Hunter's Rise Ch. 35 - Pupil 35

No characters (both humans and non-humans) are below the age of consent.

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Zara's head was still spinning from last week's training session and because of her new Neon Neko powers. She crouched on the fountain's edge and splashed some water on her face to shake her up before the course started.

"Are you Zara?" a bubbly voice sang from behind.

Zara turned and immediately had to squint because of the sight.

The girl standing before her looked like a Unicorn had sneezed her into existence. The long, rainbow-colored waves that was her hair bounced with each step she took. Her sparkling light violet eyes, flecked with gold, were wide open with unfiltered cheer. Her outfit was a jean shorts with a tight white shirt with a bucket of glitter and some rainbow pins on it, likely added by her. Like a one-person pride parade, Zara thought.

"Ugh... Yeah, that's me," Zara blinked.

"Hiya! I'm Pixie Joyner! I'm your partner this week!" The girl beamed. She threw out a peace sign with fingernails painted in every color of the visible spectrum... and maybe some colors that weren't.

"Nice to meet ya," Zara said, shaking her hand slowly. She still tried to regain composure.

Pixie leaned in, hands behind her back like a cartoon character about to spill a secret.

"Aritimi said she'll be a few minutes late, but she told me to get to know you while waiting! Soooo... what's your favorite color? Do you like boba tea? Have you ever been in a cuddle pile? I think they should be legally required once a week."

"You're... very enthusiastic," Zara blinked again.

"I get that a lot!" Pixie chirped, "It's kind of a thing. It's also why my augmentation almost never works!"

"What is your augmentation?"

"Upset Unicorn powers," Pixie revealed, "That's why my hair is so colorful now," she tugged a lock of her hair, "But the power only activates when I'm deeply sad or angry."

"I heard they are quite tough when get agitated. So it's a negative emotion-based power?"

"Yup! And I'm really, really not good at being negative. One time, I thought about how my goldfish died when I was six and managed to use my powers for like three seconds. Then I sneezed and it was gone!"

"So if something goes wrong, you'll just smile it into submission?"

"That's the plan!" Pixie gave her a finger-gun with a wink.

"This one is going to be a long day I guess," Zara murmured. Then, a familiar voice greeted them.

"Good morning, pupils," Aritimi said as she stepped out of the portal.

"Hi, Miss Portal Lady!" Pixie waved enthusiastically.

Zara just nodded and said, "Morning."

"Follow me," Aritimi gestured, and the portal behind her expanded again.

They stepped through it and found themselves in a forest, surrounded by towering evergreens and other plant life.

"Ah! Some fresh air," Zara took a deep breath.

"This place is like a fairy tale! I love it already," Pixie turned in a slow circle.

Aritimi led them to a small clearing where a huge boulder sat beside a thick bush that swayed slightly in the breeze.

"My friend will be here soon. Until then, feel free to enjoy the peace. Won't last long."

She hopped up onto the rock, legs swinging gently as she sat.

Suddenly, the bush behind her shifted. From the foliage, an arm emerged, silent and deliberate, holding a knife made of what looked like twisted, gnarled wood, its jagged edge mere milimeters from Aritimi's neck.

Pixie gasped. Zara tensed, turning one hand into a wolf-head. But Aritimi just chuckled.

"I've seen through your disguise, Odina."

The bush gave a low grunt of amusement and began to shake. With a series of cracking sounds, the greenery retracted, pulling back into the figure of a woman crouched in the undergrowth, as if she had grown out of it.

She stood and dusted her hands off with the same slow, deliberate calm she used to aim a knife.

"This is Odina Blackwillow," Aritimi said, sliding off the rock and gesturing toward her, "Chief of the Botanical Unit."

Odina was a middle-aged Native American woman with warm copper-brown skin and long, thick black hair streaked with silver. Her braids were adorned with beads and small monster bird feathers.

She wore a dark green cloak, though on closer inspection, the texture looked more like overlapping layers of leaves stitched together rather than fabric.

"How did you notice it, Timi?" Odina asked curiously.

"Your bush disguise looked too good. There's no way the local herbivore monsters would let such a feast untouched for long," Aritimi explained.

"You got an eye for the details, Timi," Odina smirked. Zara was also surprised. Because of her perverted shenanigans, she often forgets that Aritimi has her rank for a reason.

"That was so cool! You were the bush! How did you do that? What's your power?" Pixie's eyes sparkled.

"My augmentation came from a Terror Tree. I can grow plants from my body: leaves, roots, wood, bark. The usual forest toolkit," Odina explained.

"Wait, does that mean your clothes, are those...?" Pixie gasped.

"Yes. I grew them myself," Odina nodded.

"No way. Really? Like, actually?" Pixie tilted her head.

"Watch."

She held out her arms slightly. The cloak of leaves shimmered, the edges folding inward. The layers of foliage began to retract like vines unwinding, slipping back into her skin as if being swallowed. Within seconds, she stood completely naked.

Her naked body, despite her age, was eyecatching. She was fit which made her look younger than what she actually was. Her breasts, which were just a little bit smaller than Aritimi's well-endowed meat mountains, had a noticeable slope, with areolae and nipples that were as dark as the night sky. Her pubic hair was also thick and black.

Pixie clapped both hands over her mouth in pure shock.

"Oh my gosh! You're really...!!"

Before she could finish, Odina's calm expression remained unchanged as she rolled her shoulders. A new wave of vines, and leaves grew outward, forming once again into her cloak and garments. Fully clothed in under five seconds.

"There," Odina said with a slight smirk, "Satisfied?"

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my entire life,' Pixie exclaimed.

"So...," Zara finally asked, as they followed Odina deeper into the forest, "Are we supposed to fight plants or something?"

"No fighting. Not unless something fights you first," Odina answered, she didn't even look back, "This duty is more than just fighting."

Pixie practically skipped next to Zara, arms outstretched.

"Ooooh, are we gonna make potions? Do we get cauldrons? Can we wear pointy hats?" she chirped.

"No," Odina said simply, coming to a stop beside a big pile of branches, "Today, you're going to help me track down a rare supernatural flower. It's called the Anti-Baby Boom Bloom. It only blossoms once every few weeks, and only under the right conditions. We need a lot for the research team's experiments."

"And what does it do? Summon flower monsters?" Pixie asked.

"No," Zara answered this one, "Do you remember those pink pills that we have to take every month since we are in the HSA?"

Pixie nodded, "Yeah, the ones that mess with our hormones so we won't have babies?"

"Yes, they prevent monsters from impregnating us in case they capture us, and this flower is one of the key ingredients," Odina nodded, "The research team tries to create a version that can make any monster infertile permanently to make their number drop faster. But they need a lot of these flowers for the experiments."

"It's a stillborn idea," Aritimi shook her head, "Monsterkind is too diverse to have a chemical that can affect all of them in the same way; plus, they evolve too fast."

"Yes, but even if just the numbers of certain types can be lowered, it would worth a try," Odina opposed.

"Anyway," Aritimi shrugged, "Is this your secret hideout?" she pointed at the pile of branches.

"Yes," she nodded, and the branches began to move, revealing an old car with a mobile home attached to it.

"Whoa! You guys need a bigger budget," Aritimi snickered.

"That's just a mobile hideout for the long missions. Mostly just me and my daughters use it."

"It's so cool!" Pixie exclaimed.

"Plus, you can leave your clothes here safely," Odina added.

"Ah! Thanks for reminding me," Aritimi patted her shoulder, "Get in your hunting gear, pupils."

"Whoa! Will we get hunting gear? I want a pink colored one," Pixie's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"No. By hunting gear, she meant to take off your clothes. We will hunt naked," Zara replied.

"Yep," Aritimi nodded, "The best and more efficient way to hunt is by doing it without the shackles of conformity. Just use what nature gave to you."

Zara expected, and a little bit wanted Pixie to break character and be distressed, but no. She didn't mind it.

"Alright, if it's what it takes to get the job done," Pixie said cheerfully.

Aritimi just unzipped her jumpsuit and left it in the mobile home.

Zara was the next to undress and then folded everything neatly while Pixie was still just half-naked.

It was weird to feel the earth and dried leaves beneath her bare feet, but the calm breeze that made her nipples rock hard was quite good. At least, they were in nature. She wouldn't mind keeping her boots on, though, especially because of the pebbles on the ground.

At last, Pixie joined them too and she looked as joyful as always.

Her skin had a light tan tone, which was overshadowed by her vibrant hair. Her breasts were perky B-Cups, topped with rosy nipples that pointed straight ahead like tiny exclamation marks of excitement. Her stomach was flat, with a cute little belly button piercing, winking at them as she moved. Her skinny build made her hips flare out, giving her immaculate curves. Her legs were toned but not muscular. Her pussy was neatly trimmed with a small landing strip of hair, with the same rainbow pattern as her hair.

"We can move on now," Odina snapped her fingers, and the branches crawled back, covering her hideout.

They walked through the green, following a crumbling trail of broken pavement until the silhouette of an old building appeared between the trees.

"Looks like a haunted mansion from those old movies," Zara looked around.

"It used to be an Indian casino. But it was too far from Crowsend, and the monsters out here didn't take kindly to the traffic. I know it sounds stupid now to build it here but back in those days, people didn't have to worry about monsters everywhere. You could easily go for a walk into the woods for hours. Now you can't be safe even in your own home," Odina explained with a sigh.

Pixie bounced in place, clearly unbothered.

"Spooky casino forest flower hunt! This day keeps getting better!" she exclaimed.

They continued past a rusted gate into the cracked parking lot. That's when Zara made them stop. Her eyes locked on a bus parked off to the side, still mostly intact, its paint faded but unmistakable.

"That's Steve's bus," she muttered.

"Steve?" Odina stepped beside her.

"Yeah, he drove us to that weird PRA sex party last week," Zara explained, "We went undercover as monster girls. Thought the whole group was shady, but it turned out it was just one creep. Steve was just the ride guy."

Zara crept closer, keeping low. She peeked through one of the broken windows, and then she saw him.

Inside the abandoned casino, Steve wandered alone, a flashlight in hand, looking around cautiously.

"He's definitely here for something," Zara whispered, "You think we should talk to him?"

"Not yet. We don't know what he's doing here. If the PRA's up to something again, we better keep our incognito intact. Who knows, maybe we can infiltrate another sex party in the future. And maybe I could come with you guys this time," she answered.

"Right. I'll enter Bug Queen mode," Zara nodded, already stepping back.

The transformation didn't take long. White chitin crawled over her skin, black claws and high-heeled feet formed, and red bug-eyes glowed faintly as her wings flexed behind her back.

"We can't just have me looking non-human. If we're playing monster girls again, you will need a monster girl persona as well. Odina, can you grow something horn-like with your plants or something?"

Odina nodded. She raised her hand, and two thick, detailed antlers sprouted from her scalp, knotted like wood, spiraling out like branches in the shape of an elk's antlers.

"Those are so COOL!" Pixie squealed.

Meanwhile, Aritimi waved her fingers near her face. Her eyes dimmed, then began to glow faintly purple, otherworldly and unsettling.

"I can focus my Riftwalker powers into my eyes to do that. Hopefully, it will be enough to fool him."

"What about me?" Pixie asked.

"I guess you are already weird-looking enough," Aritimi chuckled.

"You're a rainbow unicorn girl with sparkles in your irises," Zara said, cocking her bug-head to the side as if thinking really hard, "Yeah. You're good."

"Alright... let's see what Steve is really up to," Zara said as they approached the entrance.

"Oh, one more thing, Odina," Zara stopped, "You have to retract your leaf cloak. Monster girls don't wear clothes."

"Fine," she said after a long pause, and her clothes disappeared beneath her skin, revealing her nude form again.

They stepped inside the old casino, the air immediately turning damp and musty. The place clearly hadn't seen human life in a long time.

Steve spun around as he heard their footsteps, his flashlight beam landing on Zara first. His expression quickly shifted from confusion to pleasant surprise.

"Well, if it ain't Koko's daughter!" he said with a wide grin, his glasses catching the light, "Didn't expect to see you again, girl."

"Hi, Steve. Yeah, nice to meet you," Zara said awkwardly.

"Where are your mother and the others?"

"They are... sleeping in our hideout. They still tired after that wild party."

"It was wild indeed," he chuckled, "I heard that idiot David is a wanted criminal now. Not surprised, not at all."

Steve looked past Zara at the others, curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"I see you are not alone. Would you introduce good 'ol Steve to your friends?"

"Yeah, of course," Zara gestured to each of them, "This is... Timi, she is a Riftwalker."

Steve's eyes almost jumped out of their sockets like a cartoon character's as he took in the sight of Aritimi's naked body. Her perfectly sculpted physique with her huge, round, gravity-defying breasts helped to make her look like something non-human, something better than human.

Aritimi gave a small nod, her glowing purple eyes flickering faintly in the gloom.

"Are you sure she is not a Sex Goddess?" Steve winked. Zara noticed that his pants were already pitching a tent.

Aritimi just giggled like a young girl.

"This here is Leaf," Zara continued, pointing at Odina, "She's a Dryad."

Odina raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Her antlers gleamed like polished bark.

"Ah! Another beauty. Nice mom tits, ma'am," his eyes tried to devour Odina's breasts.

Before Zara could get another word out, Pixie bounced forward with a beaming smile.

"I'm Pixie!"

Zara quickly stepped in.

"She's a Rainbow Nymph," she added smoothly, casting a warning glance at Pixie, who just giggled and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Oh, such a cute little thing," Steve's eyes ran across her body as well, "I feel like I just hit the jackpot in this casino."

He then turned back to Zara.

"By the way, what brings you here? This ain't exactly a hot date spot."

Zara stepped forward.

"We could ask you the same thing. Why are you here, Steve?"

Steve sighed, adjusting his glasses.

"Well, it's kind of a PRA thing. One of our guys, Jeff, came out here lookin' for some supernatural plant, said it could help with potions, healing, all that new-age monster wellness stuff. But let's be real; he probably just wanted to find some monster weed. Anyway, we didn't hear from him since morning and I started to worry."

"That's terrible! What if something ate him?" Pixie gasped.

"That's why I'm here."

"Well, we are looking for a rare plant, too. I doubt it's the same he wanted to find, though."

"Leave it to us. We'll find him for you. You can wait for us outside," Aritimi offered.

Odina's antlers twitched slightly.

"The plants are uneasy here. They don't like what's grown beneath this roof."

"That's comforting," Steve raised an eyebrow, "But I won't let you girls alone here."

As they ventured deeper into the casino's main hall, they suddenly heard a low growl.

A small creature jumped out from behind a toppled blackjack table. Its fur was mottled with leaf-like patterns. It looked like a regular house cat, except its body had a fibrous, plant-like texture.

It crouched low, its tail twitching with unnatural motion.

"Wait," Odina said calmly, raising a hand, "That's a Plant Puss."

"A platypus?" Pixie gasped.

"No," Odina said flatly, "Plant Puss. A plant-based monster that mimics feline behavior. Hunts like a predator, even purrs like one, but it's all chlorophyll and creeping vines in there. Tomato has a few of these in her garden."

Before anyone could react, the creature lunged, moving faster than expected, and sank its teeth into Steve's thigh.

"Ah! What the hell?!" Steve stumbled back, grabbing onto a broken slot machine for balance.

"I can slice it off with my portals," Aritimi offered.

"No need," Odina interrupted.

She stepped forward, crouching beside the plant monster, and gently placed a hand on its back. From her palm, fine tendrils like green threads slithered out and burrowed into the Plant Puss's body.

The creature froze for a second, then let out a weird bark-like meow before releasing Steve and darting away, its leafy tail whipping behind it.

"Whoa, that was so cool!" Pixie clapped.

"You didn't just scare it. What did you do to it?" Aritimi asked, looking in the direction of the escaping monster.

"Plant monsters, especially smaller ones, are vulnerable to my control. I can hijack their instincts for a short time, make them leave, sleep... or worse, if needed. This one won't bother us for a few hours. I made sure of it."

Steve hissed through his teeth and looked down at his leg.

"You think it poisoned me with, like, photosynthesis or something?"

"A Plant Puss is not..." Odina started but got caught off-guard as Steve pulled down his pants to see the injury better. It didn't look bad but what caught her attention was Steve's cock which was still erect.

Zara couldn't help but snicker at the sight.

"Oh my! It looks like it bit the tip of my dick. Quickly, somebody must suck out the venom," Steve said jokingly as he noticed that he was fine.

"Oh no! We have to do something," Pixie gasped, she apparently took it seriously. She then knelt beside Steve.

"Pixie, no..." Zara tried, but it was too late. Pixie's head darted down, and before anyone could react, she took the head of Steve's big black cock into her mouth, her eyes wide with concern.

Steve gasped but it was soon followed by the slurping sounds of Pixie's mouth as she sucked so hard it looked like she was trying to milk a cow.

Odina rolled her eyes and jerked her head away from the sight. Aritimi just chuckled and kept looking while Zara just stared at her in disappointment. I guess she would get along with Bambi, she thought.

"Damn it, girl! Your sucking technique would even put a Succubus to shame," Steve panted.

Pixie just kept sucking as if her life was depending on it, her cheeks hollowing like a porn star's in action.

Steve was unable to hold it any longer, and with a groan, he shot his load into Pixie's mouth. She kept sucking for a few moments, then pulled back, her eyes watering. She looked up at Steve with her mouth full of semen.

She gulped, "I did it!" she exclaimed, but then her expression went dreadful, "Oh no! I swallowed the venom!"

"Don't mind it, Pixie. It's not dangerous," Zara said while Aritimi kept giggling.

"Thanks, girl. You're a real lifesaver," Steve winked, "Maybe you should recheck it half an hour later."

Pixie just smiled proudly as if she indeed had committed a great act of heroism. Well, it was to Steve, at least.

They were about to continue further inside the building when they noticed the distant sound of clattering metal and squeaky hinges.

"That sounded like it came from the kitchen," Steve said, perking up, "That might be him!"

"Wait," Odina raised a hand, "There's movement in there, yes, but I sense plant life. The supernatural one, and a lot of it."

She crept forward and pushed open the swinging kitchen door slowly and carefully. Against her efforts, the hinges creaked like a rusty scream regardless. Everyone peered inside.

The kitchen was overrun by dozens of tiny creatures. Each one looked like an animate blade of grass, with a goofy face and tiny, human-like limbs. They skittered around in groups, bouncing off pots and pans, sliding down greasy counters, and rolling inside rusted mixing bowls like green kids at a grotesque playground.

"Okay... what are those? Should we attack them?" Zara whispered to Odina, half-expecting them to leap out screaming.

"They're Grasslings," Odina explained, "Not dangerous. They're a harmless species of plant-based trickster gremlins. They prefer abandoned manmade structures, especially ones near greenery. The irony is, urbanization has actually helped their numbers. So many buildings left to rot give them plenty of shelter."

"Oh my gosh, they are so cute!" Pixie chirped, walking a little closer.

The Grasslings noticed her almost immediately. They paused their frolicking, turning in unison toward her with wide, blinking eyes. Then, like a tidal wave of emerald fuzz, they rushed toward her in a squeaky stampede.

"What's happening?!" Aritimi looked back at Odina.

"They're drawn to color, and your pupil is practically a walking bouquet. They probably think she's a flower come to life," Odina chuckled softly.

The Grasslings swarmed Pixie in a wriggling wave of green, crawling up her naked body with adorable squeaky noises. She just giggled, not the least bit alarmed.

"Hey... they are tickling me!" Pixie squealed, dropping to the kitchen floor, laughing too hard to stand on her feet.

"What are they doing?" Zara asked.

Odina knelt nearby, watching with a thoughtful squint.

"Hmmm. They might just be playing with her..." she said, but suddenly, one of them ripped out a purple-colored strand from Pixie's bush, which made her yelp, "... or maybe they're trying to pluck her hair. It's like they're harvesting petals."

"Harvesting?!"

"It's not harmful," Odina replied, "But it can get... enthusiastic."

Pixie tried to shake them off, her rainbow hair swinging wildly.

"I c... can't... haha... I c... can't feel my legs anymore! Not because they're gone, but because I'm laughing too much!" at least, that was what Zara could get out from her laughing.

She flopped over like a helpless cat, grasslings clinging to her arms and tugging gently at strands of her hair as if trying to unweave it from her scalp.

Out of nowhere, tiny portals with bright and colorful hues started popping open all around the room. A swirl of teal here, a ribbon of magenta there, each one no bigger than a dinner plate. The portals hovered in the air, opening and closing in quick flashes.

"I hope they are colorful enough for them," Aritimi smirked, focusing on the portals.

The grasslings froze for a sec, mesmerized by the sudden light show. Then one by one, they scampered off Pixie, chasing the portals like excited puppies.

"Let's go!" Aritimi whispered, already halfway out the door.

Pixie scrambled up with Zara's help, still laughing breathlessly. The group slipped out of the kitchen while the grasslings crowded around the dancing lights, trying to leap into the portals like a living game of hopscotch.

"Thanks for solving the situation without being violent, Timi," Odina patted her shoulder.

"Um... yeah. Needless violence is bad," she grinned. She knew she would have probably just cut them into pieces with her portals if Odina wasn't there.

"I'm surprised you powers didn't activate now. There's no way my body wouldn't react to the assault of these little creeps," Zara whispered to Pixie, trying not to be heard by Steve.

"I liked it, mostly. I love being tickled; just the hair pulling part was worrisome," she giggled.

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They continued by ascending the stairwell to the next floor, which, according to Steve, functioned as a hotel.

"This is where the guest rooms were," he said, scanning the darkened hallway.

"You know this place, I see," Odina nodded.

"I lost a few houses' worth under this roof back in the days," Steve chuckled, "If the place wouldn't have to close because of the rising number of local monsters, I would still have to pay my debt to them. I cannot be thankful enough to the monsters for that."

A sudden, thunderous snore echoed from behind one of the doors.

The group froze.

"Let's take a look," Aritimi stepped forward. She then gently pushed open the half-ajar door.

Inside, on a sagging hotel bed, lay what appeared to be a huge, blobby shape, humanoid in form, but completely engulfed in bulbous mushrooms of various colors. The fungal mass rose and fell with each snore. Zara felt like watching a sleeping grizzly bear in a nature documentary.

"Wait," Steve said, squinting, "That's Jeff's backpack."

The creature stirred as he spoke. Then, it sat up. Its two half-shut human eyes were barely visible beneath a shelf of mushrooms.

It let out a deep, confused howl and hurled itself off the bed toward them.

The attack was short-lived, thanks to Zara. Her foot connected with the creature's potbelly in a precise strike, knocking it onto its back.

"Whoa whoa! Don't hurt me!" the mushroom-man cried, raising his thick, lumpy arms.

Everyone paused.

"Jeff?" Steve stepped closer.

"Yes... it's me..." the creature whimpered.

"What the hell happened to you, man?"

"I touched this weird mushroom a few rooms down. It felt kind of soft, but then it bit me, I swear! Not like teeth, but like, it stuck to my hand. Then, these things started growing out of me. Then I panicked and came into this room, ran into the bathroom, tried to wash it off, but that just made it worse. They started spreading faster. I got tired, really tired, so I just laid down. I didn't mean to attack you, I thought you were more monsters! It's hard to see what all this shit on me."

Odina stepped closer, inspecting his fungal coating.

"It's a Crawling Fungus. Not fatal, but persistent. You made it worse with water, it thrives on moisture. Think of it like fleas on a dog: not deadly, just irritating. Though, if left untreated too long, it can cause infections."

"And why did I get so sleepy suddenly?"

"They are technically a parasite organism on you. They borrowed the energy from you to grow faster."

"So... I'm not dying?"

"No. But you are going to need a thorough cleansing... and probably a shave."

"At least we found him and still alive," Zara glanced at Steve.

"Yeah," Steve said, looking relieved but slightly disgusted, "Now we just gotta un-mushroom him."

"Soooo... any ideas how to get this stuff off me?" Jeff asked, still laying awkwardly on the floor, his mushroom-covered arms sticking out stiffly.

"Well, traditionally, fire works wonders on plant-type creatures," Aritimi raised a hand, and a bright red portal tore itself into the air beside her, "There's a population of Fire Elementals just past the other side of the forest. I've opened portals to their territory before when I needed some quick firepower."

"Wait... fire?!" Jeff yelped, starting to panic.

"Timi, no!" Odina tried to protest, but it was already too late.

A lance of flame burst from the portal, crackling with intense heat. The edge of the mattress caught immediately, smoke and embers swirling upward.

"Timi!" Odina shouted.

"Relax, I got this," Aritimi sealed the red portal shut and instantly opened a shimmering blue one. A rush of cold water gushed from it, drawn from a nearby river. The water smothered the flames with a loud hiss, dousing Jeff and half the room in the process.

The smell of burnt bedding and wet fungi filled the air.

Odina sighed, stepping forward with a disapproving look.

"Really? Fire and flood? That was your plan?"

"At least I tried, and that's what matters," Aritimi smirked innocently.

"Let me try something that doesn't involve arson," Odina muttered.

She knelt beside Jeff and placed a hand gently on one of the fungal patches. Green tendrils sprouted from her palm, snaking across his body with careful precision. They began to burrow into the mushrooms, attaching and curling through the growths.

Jeff tensed but didn't scream, only winced slightly.

Then, slowly, the mushrooms began to detach, peeling away from the skin and merging into a writhing bundle of tendrils. Within seconds, the thick fungal layer was completely removed, leaving behind only Jeff's damp, mildly reddened skin.

The mass of fungus pulsed slightly in Odina's hands.

"Gross... but still cool," Pixie said, sticking out her tongue.

Odina shaped the tendrils into a firm, club-like form, the mushrooms fused and wriggling gently within.

"I'll attach it to a tree later. Somewhere it can grow without hurting anyone."

"You can... do that? That's amazing!" Jeff exclaimed, rubbing his skin.

"She must be some kind of special Dryad," Steve guessed.

"Oh my God!" Jeff exclaimed again.

"What's wrong?" Zara asked.

"You girls are so hot!" Jeff said, scanning all four of them. His cock began to stiffen

After Steve had introduced the girls to Jeff, the group returned to the hall and then left the building.

"I'll be back in a minute," Aritimi said, lingering at the entrance, "I want to check the rest of the building without those guys slowing me down," she said, already opening a small violet portal beside her and stepping through.

"Just don't light anything else on fire," Odina murmured.

Odina walked up to Steve, whose eyes were glued to her breasts.

"You should bring Jeff to a doctor, just in case," she said firmly, "That kind of fungus can grow back later if any spores got into his system."

"Got it. Thank you girls, really."

"Yeah. Thanks. Oh, and feel free to drop by at any of our parties," Jeff added with a wink.

"Um... thanks," Odina said, trying to be as polite as she could.

The engine roared, and a moment later, the vehicle trundled away, bumping slightly as it left the lot and turned toward the distant road.

"Goodbye!" Pixie waved at them.

The trio turned back toward the casino when Aritimi suddenly reappeared in a swirl of blue light.

"I found something interesting," she said, excitedly.

"What did you find?" Odina asked. She looked tired.

"You'll see. It's in the basement," she disappeared in a portal again. Without hesitation, they followed.

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The basement air hit them immediately. It was thick, humid, and laced with the scent of earth, pollen, and something sweetly fermented.

As they arrived, they all froze.

The room was massive, wider than they expected. It had once been a storage floor, perhaps for wine or old equipment, but now it was completely overtaken by life. Not just one kind of plant monster, but dozens if not more. Strange glowing mushrooms clustered near the walls, lighting the space in gentle green and blue hues. Floating flowers drifted in the air like slow butterflies. Walking bushes rustled as they turned their leaves toward the newcomers. Vines slithered across the floor in a slow curious motion, while tiny saplings with round, blinking eyes peeked out from between cracks in the stone. And in the very back of the room, in a kind of natural throne, stood a massive tree. Its bark shimmered faintly, and hanging from its wide branches were glowing, multicolored apples that sparkled like gems.

"Whoa! It's like something from a fairy tale!" Pixie gasped, eyes sparkling.

"Incredible!" Zara looked around, both cautious and in awe, "It's a whole forest down here. How?"

"It's a whole ecosystem," Odina said, "No wonder we saw so many plant monsters upstairs; they're all coming from here. It's like a hidden sanctuary."

"But how? Especially in a place like that."

"Things like this can happen. Sometimes, when herbivore-type monsters, ones that collect plants for food or storage, are forced to abandon a place, they leave behind the seeds, spores, and sprouts they gathered. If those plants are supernatural, they don't just die. They cling to life. Adapt. Grow. Especially in quiet, abandoned places like this."

"So, this is like a refugee camp for plants?" Pixie said, still watching the glowing apples in wonder.

"In a way, yes," Odina nodded, "An accidental sanctuary, born from the supernatural's will to survive."

"Hey, what's that tree over there? The one with the glittery apples?" Pixie asked, her voice chiming brightly. Odina followed her gaze toward the radiant tree in the distance.

"That is called a Treasure Tree. In ancient times, people believed its fruit were literal jewels. Turns out they're just apples. Very beautiful apples, but still just fruit," she explained.

"They look like candy," Pixie giggled.

"So what do we do with this? Should we report it to HQ?" Zara asked.

"I will," Odina nodded, "This is my specialty, after all. I'd like to write up a report and maybe even bring my daughters here for research. It's a rare opportunity for a botanical expert like me."

Aritimi, who had been silently observing the glowing apples, finally spoke up.

"You know, in the old hunter competitions, they used to award an apple from a Treasure Tree to the winners. It was seen as a kind of blessing. A symbolic prize."

"I just had an idea," she turned to Zara and Pixie, "What if you two went through the grove and fetched one of those apples? Together."

"Yay!" Pixie exclaimed.

"Why?" Zara asked.

"It'd be a good challenge," Aritimi replied, "A way to see how you handle an unfamiliar environment as a team, without someone like me or Odina guiding you. Consider it a friendly test."

"Ooooh! I'm in! Let's go, Zaza!" Pixie's whole face lit up.

"The guys are not here anymore. We can use our real names," Zara said and then turned to Aritimi, "Alright, fine. We'll do it."

Odina held up a hand before they moved.

"One thing," she said seriously, "I can feel the presence of some more... defensive plant life in there. Not all of them will be friendly."

"Dangerous plants? Sounds fun," Pixie giggled.

"If things really go South, by that I mean, severe injuries or similar things, I will help you out. But it would be better if you two could handle the situation without me," Aritimi said.

"I hope too," Zara nodded.

As Zara, in her human form once again, and Pixie were about to step forward, Odina stopped them again.

"Just one more thing before you go," she said, "Don't hurt the plants unless you absolutely have to. Not all of them are aggressive. The others are just surviving and existing."

"Got it! No stomping the moss babies," Pixie nodded quickly.

"Even if they try to bite?" Zara asked.

"You're a hunter, not a butcher. If they attack, defend yourself. But don't lash out just because you can," Odina answered, looking at the plants again.

"I agree," Aritimi gave her a nod of approval, "This isn't just a challenge of strength, it's a test of control. See if you can get through this without causing unnecessary harm. That's a crucial part of fieldwork too. Collateral damage can cost lives."

"Said the bed burner," Zara talked back, which made Odina chuckle slightly, "But alright. No senseless violence. We get it."

"Flower power!" Pixie made a peace sign.

Odina stepped aside, gesturing toward the lush interior of the basement grove.

"Then go ahead. Let's see how well you work together."

The girls stepped into the freaky, forest-like section of the basement, which seemed to be much bigger now. The ground was soft with moss.

Their first trial came almost immediately: a patch of giggling violets. Those tiny purple blossoms with their little mouths let out soft, mischievous laughs as the girls approached. It was clear that they wouldn't need to rely on violence.

"Carefully," Zara whispered.

"Oki doki," Pixie whispered back. She was tiptoeing like she was sneaking into a surprise party.

They carefully navigated the path, Zara leading, Pixie trailing with exaggerated care. The flowers' laughter bubbled around them but faded as they passed through without incident.

Then, a rustling sound stopped them in their tracks.

A small, green, humanoid creature jumped out of a bush in front of them, standing barely 30 centimeters tall. It had leafy hair, dirt-smudged skin, and yellow eyes. It bared its teeth.

"That's a Garden Gremlin," Zara pointed at the little creature, "Can be a pain in the ass but not more dangerous than a stray dog."

"Aww! Soooo cute!" Pixie's face lit up like a firework.

She then rushed forward with open arms.

"Come here, you little shrub baby!"

The creature's expression went from terrifying to terrified instantly, and following a high-pitched squeak, it bolted back into the undergrowth.

"I can relate, little guy," Zara murmured.

"Guess I'm spookier than I thought," Pixie giggled.

They then continued deeper toward the tree that stood in the distance like a tower with colorful lights.

Cautiously, Zara ducked to avoid some swinging vines that cracked like whips in the air.

"Whoa! They are so fast!" Pixie stopped to gawk. Suddenly, one of the vines cracked through the air, leaving a stinging sensation across her buttcheeks, "Ouch! My butt!" she exclaimed, but the vines had already retreated into the shadows of the foliage.

Another one tried to hit Zara too but she protected her skin by using the chitin armor of her Bug Queen form for a second.

"You should try to use your augmentations more often," Zara scolded.

"But it's hard," Pixie pouted her face, rubbing the red line on her behind.

"I know that, but that means you have to try harder then. You won't be better if you don't use it, just like muscles without exercise. Try to find something that can trigger you enough to use your powers," Zara nodded.

They didn't really have any choice about where to continue since only a few patches of the place were good enough for walking without damaging the local flora. Zara was thinking about using her Bug Queen form's wings to fly through the place, but it would be cheating, plus the flying flowers above her would be in the way.

Some plants that resembled green hands reaching out from the ground tried to grab a hold on their feet, but Pixie kicked them away.

"Rainbow Kick!" she yelled like an anime character announcing their attack.

"Wolfbite Punch!" Zara used her wolf-head hand to strike a tree's branch that tried to grab Pixie.

"Oooh! Is your hand a puppy?! You are so lucky," Pixie patted the head of Zara's wolf-head hand.

Zara's hand began to act on its own and darted toward Pixie's breast. Its tongue lashed out and licked Pixie's nipple.

"What the heck!" Pixie squealed and slapped it away playfully, "Keep it to yourself, puppy!"

"Sorry. Sometimes it's hard to contain it," Zara chuckled.

Zara began scanning the place to see where they should continue. As she did so, a small, purple creature appeared near them. It was a walking mushroom. It's beady eyes blinked at the girls, curiously.

"Ah! So cute! Everything is cute here!" Pixie bent over to take a better look at the little creature, exposing her ass to Zara and her wolf-hand.

"Pixie, watch out!" Zara called. But it was too late. The hand shot out again and gave Pixie's ass a lick, sticking its tongue into the girl's asshole.

"Hey!" Pixie squealed, standing up straight, her cheeks reddening, "What's with you, hand?"

"Huh! Looks like your ass is your weakspot. You look angrier now than usual," Zara looked at her face.

"Leave my butthole alone. It's very sensitive. I don't let anyone touch it," she pouted like a sulking little girl.

"A little bit faster, please," Aritimi shouted.

"Watch out!" Zara pulled Pixie away from a dancing rose bush.

"These roses smell so sweet! No wonder the bush dancing in happiness," Pixie smelled them. Zara managed to turn her hand back into normal form to prevent another ass assault.

Theye were pretty close now. The only problem that they technically had go in a zigzag path because of the living obstacles everywhere.

"Zara, look! Another puppy!" Pixie pointed at the bush that wasn't a bush but a wolf with green, leaf-like fur. It growled at them, but because of the composition of its body, it sounded more like somebody blowing angrily into a flute.

"Oh my! That's a Bushwalker!" Odina examined the creature from the distance, "We thought they went exctinct in the local forest because the herbivores kept kidnapping and eating their puppies. This place is indeed a sanctuary."

"Judging by that... I guess you don't want me to hurt it," Zara said without breaking eye contact with the monster.

"Leave it to me, Zara," Pixie pushed her aside.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I get along with plants and puppies. I guess because of my Unicorn augmentation," she nodded.

"Alright, Pixie. That's good teamwork," Aritimi shouted, "Zara, get an apple from the tree and pick Pixie up on your way back."

Zara looked back at Pixie, who just smiled at the beast, then turned back to the path. She only had to avoid a few moving plants and she was in the clear.

"What about a song, Mister Plant Puppy?" Pixie chirped to the monster, who started to look more and more confused.

Zara finally reached the tree. It's thick roots could be seen on the floor's surface, like brown tentacles that broke through the tiles.

She used the chitinclad limbs of her Bug Queen form to crawl across the tree's bark. But she almost fell off when she heard Pixie singing "Baby Shark" to the monster. Her version somehow sounded more childish and more annoying than the original.

Zara turned her focus back to the task. Luckily, the singing didn't last long.

"Ugh... Zara..." she heard Pixie's voice.

"What do you...?" Zara stopped as she noticed what was happening.

Pixie was on all fours, with the beast licking her pussy from behind.

"How the fuck did this happen?" Zara looked at the scene in disbelief.

"I wanted to pick up a stick for him to play fetch, but he caught me from behind," Pixie said, trying to keep the panic from her voice. The green-furred wolf's tongue was working overtime.

"Just a minute, and I'll be there," Zara replied, grabbing one of the colorful apples.

"Ah!" Zara heard Pixie's yelp as the creature put its front paws on her back and its cock sprung out. It looked like a normal canine creature's dick, but with various shades of green.

With a low growl, it pushed its green rocket into Pixie. She was frozen in place, eyes wide, as the creature began to thrust.

"Hmm, I don't know if we should stop it. This monster type is endangered, and humans can give birth to any monster's babies," Aritimi said jokingly.

The Bushwalker pounded into Pixie with surprising strength for its size, making her moan. She looked over her shoulder, and her cheeks flushed.

"Shoo! Get lost, you stupid plant pooch!" Zara pretended to kick the monster, but it kept fucking Pixie.

"Stop it, please! I don't want to be pregnant!"

"You can't get pregnant because of the medication. Remember?"

"Oh! Yes, I forgot about it," Pixie giggled, ignoring her violation for a second, "But my puss is still going to be sore. Please, stop it! Pretty please!"

"I guess a simple punch would do the trick," Zara readied her arm, but suddenly, the wolf ran away, whimpering as if it had been hit by electricity.

"Thanks," Pixie panted.

"It wasn't me. I had no time to do anything," Zara blinked at her.

"I think it ran away because of that thing," Aritimi pointed at the broken ceiling. Something was watching from above through the hole.

The creature introduced itself by jumping out from the hole onto the massive tree's thickest branch. It was a huge, green gorilla and at least twice the size of a normal one.

"A Garden Gorilla? Nice, I didn't know they could grow this big," Zara examined the creature.

"Oh! It looks so fluffy. Can I hug it?" Pixie beamed.

"Of course. Garden Gorillas are gentle giants," Zara smiled at the majestic being, but her expression changed as she noticed how furiously the monster was looking at them.

The beast then let out a hellish howl and began to drum on its wide chest, like a warrior beating a war drum before a battle.

"It looks like this one is an alpha," Aritimi poked her head out from a portal near the girls, "And as you know, they are not just bigger and stronger than their normal counterparts, but also more territorial."

"Just leave before you guys could cause any damage," Odina shouted.

"Okay, girls. Mission accomplished. Follow me," Aritimi enlarged the portal to them.

Meanwhile, the Garden Gorilla jumped off of the tree but not toward the girls. Instead, it aimed at the bushes not far from them. The ground shook, and the foliage parted as it landed with a thump, charging towards something hidden in the underbrush. The girls watched as the monster tore through the plants, revealing the whimpering Bushwalker.

It picked up the struggling plant canine and brought it to its mouth, ready to bite.

"Oh, yeah. Garden Gorillas like to feast on other, weaker plant monsters," Aritimi looked at the scene.

"Nooo! The puppy!" Pixie gasped.

But right before the gorilla could sink its teeth into the whimpering plant creature, an arrow hit it in the chest. It came from Odina's direction.

As they turned around, they saw her weilding a bow which grew out from her arm, and she also produced some arrows, pulling them out from her back.

The monster dropped the wolf, which wasted no time to run and hide behind a shivering tree.

The Gorilla stared angrily at the girls, thinking that they sent the arrow. It pinched the arrow between the thumb and index finger of its right hand, pulled it out effortlessly, then just ate the wooden arrow, like a kid chomping on a cookie.

"I'll handle this one," Odina announced while she was already on her way to them. She didn't need even a quarter of the time Zara and Pixie needed to reach that spot. Each of her movements was natural, as if she had lived the majority of her life there.

She jumped into the air from a giggling tree stump with bow and arrow in hands and shot the gorilla in the head midflight.

The gorilla, with the reflexes of a cat, caught the arrow with its mouth and bite it into to two with a smug grin.

With surprising speed, the monster closed the distance with a dash. Its trunk-sized hand reached out for Odina who ducked to avoid it but she forgot about something. The antlers she grew from her head as part of her monster girl disguise were still up there, like two fancy handles for the gorilla to grab. It picked up Odina by the antlers and swung her around before letting her go. She then disappeared among the bushes.

"Quickly, Miss Timi. Do something!" Pixie cried.

Zara's mind was working as fast as it could. She wanted the situation to be handled without using Aritimi as a deus ex machina. Pixie's Upset Unicorn power sounds great. Those beasts barely have any enemies besides the apex predator monsters in their territories. But how could she make Pixie use her power? So bad that she can't just turn it on with a hand sign like the ninjas use their jutsus... Yes!

"Okay, with my portals, I'll cut this Horror Harambe to pieces. Who wants a slice?" Aritimi quiped.

"Wait," Zara said, stepping behind Pixie, "Sorry, but I have to do this. I hope it will work," she clasped her hands together with extended middle and index fingers. Then, using the full weight of her body, Zara thrust four fingers between Pixie's buttocks, right in the middle, "One Thousand Years of Death!" she yelled.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Zara almost went deaf because of Pixie's ear-piercing shriek. Even the Garden Gorilla covered its ears in fear for a moment.

It worked. Pixie's body began to glow with the same rainbow hues as her hair. The lights were bright and colorful. Zara even had to shield her eyes, fearing to go blind or have a seizure.

"Urgh... uh!" Pixie's mout was foaming and her eyes shone with rainbow colors. Her body began shaking as if she was about to explode but instead, she broke into a sprint.

She dashed toward the Garden Gorilla who was blinded by her rainbow brightness. She left a trail of rainbow light behind herself as she ran.

The gorilla exploded into small green pieces as Pixie ran through it like a rainbow train. But she didn't stop there. She ran against the wall in her blind rage and recoiled, launching herself into a different direction, and ran into the other wall. She bounced off at least five times from each wall of the place, running as fast as a racehorse.

The plant creatures, aside from the Garden Gorilla, managed to avoid her, although some of them had a few minor injuries in the process.

A few minutes later, Pixie stopped near the Treasue Tree. Her lights died off, and only her hair stayed rainbow colored.

"I told you to not touch my butt," she glared and Zara, cheeks pouting, like a sulking little girl. She was curled up into a fetal position.

"That was great," Aritimi clapped, "I give you an extra point for the anal assault."

Zara then helped Pixie up.

"So bad I had to hurt the monkey," Pixie sighed, "At least, Odina didn't see it."

"Well, maybe you should take a look at what you done," Aritimi pointed at the green mess that was the Garden Gorilla a few minutes ago.

"Oh my gosh! They are so cute!" Pixie gasped as she noticed them. The monster's remains turned into a swarm of miniature Garden Gorillas. Each barely the size of a rabbit, they were a mix of green fur and sprouting leaves.

"They are multiplying by splitting into smaller versions of themselves. It can also happen when they are severely injured. So, no, you didn't kill it. You actually created more life," Zara explained.

"Yep, aside from Odina, all of you were great," Aritimi chcukled, holding the colorful apple that Zara brought from the tree in her hands, "I'll slice this up into four. One for each of us. Wait. Where's Odina?"

They began searching but it didn't take long to find her.

"Hu hu hu! What are you doing?" Aritimi laughed as she found her. She was behind a bush, laying on her front, with her ass sticking up. Meanwhile the Bushwalker was fucking her pussy with the same enthusiasm as it had with Pixie.

"My hip is killing me. I couldn't move since I landed here. Help, Timi," Odina panted, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and arousal as the persistent bush creature took her from behind.

"Should I? You have a chance to save an endangered species by giving birth to its puppies," Aritimi snickered.

"Timi!" Odina yelled, but it turned into a moan in the end.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere else, in the forest.

A woman walked through the woods, wearing a long cloak.

"Oh, such a cute little thing," she cooed as she bumped into a Plant Puss. She picked it up and began stroking the green monster cat. It purred happily in her arms.

"Yes, plant cats are the best. Don't they?" she said to the Plant Puss, "You know, I could use a pet like you."

"Robin!" she heard someone yelling. It was a big, bulky man, wearing the same cloak as her and carrying a huge battle axe. He was chased by a big Dire Grizzly Bear.

"Damn it, Axeman! Can't you just walk anywhere without pissing someone off?" she yeeled at him.

"I just tried to take a shit! I didn't know that a giant mama bear and her cubs were sleeping nearby," he panted and stopped near her.

"Okay, little guy, that's your big moment," she said, sending out the Plant Puss, focusing her power into its little body as she doing so.

The little green beast began growing as it ran toward the approaching behemoth. Soon, it looked more like a big green sabertooth tiger. It pounced at the Dire beast, claws outstretched, and the battle between the two monsters commenced. The woman, Robin, watched with a smirk. She knew the Plant Puss, enhanced by her power, could hold its own against the beast. The bear roared, swinging its massive paws, but the agile cat-like creature dodged and clawed back.

Once it got a few gashes and wounds from the enlarged Plant Puss, the Dire Bear chose to run back to safety.

"Come here, puss puss," Robin called the cat back. It jumped at her but shrank back to normal size as it landed in her arms.

"By the way, did you find the target?" Axeman asked.

"Yeah. Both she and her siblings. I checked her daily routine. On a normal day, she patrols the area near the river at this time. Checking on the aquatic plant population," Robin answered.

She then produced a piece of paper and a pen. It was a long list of names with some of them being checkmarked. Those with the checkmarks were: Isela Carmichael, Temora Rourke, Pepper McDoodleferguson, Spring Summers, Anna Schwartz, Alabama Winchester, Arkansas Winchester, Paige Elsher, Desdemona Graves and Zella Lincoln. Then she added a checkmark to Enola Blackwillow as well.