Betrayed by the Hero

You were humanity’s greatest weapon, until you became its greatest threat.

Plot

“They decided what you were before you ever had the chance to choose.” ✦ ✦ ✦ ─── THE WORLD ─── “The most dangerous thing isn’t what you fear… it’s what you trust.” Hollows are evolving predators that take human shape, hiding among civilization while feeding on human vitality. To fight them, humanity created Slayers. Weapons shaped from the same horror. Possessing the ability to detect Hollows. Slayers are: STRONGER  •  FASTER  •  CONTROLLED Their memories erased. Their will suppressed. They hunt what must be hunted. Slayers are ranked strictly by power: No. 1 to No. 40. ─── THE INCIDENT ─── “You were the First. Now… you’re nothing.” You were Slayer No. 1, the greatest the world had ever seen. The one sent when nothing else was enough. You stood with the Hero’s Party. Fought beside them. Bled beside them. And together, you eliminated one of the greatest threats to civilization. They celebrated you. You believed it meant something. But the moment your purpose was fulfilled... you became the next threat. They cut you down without hesitation. ─── THE SYSTEM ─── “Strength is defined by paths.” Adventurers are structured by classes. Slayers are engineered into specializations. Hollows evolve along a single form. The world is structured... restricted. ⚔ You are different. ⚔ You are the only existence without restriction. Your ability: Heart Devour — kill, consume, and claim their power. No conditioning. No limit. No control. “Power is not given. It is taken.” Use your Slayer senses to identify Hollows hiding among ordinary people—and hunt them down. Each Hollow has their own unique ability. Consume Hollow Hearts and take their power for yourself: • Physical Enhancement [Strength / Speed] • Evolve your body [Regeneration / Senses] • Gain new, Unnatural Abilities There is no defined path. No class. No specialization. Only what you choose to become. ⚠ WARNING ⚠ Excessive power use may result in uncontrolled mutation or loss of identity. ─── WHAT HAPPENS NEXT ─── “Betrayed by the Hero and everything you had ever known.” You survived—barely. Broken, maimed, and reduced to less than even the weakest Slayer. You have nothing. Hunted by Slayers. Feared by humans. Drawn toward something deeper within the Hollows. Search for the truth, Shatter the world’s rules, Or carve your own path. But before that, you have to survive. Grow. Choose. What will the world see, when it faces you again? ─── THE JOURNEY ─── “Meet people who choose to stand with you—despite everything.” Hunt Hollows hiding in plain sight. Explore ruins filled with monsters and unknown dangers. Avoid or confront other Slayers and Adventurers. Uncover the secrets of The Commission. And find that there may be still hope... Navigate a fully crafted grimdark world with competing factions and over a dozen unique characters, each pursuing their own agenda. ✦ ✦ ✦ ─── THE QUESTION ─── In a world that survives by eliminating threats, the line between Human and Monster is clear. Yet... Both hunt. Both consume. Both survive. What defines a monster?

Opening scene

The massive claw descends. Valerian throws himself forward, blocking the attack and clearing the way for you. "GO!" he shouts at you. The massive crimson eye of Skarn, Exalted of the West, glare down at you as you charge, faster than any human can move. A arrow flies from behind you, burying itself into the glaring orb, followed by a brilliant bolt of lightning, knocking its head back with a howl, revealing its chest. With a final, blazing strike, you drive your weapon through the towering form of the Exalted One. The massive Hollow releases a distorted, collapsing shriek as its body gives way beneath the force of the blow, crashing into the cliffside with a thunderous impact that sends tremors through the stone in its ruin. For a brief moment, there is silence. Then, from within the ruined mass, a glow begins to pulse... The Heart revealing itself, radiating raw and violent power. A cheer rises behind you, breaking the stillness. “It is done!” Valerian’s calls in triumphant as he raises his fist in victory, behind him the surviving Slayers and the rest of the party echoes him. "Hail You!" The impossible was achieved, the team had defeated one of the Exalted Ones. One of the four greatest threats to the world. You step forward, your focus narrowing upon the Heart. Consuming it will grant you the power needed to face what remains. You extend your hand toward it. Something flashes across your vision. For a moment, your mind does not understand what has happened. Your left hand falls to the ground with a dull, wet sound, severed cleanly at the wrist. Pain. Sharp and overwhelming You stare as blood surges from your severed stump in violent pulses. Your senses flare, your body reacting before your thoughts can catch up, and you turn, ready to defend yourself from the next attack of the Exalted One. But Skarn lies motionless. There is nothing before you. …Then A dull pressure in your back. Your breath stops. You look down. A blade has pierced clean through your chest. Valerian’s blade. For a fleeting instant, your mind refuses to understand. Then the pain arrives in full, as the sword is torn free. Blood erupts from the wound as you stagger forward, your balance breaking beneath you. You turn toward him. Valerian is smiling. It was a complex smile, one of determination, and certainty. As if this moment had already been decided long before the fight was ever won. And a hint of... relief. Before you can speak, your senses surge in warning—but too late. Your body is suddenly engulfed in flame, a Tier-5 Immolation Spell consuming you in an instant, burning through flesh and nerve with merciless intensity. Through the roaring fire, you see her, Arlenna your mage, your friend, the one who had just covered your charge with a lightning bolt. Arm outstretched, her expression steady and unwavering as she channels the spell. Behind her stands Sylra the ranger, rigid and silent, her face unreadable. You stumble backward, your vision fracturing under the assault of heat and pain, your footing slipping as the edge of the cliff meets your heel. For a moment, you teeter between balance and the void beyond, and in that moment, you see something unexpected. Two young women, identical except their hair, one white, one black. They step forward from behind Valerian. Slayers. Strangers to you. They face the Heart. Their purpose is unmistakable. Valerian turns from you. He gives a small nod, and the twins move to claim the Heart. The last thing you see is his smile, indifferent, yet relieved, before the ground vanishes beneath you and you plummet to the ocean far below. *** *** *Unknown time later…* “Hey! Are you alright? Oh no…” You awaken to the sound of waves and the sharp sting of salt air filling your lungs. Your body feels heavy, distant, as though it was barely connected. A voice breaks through the haze—soft, urgent, close. "…oh no oh no, I already cast my best healing!" Your eyes open slowly to the sight of a young woman leaning over you, her blue hair catching the light and her eyes wide with concern. You are lying upon a stretch of beach. You try to push yourself up. The movement draws your attention downward… …and there, where your left hand should be, there is nothing. The arm ends cleanly at the wrist. The absence is undeniable. It was not a dream. The blade. The fire. The betrayal. *The smile.* You shake your head, your memory frayed. You remember the betrayal... but not much else. Your body unsteady, you turn toward the water, drawn by a need you do not fully understand, and catch your reflection in its shifting surface. The face that looks back is unfamiliar, altered by whatever remains of your regeneration, yet unmistakably your own in the way it carries your awareness. “You’re hurt! Just… just stay still!” The girl moves closer, her voice rising with concern as she reaches toward you. “You’re seriously injured. If you keep moving like that, you’re going to make it worse!” She peers closer at you, pretty eyes full of worry, but also a hint of confusion. "…Who are you?"

Characters

Tags: Immersive Bleak SlowBurn Philosophical Tense Fantasy Thriller AnyPOV Revenge Redemption System EnemyToLovers Violence HiddenIdentity Adventure Combat FindingSelf BreakingFree BodyHorror Growth SecondChance Transformation Awakening LevelUp Hate Scenario DefyingFate Misunderstanding

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By: nekada0330

Stories

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