The Second trial Starts; Guns are not Enough.
As the night came, Hamil stood by himself in the middle of the forest as he waited for a certain master to come to the grounds.
To his calm demeanor, he waited with his owls who were there to comfort his rather silent but showfull presence. Listening in to the flow of the nature's sound, from the wind's blow, to the river's flow and even in the rustling noise of the leave's fall, Hamil could hear everything as he enhanced his hearing with magic.
"...he's finally here." he said as he looked upfront before him with a rather challenging expression.
And in the darkness walked out a man who was carrying a sack of dead animals ranging from rank B to S. The kind of animals you would find in an S-ranked gate. He was a man who was wearing a black vest and a rather plain jeans that you would find a biker would wear. Paired with his clothing, he carried a bow/rifle or something of both since it seemed like his weapon was costumed made. It was mended weapon of both a crossbow and a rifle, together behind his back. He only had one eye open, while the other was kept close for some unknown reason. And most of all, the upper half of his face was tattooed with a sketch of a skull with cracks.
It was pretty badass and it made him really standout from the rest of the masters in the clan.
"Hmm, I heard that you were going to take on the challenge of being hunted in the dark. Tell me, how confident are you in acting as a wild animal? And where should I shoot you once I find you? In the head? In the leg? In the neck? Its by your preference…I don't mind either way." said the man as he sounded very rugged. Like a man who would only drink whiskey from day in to night.
"So you must be Master Boris?" asked Hamil.
"Just…Boris, I don't like to call myself a master of this clan, I'm a hunter. A true Hunter. Not the kind you would find going into dungeons or gates and fighting off monsters like your life was on the line…no, a true hunter is a man who hunts…he is not the one who is hunted."
"...Noted."
"Hmm, I can see from the way you treat your tamed animals…their your companions aren't they? Their not just some animal you found in the forest?"
"Hmm, that's right." having smiled since his owls were acknowledged, Hamil had a better opinion of Boris.
"...Are they going to be apart of the hunt or are they just their for your comfort?" asked Boris as then glocks his rifle.
*Glock*
"...No, their just here as company, I'm the one taking on the test, their not involved at all." said Hamil as he pats the owls.
"Either way, it doesn't matter. If they were apart of the trial, I would have shot them mercilessly. They don't call me Boris the Hunter for no goddam reason."
"...I can see that."
"...I'll explain the details of this trial. There's only one way you can ever have a chance of winning this trial…and that is to survive against me. Boris the Hunter."
"..."
"From the moment I blow my whistle, the game has already started and it will only end once you survive when the sun finally rises. So during that time, try your best to escape me." with that explanation, he then pulls out his silver whistle which was also his necklace.
"One question…what if I apprehend you? Or say…hunt you instead of escape from you?"
"...!" in that single question, Boris was taunted ever so easily, that veins were easily showing on his face and fingers.
In that moment, he pointed his gun at him and without rhyme or reason, he fired his gun without warning.
*BANG!*
The sound of his rifle was so loud that it could easily break the ears of some normal hunter, but Hamil stood unfazed by his gun's fire.
"No one can hunt down a hunter…not a true hunter like me…a master that has hunted the impossible. From dragons to divine animals, I have not once been made as the hunted…so for you to ask such an impossibility, its quite an insult to me."
"..." to this shot, Boris was smiling ear to ear, as he sees Hamil smirk back ever so eagerly.
There was a bullet in his shot, but that bullet never did anything to Hamil.
It struck him straight in his forehead, yet despite that shot, a red rash was the only thing left from the bullet, it never did so much a damage but only that of a small irritation.
The bullet was normal…something made for fun, something made for a game. and using it on someone of Hamil's level was like being shot by a cheap BB gun. It was weak and simply just like that of a toy.
Hamil in his ever growing show of will, took a step forward and simply grabs the gun by its barrel.
"I'm not just some bastard that plays around in wild…I'm here to earn my right, to become a member of the clan once again." he said, ever so willful in his approach.
"Good…that's a good start. The clan doesn't just accept people who are as weak willed, they accept those who have something in store for the future. If you were ever to show something to me…impress me in any way, I might just accept you as a true hunter."
"..." as Hamil stood silent, he lets go of the gun's barrel and he started walking back into the deep dark parts of the forest.
"...If you win, you'll receive my acknowledgement."
In those words, a creeping smile showed on Hamil's face and to it, he covered himself in his Shadow skin…
"Good…that's a good thing to hear." in it, he allowed himself to be swallowed by the darkness, and Boris was left on his own.
"hehehehe, for a man to escape the Abyssal Cave in just under 32 hours, I expect good things from him."
With it, he glocks his gun again and he blew his whistle.
The game has started and to it, the man ran straight to the forest, following the trail left by Hamil.
****
Inside the house of the Strauss, deep under the mansion , Evangeline could be found in a room filled with a stack of guns placed in front of her. Here, she was looking at all the custom made guns that she had ordered under the preferences of some professional gunsmiths.
36 guns were in front of her.
Guns ranging from sniper's, to SMG's, to pistols and even a rocket launcher…
Every form of gun was right in front of her…
A gun enthusiast would have been drooling right now if they were to see such a grand display of weaponry in front of them…but to it, Evangeline was not impressed.
"...No, this isn't enough."
Her brows were furrowed in worry…in the dissatisfaction of what was presented before her.
"My lady, may I ask why you are not satisfied by the displayed products?" asked the handler as he was nervously tending to the needs of Evangeline.
"Tell me, is there any of these weapons capable of ever splitting a mountain with just one bullet? Is there one capable of tearing away an S-ranked monster with a shower of bullets? What I'm looking here is menial to what I want…this is not enough!" she said in anger.
"My lady, what you ask of us is something that no man of this generation could ever hope to craft. A bullet capable of such feats is not one that can be made by a mortal's hand…what your asking of us is something only a God could ever grant." said the handler.
"Then its pointless…throw them all away." she said, ever so disappointed by what she was given. In that order, an array of guards approached the displayed guns and started taking them away from her sights, along with the handler and the rest of the people in that room.
And in that empty room, all that was left was her…and her unfulfilled desire.
But to this unfulfilled desire came an old man who was carrying a simple rifle as a cane and approached her.
With his shacking knees and hips, he approached the girl and spoke with his weary and shaking voice.
"Lassy, what you wish for is something no man can ever give…a gun of that calibre is only made for heroes…they are artifacts made under the roof of a God."
"...Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm just a simple Gunsmith…and I will tell you what I and every gunsmith in the world knows of…There are rumors of a legendary weapon that once took the life of a demon king…a weapon that was granted by the greatest crafter of all kind, a existence whose talent once took the attention of the Gods…his creation was said to be so powerful that it took not just the Demon king's life but all life within a single continent…its very power sunk the very land into the ocean.
"Is such a weapon possible?" asked Evangeline.
"You asked for a weapon capable of splitting mountains, a weapon that I spoke of is more capable than just that. What I spoke of is the grand Legendary weapon, [The Ender Skall]
"The Ender Skall? What kind of weapon is it?" she asked.
"...no one knows its true shape…but the hero who once wielded this weapon said that once you are able to hold the Ender Skall, this weapon will grant the wielder its greatest wish. A weapon that will form their will."
"I don't understand. What does that mean?" she asked.
"I don't know…nobody does. But the Ender Skall, rumor or not…it is said to be found at the highest peak of all mountains, guarded by the strongest Giant."
"If such a rumor is made, why have I never heard of this once in some book? Such a weapon must be something that should have caught the ears of all that want power. Hunters would have gone for it the moment they heard of such a rumor…but even to this day, I have not heard of such a weapon."
"..Do you wish to claim your desire?" asked the old man in a rather ominous voice…
"..." and in that ominous feeling, Evangeline slowly backed away from the old man, and she then pulled out a pistol out of her storage ring.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"...I'm just an old gunsmith…nothing more, nothing less…"
"...You're not human. That much is clear." she said.
"I am not…but I am a life that spread stories…so, do you wish to attain your desire?" asked the old man who carried a rifle as a cane.
"Are you a God?" she asked
"No, I'm not something as grand as that…But do you wish to attain your desire?" he asked again.
"...I don't trust you." she said.
"No one does…but trust in my words when I say that you will gain your desire if you listen to my story to its end."
"...I won't listen to you. I don't know you!" she said, ever so nervous in front of the old man in front of her.
"...But I do know you, Evangeline Strauss."
"..."
"If you wish to attain the desire you need, achieving this will bring you closer to him…to Hamil." after saying this, the man started turning to smoke and with it, red strings were being torn away from his body as if he was made of stools of yarn. In just a matter of seconds, the man had disappeared.
And in his disappearance, he left a letter. One that was written for Evangeline herself.
"!?" to her shock, she had to assist what just happened, but to her ignorance, she did not know what happened. Who was that man, what did he do? How did he know her…and most importantly, how did he know about Hamil.
Left being in a great discomfort of not knowing what to do, she only had one clue to lead her to what the man had just said to her.
The letter with her name written on.
"...Should I open it?" she asked herself…but as she did, she felt compelled to open the letter.
Slowly opening it, she was surprised to find what was written inside.
For a minute of reading the letter, she looked back upfront with an expression filled with determination.
She let out a deep sigh, and after it, she walked out looking ever so determined.A