A Mutant Collector Quest

Minutes later, the valley finally opens up before me, and what I see makes me gasp aloud, the ominous scene before me striking a chord of dread.

The ground was a strange, uneven expanse of blackish rock that seemed almost alien in nature. Cutting through this terrain was a river—not of water, but of molten lava, glowing a fierce red and radiating intense heat. The River of Lava kept stretching endlessly towards the horizon, its fiery veins radiating an intense, otherworldly light.

Turning back, I trace the river's path as far as I could, but its origin was obscured, seemingly pouring forth from somewhere behind a towering black mountain.

Beside the flowing lava stood tall, dark structures that resembled artificial columns, each towering five to six stories high. Atop each column burned a large, unrelenting flame. They weren't isolated either; these eerie constructs were scattered across the expanse, they stretched as far as I could see, dotting the landscape alongside the lava's flow.

SSSKKRRREEEKK!!

The piercing screech made me head snap upward. Above, strange winged creatures circled in the turbulent sky. They resembled a grotesque blend of devils and western dragons, their leathery wings and spiked tails illuminated by the fiery red glow of the overcast sky. The clouds above churned in shades of black and crimson, an unsettling backdrop to the nightmarish scene.

This was Hell. Or at least, it fit every depiction I had ever read or imagined. The smell of sulphur, the oppressive heat, the rivers of molten rock, and the demonic entities were all here. "All it's missing is a big sign that says Welcome to Hell," I mutter with a wry grin.

Cautiously, I drift closer to the lava river, keeping a wide berth from the flying creatures. My earlier encounter aboard the spaceship had taught me to never blindly trust my invisibility again.

The lava flowed serenely, its surface rippling with a dangerous, mesmerizing beauty. Waves of heat radiated from it, searing even at a distance. I idly wondered if my astral form could survive touching or even bathing in it. Before I could test the theory, a sudden noise snaps me out of my thoughts.

SIZZLEEE! SIZZLEEE!

My eyes widen in surprise as a large dark, fish-like silhouette glides just beneath the molten surface. "There are things swimming in the lava?" I mutter in surprise.

SSSKKRRREEEKK!!

One of the massive dragon-like creatures above suddenly swoops down, its clawed feet plunging into the lava. With terrifying ease, it pulls out a large, red-scaled, demonic fish. The grotesque creature thrashes violently, its razor-toothed mouth emitting guttural screeches as it twists in vain.

GAAAH! GAAAH!

Unfazed, the flying demon carries its catch toward the distant black mountains. I had caught a clear glimpse of the overgrown lizard's demonic face, its glowing red eyes burning with malice, when it swooped down toward the river. Its sinister appearance radiated malevolence, though even the massive, car-sized fish it had been hunting seemed far from innocent.

"Lava-fried fish for dinner?" I quip, shaking my head. I decide not to tempt fate and silently float away from the river, heading instead towards one of the tall, watchtower-like structure in the distance.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear these were not natural formations. Strange pulsing characters and glowing designs adorned the black towers, and the flames atop them burned with an unnatural intensity.

AAAHHHHH!!! AAHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!

As I approach, a cacophony of sounds begins to fill the air. "Are those screams?" I murmur, puzzled. The noise resembles the agonised cries of humans, but there are so many overlapping voices that it's impossible to discern if they are male or female.

Cautiously, I drift closer to the structure, the relentless sound growing louder with every inch. It's a continuous, haunting symphony of pain, produced by countless voices. "Are they torturing people in there?" I wonder aloud, trying to make sense of the unsettling scene. I activate my Clairvoyance and Mana Sight, examining the structure from a safe distance.

Strangely, all I could see or sense was an intense concentration of black aura and dark mana emanating from it. "This could be a trap," I mutter, the ominous energy radiating from it enough to make me hesitate. Approaching further didn't seem wise. The structures—there were numerous ones spread across the landscape—resembled pits of hell, where tortured souls might be confined. "Maybe they are called Towers of Hell," I muse aloud, the name fitting their foreboding presence. The flames atop them felt as ominous as the large cuboid structures themselves.

Even if souls are trapped within these structures, I am reluctant to interfere without fully understanding their nature or purpose. Destroying them seems equally unwise—if these towers are deliberately placed here, their destruction could alert whoever or whatever created them. Whether this is an actual layer of hell or just an ominous planet with a hellish aesthetic, the last thing I want is to provoke the forces at work here.

"Now what?" I muse aloud, floating in midair as I consider my next move. Perhaps it's best to scope out the area further—there must be a central gathering place or a clue somewhere. And if nothing turns up... well, as a last resort, I might just risk destroying one of these towers to see what happens.

My train of thought was interrupted by a faint pulse emanating from my chest. "Huh?" I mutter, reaching beneath my shirt to retrieve the pink crystal. It was glowing faintly and vibrating ever so slightly.

"Interesting," I murmur, narrowing my eyes. "It must be reacting to something nearby." I scrutinize the crystal with my Mana Sight and Clairvoyance, but as always, it appears as an empty void, impervious to my probing abilities.

Testing a hunch, I begin flying in different directions. The crystal's vibration intensify as I move towards the river's bend behind the black mountain. "Is this like a Witcher's wolf medallion? Does it mean there is danger or treasure ahead?" I ask, half-joking, though the crystal offers no reply.

"Guess I will have to find out for myself," I mutter with a resigned shake of my head, adjusting my course towards the area where the crystal's reaction was strongest.

Staying a safe distance from the river, I cautiously float towards the mountain. As I gaze at the desolate blackened ground countless thoughts swirl in my mind.

Was this place a planet? A flat plane? Were there layers to it, like the circles of Hell described in Dante's Inferno? This being Marvel, it could just be one of many versions of Hell.

"Regrettably, there are no creatures with their tits out," I chuckle, recalling the stereotypical depictions of Hell filled with succubi and bizarre tentacle beings. Instead, this version only seemed to feature fire and demonic predators. Maybe this was just the wasteland where the 'cool demons' didn't hang out.

As I was amusing yourself with my own thoughts, I cross the mountain, and a somewhat different scenery unfolds before me.

This area was swarming with countless flying demons, their numbers far greater than before. Interestingly, none of the burning towers were present here. And in the distance, I notice two tall black mountains, between which the lava river was flowing down in a molten cascade.

BOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!

Suddenly a massive fiery explosion erupts beyond the twin black mountains, the shockwave shaking the air. A towering flame cloud expands into the sky, painting the already crimson-red heavens an even deeper shade of scarlet.

Even the pink crystal in my neck pulses faster as if asking me to hurry up. "Alright, full speed it is," I mutter as I submerge myself half inside the ground using my Astral body's intangibility, while keeping just my eyes above the ground so I can scout where I am going. This way the flying creatures or even most of the creatures on the ground won't be able to notice me.

In under a minute, I reach the source of the explosion. Hovering midway along the slope of the left mountain, I feel the blistering heat radiating from the blast site. The air shimmers with residual energy, and the surrounding temperature is oppressive.

The valley below is a chaotic mess of fire and smoke, severely reducing visibility. But with my Mana Sight and Clairvoyance, I sense a massive concentration of Dark Aura and Dark Mana in the area, an overwhelming and oppressive presence that seems to encircle me from all sides.

The crystal around my neck vibrates furiously, pulling my focus to a specific spot below—a fiery epicenter where I can barely make out a massive black sphere amidst the flames. It was surrounded by bubbling Lava with cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.

"Did someone attack that thing, causing the explosion?" I murmur, squinting to see more clearly.

Suddenly, a loud haughty female voice booms from the sky:

"Come out now! Who dares to cause such destruction in Lord Mephisto's domain?"

The voice is accompanied by a gust of powerful wind that clears the smoke and fire, revealing the true extent of the chaos. My eyes widen at the sight—a multitude of demonic entities encircle the valley, far more imposing and numerous than the demons I had faced before. Towering, winged creatures fill the air, their menacing forms dwarfing the ones I had previously seen.

Then, another voice, even more arrogant, rings out from the ground:

"It is I, the Daughter of Satan herself, causing it. Who are you to question me?"

Ignoring the masses of demons who haven't perceived my presence yet, I focus on the source of the voices.

The speaker on the ground catches my eye first. Standing near the black sphere, arms crossed, she exudes an aura of dominance. "What a devilish beauty," I mutter under my breath.

The woman has long, flowing white hair, a flawless fair complexion, and glowing yellow eyes. Her full, red lips curls into a smug smile as she folds her arms. She is wearing a red, skintight suit with strategically placed cuts: a deep plunge in the middle which reveals much of her ample breasts down to her navel, while slits at the hips accentuate her curves, exposing parts of her shapely thighs and bubbly rear.

However, what truly marks her as otherworldly are the large, curved, yellowish-black horns on her forehead, shaped like those of a ram.

From above, the first voice responds with scorn.

"Daughter of the Satan? Hmph, what a joke! you must be delusional to make such a claim in the presence of the real daughter of the devil!"

My eyes shift skyward, tracking the speaker as she descends gracefully, landing directly into the roaring fire. Her massive black wings beat powerfully, scattering embers and ash in a fiery spectacle.

"Well, another sexy babe," I mutter, careful not to speak too loudly.

***

I give a heartfelt thanks to my new Patreon Supporter! :)

natsu Kurosaki

You are Alpha level on Patreon and Tier 1 on Discord now!!