There it was, as obvious as the rising sun. Yet another Hunter gleefully causing untold amounts of harm to everything around him. Contempt and revulsion flooded into my chest, reaching down into my very being. I was once again confronted with the vile nature of the majority of Hunters in the Game. The desire to bring vengeance upon those who commit these abhorrent acts steeled my will. “Am I the only Hunter in this gods-forsaken world whose only purpose isn’t to bring death and ruin to everything touched,” I said, my lips pressed together tightly.

Fury and righteous vitality filled my body as if being pulled from some deep reservoir. Unaware, my battle axe was suddenly in my hand as if it had summoned itself. The edge of the weapon began to shine with a cold light. The supernatural glow it emitted saturating the stonework around us. Though I only now barely registered it, the weapon had gone ice-cold in my grasp. Power built within its mana-rich metal, vibrating there with potential energy. Strength radiated upwards, first into my fingers, before spreading like a wave of might into me. Unaware to me, or even Stella, the weapon’s previously hidden requirement to unlock its true potential has found a resonance in me. The two forces aligned before locking into place. Frostrend, the Ragebringer, had awoken for the first time.

Crackling blue lightning arced along the bladed edge like living lightning. The pulsing energy grew thicker and more robust with the rhythm of my heartbeat. The electric energy was soon coursing down the weapon’s haft, twisting around the weapon and its leather-wrapped handle before burying into my wrist in one continuous stream. I didn’t know it yet but my Core, the vessel from which all of my magical power resided, had found a twin. At the touch of the dynamic energy, my mind’s eye peered inwards. There, I saw my Core for the first time.

It was a sphere of utter blackness, a wellspring whose surface appeared to have been eclipsed in perpetual darkness. Everything changed the moment vibrant sapphire lightning appeared from the surrounding darkness, bathing my Core in its azure light. Electric-like fingers reached down to the sphere as if probing its surface. As I watched, and as if drawn in by some great pressure or vacuum, the electricity thrust across the orb’s event horizon. In a fraction of a second, the two powers merged and my Core soon had ice-covered swirls of lightning dancing across its now glossy surface. The sphere slowly turned in my vision, as if it was a great celestial body and I was some astral being gazing upon it. Cobalt lightning periodically flashed, arcing between shadows rimmed with frost. Like miniature hurricanes, they traversed across its surface.

Pulling my consciousness back, I opened my eyes. Pulling my weapon, Frostrend, close to my face. From this point forward, the weapon’s name was etched on my Core. The same cool-blue lightning crackling across the edge arced downwards and across the handle erratically. With a thought, the energy dimmed to a barely perceptible level. “So, when I have the need to hide, you will oblige,” I said gratefully.

With Frostrend in my hand, we would end the blight of this Hunter, and any other like him. Now, I truly was the Hunter Killer.

Stella flew in front of me, her mouth hanging open as she looked between me and the axe, “What… happened?” Stunned amazement played across her delicate features. It was as if she was having a hard time forming the words as her mind raced ahead of its own accord. “I didn’t know that something like this could happen, that it was even possible!” Stella glided close to the weapon as I held it near my face, the glow of the weapon’s energy reflecting off her irises. She was at a loss to explain what had happened.

“Oh man,” Stella said excitedly. “You need to inspect that.” Her eyes were dancing left and right as if already reading the information I was about to see. With a thought, I inspected my new weapon.

{Frostrend, the Ragebringer}. (Soulbound). Made from an extremely rare type of metal with exceptional mana conductivity, this unique weapon has had its true potential unlocked and is now soul bound to a single individual. Enchanted with living lightning, and infused with an intensely bitter cold, this weapon will bring ruin upon its enemies. It, like its master, seeks to bring vengeance against any who would bring harm to the innocent. Quality: Masterwork. Rarity: Unique. Type: Slashing, one-handed. Slot: Primary. Durability: 100,000/100,000. Speed: Very Fast.

Effect(s): Adds 48 to 128 physical damage per attack. Melee attacks and skills with this weapon have a high chance of inflicting the debuff “Blistering Freeze.” This effect causes a high amount of frost damage and enmity. Additionally, the wound and surrounding equipment flash freezes, taking on the brittle characteristic. Any additional melee strikes to this area will have their damage increased significantly and may cause a shattering effect. Once triggered, this effect has a 10 second internal cooldown.

Secondary Effect(s): 30% Attack Speed, 100% Enhanced Damage

“It suits you,” Stella said as she continued to admire my improved weapon. “That’s going to come in handy when we engage with whoever this Tsurra person is. Oh boy, is he going to come to regret catching our attention.”

“Indeed,” I replied succinctly. Frostrend held tightly, I crouched low before descending into the waiting darkness. My eyes switched over to darkvision and I called upon the weapon to hide its glow. The narrow stairs led downwards for several flights before leveling out, though the ground still had a descending angle. The stone bricks creating the passageway were clean and appeared to be exceptionally well-maintained. There wasn’t a single sign of roots or moss, really anything living. Though, perhaps it only appeared this way with the release of death energy that had been sent rippling out from whatever power Tsurra had unleashed.

As we continued onwards, my thoughts returned to my battle axe once more. I was keenly aware. It felt different in my hand. Before it was only a tool, a strong one for sure, but a tool nonetheless. It had saved my life at least a couple of times now, but a simple weapon it remained. Now though, it had a certain weight, a magnitude to it. The axe felt as if it had become a true extension of my own body, my will. It weighed no more than before, but at the same time, the power contained within it was… palpable.

As we trudged on silently, I tested the weapon by taking several practice swings. Feeling its agile movement through the air, it seemed to want to propel itself onwards. An effect of the weapon’s thirty percent haste, no doubt. The feel of it in my hand was similar to Stella’s reassuring presence, or Ripley’s protective embrace. I knew it could be called upon, like a friend, in a time of great need. Frostrend represented the raw power of my spirit and determination. It matched my desire to bring some sense of order, of righteousness, into this world.

Even when stowed in my inventory, the feel of the bond still reached me. To my delight, I quickly worked out, with the briefest of thoughts, Frostrend would appear instantly in my waiting fingers. Ever ready to unleash its fury.

Stella was watching as I tested calling and storing the axe in rapid succession, “That’s a property of the soulbound connection you now have with it,” she said. “You could leave it on the ground, or even have it stolen from you, only for it to return to your inventory a short time later. You can never lose that weapon.”

“Am I able to let someone else use it,” I asked quietly when we paused to examine our surroundings. The air around us had steadily been growing warmer, the humidity causing sweat to be on my brow even though I was hardly exerting myself. The corridor was opening ahead, enough so for two people to stand abreast. Though, I doubted we would change from our single file formation. Lowki had the lead by a few paces, followed by me, with Ripley a step behind acting as a rear guard.

“Well, if someone grabs it by the hilt, without having your expressed permission to handle it, they’ll find it as difficult to hold as if it was covered in grease. All the while, you can opt to let someone else use it. And the weapon, being soul bound, will recognize your intent and allow someone else to use it.” Stella's voice was low as she whispered close to my ear.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Good to know, thanks,” I replied. “I was thinking of a situation where I may need to pass it to Ripley during a fight.” We had been moving nonstop for around ten minutes with little change of the passage, so I decided to pull up my mini-map to see how far we had descended. Overall, our short jaunt had taken us about a hundred feet below the surface and the realization gave me pause.

“Whatever caused the surface to wither and decay,” I said with a finger pressed against my lips. “Must have been incredibly powerful considering it reached through a thousand tons of rock and earth over our heads.”

“Yeah. From what it looks like, it was as if a sphere of magic radiated outwards from a singular point underground,” Stella said as she peered around. “But my estimation, we’re getting close to the epicenter.”

“Say, Stell, what’s up with this quest by the way,” I asked as I pulled up the notification once more. “It’s not like other quests we’ve received. This one has ‘unknown’ listed for the recommended level and party size.”

“That’s because it’s being caused by another hunter,” she replied. “Usually, the System lets Hunters do their own thing with little interference. Very rarely though, if they’re doing something wildly out of the norm, it may give nearby Hunters an incentive to step in via a quest reward. We can assume this Hunter’s actions are going to significantly, and likely permanently, impact the surrounding lands. So, the System intervened.”

We came to the fork in the hall so had a choice to make; go left or right. “So, it’s using us?” I asked. To the right was the now familiar stone hallway, though I noticed it was slightly angled upwards leading me to believe it must lead back to the surface. To our left, the hallway widened further, enough for a party of five to walk down with room to spare.

We took the left path as Stella replied to my question. “In a way. Though had we not been close, nothing special would have happened. The System wouldn’t create mobs to stop this Hunter, as an example, regardless of what he’s doing or how much harm he may be causing. It only responded and generated the quest because we were nearby.”

“Good to know. And it makes me glad we’re here to put a stop to it. Hey, the quest also doesn’t have the typical objectives I’ve come to expect. Does that mean we need to kill the Hunter, or just stop whatever is causing the blight?”

“Perhaps both,” Stella said as she leaned in closer to my ear. “It’s left open-ended intentionally, though may update as we progress further. This whole situation wasn’t created by the System like most quests are, though I’d be surprised if it hadn’t likely played a hand in its development. Probably by dropping some ancient relic or a lost spell book as loot for this Hunter. Either way, if we don’t stop it, I’m certain it's going to lead to a significant loss of life.”

Xaz: We’re close. Chat only from now on.

As I took another step, something tickled my senses. Motioning for the group to hold, I closed my eyes and tried to open my senses to everything around me. In the stillness of my mind, I felt… something. It was like a slow beat of a heart.

Xaz: There’s a magic here, something in the air.

It felt like standing near to a slow but steady beating drum. Though, the sound could not be heard with our ears. This was felt in your chest. The subtle way it passed through me so lightly belied the power behind it. Of that, I was certain.

And, it was growing faster.

Xaz: We’re close, be ready.

As my body tensed, the fur on Lowki’s back stood slightly on end. Ripley tightened the grip on her great sword, and Stella’s small paws latched firmly onto my shoulder. We crept forward, ever in stealth. Coming around a bend, we found a great stone archway, similar to the one on the surface, but twice as tall. Hell, the obelisk giant we defeated wouldn’t have much difficulty passing underneath it with how imposing it looked. Though it looked like the space beyond was opening up into a grand ballroom, our vision was cut off only a few feet in. Our sight was hindered because of an opaque dome of energy stretching all the way from the ground to the high ceiling above.

Stella: It’s a magical shield of some kind.

Lowki stopped at its edge and crouched low, sniffing at the arcane barrier. Coming to his side, I knelt next to him.

Xaz: Do you think this will prevent us from passing through?

Stella and I made eye contact. She could only shrug, as unsure about what was going on as I was. When she motioned with her chin for me to try, I shrugged back at her before taking a step forward. It was like stepping into a furnace. The opaque barrier turned out to be only several inches thick and radiated with extreme heat, though I was able to pass through with little resistance or aftereffect.

On the other side, the archway opened up to an immense basilica, complete with stone pillars reaching to the ceiling now some five stories up. The room was forty paces long and twice as wide. The towering columns were spaced evenly throughout the room and had the effect of funneling our eyes ahead. Great chandeliers hung from the ceiling, burning with countless candles to bathe the area in flickering light.

At the far end of the room was a hooded figure kneeling before a marble altar. As we watched, my eye locked onto a dagger held high in his hand. It held for a moment before descending brutally downwards with lethal intent. As the weapon landed, it wasn’t the hard ring of steel on stone that echoed outwards. The blow impacted something soft, something made of flesh and bones. It was then I noticed a slight form lying atop the altar. Before I could ponder the implication, a rippling wave of force blasted outwards from the body, covering the distance between us in a fraction of a second. It felt akin to the drum beat from before but with far greater intensity. With horror, realization thundered into my psyche. Someone had been sacrificed.

In the passing wake of the sacrificial energy, my eyes caught a pulse of red shining briefly for the barest of moments. Suspended several feet above the ornate altar, floated a malevolent red jewel the shape of an oblong gourd. When the pulse of energy cascaded outwards, it looked as if the gem had somehow absorbed some of the magical essence previously released. This artifact was the source of the drum beat that had been so subtle outside of this room. Inside the barrier, the full pressure given by this antique relic could be experienced. It looked nothing unlike a crystalline heart.

After this realization, it was then I noticed the bodies. Countless bodies, stacked high, had previously been partially obstructed from view behind the rows of stone columns. As if tossed aside carelessly, the numerous corpses were haphazardly stacked up against the far corner of the room. In the opposite corner, we found a handful of bound, kneeling, and obviously gagged individuals. Each had a horrified expression on their face, though they were otherwise completely still as if petrified. The rise and fall of their chests though, made it clear they were far from deceased themselves.

From the top of the altar, blood began running profusely down its sides to collect in the ever-widening pool around who I had come to realize was Tsurra, the Corrupted. He must not yet have become aware of our intrusion, as he casually stretched out his hand towards the lifeless body. With a flicking motion, the corpse flew, as if by some unseen force, to slam heavily against the far wall to join the growing pile of the dead. With another flick of his wrist, a new victim was propelled forward into his waiting grasp.

Stella: He has some kind of telekinetic power.

Tsurra gripped the next individual by the throat and, with seamless effort, lifted him upwards to land heavily atop the altar. The man had made no motion to protect himself or resist Tsurra. Returning to a kneeling position once more, the shrouded Hunter bowed his head low. It was then a slight chant carried across the room to our ears, as it slowly built louder with each arcane word.

This Hunter was methodically ending the lives of helpless individuals. The callous, heartless practiced ease of his motions was disturbing at a visceral level. The Hunter’s hand shot upwards, bearing the twisted dagger. This time I spied what looked like a gleaming ruby ring on his right index finger. The color of the gem was the exact same shade as the blood jewel hanging above the next victim. I knew what was coming next, I could hesitate no longer.

There would be no discussion. No futile appeal to this vile Hunter to cease his murderous actions. His callous actions had sealed his fate in my mind. He was nothing more than evil to be expunged from the world.

It took only a moment to inspect the man, before we rushed forward to engage him.

Tsurra the Corrupted, Death Sire (Level 17 Half-Orc Hunter).

Health 625/625, Mana 8,932/12,500, Stamina 300/300.

Active Abilities – Borrowed Essence, Empowered Aegis, Beguiled Thrall, Infernal Blessing, Undead Lungs, Demonic Subjection, Soul Link.

Like in times of great urgency, the information washed over me, allowing me to understand the information instantly. While the abilities this Hunter possessed seemed potent, I couldn’t take the time to review them if I intended to save the life of his next sacrifice. In a flash, I sent a message for Stella to look them over and tell me the important details. With that, Frostrend, the Ragebringer, was flying end over end even as arcane words tumbled from my lips.