Chapter 2: the hunt

You know…. When I first died, I wasn’t even scared, I was glad. I was glad that I didn’t have to deal with the constant fear of the abhorred. I was glad I didn’t have to deal with the constant horrors of this world. I was glad I didn’t even have to survive on borrowed time anymore. I was just plain glad, But….. now that I came back to the past, and actually obtained the strength I need to live…. I’m scared. The fact of the matter is… that before, I knew I was going to die, it was only a matter of when and where. I already had everything taken from me, and nothing to live for. Even my own friend betrayed me to take the last thing I love away. It’s funny now that everything was given back, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to protect it this time around.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m scared, but I’m also excited, and happy. That’s right, for the first time in a long time, I’m…. Happy. I may be scared but one thing I am not is a coward. After all, you can’t have courage without having fear first. This time around, I’m not going to let anything happen to my family. This time I’ll be the one taking things, instead of losing them. This time I’m going to survive, however, I’m going to need to be strong. Stronger than anybody and everything. In order to do that though, I’m going to need to evolve. And the only known way to do that, is to eat abhorred hearts…. I mean the crystal in their head, god, how sick do you think I am? “Heart” is just a nickname hunters came up with a few years down the road. Technically you can eat a humans “heart” in order to evolve, but I’m only going to kill those that want to kill me. That means this isn’t a very reliable method.

The only way to kill an abhorred is to remove their “heart,” or destroy their brain.

(Noah) “if I’m going to do this, I’m going to need a weapon.”

My weapon of choice: a knife

So I go and “borrow” one from my brother.

Whoa wait a minute, rewind. Why a knife you ask? Well to put it simply, guns become ineffective against stage 3 and higher. I want to get enough practice against the weaker ones with a bladed weapon, before they get stronger. Technically knives get weaker against the abhorred as well, but there are work-a-rounds. Every power gives a special trait to a weapon when you imbue it with power. Enough about that, let’s get this show on the road.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// later that night

While everyone was sleeping, I snuck out of the camp….. Well….. When I say snuck out, what I really mean is that I teleported out, after all the guards can’t all just go to sleep

In order to find a suitable target, I’m going to need to search around for a good while. I look around at the devastated city that was once a golden metropolis, now desolate. Desolate? Hmmmm…. This is going to take longer than I thought. Man…. my brother and the cleaners have really been doing their job a little too well.

I took out my iPhone to check the time, I‘ve already been at it for over an hour with no results to show for it. While I was walking down the street, loaded with abandoned cars; I noticed something run out into the open a couple of blocks down. I got close enough to see his features, there he was, Standing at probably…. 6 ft tall, retaining most of his humanly features, except for the protruding spikes, straight out of a horror film. The further along an abhorred goes on the path of evolution. The uglier and less human they get. What I can deduce from this is that he must only be a stage 1.

(Noah) “hyaa…”

Readying the dagger in my hands, I call upon the grid lines that make up space. As I distort the grid, I suddenly appear right behind the creature. Before the creature decides to turn around, I thrust my knife towards the base of its skull. I feel only a slight resistance before my knife plunges into its brain silently dispatching it. The creature limpidly falls to the ground. Calmly I turn the corpse over in order to extract its crystal core. In my “past life” I was routinely made to go out with Tango Company as their carrier, whose job is to collect and carry cores. From past experience I know that all beings have their core right behind the forehead.

I used the back of my knife to crush the front side of his skull, so as to make it easier to extract the crystal.

*thwack* *thwack* *thwack* *thwack*

The sound of me bashing its skull in reverberates throughout the surroundings. You know It’s kind of strange, I thought I would feel something, considering this thing was once human. I, however, feel nothing. I stand up and wipe the brain matter, and skull fragments off of my face. I wipe the crystal down with my shirt, and swallow it whole.

(Noah) “Aaaand…. Nothing”

as I thought….. You have to eat a crystal core the same level as you or higher, or it won’t work.

(Noah) “Let’s go find some more”

Although I won’t rank up, at least I can acquire some more experience and crystal cores for my father and brother, after all I can’t be the only one who gets stronger.

I continued on my way… though, this time I found one a lot quicker. It’s the same as last time, retaining its looks for the most part.

I readied my trusty knife, opened up the grid, thrust my knife, Aaaaaaaaand

(Noah) “Son of a bitch”

Just as my knife was about to pierce his skull, sending him on his way, suddenly, I found my arm latched onto by a boney hand connected to…….. oh shit….. it’s a stage……

*whoooosh*

*slaaaam*

(noah) “uuugh… haaa”

Before I can even finish my thought, my body was already ripping through the air, as it hurtled right towards a god damn taxi.

It’s amazing how resilient my body is at stage 2, but even at stage 2, crushing a taxi with your body hurts like a motherfucker.

I slowly rise to my feet…. Luckily while I was getting my second wind, the stage 2 in front of me seems to be gloating….

It seems as though the more they evolve, the smarter they get. Well that’s okay he wont be gloating for long……

I bring up the grid like usual….. but before I teleport, I suddenly throw my knife at his face….. he of course dodges….. but that’s not what I’m aiming for…… when he looks back over to me….. or where I was….. hes surprised…. As I’m gone

Where did I go? behind him of course, and I’ve already caught the knife……. By the wrong end of course……. Well what do you expect I’m new to this whole combat thing? I quickly flip the knife around and thrust it straight into the back of his head….. he falls limp. Now I start gloating. Suddenly, I see out of my peripheral a huge freaking claw coming at my face.

*whoosh*

I fall back, straight onto my ass. A few strands of my hair were lobbed off, by the stage 1

(Noah) “stupid motherfu….)

I start cursing, as I make quick work of the stage 1 who caused this whole headache in the first place.

*thwack* *thwack* *thwack* *thwack*

It takes me considerably more time to “dig” out the core of the stage 2

I clean the crystal with my shirt, and quickly consume it.

I suddenly feel an energy swarm my stomach as it gets absorbed into the rest of my body.

(noah) “Ahhh that hit the spot”

I feel the energy converge at the spot right behind the forehead.

It somehow feels like a second stomach, but in my head….. Err, I don’t really know how to explain it. It kind of feels fuller……. But not by much? I turn towards the corpse, that wasted my time.

(Noah) ” I guess even in death, you still find ways to annoy people”

“I guess I’m going to have to kill a lot of you guys huh?”

Wow, I’m talking to a freaking corpse…… its official, I’m crazy.

I calmly collect myself so that I can assess the damage done to my body

To be honest it hurts to breath, actually it hurts a lot. I’m guessing that the taxi that just so happened to be nice enough to break my fall, also broke a couple of my ribs. I’m going to need a lot more practice…… just not tonight.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Back in my room. After taking a quick shower, and getting dressed in a pair of sweat pants, I heavily lay down on the bed.

(Noah) *heavily exhales a sigh*

It was a long day today……

As I think back on the events today, I find myself adrift in the plane of dreams…….