Monster Hunting 101: A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Titan Termination)

by Freaks, LitRPG

  I stood before the newly erected Lodge of Hunter’s Hope. Two weeks had passed since my conversation with Verna and the world had changed greatly because of it. Trent, grumbling about his destiny to eternally shepherd a bunch of ungrateful villagers, accepted the terms of Verna’s immigration plan. Hunter’s Hope as a village ceased to exist. The people packed up their meager possessions and made their way through the tunnels, only to be filled with joy at the sight of the big apartments waiting for them.

  Both populations had done well integrating with one another; there were many young single adults on both sides who were excited to meet an entirely new dating pool. Soon, new families would form and a new generation would be on the way. It was my deepest hope that this generation would be born above ground.

  My vision had shown eight Venators on the surface, but standing before me now were nineteen men and women, all volunteers who wished to join me in the hunt. They were filing into our new amphitheater, where I could address these new volunteers. A few were young, but the majority were older folks who were sick and even ill. They could not contribute much to the village due to their conditions, but with the empowerment of Bloodpoints, they would be able to overcome their illnesses with ease.

  At least, that was my hope and my dream. No one had been inducted into the order formally yet. I had not taken anyone on their first hunt. There was much for them to learn before anyone could put a hand on a weapon. But, thanks to Verna’s choice of recruits and volunteers, each recruit was eager to learn and required no discipline to study the many books and journals we had on hand.

  There was a great deal of struggle coming my way, I knew. My responsibilities had grown immensely and now I was responsible for training, drilling and then leading this group of green volunteers. I was nervous, yes, nervous for the future, and worried about my own abilities to teach these people what I had learned. I was no expert, of course, having barely scratched the surface of my own training. But, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed woman was queen. I was the only one carrying the torch of the Venator, but perhaps in a month or so, that would change.

  “Do they know what is coming?” Dr. Jace asked as he stood beside me, holding a few papers in his hands. They were charts of what he had been able to learn from the autopsy of poor Jorman’s body.

  “I haven’t told them yet,” I said. “That will be their final test before going on the hunt.” I glanced at the papers in his hand and swallowed hard. “What did you find?”

  “Six years,” Jace said. “That’s how long it will take to change.”

  “Is that a guess?”

  “Everything in the medical field is a guess at this point,” Jace said. “But I am confident in my methods. On a cellular level, your blood is changing. But…you have time. Time enough to perhaps fix all of this.”

  “Time enough to kill a Titan,” I replied. “And if that is the most I’m able to do with what I’ve been given, then it was all worth it.”

  “I should hope so,” Jace said, holding up a small vial. “I erm, uh…made something for you. Just in case. Quick and painless. At least, that’s what I’m assuming.”

  I looked at the greenish liquid, peering at it. My alchemy skill told me it was a high grade poison. Consuming it would kill me in less than a minute. I shivered, but waved it away. “I won’t take that. Not yet. Not while there’s still hope of finding a cure.”

  “You shouldn’t be so optimistic,” the good doctor replied, shaking his head at me. “It’s fun to dream and all, Avery, but the fact is, you might not make it out of this unchanged. And if that’s the case, you should have an exit strategy.”

  “I’m not dreaming about anything,” I replied, still refusing the poison. “I’m carving a new reality, for all of us. Put your poisons away, Doc, I’ll find a way to stop the clock. I swear it.”

  Jace shrugged and put the bottle in his coat pocket. “If you insist. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “I know exactly what I’m doing,” I replied, stepping forward and clearing my throat to address the students once they had all finished settling in. “I’m taking the surface back from the ones who stole it from us. Now, go sit down with the rest of the students. It’s time for everyone to learn how Bloodpoints work.”