Seconds before the explosion, the sky above Stalwart Valley was engulfed in a ghastly pale light. Despite the distance of the eruption, the thunderous sound of its spreading pulse resonated deeply. Cyrus instinctively ran to the front of his house and faced the outburst. He froze in his tracks as the ethereal blast covered the air; a burst of wind quickly followed. The strength of the winds was unable to move the hunter, who stared at the ghastly light with a breathless and thunderstruck expression. Distant sounds of shrieking erupted from within the town. Cyrus's eyes fall to the village, his vision revealing the citizens in a panic and scrambling for cover. Without a moment’s notice, his body moved toward the blast. In pain, he strained his voice, calling out to his sister, who had not yet returned. 

“CYRENE!” 

The hunter sprints into the bazaar, looking for his sister.

“CYRENE,” he cried. “CYRENE!” 

“Hunter!” 

A young man runs to Cyrus and leans his body against an adjacent wall. The boy was heaving heavily in an attempt to catch his breath. Cyrus looks at him, then around the area, trying to spot Cyrene. 

“Have you seen my sister?!"

“N-no! I haven’t, but I think we have more pressing matters! A swarm of monsters has started to pour out from the Silent Grotto; they’re on their way here now! The other villagers have nowhere left to run! We’re counting on you to stop them!” 

“More monsters?!” The hunter exclaims. “The timing couldn't be worse!” 

Cyrus looks down to his side where his sword should be, but in panic, realizes he ran off without it.

“Damn, no weapon!" 

“Hunter, please! You must find a way to help us!” 

Cyrus continues to look around for his sister, but cannot spot her in the bedlam. However, through the screaming crowds of people, the hunter finds something peculiar. Sitting in the middle of the chaos was but a lone sword implanted firmly in the ground. He feels his body almost beckoned by its presence. Cyrus approaches the blade and pulls it out of the ground; a faint light covers its steel. The light of the material reflected an unknown image of a cloaked figure with a mask; he appeared to be slowly walking in the direction of the Grotto. Cyrus darted back to find the mysterious individual but was only greeted by the adjacent civilians crying for help.

"Help us, hunter!"

The civilians formed a small line huddle in front of him, blocking his path. Cyrus shifts his eyes from the citizens back to the hooded figure.

"Who is that?" He murmurs. 

One of the townsfolk turns and sees the merchant in the distance.

"That person? I believe I saw him chatting with the huntress some time ago."

"With my sister?"

"Yes. After that, I don't recall where she went."

Cyrus glares at the man leaving the area. He grips his sword in his hand and holds it to his side.

"Tell everyone to hide somewhere safe. I shall deal with the monsters," he proclaims.

The child nods.

"Yes, sir!"

The townsfolk scatter about, taking shelter within homes, behind merchant stands, and above small rooftops. Cyrus sprints toward the Grotto to intercept the mysterious merchant.

"You! Stop!"

The hunter hurries to the man, gripping his sword tightly. His demands are ignored as the merchant continues walking toward the forest. Cyrus grows ire at the man's dismissals. He gnaws at his teeth.

"Take another step and I will carve you in half!" He growled. 

The merchant stops in his tracks but does not turn around.

"You were the last person to speak with my daughter!" He exclaims in a fever pitch. "Where is she?!"

The merchant raises his right arm and points back with his thumb.

"Cliffside." 

Cyrus was seething, knowing the source of the explosion was more toward said direction.

"Why is she there? What have you done?!"

"She was there to take care of some monster. As for what I've done, I just gave her a little pick-me-up, no worries. Granted, that pick-me-up did leave her in a crater..."

Cyrus' eyes widened. Sudden darkness enveloped his being, and a surge of bloodlust seared through his body. The merchant slowly turns around, almost as though he could feel his ferocity. By the tone of his voice, it almost seemed he was smiling behind his mask.

"But she seemed like a tough girl, so I think she'll be fine-"

The merchant's eyes fell upon the hunter's arm. It was reeled back, inches away from slicing off, drawing his sword, and slicing the peddler's head.

SCHWING

Cyrus swings his blade, but the merchant takes a massive leap back, leaving a small cloud of dust where he previously stood. The merchant now stood far away, leaning closer to the entrance of the forest. He raises both of his hands in a submissive manner. 

"Whoa! Hey! Calm down, will ya? She's fine! I promise!"

Cyrus locks his wrathful gaze onto the merchant. His body was trembling, yearning to kill the mysterious man. The merchant dusts himself off and proceeds back into the forest.

"The girl should be okay. If ya hurry, you might even catch her leaving the cliffside. As for me, I've gotta get outta here. I'll see ya!"

The merchant shrugs.

"Or not, I don't know."

The merchant disappears into the woodlands. Cyrus thought to pursue the enigma, but he turned his head to the precipice. Longing to retreat to the cliffside, the sudden sound of growling alerted him. He shifts his attention back to the forest. At first, the hunter sees the merchant fading into the depths of the timberland. Yet what followed was a horde of monsters treading out of the grove. A slew of Tripwires, Shades, Reapers, and other more distorted creatures emerged with deformities to their color and appendages. Their grotesque appearance did not waver Cyrus. He holds his blade against his approaching enemies.

"Like lambs to the slaughter...!" 

The hunter tore apart the Tripwires that dared to pounce on him, ending their lives with ferocious slashes and painting the ground with strokes of blood. Some Tripwires were barely able to nick away at his arms; others were cut down the moment they reached slashing distance.  

The Reapers fared a bit better in their fight against the huntsman, their agility making it harder to strike them. Those who managed to land small cheeky stings against Cyrus’s body were immediately put down. The Shades, while wildly swinging in Cyrus’s direction, forced the hunter to take evasive maneuvers as the drones of enemies continued to pour in, slowly overwhelming the hunters by sheer numbers. Many of the beasts Cyrus failed to slay sprinted past him and darted towards the village. The hunter would sway his attention from his opponents and lock onto the fleeing targets. Powerless to interfere with the speeding creatures, he refocuses on the adversaries in front of him.

His need to finish the fight only bolstered his speed. Cyrus was accumulating several wounds on his body, some of which were small, others that had done substantial damage. His persistence in the matter only helped to weaken his body swiftly, with both blood and bruises appearing inside his torn clothing. The poison from the Reaper’s stings began to accumulate inside his body, slowing down his movement. The Tripwires used their hook tails to whip Cyrus’s body, cracking its tail against his chest and legs. 

“Urk!” 

Cyrus tries to hold in the pain he's accumulated. The bangs on his hair drooped over his face. He jumped back to try and recollect himself. The number of bodies that fell into his hand was phenomenal compared to what he was normally accustomed to. Tens of bodies were scattered, some of which were in pieces, yet the monsters continued to pour in. Though he was capable of slaying them, the strength of the new mutations drained most of Cyrus’ energy. He stood by his lonesome, the small pack of animals fast approaching him. And the entire time, the merchant was watching from afar, leaning his body against a tree.

“Wow, this guy’s tough…”

Cyrus took a deep breath, and with one hand, he slicked his hair back into its original position. The life from his eyes gradually started to drain. The only thought that was churning in his head was to find his sister. His body felt close to fainting, but a surge of energy enveloped him. His blade flows with power, and he charges forward with a battle cry.   

“RAAAAAAUGH!”