The Mysterious Town

Marcus was right about something watching him. It turns out that what the lady said was true: all the missing people had been in excellent health. Marcus, due to practicing supernatural arts, was in peak physical condition, making him look like a glowing light bulb in the darkness.

At night, a shadow peered through the window at Marcus's room. Marcus didn't notice it. Sitting in a lotus position, he was focused on advancing his skills, attempting to reach level 2 as a Hunter to gain more abilities to defend himself. After about six hours of meditation, he decided to sleep, still aware that he was human and vulnerable.

The next morning, Marcus felt something strange: a centipede was crawling on his body, making its way toward his neck, ready to bite. Marcus reacted quickly, throwing it into the air and crushing it. He found this odd, but since it was a rural town, he assumed it was normal.

He decided to go out and investigate, sensing that something unusual was happening in the town. He walked around, asking questions, and gathered information about the missing people—family members and friends, all of whom were strong and healthy. Marcus started to notice a pattern.

As he continued walking, he noticed something intriguing: a blacksmith shop from the 20th century, which was surprising since they still made axes, picks, and other tools. Marcus entered and began asking the blacksmith questions. The man had great vitality and had a former apprentice who had gone missing. While talking with the blacksmith and examining his products, Marcus spotted a small sword. The blacksmith explained that it had been made by his master with about 100 sheets of metal, a combination of steel and silver, as the person who ordered it wanted it to be more aesthetic than functional. The person who had commissioned it never came to pick it up, and it had been left as a decoration.

Marcus negotiated with the blacksmith and bought the sword, using up the remainder of his savings from his previous job.

Panel Overview:

Name: Marcus Winchester

Race: Human

Strength: 13

Agility: 12

Constitution: 14

Hunter Energy: 3.2 (previously 3.0)

Level: 1