Complete 18+ Main Story (Red Fever) The Aftermath

[Hanno Futaba]

With the fighting reaching its climax, it reached a point the creature was ready to do its last move. Hanno watched its intent, with his guardian senses triggering a dangerous response in his chest, making him feel unsettled for a moment as he glared up to the creature. The magic pulsating inside of it, the power increasing more and more in its depths.

Something was wrong, and as soon as Childress' call came forth, he turned to look at his friends, yelling:

"Whatever it is doing it is bad news, RETREAT!" He warned, making his wings merge and flutter, surrounding @Corsair, @Cleo Looker and @Laylabelle with a golden divine force field once again, hoping to buy them some time if they weren't fast enough. If his tired and spiritbound friend needed, he would take her to help her to speed their way out of the danger, or if she preferred to run on her own feet she could take as much spirit energy as she needed.

After powerful burst of energy coming from the matron, Ghast opened its tentacles, widening her form to protect her wielder from the shockwave, that he somehow managed to brace himself against it.

Looking behind his back, his emerald green eyes were shown, contrasting with the eerie and warm color from the explosion. He stood there a moment, mesmerized with his magical sight flickering at how intense it was, soon squeezing his eyes and shaking his head at the ringing in his ear as he nudged anyone that could be standing nearby to keep moving.

Whenever they reached a safer spot, he would sigh and look at them. "I... I think we won? Or something... For Rhiannon, it has been years since I ran that much-" He gasped for air, letting out a quiet chuckle of relief. At least his friends were alive. "... Going to the camp sounds like a good idea now-" He muttered, breathing quietly.

"I think I'm down for some meat broth now... So let's go home? Wherever it may be." Hanno said, looking at the group, and then at Laylabelle, making the same question between their souls that were momentarily connected thanks to her magic.

After all, he didn't know if she could hear him.

His attention then shifted to his UI, clicking it open and seeing the expected online name with a smile.

Hanno Futaba - @Harveste

"Hey Luna, I see you are still online! I'm glad you are fine... Do you think we can meet up? I'll be cooking some stuff in the camp for us."

Rolls

Save
1d100 (91) + 70 = 161
Fortitude | Hanno Futaba | 862

Also a flavor Ultra Protect.

 

[Harveste]

Her head felt like it was splitting open, but she could still hear fairly normal. Thank god this wasn't the real world, where an explosion of that caliber would have popped her already fragile eardrums! She let out her mana mantle, a pair of small fairy-like wings, and began to climb out of the crater. As she got towards the top, a message caught her attention- but she waited to read it until she was out safely.

Reading it, she turned and yelled to the last area she'd seen @Zelrius. "I owe you a drink next time, Zel! Remind me, okay?!" After yelling to him at the top of her lungs, she turned towards camp, typing up a response to the message she'd received with a warm smile.

Harveste - @Hanno Futaba

Sounds tasty already. I look forward to it! Save some for me, okay? It's a promise!

With a skip in her step, she ran ahead towards the campgrounds with a few other support team members. She had to fight the urge to drool, her stomach growling. A laugh escaped her. She'd (barely) survived... And she had to remember to thank the healer that had her back later. For now, it was time to eat!

Rolls

Save
1d100 (55) + 25 = 80
Fortitude | Harveste | 862

 

[Bluebird]

Bluebird flies as far from the explosion as she can, but she can't escape the deafening wave that takes her hearing from her. She has to fall, then - without her hearing, her song drifts out of tune, and her mantle of magic fades.

No one is there to catch her when she falls.

She lands roughly, claws sinking into the thick mud, but she does not fall. She looks up to the place where the monstrous insect once was, but is no longer. She hopes those of the Explorers that were living managed to escape - she hopes that those who had died will soon awaken, and they can meet again.

But their fight is done, and the relief she feels is an overwhelming wave, fatigue nearly causing her to collapse on the spot. It's only the quick action of another nearby that keeps her from sinking into the mud entirely. She can't hear what they're saying, but she nods all the same, and in response she's lifted up into their arms.

"A-ah. The hat...! Is it..." Bluebird flicks a headwing, but she can still feel the cloth there, firmly attached. She will have to return it to @Cain Darlite, soon. When they all reunite once more, after they leave this dark and muddy place...

And yet, as she's carried towards the camp, she catches the all too familiar shock of red hair of a retreating @Crimson Ruby. She's too tired to wonder where she's going.

Sleep claims her soon after.

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

.

By the time she had reached the floor once again with her last ditch effort to strike the orb, the moment she sat foot on the accursed ground is when everything turned for the worst and for once she hoped this wouldn't be another fight- Just her luck, because that's exactly what it seemed to be: The matron didn't give up even after their combined efforts, and prepared itself to make a last stand against them all. Things looked grim, very grim.

Until one of the NPCs begun to yell and signal everyone to get away from the glowing, demonic giant bug, and everything clicked. This wasn't a second phase, but it's last ditch effort for an attack, but as her mind rushed to get a grasp of the situation and prepare herself for the unknown that would be this monstrosity's power, the world turned white and everything around it rang like the loudest most gigantic bell in the world, oversaturated and high-pitched, all next to her ear. It took her long to get up, even longer to get back to her senses as the world just span in circles, but when she did, there were few things to take on aside of the ones who retired themselves from the battle.

For one, there was @Toko on the ground, instincts told her to go and help her get back on her feet yet another person seemed to be already on the job, only they were doing pretty fucking poorly at it. His lips moved, and yet she couldn't understand half of what he was saying, and even when her hearing returned, all of what he started to talk about felt more like a dialogue for himself. Like no one else but he should hear these words, and yet they were outloud. In the open. For anyone to hear, and that unfortunately meant herself.

Fiora didn't know how to say what she wanted to express to @Jin , and so she clasped her hands together, the clap willing to catch his attention or at least she hoped it would snap him out of his trance.

"Bro, stop skipping on your medication, it's fucking you up so bad I'm concerned even. I bet you dress exactly like this outside of the game and wear some goddamn Vanz to match the showerless look and your therapist just handed you the money back after one session." Yet her voice couldn't sound as condescending as usual, not when she's still catching her breathe and the remnants of the bug still are scattered around, giving form to that last image of the mutating matron, like body horror given life once again.

"I can't believe this guy's got a job and I don't..." She muttered to herself, a long sigh granting her a third wind (second? fourth? She forgot by now) to give herself some space and well deserved silence to make her exit back to where many headed themselves over, and the most logical area to gravitate towards: the campment.

 

[Nai]

She did not blow the whistle.

She was not there for sentiment.

…

A scorching light, and then ten minutes of darkness to make up for it. Aurora logged out, sipped some tea, and leaned against the window, watching the lights of the city shut off one by one as day broke. Shayna. A poor fragment of a clue, but she did not shy from her commitments. If the dead could no longer speak, investigators would do it for them.

Not work. Just practice. She was already on a net positive considering all that she had learned about Terrasphere. Even if it was a waste, it was just killing time. So this was all justified.

She smiled. Allowed ten minutes to zonelessly pass. And slipped on her headset once more, delving into a world many times worse than her own.

…

Nai sat up upon the cold stone of an altar. No pain, nor any ringing. Nothing missing, and her clothing fully intact. Hair? Immaculate. But her emotions…disturbed again. Something had changed alongside her first death. An affliction then. She had read about this too. Disturbed, but not unbearable. And more importantly, she had done it.

The woman opened the palm of her hand and revealed strands of silver-blue hair. @Shane's. Torn out from the scalp of a mutating meatball of a former-human, in the moments after @Bonnie Bonbon knocked her aside to begin her soliloquy. Tangible evidence still. Bodies turned to ash, but items became immune with ownership. Perhaps it would have been better to tear off an ear or cut off a finger, take the parts of the body that had unique identification, but this would do.

She turned. Ten minutes. They had died simultaneously, so they would arrive simultaneously too.

“Bonnie,” Nai spoke, sliding off the altar. “Bring this to their funeral. Better than an empty grave.” Better that something remained, minuscule as it was.

 

[Seigi Ling Ling]

"..."

As the heat of the battle died down, silence followed even for those whose eardrums were still intact. A stinging pinch of normalcy slowly settled. It felt so wrong. They won. All together. There was a reason for celebration. And while some cheered, Seigi did not.

As her little heart calmed down more and more from the delivery of their attack and the following finale which was a mere teaser for what the future held in store, she found herself plagued. They just never stopped, did they?

Well well, Hero. How many more does that add to your death count? The people you couldn't save? Are you sure you're not just a glorified killer? You're lacking strength. Yet, if only you'd accept me... us. You've seen HIM,(@Haru) and what he can do. You've seen US...
Bwhahahaha! JUST ADMIT IT. We're in it, to win it, baby! Who gives a shit bout those crying and dying losers? Just remember! The heat of the battle, the despair of many, the light that fades when they lose all hope! And then, suddenly BAM, sweet sweet VICTORY! Hhnnnngggg, pure emotion— AND! Yesyes! My goodness. MY GOODNESS, HAVE YOU SEEN THAT EXPLOSION IN THE END? IT WAS LIKE. KABOOOOOSSSHHHH. EPIC! Aren't we like, jelly to not go out like that? HMMM?
We're right, you know... it'd be easier to just...

"Shut up. I'm well aware of this..." She murmured to herself, clenching her fist as she continued to stand there in semi-silence. "But..." Closing her eyes for a moment, she remembered. Minutes ago. She felt just like five years back.

"SHUT UP!" She spoke again, this time with a bit more gusto and her eyes slowly regaining some form of willpower. "I've used to think the Road of a Hero is lonely. And I also used to think it was full of companionship. But it's not one or the other..." She hesitated for a moment. "And while it may be a bittersweet victory, it is a victory nonetheless. The WORST I can do, WE can do; is mop around in despair about those we've lost in battle." Seigi shook her head. "Instead. We carry on, get stronger, and do better. For a brighter tomorrow. Because what being a Hero is about is being a ray of hope for those who can not even in the darkest times. To never give in, and walk the path, as bloody as it may get. Because one day, the bleeding will stop... and everybody can smile." With this monologue to pretty much herself only, Seigi moved forward as she put her fist up in the air.

"WOOOOOOHHHHHH! WE DID IT!" Maybe some thought of it as distasteful, but she'd gladly give em an earful...

Indeed, she had no time to mop around! There was just, so much to do! Give those badly hurt some immediate aid. Scoop up some fleshy remains of the enemy to turn them into jerky. And so on. And also find @Cain Darlite somewhere! Because later, Seigi knew she would just second doubt herself once more.

 

[Lune]

The battle went on and on and the swarm felt endless before the great insect finally fell. The relief was short-lived as the thing rose back, now puppeteered as a gigantic matron from hell. Then came the warning before the massive explosion. Moonsong was able to get clear of the danger zone, but the blast was so massive it sent her flying a remarkable distance away from the battlefield.

Thick dust and smoke were covering the whole zone, with the silence that followed. Did they win? She can barely walk, slowly moving towards silhouettes of men. Ears ringing, she found the Kurungaar Mother was no more, consumed by the massive detonation. But what caused the burst of that magnitude?

Ears ringing, she stumbled upon @Zelrius, probably as confused as she was. Raising his hand, he shouted whatever thing that she couldn't hear well due to the ringing in her ears. Probably declaring the triumph against such a formidable foe. Moonsong shook her head, smiling. "Told ya we'll get through this." She raised her fist. After looking at the sun rising at the horizon, she motioned. "Help me walk. Let's get back to the camp."

---

Dayeon would wake up as the light of the morning sun pierced the window blinds. Looking at the blinking VR headset, the corner of her lips formed a small smile. Maybe that other world is more interesting than she thought.

 

[Creature]

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

He… Survived? Sure he'd been a little banged up, but indeed, Creature was still breathing. The morning light shone upon his face forcing him to twitch back to life. The fight was over and the raid team was victorious. It took a moment for the man to process what was going on. Last thing he remembered was going all out on the monstrous mother.

On all sides members of the med corps hovered over him, tending to his wounds. One woman had tried to ask him a question, but Creature simply shook his head in dismissal. Or, tried to at least. The energy had been sapped from his body and the ringing in his ears wasn't helping.

"I can't hear anything…" He mumbled.

***​

Apparently there'd been some kind of explosion near the end of the fight. The details were kind of foggy. It'd be some time before his hearing fully returned and he was able to get to his feet. But in truth, Creature didn't mind so much. The climb out of this crater wasn't something he was particularly looking forward to anyway.

He decided it'd be best to get in touch with his allies sometime later. It was likely they'd all logged off already. The fatigue he carried now felt like an Atlas-sized task. Perhaps he'd be able to climb the ladder in the adventurer's guild now, he mused while looking up at the morning sky. The cool breeze did wonders to calm Creature’s nerves, and he knew that advancing was all the motivation he needed to keep playing. He would make a name for himself in this world. This was only the beginning.

 

[Cain Darlite]

Silence.

Day broke and still, it was silent, sound extrapolated only from the vibrations and the tremors he could feel on his skin. Tiring, but the sky was beautiful. Yellows gradating to a crisp blue, the storm having bled into light rain before finally be cast aside by that explosion that sundered the demon-infant's fate. And he himself?

Tired. Tensions finally snapping, emotions sinking deeply into the mud that he had fallen backwards into. The Battle-Banner was once again muted, black as cooled magma, but some warmth remained still, seeping into the palm of his callused hands. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows, mixing pleasures with pains until there was no distinction beyond the drive to push onwards to the brink of one's existence.

His mind buzzed still. Drowning in all that he couldn't process. His future torn asunder, his body craving action but his brain unable to summon motivation. And still, there was that silence, accompanied by the sticky warmth that rolled gently out of his ears.

Seigi was alive. N was still playing. Gwyn wasn't with Kyupin. Magi was missing. Demons were threats greater than they once were. And...

...she needed a break.

Raina would be alive in the evening. Danielle would trust in that.

So, lying there still, hot blood draining in thick mud, Cain closed his eyes and returned home.

Rolls

Save
1d100 (61) + 0 = 61
Fortitude | Cain Darlite | 862

 

[Fina Drago]

Chaos - that was the best way to describe the current situation. As everyone scrambled to finally end the insect matron and the demonic orb that was conjured forth, Fina scrambled to get enough distance between herself and the giant opponent to ensure she wouldn't get crushed if its massive body rolled over. She had already unleashed the most potent attack she could muster and would need assistance if she were to go in for more anyway. There was no sense in getting in the way of those who were still capable.

At the very least, she was sure they were winning! Until the giant insect started transforming and turning… humanoid? It was gross, alright, but the feline was more worried by the fact that there was apparently another phase to this boss that they'd have to beat. Weary, the weapon in her hands heavy, she readied herself. And then? Pure white. She could not see anything, nor could she hear anything. If it weren't for a sudden wave of pain, she would have thought she was dead for sure. But her sense of touch was still there, and she could feel something earthy beneath her.

It took a good while, but eventually, white would become a blurred set of colors, and finally, her vision would return. Her ears followed, nothingness giving way to intense ringing that would grow more manageable over time, though not going away for several minutes. "Ugh…" The feline was lying on her back, people celebrating all around her. Did that mean they won? She had no idea what happened, given that the blast completely overwhelmed her two primary senses and knocked her to the ground. She couldn't even get up, so she just sat and sighed.

She had no idea what happened, but the boss was gone. Completely gone. She had a hunch that there must have been some kind of massive blast to blow it away, but she had no idea what sacrifice @Shane made that day. At least it was all over. People were rightfully celebrating the hard-fought victory. And Fina? She considered looking for @Vina Skysong and @Cleo Looker to see if they could help with the ringing in her ears, but she found that her body would refuse to get up, so she just opted to rest on the ground, smile, and all.

"First event for newbies like me, huh."

 

[Frey Elzeiros]

.

Silence and clouds of smoke alike descend upon the battlefield, onlookers caught in the displays of the Matron's broken, corrupted corpse. A puppet to the last of an unknown taint, one they could count themselves lucky not to have faced.

He'd held @Sol's body close to his chest, an arm seizing @Harlow's wrist and pulling him in with the intent to shield them both from the explosion they might've taken too long to retreat from. By the time he had opened his eyes once more, speckles of energy lingered between his hands, the form that once belonged to the redhead all but gone.

Frey whips his head around, and winces, pressing a hand to the side of his face as he stumbles to his feet - the motion all too quick that it almost sends him back to the ground. His ears ring, and the world is but a blur of movement around him, figures dancing in the periphery of his vision.

There remains another beside him, though not the beastfolk with whom he'd marched right in front of the Matron's face, but a comfort all the same.

"Hey, @Harlow? Are you still with me?!" He all but yells into the Magia's ears, unaware of his own heightened volume due to the temporary ailment affecting his hearing. He flocks to his aid with a distinctive clumsiness to his movements, refusing to remain idle until his senses had fully recovered. A hand presses itself to his back, the other put forward, in front of his chest, should he display any signs of falling to the ground. "I think she didn't hear us when I said we'd bring her to a healer! Do you know where she might've respawned?!"

The threat looms on the horizon no more, celebrations erupting with no less intensity than the battle itself. A contagious mood, were it not for the sight of tears streaming down people's sorrowful faces as he looked at the survivors.

Why do they look worried?

Shouldn't they be happy?

We just defeated the raid boss!

There are more important matters to attend to. Focus.

"Okay, hear me out, I got an idea!" None of the Explorers were present in the conversation to inform the Magia of what tragedy had befallen the group the last time Frey had come up with an idea. A fact he was undoubtedly most grateful for.

The faerin repeatedly pats his hands down his outfit, fingers swift to pluck a tag from a pocket once he can find it. In it, there's a name written down, one he couldn't recognize given that he had never heard of it. @Avery Aphelion's name is written down on the tag, now somewhat of an illegible mess due to the dirt and blood that clung to it, yet he offers it to Harrow as if it were a perfectly untouched piece.

"He! Or she? I don't know. A real lifesaver this one, yeah? Do you know them? They could help Red! And you, you are looking awful!"

For all his optimistic intentions toward his fallen companion's demise, most of which stemmed from his own lack of knowledge of the game's deepest threats, there would be nothing he could do to help her circumvent her fate. Not when her body had already dispersed back to the nearest temple.

An invisible countdown had already started, and he was none the wiser.

Rolls

Save
1d100 (61) + 10 = 71
Fortitude | Frey Elzeiros | 862

 

[Hyakin Heliodoros]

Hyakin released a breath of relief when the huge insect stilled, and fell dead. At long last. He wiped the blood off his face, grimaced seeing the gore on the shield. The moment of silence gave his brain time to focus on the stink of the mud and blood, of how tired he felt, how things hurt, how sticky he felt. And yet; he felt so strong and powerful.

But then came the sound of a heartbeat. Loud, regular, louder, louder and louder.

A yell to get the fuck away, made him scramble away from the corpse; just like everyone around did. Someone fell down, he gripped them by the arm and hauled them; but even so, the heat hit his back and he saw light; felt the explosion that rocketed him forward.

He hit something, the explosion rocketed everything and white noise was what he heard. After few moments he gasped and hacked, getting up and shaking.

"Oh wow! That's a damn explosion!" He said, but he heard nothing. "What?" He shook his head and tried to gather his bearing. But he could not hear anything. He kicked the earth, nothing. He slammed his shield, nothing. And then he felt something wet dripping down his ears and he understood. "Ugh, this sucks.. And I missed the explosion too…" He tried to be quiet, murmuring to himself.

Hyakin really felt sad that he missed the cinematic of the end. And there was no replay function! Such bad design. Just like lack of convenient teleport like in other games. The game was great, but it could have been better.

And, he was damn tired. This battle took a lot of focus and he felt tired in a way he never felt before. He tried to gesture a few things here and there to other people.. But in the end, he had to give up and go to the camp and there, get onto the wagon. He checked the timer for when he will be back to the main city.

And once he started the return travel… He logged out.

Hyacinth needed a fucking break from the game. Still, he felt victorious and heady; today he will sleep really damn well.

Rolls

Save 1d100 (15) + 25 = 40 Fail
Fortitude | Hyakin Heliodoros | 862

 

[Ilusa Nakhalee]

Everything was hectic.

Everyone tried to kill it, kill it fast, hard. So many threw self-preservation out of the window. Some died. Some almost died. Players were one thing, landers another, UI-locked ones yet another and yet, the UI did not let one know which were which… Aside how few would disappear later; respawning in a safe place.

There was something aweinspiring about the set of attacks that two players did, shaving the HP bar to almost nothing from the impressive amount it had been before. Such damage was simply astonishing.

Now Ilusa kept an eye out, suspicious of how the queen fell and yet the hive did not.

She felt nauseous as the swarm covered the orb. It was horrifying image, numerous red eyes covering it; the buzzing, the slurping sounds. …She would not look at insects nicely for a while, she was sure. The way the swarm then befell onto the dead queen, burrowing into her. The protrusion as they moved under her skin and then the way the corpse mutated once more. It squealched, blood flying and with sounds of crunch and tear, it started to change shape once more.

"Oh no.." Ilusa's eyes widened as once more mutation took over the mother', turning more humanoid. With arms. With horns. "Demon." It was as if, the flesh she consumed, turned her into what she consumed.

A shudder ran down her spine, her fur standing on end as wings made of bone burst from her back and red lightning gathered in her maw.

Perhaps this was what religions thought a 'devil' would look like.

A sound of hear-beat, not her own echoed in her ears. It continued, louder, louder, until it overpowered every other sound. This – she was not sure they could stop it. But they sure would try. Now, healing would be moot and-

The yell of Childress spread through the battlefield; almost everyone obeyed. Ilusa moved backwards, using her Divine Magic to glide backwards rather than walk. It was faster that way and she did not trip that way.

It also let her witness everything… the stumble of a grotesque misshapen being that.. Must have been a player; the size, the hints of humanoid likeness, the hair, the armour that held it like string held bloated balloon.

And then an explosion. Her ears flattened and Ilusa instinctively took cover, curled and trembled, shivering on the dirty ground.

Her mind was overridden by panic, her pallor even paler, phantom pain seared through her body and she stifled a sob.

It took her more than a moment to gather herself and on shaking legs stand up and face the point of explosion.

Molten, slowly cooling ground met her view. And nothing else. No corpse was left, no fliers that she could see…

"It's over." The felis murmured, putting her hand to her chest, trying to calm down the beating of the organ. Her hand shook. Her ears trembled, as did her tail. Explosions; especially ones she was not expecting were not good for her. Trauma was a thing after all.

The fight had been daunting, the existence of such demonic being that left the corpse which caused so much mayhem was worrying. Ilusa looked around noticing old faces like @Gwyn ap Herne or @Alphabet Chocolate . She noticed the tall blonde who helped her leave the Vintergard ( @Bradwynne ) and the male beastfolk (@Ash Vargold ) that was there too, a returning player just like her. A hint of fluttering blue, made her notice the gentleman (@Alastair Brass), she was glad he survived the blast. She also looked for the kind girl (@Celestine), but did not notice her.

It was now that she felt the gnawing emptiness where Astor should be. The one to talk to about the fight and celebrate the victory which helped this world to avoid a calamity.

She felt gutted; lonely. Tired and with many questions, as well as ideas floating in her head.

With adrenaline falling down, Ilusa for moment gazed at the players; some sad, some happy.

Later. Later she will socialise, now she needed rest. And with how many were rendered deaf with the explosion, she could simply smile and wave and leave.

It was not easy to get out of the 'Boss Room' due to the destruction, but there was a way out of it, with some people organising an assisted leave of the place.

Ilusa went to the designated momentary shelter and decided to log out. She would survey the area after logging back for some time, help the nature to regrow with her Nature Magic. And then? Then she will think what next.

Rolls

Save 1d100 (87) + 0 = 87 Fortitude | Ilusa Nakhalee | 862 Success!

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki's attack had carried her straight through the Demonic Orb and out of the other side, sailing through the air with clawed hands and feet outstretched before landing on all fours. Fingers and toes desperately scrabbled for purchase as the shock of the landing travelled up her limbs, the wolfess spinning around amidst a small storm of pebbles and dirt before she came to a halt and watched what happened to the Kurungaar Mother and the orb she'd just tried to destroy.

It looked like the monster was trying to recover, or transform into something even more abominable than what they'd been fighting until now. Mizuki lowered her posture and bared her fangs, ready to attack again, when her ears twitched and she heard a heartbeat. She didn't know whose heartbeat it was or what it meant, but her instincts told her that it would be better for her health if she ducked and sought cover right now-

The explosion that turned the Kurungaar Mother to ashes was like the most potent stun grenade ever constructed had exploded straight in Mizuki's face. The huntress let out a sharp yelp as she closed her eyes and grabbed her ears, falling flat on the ground as it felt like her head was splitting apart. Even after the explosion had come and gone she was still on the ground, incapacitated by the potent blast.

It took well over a minute before she could move again, a green glow crawling across her skin in the shape of countless small spectral vines that tended to her wounds and alleviated the pain. With a groan that carried both pain, shock, and exhaustion she pushed herself onto her knees, than onto her feet, her expression dazed as she held the side of her head and looked around, only to regret that action immediately as the headache came back in a weaker form.

What... was that?

Mizuki hadn't paid as much attention to what had been happening inside the Kurungaar Mother as other members of the expedition, so she didn't know of Shane's fate. To her, the explosion had been sudden and almost without warning. And unless someone told her what exactly had happened she'd probably be left in the dark forever, only knowing that something strange had happened to the demonic insect right as it had seemed ready to transform into something different.

It looked like she hadn't been the only one to be almost knocked unconscious by the blast: several others, mostly fellow beastfolk, were either still on the ground or picking themselves up. The sonic boom from the explosion had been something indeed. Seeing that @Seigi Ling Ling was doing... something... to what little remained of the enemy, Mizuki walked over to the heroine and nodded towards the scraps of flesh the other female was collecting.

I wouldn't eat those if I were you.

Normally Mizuki would be all for eating the remains of the enemy, but she wasn't suicidal enough to mess with demons. Giving Seigi another nod Mizuki would leave the heroine to it, regardless of whether her friend took her advice or not. Seigi had been part of this world for the four years that Mizuki had been on Earth: the huntress wasn't in any position to be insistent on what the heroine should or shouldn't do.

It looked like @Cleo Looker was currently with someone else, so Mizuki would send a non-verbal sensation of relief that the lancer was all right before sending a similar message to several others. There were a lot of people she didn't know here, but still... @Zelrius, @Gwyn ap Herne, @Alonso Thorlion, and @Cain Darlite were familiar enough to her that she didn't hesitate to use her primal aura to tell them that their survival eased her worries.

However, that vicious ending had left her in an exhausted state, so she'd walk up to where @Seto Kurama was mumbling about a drink, her ears drooping and her tail almost between her legs. She was covered in dirt, and while her Nature Magic had healed her wounds her exhaustion was still there, as well as the streaks of blood.

If you're going drinking I'm coming with you. Anything to make this headache go away.

 

[Vina Skysong]

If it weren't for Childress's warning Vina would most likely have been blown away by the explosion, so busy had she been singing her heart out to keep as many people alive as possible. As it was, that warning made her snap her eyes open in panic, quickly seizing @Cleo Looker's hand to try and drag the lancer away from the boss with her before it was too late-

While the warning was sufficient to save Vina from the worst, she still cried out as her eardrums were torn apart by the explosion behind her and she fell down, letting go of her friend's hand in the process as she curled up on the ground whimpering. Despite everything that had happened so far, this was actually her most painful experience on this expedition. Tears formed in her eyes, thankfully saved from the blinding sight of the explosion by her having attempted to run away. Her hands were held against her ears, pulsing to the rhythm of her frantic heartbeat as she first tried to ease her own pain before she was coherent enough to try and restore her hearing. At the moment she could hear nothing but that heartbeat and the ringing in her own ears, and in her curled-up position, she couldn't see anything either. For a minute, at least, she was effectively disconnected from the world around her.

Once she no longer felt like crying she shakily lifted her head and looked around, then slowly pushed herself back onto her feet. A part of her was stunned by the sight of the Kurungaar Mother erased from this world, but her first priority was her friends. It looked like @Hanno Futaba had protected Cleo from the worst of the blast, the silver-haired vixen shooting him a glance of intense gratitude before her gaze turned to one of her other friends, who hadn't benefited from a defender's protection and who was a beastfolk like herself.

@Fina Drago looked like she'd been hit by the explosion just as hard as Vina herself, if not harder, and the druidess hurried over. She didn't bother to cry out, because she knew that the feline weaponmaster wouldn't be able to hear her. Instead, she circled around so she'd enter Fina's field of view, giving her a relieved smile before pulling her friend into a hug. During the hug, she'd hum softly, soothing winds according to the rhythm of her humming to dampen Fina's pain and get to work restoring her ears to a functional state. Once Fina could hear again Vina would ease up on the hug so she could look her feline friend in the eyes.

I hope that feels better~

While she was being her usual positive self, she hadn't yet wiped away the tears that had stained her cheeks from the agonized experience of having her eardrums torn to pieces. Her expression also turned a bit disturbed and nauseous as she looked back at the remnants of the Kurungaar Mother before shaking her head.

I... think we succeeded. Everyone fought really hard~ But... (A sad, grieving sigh.) Not everyone made it out alive.

She never had the pleasure of meeting @Shane in person, but she'd grieve for the fallen adventurer all the same. Others had also died this day, but so far as Vina was aware Shane was the only person who wouldn't come back in any shape or form. The others also deserved sympathy and support, of course, but there was a certain kind of soul-tearing sorrow which was reserved for knowing someone had left the world of the living permanently.

I think we should return to camp. Can you walk~?

Unless Fina objected Vina would first help her feline friend up, then move to rejoin Cleo so the three of them return to the camp, and from there make their way back to civilization.

It had been an intense fight, with many acts of heroism, but Vina at least desperately needed some time to recover.

 

[Harlow]

It was a relief that Harlow's Hyper Sense granted him visual enhancement instead of auditory. Anyhow, without any form of cover, the terrible sound sent wounding howls directly into his ears, scratching the sides of his brain. The Magia, having been pulled by the wrist toward @Frey Elzeiros and @Sol, stared down at them, his back to the fractured blasts, doing what little he could to help defend them from the demon's death-rattle.
Harlow frowned. No matter how much time he could've tried to buy her, it was too late.

Unlike the Faerin, Harlow's eyes were wide, as the explosions rang. He recorded every detail, piece by piece, as Sol's body faded. It was the only humanoid death he had witnessed firsthand, in this world or the other. Like snowflakes melting into illusory drops, returning to the sky, the hot-blooded familiar became a phantom of dwindling pixels. When Frey opened their eyes, that was all that was left for them.

His eyes flicked towards the Faerin who spoke into his ear. Not a sound. A brief twitching of his ocular receptors reanalyzed what he had seen, replaying the memory, taking notes. Harlow's functionality for learning had come into play with combat management and strategy development. Now, it intended to produce a new program; one that would allow him to read lips. Simple enough! Once installation was complete, a light blinked from behind his eyes, and he nodded, adjusting his volume with a

"Radio check." Not the loudest setting, but close. Hopefully Frey could hear it. "Affirmative. I am with you." While the other stumbled, Harlow was careful not to move before sufficiently recalibrating his senses. A wiggle of the toes, a twitch of the fingers. Complicated sciencey stuff. "Brisshal. Hypothetically. Over." An educated guess, but wrong. The Magia had only a clumsiest clue as to where the respawning took place. Regardless, he knew of the Three Strike policy stressed by the Lions. He could hope that this was not Sol's final demise. It couldn't be, right?

Only time and Sol held that answer, wherever they were.

An idea? Trying his best to continue reading the mouth movements of his company, he was distracted by damage indicators. Reaching a hand behind his shoulder, he pressed into an indentation along the scapula. Harlow's body stiffened, posture becoming rigid. With the pain limiter enabled, the irritation of his future battle scars wouldn't be able to distract him as much.

Speaking of battle scars, the Magia continued moving past the scapula to grab hold of an arrow shaft, pulling the projectile out of his body. Thankfully, serrated tips were not included upon the small javelin that had been launched into him. Not a blip of sensation made it past the pain limiter, evidence of the potent medicinal coating. Harlow examined it. A similar note was tied to the feathering. @Avery Aphelion. A familiar name.

"Affirmative." An instantaneous scan. Harlow raised a finger in the universal gesture of direction. She wasn't far. "There. Avery Aphelion. Alchemist. Archer. They could help red. Me. You." The Magia had sustained damage, but it wasn't anything his auto-repair modules couldn't fix in a day or so. Mending meat and bone was far more difficult than the synthetic stuffing that filled him. He was more concerned with the Faerin. "Following. Over."

Despite his anatomy assisting him in rapid learning, Harlow was similarly unequipped with answers. Now that felling their threat was finished, a switch flipped. From combat to collective, Harlow felt no urge for celebration, nor the self-wallowing of the egocentric or the grievers. Many had fallen, and a battle was never truly won without its share of wounds, but they wouldn't be fresh for long. @Crimson Ruby, @Ash Vargold, and many others still stood. There would be more fighting. More wise men, more fools running in. He'd have to watch over them.

The demon was defeated. It was time to step forward and learn more about this world, and where it hid the spirits of the dead.

Rolls

Save
1d100 (59) + 5 = 64
Fortitude | Harlow | 862

 

[Celestine]

Cel had the foresight, if barely in time, to cover her ears before the blast. The aftermath of the battle was... well, disgusting, and more importantly...

"My hat...!" she sobbed. There was no way it'd survived that. Her best friend and companion for the last... well, it'd probably been only a month or two, but it sure felt longer! She'd have a funeral for it later... probably shortly after commissioning someone to make a replacement.


@Alphabet Chocolate

Thankfully, she was dragged out of her misery by a face that seemed oddly familiar, and not just because they'd shared a bit of tea earlier. "Alphabet Chocolate..." she repeated it out loud. "It is a whimsical! I do it the liking! We will try the visit of the tea parties soon."

Hieroglyphs were a bit new to her, but how hard could it be to follow them? The pictures clearly told her to find the fish tree, swim over the sun ocean, and then look for the mushrooms concealing a dead body. Such interesting things couldn't be that hard to find. She waved goodbye, happy to have at least made a friend in exchange for her hat.


@Azykia

Celestine turned just in time to see a familiar little blond girl collapse. She ran up, expecting her to be dead, but instead, her investigation mode simply read "logged out." It was a little weird that she’d left her body in the middle of a battlefield. Of all the places that vanishing would be preferable, this would be top of the list.

Figuring that, perhaps, she’d made a mistake, Celestine knelt down and picked her honorary sister up, draping her over her shoulder. She was surprisingly light, which was good, because Celestine struggled even still to carry her, and if she were any heavier, it’d be impossible!


@Ilusa Nakhalee

After a painfully long time of dragging her sister across the scarred battlefield, she finally arrived at a quaint little shelter, panting from exhaustion. Physical labor was hard and she preferred others to do it, but in this case, she insisted it would be her carrying Azykia to safety.

… After an excessively long break.

Satisfied that the situation was safe for the time being, Celestine logged out for a short while to recover her energy. On returning, the initial surge of people had thinned. She recognized one, though…

"Oh, hello again!" Celestine waved, wandering over as she logged back in. "I was not having the chance to do you a thank for your healings of the earlier. … Thank~" She winked for the fun of it, but winced as her wounds reminded her of their existence.

"Actually, if you are wanting, we could be doing each other a heal of more thoroughness? I am thinking we could both do one the use…" Celestine raised her hand and showed off a golden glow similar to her own. "Oh! I am Celestine. Nice to do you the meet."


(OOC: Happy to start dedicated aftermath threads with any of you if you’re up for it! Just lemme know.)

 

[Tyr]

It was a visceral site to behold; one that seemed too lifelike for a game, and one much to lifelike for something completely unrealistic. A human seemed to emerge from the form out of the bug in misshapen budges. It became some grotesque and unrecognizable, that even Tyr's quirk failed to interject with any sort of practical analysis.

And during his morbid curiosity of the entire scene, some sonic sound erupted from either a scream or an explosion, whatever it was, its cacophony sent him to his rear, eyes flickering as a heavy impact of tinnitus became the only thing audible. He clutched his ears in pain—something that seemed to permeate that of the game. Was he doing this in person as well? It was becoming more difficult for him to distinguish what was just an action within Terrasphere, or in actuality.

The ringing persisted, but the sensation dulled, and he stood up, eyes still flickering, and observed the site before him. It was a mess, and he had lost his buddy in the chaos. He'd have to find him later, and looking around at all the strangers was proof that he really didn't need to stay around for a group hug. He was a new player, and was still getting his toes wet with the system. Learning the game was first, because who knew if he intended to stick around. Ambrose had a habit of dragging him to every new fad on the front page of every streamer service; and Jae really didn't care to waste extra energy unless he knew he'd be sticking around.

So he turned, and staggered off, periodically bopping his head to fish for some hearing back.

Rolls

Save
1d100 (16) + 0 = 16

Fortitude | Tyr | 862

 

[Tristaria]

Tristaria stared at the crater and flashed the faintest smile.

"I hate bugs."

She turned and left.

 

[Ludmilla Orphys]

"The world has summoned Ludmilla for her judgement."

Spoiler: Tags

@Asch @Shane

​

A corpse should be left well alone. Oh, it knows, how the secrets beckon so sweetly. Only an honest death will cure her now. Free her from that wild curiosity.

The sounds of frantic combat escaped her entirely. Ludmilla's entire world - as if it were all that had ever existed - consisted solely of convulsive indulgence, reverberating sounds of incessant gnashing and maddened laughter mingling into a syncopated rhythm of tooth, tongue and salivation. Broken fingernails like pitons clung to the interstices between the chitinous plates covering the Kurungaar Mother as it twisted and flailed in its death throes; Ludmilla cared not for its final shudders as it drew its last breath, besieged on all sides by the mightiest attacks that the survivors of the expedition could level at it, to put it and the demon that it hosted to rest.

As the baleful light brimming in the eyes of the great vermin was snuffed, something entirely other to it flares into being. An indescribable malice, pouring into Ludmilla like tarred sand with every mouthful of flesh. It was, palpably, the essence of that being which mortal tongues called 'demon' in fear and revulsion, its dark thoughts whispering of joyous conquests, of contempt for the sanctity of life and order. Fleeing its broken vessel, venting its rage at these pestilent scabs of mortal flesh, that undying consciousness could find no other housing.

But for one.

RED FEVER (7)
RED FEVER (8)
RED FEVER (9)
RED FEVER (10)

---​

...then, void.

In an instant, her hands no longer ran with slimy cyan ichor, her jaws no longer closed around sinewy globules of insect meat. Before her was no longer the corpse of the Queen that she had been feeding upon but instead a deep endless emptiness, from the depths of which she could sense a presence.

It was here. It had always been. Its body was whole here, not at all in the decrepit state that it had been so shamefully degraded to when the expedition had found it.

As one's eyes would adjust to the darkness of night, before her appeared in suspension the form of that hatred made manifest, its mere existence a proclamation of ruination, of the tainted touch that will, in time, bring all to their knees.
Eyes like burning spheres rolled forward in its horned skull.
It would begin with this one.

"WRITHE."​

Blankly obeisant, Ludmilla felt herself crumple before the being, will and spirit sundered in an instant by the sheer radiating magnitudes of unending enmity towards that which stood between it and its path towards annihilation. Of the one that had laid it low, of the ones that had killed it a second time, of Ludmilla, of the Kurungaar Mother, of itself, of everything. She felt its voice wash over her in a crushing tide, inundating her body with pure, ecstatic torment.

"DESTROY. CONSUME. VENGEANCE. REJOICE."​

Over and over, the mantra thudded within her, piercing her being with its thrumming rhythm, again and again, until she could feel the very fibers of her mind ripping at the seams. Like a waterskin being pierced by a blunted blade, Ludmilla calmly observed that the thin boundary of her consciousness would sooner or later simply...break. Between this voice and the other that was her own, she was going to rupture, sooner or later, any moment now...

Then, light.

"DESTROY. CONSUME. VENGEA-"​

For a moment it was a diminutive spark, almost mistaken for an illusion, before the flickering flare blossomed silently into a purifying flame that consumed the terrible figure. Obliteration was instant, voice and all, half of its obscene form disappearing in a flash of vivid blue, so bright and total that Ludmilla could feel herself being enveloped too. Bright and warm and gentle, the defiant testament of she who, in her final desperate moments, chose to give her all to protect those who would never know her name.

But Ludmilla knew. In that moment, she saw through the blinding light. Somehow, without ever having been told, without ever having met, she knew.

That name was-

---​

As the body of the Kurungaar Mother first burnt and charred and turned to ash then dust then nothingness, so did Ludmilla. Transfixed as she was by the visions of calamity and dominion bestowed upon her, she scarcely (and perhaps mercifully so) did not even register the sensation of being vaporised by the blast.

Detonation.

---

Jolting from their desk and bowling themselves over, Brie's collision with the floor dented the very boards with a thunderous crash that sent their roommate scrambling to Brie's room. Testing the knob, said roommate found it locked - startled but not alarmed, not yet, not until they enter to find the pool of vomit and sweat that Brie now rested in, they call through the door.

"Hey, dude! You okay there?"

Rolling over and nudging their headset off with a nauseous grunt, Brie struggles to their hands and knees, fumbles their way across the floor and twists the door lock open. Lunch revisits their mouth for the second time, and they slump to the floor again. This time, they were well and truly out like a light.