January 31st, 2089.

One week later, Alex was returning home from Jumbo Village. After advancing to the point where he could use the Spirit Sword Attack three times per charge, he challenged Saru when Jumbo sent him word that she was back. He almost lost when Saru entered Rage Mode again. She was overwhelmingly strong. But he was indeed stronger than before and so was able to finally bring her down in the end, but not before suffering more punishment.

His Kut-Ku armor was trashed and his hair frazzled from taking out multiple flame breath attacks. "Man... that hurt…" he kept grumbling to himself as he passed through the village, receiving looks of concern from the villagers.

Upon arrival at his home, Alex removed his armor, put away his long sword, and took a nice, relaxing hot bath. Though Pokke was situated on the cold Snowy Mountain range, geothermal heat from the semi-active volcano that the village was built on was harnessed through dynamic mechanisms to heat homes and water.

7:31 PM.

That night, when Alex had drunk his Mountain Herb tea and fed his pet pig Emperor, trouble came knocking on his door, literally. Pap! Pap! Pap!

"I'll be right there! I wonder who it could be at this hour." Alex opened the door to a very worried Pokke Village Chief. "Granny!? What's the matter?"

She panted. "A... Alex, there's trouble!" she managed between breaths.

"Whoa! Come in Granny. Catch your breath and then talk." Alex led the short elder inside all the way to the kitchen room. She sat down to the table as Alex poured her a cup of tea, passed it to her, and took his seat. He waited as she took a few sips. Then he asked, "So, care to explain what has you so excited... or so grim for that matter?"

"It's Anna! She came back today from the mountains in terrible shape and claimed she was attacked by a freaky wyvern."

"A freaky wyvern?"

"I'm afraid I believe it to be the legendary cave dwelling creature known as a Khezu."

"Khezu!? You mean that rarely seen wyvern that glows in the dark in an electrifying luminance and is known to wreak havoc in a wide area whenever it appears?" replied Alex, his confusion shaken away now that he had a name to go up on.

"It is known throughout the lands in hushed whispers as the Shadow in the Snow and the Mōmoku no Kurīchā (Blind Creature)."

"Hmm. My master Chief Koto has fought with about seven of those things during his career," remarked Alex. "Lots of people absolutely loathe them, even among the Guild's finest hunters. If one has shown up in our backyard like this, then I am to suppose that Pokke itself is in danger, right?"

"Alex, you have to investigate this matter before it is too late. I've already filed this as an Urgent Quest with the Guild. The Guild has sent word that you will earn your first rank-up if you succeed in slaying it."

"That's awesome! I'd better go and see how Anna is doing. Maybe she can give me some good advice, since she saw it."

"That might be best. Well, come to my hut. I've been taking care of her."

"Alright. Say, how is Mathew, her brother?"

"Worried out of his skull," the Chief replied.

Alex laughed. "I figured as much."

At the Chief's hut…

"Alex, you came…" said Anna weakly as she lay bedridden and wrapped in bandages here and there."

"Man, you look like you've seen better days. What happened to you?"

"'What didn't happen to me' is the better question…" She nursed her forehead. "One of his attacks left me paralyzed. You should definitely use your Genprey armor for this fight." Alex nodded. "Oh, here is something crucial. It's pretty slow, so you'll have many chances to attack, but don't be fooled when it stops moving around. That is the one time you should just keep your distance, no matter what. Or you'll end up like me, or worse."

"Okay. But I promise I won't fail. I'll avenge you."

"Thanks… Just be careful… I mean it."

Alex smiled. "Well, I'm off."

Pokke Guild Outpost.

"You've got quite the task this time, Mr. Alex," said September as Alex paid Patricia the quest fee of 700 Zenny.

"Wait, Alex…" Patricia stayed his hand. "Why don't you keep it? If you lose, then Pokke won't even exist anymore…"

"Hey, why the long face? Are you really this worried, Miss Patricia?" said Alex with a soft tone.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I do believe in you. But even if you are a Kasai, this IS a Khezu we are talking about. I know how lethal they are. When I worked in Minegarde Town, I died a little inside every time I had to file a quest against one, and the hunt ended in failure or even death of a hunter…"

"Miss Patricia…" Alex voiced. "I can see that you are very close to this. Alright, let's you and me make a promise." Alex laid the fee on the counter and gestured for her hands. Reluctantly, and with a blush, she gave him her hands. "I give you my solemn word… No, I pledge you my body and soul that I will not give up, that I won't turn tail… that I'll face down this degenerate creature and protect our village. I'll defeat it… at any cost!"

"Whoa… if you talk that passionately, then I can't even remain worried. Alright, Alex. I accept, though you don't really need to pledge this far…"

Alex released her hands and beamed her a powerful smile. "It's a promise." He then slipped the quest fee into her hands and fled the scene before she could even try to refuse.

Vance's Smithy and Armory.

"Here you go, Alex," Vance was saying as he handed Alex a large box. "Your Genprey Armor is in tip top shape for this battle. And I'll restore your Kut-ku Armor back to perfection."

"Thank you, , I'm off."

"Wait! Take this!" Alex turned and was handed a small red gem. "Khezu don't do well against the Fire Element. This little trinket is called a Decoration, and it can give you Skills that your armor doesn't normally have. Attach this to your Iron Katana to allow you to channel the Fire element into your Spirit Sword Attack. It won't add the Fire Element to your basic attacks, though so be warned. Also, most of your normal attacks will bounce off since Khezu's skin is quite... weird. All in all, be careful."

Alex attached the gem unto a slot on the hilt. The effect was immediate. The silver blade glowed red for a few seconds. "Thank you. I promise to not fail, Vance."

"The fate of Pokke rests in you, Alex. We're all counting on you. Failure isn't really an option. Otherwise, the village is doomed. But, no pressure!" The fact that he said this with a smile is what made Alex grimace. Without another word, the young hunter left, with new powers, ready to go up against the looming threat ahead.

Alex stopped at Pokke's gate. Apple had decided to be a full time Felyne chef, as the first incident with Saru the week before was enough action for her furry hide, so she was sitting this one out. With Anna out of commission, he had no choice but to tackle this alone. This would be a moment to define his status as the Head Hunter of Pokke Village."Well, here goes everything. Just you wait, monster. Threaten my village, and hurt my comrade, will you? I'll show you not to mess with that which I care about." Unknown to him, his Dragonite ornament glowed faintly for a second.

Also unknown to him as he started making his way down the path was that someone with a scowl on her face was watching him go.

Hunter Stats

Alex Kasai (HR1)

Weapon: Iron Katana Grace Long Sword

Armor: Genprey Lv.9 Blade Master

Skills: Telepathy, Thunder Resist (Lo), Paralysis Halved, Sword Sharpener

Snowy Mountains Zone 2...

Alex and stood at the entrance to Zone 3, the cave where he fought the first Giaprey pack he ever came across. The stars could be seen clearly in a cloudless night sky. The snowflakes that fell were few and thin. The environment felt overall less cold than usual. Alex took it as a bad sign. He had never seen a Khezu in real life before, only illustrations, but he was sure that he was in for a treat. If he could call it a treat, that is.

Alex drank a Hot Drink. He stayed still to allow its refreshing feeling to spread throughout his body. He then ate a Well Done Steak to heighten his stamina. "Ahh, that hits the spot. Okay, it's go-time." Alex looked into the cave. The first thing he noticed was low visibility. "Hmm, that's odd. I've been here at night before. Why is it so dark?"

He went in slowly, tapping his foot now and then to check the ground. Once he came to the ledge, he jumped down, landing with a resounding thud. Alex looked up at the hole in the ceiling to see that it was blocked by snow. Only a few tiny rays of moonlight were stealing through. The cave was almost pitch black tonight.

"Now then, it's time to put my ability to the test. Where are you, cave wyvern?" Alex focused intensely. Not a single Chikara signature was registered. Even the giant mosquito-like Vespoid bugs were nowhere to be found. It was the living definition of creepy. Jeez, this thing has all life scared into hiding just by its mere presence in the region. I can't even pick up one lousy Giaprey or Blango.

Silence. An eerie silence was the only thing the venue held and permeated. But Alex did not have to wait very long. 'Scuffle, scuffle,' went a strange sound. Alex felt the approaching new presence. It was not there a minute ago. Then came the voice, a creepy high pitched voice, "Fu, fu, fu. What have I here? Another meddling Hunter, I smell. Yes, yes!" 'Scuffle, scuffle, snort!'

"Show yourself, Khezu!"

"Please, please! Refer to me as Shadow," replied the voice as the cave was suddenly illuminated by a bright blue. Alex looked before him to stare at... ugly incarnate? The wyvern had pale whitish skin, a stump of a tail and a short neck ending in a toothy sucker like mouth. The being lacked eyes. Blue electricity danced hypnotically along its body, providing light. If Alex was scared, he was doing a good job of hiding it, not that it mattered. "I can't see you, but I can smell your fear. Yes, yes!"

"You sure are ugly. But that's not important. Shadow! I am here to stop you from destroying Pokke Village!"

"Drat! I shouldn't have let that hunter from earlier get away," Shadow thought to himself, but Aled read his mind. "No matter... I will simply dispose of you and continue on!"

"Don't count on it! You're going to pay for what you did to Anna!" Sword at the ready, Alex rushed forward. He swung his blade, cutting thin air as the lights went out. "Huh!?" He blinked in surprise, both at his miss and the sudden darkness.

"Oops! My bad!" Shadow jeered. Alex picked himself and tried to remain calm. "You can't see me, but I know exactly where you are..." Shadow, who was right before Alex, stretched out his neck, head butting him.

"Oof!" Alex had felt the attack coming, but was unable to react in time. He got up and ran away to try to gain some distance. "This guy is using the darkness as cover. My attack missed because I could not get a good distance judgement. Unless he does an electrical attack, I won't see it coming. But... I can sense his attacks." Alex stood at the ready with eyes closed. Sight would do no good here. "Come on, come on... There!" Alex rolled away as the Khezu slammed its whole body at the spot he just stood. "Take this!" 'Swing, swish, slash, swish, swing, slash!" Each attack bounced right off. "Man! What is that hide made off?!" Alex back stepped as Shadow stood up again.

"How did you manage to dodge that?" Shadow asked as he moved away from Alex.

I need to build up power for the Spirit Sword Attack. I'll have to bank on it, since it will be hard to damage this thing normally. Now with a plan in mind, Alex prepared himself. "I'm not Pokke's head Hunter just for show! I'm Maxwell the Great's successor!"

Light began to shine from the Khezu's body. "You mean the loser who got eaten by Tiggy? Oh, please!"

"Don't you dare disrespect him in front of ME!" Alex charged before circling to the left as Shadow attempted to head butt him. Alex then slashed a few times with strength, actually getting in some damage. In the process, the sword became dull, so he was forced to move away and try to resharpen it. On the bright side, it was finally glowing red. "Yes!"

Alex moved away and a heavy thud told him he would have been flattened. He took the chance to add another attack, but Shadow planned for this. "Not so fast! Thunder Element: Thunder Cloak!"

"AAAHH!" screamed Alex as he was zapped. The lights went out soon afterward. Alex struggled to get up and he was not paralyzed thankfully. "Man, I can't believe I still fell for it."

"Fu, fu, fu… Don't feel too bad." Alex looked around. The darkness and his opponent were starting to annoy him to no end. "What say we bring this to an end? Fu, fu, fu."

Alex became focused. "You're right, Shadow! This game of hide and seek is over! I know right where you are!" To Shadow's surprise, he sensed Alex charging straight for him. "I hope this works! Take this! Fire Element: Blazing Spirit Sword Attack!" Alex's Iron Katana released explosions of fire as he rapidly attacked. Swing, swish, swing, swish, slash! "How's that!?"

"AAAHHH!" Shadow flailed about in pain, electricity leaking out of his body like escaping water. In his thrashing, he bashed himself against a wall, causing the ice blocking the ceiling to be dislodged so that light could fill the cave. Alex observed as white puffs of electrified steam flushed out of Shadow's mouth. 'KYYRRRRRYYYGGGGHHHHH' Shadow's roar of rage was super high pitched, causing Alex to cover his ears. "You, you! That's it! I'll zap you to ashes! Raaaahhh!" Alex stepped back in fear as the wyvern gathered electricity from its body to its head. A white crackling ball formed in its mouth as it lowered. It used its tail to ground itself.

"What... is this?!" thought Alex. "And this pressure, the palpable intent to kill. I almost can't move!"

"Thunder Element: Ground Surge!" Three balls of electricity were fired simultaneously at varied trajectories, traveling at ridiculous speed. There was absolutely no time to dodge. Alex himself knew he could not move fast enough.

"Thunder Resist!" he shouted, bracing himself for the attack, a yellow bodily barrier enveloping him protectively as he spoke. 'CHA-ZAP!' "AAAAAHHHH!" The one of the attacks hit him squarely, giving him a nasty shock. When it was over, however, he found that his body was numb. Alex fell over to lay on the icy floor, his body in continuous spasms as yellow electricity jumped out of him. "Darn...it... Para... lysis..."

"Now, I'll crush you! Thunder Leap!" Blue electricity enveloped his wounded body as Shadow leaped forward faster than before. There was no way Alex could get out of this. "Now you die! Die now!"

"I can't… die… like this! Pokke Village… needs me! NO! Paralysis Resist!" Alex cried out, willing himself to move through the paralysis. He rolled onto his back and held up the tip of his Katana at the pale form about to crush him in 3, 2, 1... CRASH! CHA-ZAAAAP! "AAAAHHHH!" screamed Alex.

"NOOOOO!" screamed Shadow as furious blue bolts flew out from him in all directions, adding even more light to the cave for a short moment.