or solid Qliphoth flesh on all sides. The veteran shoved the coffin out, then pushed off the tunica behind him and tumbled through after it.

He fell for a brief moment in a shower of xylem, then landed on a platform of murky red matter somewhere between meat and wood. To his horror it shook beneath his feet, less like a solid ground and more like an elevated catwalk, and a quick look around showed him why. Rather than a cavernous hollow in the Qliphoth substrate, he stood within an organic structure suspended from the roof of an immense open space within the demon tree’s trunk. It appeared to be an elaborate bell-shaped lattice, not too unlike an enormous, upside-down jungle gym, its walls threaded with a couple larger Qliphoth veins, and at its bottom hung three long, rectangular strips separated by strips of empty space. When the veteran tentatively approached the edge and looked down, he could see nothing but empty air for hundreds, perhaps thousands of feet. Just how high had that bloodstream taken him!? Goldlewis wasn’t typically one for vertigo, but a drop like that could make even him queasy.

Much to his relief, he wasn’t alone. A couple other Seekers had managed to find their way here, emerging from various veins around the arena. Even if Geralt wound up elsewhere, Goldlewis would find a staunch ally in Ganondorf, if not an agreeable one. He waved at the others. “Howdy!” the veteran hollered. “Good to see y’all made it! What I wouldn’t give for a li’l healin’ right now, though.”

At a deep, rumbling crackle, Goldlewis looked up sharply. The interior environment of the Qliphoth was so alien and so cluttered that it could be difficult to parse sometimes, but he could not mistake the massive shape floating down around the strange bell. It was huge, and like most things in this hellish place, a strange blend of unnatural flesh and demonic plant matter that would be shaped roughly like a horned helmet, were it not for the tentacles that branched from the sides and the skin-colored roots that dangled below. At its center gleamed a hellish red slit, fixated on Goldlewis like an evil eye as the behemoth hovered into the bell itself. With a nasty creaking its underside opened, causing red radiance to pour out like some infernal spotlight, and from inside the horror descended a titan of magic and carven stone. It landed even heavier than Goldlewis did, and the whole structure shuddered. Then it raised its four arms, rune-inscribed broadswords held high, and began to march.

The Qliphoth - Memory Zone

Lvl 14 Ms Fortune (119/140)
Midna’s @DracoLunaris Edelgard’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Captain Falcon’s @Double
Word Count: 1117

Not for the first time, Nadia thanked her lucky stars that she’d ended up unfusing with the spirit of Rhodeia the Oceanid. That spirit had made her a lot more sensitive to the quality of the water around her, and she didn’t even want to think about the quality of the fluid flowing through the Qliphoth’s veins. Sandalphon had called this stuff something else, but to Nadia it really was indistinguishable from blood, from color and viscosity right down to the pungent coppery smell. She didn’t really want to consider any possibilities beyond the demon tree simply having blood for some reason. Hopefully it would prove to be a lot less disease-ridden than the wretched blood that flowed through the guts of the Under–the last thing she needed was another stop at a sanitarium.

Throughout the ride, the cat burglar had clung tight to the hand of her newest friend Emily. Reasoning that the currents in the Qliphoth’s veins could sweep the Seekers away and separate them, she’d chosen to take Emily’s hand to ensure that she wouldn’t get separated. So far it had worked out fine, straining her somewhat as the two bounced around in the bloodstream, but not enough to shake her grip. Nadia knew that getting even a combat-capable survivor to safety would be a tall order, but she burned with determination to get Emily out of here in one piece. Saving people was what heroes did, after all, and that was the path she had chosen.

Nadia’s inner monologue came to an abrupt end when her bloodstream suddenly altered its course. Though winding back and forth in serpentine fashion, it had borne her generally upward, but now it twisted and dumped her out sideways. “Bluh! Bah!” The feral found herself propelled into a pool of xylem, where she sputtered and splashed until she realized that she could simply stand up, the pool itself only waist-deep. Once she did, she crossed her arms and grinned at Emily as if she had everything under control. “Haha, bloody well told ya we’d make it!” When she looked around, though, her bravado gave way to confusion. As strange as the Qliphoth had been so far, the surprises just kept coming.

In front of her lay a hotel lobby in astonishingly good condition. It had all the furnishings one might expect, from lavish loveseats and end tables to potted plants and lush red carpets. Soft, warm light radiated from within exquisite patterned lampshades and elaborate wall sconces. The pool itself was done up like a luxury bath, semicircular, with steps leading in from all angles, sparkling brass handrails, and a handful of beach chairs arranged around it. Farther into the room it quickly got much darker, but Nadia could see ornate tables and chairs around a large circular mosaic of polished marble tiles. At the very least she could see a few places where cracked or peeling wallpaper revealed bits of reddish plant matter, which suggested that she was still inside the Qliphoth, after all. Things were weird in here, though–even weirder than a hotel lobby existing within the demon tree. There were large bubbles here and there, and a number of objects that floated weightlessly, making the whole place seem surreal.

Nadia climbed out of the pool, grabbed a couple floating towels, tossed one to Emily, then began to wipe down. She kept a sharp eye out for danger, but saw no immediate threats. When something broke the silence, it was the arrival of several other Seekers through the same bloodstream: Midna, Edelgard, and Captain Falcon. “Oh hey guys, what’s up? Looks like your struggles are no longer in vein!“ Toweling off helped her compose herself, but an uneasiness remained, and after tossing the bloodstained towel aside she crossed her arms. “This doesn’t feel right,” she whispered as she walked forward, her voice lowered. Midna, Edelgard, and Falcon might not recognize this sensation, but she did. “Like the underground prison. Like a dream. It doesn’t feel…real.”

“What is ‘real?’”

At the baritone voice, Nadia fixed her gaze on the darkness beyond the tables and chairs. After a moment, a lighter flared up, illuminating a man behind a bar. Bottles of all shapes and sizes, many filled with seemingly random objects, lined the shelves behind him, and above them the wall featured an odd abundance of clocks.

Emily looked surprised. “Another survivor?”

Nadia narrowed her eyes at the man, then walked toward the mysterious stranger. Maybe in his thirties, he was handsome, but a real mess, with a five o’clock shadow, unkempt brown hair, and garishly colored formal attire worn haphazardly, including hot pink slacks and tie. He looked tired, with bags under his orange eyes, and he reminded her of a stray dog. As she drew close, Nadia crossed her arms again and looked at him expectantly, as if daring the ordinary-looking man to transform into some monster and attack. “Who’re you supposed to be?”

“Me? Gallagher.” The man smiled.

When he didn’t elaborate, Nadia gestured to the room around here. “What’s this place?”

Gallagher looked amused. “A bar. What’ll you be having?”

Smiling wryly, Nadia put her hands on her hips. “You, if you try any funny business.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “How old are you, anyway?”

Gallagher’s face was deadpan. “I’m thirteen.”

Nadia blinked. “What?”

“Listen, you can’t stay here, it’s dangerous.” Emily beckoned to the man. Even if he was nuts, he deserved to live in her book. “We need to keep moving until we can get out.”

The feral looked at her incredulously. “We can’t trust this cat, he’s su-purr suspicious!”

“You trusted me, didn’t you?” Emily seemed confused.

“Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your mind. Or maybe…on your heels? Heheh.” Gallagher held his palm by his lighter’s flame, warming it. “Can’t say I blame you though, pretty lady. Get haunted once, and everything starts looking like a ghost.” He raised the lighter, peering at one newcomer at a time through the flame. “It’s all just fate, playing a cruel joke on us.”

He flipped the lighter closed.

The hairs on the back of Nadia’s neck stood on end.

She whipped around, and behind the Seekers floated a monstrosity of black feathers, golden claws, and psychedelic pink-purple eyes, its blade just inches from her throat. Nadia backflipped away and landed on the bar, glancing down only to see that Gallagher was no longer there. She returned her gaze to the shadow of death as it snarled, and sharpened her claws for battle.

The Qliphoth - Sinister Dominion

Lvl 7 Sandalphon (46/70)
Junior & Rika’s @DracoLunaris Roland’s @Archmage MC
Word Count: 792

Sandalphon waited in stoic silence as the xylem current propelled her higher and higher, alert for her next opportunity to emerge. She had lost sight of her predecessor Juri within moments of entering the bloodstream, but if her hypothesis about the Qliphoth’s setup mirroring Arahabaki’s held water, she would be reunited with other allies soon enough. There was no good reason why the two immeasurably different areas would work similarly, of course, but the World of Light was nothing if not full of odd coincidences. Ever watchful even amidst the bloodstream’s tumultuous crimson torrent, Sandalphon spotted a likely exit before long. She propped up her gunstaff against opposite vein walls to slow her ascent, then used her sharp heel to pierce through the tunica. As she rose higher her heel tore open a long slit, and when the xylem pouring through caused the pressure to drop, the archangel washed out along with it.

Despite her best efforts, Sandalphon plopped down onto the floor with the grace of a newborn farm animal, forcing her to try and salvage some dignity by slicking her hair back again as she rose from her blood-red puddle. Junior and Rika were here too, which made her happy to see. They’d arrived in another enclosed Qliphoth hollow, though unlike the one she came from, this one seemed much less organic in nature. It was darker, as if burnt, and cylindrical in shape, with sheer walls, and a ribbed floor whose pattern radiated outward from the middle. Instantly Sandalphon noticed the large golden staff planted at the centermost point, as well as the figure who lounged atop it, her tail coiled around the staff’s length, and the archangel went still as a statue.

Proportionally this being appeared to be a petite woman, but at her full height she’d stand much taller than a grown man. White scales and red cracks covered much of her pale skin, as well as the entirety of the enormous fan-like protrusions from her back, more like fins than wings. Small black spikes protruded from random points across her body, but those among the white hair on her head were dwarfed by the demon’s enormous, ruby-red horns, alike in color to her gleefully glinting eyes. She’d been wearing a bored expression as she sucked on a lollipop until Sandalphon arrived, at which point her eyes widened, and she plucked the candy from her mouth.

“Lilith.” Sandalphon stated, her tone cold.

”Omigosh. Sandy, is that you? No. Fucking. Way!” Though high-pitched, her voice did not sound childlike, and the delighted, shark-toothed grin that spread across her face held no love. ”Wow, you had me going for a sec. You’ve gotten so small! Well…” She boggled her eyes at Sandalphon’s chest. “In most respects, damn! Way to make a girl feel inadequate.” She pretended to pout, then put on a mocking smile. “Guess that pet of yours likes ‘em big, huh? You’ll really try anything to make humans like you!”

Sandalphon’s grip tightened on her staff, and her marble expression almost seemed to crack. Were any of her allies in front of her, they’d see that her pupils were now skulls. “I had always considered the possibility that I might meet one of you again. If you’ve been here all along, I should thank Illia that you haven’t been tormenting innocents.”

Lilith winked at her. “Weeeeell, don’t be so sure. Idle hands, and all that.” She licked her lollipop, then shrugged. ”Still, you’re right about us demons. No matter how many times you put us down, we always pop right back up.” Her eyes glittered as she narrowed them with a nasty smile. ”Shame you can’t say the same about the other archangels, huh?” When Sandalphon didn’t reply, the demon tittered and continued. ”Oh yeah, I heard all about it. Word is that the big boss wiped all the others out. Gone the way of the dinosaurs, just like your big sister. Poor Sandy, all alone…”

“If you know me so well, you should know that trying to provoke me is useless.” Sandalphon remained calm. “Nevertheless, I will kill you. By my authority as the leader of Illia’s Apostles, and as an angel, it falls to me to exact punishment for your sins. And I remember exactly how to do it.”

“Then you remember I’ve got your number, too.” Lilith sneered at the archangel and her allies. “Gotta wonder…do they know the strats? Awful lot of trust you’re putting in a couple little shits, Sandy.” She grinned, then crunched her lollipop between her teeth. As she extended her hand, the shadows danced around her. “Let’s see how you feel after failing them, too!”

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Lewa

Though things looked dodge for a minute, the otherworlders managed to beat a hasty retreat in one piece after all. Anne's speed, Fran's strength, and Lewa's winds saw them to safety, with Remilia on hand to undo any damage that the humans had sustained if she felt so inclined. Once the terrific din died down and the tremors subsided, the group slowed to a walk as they retraced their steps through the underground path, the caverns growing narrower as they climbed higher and closer to the basement. It took a little longer for Lewa's heartlight to stop racing, and he almost regretted it when it did. He could not say what his team managed to achieve, if anything, nor what they even came here to do, but even if just for a little while, the excitement had taken his mind off his situation. The underground expedition reminded him of the old days before the Bohrok invasion, when every day had been an adventure through some wild, beautiful corner of Mata Nui. Being so deep beneath the earth, where the sun didn't shine and the wind didn't blow, reminded him just how much he missed his island home. For now, he would have to content himself with the sun and wind of Nieve.

Along with the others he trudged out of the caves, then up back through the shop. Lewa did not particularly regret leaving this mystery unsolved; he'd simply been along for the ride, maybe since the very start. His genial, heroic nature had been put through the wringer by his extenuating circumstances, so it was hard to get invested in any errand that stood in the way of his search. He felt like the minute he started caring too much about this world, he'd be relinquishing his hold on his own, and that was something the spirit air couldn't possibly do--not as long as he clung to a sliver of hope. Still, while the lack of resolution to this side-quest didn't really bother him, the toa looked rather glum as he emerged back into the open air. Not even the caress of the breeze against his body lifted his spirits. He looked around, his eyes dull, at all the humans blissfully and ignorantly going about their lives. No doubt the question on his tongue was one on everyone's mind. "So...now what?"

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

As the week of two-person challenges comes to an end, we've got a week (minimum) of four-person challenges on the horizon. Here are the new selections:

Malphas (DMC5)

An ancient, powerful, and malevolent demon wielding some of hell's strongest sorceries. She prefers to torment opponents by conjuring 'metaphysical infernal phantasms' of past foes to inflict traumas and soften them up, though these echoes are not as powerful as the originals. In direct combat, the demonic hatchling that forms her lower half is a formidable physical threat, while Malphas herself can conjure portals that the hatchling can attack through, or for utility. Her stronger magics come into play when injured, including self-healing and an eldritch explosion big enough to fill the whole hollow. This challenge favors those with high single-target damage, high burst damage, high evasion, and healing denial
Takers: 0/4

The Dredge (Dead by Daylight)

A twisted abomination of fused, malformed flesh and malevolence. It cannot be harmed or affected by anything outside of the arena it's encountered in. Rather than kill it, the objective is to fix up five of the seven generated scattered throughout its hollow in order to open the gate shielding the escape route. The Dredge will attempt to hunt down its challengers, strike them down, and hang them on hooks as living sacrifices. It can teleport between the lockers that would otherwise be the challengers' hiding spots, reveal challengers in the vicinity of lockers it opens, instantly break pallets that challengers it's injured vault across, and debuff anyone who heals in its vicinity. This challenge favors those with movement, stealth, and engineering abilities
Takers: 0/4

Something Unto Death (Honkai Star Rail)

A phantom memory zone meme encountered in an eerie, dreamlike hollow full of everyday scenes and objects. It deals severe physical slash and pierce damage, and it takes reduced damage unless its toughness is depleted by wind, fire, and imaginary/light attacks, which are its weakness. If certain conditions are met by its challengers, it can inflict the Morbid Dream status, removing them from the fight unless those who remain bring them back, which requires a certain number of hits that DoT effects are good at triggering. If all challengers receive Morbid Dream, the battle will be lost. This challenge favors those with high overall damage and sustain, attacks with Something Unto Death's weaknesses, and strong DOT damage
Takers: 0/4

Corruptor (Remnant 2)

A battle that takes place in an open arena consisting of just three parallel 'lanes' to stand on. The Corruptor is a large creature of possessed Qliphoth matter, floating well out of melee range. It hangs back while a Corrupted Guardian (yes, another thing called a guardian) aggressively chases the challengers, floating its arms around to do spin attacks. The Corruptor will periodically interrupt this fight with a massive, deadly laser that covers an entire lane of the arena for several seconds. Once enough damage is done to the guardian, it will slump down and the Corruptor will float over to open its underside and re-corrupt it, allowing the Corruptor to take double damage. This challenge favors those with high single-target damage and agility
Takers: 0/4

Lilith (Dragalia Lost)

A fight on an open arena against another powerful demon. She has a variety of punishing AoE attacks that demand a lot of trial, error, and on-the-fly learning, and she can trap one challenger at a time in a dark orb that the others must break to free them. When she casts her Curse of Nihility, she will dispel all buffs on her challengers and prevent new buffs for a time. She begins the fight shadow-aspected, taking 50% less damage from anything but the light element, and at 50% health she switches to the fire element for the rest of the fight, changing her weakness to water. This challenge favors those with debuffs rather than buffs, high defense, sustain, agility, perception, and either or both the light or water elements
Takers: 0/4

Tormentor (Dead Space)

A horrific monstrosity encountered in a dark, infested hollow. It's huge, with many plates of dense bone armor. There are glowing yellow nodes in its shoulders that can explode and sever its main arms if they sustain enough damage. It can grapple opponents with its various limbs, bypassing their guard, and its fanged maw deals extreme damage. There are Cysts in the arena that will spit out organic bombs at challengers that get too close unless destroyed. There are also four Wheezers hidden around the infested clutter that will steadily exhale poisonous gases to fill the arena, but their noisiness gives them away. This challenge favors those with high evasion, critical damage, night vision, and poison resist
Takers: 0/4

Umbra Rose Condos

Cautious, perceptive, and borderline paranoid by nature, Khalid had a knack for detecting problems. Such skills were vital for survival in supernatural fields of study like his, and with so many monsters nearby today, the investigator was on high alert. From the moment he first set foot in the cafeteria, he’d gotten the sense that something was off about the place, but like any good scientist he couldn’t jump to conclusions right off the bat. Maybe things were just bound to be different in a busier, livelier cafeteria like this one, or maybe his reservations were playing tricks on him. Nevertheless, he kept a sharp eye out, and after finding somewhere to sit and partake of his dinner in relative peace, he could gradually come to the conclusion that something really was wrong in here.

Luckily, it seemed to have nothing to do with him. A disproportionate number of the monsters in his vicinity seemed annoyed or dissatisfied. Nobody appeared to be angry enough to make a scene or anything, but the put-upon communal air could hardly be denied. The incredulous looks that various monsters offered to their friends, and the reluctance with which they dug into their fare, suggested that they’d been forced to settle for food that hadn’t been their first choice. Add to that the urgent activities of the restaurant staff, and Khalid could only conclude that something must be amiss in the kitchen. What that might be he couldn’t guess at, but it didn’t concern him unduly. Though certainly more scrupulous than his amorphous companion, Khalid wasn’t picky, and the cooks had done an admirable job of supplying the evening diners in spite of their technical troubles. So Khalid munched away in content and contemplative silence, idly curious about whatever might be going on behind the scenes, but much more concerned with anyone who might work up the courage to pay the alleged Shoggoth a visit.

And for once, fortune smiled upon him. Khalid noticed the tall, wiry woman on a collision course with his table well before she reached the social boundary. Never an optimist, though, he forced down his premature excitement. Khalid tried not to notice her, lest he appear overeager or quick to assume, until Iris stopped right in front of him and made her intentions unmistakable. When she spoke, offering a simple ‘so’ in lieu of an actual greeting, he sat at rapt attention with his eyebrows raised. It took several seconds -just long enough to make his brows crunch together in a questioning manner- for her to get her thoughts in order. It did occur that she might be bothered by the admittedly rather offensive smell given off by Horace, which he could never quite get used to himself. He wondered if she’d be brave enough to bring it up–if the monsters here were too polite to say that someone smelled bad, they really had been tamed.

When Iris finally said something, she let loose a barrage of questions that took Khalid somewhat by surprise. They suggested a somewhat skeptical nature, but a complete lack of any actual prior knowledge about therapy itself beyond vague preconceived notions. That was good, since it gave him more free reign. An informed skeptic with something to prove (or disprove) was the last thing he needed. Only her last, more pointed question gave him pause, though luckily the woman’s mind seemed to wander after she asked, almost to the point of disassociation in fact. If she meant to catch Khalid in a lie, however, she would be disappointed. Naturally, he’d already considered this angle, and workshopped that he believed to be a satisfactory -and satisfactorily honest- answer.

Khalid tented his fingers and offered a polite smile. “Allow me to assuage your concerns. I am not a licensed professional…yet. I am, however, a graduate student with years of painstaking study under my belt. Neuroscience, atypical psychology, behavioral study…you get the drift, I’m sure. I am in the process of accruing clinical hours for the sake of licensure. It’s one of those ‘intern with six years of experience’ things. This is why my services are free of charge, you see. Professional therapy can be miserably expensive. So while there are certain things I cannot do, I have very strict rules to follow, and every incentive to provide as much genuine help as I possibly can.”

“As for how ‘therapy works’, well…” Khalid clasped his hands and shrugged with a gentle, pleasant expression on his face. “We would just chat. You could tell me about yourself, your story, what’s on your mind, any problems or struggles you might be experiencing…whatever you’re comfortable sharing. While I might prompt you here or there, you’d never have to say anything or answer any questions you don’t want to. My goal is to give you an outlet for your worries and fears, a safe space where you can be heard, free of bias and pretense, and to treat every monster -regardless of species- with the compassion and humanity they deserve. And of course, our sessions would be strictly private.” Khalid tilted his head slightly, his eyes inquisitive. “Well? No charge, no commitment, just two people engaged in as much -or as little- honest conversation as you wish. Can we help one another?"

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Tell me when I'm free to post.

@AlmostEternity

You're good to go once the opening post we've been working on in DMs is finished.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

A week from now, all the PCs in the Qliphoth will begin some challenges, but which one your character ends up in is up to you, so take your pick. Feel free to choose one your character would be good at, or not! Limit is two characters per challenge, so first come is first served. Since there are 24 characters and only 10 challenges, if anyone needs to sit out this week their character can get stuck in the tubes, but if not I can make two more challenges.

Challenges

Infectors
There is a dark, highly infested room with 100 Left 4 Dead zombies in it, including some Special Infector. There are also 3 Infectors from Dead Space in there. An infector’s objective is to latch onto corpses (which zombies are) and inject them with their proboscis in order to transform the zombie into an Enhanced Necromorph Slasher, a process which takes about 10 seconds total. If an infector manages to transform a Special Infected, a special Necromorph will be made instead .The infectors will attempt to make as many necromorphs as possible. This challenge favors the observant, and those with fast and precise single-target damage, or widespread AoE damage.
(Grimm, the Witch)

Guardian
A Guardian from Evil Within 2 is in a clean hollow with a number of mirrors. These mirrors will reflect all magic and projectiles, and the Guardian can travel through them. It’s also smart enough to use these mirrors against its foes. This challenge favors those with strong physical abilities or those able to accurately perceive if they’re looking at a reflection or the real thing
(Sandalphon, Juri)

Unsigned
In this infested arena Unsigned, a lich from Metal Slug Attack, will continuously spawn loads of skeletal Bonenoid soldiers, armed with rifles or riot shields. Maybe with more unique/interesting weapons that could be looted, or skeletons of stronger foes. Unsigned himself has an enormous, high-power revolver holstered on his person. This challenge favors those with blunt force, holy/light abilities, and AoE
(Junior, Rika)

Core Stone
This unrefined hollow contains a Core Stone from Deep Rock Galactic, which shines purple from within its rocky deposit. Once revealed for the first time, it will begin to float and tear open Core Rifts in the nearby walls, unleashing Corespawn Crawlers. Over the course of the fight the Core Stone will rebuild its shell twice, forcing the challengers to re-expose it. This challenge favors those who can break stone, blocking the rifts, and wipe out plenty of fast, dextrous opponents
(Therion, Edward)

Empusa Queen
This relatively clean arena features a large, daunting Empusa Queen and 2 flying Green Empusa. The Greens will avoid conflict while the giant demon fights savagely, but they can heal her (and each other) with pulses on a 10 second cooldown. This target favors those with high single-target damage and high agility
(Ace Cadet, Blazermate)

Killabilly
This infested arena is home to Killabilly from Lollipop Chainsaw, an large zombie that somewhat resembles Elvis. He has a number of abilities, such as high strength, regeneration, laser vision, zombie spitting, and most notably, spawning cars (mostly cadillacs) that he can ride in or just use as projectiles. This challenge favors those with high single-target damage, high defense or sustain, and/or the ability to negate healing
(Roland, Edelgard)

Gaster
An infested hollow with large chunks of the floor missing, home to a lighter-than-air monstrosity that's essentially a mass of misshapen organs, heads, and limbs, with four very long hooked tentacles. The Gaster (from Evil West) will avoid direct combat, fly around the arena, and anchor itself in the Qliphoth flesh to unleash homing projectiles, hellish beams, and flashes of light that can leave heroes blind for several seconds, all while a handful of other bloodsuckers from Evil West fight directly. This fight favors fliers or good jumpers, and long-range fighters
(Sectonia, Snake)

Nyx
A highly infested hollow that’s one of the many battlegrounds between the Qliphoth’s demons and the Floodfestation, with an assortment of random demons and undead monsters, including several that explode when defeated. It also has Nyx, a monstrous B.O.W from Resident Evil Outbreak. This jelly-like organism will assimilate any other monsters it gets the chance to, gaining extra vitality and all the monster’s abilities for itself, though these parts can be destroyed. The only ‘real’ part of Nyx is its core, buried deep in its flesh. This challenge favors those with strong gun damage and/or critical thinking skills
(Zenkichi)

Successor of the Claw
This hollow is constantly burning, its walls and debris engulfed in flames. Inside is the Successor of the Claw from Code Vein. This large, catlike monster is both fast and strong, dealing overwhelming fire and slash damage as she teleports around. She’s also very resistant to fire, and somewhat resistant to slash, pierce, and ice. However, she’s vulnerable to lightning, water, blood, and impact damage. This challenge favors those who can resist fire, take advantage of the Successor’s vulnerabilities, and keep up with such a fast opponent.
(Ms Fortune, Midna)

Keepers
A cramped, mazelike hollow of many small passages. Inside is a Keeper from Evil Within. Damage dealt to him is reduced by 90% (100% to the safe on his head), but he still takes break/stagger damage. When he’s stunned/broken, he falls to his knees and his safe bursts open, revealing the evil within. The meat in the safe takes 200% damage, and it stays open for 10 seconds. After his safe is opened once, a second Keeper shows up. This challenge favors those with high break/stagger damage
(Goldlewis, Geralt)

Triple Juggernaut
Three hardy monstrosities with the same name but different attributes, all encountered in a highly infested arena. The Juggernaut from Warframe puts a hard cap on the damage that any one attack can do to it, but its two conditional weak points take double critical damage. The Juggernaut from Prototype blocks projectiles, while its shockwaves and grabs are unblockable. The Juggernaut from Halo deals the most damage at the longest range, either using its huge tentacles or by jumping high and slamming down, and when low on health it will go berserk with increased attack speed. This challenge favors those with high critical damage, strong evasive abilities, or high defense, and those who can manage aggro.

Fighting Carcass Team
A full party of four carcasses from Lies of P, encountered in a hollow that's consumed a church. The Shield Arm Carcass can change its right arm from a huge, wrecking-ball like bludgeon into a large shield that renders it almost invincible from the front, and back again. The Bloated Carcass stays back to hurl explosive globs of rot. The Giant Axe Carcass aggressively leaps toward and slams its weapon down on targets. The Heavy Carcass is a bruiser that attacks with spiked club-limbs and has a hit of armor on all its attacks. All are weak to fire and electricity, but their attacks cause the Decay status, which chips away at both health and equipment durability over time. This challenge favors those with area attacks, sustain, long range, and fire/electric attacks
(Pit)

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Dead Zone - the Qliphoth

Lvl 14 Ms Fortune (112/140) Lvl 9 Goldlewis (65/90) Lvl 7 Sandalphon (40/70) Lvl 3 Grimm (23/30)
Midna, Junior, Rika & Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate, Sectonia & Roland’s @Archmage MC Geralt, Zenkichi & Edelgard’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet, Pit, Primrose & Therion’s @Yankee Juri’s @Zoey Boey Roxas, Ganondorf, & Captain Falcon’s @Double Venom Snake’s @DisturbedSpec the Witch’s @Drifting Pollen
Word Count: 3689 (+4)

From the moment Nadia first stepped into the Qliphoth, the catgirl had been ready to fight. Everything about this alien place puzzled her senses and sensibilities, creating a profound sense of unease. This place just felt wrong. Somewhere between ‘innards’ and ‘interior’, its various structures seemed organic enough to remind her of the vile Womb she and the others braved deep within the literal bowels of the Under. That in turn threatened to provoke the phagophobia instilled in her by her horrific night in the Maw, but luckily Nadia’s new surroundings struck her as too bizarre to cause any reaction beyond goosebumps. In its pristine state the strange patterns of the Qliphoth’s insides might have intrigued someone like Sectonia by virtue of the unique aesthetic and abundant radial symmetry, like a towering coral reef from another world. But the incursion of not one but several extraterrestrial plagues, visible in the form of enormous, tumorous outcrops and grotesquely fleshy growths filled wasp and feral alike with visceral disgust. The end result was a hellish hybrid of plant and animal, overrun with wretched parasites, with one of the seven remaining Guardians hidden somewhere inside.

Before the Seekers could hunt down their target, however, they would need to contend with the horde. Within moments of the heroes’ arrival, the local vermin sounded the alarm. As the awful outburst of howls and shrieks resounded through the Qliphoth’s cambium, more and more twisted voices joined the spine-chilling chorus, heeding the frontrunners’ summons. Nadia flattened her ears at the horrible din, but stood her ground alongside her teammates, even as the tear in the demon tree’s outer wall began to pull itself together behind them. Once it sewed itself together with fleshy tendrils like a surgeon’s sutures, there was no going back–only breaking through. “There’s a clawful lot of ‘em,” Nadia punned with a toothy smile, sharpening her claws. “Let’s give ‘em a zom-beatdown!”

Grimm’s scarlet eyes narrowed as he observed the incoming mob. “Witless slaves,” he remarked, his tone scathing. “I’ve seen their like before. Hollow vessels of infection…their kind are all of a piece.”

“We must avoid infection at all costs. I will cleanse the team with Angelic Wings regularly,” Sandalphon announced.

“They don’t look like much, but let’s not get cocky, y’all!” Goldlewis cautioned the team as he dropped his coffin. When the lid slid open, the UMA lifted a Skyfish minigun into his waiting hands. He lifted the mass of heavy metal into firing position with a no-nonsense look on his face. “Don’t run off and get yourself surrounded!” The next moment his words gave way to the uproarious report of his minigun as bullets ripped into the first wave of undead monsters.

With their backs against the wall and mobs trickling in from three out of the four sides, Seekers quickly and naturally formed a defensive line, centered around Sectonia. Her auto-targeted volleys of necrotic skulls and dark lightning could seek out and destroy anything that got too close, so long as her teammates thinned the numbers beforehand. The gunslingers and other mages entrenched themselves around her position to cover as many angles as possible. Edward’s three maglock cannons served as the backbone of the team’s artillery, their thunder as dependably regular as the beat of a wardrum, obliterating a whole gang of floodfested monsters every 1.67 seconds. Further forward stood the mobile perimeter of melee fighters, weapons at the ready to reap the undead legions like wheat at a harvest.

Having selected her gunstaff for its higher rate of fire, Sandalphon haunted the center of the Seekers’ formation. Through scanning the area she quickly detected a length of entangled nerve fibers, redundant organs, and thin sensory membranes stretched overhead, and once the archangel vaulted on top of that ganglion she could easily oversee the whole battlefield while still being in range for her skills. Blazermate might excel at sustaining one fighter at a time, after all, and others harbored their own methods of healing, but none could beat the party-wide recovery that Sandalphon offered. Fortunately the Seekers came out of the gate swinging, and since they seemed to be in control, Sandalphon could focus on offense. She took aim at larger targets yet to reach the front lines and opened fire, placing shot after well-aimed shot. When drawn to an infested charger, she noted the disfigured head of the plague’s humanoid host dangling beneath the front of the quadruped’s frame, but when she blasted it off with a bolt of ether the rest of the freakish thing didn’t even slow down. The sharpshooter curled her lip slightly and aimed next for center mass, which obliterated the charger in a burst of technocyte biotics. Lesson learned. Another one down, who knows how many more to go.

While Goldlewis knew he could throw down in the melee alongside Edelgard and Juri, he knew that this fight was just an appetizer and that the team had one hell of a main course ahead of them. He judged it better to not waste his energy on the small fry, or risk the natural ebb and flow of battle leaving him suddenly stranded in a sea of monsters. Instead he hung back at the midrange, his firepower strong but limited thanks to the rate at which the UMA’s Security Level replenished. Forced to be choosy, Goldlewis spent his resource on larger targets, mowing them down with a burst of gunfire from his Skyfish or an explosive Thunderbird drone. In this way he played much the same role as Rika; if any floodfested managed to get through the front lines, they’d have to get through one heavy metal gunner or another before reaching the team’s squishy core. He especially relished the sight of swollen, shambling carrier forms and diseased broodmothers which his bullets could pop like zits, prematurely releasing their stores of scuttling infection forms and purple-red maggots that could be mopped up by Sectonia’s magic or Junior’s paint. Still, he couldn’t get too excited. Every time Goldlewis spotted the distended, glassy-eyed head of a human or animal lolling above protruding crimson feelers, the chill down his spine reminded him why he was here.

Full of adrenaline after her brush with death, Nadia fought at the forefront beside the likes of Geralt and Roland on the front lines. As much as she would’ve liked to keep these pestilential peons at arm’s length, she was a hand-to-hand fighter through and through, so there was nothing for it but to trust in Sandalphon’s cleansing. While she couldn’t swing around a giant sword like Zenkichi to take out half a dozen floodfested at once, she could run circles around any that came her way. With fangs and claws bared, she took the fight to the first runner with a leaping overhead slash, then released a pressurized blood dropkick that blasted it away and herself backward. The bloody burst momentarily staggered a gang of combat forms, but a charge broke through and pounced as Nadia fell. She performed a handspring off the ground to avoid it, then launched her left forearm in midair to snatch the charger like a grappling hook. The next second she landed on the wretch with a Mantread-empowered stomp.

Without missing a bit, a combat form barreled forward to deliver a clothesline with its mutated arm, but Nadia popped off her head to duck underneath it. She whirled around and grabbed the freak by the arm as her head fell back into place, severed the limb with a vertical chop, then swung it with both hands like a baseball bat to send her attacker packing. That stunt earned her a wallop from the next combat form in line, but Nadia drew an Athame as she stumbled backward, then nailed the miscreant with a short-ranged dagger throw that lowered its defense. From there an El Gato axe kick cleaved it apart, and as its halves fell Nadia landed only to see a torso leap at her. She grabbed the crawler out of the air, her claws sunk into its head, stomped a nauseous crawler beneath her boot before it could spray, and then kicked the first into an incoming combat form. A many-legged carnis reared its ugly head too close for comfort, but as she blocked its snapping pincers her tail curled around the handle of her Athame, then hurled it into the beast’s torso. Nadia stepped forward, seized the dagger, and yanked it upward, causing the carnis to reel back just in time for the angry combat form to deck Nadia with a wild swing.

The feral fell back, laid out flat on her beck. In an instant the floodfested swarmed around her, but Nadia was nothing if not a quick thinker. She launched a Fiber Upper from her prone position to kick straight through the loathsome head of the carnis, then snap up to her hyper-extended legs and escape the mob. Turning upside-down as she fell, she pierced the ground with her hardened ear and rotated her body in a lethal Wheel of Fortune. As she picked up speed, her legs extended farther, creating a whirling zone of death. Her technique carved up floodfested for a whole three seconds before her legs hit the solid body of a hulking tank form.

“Uh oh.” The brute grabbed her by the legs, whipped her around, and slammed her down. She lay there, momentarily stunned, and the mob pushed forward with the tank at its head, only for three firebats to explode against its body in sequence. Nadia turned her head to see Grimm as the Troupe Master lifted up his cloak, then extended its ends into the ground. The next moment, spikes shot up beneath the floodfested, spearing the grunts and staggering the tank. “You make some good points!” With a grin she got to her feet, hurled her knife into the monster to cut down its defense, then revved up her arm. “You know the drill!” On a rocket of blood she shot the limb into the tank, which dug into its rotten flesh with gusto. As it did Grimm teleported into the air above and behind her target, then dove down with a corkscrew kick the other direction. After a messy second or two, both arm and Grimm burst through, and the tank slumped down while Grimm slid to a stop by Nadia. “Sick!” the feral smiled, lifting up her stump for a high five. When her ally stared at her quizzically, she launched muscle fibers from the end instead to retrieve her arm. More floodfested were already on the way, so bug and beast sharpened their claws together. “Alright, red eyes,” Nadia grinned, dousing the floor with Free Lemonade to rack up damage on all foes who got close. “Let’s slice ‘em up insections!”

For a time, the Seekers dominated the fight with relative ease, despite the number and variety of enemies. They wouldn’t have to worry about friendly fire as much if they’d set up on a hill, so the long-rangers could shoot over the heads of the melee attackers, but they racked up many kills nonetheless. As the seconds turned into minutes, though, purer Flood and older Infested started showing up, many with nasty surprises like transformation or debilitative auras, and the fodder appeared in much greater numbers. To Goldlewis, it didn’t seem like it’d be long before the floodfested were jostling for space, a shoulder-to-shoulder mosh pit crowded around his merry band. The turning point, however, came with the arrival of a large Abomination that remained at a distance. With flashes of its lambent yellow sacs and waves of its whiplike arms the specialist seemed to take control of the floodfested horde, turning their mindless onrush into a coordinated assault that intelligently targeted specific individuals. Packs began to circle around to flank the Seekers, while in the distance strange tissue masses the size of hot air balloons slowly drifted toward the Seekers’ position. At that, Goldlewis gritted his teeth. It would be bad enough if those things fell on them, but it was whatever they had inside their fleshy mouths that really worried him. “Hey, Sandalphon?” he called. “This ain’t gonna work for much longer. Tell me we got a way outta this doggone mess!”

“I believe so.” The archangel’s voice emanated from the sigils of everyone in her ‘circle’. “It’s taken me some time to map out what I can of the area, but on the basis that the Qliphoth is roughly analogous to an ordinary tree, I have identified a number of veins that appear to pump xylem up from the roots to the Qliphoth’s upper reaches.” Changing her aim, Sandalphon took a shot at one such vein on the periphery of the battlefield. Her ether bolt did enough damage to rupture the tunica layers and send xylem -which looked rather like blood- spilling out. “These veins are susceptible to forced entry. I recommend using the upward flow to quickly escape this battle and ascend the demon tree.”

Pulling his claws from the stinking corpse of a tar-mutalist moa, Grimm glanced at the nearest bloodstream. It snaked upward along the Qliphoth’s inner wall, sometimes dangling in the open air, until it disappeared into the ceiling. Where it ended was anyone’s guess, but it couldn’t be much worse than here. He turned to Nadia as she hurled a Boiler into a mob to explode amongst them, and the two shared a nod. They sprinted away from the horde toward a bloodstream atop a high ledge, where their agility would give them the edge against their pursuers–those that couldn’t fly, at least. After climbing and leaping most of the way with toxic Ospreys hot in their heels, they slashed open the giant vein, and Grimm dove inside. “Ugh!” Nadia groaned. “If this ruins my clothes, I’ll be seein’ red!” As poisonous payloads rained down around her, the feral climbed in.

Meanwhile, one of the floating Genetrix finally opened wide, discharging a swarm of floodfested to rain down on the Seekers’ formation. “I goddamn knew it!” Goldlewis swore as he turned tail and barreled toward a bloodstream by the entrance. Sandalphon quickly stood up as well. She’d been nigh untouchable atop her ganglion, with only the spines of ranged forms to worry about, but with enemies literally pouring down it was time to go. As the first few floodfested shredded themselves on the razor wire she’d set up around her vantage point, she floated down after Goldlewis with Heavensent. She fired down at the swarm in the air, using the recoil to speed up her flight. With the floodfested only a couple hundred feet behind them, the two reached the vein together, but since neither could deal slash damage, they had to improvise. Sandalphon froze the surface of the vein with Frost Lock, allowing Goldlewis to punch through with a shotgauntlet. Without a moment’s hesitation for the sake of her formal wear Sandalphon immersed herself, and Goldlewis squeezed in after not a moment too soon, and the tunica healed itself just in time to block the claws and fangs behind him. For a terrifying moment it felt like the big man might clog the Qliphoth’s artery, but the next second the pressure pushed him through, and the veteran soared skyward.

Borne by the bloodstreams like reverse waterslides, the team sped upward through the demon tree. The damage done to the bloodstreams weakened their flow, however, and it wasn’t long before the pressure diminished enough that the veins burst and the heroes popped out. Soaked in crimson xylem and desperate for a breath of fresh air, the Seekers found themselves either in cavelike hollows or atop large platforms suspended over open space, just large enough to serve as makeshift arenas. In addition to other veins leading even higher into the tree, these arenas tended to contain debris from the wreckage of Redgraccoon City, absorbed into the Qliphoth along with its populace, as well as floodfestation tumors. The Seekers would also find that the demon tree’s branching circulatory system had separated them in transit, meaning the allies that they’d ended up with might not be those who they fled alongside.

Sandalphon remained deadpan as blood dripped from her face and hair, then rose gingerly from the ground. She appeared to be in a Qliphoth hollow with a relatively low roof, cluttered with outcrops of the alien material either as stalactites and stalagmites, or joined in columns. Strangest of all was the abundance of mirrors, scattered and arranged throughout as if this section of the Qliphoth had consumed a carnival’s house of mirrors. “Hm.” It was quiet here, and other than a few boils she couldn’t see any sign of the floodfestation. She approached one of the mirrors, trying to salvage her hair, until a noise from behind her suggested that someone else had arrived. The shape that flopped out of the broken vein didn’t belong to Goldlewis, though. Evidently the team’s method of transit had separated and rejoined them at random, which reminded Sandalphon a lot of Arahabaki. “Hm.”

After confirming that her ally was alright, Sandalphon glanced back at the mirror. Her reflection had been replaced by a nightmarish monstrosity, an amalgamation of corpses tied together with barbed wire, cloaked in raven-black hair, and adorned with a giant buzz saw. Sandalphon’s brows rose as her pupils became dots. “Hm!” The horror’s many faces crowed hideously as it raised its saw. Sandalphon leaped backward, using Heavensent to gain ground, and threw a Frost Lock at the thing in the mirror. The icy cluster reflected off the surface and back at Sandalphon, freezing her solid as the Guardian smashed through the mirror. Laughing with many voices, the Guardian approached with its buzzsaw to finish Sandalphon off.

When Grimm slumped out of a bloodstream, even more scarlet than usual, he blinked his baleful eyes open to see a large, dark chamber half overgrown with floodfestation. Swollen pustules and weeping sores blinked down at him like abominable eyes, but Grimm’s own lingered on what lay in front of him. At least a hundred infected humans could be seen milling about the hollow aimlessly, but when the Troupe Master’s intruded, they took notice. And as they gave voice to their ire with a cacophony of grunts and groans, three disfigured, batlike horrors dropped down from the roof to hide among the crowd and perform their dirty deeds.

Blood was nothing new to Nadia, but usually she ended up covered in her own, not the demonic ichor of some godforsaken tree. Eventually the pressure pushing her upward through the Qliphoth’s veins subsided to the point where the catgirl was essentially stuck in place, but as luck would have it she could see flickering light through the somewhat translucent tunica. She slid the claw of her index finger through the meat and promptly fell through. She plopped down on solid ground in a shower of viscous xylem, coughing and sputtering. When she registered the heat on her face, however, she opened her eyes to see that she’d arrived in a hollow that appeared to be on fire. Its walls, covered in gnarled, twisted protrusions that might have been branches or bone, burned with furious vigor.

Nadia also noticed a huge creature in the center of the area, between her and a healthy bloodstream on the hollow’s opposite side, one clad in a dark leather suit and a cat-eared gas mask. Though human in shape, she splayed herself out on all fours like a beast, with veins, eyes, tails, and claws that blazed like molten lava. Nadia grinned at her. “Wow, never thought I’d run into a fellow feral here,” she drawled, her hands on her hips. “You cause this little in-fur-no? Y’know, our team could use a little firepower. Whaddya say we hightail it together?” Instead the Successor of the Claw rose with a menacing snarl and the hiss of flame. Nadia assumed her fighting stance, bouncing back and forth. “Fine then. I don’t mind a little fire in my kit!”

Meanwhile, Goldlewis wound up in a completely different style of hollow. Once his bloodstream couldn’t push him up any farther, he fought to tear his way out. It took some doing, but after a few moments he flopped down onto the floor, where he laid for a few seconds on his back, chest heaving. He scarcely registered the bloodstream spitting his coffin out behind him, but as he took stock of his situation it slowly sank in just how weird this was. He seemed to be in a basement, with two halls leading out of the small room he’d emerged into. Crumbled sections of wall revealed alien flora poking through, so he reasoned that this whole building must’ve been swallowed up by the Qliphoth at some point. However, he could not explain the safe that lay on the ground beside him, wrapped in barbed wire. As Goldlewis composed himself and got off the ground, another safe down the hall did as well, until the veteran stood opposite a huge, blood-spattered killer as tall as he was, a barbed sack in one hand and a mallet in the other. The Keeper beat his hammer against the safe on his head and strode forward, foregoing the typical song and dance. Goldlewis thought it only right to hoist his coffin and do the same.

Umbra Rose Condos

Classes let out late, as usual, but that wasn’t the reason for the knot in Khalid’s stomach as he made his way through the city back to his place of residence. Many people dreaded school, university in particular, as well as the accompanying studies, but not him. Everyone wanted -if not needed- something to occupy their day to day existence, particularly when not engaged in the routine of actual occupation. For many that took the form of entertainment, something sufficiently diverting to ease the tedium of existence, but for Khalid learning was fun. His occult and cryptozoological research engaged him deeply, allowing him to lose himself in the works of history’s unsung scholars. Hours could fly by in the blink of an eye as he filled his mind with arcane knowledge, high on the quivers of distant, muted horror that so often accompanied peeks into the untold beyond. That was the meaning of erudition: to covet secrets known to very few, even if they be so horrible that one could scarcely sleep at night, and keep alive the truths shunned by the ignorant masses since the days when the world was new. Truly, Khalid could never thank Dr. Muñoz enough for the privilege of access to this hidden world once more, especially after the gruesome death of his grandfather all those years ago (and the diaspora of the Alhazred clan that followed) seemed to close that door for good.

Khalid’s erudition was, however, part of the problem, as much as it pained him to admit it. The fact of the matter was that, no matter how much he longed for something more, he lived his life in a mundane, material world. He’d honed a very particular set of skills, and there were simply not that many career opportunities for someone in his chosen field. He’d needed to get very creative to find a way to make money off his efforts, but as his work with the Crow demonstrated, creativity and financial success didn’t always go hand in hand. Khalid could make it if he became a best-selling author, a famous horror flick writer, or a renowned video game creature designer, but that kind of success demanded everything he lacked: money, connections, time, and luck. Talent as well, if he was being realistic. Of course, that was all immaterial to what he really wanted: to fully immerse himself in that hidden world. With his skills he knew he could be a hunter, but the uncannily consistent deaths of his predecessors made Khalid leery of such dangerous work. Instead he’d prefer to enlist as some secret society’s field agent, venturing forth on expeditions into the world’s untouched recesses to verify for himself the allegations of the Pnakotic Manuscripts, the Eltdown Shards, and the Confessions of Clithanus.

Without a job in the meantime, though, he’d starve to death well before such dreams could become reality. All day he’d kept his phone within arm’s reach, waiting for a call, a text, or even an email from an unknown sender interested in Al-Azif Shoggoth Therapy. Unfortunately, his phone had remained disquietingly silent. Not one alert had cropped up since that morning. Part of him reasoned that it was simply too soon and not enough Umbra Rose residents had received the news just yet, but part of him fretted that the whole endeavor had been a waste of time from the very beginning. After all, even if he somehow attracted a monstrous client, who knew if he could play the part of a fledgeling therapist well enough to keep them coming back for more? Or if the results of such sessions would even be usable? Maybe it would be better to fail at step one, rather than get all the way to the home stretch before falling short. Admit failure, and try something else. Too much longer on this therapy angle and he’d be vulnerable to the sunk-cost fallacy, after all.

As he turned the corner toward the Condos, Khalid sighed. Al-Azif was the original name of the Necronomicon, authored by Khalid’s very own ancestor all those years ago. Meaning ‘the truth’, it represented not just the true nature of the world, but the core concept of therapy itself, which was ironic given Shoggoth Therapy’s true purpose, and indeed, Khalid’s presence in the condos at all. But he was genuinely interested in the stories of the monsters who lived there, and given the chance he would much rather have them talk through their problems than bottle them up inside. Just from what he’d observed so far, many monsters there were more like people than horrors, and all people deserved a chance at happiness.

That thought made Khalid snicker as he paused at the threshold. Happiness…was that really what awaited him at the end of this journey? It had been a stranger to him on the road he’d traveled so far. Well, no matter. One could hardly relate to another’s suffering if one hadn’t suffered oneself. What is art, after all, but a protest against the horrible inclemency of life? If Khalid did a good job as a therapist, the stories of his monstrous clients would surely be worthwhile. He could only hold onto his mantra: ‘the truth is stranger than fiction’. Even if he’d tangled himself in one hell of a web of lies, his convictions were the crucial grain of truth. Khalid took a deep breath, steeled himself, and pushed forward through the magical wards into Umbra Rose Condos.

Once inside, Khalid let out his breath, and released his grip on his talisman. “Never gets easier,” he muttered. For the second time that day he found himself in the complex’s front lobby, though at this hour it was not the gorgon on duty, but the minotaur Dimitrios. Khalid gave him a stiff nod, on the off chance that the big guy glanced his way. From there he made a beeline through the complex toward his room. After dropping off his things, harvesting some ingredients to mix up some fresh serum, and dosing Horace, he could grab a much-needed meal. He almost always showed up to the cafeteria starving, since given his very tight budget, Khalid typically skipped lunch to make the most out of his free breakfast and dinner. He usually ate in uneventful isolation in Building 3, since the few residents there brave or sedated enough to show their faces in public never spoke up or asked questions, but today Khalid reconsidered his routine. It might help his image and overall discoverability if he patronized the restaurant in Building 1 instead. As much as his introverted side loathed that idea, Khalid could swallow his misgivings and make an effort for the sake of his gambit’s success. It was time to put himself out there.

Half an hour after his return to the complex, the seldom-seen eruditionist strode into Cafeteria 1. It had been open for a while now, so hopefully there would not be a line. Once he received two meals, one for himself and one for Horace, Khalid would find an empty table or booth if one remained, and from there he could wait and see if anyone came to him. It went without saying that nobody would invite him over, after all. The real problem would be if no tables were empty, and eating here meant inviting himself to one taken by someone else. At that point, logic dictated would simply have to call it quits and scuttle back to Building 3 with his tail between his legs.

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Lewa

Although the situation looked dodgy at the beginning, Lewa knew he could count upon his new allies. Their sheer power quickly turned the tables on those who'd ambushed them. More worrisome was the elusive threat that had crept up from the shadows behind them, unbeknownst to Lewa. Thanks to an unexpected alert from the young fae, though, Anne managed to foil what might have otherwise been an assassination and fend off the other half of the underground pincer maneuver. Once the situation stabilized, with Lewa's summoned winds helping to defend the otherworlders' position and give them some space against their foes, the team's heavy hitters could start going to town.

Unfortunately, the berserker Fran quickly went overboard. Her terrifying, bestial strength proved not just enough to put down the stubborn minotaurs for good, but also to crack and crumble the cavern walls. As the rock's structural integrity plummeted hit by withering hit, the whole area began to shake. The immeasurable weight of earth and stone bore down on the hollow from above, giving forth guttural noises like the creaks of a settling house, but far deeper, louder, and more alarming. Bursts of silicate powder streamed down from the ceiling, soon followed by gravel, pebbles, and fragments of increasingly greater size. Being farther removed from the frontlines of the fight than the others, Lewa balked as he noticed the destruction. Fran had definitively dealt with one problem, but in so doing she'd replaced it with a much bigger one. The cavern was about to collapse.

A choice lay before him: fall back, push further in, or be crushed where he stood. The toa made that choice in an instant--being trapped in this bizarre world was intolerable enough, so he wasn't about to be trapped in some cramped, dingy cave underground. Tunnels were Onua's domain, not his! As for whatever mystery lay at the bottom of this pitch-black underworld, he could care less. Of course, there could very well be an alternative exit farther along, but nothing was certain, except that Lewa needed to be free.

"Everyone!" He shouted, his fear audible in his voice. "Back out the way we came. Hurry!" This time, Lewa couldn't afford to wait to make sure that everyone stood united. He was not the leader here; the others could heed him if they wished or delve deeper into this deathtrap if they so desired. The spirit of air had made his choice clear, so he considered his duty done.

He turned back toward the meandering passage to the shop and broke into a run, his axe held aloft and whirled around to create a spiral wind overhead. That wall of air would shield him -and anyone who fled alongside him- from smaller debris, but it would prove ineffective against bigger, heavier stones. If Anne did not take the initiative to put her incredible speed to use one way or another, Lewa's path would take him right past her, giving her and her young companion the perfect opportunity to join the toa's hasty retreat.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Dead Zone - Weeping Wastes

Lvl 14 Ms Fortune (108/140) Lvl 9 Goldlewis (61/90) Lvl 7 Sandalphon (36/70) Lvl 3 Grimm (19/30)
Midna, Junior, Rika & Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate, Sectonia & Roland’s @Archmage MC Geralt, Zenkichi & Edelgard’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet, Pit, Primrose & Therion’s @Yankee Juri’s @Zoey Boey Roxas, Ganondorf, & Captain Falcon’s @Double Venom Snake’s @DisturbedSpec the Witch’s @Drifting Pollen
Word Count: 3166

After witnessing the horrors of war firsthand, and experiencing all that life had to throw at him, Goldlewis Dickinson was not easily frightened. And yet, as he lay half-immersed in eldritch tar and dragged by the legs in the deathgrip of a half-dozen ghouls, the veteran found himself grasped by terror as well. He’d fought heroically against those ink-black cadavers as they welled up from the stygian netherworld below, pitting every ounce of his prodigious strength against them for the sake of everyone’s lives, but by now the veteran knew a losing battle when he saw one. The nightmares snatched and pulled at his limbs and clothes as if desperate to claw themselves back from the afterlife, weighing the man’s massive frame down in the muck, and the pit was loath to give back even one inch that it had taken. Goldlewis grit his teeth, and BB Luigi wept, as his slog grew slower and slower, until finally he’d fallen over backward and could struggle no more.

Then he was whisked away. Violently tugged, yanked, and jolted from side to side as he slid through what had once been solid ground. The filth that coated his clothes spattered his face and glasses, like it wasn’t hard enough to see already. In an instant he’d been removed from the SFE’s safe zone, only moments before the sophisticated device smashed against the earth, and only his personal shield sheltered him from the timefall. What terrified Goldlewis most of all, though, was his own helplessness–that no matter how much experience or strength he achieved, it could all be for naught in the face of some unknown adversary. Right now he could do nothing but cry out in despair, joining the infant strapped to his chest in despondent chorus, but Goldlewis fought back his instincts and kept calm. If the BTs had him at their mercy, but he wasn’t dead, this clearly wasn’t over just yet. Something else must have to happen first, which meant that he and the others had another chance. With that thought in mind, Goldlewis did not struggle in vain, but instead conserved his strength.

After a few moments, his wild ride came to an end. From the rippling expanse of tar that now blanketed the earth, the true threat emerged in all its loathsome glory. When it roared, rapid flashes of brilliant white light spilled out from the rift in its chiralium death mask, their unnatural radiance filtered through the pouring rain. Was that the antimatter that would spell out the heroes’ annihilation, encapsulated in that leonine body? Neither Goldlewis nor his allies intended to find out. The moment they gained their freedom, whether before or after being dragged through the tar, the Seekers took action. Some followed in Grimm’s footsteps and took off in a mad dash for the Qliphoth, while others rounded on the Catcher in an attempt to fight it. Most importantly, though, Zenkichi cast his speed-enhancing Sukukaja spell, which Primrose then spread to everyone else with Sealticge’s Seduction. That one tactic turned what would’ve otherwise seemed like an unwinnable scenario on its head, giving everyone the agility necessary to fight and run for their lives.

Not everyone intended to run, though. As she stood up from the tar, Sandalphon narrowed her eyes at the Catcher. Down in the ravine, and indeed throughout the trip so far, her fledgeling heart had been dominated by fear. That fear could not be quelled completely, but after the incident with the Hell Razer another feeling had been ignited. She felt angry, a little at Zenkichi for not trusting her, but mostly at herself for her weakness. Her very rough treatment at the hands of the BTs after they finally caught her only exacerbated her anger, and now, in a state of tranquil fury, the archangel would not hesitate. Blue mana surrounded her, carving geometric furrows through the tar at her feet. “I refuse to be a liability,” she pronounced. The next second she vanished, replaced by a column of blue light they shot up through the rainstorm and faded among the clouds. Sandalphon had returned to the Avenger.

By the time Goldlewis got up, coffin at the ready, he could see that no weapon or power seemed to be affecting the Catcher. It simply ignored everything thrown its way in order to hunt whatever it pleased, which made distracting it a risky proposition. His allies would need to present themselves as prey, then avoid its vicious savagery as long as possible until someone else happened to catch his attention. Goldlewis did not like his odds, so he turned to make a break for it. Of course, even with his speed boosted he knew he’d be likely to lag behind. When the veteran spotted a white whale in the sea of pitch, and heard Junior’s invitation amidst the cacophonous downpour, he barreled that way.

Between the Seekers and the Qliphoth, a miniature city block seemed to be taking shape. Structures from Redgraccoon City, leveled by the voidout, were rising from the tar like long-dead fossils. Though intimidating at first glance, this was good, actually. If it had been a straight shot through this sticky bog, it might be impossible to escape the massive Catcher even with Sukukaja. Those buildings could break line of sight and provide shelter. Still, the knowledge that just one person’s death could end them all made the veteran’s heart pound. He boarded the white whale, hoisted his coffin onto his shoulder, and cracked the lid. Alien technology flared to life, and a towering energy shield of tessellated hexagons. Laid flat, it provided a much larger canopy than Junior’s iron umbrella, so the kids could focus on other things. With most of the others on their way already, those on the whale couldn’t wait any longer. “Let’s move!”

Compared to Goldlewis, Nadia kept a much less level head. Right on the cusp of escaping the tar pool, a BT had managed to snag her foot and yank it clean off. “Dammit, dammit!” Not thinking straight, she only limped another step or two farther through the quagmire before more of the specters glommed on, pulling her apart pieces by piece. By the time Nadia finally capitulated, only her head and one arm remained attached to her upper torso, and the feral knew she wasn’t getting anywhere like that. One terrifying tar trip later, her pieces were dumped in the sludge only a few dozen feet away from where the Catcher burst forth.

“...Tar-riffic.” Nadia reassembled herself as fast as physically possible, joining her segments together with spools of stretched-out muscle fiber, then took off running while some allies tried to keep the Catcher busy. With her natural agility she knew that she’d probably be a good candidate for distraction, but right now Nadia couldn’t think far beyond herself, and the catgirl had plenty to worry about. She quickly found out that her usual method of running on all fours would only get her stuck twice as often, so the feral elected to flee bipedally. Knowing that she’d be screwed if another stuck limb came off instead of out, she leaped at her first chance to scramble up one of the destroyed city buildings, not bothering to question how such a thing came to be. After another moment she stood atop the tilted tower, where she took a second to catch her breath. The chill of the deluge on her raincoat helped to clear her head as much as wash off mud, but she knew by the flickering of her bubble shield that she couldn’t breathe easy.

In that moment, though, she spotted Ace on a nearby building. Nadia couldn’t tell if he’d seen her as well, and she couldn’t waste time getting his attention, but it heartened her to know that he’d made it this far too. It even looked like he was in a place to help others, which was very like him. She just hoped that he’d remember to save himself. As for her, she had places to be. At the sound of an otherworldly roar, she looked back to see the Catcher split open its face and unleash a glittering gold-black laser. It raked across the landscape, convincing the last few brave souls on decoy duty to flee. Now the chase was really on.

As Rika’s white whale swam around the base of the feral’s perch, speeding its passengers toward safety, Nadia remembered that she had a helper or two of her own. She took a deep breath and willed the Harbor Water Demon into existence. The enormous Abyssal woman appeared without her ordnance platform, knelt upon the roof of the building. Instantly her weight began to tilt the structure even farther forward, but before it could fall the striker balled Nadia up in her giant mitts and hurled the feral like a fastball. “NYAAAAAAAAAAAGH!” Much to her chagrin, unfortunately, the Harbor Demon did not have a good throwing arm. Nadia plopped down only about halfway through the tarry maze, and after extracting herself from the mire she clambered onto a half-submerged bus. From there she could climb, jump, and Charge her way between the buildings as they rose and fell, staying out of the gunk and ahead of the Catcher.

Still, the Seekers’ pursuer was relentless. Nadia lost time as she parkoured around, taking shelter where she could to recharge her shield, and she could feel the horror at her back. “For a fellow cat, you’re really doggin’ my heels,” she hissed. That was when she saw it: a building dead ahead that seemed hauntingly familiar, its formidable facade embellished with an acronym that Nadia wouldn’t soon forget. “No way,” she muttered, her eyes widening. It looked just like that police station–the one where she’d been trapped for half a week along with a handful of survivors, where she first happened to meet the Seekers. It had been annihilated like the rest of that diseased city, and yet here it was. While she didn’t exactly feel nostalgic for such an awful place, the sight of it gave her an idea. That Catcher could climb up and jump between buildings as well as she could, but could it navigate the station’s interior? Its layout had been burned into her memory, so she could use it as a shortcut to the Qliphoth, hidden from the Catcher’s gaze. With her shield generator low and only her coat between her and the timefall, Nadia couldn’t be choosy. She blitzed through the rain with Charge and charged inside.

Without having to worry about the timefall or the BT, Nadia made quick progress. At least, until the entire police station began to sink. She only realized when tar began to seep through the cracks in the floor, quickly covering it. All the relief that the feral felt quickly turned to panic as she realized that the ceiling was descending toward her. Based on her mental map, if she took the winding back hall, she’d be crushed well before reaching an exit. Changing plans, she raced up the lobby stairs three at a time, barely one step ahead of the rising tide. Upon reaching the top she took off at a dead sprint, her hood falling back as she rushed forward. Not a moment too late she threw herself through the rear windows and into the downpour. The sensation of raindrops on her ears and hair prompted her to reach back and pull her hood up, her heart pounding as she worried about how much damage had been done. At the sound of the Catcher’s roar, however, she forgot all about her appearance and took off running. The ground beneath her feet felt firmer now, and the Qliphoth loomed before her.

Meanwhile, the crew of the white whale had a couple close calls. They proved to be a tempting target for the Catcher, especially with its ability to dive into and re-emerge from the tar below, but thanks to its abilities Rika’s summon was in its element. Goldlewis kept them dry, pivoting his shield backward when necessary to defend against a chiral laser, as the cetacean slid through tarry makeshift streets. Once a convenience store rose directly beneath them, but under Rika’s guidance the whale ramped off the roof and splashed back down, its crew excited but none the worse for wear. All around, the other Seekers pushed forward as well. With all the adrenaline in play it felt like ages before the Catcher finally started to lose interest. As its prey gained ground, nearing the Qliphoth, the masked monstrosity made one final pass. It burst through the wall of a highrise overlooking the home stretch with a thunderous crash and hurtled down toward the white whale.

Goldlewis, who’d just been thinking that things had gotten a little two quiet, acted fast. “UMA!” He slammed the side of his coffin, and the Wall of Light went down. From within the cosmic blue arms of the cryptid reached out to grab hold of Rika and Junior. “Hold on, kids! HrrrrrrrAH!” With a mighty heave he hurled his coffin at the Qliphoth, taking both Junior and Rika with it. As they sailed away, the Catcher slammed down atop the whale in an explosion of stony dust and tar.

Nadia, who’d only just slid to a stop by the Qliphoth herself, stared with mouth agape. “Goldlewis!?”

From the cloud of debris, the Secretary of Absolute Defense appeared, flying with the aid of his ’Mothman’ airborne railcannon. With the help of its propulsion Goldlewis soared the last few hundred feet. The thrust ran out as he drew near, and he landed heavily among the rest of the Seekers. Thanks to his Wall of Light, his bubble shield had evidently recharged to full, allowing him to weather the timefall. After a moment, he let his breath out, doubling over from the stress. “Haaaaaah. Whoo-wie, that…was a close one, heh.”

While that wasn’t at all funny, Nadia couldn’t help but laugh, and the tension was broken. Her calico hair had gotten a little whiter, and her ears looked a little gray, but her own exposure hadn’t been too bad. When she looked around, she found only more good news. “We all seriously made it? Hell yeah! We qli-fought the good fight, eh?”

Among all her listeners, Grimm was perhaps the least amused. The Troupe Master had made it here in one piece, with no sign of aging, though at some point he’d lost his coat. Right now, his scarlet eyes peered the direction Goldlewis came from. After the dust settled, he could see no sign of the Catcher, and with its departure the rain seemed a little less heavy, somehow. Those strange buildings had all receded, and the tar drained away into the earth. Once more he could see nothing but a rain-soaked waste. Hopefully none of them would need to worry about going back the way they came.

Just then, a blur pillar of light announced the return of Sandalphon. During the others’ chase sequence she’d apparently found time to send her mud-covered clothes into the Avenger’s washroom, as now she wore her black slacks and blue two-piece collared shirt. Her silhouette seemed strange without her white coat. With a quick look around she confirmed that everyone was present, though it stood to reason that if anyone hadn’t made it, there wouldn’t be anyone left to warp in on. “Well done, everyone,” she told them, focusing only on results. “Now that we’re here, we need only make an entrance.”

She turned toward the Qliphoth’s exterior, scanning for superficial weaknesses. It seemed that the demon tree managed to sustain itself despite the timefall by continuously regenerating layers of tissue to replace the flesh that aged and sloughed off, accomplished via the reabsorption of that decaying matter. If the team stood here for much longer, falling slabs of rotten Qliphoth flesh could very well become a problem. Then again, they wouldn’t be here for long. Sandalphon spun up her gunstaff and opened fire on a weak spot, prompting the others to join in. She hoped that going to town on the Qliphoth’s exterior to break in would provide the others, especially those foul of temper, with some form of catharsis. It sure did for Nadia, who gleefully sharpened her claws and went to town, followed by Grimm in kind. Even Goldlewis joined in, taking up his railcannon to fire off a laser that did heavy damage to the trunk at the cost of the cannon itself. Before long, the Seekers had their way in.

Few could have anticipated what awaited them inside. Within the Qliphoth lay a bizarre environment. It was like nothing Sandalphon had ever seen, but she could tell at a glance that something was very wrong. In its natural state, as quaint a term as that might be, the interior resembled a cross between a tower and an anthill, with both vast atriums and intricate cave systems of pink, black, and red, unmistakably organic and internally inconsistent, but governed by some sort of evolutionary logic that lent its natural lattices and ribcage-like walkways some semblance of alien beauty. It was still stolen blood that pulsed through its veins, some of them big enough to fit a person inside, but the problems went much deeper than the Qliphoth’s purpose. Sandalphon could see some sort of fleshy blight parasitizing the demon tree, in some areas so widespread that entire areas of the Qliphoth had been completed consumed. Like a body fighting back against a virulent disease, this place was a volatile war zone, and where the lines were drawn and the distinction between host and invader became meaningless, the terrain looked the strangest of all.

Given their mission, everyone was on high alert for any sign of the Guardian, but that was not what they encountered first. Instead, the Seekers’ intrusion stirred the Qliphoth’s vile denizens into action. Just as with Redgraccoon City itself prior to the voidout, this place was home to countless Empusa, the twisted insectoid worker bugs of the demon tree. This time they had staunch competition, however, in the form of cadaverous horrors and infested nightmares, many of which seemed to be freakishly mutated humans, animals, or demons themselves, and the parasites seemed to be winning. As soon as the first few wretched sentinels got the scent of fresh meat, the minions of the Floodfestation began to pour in.