The forest was shrouded in darkness, blocking all sight.

The trees are twisted and warped into

perverted shapes. The only visible thing is the dense and heavy fog that hangs above the forest.
The Hunter raised his torch, splitting the fog in half. His eyes dodge from side to side, cautiously
looking for any sign of the beast, as he warily moves through the thick blanket of fog.

That was when he smells it. The stench of rotting flesh rushes up to his nose. The scent has a
pungent smell to it, mixed with a nauseating hint of sweetness. The stench disappears as
suddenly as it had appeared, catching the Hunter's attention. Despite his heightened sense and
reflects, he barely has time to reacts as a shadowy mass lunged itself at him. The Hunter
stumble sideways, barely dodging the relentless onslaught. It took both the beast and the
Hunter a few seconds to regain their balance. The Hunter waisted no timed unsheathing his
sword, the blade shimmer in the darkness emitting a vibrant silver glow around the edge
pushing back the darkness surrounding it. The Hunter advance further, throwing his torch away,
causing the light-emitting from the flame to died down, surrounding them in darkness once
more. The death of the torch distracted the creature long enough for the Hunter to have a good
look at it. The creature's skin is grey and waxy, its teeth yellow and have chunks of flesh stuck
between each tooth; the beast tower over the Hunter. It's bloodshot eyes staring into his. The
waxy skin, bloody red eyes, and the stench of rotting flesh make it clear that he was dealing with
a Ghul. The Hunter grimace, remembering the many nasty wounds that these monsters have
inflicted, him. Just thinking about them, send chills down his spine.

The Ghul crouched on all four, preparing to pounce at the Hunter. It's crimson eyes locked on
him, it's mouth wide open in a hideous snarl, revealing the creature deform rows of teeth and
allowing saliva to trickle from its jaws. Without warning, the Ghul once again lunges at the
Hunter. The Ghul was surprisingly fast for its size, but this time the Hunter was ready. With one
swift motion, the Hunter plunges the blade of his sword right into the creature's gut. The Ghul
howled and thrashed in agony as the life faded from its bloodshot eyes. The Hunter yanked his
sword from the Ghul carcass and decapitated it, in turn spilling the creature blackened blood all
over the place. He apathetically sheathed his sword back into its cover and picked up the Ghul
head.

Despite being one of the deadlier creatures, the Ghul wasn't much of a threat to the Hunter. He
has hunted and slain many of its kind before. He remembered he used to feel excitement during
moments like this, but over time everything seems to fade into obscurity. The Hunter released a
breath he didn't realize he was holding back, and just as suddenly as he had appeared, the
Hunter retreat into the darkness, from which he came.

Chapter 2

The light of the town felt welcoming. For an area located on the outskirts, this one is bustling
with life. Signs adorned with neon lights decorate the surrounding area with its many
combinations of colors. The streets are packed with performers doing gut-wrenching tricks like
swallowing swords, juggling knives, or trying to tame snakes while shops and stall lines the
sidewalk. The Hunter did receive a few strange glances from some onlookers due to being
covered in blood and sweat, but most people didn't notice him, too drunk to even see his
bloodstain clothes. The Hunter push passes all the crowd and drunkards as he headed toward
the mayor's office. The path to his destination wasn't very long, but the sheer amount of people
on the street was making navigation difficult. The Hunter awkwardly tries to weave back and
forth in between the sea of people, taking extra care that the Ghul head doesn't touch anyone.
After much struggle, the Hunter arrived at the mayor's office, the building stands in the very
center of town, flanked by two other smaller buildings on its side. Standing adjacent to the front
of the office was a beautiful water fountain, made entirely out of white marble. The building
exterior and doors also seem to be made out of sturdier woods in comparison to the neighboring
buildings, which looked like they might collapse any minute. The Hunter swiftly pound on the
door, attracting the inhabitant's attention.

The wooden door of the office creaked open, revealing a decently luxurious interior. The walls
are painted a creamy white, a strange color for a building on the outskirts. The room is packed
with furniture, each decorated with beautiful patterns spreading across its surface. While both
trophies of animals and beast alike hung from the wall.

"The Ghul is dead," said the Hunter, pointing at the Ghul head.
The mayor's eyes lit up with excitement, his face morphed into a wide grin, revealing a few
golden teeth. The mayor crouch down, poking, prodding and jabbing at every angle of the head.

"Perfect cut, no damage to the trophy. A nice addition to my wall," The mayor murmured to
himself.

"My money?" The Hunter asked impatiently, wanting nothing more to do with this.

The smile disappears from