The stern businessman entered the private bar, deep in the private manor, as a cynical but welcome guest of Yggdrasil Corp. The Remodeler stepped out of an unmarked truck, deep in a decaying suburban jungle, as an escaped experiment of Yggdrasil Corp.
The CEO of Yggdrasil, a tall lanky man, greeted the businessman. His eyes shone with the telltale sign of deep and irrevocable magitech enhancements.
"Care for an evening drink, my cherished friend?" The CEO's words seemed to drip with hidden intent.
"No. I can't say I do." The businessman sighed, "I'll be frank. Your technology is impressive. But your ideology- its dangerous. Your associates play with fire."
The Remodeler, a large amorphous, jelly-like bipedal golem, wandered the narrow streets. Due to its magitech enhancements, the beast was invisible to the untrained eye but a quiet clicking could be heard from its nail-like appendages on its back.
A frumpy woman, walking her dog at night, wondered what happened to her life. She went to college, got her dream job, got the husband, and had her two children- she even had a dog! So why did it feel like everything was slipping away?
Two of the Remodeler's nail-appendages stretched out into long, probing tentacles. They hung mid-air, like town-consuming electrical wires. They hovered over the unsuspecting woman and dog. It was already too late for the victims.
The CEO laughed. "Oh buddy- I wouldn't expect to hear anything less form my old investor and rival. I guess you didn't get the memo. The pecking order of the world is changing. Humanity is evolving!"
"Your associates blame honest, everyday citizens for the ills of the world! I'd tell you not to bite the hand that feeds you, but I see how it is. You've grown too big, too influential. Impressive really. But you've got the wrong types on your team, and they're putting magitech into the wrong hands!" The businessman complained. "Innocent people are going to get hurt!"
"People have already been hurt." The CEO's eyes glowed knowingly "Your version of modernization already had a human cost. That human cost- that human sacrifice- just happened elsewhere- other countries- to people you didn't care about." His voice grew cold "Sacrifices that- if brought to light- would unfortunately implicate you, your family, your businesses, and your allies very directly. Please remember this when you speak, friend."
"Hmph." The businessman couldn't argue with that. He knew this country wasn't ready for magitech. He knew that many non-urban area were essentially unprotected from the stranger, more uncanny magical threats. But he, frustratingly, couldn't do anything. At least, he couldn't do anything in his own limited imagination.
It was over in an instant. One moment, the woman was walking her dog. Another moment, they were absorbed into the mucky gunk of the Remodeler. Seconds passed. The woman and dog were being absorbed. Being copied. Being changed.
Two more of the Remodeler's appendages stretched out over the suburban street. With a quiet but guttural squelch, two goopy figures dropped from the Remodeler's tentacles. The two goopy figures quickly took on the shape and habits of the woman and dog. The new woman and dog continued their walk, as though nothing had happened.
But the Remodeler wasn't satisfied with two victims. No. It hungered for more. Stalking down streets, picking off isolated people- A deep, personal malice motivated the Remodeler. It was built for this. It could smell their sin. It would devour these unrepentant people.
The businessman stared into space "If that's how you feel, this should be our last meeting."
"I'm sorry to hear that, pal." The CEO's voice turned jovial once more. "Feel free to give my people a call if you ever change your mind. I'm always open to settling things privately~ The leaders of our new world are more amicable than you give them credit!"
The businessman was done. "I'll see myself out."
The suburbs were a feast for the Remodeler. Open a bedroom window here. Slip in through a chimney there. There were so many smelly people to devour. So many goopy offspring to replace them with. The voices of the devoured victims echoed within the Remodeler's jelly body.
But sunrise was quickly approaching and, with sunrise, it would hibernate. Where would it go next? The inner malice had brought the Remodeler to the suburbs. But it could smell the density of sin in the city.
The city. Even if it wasn't the Remodeler's original target, it was too delicious to pass up. Soon. Soon it would feast there too.
...
"I'm sorry, Ringo. But anything that happens beyond city limits isn't in our contract. And night patrol isn't my job! Not my responsibility, not my time, not my paycheck! I don't work for free!" Berry squeaked from Ringo's phone.
"Fine, fine. I'll call the team if I see something within city limits." Ringo hung up. She couldn't very well tell them that her rival, Luci D. Evil, had dropped her a hot tip. Or admit that her relationship with the rival was more complicated than mere hero and villain. Or that she had been tricked into wearing cursed lingerie by said villain.
Said cursed lingerie gave her a thorny poke in her butt. "I got it! I'll fly faster!" Impatient semi-sentient clothing! The sun hadn't even set yet! She wasn't even technically on the clock!
Ringo had finally reached the area Luci D. Evil described. Apparently this outer city area belonged to The Boyz, who were very demographically different from The Crewz of the inner city. And apparently, if a magical cryptid were to make it through Boyz territory into Crewz terrirtory, it would be a big underworld upset, and fan the flames of decades long socioeconomic tensions. Or something like that. She wasn't fully aware of underworld politics.
Ringo's magical detector led her forward. There was definitely something weird around here. She summoned her magical blade, The Apple Slice, and hovered lowered to the street.
Some random dude called out to her "Heeeeeyyyy its that Ringo girl! The cool bitch!"
Ugh. This stuff again. She drew a lot of attention this low to the ground.
"Show some respect, you drunk! She could rip you a new one!" Another guy chimed in "Love your work, Ringo, keep doing you-"
Something silenced and lifted the man. The magical guardian, if she focused enough, could see the outlines of a gelatinous, bipedal monster. Could smell a horrible stench. Could hear its awful clicking.
She quickly sliced at a goopy tendril. The man fell to the ground. Something sticky and ephemeral grabbed at Ringo's free right arm. Ringo sliced at the air with her left, and managed to toss her Fruit Salad Bomb with her right.
An all-purpose tactical fruity mist spewed from the bomb, forcing her opponent into visibility. What the fuck was this thing? It looked like a humanoid golem made of jelly over two stories tall, with long reaching tendrils extending from its back. There was a spherical amalgamation of of human faces within the core of its jelly body. And it was trying to suck in new people via its tentacles! How did she not notice this before?
Ringo sprung into action. With a burst of magic, she gave herself enough momentum to circle the beast, and slice a few tentacles. The people on the street were already screaming and running, apparently just noticing the assailant as well. In between freeing civilians, she blasted the goliath with magical blasts from her sword. But the blasts didn't seem to phase the creature.
People ran. The goliath seemed confused yet unbothered but Ringo, as though it were more perturbed by the fleeing people than the feisty magical guardian. Its tentacles tracked a few, specific stragglers but Ringo cut short the wire-y appendages as they approached.
"Why isn't this damn thing taking damage from my Apple Slice's beams?" Ringo complained. Her sword's magical blasts were supposed to be extra effective against criminals, outlaws, and neverdowellers. She had since learned that it was only effective against said groups- a real 'punching down' style of magic apparently. "I'll have to get up close and personal!"
The goliath looked almost sad. There were still potential victims within its reach, but it seemingly failed to acknowledge them. It barely acknowledged the magical girl slicing away at its side. A particularly incisive cut seemed to give it concern. The goliath leaped backwards, writhing with an energy between fear and indignation towards the magical girl.
"What are you? Its like I can feel your thoughts now that you've been revealed to me-" Ringo yelled at the beast. The goliath squirmed with intensity. "My fault? You're the one eating random civilians!"
The goliath hesitated, and then some kind of survival instinct took hold. Each of its goopy tentacles, along with an amorphous arm, reached out at the magical girl in unison. Ringo wondered briefly if she had bitten off more than she could chew- before being swallowed whole and silenced by the beast.
Ringo was choking, felt herself being devoured on a near-spiritual level. She fought and wiggled but couldn't free herself via sword or magic. She had almost given up when she felt herself being enveloped by a thorny embrace.
Suddenly, the goliath's goo rejected her. It was crying out, in guttural pain. Luci D. Evil's 'gift' had saved her. Vines had grown out from the magical undergarments to protect her, and now retracted under her dress. Ringo collected herself. Some sort of purple liquid had infected the goo goliath. It looked weak.
Ringo held her blade. Despite her near loss experience, she felt strong. Her Apple Slice dripped with a newfound power. Something was feeding her energy. Was it the thorns? It didn't matter. She had to complete her work.
She cut into the goliath, slicing more and more chunks out it. The creature ineffectively swiped at the magical girl, its limbs and tentacles slower, weaker, and more feeble. Soon, the goliath's upper shoulder was whittled away, and that was enough. The creature's goo evaporated. The goliath's human face core dropped on the street with a disgusting crunch.
Ringo didn't want to look at the fleshy remains. "Gross. This sure wasn't the usual monster of the week."
She quickly filed away a report and snapped a few photos.
Unknown hostile entity discovered past city limits while investigating citizen reports. Hostile entity neutralized. Ringo returning to night patrol.
Report done. Now she could start her actual patrol.
