Prologue

A scream bled into the air.

The voices of distress mixed with the scent of despair, brought the monsters excitement.

From within the cover of the trees, they approached the small clearing where over twenty well-equipped adventurers stood.

The monsters closed in.

Great creatures with blood-red eyes growled hungrily as they ripped apart human flesh.

Eager to kill.

Eager to feed.

The small group of adventures quickly dwindled. Blood splashing on the grass and glistening like dew.

It was a bad night for the humans.

Unlucky that somehow they ended up being surrounded by beasts. Closed off from escape and outnumbered they lost any chance of survival.

Blood kept spilling. Spilt until only one last blood-bag remained.

Fear stricken, a tear-stained girl held a longsword within her trembling hands.

She could feel it now, the moment when she would be ripped apart, the pain of death would come.

The fear made her numb.

She couldn’t breathe, her lungs caught within a spider-web spun by terror.

“I….don’t want….to die….” She whispered meekly.

They closed in.

The beasts could smell the scent of her blood now. Four of the strongest Monsters eyed each other. Each vying for a chance to be the one to taste her flesh.

They all pounced.

The sound of flesh being torn apart resounded in the air.

The girl’s body was thrown to one side.

Then…..

The girl opened her eyes.

“What…I’m…..alive?”

The girl looked around, under the moonlight she could barely see…..See the corpse of a monster lying close to where she had fell.

The monster's body had been cleaved in two, blood was pouring out from within, staining the ground.

A gentle breeze gusted through, carrying the strong scent of blood and scattering it across the battlefield.

A loud Thud rang out, the girl looked towards the source and saw a….

A woman garbed in a large hooded cloak standing there. Next to her was a giant double-sided great-axe held in one hand, with the blade resting against the ground

She was over six feet tall and was entirely dressed in black. Her face was hidden and if not for her physique it would be impossible to tell if she was a man or a woman.

A cold voice spoke.

“Leave. Or die.”

The beasts surrounding the two females slowly began backing away.

Then, they all turned around and disappeared into the forest.

“I know you.” The tall woman said.

She lifted her axe and fastened it on her back with a belt. Then she approached the girl collapsed on the floor.

“You’re that famous gamer, Kim right? Your father is that sword-maker. People say that you’re one of the best gamers out there.”

Contempt could be heard in the tall woman’s voice.

“You’re strong compared to most but just being a little strong in this game won’t get you anywhere.”

The woman knelt in front the girl and whispered in her ear.

“To thrive in this world, requires a hint of madness.”

The hooded girl stood back up and then with a fleeting look remarked

“You’ve soiled yourself. How disgusting.”

Kim burned with shame as the retreating figure of the tall women was etched into her memory.

A muffled sob escaped her lips.

Clouds enveloped the moon.

Shrouding the world in darkness.