D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Chapter 2337 THE MISSING PIECE!

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Previously on D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad...
Kat, Appoline, and Lily arrive on a slippery, moss-covered island. Appoline is ecstatic to find the moss, recognizing its potent conceptual weight and potential for various powerful potions. While Appoline gathers ingredients, Kat and Lily sense something is wrong, though they can't identify the source of their unease. Kat attempts to use her demonic energy to detect invisible threats, but Appoline requests she stop, fearing it will contaminate the ingredients.

--- Kat ---

Kat exclaimed as she finally worked out what had been bugging her. The oddly coloured smooth black stone! It wasn’t just a stone, it was a relic piece for the winner thing! Kat reached down to touch it only for a shadow hand of Lily’s to smack her arms away.

"Hey Appoline do you have a good way to track us if we get separated? Either Lily or I?" asked Kat.

Appoline finished slicing off more moss before looking up at Kat with a raised eyebrow. "I mean... in theory I think I could make something but I haven’t yet. Why? Is this taking too long?" Appoline glanced over at the rather substantial chunk of missing moss she’d spent at least thirty minutes cutting up, probably longer.

"No, but we, or rather, I realised what was bugging me. Lily then prevented me from being stupid. This is one of those big stone blocks that I need to collect. Problem is... if I collect it then there’s nothing to stand on, and if there’s nothing to stand on, the portals might also leave... so..." Kat got cut off as Appoline jumped in with the answer.

"So I might need to go through the portal first but if I DID do that, we might not be able to meet up again. Hmmm... alright I see the issue. The easiest way I could manage something like a tracking potion would be to make something that tries to get closer to its ’source’ so... hmm... is hair strong enough for that? If it’s freely given maybe... blood would probably be better but I don’t know if I can use yours without it causing other issues... Lily maybe? Hmmm..."

Appoline turned back to the moss to keep cutting away. "I’m really not sure. If you two were more normal, yes it would be possible, but I’d need to test it to know for sure and I’m not certain I have the ingredients to make two batches if I fuck it up."

"That’s fine, or well, it’s something we planned for. One idea is to have you and Lily both head through the nearby portal and wait for me on the other side. That way even if it closes I can still find Lily. We’re hoping wherever you end up is in the clouds... and if it isn’t I guess you would be best to find one that’s either in the clouds or quite close to being so?" Kat offered a shrug. "We wanted to see what’s on the other side first."

Appoline nodded, "That seems fine with me. In fact, you may wish to do that now. I’m not planning to go anywhere and there hasn’t been any sign of monsters so far. I don’t mind if one of you wants to stay, or if you both go and look into things, it’s up to you two. Just seems like waiting around for me isn’t the best use of your time."

Lily nodded and then hopped down onto the moss... before grimacing at the feeling and glancing at the stone. Then up at Kat, then back down at the stone. Kat rolled her eyes but shook her head anyway. No reason to tempt fate. Lily did send her a mental pout as a way to complain, but in the end, she didn’t touch the stone just in case while Kat went to the portal.

It seemed like another one that was in the clouds, at least from what Kat could see of this side. The ground around it was also somewhat free of moss, right at the base. That was perhaps meant to be a subtle hint... or perhaps one of the other portals had a better one. Jumping through, Kat found herself on muddy ground surrounded by clouds. A good thing at least. She could also feel Lily... though she was quite far away without the use of a portal. Less ideal.

As Kat was considering this, something beside her moved and she turned to see a sort of alligator fish thing leaping at her. It had the face of an alligator but scales like a fish and it was trying to take a big bite out of her. Kat slammed a fist into its underside, sending it flying over her head and into the clouds behind her. Luckily she didn’t send it through the portal...

Kat watched the place it had been... but nothing popped up. Not immediately anyway. Kat didn’t FEEL like she’d gotten it either. There was some good force behind that punch but the fish thing was sturdy. Kat didn’t feel any of that notable squish when you killed something... though it hopefully still hurt the damn thing...