Throughout their long history that dated back for more than a millennium, their secret society had had a lot of different names, ‘Altered Hunters’ was merely the latest one on that list. One of the downsides of modern technology was that it had become impossible for their activities to remain secret, especially since their targets had the status of modern day celebrities. Thanks to various news channels, in the eyes of the public they were nothing more than modern day terrorists.
Despite the public outcry, they nevertheless continued their noble mission for the sake of humanity. While times had changed, the Altered Hunters still used the swords, axes, and shields of their predecessors. According to the history books that the Altered hunters kept, beasts used to roam the world. And to defeat them, they did so using special weapons made from the beast themselves. In the past these were called beast weapons but were now called the Anti-Altered weapons.
Thanks to the recorded techniques of their predecessors, the Altered Hunters were trained in the ways to channel the most power out of those ancient weapons. Being able to focus on one’s own energy and passing it through the weapon would bring extra benefits to the wielder, usually granting them extra power, beyond that of a professional athlete, which was what allowed them to have even ground with the Altered in the first place.
The better the weapon, the stronger the buff its wielder would receive. From what Blake had read, some weapons were even imbued with special traits, such as igniting the weapon without any source of fire being present… and he was dying to earn one of those in the future.
The armour at the very back, though, Blake could instinctively tell that it was a step above everything else lying here. It was complete and there was a dark deep red colour to it, with a dragon scale like pattern on different parts of the armour pieces. Just looking at it made him feel invigorated.
“Why is it locked away?” Blake asked. “How many stars would I have to reach to try it on?” There weren't any visible star requirements attached to it, so the teenager decided to ask, already prepared that the answer would be a humiliating one.
Edvard chuckled a little at Blake’s eagerness, reminded of the time he himself had first laid eyes on it. Amused, he strongly patted Blake’s back. This simple action made a deep sound, but unwilling to yield in front of the five-star Hunter, the teenager stopped himself from stumbling, keeping his two feet hard on the ground.
“That is our trump card.” Edvard started to explain. “Although this place is a well-kept secret, and we do our best to make sure there are no spies, we can’t rule out the possibility that one day our enemies might find it.
“If it comes to that, White Rose would send all of its forces over, and should they do that… I honestly doubt our ability to deal with them. That’s why it is of utmost importance that you do your best to make sure to choose your targets carefully, pick the right weapons and plan thoroughly before taking on the Altered of your choice. The less attention you garner, the better it will be for your safety, as well as all of ours.”
“Still, some things are inevitable, and in the worst case that armour will be our saving grace. Believe me, I understand your desire perfectly, it has a very alluring ‘call’ to it… but the rules are clear, it is only to be used in such an emergency when our very existence is at risk. As such, I can’t just give it to you.
“Nevertheless, the rules also state that the strongest fighter should be the one to wear it. If you work hard for the group, gain more stars, then you might one day become an existence worthy of protecting us all.”
Blake felt a little down by the answer, but he hadn’t expected too much in the first place. He let out a sigh, before he opted to make use of his limited time here to search for a decent weapon and armour.
There were many, and black was a predominant colour choice amongst the armour. Blake had upgraded his set, picking out a few items that matched him most. His fighting style was one that focused on speed, agility and dexterity, so he needed to be light and not too heavy.
Luckily, everything had already been neatly organised into sections for them to easily pick what suited them.
After that, Blake headed to the weapon section, where he already knew what he wanted, a pair of dual short swords. They had done him well, though there was another reason for his choice. A pair of dark red blades had managed to catch his eye.
Usually, he wouldn't have picked red since the colour was easier to see in the dark, but these were quite the dark tone, and after seeing the dragon armour they fascinated him a little. When looking at the hilt of the sword, Blake noticed an emblem on the guard.
‘I’ve never seen this marking before?’
Usually, the blacksmiths in the past would put a special marking on all the weapons they created. That way, they could make a name for themselves if a famous warrior used their weapons. Many of the items had one, but a shield with two spears going in a cross shape behind it, was something he had never seen before.
‘It's a bit weird on a pair of swords, but I like the weight of them.’ Blake gave them a couple of swings before putting them away, happy to keep them.
‘When fighting Billy, I managed to see those white lines mentioned in our books… if I can just manage to find out how I did it, I should rise quickly.’ Blake thought.
Roughly thirty minutes after they had been let in, everyone was equipped with new gear. While the one-star and two-star Hunters were free to leave, Edvard instructed the three-star Hunters and above to stay, for he had something important to discuss with them.
Inside the base meeting hall, there was a large round table, but there were no seats. Edvard himself stood with his hands on the table, while the others stood there patiently.
“I trust in the judgement of each one of you, and while working on your own has worked so far, I’m afraid that we have a very serious situation on our hands. There have been multiple reports of something quite concerning as of late.” The Altered Hunter leader explained as he pulled out a syringe and placed it on the table.
“I assume some of you have perhaps seen or heard about this ‘black liquid’. As of now, it is predominantly being passed around in the lower tier towns. It appears to be either a failed experiment or an early prototype for a new Alterification method. Whoever uses it turns into a type of crazed Altered.”
“Their usage so far appears to be limited, but unless we do something about it, incidents like the one in Slough might very well start appearing all over the country. The reason for calling you here is that I need you all to make this our number one priority. We need to find out more about this black liquid, preferably its origin. To do that, we’re going to have to start being more active in the higher tier cities, which means your jobs will also become more dangerous.”
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