CHPT 161: First to Find.

The cool night sky spread across all of New Gloria, bathing the ground below in the light of its stars. But the Moon itself seemed to be directly focused on one spot, shining it's light and sending out pulsating waves of its signature magic in one direction.

Like a giant glowing white eyeball, the Moon looked down on the flaming village below. It's light reflected over the flaming buildings, remains of human bodies and the Arachnoids that wrapped the living humans in their stringy white silk webbing.

Off in the distance, but still below the watchful eye of the sky, the Moon hovered over a man in all black with emerald eyes as he led a handful of wolves cloaked in darkness to face the 8 legged monsters that rampaged the village.

The man indirectly pulled the magic emanating from the moon towards himself like an incredibly powerful magnet. But instead of taking in the magic, it only settled around him. Like the magic was sentient. Like it was simply just waiting to soak into his very being and he utilized like the sharpest blade on earth.

The sparkling blue fog only seen through the eyes of beasts would continue to wait for him until he looked to the sky and called on the great reserves of lunar power. Until he learned to wield the power of the Moon.

***

The Huntsman Arachnoids that emerged from the destroyed home across the dirt street charged at Claude and his Wolves. Their overwhelming physicality was visible in every aspect of their movements and builds.

With every step, their sharp and powerful legs pierced the earth, hauling them forwards while their upper bodies corded with muscle and wrapped in an exoskeleton clawed at the air madly.

12 beady black eyes honed in on Claude as he zig zagged across the wide street towards them— confusing their already poor vision and causing them to feel a chaotic mess of vibrations that was effectively hiding the 7 Wolves behind him.

FWOO!

One of the Arachnoids with a wavy mess of thick wiry hair that shrouded its eyes and pincers, leapt into the air in an attempt to land on the source of the vibrations in front of it.

"Ashe and Frosty split!" He ordered as the Arachnoid sailed through the air towards them.

Without any hesitation, Ashe veered off to the left, followed by Ghost and Nox. Frosty went right, tearing up the dirt with his large and heavy paws. He was followed instantly by Shadow, Onyx and Cali.

By the time the airborn Arachnoid began falling towards Claude, he was now alone. The Wolves had dispersed completely, now in flanking positions.

"HSKHSKHKS!" The Arachnoid hissed at him as it prepared to land.

Claude didn't sidestep or make any attempts to change direction, instead he continued moving forwards, closer and closer to its underside.

Right before it landed and punctured 8 bloody holes into him with its legs, he dropped and slid over the dirt while he swung his sword in an arcing motion above himself.

SHHLCK!

"SHKSHKSHKS!"

The Arachnoid landed just as his sword started its path of destruction that ran all the way across its hairy abdomen.

He continued sliding for a few more feet after gutting the first Arachnoid. Unfortunately, he stopped right in front of the other two who looked ready to smash him to pieces.

"Mother fu—"

"HSHKHSK!" The two cut him off with their unnatural and emotionless hisses as they raised their two front legs and prepared to pierce him.

FWO—

"GRRR!"

Right when they were about to attack, the Wolves sprung into action.

Canine jaws latched onto the thick back legs of the Arachnoids and yanked them away from Claude immediately.

Frosty and Shadow accidentally ripped the leg completely off of one, causing gooey insectoid blood to spray all over the place.

Claude took the opportunity and kicked himself up off the dirt floor just in time to hear the Arachnoid behind him coming back for round two.

Fwoo!

He ducked just in time to miss its humanoid arm slicing through the air above him. At the same time, he spun around and swung low with his sword, holding it like a baseball bat.

FWO!

CKCKCKCK!

The sound of exoskeleton cracking and flesh tearing echoed through the night as he cut off all of the legs on its right side.

Before it could fall due to the loss of support on its right side, Claude switched to a reverse grip with his sword and swung backwards.

"RAGH!"

SPLSH!

[+85 EXP]

His sword slammed through its back and came out on the other side soaked in blood. He pulled the weapon out as quickly as it entered and moved on to the other two Arachnoids who were failing to properly defend themselves against Frosty and the Phantom Wolves.

***

[+85 EXP]

[+85 EXP]

The final two Arachnoids fell soon after, but not before getting in a few hits of their own. One being a punch in the face that threatened to put Claude to sleep and a kick to Shadow's ribs for impatiently charging at the final creature.

After they fell, the group stood in the street, breathing and panting heavily. Claude searched the flaming village as he lowered his mask to wipe blood away from his leaking nose.

"There has to be more, where did they go? And why can't I hear any survivors?" He whispered angrily as dread began to leak into his soul.

"[Claude....I—]"

"Don't say it." He interrupted angrily.

He smelled the burnt air for a few more seconds, taking in the large amounts of fear that settled over the area like a cloud. Combined with the scent was death. There was nobody else in the village that was waiting silently for him— or anyone. The fear he smelled was simply the fear anyone felt before death.

"Fuck. Fuck! FUCK"

"[Clau—]"

Arne was interrupted again. Only this time, it wasn't by Claude.

The sound of a number of steps made its way to his ears from somewhere far at the end of the village ahead of him. It sounded like the movement of Arachnoids— many of them. And it was getting closer.

"[Well don't just stand there, dammit! Move!]" Arne yelled, snapping Claude into action.

In seconds, he was across the street and hiding behind a cabin with the Wolves while he peeked out to look towards the source of the sound.

It didn't take long for the monsters to reveal themselves and show Claude that a number of things were off. Incredibly off.

In fact. It was so off that he was shivering, despite being next to a burning building.

He immediately knew what he was looking at— even though he'd never actually seen it. He just couldn't believe it. He always knew it was coming, but here of all places?

***

A line of Arachnoids walked into the flaming wasteland that was the village. Their sharp legs stabbed the ground in unison, creating a haunting slow tempo'd pulse that rose above the crackle of flames. Now with their presence, there were no other sounds. Only the chilling cadence of their steps, quieted hisses and the unnaturally bottomless breaths of whatever was leading them.

At the front of the line was their leader. At first glance, Claude thought it was simply a larger Arachnoid. But it was something much different. Something tainted by absolute evil.

Standing at ten feet, Claude could easily assess how heavy it was based on the way its many legs crushed the ground. It's exoskeleton was also thicker, looking more like a shiny black shell in places. It looked almost indestructible compared to the rest.

But, all of this was null and void once he saw its face.

No pincers, no sensitive hairs or beady black eyes. The face was surprisingly human. Unnaturally human.

What he saw instead was a grayish black skinned face, expressionless, with two pairs of eyes that gleamed red around slitted reptilian pupils. Beneath its face, at the base of its neck, he could make out a glowing stab wound. The injury was a flaming shade of red that stood out against its dark skin.

Glowing lines of fire stretched out from the wound and spread across its skin like rivers being drawn on a map. There was only one other time he'd seen a wound like that. And last time he saw it, he almost died.

Any doubts of what it was— or what it became, were immediately erased after it turned its head. Showing Claude the obsidian ram horn that burst from the left side of its forehead, lined with smoking hot red cracks and veins that pulsed with every step it made. On its back, it carried the webbed up bodies of 8 survivors.

As quickly as they came, they left. Disappearing in the largest cabin at the end of the street. Leaving Claude with his own shallow breaths and sweaty palms.

"[Claude. What the hell was that?]"

"...."

"HKSHKSHAAAAAAASHHH!!!" Before he could even try to speak, the hissing roar of the HellBred Arachnoid caused a small earthquake to rumble the streets and make the cabins around him crumbled further as the hellish fire around him surged in power.

He was right. It was here. Another one of the HellBreeder's children had arrived.....and once again, he was the first to find it.