The Hunter Games: A Monster Hunting LitRPG

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NOTE: This series starts off slow burn for purposes of fleshed out world building and character development. So for the first 32 chapters or so, Nero and his team will be undergoing trials/field exams for their entry into Hunter Corp.

Book 1 will be about 190k words. (We are not jumping ship!)

From hunter evaluations to entering a tournament for big prize money, there will be monster slaying, mystery solving, rank leveling, and sponsor rewards!

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CHAPTER ONE

Nero

Calling all talent! Calling all talent!

Take your career to the next level!

Become a hunter and earn easy money!

Collect fame points, gain sponsors, and become the hero of your town!

Well, what are ya waiting for?! Registration is easy. Head to your nearest sign up station today!

Easy money, huh? Ma would beg to differ….

Being a hunter was all I ever dreamt about, but it wasn’t an easy gig in the slightest. Reason number one– the application process. It was ridiculously selective. Only talents could sign up, people who were lucky enough to be born with a gift. Whether it be bending metal with your mind or shooting ice out your ass, if you got a super power, you were eligible to be a hunter. And even then, there was a preliminary review you had to pass, where your stats were judged by a council of seven elite meta-humans. Safe to say that even if you didn’t enlist, having a meta ability was pretty damn badass. Despite talents being regulated all around the globe, just being in that 10% in town was a special feat that nothing else could compare to.

And here I was, slouched over my kitchen island on my birthday, wishing that I had a meta ability….

Having a special skill would be such a game changer. And being a hunter, even more so. It was the best badge in the world by a long shot. Being a licensed slayer came with perks, like a boat load of money, prestige, and being idolized as a hero. But there’s also a scariness to it that the giftless hunter fan base tried to ignore, and that was completing kill contracts.

Which brought me to reason number two, shadow-walkers. Shadow-walkers, flesh-eaters, demons, monsters—it didn’t matter the slang. They all meant the same thing. They were the creatures you heard bumping in the night, the ones that lurked in the corners of your back alleyways and backyards, stalking and terrorizing you and everyone you love. They needed to feed on blood to survive, and they fed relentlessly. Shadow-walkers were the reason why the Hunter Corp existed in the first place, where teams of three would hunt them and their collective territorial asses. Unlike every other aspect of being a hunter, killing flesh-eaters was the most dangerous. Mom said that Hunter Corp was exploiting teenagers to handle adult problems, and she had no issue reminding me every day how much she hated the idea of kids going out there to risk their lives on a daily basis.

What she kept forgetting was that meta-humans were at their peak between the ages of 16 to 22—even longer if you’re lucky. Even though the media loved to glorify the hunter career, and hid the horrors behind closed doors, as Mom would call it, I couldn’t think of a more worthy profession for someone like me with a protector mindset. A mindset that was very well known in my family.

Mom knew I’d always wanted to save lives, even insisting that I become a doctor like Grandpa Benji. In these dark times, we need more heroes in the medical field, she’d say, and it was the very profession that triggered her to empty out her life savings in my tuition for that preppy and expensive high school.

But despite all of the money she’d invested in me and her three jobs she took on to keep things barely afloat, I wanted an insta-fix for our crippling money problems. Becoming a hunter was the quickest way to cash, and cash was what we really needed right now. After dad left when I was nine years old, Mom had been killing herself to keep us off the streets. Because of this, she’d gotten sick. No doctor or clinic could tell us what stirred these endless bouts of coughs, but they got progressively worse by the years. A better doctor required more money, and beyond everything, I wanted to become a hunter to get her the help she urgently needed.

She was the woman who had held my hand on my first day of school. The one who had nursed my scraped knees and tolerated my daredevil phase, and the one who continued raising me when we were at our darkest. She was my best friend, and undeniably the brightest light in my life, and I’d do anything for her.

In Xion, a small town in New York State and the birthplace for metas, there was still a 5% chance of getting a meta-ability before turning 18. Midnight was only a couple hours away, and her birthday nugget was crossing his fingers that he’d get lucky real soon.

When it was time to blow out the candles, I enveloped her hand in mine, letting her know that I wanted the both of us to cut the cake. “I have a lot I want to ask for, Mom. But there’s only one that means a lot to me….”

I felt a chill run through me as we drew the blade down, cutting a line through the strawberry-filled lemon cake. I’d made my wish, and then just as suddenly, a whistle blew. And not the partying type of whistle, either. How ironic that everything around us went dark the moment I sliced that cake, the sound of low churning making Mom and I look around, noticing that the power had gone out.

This wouldn’t be the first time our power went out. Luckily, I had planned in advance, installing battery-powered LED lights all over the apartment. The electricity bill was due, but the funds weren’t there to pay for it. When I offered to take care of the balance with my card, she quickly denied my help. I didn’t know why I even bothered asking— she’d never let me spend a penny for anything around the house. Not even for something as small as groceries or internet and cable. The money that I did make went to help pay for my tuition, and even then I had to fight her about the idea of me taking a part time job. According to her, more time away from the garage meant more time I could study and better my grades, but she couldn’t understand that her stressing out with all of this was making me stress out, too.

But before we could get into another fight about bills, a blue-eyed, blond bob-haired girl with furry demi-human hamster ears came in through the front door hauling bags of groceries.

Sophie, my adopted sister, was a five star chef with the personality of a skater girl. She’d promised to make my favorite meal for my birthday, and even dashed to Party City to grab some cool stuff so we could decorate. I didn’t want to be a party pooper, so I dropped the topic as I watched Mom excuse herself to her room with her cell phone to her ear. I already had an idea who she was talking to so she could get the power back on, but I didn’t say anything to Sophie….

After a few minutes of us decorating, the lights came back on. Sophie cooked us an amazing five-star dinner, and Mom made it painfully obvious that she was ignoring her phone to her hip that continued to blare every other minute. At one point, she turned it off, and I kept my mouth shut about it. I wanted to pin her hiding the fact that she was working with a loan shark on dad. When he left and shit hit the fan, she forced herself to step up. Since then, living in the struggle seemed to be the theme of our lives, and honestly, I was sick of it. But tonight… everything was going to change….

There was still time. After dinner, I counted down the minutes on the wall clock in my bedroom, waiting for my meta to kick in. My leg was restless, my shoulders, tense. Once the last minute to midnight struck, I was beyond defeated. I swear Sophie must have sensed how bummed out I was because she came into my bedroom with my favorite muffin cheesecake from her job to cheer me up. She told me to forget about hunting, and focus on what I said that night I rescued her years ago: You don’t need to be strong physically to win a fight. You just need to be smart, and patient, and honest with all the things you can and cannot do at the moment.

What I told her when we were young applied here, didn’t it? A change in career would take time, though. Even if I were to consider it. Mechanical engineer, architect–yeah, I guess I didn’t have to be a doctor, or a hunter….

I’d just have to figure out how to pay that loan shark Mom was hiding from us some other way….

++++

Naomi

Age: 18

Meta: Telekinesis

Career: Pending...

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Come morning, Sophie had me in better moods. Last night was rough, but I was feeling pretty damn good about myself now. I thought I’d have a tough time falling asleep, but I knocked out like a thumb-sucking baby. Having all of those sweets must have hit me big time, giving me the best seven hour snooze of my life. Once 7:30 am struck, I was out of bed, in my uniform, and ready to head back to school one more time before the weekend.

“Stop dragging your feet, Nero! We’ll miss the bus!” Sophie said behind me, stuffing a piece of toast in my mouth before she dashed out the door in a hurry.

During the bus ride to school, I tried to distract myself with everything and anything from Hunter Corp. Which honestly, was the hardest thing to do, considering being a hunter was all you’d see in the streets. Ads were up on billboards, on benches, on storefront posters, even on the back of the seat I was sitting behind. I picked up the magazine and shuffled through, landing on a page where Molly was posing with last year’s top hunter, Ramus.

I scoffed. “That egotistical maniac. He had to go ruin it for himself by being a junkie.”

When I reached campus, my eyes glossed over the usual scene. Acadia High was a cesspool for segregation, talent sticking with other talent on one side, and regulars wishing they were talent on the other. Using powers on school grounds was forbidden, but something small like a light show usually slipped under their radar. By now, the gifted knew how to dodge enforcers of the code, but every now and again, a showboat would get expelled for not following the rules. Which was perfect, because the rules got rid of everyone’s brolic bully, Bruce Seynaro.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get rid of his loyalists, too.

As soon as I flung the double doors of General Hall open, a bunch of push-over metas known as Brucers cocked a sneer at me. Their pissy faces instantly brought a smile on mine as I chuckled to myself. Usually, I was just the class clown, the guy with the smart mouth, or the laid back dude who hung out with the geeky kids and traded ‘anime’ cards. But a few days ago, I became public enemy number one. The Brucers tried to jump me for getting their big boy expelled last week. Bruce was all brawn and no brain, his metal sheath skill getting to his head. I’d caught him passing questionables around campus, vials he swore would give us regs powers. But Compound 7 was illegal in New York, as well as the rest of the United States, and he knew if he got caught that he’d be out of the running for a hunter career when drafting season came. So when I saw him and Ashton exchanging big cash and big product behind the bleachers, I made a nasty comment that had him swinggin’.

Bruce was strong, but with all of that muscle and metal, he was slow. I barely had to lift a finger in our fight, letting his rage do all of the work. Each punch he threw was telegraphed and easy to sidestep; his kicks couldn’t land either as I danced around him, light on my feet. His supporters, the Brucers, didn’t dare step in to help him. That’d ruin his rep and make him look pathetic. There’s no reason talent needed help fighting a reg.

There was nothing they could do but pull up a chair and watch the show, their smirks slowly turning into grimaces as I made a joke out of their leader. In exploding frustration, Bruce had finally resorted to his metal sheath extender skill. An impressive feat to say the least, but a glaring weakness to those who knew a way around it. The layer of steel around his body made him almost invincible… if he could manage to hit anything. The thick armor weighed him down, sapping his energy and making him even easier to dodge.

It was only a matter of time before a crowd formed and the principal caught on to all of the noise outside. The mess Brucester made rallied a bunch of campus enforcers, who then hauled him away.

His doormats kept their eyes on me as I made my way to my locker, their faces only splitting my grin wider. Connie, the tall blond guy out of the pack, flicked me off, and I saluted him with a middle finger bouncing off of my forehead.

“You’re a magnet for trouble, you know that?” I heard someone behind me say, and when I veered my head, I noticed my best bud Chen giving me a cheeky smirk.

I snickered. “Isn’t that why you hang out with me?”

“Oh yeah, because I absolutely love being called to PD’s office every other day to vouch for your sorry ass,” he said, rolling his eyes with a playful grin on his face. We’d been through this routine countless times before, and though he complained, I knew Chen secretly enjoyed the thrill of our escapades.

We walked side by side along the rows of lockers, ignoring the whispers that followed us like a stray puppy. “You look paranoid, Chen,” I said, looking over my shoulder at him as he turned to me sheepishly. “Stop worrying. Con-man isn’t going to get expelled and hurt his chances of being enlisted.”

“You say that, but Bruce had no problem trying to squash your ass last week.”

“That’s because he’s dense, and registration wasn’t open last week.”

“But they are open now. Now until Saturday morning.”

“Not even a full 24 hours… such a tight window.”

“Hey, I know you’re crapping out about not getting an ability, but I hope you were still able to enjoy your birthday.” He smiled. “Did you get anything awesome?”

“Nah. Told the familia that I didn’t want anything this year. Money is tight enough as it is,” I said, unloading my locker and proceeding to walk back down the hallway. “Hey, wanna grab some protein smoothies in the caf before class? I didn’t have much for breakf—” I stopped, being thumped in the shoulder by the long ivory-haired girl brushing past me.

I held myself up by my heel and then turned around to watch her and her long sashaying ponytail go, Naomi unfazed from nearly pushing me over. I swore that was intentional, because she would do this type of shit at least once a week and not say a damn thing about it.

“Out of your league,” Chen said before I could get a word out.

I snapped my head at him with my mouth hanging off the floor, shocked. “What?”

“I see the way you look at Naomi. She’s out of your league, bro. So don’t even bother.”

I tittered nervously. “What? No. I’m not even looking her way.”

“You got a type, an alt girl. And she’s gotta be quiet and she’s gotta be smart–hard to get, too. But she’s not for you, brother.”

“She’s cute, but the thought honestly never crossed my mind.”

“Good. Because she will grind your heart and have it for dinner. There’s something about her that feels off. She’s just... weird. And a real pissy bitch, too….”

I laughed. “You’re still mad about the time she hooked you?”

“She nearly knocked a molar right outta’ my mouth!”

“That’s because you were poking under her skirt like a perv!”

“I WASN’T—” Chen cut himself short and reeled his loud voice in, then grabbed my arm toward him as he walked us to a quiet section in the hallway. “For the last time, I wasn’t peeking under her skirt!” he whispered through his teeth. “I dropped my text book and went down to pick it up!”

“And her ass happened to be there. Yeah, I know, I know. Heard the story about a thousand times.”

“And you still don’t believe me!”

“Just admit you don’t have a grip on your urges, buddy. Bet you’ll never do it again!” I teased.

“Hey, look over there,” Chen said, pointing at the electronic bulletin at the end of the hallway. “The school already has a list of top talent. Their favorite picks to become hunters.”

“Damn, that was quick.” I followed Chen to the crowd gathered around the interactive bulletin smart screen at least twice my height. There was a long list of names and stat sheets, where only 30% of the school’s meta population were listed.

My eyes fell on a few, one of them catching my immediate attention:

“His attributes aren’t insanely high,” I said to myself. “Pretty average in my opinion. Which could be a good thing…”

“Sign up list is on the bottom, over here,” Chen said, pressing the next arrow to a different list that was several screen-pages long. “Heh, most of these students aren’t even gifted!”

“Let me see.” I glossed over it, realizing just about every name on the school was on this list. “What, this list is a joke. Who is going to sit down and waste time filtering through this?”

“At least we get to see the potential team-ups. Three talents per hunter team. A perfect way to make enemies out of friends!”

I snorted. “With only three spots to fill, yeah, it’s tough.”

“Sorry man,” Chen said. “I know how badly you wanted your name up there.”

“Nah, I’m good. Really. It’s history now. I’m going to take the advice of a very sharp cookie and keep to things I can do, not things that I can’t.”

“Well then, that’s the spirit! Now, if we want to get to block A on time, then I suggest we swing by the cafeteria now. Let’s go.”

++++

Seeing that list had the blood in my veins on fire to be a hunter again. Right after I got over it, I had to be reminded of the adventure of it all. I couldn’t keep my foot still, my jitters going through the roof. Classes seemed longer, and the time slower. I was itching to be as far away from that bulletin board as possible.

Seeing those stat sheets made me remember that being qualified to become a hunter wasn’t all about high attributes. It was about character, charisma, and likability. The more likable you were, the more sponsors you could get, and the more money and recognition they’d get. After shooing the school bully off of campus grounds, I scored a few popular points among my peers, which would have bumped me big time if I had some spark…

“Cut it out, would ya?” I hissed to myself as I closed my locker shut. “Big dream, big fall. It doesn’t mean the end of the world, though.”

“See you next week, my guy!” Chen waved at me as he headed off, taking his bike home while I waited for a few minutes more for the bus.

After school, I went to work at Greeley’s Auto Shop, finding Mr. Greeley himself underneath a suspended F150. I gave him a shout, and he greeted me back, keeping his eyes locked on the engine block. I moved around the labyrinth of car parts scattered about, and then I hung my backpack on the rusty hook along the door before heading to the bathroom to change out of my school uniform. Once I was in my dingy, oil-stained overalls, I rolled up my sleeves, ready for work.

“Got anything special today, Mr. Greeley?” I looked over at him, wiping my hands on a rag.

“Nah, just the usual kid,” he replied without looking up from his work. “Got a few oil changes and tire rotations waiting for ya.” His voice rumbled under the clatter of tools against metal, his thick Brooklyn accent heavy like a tailpipe belching smoke. “And don’t forget about that transmission job on the ‘67 Impala. Old beaut needs some tender lovin’ care.”

“Aye, Mr. Greeley,” I agreed, heading over to my workstation. I walked toward the back lot where a row of cars were waiting like patients in an overcrowded clinic. The sun was starting to dip low, sending long shadows sprawling over the yard and painting everything in hues of orange and pink. The scent of fresh rubber, metallic oil, and decades of hard work and sweat filled the air. Picking up my tools, I was ready to plunge into the mechanical nuances of the evening.

After working eight hours at the shop, it was finally time to go home. I was starving, and I couldn’t wait to eat Sophie’s leftovers from my birthday last night. I took the bus and had a few blocks left to walk before I reached my apartment. But I was starving, so I took a shortcut through Monument Park

.

I could feel the full moon over my shoulders shining down my path, but the grass was still dark as shit. Chills started to creep up my back, the air so quiet that I could hear my own rushing heartbeat. Areas with tall trees and hidden clearings were perfect hunting grounds for walkers. Even though my stomach was begging me to get home faster, I’d rather take the longer route than risk crossing paths with those monsters.

“I can’t do it,” I whispered, feeling my legs shake before they made a complete stop.

I’ll turn back now. No shame in pussying out….

I don’t have anything to prove, I said to myself, and then a chime startled me, my phone buzzing from a text.

Sophie messaged me; she sounded worried. My signal was finally back up, so I told her that I was fine. I texted her that my boss had an emergency and I had to stay a little late, but I was on my way home now.

I turned back, ready to take the smart route home, before a scream forced me to turn my head toward the park, the echo of a desperate woman making me freeze.

At first, I tried telling myself that it was the paranoia messing with my head and making me hear things, but then I heard the scream again, “Someone, help me!”

I tightened my fist and grounded my feet. Her echo was coming from deep within the forest lines of the park. For a second, I was frozen stiff, the sound of my heart knocking against my chest holding me down. Her next scream knocked me back to reality, where I fumbled with my phone to dial the Hunter Hotline Number.

“Come on, come on, come on!” I grunted to myself, realizing my signal went out again. “Damn it!”

Help wasn’t coming. It was just her, the threat, and the sweat around my collar trickling down my back.

I’d never be able to live with myself if I let my doubts keep me from helping someone. This was what hunters did on a regular basis, so I should at least see what was going on….

With a deep breath, I ran toward the grove, ignoring every muscle in my body telling me I shouldn’t. The best case scenario was bumping into a street thug. I had a pocket knife that I could use if anything. The worst case scenario was finding a god damn shadow walker, and with the streets so dead, I doubted there was a hunter around. If there were, they’d have been here by now. So I planned on taking her and running to the nearest safehouse, an abandoned church I knew was a few blocks away from here.

“Please! Someone!” the voice echoed again. I ran faster, rushing deeper into the park. With every step, my heart raced as the sound of growling confirmed what I was afraid of.

That grunt sounded deep… I wonder how big it is….

Those heavy clouds in the sky blocked the moon, leaving everything around me in shades of black. That didn’t help me one bit as I tried to assess my surroundings. Figures formed out of shadows, making me doubt every step I took. I followed her voice the best I could as I slowed down and moved cautiously. When I pushed aside a thick curtain of knobbled branches, I finally found myself in a small clearing. And in the center was a young woman huddled on the ground, with a five meter behemoth hovering over her.

I held my breath. She was cornered and helpless, the menace drooling over her ready for his meal. I whipped out my pocket knife as I watched the bones along his dark leathery spine extend, a reaction from the asshole getting excited after the chase. He looked like a cross between a werewolf and a giant rabid bat, with claws six feet long and narrow ears that could hear everything from a mile away—including me.

When his furry ear flicked and his snout poked up the air, I knew he’d caught my scent. He turned around and gave me a looming look, those fangs in his mouth stretching wide.

“Ahh, another entrée,” he taunted in a deep raspy growl with a twisted smile plastered on his ugly face. “I love food that delivers itself!”

I braced myself as his red beady eyes flickered satisfyingly, his long whipping tongue lapping over his lips. He looked like a category C threat, but I couldn’t be sure until he started attacking.

Not that it mattered anyway. I wasn’t a hunter, so I didn’t have much in my arsenal to compete with him.

Even so, I squared my eyes on him and scoffed. “Honestly, I’d be a terrible meal!” I jested. “All skin and bones, really. How about you turn back around and try your luck elsewhere? Let’s say, hell?”

“Been there, done that,” he hissed, the brute turning his body to me fully. “Why go anywhere when I’m having so much fun in this petri dish of a city?”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, pal, but this city is about done with your kind. You’re all but a bunch of misfits causing chaos,” I retorted, my grip on the knife tightening.

The sick piece of shit let out a horrifying laugh and sighed. “Is that so?” he rumbled. “Well, I’ve got news for you, human... you runts are our playthings. And we’re not finished having fun in the playground!”

I sucked in a deep breath and firmed up my posture. Knowing what I was up against now, I should have tried my luck and ran off. Any sane man would. But I couldn’t run, no matter how much my body begged. There was something about these freaks that really got under my skin, and even though I didn’t have a gift, I wasn’t going to let them terrorize my city.

“Judging by that puny knife of yours, I’d say you aren’t a meta-human. So what are you? A punk kid with a death wish?”

I smirked. “Honestly, all of you blood-sucking pricks are so fucking full of yourselves! Believing that the world is yours to eat up. Well, you keep on with that narrow-minded and ignorant thinking. And you keep making your nests and swarming into territories. The day will come where you’ll all be snuffed out! It’s not a matter of if, only a matter of when. And I promise you, that day is right around the corner.”

“Oh, really?” he sneered, his claws stretching out as he crept closer to me. “And who’s going to get rid of us? You?”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my bravado intact. “You go on and keep thinking that Hunter Corp is a joke. Dumb monsters are dead monsters. Your ego is going to be your downfall.”

His malicious laughter echoed through the clearing before he snarled. “I doubt it. I’ve eaten my way to a handful of them already. They are simply mouthwatering when they wail and scream, and when they cry for their mommies, it’s just icing on the cake! The taste of fear on my tongue is something I can never get tired of, and I can smell it all over you.” He whiffed, getting down on his fours. “You’re truly pathetic to think you can hurt me. But it will amuse me to see you try!”

Just like that, the asshole lunged at me with a guttural roar. My breath hitched at his bulking muscles and his quick speed. I wasn’t ready for the quick movement on this guy as I lifted my pocket knife defensively, not letting my eyes leave him for a second. The first thought that crossed my mind was how my knife was more of an annoyance than an actual weapon against this monster, but it was all I had. Since I was limited, I took the second I had to think of a plan to give myself an edge. The pouch along the side of my backpack had about a half bottle of motor oil in it that I was planning to give to one of our unit neighbors. Without wasting time, I reached for it and popped the cap open, then gave the beast a grease wash as soon as he crossed me.

I splashed his face before I leaped back. My side-step carried me behind a tree, the same tree he recklessly crashed into. I had aimed for his eyes, temporarily blinding him while I ran to the girl. She had a hard time getting up, so I helped her, realizing she had a twisted ankle.

“I think I can make it,” she whispered, her voice trying to hide the pain shooting up her leg. Her watery eyes turned to me, where I could see the genuine appreciation for me coming here to help her. “Thank you.”

I smiled. “Don’t thank me yet. Mr. Steroids over there isn’t dead.”

Her eyes grew. “I hope you don’t plan on fighting him alone? You have no gift.”

“No, I’m not. I’m going to buy you time so you can run on out of here.”

“What?!”

“Run, as fast as you can, all right? You know the abandoned church up Elric Place? Go there. You’ll be safe.”

“But what about—”

“No time, he’s getting back up. Just go, now!” I ordered her, the woman not wasting any more time. She hobbled down the forest and left me behind, my eyes turning over my shoulder to the brute getting his bearings.

“You insolent whelp!” he bellowed, “You’ll pay for that dirty trick!”

I had to calculate my options quickly. I knew carrying her to safety was out of the question. I couldn’t cap my speed with her broken ankle, however, I could buy her time to escape, and that’s exactly the route I took as I turned around to face this monster a second time.

He paced his way back to me, his heightened sense of smell helping him locate where I was. Knowing that, I circled him, watching as he continued to scratch the oil from his beady red eyes.

“Oh, I’m going to take my time ripping you apart! I’ll crush every bone in your body, you hear me, boy?!” He lunged again, using his massive claws to try and swat me away like a fly. I dove to my right, narrowly avoiding the swipe. The ground shook under his weight as he came crashing down where I had stood just seconds earlier. My head kept focused, on my own movements, and even more on his. I wasn’t a seasoned fighter, but I did pay attention to those talent electives at school, where only promising gifted students were allowed to enroll in combat courses. From the full-glass walls of Master Jen’s classroom I watched, dissecting every turn and every swing. Adrenaline ran through me as I implemented what I’d learned, doing more dodging than actually getting my hands dirty.

It was how I was able to outsmart Bruce.

I ducked and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding another swipe that would have sent me spiraling. When the beast noticed he wasn’t landing any hits, he broke his stride and grinned with a squint. “Quick on your feet, I like that. This will not be as boring as I thought. But if there’s one thing you should know about shadow-UGH!” he yelped, feeling my pocket knife plunge deep inside his foot. He roared in pain, my move risky as fuck. I’d only gotten close after I was sure the woman had run away far enough. Now, it was my turn to get the hell out of here.

I turned around and hauled ass out of the ring. Fight smart, not stupid. I knew from the very beginning that I was no match for this guy, so as soon as I found an exit, I took it. But my moxie move angered the beast, his roar giving me goosebumps as I ran away.

“That’s it! I’m done playing with food! If you won’t stand still, I will make you!” Without another word, his entire body began to glow a bright beaming white. His power sent a tremoring pulse wave along the ground that instantly made me stop dead in my tracks when it reached me. I staggered back, trying to keep myself from falling. With one look between my feet, I started to freak out, realizing they wouldn’t budge no matter how hard I tried to wedge them up.

“What the hell?!” I muttered to myself, my heart pounding against my chest. My entire bottom half was numb, allowing the beast to inch up to me.

I didn’t have to turn around to feel how terrifyingly close he was. As a matter of fact, I was too afraid to, knowing shit only went south from here. I could feel his rancid breath roll over my nape as he sized me down. My eyes went wide as I tried to wrack my brain over my crisis right now, but shit… I was fucking out of options…

Everything went blurry and it felt as though my mind was being dragged through sludge. I had to think, to act, but my traitor body refused to cooperate. I could smell the beast now as he drew closer, the stench of sulfur and hot iron filled my nostrils, making me choke.

“Luck can only get you so far,” he sneered as he circled me. “That move takes a lot out of me, and I haven’t eaten. So you could imagine the insatiable amount of hunger I’m enduring right now!” He cackled. “You’re going to wish you hadn’t saved that girl. Risking your life for a complete stranger. My, you really are as dumb as they come!”

I tossed a punch against his snout when his face inched close, the walker unfazed. I didn’t leave a scratch on his long muzzle, my face wincing as the blinding light over his body suddenly faded away. “Like I said, taxing skill. But it does come with some perks.” Just like that, he jerked his huge arm into my chest, my throat clenching up as he yanked out my heart.

It happened so fast that my body felt like it lagged a reaction. Signals fired through my head, and I couldn’t make any sense of them. I felt dizzy and weak as a wave of shock heated my blood. When he reeled his arm back, he wagged my heart in front of me, taunting me. My vision blurred as the world around me started to spin uncontrollably, the feeling of death not too far behind. I vaguely heard him laugh; a deranged, satisfied snicker before he slurped my heart whole down his meat chute. “Truly delectable…”

My body dropped hard on the ground, whatever spellwork he had locking my legs gone. After collapsing with my chest open for the stars to see, I tried to move my lips, nothing but gurgling noises coming out.

Was this really how I was going to go? Was this my defining moment?

Reg faces off walker, thinking he’s meta. Secures his death bed by being a wannabe hunter.

I could see the headlines now, and I hated that the first thing that crossed my mind was regretting how weak I was….

The feeling that chased my regrets was the idea of leaving mom so vulnerable, and that shit was ten times worse.

A tear slid down my cheek at the thought, my shaking hand instinctively clutching at the gaping hole in my chest. The wound felt so viscous and raw as if he had carved out a piece of my very soul. The world was quickly becoming a fevered dream. Sounds were muffled as though submerged underwater, colors blending into an indistinguishable mess of swirling darkness. My eyes felt heavy like they were sinking through the back of my head with the edges of my vision fringed with black. Every shallow breath I drew was a struggle, until I told myself to stop fighting the inevitable.

The beast loomed over me, ready to finish the job. Eat me down to the bone, right? The least you could do is knock me out first. His thin, long fingers sprawled over my face, the cold touch suddenly sharpening my senses and jolting me from the edge of unconsciousness. His red eyes glared down, those beady orbs reflecting my defeated gaze back at me. I could see my life ebbing away in his eyes, and feel my essence being sucked down some fucking abyss. Without a thread of fight left in me, I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head.

A shred of peace was all I asked for before I died….

“Hmm?” the beast grunted, lifting his head up like he heard something behind him. And then just as something caught his attention, his head exploded….

I was showered with monster blood, both inside and out. I didn’t have any brain cells left to try to work out an explanation to what the hell had just happened. All I knew was that one moment the behemoth was about to eat me, and then the next, his head was gone. His body dropped to the side of me with a loud thump, confirming that this wasn’t some last moment illusion I was going through.

Weirder than that, I had a visitor approach my impending grave….

I couldn’t make out the features at all, my vision leaving me. The only thing I could compare it to was pulsing static blur of a black and white movie on one of those ancient tube televisions. The newcomer knelt beside me with their form indistinct, but I was conscious enough to realize that it was a girl. Her hand reached out, hovering hesitantly over the bloody wound on my chest. Even though I couldn’t see clearly, I could feel a warmth radiating from her palm.

“Who…?” I wanted to croak out, but my voice was gone. The effort was too much, the world threatening to fold in on me again.

She cradled me on her lap, where I then felt her soft fingers brush along my dark bangs. Her silhouette against the moonlight was beginning to look familiar, as I realized that I may actually know who this mystery chick was….

Suddenly, a strong pull clenched my chest, the pain so unbearable that it made being punched in the chest feel like a paper cut. It was nothing I’d ever experienced before in my life! I tensed, feeling my body jump up and freeze up like I was being shocked by live wires. I could feel myself struggling to breathe, my desperate gasps filling the silence around us. She didn’t hesitate, nor did she stop whatever the hell she was doing to me! My body couldn’t take it, this weird, overbearing energy taking me to hell and back. Unable to tolerate it anymore, I sunk into the void of black, finally letting death collect its due.

---

Damn... brutal death...

In loving memory of Nero Aldeon

-The Metaless Boy Wonder-

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