Multiverse: by Nick Venomz (best books to read for beginners .txt) 📕

“Hakai?” The demon then called out, getting an immediate response. “Anything?” He asked. Hakai shook his head, confirming to the demon that nobody was in the house. 

“You’re scot-free today, Ross. Thanks for not being a pain in our sides.” He said as he headed out of the house. Ross followed him, but Henry stayed back.

“Of course, Rhiket.” He said. “I don’t feel like getting arrested or killed, now do I?”

“Well, you can scratch out the part of being a pain in my side,” Rhiket muttered as they went through the long hallway connecting the bedrooms and spilled out into the kitchen. From there, they passed through the dining room and into the living room. 

“Oh, sorry about the door. Rough day.” Rhiket said as they walked over the door and exited the house. “We’ll be back in a few weeks to collect the supplies.”

Ross nodded. “Got it.” He said. Rhiket and Hakai nodded before walking away from the house. As they walked away, Ross headed into a small bedroom where he had doors waiting for him. He brought it down to the living room, grabbing his tools on the couch. He began installing the door, spending five minutes repairing it.

Once he was done, he moved to his bedroom where he opened the closet and allowed the girl to spill out. She took in a big breath of fresh air, irritated that he waited so long to release her. 

“Oh, there’s a latch where you could release yourself from the inside,” Ross told her before turning away. 

“I would’ve liked to have known that before.” She remarked.

“Sorry about that.” He said as he sat down at the end of his bed. “Now, why were they chasing you?

“Uh…” She started. “My village was nothing different than any other village, but… then I was born and everything changed. I… I have a Hunter bloodline.” Ross raised both eyebrows. 

“Y-Yeah… the rumor about me got out and it attracted our collectors. They wanted my family to hand me over, but they refused. So then the collectors left and returned with more demons. They declared my family and the entire village as a living rebellion. Everybody was killed because of that. Because of me. 

The entire village was burnt and I became the last survivor. They want to kill me to end the Hunter bloodline. And any sparks of living rebellions.”

“Oh, a Hunter huh? Interesting.” He remarked. “Well, what are you going to do now?”

“Um… Can I stay here? You know...? Until I can figure out where to go?”

“Stay here?” Ross questioned. “... I don’t know. You’ll be giving me a lot of trouble.”

“I can help around and do whatever you need. I can help you farm… help with the chickens or something.” She said. “Please.”

Ross rattled his brain, torn between helping her or himself. After a few moments, his brain gave him the answer to his situation.

“Well… Fine, but only until you can find somewhere else to go.” He said as he rose from the bed. “You’ll stay inside and deal with the chores. I don’t want them recognizing you while you’re outside.” He said.

She nodded her head. “Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.” She said, her voice full of desperation. She had nowhere else to go. Her relatives were all burnt corpses, unrecognizable and slowly turning to dust. 

Ross nodded, walking by her and stopping at the doorframe. “What’s your name?” He asked the girl. 

“Ashley.” She responded.

“Well, nice to meet you, Ashley. Welcome to my house.” He said before leaving the room. Ashley nodded her head before sitting down on the bed, feeling all of her worries rush out of her body and be filled with glee. She was now safe, at least temporarily. She didn’t have to worry about the demons for some time. 

Everything was getting better for her. 

***

Night came faster than Ross expected. He gave his bedroom to her while he slept in a smaller bedroom. However, his mind wasn’t prepared to sleep.

After staying up for a few hours, he quietly rolled out of bed and headed to the living room. Henry followed him, trotting alongside him as he entered the living room and approached the wall behind the couches. 

Ross moved the couches as quietly as he could before leaning down, removing a false panel on the floor. Under the floor was a ladder that brought him down to his makeshift basement.

Now inside his basement, which Henry couldn’t follow him in, he approached a long table that was the length of the room. On the table were several weapons from revolvers to swords to snipers and everything in between.

“I never thought I would be here so soon.” He muttered to himself as he caressed a Kar98. He then picked up the rifle and checked the chamber. A black-tipped bullet waited for him in the chamber, prepared to be used. Uncomfortable with the weapon suddenly, he lowered the rifle onto the table before looking up.

 “Or that I would see you again.”

Ross looked up at a picture taped to the wall. The picture was of his late wife, Bella, and him when they were in their younger days, right before the 2020s. 

Ross smiled at the picture, being flooded with memories that brought a tear to his eye. 

“I miss you, Bella. I really do.”

Henry barked, catching Ross off-guard. “I got it, I got it. I’ll be right up.” He told Henry as he turned around. On the side of the ladder was a smaller table, this one a third of the other table’s size. Another taped picture displayed a younger Ross and many men his age, all armed with rifles and other pieces of weaponry. Every man grinned into the camera, filled with hope and happiness. 

Neither emotion lasted long.

Ross went up the ladder, putting the false panel back in place. He then moved the couches back into position before heading back to bed. Henry laid on top of the couches for a few minutes before heading to Ross’s new bed. 

The night then went by. 

Hello All!

The story is part of the newly established Multiverse Pilots label. Every installment under this label consists of “pilot” episodes for future series. When a certain number of pilots are written, a competition will begin to see which series get an entire series and which don’t.

As part of this label, The Lost Hunter will remain as a one-shot until the competition where it could receive a full season. When the time comes, if you enjoyed this story, follow the set rules and vote to have this series continue.

Thank you all for reading this pilot. Until next time, I bid you all a good day!

“Your majesty, the 7th Legion is advancing faster than expected. Your orders?” A demon asked, donned in black metallic armor. 

The demon he was speaking to nodded, rising from a makeshift throne made out of vegetation and skin of enemy demons. He wielded a sharp-tip spear, slamming the flat end on the ground as he addressed the demon at his side. “How close?” He growled, donning a black and red helmet with a spike on either side. The helmet was made of a strange material that resembled shiny metal but had the feeling of used leather.

“Closer than expected, your majesty. Less than 1000 feet.”

The demon nodded. “Send out my order. Demon King Altar orders the Blood Dragon Haz to deal with Grizar’s 7th Legion! Now go!” He barked, sending the demon soldier away. The soldier nodded, disappearing and heading off to locate Haz, Altar’s ace in his sleeve. 

Altar, meanwhile, stared at the battlefield as it commenced, sitting down. His makeshift throne was placed on a hill overlooking the valley being used as the battlefield. Opposite him was Demon King Grizar, one of the twelve demon rulers fighting for dominance over the world of Hell’s Gate. This war, the Eleventh Domination War, was a full-on world war between each ruler with no sides intending on backing down. The war will end with one side as the apparent victor and eleven losers. Altar intended to not be dragged into the loser pile, which was possible thanks to his ace. Haz, the fearsome two katana beast known by another name - the Blood Dragon.

“Your majesty!” A different demon soldier shouted as he kneeled in front of him. “The 7th Legion has broken through our last line of defenses. Without aid, the frontlines will shift in their favor.”

Altar glared at the soldier, applying a force so strong that the soldier was nearly crushed, collapsing to the ground in front of him. This made him chuckle before looking away from the battlefield.

He turned his head back before standing up. “HAZ! DESTROY THE 7TH LEGION! OBLITERATE THEM! SHOW THEM WHAT THE BLOOD DRAGON CAN DO!” He roared, sending chills to everybody in attendance of the battle, even spooking the opposite side’s officers and making Grizar tremble, for a brief moment. 

A roar responded to Altar, followed by several trees in the valley being ruffled as a demon sprinted through them, racing to confront the 7th Legion. Altar noticed the disruption in the vegetation, sitting on his throne once again.

“Go. Continue the fight. There’s nothing to worry about. The 7th Legion has been destroyed.” He proudly stated. “The frontlines are shifting in our favor, now go!” He growled. The demon soldier nodded, leaving the throne and heading off to assist his comrades fighting Grizar’s forces. 

Altar remained on his throne, watching as the blue-painted armor of Grizar’s soldiers advanced closer to him, however, now they were targeted by his ace. He gleefully chuckled to himself, frightening the two guards that stood behind him. They cringed at him, waiting for the moment he turns around and kills them with one thrust of his spear. They knew he had the ability to do so, keeping their silence intact.

“Boys, let’s watch the fun.” Altar remarked, staring at the 7th Legion as Haz appeared in front of them. The guards nodded, staring at the action some distance in front of them, towards the bottom of the hill. 

Haz emerged from a section of the dense vegetation, armed with two katanas. He stood in front of the advancing 7th Legion, filled with demons that resembled him and almost every demon in Hell’s Gate. Except for gender and rulers looking significantly different, every demon looked the same. Each soldier was donned in Grizar’s dark blue color, all armed with a mix of swords, bows, and spears. They glared at Haz, all of them knowing about him. The Blood Dragon, the most powerful demon in the world, one with the ability to destroy entire armies on his own. And now he was in front of them, standing in their way. The leader of the 7th Legion, Abuik, gripped his sword tightly as he noticed their poor luck.

“We’re going to be devastated. Damn, our plan to kill Altar before the Blood Dragon can find us is worthless now… All we can do is die with honor now.” He mumbled to himself before raising his sword high into the air.

“Destroy him! For our ruler, Demon King Grizar’s honor!” He roared, sending his almost 6,000 men forward. They charged towards Haz, all trying to deal the first blow and surround him using