5 Chapter 4

"I'm too late!"

Sarah cried out, falling to her knees, circling tears for the young girl. Eren stood getting a good look at the dead girl and her village. Corpses of men, women and children impaled on the fences, walls, and some even hanged. This was cruel. He thought looking down towards Sarah, knowing the pain she felt.

"She was my cousin. She was just a child!" Her voice raised in anger, she slammed both her fist. Eren backed a bit from the anger Sarah showed.

"They took them from me. I know in my heart those monsters killed all of them!" She yelled even louder, her voice carried across the dark forest.

"Hunter I brought you here to save my village. But now I know there is no saving it. I want you to kill those beasts and burn their tainted bodies!"

They filled her eyes with rage. Any words he would say to calm her down, completely gone.

"Bell Noise."

"Side Hunt, you have seen the horrors of the taint now you must cleanse the village and its people. Do you Accept, Yes or No?"

Eren, having no other choice after seeing this slaughter, agreed.

"We will find the ones responsible for this I promise you." Sarah reached towards her cousin's face to close her eyes. Then a cold hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her.

"Why... you... left... me?" Her cousin spoke with tears of blood leaking from her gouged eyes, pulling Sarah closer.

"Why... did... you... left... me... hear?" Sarah tried to pull away, but her grip was tight.

"Why... did... you... let... them... do... this... to... ME!?" Her cold hand squeezed even tighter. Sarah arm made a crack noise, screaming in pain trying to pull her arm free from her cold grip.

Then something pierced her forehead, as her cold grip loosen she dragged herself away holding her arm tightly staring at a large hole Eren made with his rifle.

"You? Hunter I'm so sorry for you having to waste your bullets. I should've known better!"

She clenched her other arm tightly feeling the pain that was just caused to her. Eren reached out to look at her arm but she shook her hand and backed away.

'It's nothing. Come on let's go. If the taint can reanimate dead bodies, then the people in my village."

Eren reload his rifle, as they began walking towards the village.

"Do you know what the Taint is Hunter?" Eren didn't respond since he didn't know at all.

Actually he knows nothing about this world. There was no intro or any types of lore, he was clueless in this game world. The only thing he knew was that he was a hunter and killing monsters was his job. But he wanted to know what is this plague or curse that's causing people to turn into monsters. Then Sarah began to speak.

"The old woman that lived in this village was a very kind and gentle woman. One day the old woman went out to pick berries in the forest but as time passed there was no sight of her."

"They all stood in horror, bodies of children laid on the floor bloodied and torn. Then the old woman sat in her rocking chair, with a broken jaw and gouged eyes and in her arms was a child wrapped in a blanket of blood, as the women rocked away and hummed. We are born of our flesh, made men by our flesh, undone by our flesh. We are the taint and so is our flesh."

Eren noticed a change of tone in Sarah's voice for a moment, thinking it was because of stress after all she's been through. The village was silent, nothing but death and decay took place, as the sound of crows coming from above, some latched on a few hanged bodies and the rest on the ground.

"So this is what's left of everyone?" Sarah replied sighing at the fact she was too late to save anyone she ever cared about. Then a noise came from one of the houses.

Sarah ran to one of the houses assuming that there was someone still alive, hoping it was her mother or father. Reaching the house she banged on the door so hard that the sound frightened the crows. Eren rushed to stop her, fearing that it would draw attention to what ever did this or wake the dead.

"Is anyone in there! Please come out! It's me Sarah and I bought a hunter with me!" She kept knocking till a sound of footsteps were heard coming from inside the house.

The footsteps came to a stop, she then leaned her ears towards the door. Sarah listened and heard someone breathing heavy like they were frightened or nervous, a woman she thought of, could it be her mother she thought?

Then the breathing stopped and loud footsteps headed towards the door. Eren sensing danger, grabbed Sarah by the arm pulling her away, as large claws tore through the door. Eren believed it to be the same monster he fought earlier, grabbing his dagger the creature came out but it was something else, a woman.

(Bell Noise).

"Tainted Shrieker, grade 0, The screams of torment is all this women knows. Having long black hair, its skin pale and bruised, its heart torn from its chest and claws stained with blood . The Taint turns this young woman's cries of pain into a weapon of horror to anyone who hears it."

Eren switched to his rifle, ready to shoot down this new monster but was stopped by Sarah who jumped in front of his gun.

"Please stop! That's my mother!" Eren couldn't make the shot since Sarah was in the way. Realizing that this creature was not her mother anymore, Eren tried moving her out the way.

The pale woman then lifted her head, shedding tears of blood. Then letting out a wail that went out around the farm. The wailing sound, throbbing pain went through his body, feeling like he was hit with a bat constantly. Eren and Sarah fell to their knees covering their ears trying to block the sound. Eren barely able to stand looked at Sarah and saw that she was bleeding from her eyes and nose, then she passed out. Know he couldn't keep her any longer, sucking up to the pain he then picked up Sarah and ran away trying to find a safe place for her.

Eren vision was getting darker and it was hard to see where he was going. Looking around, he notices a stable with a large stack of hay.

The Shrieker stopped her wailing, she stood staring at the night sky then turned her head and looked at Eren running towards the stable. Stretching her claws, she then began chasing after him, her eyes glowing red with blood. Hearing footsteps getting closer Eren looked back and saw the monster coming after him. He hastened and used the last bit of stamina he had left, reaching the stable he tossed her in the hay. The pale women claws reached Eren and scratched his back, as he yelled out in pain.

"Bleeding- Damage over time effect, must use bandage to stop bleeding"

The pale woman was too strong and fast, he had to find a place to hide and use a bandage to stop the bleeding or he would die. Knowing that Sarah would be safe and out of his way, grabbing his rifle he fired a few shots at the shrieker. The women dodges them with ease, dashing side to side evading every bullet. Reloading his gun he noticed something came behind him and attacked, striking it down with his dagger he notice it was one of the villagers now a tainted monster. Eren then realized that the villagers' bodies were now rising from their spots and began to focus on him.

The hanged bodies of the children began to twist and turn, making gurgling noises from their broken necks, looking down at Eren.

(Bell Noise)

"Tainted Wispechild, grade 0, The taint doesn't spare anyone, not even children. The broken neck of the child leaves them paralyzed but still a threat. It gurgles and vomits large amounts of tainted gas and strengthens any who has the taint."

The monsters stood in each of the Wispechild, tainted vomit, taken in more of the taint they each turn into Maneaters. Being outnumbered he knew he couldn't kill them all, not with that Shrieker on their side. The Shrieker then leaned her head back again, Eren saw this and ran to find a place to think and recover. Barely able to keep himself up, hearing the sound of the Maneaters chasing after him, he thought that he was done. Looking around one last time he found an old house that had boarded windows, that he could rest in for a bit. Finally he found a place to hide and keep himself alive for a bit longer to figure out what he can do next.

Barely able to move he sucked up all his pain and ran. A few Maneaters saw him and started chasing after him. Hearing their footsteps getting louder behind him, he grabbed a couple of his throwing knives and threw one of them, slowing it down. Finally reaching the house he bust open through the front door then, slamming it shut.

The Manteater's clawed at the door trying to get inside, it was only a matter of time before they got in Eren thought. He then saw a large dresser next to the door and without hesitation he pushed it down sealing it shut. Now Eren was safe but for how long, walking around, tired and hurt, hearing the sound of his heart beat. By grabbing a handful of his greenish herbs he then stuffed it down his mouth, as the pain lifted a bit from his body.

Feeling tired, Eren notices an old dusty couch. He then fell down on it and passed out.