The noise that echoed out into the wilds was one that made Nox and his hunting party stop in their tracks. "What was that?" He didn't get an answer at first, instead everyone just took a moment to watch as a flock of birds scattered to the four corners of the world.

"Not sure." Holland, their Dual Blade user muttered, adjusting his glasses. "But whatever it is, it sounds big."

"Should we check it out?" Glade, their greatsword user asked. "Someone might be in trouble."

"Yeah…" Nox muttered as he got back to his feet and dusted himself off. "Let's check it out." He muttered looking at Karma who seemed to be lost in thought.

"That noise…"

"Karma, you coming?"

"Hm?" Karma shook his head. "Yeah let's go." He muttered adjusting his bowgun as he and his hunting party headed off. "I swear I've heard that noise somewhere before."

Their trek through the wilds was quiet… uncomfortably quiet.

It's never supposed to be this quiet.

Hunters saw it as a bad omen of sorts; and they didn't just think that because of a superstition.

The wilds aren't supposed to be quiet. The birds and the beasts always filled it with sort or ambiance.

Now that it was gone… the silence had taken a moment to creep in. It made the once vibrant setting feel more like it was now devoid of all life.

"I don't like this." Karma muttered as he listened out for any form of noise coming their way. "There's nothing but the wind out here."

"Where do you think everyone went?"

"Away from whatever made that noise." Karma commented.

The four Hunters weren't sure how long they found themselves traveling through the quiet woods, traveling down both beaten and unbeaten paths.

They stopped only when they heard a rustle from the bushes. Karma got his bowgun ready, but Nox raised an arm, telling him to hold steady. What came out of the woods wasn't a beast, but a girl. They all recognized her, she was one of the Hunters in Harribel at the moment, Mellow if they remembered correctly.

And she looked like she'd seen better days.

Her armor was in tatters and blood was strayed across it. Her weapon was gone, lost and discarded and and arm was completely limp.

"Hey, you ok?" Nox asked before answering his own question. Course she wasn't ok. She looked terrified. "What happened?" She ran up to him, more on impulse than anything as she started to tear up. "Where's your party?"

"Monster…"

"What?" Glade narrowed his eyes as he looked at the girl as she looked up at Nox. "Monster?"

There's a monster hiding in the wilds!" Mellow stated. "We have to get to Harribel now!"


The Apex had been aware that an intruder in his domain for a while now.

Since the first day they'd arrived, it felt like something had flared up inside him, warning him of the intruder's presence.

And as such he'd gone out every morning in search of the one who posed a threat to his domain.

Were they a challenger, one who sought to take his title of Apex? No.

If they had they would have called by now, issued their challenge

If that's the case then who had intruded on his domain?

A threat, not just to his mate or his heirs, but to his domain itself.

And such threats needed to be dealt with.


Gales got the news just like everyone else. He'd been in the Guild Hall when Nox and his team came back, Mellow was with them, more or less limping as she refused to be carried and struggled towards the Receptionist's counter.

She looked terrible.

"Mellow?" One of Abigail's coworkers, Ishka muttered as they saw the girl approach, slamming a bloody hand on the table. "What happened to you? Where's your party."

"Gone." The girl muttered as she tried to remain upright. "That monster got to them."

"Monster?" Ishka muttered. "What happened to you?"

"The World Eater is here."

If everyone's attention wasn't already all the banged up huntress, it was now.

"What she just say?"

"She's joking right?"

"She's gotta be. There's no way that thing would be here."

The World Eater… That was a title that haunted Veterans and young-blooded Hunters alike.

Karma's eyes widened as a bit of commotion was drowned out around him. "I knew I heard that noise somewhere before…"

""I'm sorry, just you just say a World Eater is out there?" Ishka asked.

"Yes…" Mellow muttered as she started to shake, and whether that was from fear or her body giving out was up for debate right now. "And there's something wrong with it!" She got out before her body started to give. "It can… It can…" Nox caught her before she slumped over and hit the ground.

The others started gathering around looking at the unconscious Huntress as Nox checked her over. "Don't worry she's just unconscious." He muttered before picking her up. "She'll be fine, but we need to get her to the clinic now!"

"Right." Glade muttered as he told the others to clear a path so Nox could carry the Huntress out.

Karma seemed lost in thought as he stared off into the distance. "Shit…" Was all he said after a while before rushing to catch up with his party.

In the meantime the hunters gathered amongst themselves started to talk, while Gales looked at Garm and shared a look.

"This might be bad."

Understatement of the god damn year.