One by one, the monsters were being finished off by the newfound Hunters. They battled with unrivaled skill, almost as if the touch of a blade in their hands was something felt before, perhaps in some earlier time. The beastmen perished at the hands of these unmatched warriors, retreat no longer an option as they were cut into bloodied corpses. The woman from before, who had inadvertently started this whole mess, finally creeped out of her hiding spot. With a neutral expression, she looked up to Paul, the one who approached her. It was to be assumed that she would thank the young man for his hard work. Thus, it must have come as a deep surprise when the woman brutally slapped Paul. “Fool,” she hissed with angry tears in her eyes. “You’ve ruined the ritual! Are you mad? H-How could you….why would you interfere!” The woman’s voice became louder and louder in pitch as she backed away like a panicked animal. Dry sobs heaved her body as she pointed an accusing finger at Paul and then the rest of the Hunters as well. “Heretic! Heretic! I drowned my own daughter, consumed the flesh of my only son, and this is how I am repaid for my sins?” She was making no sense and was only becoming more paranoid until she finally brushed up against the town well. Turning to look down at the dark hole, she turned to Paul specifically and flashed him a smile of triumph. Hope was not lost yet. [i][b]“Ut absolutam gratiam tuam,”[/b][/i] she spat to him before jumping over and plummeting to her watery grave. The splash was only countered by the loud crack of bones being split and flesh being splintered. The woman had killed herself. However, there would be no time to grieve because a stranger was quickly approaching the group of Hunters with faltering steps. He wore a standard suit with a tie, black fedora placed atop a crown of equally black hair. His right eye remained firm and closed while his left revealed a sickly hue of green panic that darted from one Hunter to the next in a mile a minute. [color=39b54a]“Hello one and all you idiots! What did I say about getting yourself involved with rituals? You know the God Hand only come back, and in greater numbers! This is only going to put us back a stage and…wait, you’re not villagers, are you? No, no, you look too scared to be villagers…you must be fresh Hunters then who don’t know what they’re doing in my town.” [/color] The tall man in black looked Maria over once before a tired sigh escaped his breath. Honestly, couldn’t she train her new lot faster? Didn’t Iredele deserve enough ill omens? The man didn’t even seem to care that a woman had just committed suicide in his public well. [color=39b54a]“Ah, forgive me for my rudeness young Hunters! You see, I am the mayor of Iredele. Parker. Mister Spencer Parker. I trust you’re here to hunt….monsters?”[/color] [hr] [center][@Zeroth], [@Lugubrious], [@Lucius Cypher], [@Spriggs27], [@Savo], [@BlueAjah], [@harinezumikouken], [@KoL][/center]