Scene 1 - The Hunt

As Xue silver slitted eyes narrowed at the incoming attackers smashing them away whenever they came into her strike zone. Despite her overwhelming power of her hammer, she couldn’t bring out the full power with so many enemies around her making ahead come on as she smashed another hound away, ‘How did I end up in the annoying predicament? Oh yeah, it began like that…’

|G|R|E|E|D|

Minutes before Xue was walking through the hallway with her hammer over her arm and Mear was floating around by her side eating an apple bored out of her mind, “Hey Master when are we going to find some prey to hunt it’s so boring walking without finding anything.”

Checking her compass, absentmindedly Xue replied, “Nothing is on the scan Mear we’ll eventually find some more monsters soon so calm down.”

“Oh come on~ where are they hiding they should be grateful to be hunted by us!”, While pouting Mear placed her arms around Xue's neck to see for herself if Xue's eyes were working right. Despite her metal arms around her neck, they felt oddly warm to the touch, which felt very comforting so Xue didn’t push Mear away.

Scratching her head Xue tilted her head into Mear’s then she put away the compass and started scratching Mears ear, “Don’t worry afterall we good lucky in the beginning to get a gold talisman already, I already count that as win and we have fourteen days to let loose there is bound to be things to fight.”

Purring slightly by Xue’s touch Mear hang lazily on her master, being spoiled while her master walked along. Suddenly the labyrinth began to shift and turn around her making the two instantly go on full alert.

Pulling out her compass again Xue checked it once again and her skin started growing cold, watching her master reaction Mear checked the compass it shouldn’t be ‘THAT’ bad. But getting a peek at the compass Xue turned to her master with a forced smile, “I know I said I wanted to fight some prey but not this many it’s in the hundreds!?”

Turning around Xue didn’t feel like fighting such numbers, only to see every exit had collapsed except the one leading to the hundreds of contestants. Gritting her teeth Xue started walking forward out to the exit maybe with all the fight she could sneak out one of the passageways and escape.

Opening her eyes wide saw a scene that made her blood boil, countless beasts and contestants were fighting in front of her. Blood was flying everywhere along with limbs it was pure utter chaos catching the scent made her body shudder making her own blood boil with excitement.

Her cat eyes narrowing blood rush to her head as a contestant rushed at her with a dagger from her right, dodging the blow Xue grabbed his now exposed arm and broke it by swinging her hammer downward shattering the shoulder bone.

The contestant howled in pain for a moment before Xue sent a punch straight into his face knocking him unconscious with a few shattered teeth coming out. Then she dragged the body back into the starting room talking his points went out to go ‘hunt’ more.

Xue’s thought process had been overwritten by the beast blood flowing through her veins right now her starting hallway had become her territory and anyone who came inside would be considered enemies!

Heading back out Xue smiled showing her canine teeth she expressed her glee, “Let's hunt!”

Scanning the horizon set her sights on a weakened opponent who just finished a three-legged beast.

In a flash, Xue showed up behind the contestant like a phantom making the girl contestant sweat with fear she tried to turn around only to feel Xue’s iron grip choking her into submission.

With her unconscious prey now in procession, Xue dragged the contestant to her ‘cave’ where then she took the poor girls talismans.

And so Xue began to attack contestants hunting them one by one. But not only contestants beasts as well dominating them and placing them inside her hammer world after all she had a quota to meet.

It all went well until a shadow beast sneak attacked Xue, thankfully she managed to dodge narrowly only that its claw stuck her sleeve where her talismans lay.

With a rip golden light was exposed revealing her the number of points she had acquired. Nearby contestants saw the shine and their eyes turned from shock to greed.

One of the contestants loudly reported reaching the surrounding area, “That girl has a golden talisman!”

Information soon spread throughout the whole area that someone was possession of a golden talisman filing the air full of greed.

“Hey, man wanna team up? We can split the points 50/50 what do you say?”

“Deal! Screw hunting these beasts they are too hard of a bone to chew!”

Such thoughts and decisions filled the room made Xue wake up from her beastial thoughts feeling all of the eyes on she froze. Those haunting eyes made her feel weak exposed as if the world wanted to swallow her.

Short on breath sweat appeared on her body as the eye closed on her with vicious smiles. Hands shaking Xue wielded her hammer loosely, then a metallic hand appeared on her shoulder.

Turning her eyes Xue saw Mears resolute expression filled without fear, without shaking, without weakness.

Standing in a daze Xue asked her voice shaking with fear, “How can you deal with all of those eyes Mear? How can you be so confident? Why are you so strong?!”

Petting her masters head Near smiled warmly, “Need the strong fear the weak? Look at them. And you will see that they are good enough to make you fear.”

"I can’t… I just can't!” Shaking her head holding her hammer with barely any grip holding her head down.

Seeing her master expression of helplessness placed her hand on Xue's chin and raised it forcing her to face they eyes closing in.

“Look at that one he pissed himself and is now charging at you. And that one he's lost the use of his right arm. And that one is wounded all over.”

One by one Mear pointed out the faults of contestants forming around them making the group more and more angry-making them curse under their breath.

One of the more angry contestants a large man with a war axe roared with fury after being called fat, “I'm not fat you bitch! I'm just big boned! Kill her!”

As the big fellow charged at Xue felt her fear started to fade away to the point it became forgotten, ‘Right why am I afraid of these weaklings?’

Clutching her tightly Xue’s silver eyes hardened like Mears resolute eyes, “I am the hunter!”

Filled with confidence Xue entered the fray.