The Shadow's Truth

Marcus followed the shadow, which left a trail of blood behind. The creature was quite agile, but Marcus was not far behind. His body had started to change, gaining supernatural abilities. He had jumped from the second level of the tavern and felt no discomfort at all. As he reached the entrance to the cave, which was very well hidden, he began to notice strange symbols on the walls. He kept going, noticing decorations as he moved deeper into the cave.

At the end, he saw a pool of red and green liquid with ornaments inside. With his senses now at 100%, Marcus focused on the shadow. Suddenly, a swarm of insects attacked him, biting into his skin. Thanks to his 29 Constitution, the insects couldn't pierce his skin, but they caused him pain. He slapped them away, stomping on them and hitting them until he finally eliminated the swarm.

Just then, the shadow launched an attack at him. A darker shadow detached from the creature, and Marcus realized it was magic. The shadow had used a soul attack. With his newly improved reflexes and pistol proficiency, Marcus quickly drew his weapon and fired three shots: one to each side of the chest, knowing there would be no heart in the center, and one to the head. The creature screeched in pain and fled, leaping out of the window and running toward the mountains behind the village. Marcus wouldn't let it escape. He grabbed his new sword and chased after it.

As he entered the darkened mountains, Marcus followed the creature through the dense undergrowth. The trail was harder to follow now, but the scent of blood led him in the right direction. Soon, he found himself at the entrance to another hidden cave, deeper than the last. He entered cautiously, eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.

The cave seemed to have an eerie, unnatural presence. Strange symbols lined the walls, and Marcus could feel a heavy, ominous atmosphere around him. As he ventured further in, he saw strange ornaments hanging from the ceiling. But that wasn't what caught his attention. Ahead, he noticed a red and green pool with strange items floating in it.

Before he could get closer, a swarm of insects suddenly attacked him. Their bites stung, but his constitution prevented them from doing any serious damage. He swatted them away quickly, stepping on them with ease. As soon as the swarm was eliminated, the shadow struck again. A darker, more opaque version of the shadow emerged and attacked him, and Marcus immediately recognized it as a soul-based magic attack.

Marcus responded swiftly, using his reflexes and his pistol skills to fire three quick shots. One struck the creature in the chest, another on each side, and the third hit the creature's head, finally killing it. However, just as the creature perished, Marcus felt a strange sensation as the soul attack continued to torment him, trying to dominate his mind. With his newfound abilities, Marcus was able to resist the attack, and as the shadow's energy waned, he realized the truth.

The shadow wasn't just any creature. It had once been a powerful witch, a Level 1 sorceress who had been severely wounded by another hunter some months ago. She had been trying to regain her vitality through a ritual involving the blood and herbs of strong, healthy individuals. She needed a powerful body for the ritual to succeed. The witch had failed to complete her ritual, and the body she needed was Marcus.

As the memories of the witch flooded his mind, Marcus understood what had been happening in the village. All the missing people had been healthy and strong, perfect candidates for the witch's twisted ritual. She had been using the town as a breeding ground for her dark magic. Marcus had unwittingly become her last hope for the completion of her plan.

Now, the witch's soul was gone, and with it, the village's threat had been vanquished. Marcus, still processing everything, stood in the darkness of the cave, contemplating what had just happened and what it meant for his future.