《Bloodborne》 1 The city of legends and blood The city of Yharnam, a place of healing and miracles, is the destination of many foreign travellers seeking blood healing. The legend says that some type of sacred blood is used to help cure any type of ailment. And so it is that many travellers set sail to seek the sacred city and its great cathedral. In the beginning, the city was ruled by the royal family in Cainhurst. The castle was accessible only through a bridge that connects to Hemwick, a small village by the west of Yharnam. The royal family ruled for many years and with the help of the biggest academy in the region, Bergenwerth, they managed to make great discoveries, thus advancing science and healing. Bergenwerth, which was accessible only to elite students, was a great place of learningˇ­ Or so they say, as the place concealed many dubious practices for the sake of knowledge seeking. The head of the academy, Willem lead different excavations into the tomb of the gods that lay beneath the city of Yharnam. In doing so, scholars had discovered a holy medium that allowed them to heal any kind of injury or illness using blood. The source of the blood remained unknown, and the practice of blood healing had created a split within the academy. Willem and his closest apprentice, Laurence, didn''t agree on the use of blood in order to heal illnesses. Willem saw it as cursed practice while Laurence saw in it the fruition of all their efforts in order to bring mankind to the next step in their evolutionary cycle. Both Willem and Laurence were seeking the same objective. Albeit differing on the method to use, both longed for humankind''s evolution into another realm, into godhood itself. The discovery of the tombs of the gods below the city had started an evolutionary movement within the academy. Their theory was that ancient beings inhabited the city of Yharnam beforehand and had managed to make contact with greater beings called the "Great Ones". Great Ones were worshipped as Gods and used to communicate with the Pthumerians, the ancient inhabitants of the city of Yharnam. That communication with the Great Ones allowed the Pthumerians to ascend to a new level of existence, enhancing their physical abilities and allowing them to use powers akin to magic, arcane powers. Furthermore, an average Pthumerian could live longer than humans by a long stretch. Evidence of that was provided when scholars encountered few of them during their numerous tomb excavations. Pthumerians have become only shells, serving to guard the tombs where the gods are buried. Killing one of them takes immense power and reflexes. Many scholars had lost their lives going into the tomb where the first Pthumerian was encountered until hunters came into play. Among the first hunters was Gherman. Some say he was the first hunter, others say that he helped create the order of hunters. Hunters were extremely agile and fearsome fighters. They fought using trick weapons that transform according to the situations they were in. With the help of Laurence, Hunters had discovered an even more powerful tool to make themselves almost invincible: Blood Ministration. By injecting oneself with the blood scavenged from the holy medium discovered by Laurence and his followers, one could heal from any injury instantly by just injecting a small syringe into their bloodstream, making hunters even more aggressive and fearsome. With the help of the hunters, Laurence had split from his master at the academy of Byrgenwerth and set off to Yharnam to create the healing church.The establishment of the church ushered a new age for Yharnamites, nuns administered blood healing to everyone. The process would go as follows; nuns would go through blood ministration and mix Old blood to their own. They would imbibe the blood continuously as long as they are part of the healing church. By mixing her blood with the Old one, a nun can administer blood healing to any and all by simply injecting them with her own blood. And so, the healing properties are transferred to ailing humans but the enhanced reflexes and physical abilities do not pass on to them. Or so the church thoughtˇ­ For years, blood was administered at the healing church, and pilgrims from all over the worlds started coming to the city with hopes of healing. The church had gained in fame and power and settled at the top part of the city, called the Cathedral Ward. Getting access to the church became harder and blood started being manufactured. Blood would be then sold in bottles in the Cathedral Ward and in Central Yharnam. The taste of blood was addicting, and at the same time intoxicating. People would rush to consume it in numbers and the number of nuns at the cathedral had multiplied since then in order to face the increasing demand. On the other side of town, the royal family in Cainhurst did not appreciate the fact that the church had started gaining more power. Blood started being venerated as a holy practice and the Great Ones were looked upon as Gods of that new movement. A religion had started to form around Blood ministration and Cainhurst Castle had to step in to reaffirm their position as rulers of the city. Luckily the queen had one of her faithful spies bring back a sample of the blood used for blood ministration. That sample was brought back from Byrgenwerth as the spy had infiltrated the academy as a scholar. The castle started then developing their own method of blood ministration which led to unpredictable consequences. The people at the castle became known as vilebloods for the nature of the blood they had used in the first place. The spy, confusing it with Old Blood had given the queen a forbidden one that changed the people imbibing it into blood starved beings, hungry to consume more. Big feasts were held at the castle and the people invited to go over and attend it had never come back. This led to a big split between the church and the castle, both becoming mortal enemies to each other. In the meantime, tragedy struck the lower parts of Yharnam. Blood healing had begun in order to heal diseases deemed incurable. However, some people in Old Yharnam started manifesting some bad side effects. The more blood they imbibe, the sicklier they become. Coughing blood was the first sign of the side effect, then came extreme increase in body temperature followed hallucinations and aggressive behavior.Gherman, the hunters leader had decided to hunt the aggressive folk and led a small group with him into Old Yharnam. What they saw in the dark streets of the old city had confirmed their fears. There were no sick people, only beasts that come at night to hunt humans. It seemed that by using the Old Blood, humans had brought the wrath of the gods on them, unleashing beasts to feast and punish the sinners. Hunters on the other hand, had the situation in control and ordered the people to hide inside their houses on nights of the hunt. The nights of the hunt happens every full moon, that''s when the beasts show up and the fight begins. Gherman recruited and trained more hunters in order to help with the numerous hunts and blood ministration was given to those chosen hunters in order to enhance their capabilities. Hunters multiplied in numbers but the beasts kept on coming. Yharnamites became used to the hunts and closed themselves up in their houses every full moon night. Gherman and Laurence rose to power and controlled the safety of Yharnam while Queen Annalise in Cainhurst castle retreated and didn''t show her face to anyone ever again. No one knew what had happened to her or why she disappeared. Our story takes place hundreds of years after these events. 2 A journey to the city of blood Since the death of his mother Surgit had sought the legendary city of Yharnam. Both his parents had died from an incurable disease. His doctor had informed him that unfortunately that ailment was hereditary and he had only two years before succumbing to it as well. An old lady in the clinic had talked to him about the legend of Yharnam and he had spent six months searching for evidence of its existence. Through reading ancient books he had found references to its placement and he set out to find it. In order to reach the lost city of Yharnam, one had to set sail through a stormy sea. The dangerous journey would take three weeks. Arriving to the city was a myth, known to all sailors and everyone attempting to reach Yharnam either lost their lives or never came back to tell the tale. Hence, no sailor wanted to hear about Surgit''s story and his desire to reach a city where his dream of recovery may come true. He became known in the port as the mad one spreading legends about a dangerous myth. Everyone avoided him and thought that he was cursed until one day, a woman approached him. She was wearing a black cloak and Surgit could barely see the face underneath it. It was her voice that confirmed her gender. She spoke in a soft, almost melodious voice: "My master would like to meet you; he''s very interested in your story." She handed him a sealed envelope with a wolf''s head on its sealing wax. "Come to the mansion tomorrow at noon." And she disappeared among the crowd of the filling market. The mansion she talked about was a famous one. It belonged to Francis Kaiman, the richest man in the country. Eight months had gone by and he found himself on a ship, sailing towards an unknown destination. The captain had informed him that only he and some crew members wanted to go on the expedition. Each had different hopes, but a legend is a legend, and no one knew for sure whether the city existed or not. Surgit had had to combine different pieces of information and put the puzzle together in order to draw an estimated route for the fabled city. His contribution was the map. He had neither strength nor money to fund such a dangerous expedition. To be part of this perilous expedition, each member of the crew had to contribute something. No ordinary passengers were allowed. On the ship there were Damian and Paul. Both were mercenaries and hoped to find a greater source of power in Yharnam. The rich man paying for the expedition was Francis Kaiman. He had accumulated billions thanks to his multiple enterprises, but life had become dull for him and he started seeking legends in order to reach enlightenment. He had left his wealth in the care of his children and set out to find enlightenment. He had brought a team of 10 skilled warriors with him in order to keep him secure, including the mysterious woman who had summoned Surgit to the mansion. The captain had agreed to lend them his ship as he longed for one "last adventure" as he had put it the first time Surgit approached him. He was Surgit''s last resort. No skilled captain was brave enough to seek the legend of Yharnam. All valued their lives and the lives of their crew members. Only the man known as "The Captain" was foolish enough to take on such an enterprise. He had lost his crew to a terrible storm while they were sailing towards a treasure island. Surgit''s request sounded to him like salvation, a way to join his brothers if ever this trip came to a morbid end. As legend has it, Yharnam is now inhabited by deadly beasts and humans are scarce. In order to seek blood ministration, one has to find a member of the church and get him to agree to inject him with Old Blood. Money had no value in Yharnam and being rich cannot buy you a blood ministration. Only wits, strength or sheer luck can get you what you seek. Damian and Paul were confident in their ability to convince a member of the church to administer blood for them as they were strong and skilled fighters. Francis on the other hand was seeking the scholars, he was convinced that conversing with them and demonstrating his wits can get him high up in the ranks and give him access to sacred knowledge. Surgit had gathered them that day to share with them all the information he had on Yharnam. "Listen up, we''re getting close to our destination, the mist has thickened and the atmosphere has just gotten heavier. This is happening exactly as I read in all those tales." Everyone was listening carefully. Surgit was their only source of knowledge regarding the expedition. He had read a great deal about Yharnam since he first heard about it. From all the books he managed to find and thanks to the expansive library in Francis'' mansion, Surgit had managed to gather some information, albeit scarce, about the lost city and its legend. He knew the trip towards the city was dangerous, but the information he had read in one of the books still haunted his mind. 3 Trouble at the dock - "Once in the city, we won''t know what will come at us, I advise you to be on your guard as soon as we catch a glimpse of land." - "Yeah, and you should know that once we get there, it''s everyone for their own life. Don''t rely on us to protect you weakling." Said Damien looking mockingly at Surgit. - "I don''t need protection. I''m barely giving you a warning. Yharnam isn''t wha-" - "Yeah, Yharnam isn''t what it''s supposed to be we know" Interrupted Francis "We''ll be on our guard, but I agree with the big guy here" he went on, looking at Damien "once there, it''s everyone for himself" The atmosphere was indeed getting heavier and tenser; suddenly they hear the captain''s voice: "Land Ho". The majestic legendary city was at last at sight. From the ship, they could make a great towering building through the fog with a clock at its top. - "That''s the Great Cathedral" said Surgit, "It matches every description that I''ve read on all the books. Only, it''s more majestic than what I have imagined" - " By the gods, This city already gives me the creeps" said Francis with excitement in his voice, "it''s everything I have been searching for" - "Damien, get ready, I have a bad feeling about this place." It was the first time Paul had said anything since the beginning of the trip. You could feel anxiety in his voice and in his arched back, twitching arms and the way he clutched on his battle axe. - "Is the brute getting frightened?" said Francis provocatively. - "What did you say?" Damien had already unsheathed his big sword and was going towards Francis. All his bodyguards reacted at once and took up arms against the two mercenaries. - "Enough!!" Shouted the cloaked lady. Everyone instantly stopped and stared at her, surprised. "From what the weakling said before, this city messes with people''s minds. Keep it together while we''re still on this ship, we have a bigger fight awaiting us." - "Indeed it does." Replied Surgit, somewhat offended by the lady''s remark "The city is known for its heavy atmosphere that can corrupt the mind and send anyone on frenzy. If you want to survive until you meet an actual blood minister, you''d better have some self-discipline." - "To hell with that nonsense" answered Paul "I''m cutting me some meat" he went on as he brandished his axe in the air. In the midst of that tense scene, as Francis'' bodyguards were preparing to strike, a terrible sound could be heard in the distance. It resembled the howling of a wolf, only with a lower pitch that can send chills through your spine. All men stopped in their tracks and their heads turned once more towards the city. Surgit had been observing the layout of the city before the fight had started between the men on deck. "That sound came from where we''re headed, it seems like trouble is meeting us at the port". All men hurried to the bow in order to have a clearer view of what was awaiting them. They saw an old port with only one functioning dock. The wood on the platforms seemed dangerously old but no living soul was to be seen around. Although it was difficult to see anything through the thick fog that formed around the port, the captain managed to bring the ship to a standstill next to the wooden platform. Everybody had disembarked when the captain announced that there was no way to moor or anchor the ship in the port. "You''ll have to find a rope with which we can pull the ship into the dockyard. It''s a port, there has to be a-" as he was shouting his instructions to everyone down at the dock, a cannon ball had hit the ship and the captain was blast into the water by the impact. Fire had already started consuming the boat. Damien and Paul had managed to kill two of Francis''s bodyguards; their qualm with him hadn''t finished yet. When the others had tried to retaliate they took advantage of the second cannon ball that hit the ship to make their escape and disappear from sight. Surgit looked around to find the captain and try to help him out to safety. He saw a man swimming towards the platform and he went over to help him but a third blow by the cannon had shattered the platform and sent him flying backwards. 4 Wounded and tied up As he opened his eyes, Surgit found himself tied up in a bed. It seemed like a hospital bed; only, his hands and feet were tied up. He tried to test his strength against the shackles binding him and break free but he felt his strength betraying him. Since his sickness started manifesting more than one year ago, he felt the urgency to find a cure for his ailing body. Now with only about ten months to live, his body had become weaker and his sickly appearance was a joke to everyone on the boat. "How did I even think I could survive this expedition?" He thought to himself as he struggled to break free from his chains. "I was foolish to believe that I could survive hereˇ­" He felt despair building up inside of him. "Here I am, in god knows where, trying to break from chains made by monsters or possibly, something worseˇ­" - "Aha, you''re awake" He heard in the distance, his head''s movement was limited as he was chained down to the bed. - "Who''s there?" He shouted, with a frightened voice, betraying his desire to look tough and determined. - "Easy, you don''t look too good and I don''t mean you any harm." Said the man''s approaching voice. - "Were you the one who attacked us at the port?" asked Surgit. - "Oh no, I''m merely an old man." And indeed he was an old man with white hair and a top hat on his head. He wore a leather jacket, a plain white button up shirt and black trousers. His eyes on the other hand, were bound by white bandages. - "Why am I chained to this bed then?" Asked Surgit. The man''s appearance had something peculiar in it. He felt that he could be trusted although everything in his logical mind urged him not to. - "That is simply to protect you from yourself. I didn''t know at what time you''d wake up. I was afraid you''d go out as soon as you got up and get yourself killed. Yharnam is a dangerous place." - "So it is Yharnam after all. Who attacked us then?" - "Yharnamites, they don''t like outsiders." - "Did anyone survive the attack?" - "You should not concern yourself with the others right now. I see that you''re sick and dying. Have you come here seeking blood healing?" - "Yes I have, do you know of any place I can go to? My time is limited" - "Unfortunately, you won''t find anyone who would be kind enough in Yharnam to offer you blood healing unless you have something to trade it with. But you know what? You''re in luck, I am a blood minister and I can see that you''re in dire need for some blood healing". - "Are you saying you''d cure me?" - "Why not? Tonight is the night of the hunt, if you want to get out of this place, you''ll need some strength." - "I don''t know what to sayˇ­" Surgit seemed at a loss for words, he was grateful but at the same time doubtful. - "Just relax and wait for the blood to take effect. I had already injected you with our Yharnam blood. You should feel the kick in a few minutes." The old man said in a mocking tone. "By the end of this, it will all seem like a mere bad dreamˇ­. Hahhahaˇ­..hahahahahahaˇ­" 5 Dream or reality? As the old man continued laughing hysterically, Surgit felt heavier with his eyelids closing while he struggled to keep his consciousness and ask the old man more urging questions that came into his mind. How is he supposed to leave Yharnam? They arrived at the night of the hunt? Of all possible nights, that was his worst case scenario. He even planned the trip to start on a full moon in order to reach Yharnam three weeks later. It was too early for the hunt to begin. As all these thoughts and questions were rushing in his mind he lost consciousness and his eyes closed. He opened his eyes once again because of a splashing sound. He was still tied up to the bed. He could only move his head. Surgit turned left to see a big pool of blood next to his bed. The splashing came from underneath it. For some reason, he couldn''t speak nor open his mouth. He looked with horror as he saw a beast, half man, half wolf. It appeared to be a werewolf and it was coming from underneath the blood pool. He tried to move or force his mouth to open and shout something. Maybe the old man may hear him and come to his rescue. Nothing, his mouth was still closed and the beast had emerged from the pool, soaked in blood. It came close to him and extended its claws, as if to touch him. As soon as its claws made contact with Surgit, the beast caught on fire and the whole pool of blood became fire which engulfed the werewolf and consumed it. Surgit didn''t know how to react to this situation. His mouth wouldn''t open still and his armsˇ­ His arms wouldn''t move but he felt something clinging to them. He looked in front of him to see ghostly forms. White little creature with only an open mouth and tiny teeth on their faces started climbing on top of his body, their tiny hands were clutching his clothes and they were advancing towards him. He could count seven of those tiny creatures on his chest at that moment, and more were climbing the bed to join them. Surgit started shaking his head violently, the only movement his body seemed to allow. Alas the creatures just kept on climbing and going for his head. All he could muster was a scream inside of his head, he lost consciousness again. When he came to his senses, Surgit found himself unchained, still on the same bed and intact. Furthermore, his body felt revitalized. He didn''t feel the sickness that was eating away at him anymore. He felt his body with his hand to discover that he had new, bigger muscles. His body had transformed dramatically. "It''s real!" he thought with excitement, "the blood ministration isn''t a myth, look at this body, look at these muscles, I''m a different person now." During the months which consumed his body, he had observed his body shrink in size. 6 A new hunter arises Before he received news of his illness, he was a tall fit man. He was born in a family of merchants and his education encouraged taking care of oneself. He used to practice sword fighting in the academy and he hoped that one day, he''d become an army general. His physique and look were more than average. His biggest assets were his smile and youthful exuberance. During his days at the academy, he had attracted the attention of army officials, who offered him a job in the army as soon as he graduated. News of his parents'' illness however reached the army''s general who discharged him of his duties. The ashen blood was hereditary and it was only a matter of time before it manifested on him. There was hope that it wouldn''t show on Surgit though and doctors told him that it was a rare occurrence. As months went by and as he observed his parents die after the other, his mental strength gave way and he succumbed to drinking and addiction. The old lady, who appeared out of nowhere in the clinic, gave him hope. A futile hope nonetheless but it was worth investigating. At this moment, the futility of the idea seemed senseless to Surgit. He actually found Yharnam and the negative attitude he had about the place had vanished as soon as he saw the magical properties of blood healing. In his excitement, he found himself jumping around in a room that looked like a library. The bed where he lay minutes ago had chains on its side, only this time, they appeared to have been broken by someone. "Did I do this?" He thought to himself. He looked around. It was a circular room. Bookcases with old, dingy books were aligned against the circular wall and in the middle of the room lay the bed, with chains on its sides to hold humans from their arms and feet. Next to the bed there was a bedside table, full of syringes and vials that appeared to have contained blood. "This is definitely where I met the old man. I wonder where he is right now". He noticed two doors. The one on his right was locked while the one on his left that led downstairs and into an ante room. Feeling the urge to explore the place, he went down. The anteroom had a crumbling wooden floor. On the walls, bookcases were put against them at every corner. On some of the shelves, old books had been arranged. Surgit took one and inspected it. Apart from its leather cover that stayed intact, the content had long disappeared and only yellow papers remained. What startled Surgit was the amount of bloody medical instruments that lay on the shelves. Dry blood and dust was all that remained in this place. On a corner of the room, he saw a wooden chair. The chair had binding belts that could bind a sitting person from their chest, arms and feet. That place was no safe place after all. Surgit left the room to find yet other stairs that led further down. He found himself in a bigger, more open room. There were beds arranged everywhere, in the style of the one he was tied up to upstairs. The scene he was witnessing horrified Surgit to death. Corpses were laying at some of the beds, while on others, there seemed to be only remains. Arms on one bed, legs on another, this place seemed to be an experimental one of sorts, and he somehow managed to survive the experiment. He heard a noise at the far end of the room. It was dark in there and the lights were dim so Surgit made some more steps to see what the source of the noise was, he felt his heart racing as he moved towards it. The more he approached, the more he could see shapes in front of him. He could count two and one was bigger than the other. As he approached the two silhouettes, his heart skipped a beat, a gigantic werewolf, was busy eating a corpse by the floor. Surgit stopped and, realizing the werewolf hadn''t spotted him yet, tried to devise a plan to get out of the place. 7 To face a werewolf… barehanded Going back up can only lead the werewolf to following him or looking for a new scent of prey to hunt. He could see that there was an exit door in front of where the werewolf was busy devouring the body on the floor. "There''s that bottle, maybe I can hide and throw it to the other side of the room, it will try to verify the source of the sound and I will have a distraction to use for my escape." He thought while he kept his eyes on the werewolf for any sign of it moving towards him. He carefully took some steps back and hid behind a curtain that used to separate two beds and he executed his plan. The werewolf turned around to look at the source of the noise and let out a deafening scream. Surgit could feel his heart pounding against his chest, he had to time his escape perfectly otherwise he might become the beast''s next meal. As it made for the source of the noise, Surgit started shifting slowly towards the exit door. "Cling!" he had hit a bottle laying on the floor with his foot. The following actions were a blur in Surgit''s mind. The beast had turned around, seen him and started running towards him, smashing all the beds that were between them. Surgit had used all his willpower to get his legs to move and ran as fast as he could. All he could see was that exit door. He''d go out and close it behind him. After all it seemed like a big oaken door that could hold a beast for some minutes until he could find a way out of this terrible situation. He reached the door and closed it after him. The plan worked, the beast was still pounding at the door. He turned around to quickly find a way out of there when if front him, he saw a man with a big axe attacking him and aiming at his head "thud". Blood filled his eyes and he saw the man''s long teeth, red eyes and furry arms looking at him with fury and delight. Surgit opened his eyes once more and found himself in a garden, lying face down on the grass. He looked up and saw an enormous moon in the sky, illuminating a huge hill. There was a garden full of white flowers and grass. It seemed like it was the only thing that could grow over there. A curved passageway in the middle of the garden led to a small wooden house on top of the hill. All around the house, gravestones could be seen surrounding it. It made for a harrowing scene. The house looked old. It seemed that no one had been living there for a very long time. Behind the house, Surgit saw tree branches. The gigantic tree lay in the middle of another garden to which access had been restricted by fences and an iron locked door. He turned around and he saw that the hill was surrounded by metal barriers, barring access in and out of it. On the distance, Surgit saw only fog; the place resembled a floating island. Not a living sound could be heard at all. No birds, no insects on the ground andˇ­ no wind at all. It felt like the calm before the storm. That place frightened Surgit but at the same time he felt relieved to be there. The gravestones gave the place a sinister look even though its calm and flowers soothed Surgit''s heart. After what had just happened to him, a few moments of silence were all he needed. 8 The creature in the basin "Did I just die? Where am I?" Surgit was at a loss and couldn''t understand what was going on. Was it a dream? Or was it reality? All he could remember were the fearful red eyes of the man who had buried his axe on his head. He walked towards the barriers to have a clearer idea on where he was. As he stood in front of it, his mind was struck with puzzlement. All he could see in front him was a sea of fog. What looked like rock pillars pierced the fog everywhere and looking down; it felt like it was a real floating island. What was this place? Why is he there? Was he still in Yharnam? Or is this afterlife? He decided to walk towards the house; maybe he''d find someone to answer his questions.As he approached the house, He saw a woman lying down opposite a wall next to the front door. She didn''t move at all. "A corpse!" thought Surgit. He approached it to look at it more carefully. "The only person to provide me with information about this place is a dead woman, great!" He thought sarcastically. The woman was in fact a doll, a real life replica of a human being. She looked like a sleeping beauty. It had ashen hair and wore an elegant crimson dress. Her open surcoat revealed half its bosom and the bodice was tightly laced with golden laces. He could see that the doll was made with great care and attention to detail. It looked almost like a sleeping woman, only her skin was pale and there seemed to be no veins in the body. Surgit stood up after inspecting the doll and looked at his left. He saw a basin next to the back door of the wooden house. It was a small ivory fountain. The water in it looked black. No one had touched it in a long time. While he was approaching it to have a closer look, he saw movement in the water, as if it was boiling. From underneath it appeared a small white creature, with a mouth and tiny teeth for its face. Surgit jumped back, that nightmarish creature again. "Is this thing real? I must be hallucinating. It was just a dream." The creature made a sound, as if it was a murmur, indistinct and faint. Surgit felt drawn towards it and he approached. The creature''s only movement was to extend its hands towards him. It seemed like it couldn''t leave the basin. It didn''t talk, or at least Surgit didn''t understand what it was mumbling. Although it didn''t have eyes, it could feel Surgit and follow his movement. He tried talking to it to no avail. He extended his hand to touch it and he felt the cold tiny hands against his skin that sent shivers down his spine. The creature seemed harmless and at last it made a movement. It pointed with its hands towards the house, as if inviting him to go inside. As he reached the front door, a man''s voice could be heard: "Come in" said the voice. 9 New weapons Surgit opened the door to find himself in a big rectangular room with a fireplace in the middle. In front of the fireplace sat a man on his wheelchair. - "Welcome to the hunters'' dream. You must be the new hunter. My name is Gherman this is where you can find tools to fight beasts and become even stronger." - "A dream? I''m dreaming? So I''m not dead? What is this place? Am I still in Yharnam?" - "The little messengers will provide you with weapons and help you throughout your journey. Everything you see in this house is yours to use, even the doll if it pleases youˇ­ hehehe" replied Gherman with an eerie laugh, then fell as sleep in front of his fireplace. - "What? Hey old man, answer my questions? How am I supposed to leave this place? Weapons? What for?" Surgit had so many questions in mind and at last he had found someone to give him some sort of clarifications. Alas, Gherman wouldn''t move. Surgit tried shaking him out of his deep sleep but the old man kept on snoring, oblivious to how he was being hysterically shaken. - "Damn it all, messengers? The little guy outside then, he said I could use this place, but for what?" He looked around and saw many types of weapons hanging from the ceiling. Swords he had never seen the likes of. Long axes, scythes, and big weapons that resembled a barber''s blade were all displayed everywhere. Firearms hung on walls and opposite the fireplace, he could see a workshop where some weapon parts were scattered. - "Do I have to choose a weapon from these? They all look old and unused." He reached for the barber''s blade and untied it. It had a long wooden handle and the blade attached to the handle through a circular metallic device. The device was rusted but it looked like the weapon could be opened and closed. Surgit inspected the blade and saw that it was made like a saw that could cut from both sides. The saw however was rusted too and Surgit felt frustrated. How was he supposed to fight with rusted old weaponry? "The messenger!!" he shouted and made for the fountain outside. He remembered Gherman''s words and he went to see the little white creature again. Once he reached it, the creature disappeared inside the black liquid, to reappear a moment later holding an axe. The axe looked bigger than the messenger and Surgit wondered how such a small thing could hold such a gigantic weapon. He took the axe and tried swinging it in the air. It had a good feel and its weight wasn''t too heavy. The handle could be elongated at any moment to make it suitable for long ranged attacks. - "Thanks little guy" he said as he looked at the messenger "but don''t you have something that swings faster? I trained with swords you see, and I''m not used to brute weapons like these." The messenger extended his hands towards him and took the weapon from Surgit. He dived into the pool to emerge again holding the saw that looked like a barber''s razor blade. Surgit tried some movements with it in the air and was satisfied with its reactivity. The weapon was light and could be transformed into a longer one at any time by just extending his arm outwards. He could bring the saw back to its initial form by just performing the same movement in the opposite direction. - "It feels like this weapon is made for me. I''ll take it." 10 The werewolf strikes again The messenger nodded its head in approval, with its open mouth and protruding small teeth, Surgit couldn''t understand what the messenger''s nod meant. Before he could say anything to it though, it disappeared again and reappeared holding a pistol. The pistol had a wooden hilt and a metallic barrel coated with wood. The elegant look gave it a feel of a miniature musket. - "I don''t like using these my friend, they''re too cumbersome. Besides, it takes time to reload them again. The messenger made a growling sound and shook the pistol in his direction. It seemed like it wasn''t going to give up. Surgit then took it with a sigh and aimed it at a tree bark in the distance. He shot the pistol and he watched the bullet pierce through the bark, travelling further in the distance. He heard then a clicking noise and looked at the pistol. It was automatically reloading itself with silver bullets. Astonished at the power of the pistol, Surgit inspected its hilt and found a magazine holding six bullets in its chamber. The pistol apparently had been altered to allow quick successive shots. This weapon looked more appealing to Surgit at that moment and he decided to keep it. The messenger made another growl and Surgit turned around to look at it. At that moment, the messenger was holding a lamp with a dim blue flame in the middle. Surgit looked at the lamp and felt drawn to it. In the flame, he saw a picture. Small at first, he could barely see the content of the picture, the latter started expanding though and he started noticing some details. It looked like the room where he was chained beforehand in Yharnam. He didn''t understand how he could have such a clear vision from such a tiny flame. He stepped back and looked around. Surgit found himself in the anteroom, surrounded by books and the smell of blood. He was back in Yharnam. It seemed that he teleported to this place by just looking at the lamp and its blue fire. Nothing had changed in the room, the chair and the binding belts were there, shelves full of syringes and blood. The only difference this time around was that Surgit was holding a saw on one hand and pistol on the other. He felt safer and more confident. He thought of the werewolf he had encountered downstairs and he wondered if it was still there. Hurriedly, he looked around the room for some leather straps to make a holster for his pistol. It was growing heavier on his arms and if he had to fight using the saw, he preferred to keep the pistol for emergencies. He managed to attach some strips together on his waste from the binding belts on the chair and made a somewhat convenient holster. His only concern now was the werewolf downstairs. Could he fight it? Would he survive this time? What happens if he gets struck again by an axe or by the beast''s claws? As these thoughts raced through his mind, he heard a noise at the door, turning around to look at the source; his feet were immobilized by fear. The werewolf was at the door, baring its fangs at him. There was nowhere to escape to. The only exit was the one the beast was blocking. "Upstairs!" he exclaimed in his mind as Surgit made for the stairs leading to the room where he awoke the first time. He ran upstairs with the beast at his heals. He was going to try and close the door at the beast again and then think of a strategy. As he reached the upper floor, he found the door closed. "Oh noˇ­." he turned around to look at the beast. He swore he saw it smiling. He tried to move but to no avail. The sight of the beast was unnerving, and looking at it preparing to attack him made his limbs tremble with fear. He could not control his feelings; he knew what was going to happen next. As the werewolf jumped at him, he felt its fangs penetrate his chest. He felt his flesh getting ripped apart and the pain searing through his veins. He felt the werewolf''s fangs bite into his flesh and with a screeching scream and tears in his eyes, Surgit lost consciousness. 11 A cornered beas He woke up to find himself in the same room again. The bookcases with old medical equipment on its shelves and the chair which used to have binding belts, Surgit felt his body with his hands. Not a single scratch was to be found on his body. "I''m definitely experiencing a very bad dream." He thought to himself. One moment ago, he felt the pain burning though his body as the werewolf attacked him. "The werewolf! It must be still here" He still had his saw in his hand and the pistol attached to his belt. This time, he was determined to strike first. He wanted to know what was happening to him and he realized that only by getting out of this place, could he hope to get a grasp of what was going on. He left the room and went down the stairs. The werewolf was patrolling the previously dark room. Surgit remembered how the lights were dimly lit in this place but he couldn''t help but notice that he could see the exit door as clearly as if daylight had penetrated the room. The werewolf, catching Surgit''s scent turned towards him and lunged forward. He was ready this time as he quickly upholstered his pistol and shot the beast on the chest. The force of the impact sent the werewolf flying backwards and with a deafening scream, it bared its teeth at Surgit. "Oh shit!" was his last thought. The werewolf moved so fast and sliced his throat open. Back in the room again, Surgit gasping for breath, inspected his neck and found it intact. "I can''t die" He felt confidence surging into his whole being. He felt stronger and ready to face the werewolf again. As he went down, he was prepared to try his saw and see if he could damage the beast. As the werewolf attacked him another time, he noticed something new happening to him. The beast''s movements seemed clear to him. For some reason he couldn''t explain, he found himself side stepping easily and avoiding the werewolf''s first strike. He lunged forward to avoid its jumping attack and found himself behind it. For the first time since he arrived to this place, he felt like he had the upper hand. The beast was now open so he swung his saw at it and felt his weapon tear through its flesh. It was as sharp as a razor and the wound it inflicted was large and deep. The beast let out a painful howl as Surgit stroke again with his weapon cutting down its leg. The beast started limping away towards a corner.Surgit felt the fear that the beast was experiencing and he advanced towards it confidently. With two other swings, he was sure of killing the beast. He felt its fangs pierce his chest. ''What''s going on?" He saw blood oozing out of his body and felt his strength fading away. His knees hit the floor and he felt the beasts fangs clutching against his neck, choking him to death. Never underestimate a cornered beast. He was back in the anteroom again. 12 Werewolf down Surgit couldn''t die but at the same time he understood that underestimating his enemy would lead him to his demise. He went back down, determined to finish the poor dying beast and pay more attention the next time he encounters an enemy. As he reached the large room, he discovered that the werewolf had also regenerated. He wasn''t the only one who couldn''t dieˇ­ His morale took a hit. What would happen if he kills it this time? Would it come back to life and attack him again? There was only one way to find out. It hadn''t noticed him yet so he decided to be the first one to strike. With his saw in hand, he ran towards the beast and as it turned around to look at him he struck at its head. The beast retaliated with a swing of its arm. Surgit dodged to the right and cut its left hind leg. The beast was in agony and blood flowed from the injury. It tried to attack again in its pain and fury, but Surgit could see through its attacks and dodged them all easily. He tore down its second leg and an arm. He enjoyed this vengeful feeling as he swung at the beast numerous times until it lay motionless. He was panting and feeling his heart pounding heavily against his chest. He had managed to slice this beast open with less effort than anticipated. The resulting adrenaline rush from this victorious encounter had left him smiling but grasping for breath. He hadn''t felt this way in a very long time. He was soaked with blood, and satisfied. He felt stronger. The blood ministration cured him and gave him new powers. He was wondering if the beast would ever come back to life so he waited. The formerly dark room was now lit and Surgit could see more details about it that he had omitted. He saw lanterns that hung on the walls, most of them were extinguished except for the one close to the exit door. The room was large and had railings on what appeared to be the second floor. As he suspected, experiments or medical procedures used to take place in there. People used to also observe what was happening at the floor where he stood from above. He still didn''t know if this was a research facility or a hospital. He decided to go out and inspect the area in order to get more information. The werewolf wasn''t coming back. "Now to get my revenge on the axe wielding man" he said as he made his way towards the exit door. The door was closed as he left it the last time when he escaped the werewolf. He pricked his ears to make sure that nothing was awaiting him at the other end and opened the door carefully. A cool breeze brushed against his face as he walked outside. He could see that the area outside used to be a well-kept garden. Only at that moment, plants seemed to be dying and only a grayish color remained on some of the bushes around. Contemplating the garden would come later though as Surgit noticed a movement on his far right. The axe wielding man had spotted him and began his approach. Surgit felt his heart pounding again in anticipation of the upcoming confrontation. He didn''t know why the man wanted him dead, all he knew is that he needed to defend himself. 13 Doctor Iosefka "You''re not welcome here" said the man as he widely swung his axe towards Surgit. Seeing through the attack this time, Surgit managed to dodge away from it. For some reason the man''s attack seemed to go on slow motion and it was easy for him to avoid it. Surgit, with one strike from his saw, managed to open the man''s belly and watch him fall back as blood rushed out of his body. Soon, he was inanimate, devoid of life. "This is too easy, something''s not right" he thought to himself as he approached his victim. On closer inspection, Surgit managed to have a better look at his previous assailant. This was not a man, but what was he? He definitely had a human head albeit with fur covering his face. He had a long furry right arm and a human left one. It seemed as though he was about to transform into a beast of some sort and stopped right at the middle of the process. He wore a leather jacket and blue trousers. They seemed old and dingy, as if the man hadn''t changed them in a very long time. Under his jacket, he wore what used to be an elegant button-up shirt. It became used and covered with filth and dirt. Surgit inspected his mouth as he remembered seeing something unusual on their first encounter. The old man even had canine teeth. He got up, feeling confused. This man had a deformed appearance. Even though he was capable of speech, everything in his behavior and appearance suggested that he had lost his mind. Surgit felt that this city had more mysteries than what he had anticipated. Now that he had time to have a better look at his surroundings, Surgit noticed that what he thought was a garden, was in fact a graveyard. Graves were organized in a horizontal way. It looked as if the person who used to take care of the place had great respect for it. Some of the tombstones were well polished and faint letters could be deciphered. "Alenka, a loving wife and caring mother" read one of the stones while on others, different names of people from both sexes could be read.He turned around to look at the building he had just come out of. On top of what seemed the entrance door hung a wide sign. It read: "Iosefka''s clinic". This discovery surprised Surgit. The last thing he could imagine the building to be was a hospital. Although he had seen the beds and all the medical equipment on the inside, the place seemed too sinister for it to be a hospital. "Well, there must be someone on the inside if this is a hospital. At least the old man who had treated me" he thought to himself as he entered the clinic again. By now, he knew the place. So he darted through the large room and made his way upstairs, towards the room where he awoke. He noticed that the door was still closed, he went for the door knob but it wouldn''t budge. It was locked. Suddenly he heard a woman''s voice "Are you a hunter?" He was taken aback. The closed door now concealed what seems to be a woman and she recognized him as a hunter without even interacting with him. "I recognized you from your scent", she said as if reading his thoughts. "I''m Iosefka and this is my clinic. I''m sorry but I cannot open this door. Upon my Hippocratic Oath, I need to take care of my patients and not expose them to any danger. You''re out on the hunt. I wish you good luck but please understand: opening the door for you would be foolish." Surgit felt confused, "the door was open and I was there just some time ago. How did you get there? And where''s the old man?" He had too many questions that needed answering, but at that moment these were the two pressing questions that came out of his mind. "Here, take this, it''s the only way I can help you out on your hunt" Iosefka handed him, through a small hole on the door, a vial filled with a red liquid. "I''m a healing church doctor; this blood will help you in times of need. If you feel yourself losing your strength or injured, just inject it into you and it will heal you." She went on, ignoring his questions completely. "Now please go, this is all I have for you." Surgit could hear her footsteps fading away as he pounded at the door. "Wait! Tell me what is going here? Where''s that old man? I need answers goddamnit!" He pounded and kicked and tried to force the door openˇ­ to no avail. Surgit gave up and sat down on the stairs leading to the basement. He was now alone in this place, his mind full of unanswered questions, each more mysterious than the previous one. After a moment, he decided to leave the clinic and explore the area outside. 14 You are not welcome here Back at the graveyard, he could see two iron gates. The small one on his right was shut tight from the other side while the big one on his left seemed unlocked. He pushed it, and with great difficulty managed to open it. The door was rusted. It seemed that no one had been around here for a very long time. He found himself in a cobbled street. Carriages and horse wagons were scattered left and right. Some were even destroyed and others seemed to have fallen to their side because of some previous accident. Skeletons of horses were lying next to their cars; some still had some rotten flesh on them. The street was empty and the only sounds he could hear were ones of smoke coming up from the sewers and some fire burning at the end of the street. Across the street, Surgit saw some stairs leading down. At the bottom there was a small opening with wooden benches on each side and an iron barricade in front of him. It looked as though it was a balcony that gave a vista on the city of Yharnam and the crimson sky, an effect of the setting sun. The view that welcomed Surgit was amazing and bone chilling at the same time. In front of him lay a city built on top of a V shaped valley. Tall gothic buildings could be seen towering the ascending streets of the city. To link both parts of the valley, Surgit could see a great bridge in the distance. From the barricades he could see that the city extended downwards. There seemed to be no bottom to that valley. As far as his vision could reach, Surgit could only see rocks on each side and darkness in the middle. No living soul was to be seen around, only fire and smoke could be heard in the distance. He felt lonely, stranded in a ghost city he had almost no information about. He climbed back up the stairs and headed left, the only way available to him. As he made his way through the cobbled street, the sound of fire became more and more vivid. He reached an intersection where he could see an iron gate to his right and a street that took to the left. A stagecoach was parked at the left corner of the street. The sound of burning fire emanated from behind the stagecoach. As Surgit looked around it, he saw a man holding a torch. He also had an unnaturally long right arm on which he held an axe and a short, humanoid, left arm that held the torch. The man saw him and swung his long axe at him. Surgit taken aback almost took the hit head on. He was lucky that the man''s swing was too wide and missed him by an inch, or was it his enhanced reflexes that helped him escape certain death? He recollected himself and cut the man open with his saw. "You are not welcome here" said the man as he fell down to the ground losing consciousness. Surgit looked at the man as he slowly drifted out of this world. What was the meaning of this? The old man at the cemetery had said something similar to him. 15 In the city of beasts and hunts A noise brought Surgit back to the cobbled street and he saw two other men approaching him in a sprint. The one on the right wore a straw hat and seemed to be a peasant if not for his furry face and long arms. His legs on the other hand were human and he wore simple grey trousers. The man on the left wore a long black coat and had only one elongated arm which held a sword while he held a pistol on the other. The peasant looking man had a sickle and dashed towards Surgit trying to cut him open with it. Surgit dodged to the left and cut the man''s head off with ease. He was still surprised at how agile he had become and how easily he could kill these abominations. "BOOM!!" before he could react, the impact of the pistol shot had sent him flying backwards. The bullet had hit him on his left shoulder and blood started already oozing out of his body. He could feel the pain tingling from his bones but he had no time to think about it. The shooter was reloading his gun and preparing to aim it again at him. Forgetting his pain, Surgit got up quickly and dashed towards the man as the bullet left the muzzle. He felt the bullet graze his ear as he buried his saw deep inside the man''s chest. The splashing blood from the man''s body landed on his shoulder and Surgit watched in amazement how his wound healed instantly as it came into contact with it. On all the books that he had read about Yharnam, the recurring theme he came across was the miraculous properties of the Old Blood used by Yharnamites. "So even their blood can heal, it really feels like I''m invincible" he thought to himself, astonished. The street was now empty and fallen carts blocked Surgit''s way. He turned back towards the gate and noticed a lever on his left. Simple curiosity pushed him to pull and he watched as a ladder that took to the top of one of the buildings came down next to him. He decided to take the ladder up, at least to get a better view of the city. As he climbed up, a terrifying howl could be heard in the distance, from the great bridge''s direction. Surgit felt Goosebumps crawling up his skin. That was no werewolf howl. It sounded terrible, angry and anguished. He reached the top of the ladder to find himself on a small square. It looked as if the ladder was a safety exit from the area in case of fires or disasters.Opposite Surgit was a house with barricaded doors. On its right lay a path with stairs taking down. It looked like a pedestrian street that no vehicle could approach. On the left, he could see yet another closed iron gate. "This city seems to have too many closed doors" he thought to himself as he contemplated the most intriguing sight of all in that square. In the middle of the place, there was what seemed to be a pole from which hung a lantern. Only this pole was too short for it to be a street lantern. For some reason, he felt drawn to the lantern and he made to touch it. As his hand came into contact with it, blue flames illuminated the small lamp and he felt himself losing consciousness. 16 More questions than answers Surgit opened his eyes to find himself standing again in that garden with its small house on top of the hill and flowers all around. He saw the doll lying on the ground next to the door as he approached it. He swore he could see a finger twitching but when he looked at the inanimate object again, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He got inside the house to find Gherman this time facing him: "Welcome back" he said as he looked at him fixatedly. Gherman looked like a very old man at first. On closer inspection though, Surgit could see that the man sitting on the wheelchair was missing his right leg. "What happened to your leg?" he asked before he could repress the thought. "I see that you''ve chosen the saw cleaver as your weapon, nice choice. It''s a swift weapon for sure, not really elegant but who needs good looks when you''re faced with beasts." Gherman had continued his speech as if Surgit hadn''t spoken at all. This feature, common to most people he had met since he arrived started to irritate him. "Don''t worry, for now your job is to hunt beasts. So go out there and hunt, it''s for your own good." He went on then fell as sleep instantly as if on a timer. Surgit didn''t try to wake him this time. Those things in the city were beasts after all and he just had to kill them. He decided to take a closer look at the house and get some rest before he headed back to Yharnam. The house had two entrances. The main one next to which the inanimate doll rested and another one that lead to a smaller garden at the back of the house.In the middle of the house there was a fireplace opposite which Gherman loved to slumber. Opposite to it was what seemed to be a workshop bench with weapon parts on top of it. What got his attention though was an altar next to the back door. There was a white cloth on the altar that was stained with blood. A strange inscription could be read under the cloth. Surgit removed it to read: A special tool is required to use Caryl Runes on this altar. Behind it stood a strange statue: a hooded woman was holding a big rocky tablet which hid all of her body starting from her waist down, inscriptions must have been written on the tablet but now, all the text was long gone as if years of decay had erased it. Next to the statue, Surgit saw something scribbled on the wooden floor. "Seek Pale blood to transcend the hunt." The note was engraved by a sharp object on the wooden surface of the floor. Someone really wanted him or anyone else to find this message. Too many questions and no one to answer them, Surgit started feeling irritated at the amount of mystery this place hid. He decided to take a rest in a couch in the house before he headed back to the city. 17 The monsters that lurk in the streets The city was calm as usual. The cool breeze that came from down in the valley soothed Karla''s soul. She liked the silence and the feeling of being always hunted. She longed for this adrenaline rush for so long and at last she was there: the city of beasts and blood, the city of healing and miracles: Yharnam. With the help of Francis, she managed to find a new challenge to live for. Those beasts were indeed fearsome and deadly but she knew how to handle a sword and after understanding the nature of her opponents she easily managed to make her way through the cobbled streets of Yharnam. "Wait up, don''t move so fast" Francis had trouble following on her footsteps. He was a man of knowledge but he couldn''t manage the strength of these beasts. He had to rely on Karla, his only remaining bodyguard for protection. After those brutes had killed two of them and escaped, the beasts had completed their job. To think that a woman will be the only survivor, Francis didn''t anticipate this scenario, not even in his wildest dreams. But this was no dream, it was a nightmare, these abominations could talk and walk. But they seemed fixated on the idea of killing any living being that crossed their way. Luckily Karla had proven to be a skilled swordswoman. His hunch never betrayed him and hiring her was definitely the wisest choice despite the captain of his guards opposing it. Karla saw that post on the pub while she was just wandering about, trying to find a purpose. The richest man in town was recruiting skilled warriors to join him on a deadly expedition. This alone was motivation for her to sign up but upon hearing the name of the destination from Francis, her heart lit up. Yharnam, a city she longed to visit although she couldn''t fathom why. She agreed to help and even to look for information. After she found that sick man, they finally had the remaining puzzle and could make their way towards the fabled city. No human could match her sword technique and even though the other guards were opposed to the idea of her joining them, Francis made sure that she was well left alone. She appreciated his trust, and that was maybe the only reason she had kept him around once in this city. He was weak and relied on others for protection. She despised weakness and above all she couldn''t stand the sight of cowardice. Francis possessed both. They were now headed towards a bridge. They had come across many enemies who tried to eliminate them. All of them repeated the same speech, that they were not welcome in the city. Karla on the other hand danced around them and finished every last one of them with finesse and agility. Her movements were fast, yet elegant. Francis felt as if he were watching a dance. She had managed to scatter a mob of enemies, massacring them all. It was a beautiful sight to behold. "If we want to get any information on Blood Healing, we need to head for the church. The only way seems to be through this bridge" said Francis to no one in particular as Karla wasn''t even paying attention. As they reached the bridge, she gestured to him to stop. Carriages were scattered all around the bridge. It seemed that this place was the last stop of many travellers. Only wrecks remained, and horses'' skeletons. He looked in front of him and saw that there were two werewolves patrolling the bridge. "Those two are bad news. I can''t protect you and kill them at the same time. There has to be another way" She whispered to Francis as they moved slowly away from the beasts'' sight. "I saw another way to the bridge through another road" said Francis, he had observed the layout of the city carefully and remembered another way that gave access to the far edge of the bridge, closer to their destination. "The road seems far though" he went on. "I''d rather take that risk than take those two head on" replied Karla as she made her way back to the road Francis had pointed. He had no choice but to follow. 18 A new friend A city on fire, crucifixes everywhere and beasts tied to them. The beasts are also on fire and they seem to howl and wriggle out of their bounds to no avail. People are watching them as they burn and they seem to be laughing hysterically, as if enjoying the scene before their eyes. A man, dangling upside down, hangs from a rope and blood seems to be falling, drop by drop from his neck. Surgit opened his eyes to find himself in the house. Was he dreaming? He could only remember the feeling of dread before waking up, but nothing about the dream. Gherman was nowhere to be found in the house or outside. He had vanished to god knows where and Surgit, feeling the urge to go back to Yharnam to find some more clues about what''s going on in the city decided to pay the messenger a visit. "Hey little one, can you show me that lamp again? I''d like to go back to where I was" the ghostly creature pulled out a lamp from the pool underneath it and held it to Surgit. He looked into it and pictured the last place where he saw the lantern pole. He felt some force dragging him towards it and slowly the image of Yharnam started expanding in front of him. A cool breeze brushed against his face. He was back on solid ground, to silence and loneliness. Suddenly, he heard a coughˇ­ the sound emanated from the house with barricaded doors. He approached it and shouted "Hello? Anybody here?" he didn''t expect to get any answer and he was ready to dart back in case some beast came crashing through the doors. "The windowˇ­coughˇ­coughˇ­ come towards the window." Someone was actually alive and answering his question. There was a small window on his left, next to the closed Iron Gate. Once he reached the window, Surgit could see that a lantern was hanging from the top part of the steel frame that was protruding outwards in a circular shape. People in Yharnam apparently used any mean necessary to protect themselves from beasts. "You''re outside on the night of the hunt? You must be an outsider and a hunter to top it all" said the man from behind the curtains. "You hunters have a special scent. This is how we can tell" continued the man, as if answering Surgit''s inner thought. - "I''m Gilbert, an outsider like you. This city has given me hope, I thought my case lost but their miraculous healing is real." He said as fits of coughs interrupted his speech. - "How long have you been here?" Asked Surgit - "Who knows? I''ve been recovering from my illness, before this hunt began. Yharnamites will not open their doors to you on a night like this." - "What is this night of the hunt anyway?" - "This is when hunters go out and hunt beasts, the night always ends but this one seems to linger more than others" At long last, Surgit had found someone to give him some information about what''s happening in the city. So he decided to stick around and ask him more questions. 19 A newfound purpose - "How can I end this hunt then?" - "This is something that only hunters are supposed to know." - "Ah, do you know anything of Pale blood?" He asked, remembering the engraved note. - "Pale blood you say? No, not really. But if it''s blood you''re seeking, head to the healing church. Yharnamites do not like sharing their secrets with strangers. Your only option would be the church then." - "And where might that be?" - "The church lies in the Cathedral Ward beyond the bridge. You are now in Central Yharnam. Once you cross, make your way up towards the clock tower, you can''t miss it." Indeed he couldn''t miss it. The clock tower was visible from the small square he was standing in. When Surgit approached the ladder from which he had climbed earlier, he could see a huge tower on the other side of the bridge. It looked as if he were a child contemplating a faraway dream. The church seemed to be very far away and he had no idea what awaited him on the way there. He went back to Gilbert and thanked him for the information he had provided him. Surgit took the street on his right and descended the stairs. He found himself on a bridge that crossed another street underneath him. That area looked like it had been an old merchant street. With tall buildings on each side of the street, they went up to three of four stories. The tall brick houses were closed off from the top by triangular roofs on which tiles were to be seen everywhere. Long glass windows decorated each floor of the house. Surgit could feel that this city used to brim with life and that this street used to accommodate many travellers. The carriages that were parked on the side of the street were proof enough of that. On some doors, he could make some very old wooden signs. These building were perhaps Inns or pubs to accommodate all the visitors. Only now, the only sound he could hear was of metal clinking on the paved floor beneath him. He looked down from the bridge to see a mob of what used to be people patrolling the street. He could count at least twelve. Some were holding torches and he managed to make some of the shapes through the mist that covered the lower street. These men seemed to use everyday tools as weapons. Some were holding sickles while others held farming pitch forks in both hands. Getting past them wouldn''t be an easy task and Surgit hoped to avoid them altogether. He crossed the bridge to find that the street led to the right, and from that point stairs led him down towards the street where he had just seen the patrolling mob. He was welcomed by two men-beasts who came rushing towards him. Surgit elongated his saw and with one swoop managed to cut through their flesh with extreme ease. The two fell down at his feet, fighting death. He was amazed at how powerful he had become. 20 Horror in the town square This blood ministration he''d had not only healed him, it had given him superhuman strength and a miraculous ability to heal and come back to life. He was still unable to grasp the extent of his ability. He decided to continue on his way and watch out for that mob he had just witnessed from above. He went up the street and observed the deserted houses and what used to be Inns and shops left and right. Then he saw them. Crucifixes were fixed on the ground on each side of the serpentine street. These crucifixes were on fire and seemed to hold something that had been long dead. On closer inspection, Surgit observed with horror all the corpses of what looked like men-beasts. These people had bandages on their eyes wore only undergarments to hide their private parts. They were fully transformed into beasts at that point. Only their humanoid body remained. Fur had covered their skin and their open mouths showed canine teeth. They were bound to the crucifixes by nails and chains. He could see a light emanating from a window on his left, and a lantern similar to the one he''d seen on Gilbert''s window hanging at the entrance door of the house. He approached the door and knocked. A man''s voice could be heard on the other side: "Who would open his door to an outsider like you? Be gone from here."This was definitely a Yharnamite. All tales about them being unfriendly was true. Surgit had gotten used to people treating him in that fashion. Though irritated, he decided to carry on. The thought of the patrol still haunted his mind. And all the corpses on fire made him feel uneasy and hunted. He needed to get out of this street and fast. He reached what seemed to be the end of the street. He could see more carriages parked on each end of it. The street turned left and Surgit, following the road found himself facing a harrowing image. He was standing in what appeared to be the town square. Stagecoaches were parked on the side of the road and in the middle of the square stood an enormous crucifix. A huge werewolf was tied to the crucifix and was being burned. It looked like a witch execution but with werewolves instead of women. Around the crucifix stood around twenty men, all of them were armed. None of them had noticed Surgit. They were all looking at the beast burning. Surgit could see that beyond the crucifix there was a closed door. Something terrible was banging at it. On top of the door, a long bridge seemed to take carts and cars to the other side of the city. "That''s where I need to go" he whispered to himself. He started walking slowly backwards and thinking of a way out of the place. He could see two railings surrounding the square. Both of them took to the other side of the big barricaded door. "Click!" with the corner of his eye, Surgit saw a man behind him pointing a gun at his head. 21 How to deal with, or die to a mob "Click!" something inside of Surgit pushed him to duck as the shot missed his head by a notch. He turned round to see one of the men-beasts standing behind him and aiming his gun at him. He slashed his weapon at him and turned around again. "Oh shit!" the whole mob had heard the shot and was now running towards him. He felt that he could take them on but their number was intimidating. With the corner of his eye, he saw some six more joining the others from the railings. They were all dressed in a similar fashion. It was something special to Yharnam. Black leather long coats and top hats, some even wore straw hats. They all had long beastly arms, some had one while other had the two transformed. He felt the shot before he could hear it. It tore through his left leg. He jumped behind one of the carriages to avoid the snipers'' shots. The men came at him in swarms. It wasn''t going to be a fair fight. He could feel his left leg becoming heavier and heavier. He looked down to see the wound closing around the bullet and the pain sore through his veins. This was no ordinary wound. He couldn''t use his left leg anymore. He clenched his teeth and, remembering the healing ability of these beasts'' blood. He began his attack. The first wave that came at him was constituted of six men: some with axes while others had their forks and sickles. The saw cleaver proved to be a useful weapon to handle crowds after all. After elongating his weapon, Surgit managed to swing his weapon wider and inflict damage to four of the men-beasts in front him. The cuts he inflicted were not deep enough though. The men kept relentlessly coming at him even with blood bursting out of their bodies. He swung his saw again and managed to kill two while another came at him from the right. He saw the sickle missing his nose as he dodged backwards and pointed his pistol at the man-beast''s mouth and released a shot, relieving him of his brain. He shortened his weapon and dealt with the three approaching. While he cut the men down in three, nicely executed strikes, six more had already replaced them. His left leg hadn''t healed from the splashing blood and he relied only on his right for balance. He felt overwhelmed by his enemies as he persisted on swinging his weapon at them. He had managed to kill two when he felt pain searing through his ribs. One of the peasant-looking men had stabbed him with a pitch fork. 22 Miracle in horror square "Oh noˇ­ I refuse to die to these bastards" He held the fork''s handle with his right arm in order to immobilize the man and shot him twice. The man fell down and, detaching the fork from his ribs, Surgit threw it at one of the approaching beasts. He was then surrounded by eight more men. He could hear the footsteps of the snipers approaching. They were the only remaining enemies to kill. He felt his power fading away. His new body still had its limits but he needed to carry on. He wasn''t going to succumb to these enemies. As the men made to attack him, Surgit held his ground and, seeing through all the attacks, managed to dodge and counter attack. With six swings he had cut down six enemies. Only two remained and were still coming at him. They didn''t show any sign of fear or hesitation. They seemed keen on killing him he could feel their rage and see their baring fangs. They were humans no more. Devoid of emotions, their sole purpose had become to kill and see blood. With one swing of his elongated cleaver, Surgit cut their heads off and fell to the ground. He could hear more footsteps approaching him. He was lying down next to the carriage. It had provided him with good cover from the snipers who appeared to be moving to a better place or even towards him to finish him off. Two more men appeared in front of him "BAM! BAM!" with two shots he managed to get rid of them. He had no more power to stand up and he could feel his eyes getting heavier. "Just a few more minutesˇ­." He said to himself. Four men appeared in front of him, he could see the two snipers on top of a stagecoach parked opposite him. It looked like an execution. "Maybe that''s what happened to all hunters around here" he thought to himself as one of the swordsmen approached. He could see the sniper aligning a shot in the distance. With his right leg, Surgit managed to trip the swordsman and used him as a shield. The shot landed nicely on his chest and the man fell on top of him. As he struggled to stand up, he heard two more shots, and the men who were trying to execute him started falling like flies. The snipers had shot the men. Were they trying to help him all along? He felt a survival surge inside of him and he ducked to the right the moment as a bullet hit the wall behind him. They had just missed their shots and killed their friends then. He took his pistol to aim a shot at the last standing man in front of him. "Click, click" he was out of ammo. He rolled to the side just in time as the axe had hit the ground. With one swing he cut the man''s legs and used him as a shield to protect himself from the snipers'' shots. He was now trapped. His body felt heavy and his leg hurt even more. He suddenly remembered, as one remembers important things during dire circumstances. He fumbled in his pocket until he found the vial that Iosefka had given him before. It was now or never, he injected it in his bloodstream and felt a surge of energy going through all of his body. A bullet came out of his left leg and he could see that all his injuries were healed save for some small scratches. He got up quickly and dashed away from the snipers'' vision. He saw some stairs that led up to the rails and took them. He could see the men aiming their rifles and looking for a sign of life. He crept up behind them and struck the first one on the head, burying his saw deep inside his brain. The second one turned in shock to be punched off the stagecoach by Surgit. "So you can still feel something don''t you?" He said as he plunged at the poor beast, slicing it in half. He was soaked in blood again, his clothes but tatters and his saw slippery. But he felt alive. He managed to cheat death again thanks to that miraculous blood healing. 23 To hunt or face the hunt… Silence fell again in the square and he had now more time to look at his surroundings. The beast burning at the stake in the center looked exactly like the one that attacked him back at Iosefka''s clinic. Only this one seemed bigger and scarier. Did these men kill it? If yes, he wondered at his luck surviving their attack. A noise brought him back to reality. The door under the bridge was still shaking violently. Surgit went closer to inspect it. It was a solid oaken door and the thing pounding at it from behind seemed monstrous. He heard its shout and it was like some type of troll. He went up the railings again and came to an archway beneath the bridge. He traversed it and looked to his right. A big fountain was in the middle of yet again another square. The city used to be filled with amazing gardens and beautiful views. He walked slowly, trying not to attract the attention of whatever was behind that door. He reached the fountain and looked at the source of noise. It was indeed a troll. It was holding a brick and pounding at the door incessantly. "If I''m going to face this thing after all, I''d need another one of those vials." He thought to himself as he made for the archway. He decided to pay Iosefka a visit. As he took the serpentine street again but this time he was going down the slope, he couldn''t help but notice the amount of bodies on crucifixes. What on earth had happened to this city? Where were all the hunters? The streets were full of beasts and he was the only hunter chasing them. He reached the bottom of the slope and he was welcomed by a big iron gate. It was the same one he''d seen on his way out from the cemetery. A lever on the left allowed Surgit to open the gate and cross to the clearing where he had observed the majesty of the city and its terrifying darkness. He went inside the graveyard and made his way upstairs in the clinic. The door was still closed so he knocked on it. He heard distant footsteps approaching. "Ah it''s you again" said Iosefka with evident surprise in her voice. Damien was hiding behind the fountain when that man had emerged from beneath the archway, soaked with blood. With Paul, he watched in horror and amazement how that man had dealt with that mob. The moment they saw him hit by the bullet, they assumed that he was a goner. Seeing him emerge from behind the carriage mere minutes later, running and disposing of the only two remaining men-beasts astonished them. Since they arrived to this city, they had witnessed many miraculous feats by two people. First there was Karla, they were happy not to attack her after they saw the extent of her power. That city was beyond a doubt the place they were seeking. Monstrosities roamed the streets and although the two of them were skilled warriors, disposing of enemies as these two do required a different skillset. They knew that Karla still protected the old man and they were never going to get her on their side. However, that stranger could prove useful if they ally themselves to him. They decided to wait for him next to the fountain. 24 Unexpected allies Iosefka had agreed to lend him another vial. She even answered some of his questions regarding blood healing. Apparently all beasts outside possess blood with healing capabilities. The blood though needs to be consumed right away or stored in special vials before it coagulates. Coagulated blood had no healing properties and old blood coagulates quickly after leaving the body. In short, Surgit had to collect blood from corpses before their blood goes bad. Iosefka had lent him an emergency kit containing some empty blood vials. He will be able to restore his injuries quite quickly but this will not cure any damage to his organs nor does it give him extra energy. So he''d need to rest from time to time to avoid exhaustion and he''d need to protect his vital organs. He came back to the town square. The sight of the burning beasts still horrified him. The pounding on the door had stopped and only fire could be heard in this desolate place. He inspected the corpses of the snipers and managed to retrieve some bullets. When he crossed the archway towards the fountain, he saw two silhouettes and his entire body tensed up. It was Damien and Paul. Those two had looked down on him and he wondered if would be able to slice them in half this time around. Damien''s voice broke the silence: "Dear stranger, we mean you no harm." They didn''t recognize him. He was a stranger to them right now. After all, his physical appearance had changed after the ministration. His clothes were but tatters after the previous fight and he was painted red with blood. They would have never expected that from him. "We would like to suggest a partnership. This town hides all manner of beasts. An alliance will increase our chance of survival" continued Damien. Paul was sitting on top of the troll''s corpse. They managed to kill him. They were also strong. Were they hunters? Surgit decided to keep his identity concealed and accept their request. - "Sure, safety in numbers and all that; just don''t get in my way." He said, trying to sound confident. - "Are you headed to the cathedral ward too? I''m Damien and this is Paul, we''re both seeking the healing church. We''ve had to travel a long way to come here." - "Why don''t we keep our personal stories to ourselves?" said Paul. He was definitely the shadier of the two. - "I agree with the big guy" answered Surgit "I''d prefer it if we keep our focus on the beasts trying to kill us." Damien was definitely a talkative guy but looking at Paul''s stern eyes, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Paul didn''t trust Surgit but felt that he could use it to survive this terrifying place. From the square, the trio took the stairs up towards another street. Another patrol of three men-beasts with their dog were struck down before they even noticed what came at them. Surgit moved too fast for a human and Paul felt chills going down his spine as he watched the man fill some bottles with their blood. He threw two at them. ''These have miraculous healing powers. Use them when you''re seriously injured.'' Paul looked at the bottle filled with blood and thought to himself ''Are we becoming blood thirsty beasts here?'' 25 A colossal beast appears They were in a pedestrian area that carts couldn''t approach and only stairs led to the upper part of the city. At the end of the street they found the stairs that lead towards the upper bridge. They climbed up to find themselves on a long road that crossed to the other part of the valley. It was a large cobbled avenue with carts and stagecoaches scattered all around. Paul looked on his left and saw that the highway that used to take to the bridge from outside the city was sealed off by a wall. What happened in this city? Why did people seal access to this bridge? On their right, he could see at the far end of the bridge, a big gate that used to accommodate cars going through towards the healing church. The road was decorated on each side with beautiful street lamps and statues of praying women. Surgit motioned them to look forward. Two beasts were walking on all fours. They looked like wolves, only more terrible, and fearsome. "Werewolves, these ones look really strong" whispered the man. "We need a plan of attack, these beasts can kill you in one strike" he went on as they hid themselves behind a statue, far from the beasts'' sight. Damien had some Molotov Cocktails, he and Paul had improvised them while scavenging a deserted house. They could use the fire as a distraction to separate the beasts and single them out. The man volunteered to take one on his own and advised the two to team up on one. The plan worked like a charm. The stranger rushed towards the beasts and both of them made to attack the other. Damien threw one of his cocktails on it. It caught on fire and howled terribly. The other werewolf, distracted by the fire got his head chopped off by that strange saw the man was wielding while Paul finished the agonizing beast with a strike from his axe. As silence settled down again in the bridge, the trio heard a stronger, more terrible howl in the distance. That screech could make anyone lose hope in life and feel as though anguish had settled in their heart. Surgit recognized the sound, it was the same one he''d heard while he was climbing the ladder that lead to Gilbert''s house and the dream lantern. He felt uneasy but his objective was in sight. The bridge was clear from beasts and he could see the closed gate in the distance. That big door was for cars though and there had to be a small one for pedestrians to access the Cathedral Ward. Damien was leading the way as they were approaching the sealed gate when an enormous hand smashed him to the ground like a fly swatter does to annoying flies. There were but his clothes and his crushed bones. Surgit and Paul were sent flying backwards by the impact of the hand on Damien. When they came to, they saw the horrible abomination that awaited them in front of the gate. A towering beast, taller than any building in Yharnam, was standing in front of them. It was covered in fur and had a gigantic left arm. Its right one, although thinner than the left, was long and furry. Its feet were big and looked like a Kangaroo''s, bent and ready to jump at you at any moment. The only exception was for the beasts feet which resembled a wolf''s, with claws and paws. Its head on the other hand was a hybrid between wolf and deer. It had a deer''s muzzle but a wolf''s teeth. Its eyes were huge and glowed in red while on top of its head; the beast had grown antlers. Its torso was skinny and Surgit could see the beasts'' bones almost protruding from their rib cage. It had ashen grey skin. It seemed like big trouble. 26 No guts no glory Upon witnessing this beast, Surgit felt an intense pain in his head. It was no ordinary pain. He almost fainted and fought to remain conscious. Paul on the other hand, had retreated and run away to the other end of the bridge. Surgit was left alone to deal with this abomination.He tried to scan the area in order to use his environment to his advantage. He had learned that while training in the military school. When facing many enemies, always look for ways to use your surroundings to your advantage. He was facing something far worse than a horde of enemies. He had no intention of dying to this beast. Although hunters seem to reincarnate after death, Iosefka had advised him to watch out for recurring death. Her explanation was vague regarding the reason behind it, but what he retained is that hunters may lose their sanity or even their link to the hunters'' dream because of that. The towering giant didn''t give Surgit any time to think his strategy further as it leapt towards him and smashed its left arm at him. "Phew, dodged a bullet there" he thought to himself as he rolled forward just in time to avoid the impact. His roll wasn''t perfect though as the power of the smash sent waves of wind in the vicinity which caused Surgit''s body to roll many times further until he smashed his back against a cart. Those attacks were definitely dangerous and as he struggled to raise himself up, he saw the beast''s right, thinner arm coming down at him. He barely dodged it when the beast struck again with the same arm. It went on pounding heavily and repeatedly as if in complete rage while Surgit, with his enhanced capabilities, dodged all its attacks. He felt that he was soon going to run out of stamina while the beast didn''t seem to hold back or give any sign of tiredness. It swept its right arm in a swinging motion and Surgit, with fatigue finally catching up to him, took the hit head on. He landed on top of a cart. The impact had left him gasping for breath. He inspected his body with his hands, looking for broken ribs or any sign of injury. He had managed to survive this hit by miracle. He couldn''t afford to take any more reckless risks. Dancing around the beast had given him an understanding of his limits. Although he could see its attacks and dodge them easily, he could run out of stamina and meet his demise. It would be easier to come up with a strategy to bring this giant down to its knees. While he was thinking of his approach, he noticed that the giant werewolf hybrid had lost sight of him. His size was an advantage as he could hide behind a cart while devising a tactic. With one pounding movement from its gigantic arm, the beast smashed a stagecoach, reducing it to rubbles. As if reading into his thoughts, it was clearing the area of hiding spots. He had to act quickly. At that moment, it had its back to him. He had an opportunity to get closer. It was reckless but he had to try it. That fur looked like it could be grabbed and the only plan he could come up with was to climb the hulking monster and try to reach its head. He ran towards its legs and jumped on one. He grabbed the fur and started climbing while the beast, feeling something on its legs turned to look at it. He saw its face and heard the harrowing howl. He felt the wind on his face and he knew that he had to hold on for dear life. As the beast jumped high, his only thought was focused on how strong his grip should be. 27 The Cleric Beast… infuriated! He fell on his back as the beast landed on the ground. The landing was unexpectedly unsettling and he lost his balance. He opened his eyes and looked up, he was lying between its legs and the giant beast was again looking at them to make sure that the insignificant insect had been disposed of. Something had caught Surgit''s eye though. On its right monstrous thigh, the beast had what appeared to be an old injury. "Blood, give us blood" murmurs could be heard inside of his head. He felt his heart pounding fast. He couldn''t understand the source of the voices but he had no time for that. He quickly got up and grabbed his gun to try and reopen the woundˇ­ His holster was empty! He had lost his gun during the fight somehow. Improvising a new plan of attack, he lunged forward and jumped at the injured leg. He hacked at it with his saw and heard the beast''s roar. "Painˇ­ painˇ­ delicious, now give us blood. Bless us with blood" the voices kept on repeating. Was it the beast? Or was he going insane? He jumped and struck the wound with his saw again. Blood showered him as he landed. The plan he came up with by sticking to the beasts hide created an opening he didn''t expect. The beast jumped again and landed a small distance away, facing him on all fours. He could feel its rage. There was no going back, he had engaged a supernatural being and he had to finish it. As the beast made to attack him, two shots could be heard in the distance. Both hit the monster''s head and it held onto it, releasing yet another terrifying howl. Surgit looked back to see a dark shape in the distance, it was the originator of the shots. He had no time to lose though, the beast was vulnerable and it was his opportunity to attack. He lunged forward as the beast fell down to the ground. Those two shots had obviously staggered it and its head was exposed. He swung his weapon at it and was surprised to see that it was thick as steel. He hacked at the wound caused by the bullet then, trying to make an opening and drain the giant of its energy. With its horn, the beast rammed Surgit into the sidewalk. Its head was now close to Surgit and he could see its teeth watering, ready to reduce him to minced meat. He had a broken arm and a bone was protruding from his right leg. He was definitely lucky earlier when he landed on top of the cart. He closed his eyes and waited for the beast''s finishing move. He had lost and he should acknowledge it. 28 How did I ever get into this mess? Two more shots pierced its left long ear and the beast turned towards the origin of the shot. Surgit, despite the pain he felt in his leg and arm, got up injected himself with Iosefka''s miraculous vial and quickly went around the monster''s head. His arm had gotten back to its initial position and his leg was functional again. He swung his weapon at its neck and blood came rushing out of it, his heart started pounding heavily again. He saw open teeth in front of him "to the back you fool" and he felt his body jumping backwards as the beast''s mouth closed on thin air. He looked at his chest as excruciating pain had shot through his entire body. A fang had torn his chest open. He had a diagonal opening going from his left shoulder to the bottom of his rib cage on the right. Those voices had actually saved him. "Blood, we need blood!" the voices kept on going. They were even louder in his head now. The beast was facing him again. It was clearly in pain as he had opened its neck earlier. It opened its mouth again and jumped at him. He jumped on top of the beast''s head and used its antlers to keep his balance on top of it. He hacked with his weapon at the thick hide of the beast. It was like hitting rocks. He was running out of time. Pain was blinding him and if he wanted to heal, he''d have to consume the monster''s blood. "Release the beast, release the beast" the voices had gotten stronger in his head and he felt his heart pounding even faster against his chest. His desire to survive this fight and the feeling that he could fell the beast had taken him over. He was focused on only one thing, surviving. Two more shots and he felt himself lunging towards the floor. The beast fell again to the ground, staggered. He fell head on to the ground, hearing a cracking sound. He got up and saw that his left arm had been broken, he had no more vials and the beast was still alive. He looked at the beast''s exposed head. The shots were so precise that they hit the beast exactly at the previous spot. Blood was flowing out from the source of the injury and the opening was big enough for Surgit to try and make greater damage. That marksman was of great help and bullets definitely had critical effect on these monsters. He started losing consciousness, he had to act quickly. 29 Reunion His body moved before he could know what was happening. His hand was inside the beast''s skull, he had used the wounds caused by the bullet to insert his right hand inside. He watched with horror and surprise as his hand changed its shape. He had a long right arm and claws protruding from what used to be his fingers. He felt himself squashing the beast''s brain as its body wriggled and struggled. His claws had penetrated the squishy organ and ripped it apart. The monster stopped moving and as he pulled his hand back, he felt a surge of energy going through his entire body. "Yes, satiate us, bless us with blood" he looked at his hand, which went back to being normal and wondered at what happened. Blood was rushing out of the beast''s head and he started drinking from it immediately. He had no time to lose. He had already lost too much blood. As he drank to his fill, his wounds closed and he regained his vitality. He finally managed to get rid of this monstrosity, no thanks to Paul who shamelessly ran away. "Are you a hunter?" a voice said behind him. Surgit turned around, ready for another fight. It was a woman, holding his pistol. "I think that belongs to you" she went on, handing the gun back to him: "I wonder what kind of bullets these things have." As he looked at the woman, he realized that she seemed familiar. It was Karla, Francis''s bodyguard. "You''re an excellent markswoman, thanks for your help back there" he said containing his shock at seeing another familiar face. "It''s the least we could do, that thing was standing on our way too" another voice said from behind Karla. "By the gods, it''s you isn''t it Surgit? I almost didn''t recognize you." Francis had a sharp mind and recognized Surgit from first sight. "I must say, seeing you drinking blood from that beast frightened the living hell out of me" continued Francis. - "How did you get that strong? I swear I saw you smash against a wall and fall unconscious on our arrival to the city" Asked Francis - "For a sharp man, you still lack in Yharnam knowledge." Replied Karla, "He is definitely a hunter, I''m shocked that he could be Surgit, that weakling couldn''t even lift a finger against a fly" - "The woman is right, I am a hunter." Said Surgit, he tried to sound dignified and confident. "As for you Sir Francis, I''m glad to see that you''re still alive too, what happened to the other bodyguards?" - "Didn''t I tell you?" Exclaimed Francis looking at Karla again. Her eyes had widened and he enjoyed patronizing her. "Did you get a blood ministration?" He asked as he turned towards Surgit. - "A mysterious old man had indeed accepted to give me blood ministration. I haven''t been able to find him since" He replied as Francis''s face saddened. - "Well with the beast out of the way, we can at least access the Healing Church Quarters. Someone at the Cathedral might be of help." Replied Francis, he was exasperated, yet full of hope. Surgit looked at Karla, that woman had always underestimated him. He hated that, and his pride had spoken too fast earlier when he revealed his identity. In retrospect, he regretted admitting going through blood ministration. "Catch!" Karla had thrown something towards him. She was searching the beast''s body and had found something. He caught the item and while looking at it, a sharp pain shot through his brain. He held his head with both hands let out a painful cry. He opened his eyes and found Karla and Francis looking at him. "Are you alright weakling?" said Karla in a sarcastic tone. He got up, fighting the headache he had. "What was that thing you threw at me? Were you trying to kill me?" He was shouting angrily at Karla. She had her hand on her sword''s pommel and he was ready to strike with his own cleaver at any time. It was high time he taught this arrogant woman a lesson. "You''re still holding onto whatever she threw at you" said Francis in a calm voice. He was indeed holding it in his left arm. He looked at the bizarre item. It was a pendant of some sort. His head was still throbbing and he felt like he could faint at any moment. "It looks like a miniature sword" said Surgit as he inspected the item. He gave it to Francis. The man had more knowledge about artifacts as he was an avid collector. "This is a healing church relic" he started, "I''ve seen an illustration somewhere on the books I had on the ship. I remember it had something to do with the church." He was definitely puzzled as he looked at the item. "What was it doing with a beast then?" asked Karla, she was as intrigued as the others. "I don''t think we''ll find out by standing idly here" said Francis as he handed the pendant back to Surgit, albeit with reluctance. 30 Impasse They made their way towards the pedestrian access and Surgit, still struggling with another makeshift accessory, tried to hold his pistol into place. He didn''t want to lose it again during an important fight. "What you need is another set of clothes" said Karla, as she was observing him, struggling with his tattered clothes. "And a shower too" added Francis. They were right though. Blood had showered Surgit''s body so many times that he felt that his skin had become one with dried blood. The only item he had kept from his clothes was his torn trousers that served only to hide his private parts. He saw yet another dream lantern in front of the gigantic closed gate. It was as if a sign sent to him to get back to the dream and get some rest. They approached the lantern and he inspected it. The other two looked at him puzzled: "What are you kneeling there for?" asked Francis. "I''m inspecting this lantern, I can use it-"he stopped right in the middle of his explanation. The two were looking at him as though they were speaking to an insane person. "They can''t see the lantern, it''s not part of their world" the thought came to himˇ­ or was it the voices inside his head again? The headache had definitely blurred all his senses. "Sorry, my headache is giving me hallucinations" He finally said to the two. "Let''s proceed to the door". He got up and led them towards the closed pedestrian door. They tried to open it but the door seemed to have been closed. Surgit tried to break the door open but the more he hit it, the more his head pounded until the pain immobilized him. "I feared as much" said Francis. We found a note in an abandoned house before. He handed it to Surgit and it read "When the hunt began, the Healing Church left us, blocking the great bridge to the Cathedral Ward, as Old Yharnam burned to the ground that moonlit night." The note was cryptic but it confirmed that this way was sealed. They had to find a different one, if there is any. Gilbert may be of help but Surgit didn''t want to speak of him to the others. "I don''t know if this place is Old Yharnam but we really need to find a different way to the ward." Francis was anxious to get to the Cathedral. He aspired to become a hunter and after seeing Surgit''s transformation, he couldn''t contain his excitement. "You go on ahead, I need to rest for a while" said Surgit to the duo. "This place is safe enough for me. I will take a little rest then catch up with you." He waited for Francis and Karla to disappear then he inspected the lamp. In no time he was back to the dream with its big beautiful garden and white flowers. That place seemed so peaceful. Surgit needed some rest so he headed towards the house. "Welcome home good hunter" a voice said as he made his way inside. Surgit jumped back and clenched his weapon. "The doll, it''s the doll! It''s alive?!" Surgit was astonished. His eyes didn''t betray him before. It was moving after all, it was even speaking. 31 A warrior’s experience Damien was a foolish brute, a brother in arms to Paul but foolish nonetheless. After escaping that harrowing scene, Paul didn''t know what to do. He saw his best friend being smashed to the ground by a gigantic monster no human had a chance of defeating. He had to use that mysterious man as bait and run for his life. He was now standing underneath the great bridge. That man was stubborn and kept fighting the beast. He wondered if he was brave or foolish like Damien. He had no time to think though as beasts in the street had been aroused by the fight above and were on their guard. He had no intention of engaging in a fight with them and all he wanted to do was to find a way to the Cathedral Ward. He had seen another bridge in the distance while he was inspecting the surrounding area from the highway above. He decided to make his way over there. He took an alley under the bridge and found himself on a street full of caged dogs. The animals were barking crazily at the sound of the furious fight taking place above. Even the dogs in this city were hideous. Their fur had decayed into ashen white and it started to fall out. He could see patches of pink hide on their bodies. Only their fangs kept their original form. It was his chance to get away from there as the dogs didn''t notice him and even if they did, the cages held them inside. He walked among the caged animals and crossed a small bridge. He could see an aqueduct under it. At that moment, he heard two shots in the distance, followed by that beast''s terrible roar. It was definitely angry and the ground was shaking as a result of whatever was going on up there. Paul was glad he didn''t linger around for long. From that small bridge, he could make out the other road he had spotted earlier. He''d have to go through the aqueducts to access it. It was fine; he could face any danger, but not that colossus. He heard footsteps behind him and felt fangs penetrate his shoulder as he attempted to step aside. A dog had freed itself from one of the cages and attacked him. The commotion distracted the others, but it had worked both ways. The malformed animal had its fangs firmly installed in his muscles and any movement he attempted, made him scream in pain. He had to act quickly before the others free themselves and kill him. He rolled forward and smashed the dog to the ground. With a small wimping sound the dog stood up and bared its teeth to Paul. He took his axe in his left hand and threw it with all his might towards the dog''s head: "Thud!" It was an instant kill. 32 The power of blood The animal was dead and the others were still trapped within their cages. He was bleeding and in pain but he had no time to think about that. He crossed the bridge and hid, away from the dogs'' sight. He looked for something to use as bandages for his wounds. He fumbled inside his pockets and found the vial the strange man had handed him. He pondered for a moment before the pain urged him to do it. He would worry about the consequences later. He feared putting strange blood into his system. But he didn''t act fast, he would lose too much blood. And in Yharnam, loosing blood is as good as accepting death. He injected himself with the blood vial and felt his strength coming back. In fact he felt even stronger, more revitalized. He felt more in control of his body. His muscles felt tenser and his body lighter. It felt as if he was a teenager again. What he scoffed at earlier as he watched the mysterious man filling the bottles with beasts'' blood had saved his life now. Moreover, it made him feel even powerful. One vial of that blood and he felt his strength increase. He wondered what more of this miraculous substance would do for his body. ''I gotta get more of this stuff. I need to get more.'' Paul heard a strange noise coming from below. He looked around. In his hurry to get out from the dogs, he had entered a warehouse of some sort. There were boxes and barrels stacked everywhere against the walls. There were stairs leading down and that''s where the noise came from. He went closer to inspect it. The noise grew louder as he approached. Someone, or rather something was breathing heavily. It was like someone suffering from asthma trying to catch any semblance of air while their lungs contracted and refused to. As he climbed down the stairs, Paul saw a shimmering light. The stairs took a sharp turn to the right and as he followed them, he saw it. It was wearing a navy blue coat. What used to be trousers now fit only as shorts.It definitely used to be human before but it had transformed into something inhuman at that moment. The beast had long furry arms and legs. It had an arched back from which spine bones were almost protruding. He could see them through the jacket. It was two times taller than him. It held a torch on its left hand and a crosscut saw on his right. He held the saw, which took two grown men to manipulate, with ease. The beast saw him and came running his way. Fighting that thing on the stairs wasn''t a considerable option. Paul retreated upstairs and waited for the beast to reach him. It was fast for its size and as it swung its saw towards him he tried to block it. Its swing was too fast for him to see through and dodge. His only option was to block. As the two weapons collided, Paul felt his feet leave the ground. He was flying backwards. The impact of the hit was so strong it almost broke his weapon and his guard. His experience in fighting long and perilous wars helped him overcome his initial fear. He stood up and waited for the beast to swing again. He had come face to face with knights twice his size before and come out triumphant. It all came to using your surroundings to your advantage. He had enough space to dodge and dance around his enemy. Swinging that weapon took stamina and big brutes generally didn''t have enough of it. The deformed man started with a flurry of attacks that almost cut him in half. He shuddered at the thought of getting hit by that saw. He dodged another attack just in time to feel the wind make his hair fly back. Dodging the attacks didn''t feel like it was getting him anywhere. The big beast didn''t seem to falter or tire. He had to come up with an alternate tactic. Most brutes love swinging and don''t think of the enemies'' counterattacks. Their attacks were also simple and had a fixed pattern to them.As it swung at him again, he rolled forward to avoid the hit. Sparks illuminated the room as the saw hit the paved floor. Paul hit the beast''s tendons and sliced them open. Blood came rushing out and the monster turned around to perform yet another attack. With its tendons cut, it was unable to make another move and it collapsed head first to the ground. No matter their size, every enemy has its weakness. Paul learned that during his time as a mercenary. For this case, stamina wasn''t its weakness but simplemindedness. He held his axe with both hands and stood on the beast''s side. With one powerful hit, he cut its head off as it struggled to stand up. He took the empty vial he had kept and filled it with blood. He injected himself quickly with it and refilled the vial in order to keep it when he''d be in dire need for it. This blood had properties he underestimated. His body had gained in strength and in agility. In retrospect, he couldn''t have blocked that hit earlier even if he wasn''t injured by the dog. He felt more in control of his body and his vision became clearer. He needed more vials. He went down the stairs to explore more of that warehouse. By that time, the noise coming from the bridge had quieted down. The beast had finally managed to kill the poor bastard. That abomination was the exception to the rule. Its size was too much to handle, and there was no way he could slice its tendons as he did for the previous one. Its hide looked as pale and hard as rock. He pitied the poor soul who felt foolish enough to try and fight it. At least he was thankful that the mysterious man had told them about the vials. Maybe after two dozen injected, he''d have a chance against that gigantic monstrosity. 33 Traversing dark alleys "Fighting that giant monster alone was foolish. What if you didn''t come to save him? Does he think he''s immortal?" Francis had gotten into his chatty habit again. Karla hated that. He liked talking to himself and asking rhetorical questions. She learned to ignore his mumblings by now but it still annoyed her. Yharnam was dangerous enough and attracting the attention of beasts by talking to the air was even more foolish than what Surgit had done. - "Francis, please!" she had said at last, "Do you want to be eaten by one of those things? Keep it down a little." - "You''re right, you''re right, I''ll keep my mouth shut from now on." After getting into that dead end, Karla and Francis took the highway back to the fountain plaza. Surgit had cleared the area for them and they had time to catch a breath and scope the place. She was the muscle and he was the brains. The city felt empty and too calm. After the battle they had just witnessed and the commotion it created, they felt strange after the situation calmed down again. Since they arrived to Yharnam, they had been going through its streets with their guard up, wary of every movement. Karla seemed to be in her element. She stalked her prey and danced around it as if she had been doing this her whole life. Francis only knew little of her past. But he decided to recruit her as a bodyguard ever since his advisor endorsed her. He trusted him with matters of recruitment and his trust now paid off. If not for her, he would never have survived that far. They were standing in the fountain plaza. Karla had to deal with strange big crows before they could access the railings at the edge of the plaza. The mutated animals were a frightening surprise to both of them. Karla could hear crows from afar but she never paid them any attention. They were badly surprised when three dark forms jumped on them. The crows could barely fly but their beaks were as sharp as a sword. Karla quickly darted to the left as a beak almost made a hole in her face. It barely grazed her ear but she flinched in pain. In a piercing motion she inserted her sword through the crows neck. As blood flowed down the injured monstrosity, Karla jumped towards the second crow and sliced its neck open. The third and last one jumped towards her but she ducked just in time to slice its belly open and make room for its organs to meet the ground. "You can come out now!" She shouted at Francis who hid behind the fountain. "For an old man you''re really fast when you have to flee." She said mockingly. "To each their special gifts" he answered nonchalantly. "Mine happens to be evading death" he said as he pointed to his grey hair. He advanced towards the railings "Let''s inspect the city from here shall we?" Francis clearly wanted to change the subject. Karla was wincing as she tried to bandage her ears. "From here the city looks bigger than I first anticipated" started Francis. Karla braced herself; she knew he was about to go into one of his monologues again. But he didn''t say anything. He was squinting and analyzing the layout of the city below. "Aha!" He shouted. He had spotted a road that took to what appeared to be another way to the cathedral ward. - "I was sure of it. A city as big as this one can''t have only one way into their main district." - "How do we get there though? I don''t see a way through to that road." - "The aqueducts down there could lead us to that bridge" Francis had acute observations, keeping him around was the best decision Karla had ever made. Francis pointed to a way on the other side of the great bridge. From the Fountain Plaza they could easily reach the great bridge by taking a few sets of stairs. Accessing the Bridge was easy. They had reached it before but their exploration was put on hold since two werewolves were patrolling the highway. There was no way for Karla to deal with those monsters, even without Francis around. The road that led towards the aqueducts was on the opposite side of the stairs they had come from. Francis had seen it before when they encountered the two werewolves. Since Surgit had taken care of them, they could cross the road and take that way down towards the aqueducts. "In every big city, aqueducts are built to channel water to all main commodities. There have to be different entrances to the aqueducts as they must have needed to make repairs and cleaning." Francis had again launched himself into another monologue. "Francis, shush!"Karla''s ears didn''t betray her. Like a scolded kid, Francis bowed his head down in guilt but he soon understood the reason behind Karla''s exclamation. They were on a terrace that overlooked the area behind the fountain plaza. They saw the crucifix and the beast burning. At least twenty corpses were lying in the big square. The floor was as red as the sky and its setting sun. The only sound they could hear was that of their beating hearts and the crackling fire. A gruesome fight had taken place in here before. Who could''ve slain all these enemies? It must have been a team. - "We''re not alone in this area, we must hurry towards the aqueducts" said Karla in a whisper. - "There, behind us! There seems to be an entrance." Replied Francis in the same tone. Indeed there was. On a small alley between two tall buildings, they saw a ladder that took down towards the water channels. They heard a heavy breathing noise in the distance. It certainly came from the aqueducts underneath them. They took a ladder that lead down towards the source of the sound. Francis wasn''t fond of the idea but he followed Karla. He never questioned her decision when it came to facing dangerous situations. She was a skilled fighter and she could get them out of any condition, no matter how perilous it was. The sound grew stronger and heavier as they descended. The reached a platform from which they had a good view over the channels beneath them. Another ladder led down and Karla advised Francis to stay hidden on that platform. "At least you''re safe from what''s down here. And you can get down and follow me in case you see anything coming down at you from above." These were Karla''s words before she took the ladder down. 34 Dark streets lead to dangerous beasts Francis stood on the platform and followed Karla with worrisome eyes. He could see the aqueducts down under. But the layout of the canals was barely visible. It was too dark for him to see clearly. Through the obscurity he could see two platforms on the right and on the left. Cleaners and engineers must have needed them to inspect the water channels. A small bridge in the distance linked the two platforms and Francis could barely make out a ladder that took down. Each ladder in Yharnam had a small lantern attached to it. It was by the flickering light of the lantern that he concluded that a ladder was positioned there. He saw another light though. It was getting bigger andˇ­ apparently closer. His eyes widened as he saw the source of the light. A beast two times bigger than Karla was advancing towards her. In the darkness of the aqueducts, it was hard for anyone to see anything. The beast on the other hand was holding a torch on one hand and a crosscut saw on the other. Francis could clearly see it at that moment. It was close enough for him to see the monster clearly. But he had lost sight of Karla. The monster hadn''t noticed her nor heard her. Francis looked for Karla but couldn''t make out where she was. His eyes were fixed once again on the beast. It was wearing a human long coat. Although with its size, the sleeves could barely reach its elbows. Tatters of what used to be a shirt could be seen on the furry chest of the monster and what used to be trousers were now just shorts. Its head was terribly human. Round shaped with long human hair on its head and beastly fur on its face. Francis heard the beast''s heavy breathing. It sounded like the brute struggled to breathe but it did not look injured. With every breath it made it wheezed. Its whole body contorted and its open-mouth showed long and dangerous fangs. He tried to look more at its face and saw a sword coming out of the beasts open-mouth. Francis jumped back. Karla was deadly and silent. That fascinated and terrified him. With one hit, she had silenced that huge monster. She motioned to him to be silent and stay put. There were more of them on the other platforms. He saw a shimmering light in the distance and he understood that it was a torch. He had lost sight of Karla again to see the torch falling to the ground. After disposing of the second monster, she motioned him to come down. They were on the platform and they heard yet another heavy breathing beast in the distance. No torch was on sight though and with the darkness surrounding them it was difficult to make out where it was. They walked slowly and silently through the paved way. They took the ladder down towards the canals. On their left they heard munching sounds. Karla put her finger on her mouth as a sign for Francis to keep quiet. With a sign of her hand, she asked him to wait near the ladder and darted towards the source of the sound. She moved swiftly but made as little noise as she could. The aqueducts still had some water running through it. Every move would make a splashing sound. Karla was nimble and fast though. He heard little splashes coming from all directions. Horrible screams reached Francis'' ears and his body started shaking. He hoped against hope that it wasn''t Karla doing the screaming. The screams subsided quickly and he started hearing quick splashes coming his way. His legs shook harder and he felt a liquid warm his pants. He was always good at eclipsing himself from trouble and evading death. But when he assumed he had no protector, fear immobilized him. He kept repeating in his head ''Move! Move! The ladder is right behind you!'' But he was afraid and in shock. He tried to move, he really did his best but his legs wouldn''t respond. In a matter of seconds, all thoughts came rushing to his mind. He thought of his life and the adventure he has been through. He thought of how he dreaded when his luck would run out. And he thought of how was so close to reaching the secret to immortalityˇ­. He had accepted his death and waited for it. After all, that''s all he could do. Karla appeared from the shadows and he sighed. He could never have pictured himself be as happy as he was when he saw her. She was covered in blood and dirty. She looked gruesome and smelled awful. But man was he happy to see her! "How did you get your pants dirty old man?" she asked. He had forgotten about the liquid he felt in his pants before. His mouth was agape. He couldn''t speak or move. Fear was now replaced with shock. Karla was looking at him puzzled. "Francis, are you alright?" she asked. She started getting worried about him. "Iˇ­ was afraid you were gone," he admitted after he recovered from his state of shock. "I heard those screams then the splashing sounds were getting closerˇ­" His voice got cut and he took a deep breath. "I thought I lost you there," he said after collecting himself. "I can see that," she said pointing at his pants. "Damn rats almost sliced my throat open," she started as she tried to get the dirt off her cloak. "If sounds in the darkness made you wet your pants, wait till you see those not so little rascals. They had teeth as long as your bony fingers!" She exclaimed. "Anyway, we need to stay focused here. This darkness unnerves me." She removed her cloak and shook it, trying to get rid of as much dirt and blood as possible. She motioned to Francis to follow her and they moved slowly and quietly through the aqueducts. As they walked through the darkness, trying not to make as little sound as possible, they heard that rasping sound again. There was no question about it; one of those tall monstrosities was lurking ahead in the obscurity of the water canals. As they approached the edge of the water channel, they saw it. A beast was standing on their left with its back to them. Its breathing made Francis wince. It sent shivers down his spine and made him shake his body to forget the feeling. That only made his skin come in contact with his wet pants and he felt even more terrible. Karla pulled his sleeve and gestured for him to stay still. He lifted his head and took another look at the monster.This one was different though. It had its back to them and since their eyes got used to the darkness, they started making out more details about the monster. The startling difference was that it had no fur on its body and wore no clothes. It had grey hide and its spine bones were visible, almost sticking out from its posterior. Its back was arched and it also breathed heavily like the others. With its huge hands, it was holding a spear and it didn''t seem ready to move anywhere else. Karla made a shush gesture with her hand and motioned Francis to move backwards. From where they were standing they could see that the aqueducts, now void of water, led down to the lower parts of the city. There was a canal that took right towards the bridge they had seen from the fountain plaza. They took the ladder down and reached the edge of the water tunnel. The bridge they had seen earlier was even further down. From that point on they either had to jump down through small wooden platforms or go back up to find a different way. "Shit, now what?" whispered Karla. "I can jump down, don''t worry about me" answered Francis. "We have no other choice do we?" 35 The unsettling feeling of being watched After his last trip to the Hunter''s Dream, Surgit had a better understanding of Yharnam. As soon as he teleported to the dream, he noticed that his clothes had come back to normal as if by magic. What''s more, the blood that stained his body had disappeared completely. Returning to the hunter''s dream felt like taking a fresh shower and getting a new set of clothes. Perhaps the legends told about Yharnam were true after all. Perhaps Yharnam was a city of healing and miracles as most of the books said. He couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw the doll moving and talking either. After the initial shock subsided, Surgit realized that she could only speak in riddles like Gherman. Her discourse was limited and somehowˇ­ scripted. She told him about the dream and how it was a safe haven for hunters. She asked him to speak to Gherman about matters related to the beasts. She also told him that by fighting beasts, he would collect something called Echoes of Blood which would help him get stronger. After delivering this information to him, the doll kept repeating the same thing over and over again every time he dared ask her about something different. He then went to the hunter''s workshop, where Gherman usually sat. He decided to have a rest and recollect his thoughts before going back to Yharnam. He had to get back to the city to meet Karla and Francis. He had no interest in teaming up with Francis but Karla managed to survive in Yharnam while protecting the old man. She must be an accomplished fighter in order to kill Yharnam''s monsters without getting killed instantly. He needed her assistance in order to reach the Great Cathedral. He knew he had to reach that place in order to find more information regarding Paleblood. That word still puzzled him. He didn''t know why he was stuck in Yharnam nor did he know why Paleblood was the sole key for him to leave this place and resume his normal life. He soon found himself wondering what he would do once he left this nightmarish reality. He fantasized about becoming a wealthy bounty hunter, renowned all over the continent. His thoughts took him as far as becoming a prince after saving a lady in distress who also happened to be the heiress to a wealthy kingdom. He had to slap himself awake. Daydreaming would only make him lose sight of the goal he had set for himself. In order to make his childish dreams come true, he first had to find out what Paleblood meant and where to find it. That was when he decided to get back to the city and catch up to Karla and Francis. But first, he had to pay a visit to an old friend. The lantern he teleported to, was in front of Gilbert''s house: the man who had told him about the great bridge. He was angry at his naivety, believing a stranger who may have sent him to his certain death. He knocked at his window. - "That scent, you must be that hunter. I heard a terrible noise earlier, what happened?" - "Are you serious? You mean you don''t know who makes that terrible roar?" - "I never heard such a noise since I arrived to Yharnam. I was scared that something terrible was about to happen in the city. When it calmed down, I was preparing myself for the worst." - "There was a beast taller than any building at that bridge. It tried to kill me and I have a reason to believe you were sending me to my death," Surgit was getting angry. He was sure that Gilbert was feigning ignorance. - "Listen, since I''ve arrived to Yharnam, I''ve never left this house. I was only focused on my treatment." Surgit had to concede and give the man the benefit of the doubt. After all, he didn''t want to linger there for too long. - "Do you know of any other road towards the Cathedral Ward then?" He asked - "As I said before, I''ve never left this house since I got here. But I heard of a way through the aqueducts, you can try over there." - "And where might I find them?" Surgit couldn''t stop but wonder how the man behind the window could know so much just by sitting idly in his house. - "I''m not sure, but there has to be multiple ways to it. This city is a magnificent architectural work of art. It was built to make water accessible to everyone. I''m sure you''ll find your way there." Exasperated, Surgit left the small square and walked towards the fountain plaza. He didn''t want to question the man further. He already doubted him so he would take all his answers with a grain of salt. He also wanted to find Karla and Francis and join up with them. Once in the fountain plaza, silence welcomed him. There was no sign of any living soul. He had watched the carnage he caused when he fought the mob of man-beasts. He still couldn''t believe that he was the one who did that. In retrospect, it looked like it was the work of a team of skilled warriors. The abilities he had gained after the blood ministration allowed him to have the strength and reflexes of a hardened warrior only tales and legends speak of. As he stood next to the fountain, he saw three malformed crows lying on a pool of blood. He walked past them and looked down the fences. From there he could see the aqueducts leading to a faraway road. Fog covered the canals below but his eyesight had improved drastically since he became a hunter. He could see through darkness with little to no effort. He saw water channels extending towards what appeared to be a bridge in the distance. This was good enough, Surgit had no other choice but to follow that lead and see where the road will take him. The question that remained was how to get down towards those canals. ''Maybe I should get back to the great bridge and inspect the place from there. I might have a better vista from there,'' he thought to himself. He was making his way back towards the bridge when he heard laughter in the distance. He had an uneasy feeling, as if something was watching him from a distance. 36 Never let your guard down From a house at the western end of the plaza, Surgit heard women laughing hysterically. People usually closed their doors and hid inside their homes during the hunt. Laughter would only lead unwanted attention towards them. The feeling of being watched didn''t subside and he approached the house cautiously. He wondered if the women he heard weren''t losing their sanity. The sound got louder and louder as he approached. From the corner of the door a small red lantern hung. It emanated a sweet scent. It reminded him of the one that hung next to Gilbert''s window. Perhaps the women were the ones watching him from a distance, in the safety of their house. As soon as he got closer to the door a woman addressed him from behind the door, barely repressing her frenzied laugh. "I don''t reckon you''re from ''round here! Well, pffft, stuck outside on a night of the hunt! Ahh you poor, poor thingˇ­" The laughter continued stronger and louder. Surgit sighed and decided to get back to the bridge. As the women realized that he''d lost interest in their taunts; they fell silent and tended to whichever affairs they had to tend to. Another sound reached his ears as silence fell upon the fountain plaza. Growling, dogs or some other beast was growling next to those women''s house. He was sure that he had cleared this area of every living being that roamed outside. He followed the source of the sound and found stacked boxes at the west corner of the plaza. The growling sound emanated from behind the wooden boxes. He climbed up and saw another backstreet where multiple cages held dogs, uneasy and ready to bark at any passerby. The street led to a small bridge which seemed to lead into an old warehouse. He jumped down and as soon as he landed, all dogs started barking in unison. Afraid of what their barking could attract, Surgit swung at them all with his cleaver. As he killed the dogs, one after the other, he couldn''t help but notice their deformed nature. Their fur was decaying and patches of pink rotten flesh were seen on their bodies. Their heads were also deformed and only their fangs had retained their menacing aspect. They looked disgusting. They had long lost the look of the loyal hound. Instead, they looked like rotten animals miraculously sticking to dear life. Looking at them filled Surgit with revulsion. He no longer felt fear at the sight of monsters. After fighting that hulking beast and coming out on top, what could scare him anymore? As he crossed the small bridge, he saw another dead dog. That wasn''t his doing. Someone else had been through this area.'' He stood on the bridge to examine his surroundings. Beneath him, he could see faint reflection of the setting sunlight on the water. That was clearly the aqueduct. Behind him he could see another highway that went through a bridge. The bridge seemed to connect to the lower parts of the Cathedral Ward. That was the road he had spotted from the fountain plaza. He was heading towards the old warehouse when he heard a cough. He looked to his left and saw a small house in the corner. A faint light could be seen inside and another red lamp at the door, with sweet scent coming from it, hung outside. He knocked at the door and heard an old woman''s voice: - "You! You''re a hunter, and an outsider at that. Well then, do you know of any safe places?" - "No not really mam." Surgit felt sympathy for the old woman, trapped in this horrible city. - "I heard I have, shutting up indoors isn''t always enough. If you hunters got off your arses we wouldn''t be in this mess. You''re obligated to help me, you hear?" Her voice was getting louder and she seemed angry. "So, what''ll it be? Are you going to help me or not?" - "I assure you mam, I don''t know of any safe places." She started ranting again and shouting all possible insults at Surgit. He couldn''t help but feel bad for the woman. But he couldn''t help her so he walked away and left her, screaming and raving. He got inside the old warehouse. He saw a lying corpse of a hideous creature in front of him. Someone had cut its head off. Surgit inspected the body to get a better idea of what he was about to face. The beast was at least twice his height and it wore a long coat. The sleeves of the coat could barely reach its elbows and what used to be a coat looked like a small unfitting jacket. Its spine was showing against the coat and he could feel the long sharp extremities of the bones with his hands. They were sticking against the beast''s hide, almost coming out of it. Its legs were long and it had claws on its hands and feet. He wondered if that thing was actually like the man-beasts he had fought earlier. Perhaps that was how they looked like after their bodies went through a complete transformation. ''What would make a man transform into such a hideous creature?'' he wondered. He heard a rasping breathing noise in the distance as he walked away from the dead beast. He was on his toes, ready for any surprise encounter. Surgit inspected the place where he stood. This was obviously an old warehouse as wooden boxes and barrels were stacked against the walls. In front of him, he saw stairs leading down, illuminated by a large window on top. On his right, the boxes and barrels concealed a door that used to lead to the upper part of the warehouse. Surgit ignored it and took the stairs. As he descended, heavy breathing in the distance was getting louder. That sound was a bad premonition. As he reached the last flight of stairs, the source of the sound gave him Goosebumps. A beast resembling the dead one he had seen earlier stood with its back to him. It stood among stacked boxes in a place that resembled an old marketplace. Pillars separated different stalls and stacked old merchandise was everywhere. In the middle, there was a square gap which led to the canals. In the zone at the bottom, Surgit saw small boats that used to transport merchandize through the canals and the area where he was. The place served as a warehouse for delivered goods. Surgit could hear the sprinkles of water down below along with the constant heavy breathing of the beast around him. The stacked merchandise offered a good hiding spot for Surgit in order to look around and scope the area out. He looked up and saw that indeed, the door upstairs led to dingy wooden platforms on top. Maybe this place used to be a two story market place. By now, the only sound he could hear in the area was that of hoarse breathing. Small windows on top of the building provided a semblance of light. The gap created by the canal between the platforms provided a significant distance between Surgit and the beast. He was glad the beast hadn''t spotted him yet. He heard the breathing again, but louder this time around. It was coming from his left. He turned just in time to see another beast running towards him, holding a torch on one hand and a crosscut saw on the other. Surgit had enough time to dodge back as the saw hit the ground. Sparkles came out of the cobbled floor and as he was absorbed by looking at them, the saw had hit him straight in the chest. He was sent flying back on the stairs. His back hit the stairs and he heard bones cracking. Extreme pain shot through his entire body and he let out a painful scream. He saw the beast standing tall in front of him. Holding the saw with two hands and hacking at him. He tried to move but his body wouldn''t listen. He broke his back and he was paralyzed. He felt the saw''s teeth cut through his flesh. And the painˇ­ the pain was unbearable. The beast held the saw high again and brought it down on his body. 37 Luck eventually runs out… He opened his eyes and found himself beside the lamp in the small square next to Gilbert''s house. He had died and came back next to the latest lamp he had used. He could hear Gilbert''s constant coughing near him. Beating that giant beast had made him overconfident. He needed that defeat to remind him to stay cautious. He had another chance to get back and exact his revenge now. But for how long would that last? He should remain alert and step cautiously in order to keep his wits about him. Iosefka had warned him about repeated deaths. Even if he had a feeling that she wasn''t entirely honest with him regarding the consequences of repeated defeats, she was still the only person he could moderately trust in this city. He took the stairs down, and was surprised to see the mob patrolling the streets alive and moving again. ''What the-?'' He had disposed of all these men before, how come they were all alive? Surgit understood one part of Iosefka''s "conspicuous" message. Die once and all the enemies he had disposed of earlier will come back to life. That complicated things. He knew he had to be careful but now he found himself calculating his next move, perhaps overthinking it. He had to catch up to Francis and Karla. But if he had to fight all these monsters and die on the way, he''d lose precious time. His eyes lit up as he decided on his next move. He took the flight of stairs towards the cobbled serpentine street and decided to take down the patrolling mob before they reached their brethren in the big opening next to the crucifix. The last time he had to fight a horde of beasts and he didn''t come out of it unscathed. This time, he decided to trim their numbers to make his traverse easier. There were six of them in there. He dashed forward and cut two heads off before the others realized his presence. He moved like a shadow, unseen to the others, swift and effective. The other four were down before they could even lift their weapons up. After all, that last fight with the gigantic beast had made him learn more about his abilities and his speed. The doll had helped him understand better his power and the special abilities the blood ministration allowed him to acquire too. He reached the square and he disposed of the first sniper that ambushed him earlier. He then took his time to observe the crowd in front of him and tried to devise a plan of attack. The 14 men had their backs to him or didn''t notice his presence at all, including two snipers. They were all watching that crucifix again. He heard a bell in the distance and all the men suddenly turned towards him. Surgit quickly looked for cover from the snipers and found himself running up the stairs leading to the railings surrounding the square. He was soon surrounded by 12 men-beasts with no room to dodge their attacks effectively. The first one to strike at him was the one holding a pitchfork. Surgit dodged the attack swiftly and held the farming tool in his hand to immobilize the man. He wanted to use him as cover and disorient the others by swinging him around in order to create an opening and escape that deadly situation. The men-beasts though didn''t give him much time to execute his plan. Two hacked at him with their swords, while three others stabbed at him with their makeshift spears. He soon found himself full of holes, blood pouring from every hole his enemies managed to create in his body. The last thing he heard was "You''re not wanted here" as he drifted away. He opened his eyes again, back to the same square next to Gilbert''s house. ''It was foolish to show myself in front of those bastards. I should have hid and bid my time'' he thought to himself as he felt shame and anger building up inside. He decided to approach the enemies in the square differently and use the element of surprise. He saw the patrolling mob again as he descended the stairs towards the street. Enemies definitely come back to life every time he dies. ''That is troublesome'', he thought to himself ''I wouldn''t want to fight all these while thinking of a bigger battle ahead, like the one I had with the giant beast. Come to think of it, I really was lucky to ¨C'' Thud! He opened his eyes again in the small square next to the dream''s lantern and Gilbert''s house. ''What just happened? Did I die again? How?'' he was definitely puzzled.He took the bridge leading to the stairs, then to the street. He decided though to stop and scope the area from the top in order to make sure he''s seen all the enemies lurking about the street. He saw an axe wielding man that lagged behind the group of six which patrolled the street below. It was probably the one who had killed him before. He must have come from the area next to Iosefka''s clinic as Surgit remembered opening a doorway leading there from the street. He decided then to deal with that man before swiftly disposing of the other six. He went down and followed the man in silent steps. He cut his head off and prepared himself to head for the others when he heard a noise on his right. From a small street that he hadn''t noticed before came a giant troll, holding an executioner''s great axe. One swing towards Surgit''s head, he sidestepped to the right and tried to counterattack just to see the axe targeting his torso. The agility with which this troll used the axe was frightening. Surgit jumped high to avoid the horizontal swing aimed at his chest. ''Oh shit!'' the giant made a circular motion with his axe and smashed it vertically at Surgit. The axe was buried deep within his chest. He felt how his skull cracked and blood oozing out of his nose. He lay there, waiting to drift away from the conscious world. BAM another slam to his body split him in half and sent him back to the square. ''Motherfucker!!'' 38 The dormant monster in the inside… Surgit was getting angry. He had the speed and the deadly weapons, but it seemed that either he''d get ambushed or a skilled fighter would come and finish him. "Why didn''t this happen against that huge ass beast? I have to die to these scumbags here? Really?! Get a grip man!" He was talking to himself while walking towards the axe-wielding man. Before the latter turned to face him, Surgit flung his cleaver towards the man. The weapon hit the fool right in the middle of his foreheadˇ­ or rather replacing his skull completely. He went to the lying corpse and wrenched out his bloody weapon, smearing blood and brain matter all over his face. "Great! Now I''m talking to myself." Surgit took the stairs and this time he faced the mob of six. His tactic was clear in his head. The man-beasts were deadly in group but stupid individuals. All he needed to do was attract their attention then use his speed and strength to his advantage. "Hey stupid assholes come here!" He shouted at them. The six men-beasts came running at him and attacked from all angles. Surgit jumped high and landed behind them. He quickly slit the throats of three of them in one swoop with his elongated saw. He then disposed of the others before they could turn around and see him. His agility and speed surprised even him. The cobble stones were painted red. Blood flowed through the cracks between the stones. Surgit found himself contemplating the scene without even knowing why this fascinated him. The sight of blood captivated him. He wanted to see more of it. He heard the murmurs in his head again, amplifying, ''Bless us with blood! Bless us with blood! Bless us with blood!'' He suddenly felt the urge to hunt, to kill and feel the beasts'' blood showering his body. Slowly, he started feeling the wind blowing on his face. He heard the distant heavy breathing of the giant troll. He saw the buildings surrounding him and realized where he was standing. Contemplating the blood which flowed from his recent victims had sent him into a trance. He slapped himself awake and got ready to make his next move. He pondered for a moment as to whether he should go fight the troll or not. He decided against it. He had more pressing matters at hand, he needed to reach the aqueducts and he was still trapped in central Yharnam. After disposing of the lone axe wielding man and the patrol unit, Surgit rushed towards the central square. He remembered the sniper and dealt with him first. He then took the stairs towards the railings and hid in a dark corner. He''d actually never taken his time to observe the plaza carefully. He had been there twice already. He managed to rush through the area, which almost got him killed. Then he rushed through the area again and actually got himself killed. The crucifix on which hung the giant werewolf attracted all eyes to it. It was somehow intriguing for Surgit to observe the burning beast without being able to avert his gaze. The smell of burning flesh and the blood which somehow still managed to trickle down the beasts body were hypnotizing to watch. With great effort he looked away and scanned the area. All monsters were looking at the crucifix, as mesmerized by the sight as he was. He looked around him in order to carefully plan his next move. He knew he didn''t have much time before the others looked away and started moving around the square. During the two times he had fought them, a bell would be heard in the distance then they would turn away from the horrific sight which captivated them. He counted the enemies again. They were twelve standing around the crucifix. He waited for the bell and as soon as he heard it, the mob scattered around the plaza. Three men went up towards the balustrade behind which Surgit hid. He waited for them in the dark corner and silently disposed of them. He became one with the shadows and decided not to approach hordes of enemies from now on without prior planning. He cleared the plaza in no time. Rushing the enemies with no plans and hoping for his skills to do the work for him was foolish. Luck had been on his side from the start. Now that it deserted him, he realized that he shouldn''t underestimate his enemies. He understood now that he could still die and lose all his progress in any area if he wasn''t careful enough. And he had no desire of fighting all the enemies on his way again if he ever lost to any monster. So he pressed on and got ready to fight the troll that Paul and Damien had dealt with earlier. ''I wonder what happened to Paul, the coward!'' Surgit found it funny how he was the one making fun of the mercenary now. Not too long ago, he was the weakling everyone scoffed at. The situation had dramatically changed since he received blood ministration. He found himself secretly wishing to meet Paul and pay him back for the bullying he''d suffered on the way to Yharnam. He reached the fountain plaza and he could still hear the troll shouting in the distance and pounding at the door which blocked access from the central square to the plaza. As soon as he made his presence known by the sound of his footsteps; the troll rushed towards Surgit and swung at him with a brick on its hand. Before the brick landed on his head, Surgit took his pistol and shot the troll in the chest. The latter fell on its knees, staggered from the pistol''s shot. ''Bless us with blood! Bless us with blood!'' The murmurs resumed on the inside of his head. Surgit felt the twitch again in his right arm and he watched as his hand transformed into sharp claws. His talons then penetrated the troll''s flesh and ripped his inner organs apart. As he removed his hand from the troll''s inside, Surgit looked at it and saw it transform back to normal.The hole he left on the poor creature''s torso was big enough to see intestines and flesh mingled together in a grotesque manner. Surgit wiped his face with his left arm to clean it from the blood and other matter that smeared it. He then went to the troll and mopped his bloody hands on its clothes. He retrieved his weapon which lay on the ground then got ready to move back towards the warehouse where he''d died before. ''What am I?'' He was amazed at the power of this attack, although scared and terrified of what lurks inside of him, the thing that transforms his arm so. 39 A peaceful walk… interrupted! Back at the fountain plaza, Surgit heard something he hadn''t before: the sound of music, faint and distant. ''Who would play music here? It must be someone sane and capable of speech'' He decided to investigate the source of the sound. On the eastern side of the plaza stood a closed iron gate behind which the music emanated. Surgit walked towards the gate. He had first to climb some stairs in order to come at the same level as the big iron door. Next to the gate were other stairs leading to the Great Bridge. He''d come through here before with the two mercenaries. In their hurry to reach the Great Bridge, he hadn''t noticed the gate or the faint sound which emanated from the other side. He was now careful and pricked his ears to anticipate any movement. He knew that attackers could ambush him at any time. He learned that the hard way. The gate was closed shut and he could see a lever which would unlock it from the other side. "Of course it has to be from the other side," he mumbled. "Have things ever been easy for me since I arrived here?" He then remembered how he brought that giant beast down from their first encounter and swallowed his tongue. The music he heard was soothing to the ears. He wanted to get closer to its source. Hearing music amidst all this chaos and blood was a nice change of scenery for him. Since he arrived to Yharnam, all he had to deal with were deformed creatures and otherworldly monsters. If there was a sane person in this city who could provide him with a safe haven, if only for a few minutes, he''d welcome it with open arms. The faint sound was suddenly replaced by loud growling. His body tensed and he looked around. The dogs in the kennels were trapped on the other side of the plaza. There was no way their snarling could reach him all the way to where he stood. He knew he wasn''t alone. Beyond the stairs which led to the Great Bridge was a small square. He then remembered the dogs and guards he and his previous allies had to deal with before. He didn''t remember how many enemies there were though. Since he had the other two watching him, he was too absorbed in showing off his new powers. He hid behind a wall next to the stairs and took a minute look at the area. The square had a well in the middle, possibly providing water for the two houses which occupied the zone. The eastern girder of the bridge was as wide as a border wall. It was at least 20 feet tall and towered above the houses. The architecture of the city still fascinated Surgit. He had to give credit to the craftsmanship with which it was built. Sturdy brick walls allowed for strong structures to be erected while providing extra protection from natural hazards. For Yharnam, the brick walls provided extra protection against the beasts that roamed about. From behind the house that connected to the Great Bridge, Surgit saw a dim light. It was approaching the square slowly but steadily. ''It must be one of those guys carrying a torch,'' he thought. After a few seconds of stalking, three man-beasts came into his visual field. One of them was carrying a rifle. ''Sniper!'' he whispered. He hated those the most. The one carrying the torch had an axe on his other arm and a dog followed him closely. He hated those dogs. He is a dog lover but the ones he encountered in Yharnam filled him with revulsion. He would pity them if it weren''t for their sharp fangs and their tendency to attack him the moment they caught his scent. And catch they didˇ­ The moment the hound next to the torch carrying man-beast started barking, another two appeared from behind the house in the corner. The three deformed men stood alert, expecting something to come at them at any time. But Surgit didn''t make his presence known. Instead he quietly moved back down towards the fountain plaza. He knew where the stairs led him and he had no business going back there again. He had to go down instead of up. He quietly moved between the trees next to the railings, leaving the dogs to bark at the wind. He suddenly heard a harsh caw and jumped back just in time to avoid a piercing attack. Three crows faced him. They were bigger than a normal crow. They were as large as a hound and they appeared to crawl instead of walk towards him. "What kind of grotesque monster are you?" He elongated his cleaver and brought it down on the one to his left. Blood gushed out of its shattered head and the two others jumped at him. They made a very strange noise while trying toˇ­. bite him? They were actually trying to bite him! He couldn''t believe how strange the creatures in Yharnam were! It was as if everyone had gone through some kind of transmutation. With one swing from his cleaver, he managed to cut their bloated bellies open and spill their guts on the floor. "First I had to deal with a werewolf. Then I see deformed men who, instead of kicking me out of their city, want to kill me just to show how much I''m not welcome here." He was walking towards the house of the laughing ladies while talking to himself. "Then there are those dogs, deformed, decaying but still alive and biting! But worst of all are these crows!" he was speaking loudly in the empty street. He no longer heard the dogs which barked at him earlier nor did he hear the women laughing and that should have alarmed him. "I heard tales of crows imitating other birds'' walks until they forgot their initial walkˇ­ but to see them crawling?! Well that''s a first!" he exclaimed. "And their belliesˇ­ Oh my! Their bellies! What have they eaten to have such bloated stom-" He dodged to the right in the nick of time. A dog almost bit his left shoulder off. He quickly beheaded the poor creature which dared interrupt his monologue and looked behind him. Two more were running at him. He shot one and sent it flying back. He then smacked the other with his weapon as it jumped at him, showing its sharp fangs. "What are you trying to do?" he asked the dog which now squirmed on the ground. He planted his cleaver deep within its stomach and blood filled his eyes as it spurted out quickly. He wiped his bloodied face and looked at the dead creature with contempt. "Ruining my crazy monologue, that''s what!" 40 A new encounter behind a secret door "Now I am walking alone in a foreign land, talking to myself and fighting beasts. Who would have thought?" Surgit already reached the warehouse where a monster had ended his lucky streak. He took care of the dogs in and outside the kennels swiftly. He''d noticed a street which took the left from the kennels but he didn''t bother exploring it. He really wanted to track the source of the music he''d heard earlier. Once he got inside the warehouse, he thought of clambering over the stacked boxes and reaching the hidden entrance. The concealed door, he remembered, led to the upper part of the building. A rasping sound brought him back to reality. He knew what it was and he was ready for it. A tall monstrous creature was walking up the stairs while evidently struggling to breathe. Its face was covered in fur and had fangs protruding from its mouth. Its hair was curly and messy and that gave it a daunting appearance. Its eyes had a red glow to them and its arms were abnormally long. It reminded him of the man-beasts he encountered many times in the streets of Yharnam. Some of them had normal human-length arms, while others had one arm that extended far longer than normal. The beast had both arms at that freakish length. The coats he saw snipers wearing served it as a half-sleeved jacket. Its chest was as hairy as a furry animal. Its legs had grown as well which transformed what was, possibly, a man once into a tall frightening beast. Perhaps the only thing that didn''t grow in size was its internal organs. Such a huge body needed big lungs in order to breathe and move about. If its lungs hadn''t grown, it would explain why it had difficulty drawing breath. Then there was its back, arched with bones protruding out of it. They looked as sharp as the crosscut saw it was holding. The saw which normally took two grown men to handle was held by that monster in one hand. A normal saw which should have grown dull by now as it was used by a brute to cut down its enemies; a saw full of dried blood and other foreign matter. Just a small wound from that saw could cause infection and eventual death; a saw that was rapidly approaching Surgit''s face. ''Shoot you idiot!'' the voices inside Surgit''s head whispered again. Without thinking twice, he quickly drew his weapon and shot the monster straight into its chest. The monster staggered and Surgit destroyed its small organs with his beastly arm. ''Oh! Sweet, sweet blood!'' He didn''t know where these voices were coming from or what they wanted from him. All he knew was that they wanted blood. Killing monsters and shedding their blood shut them up and satisfied him. Perhaps that was why he was talking aloud in the street by himself. He needed to hear a voice other than the ones in his head. He needed to get rid of those murmurs even if it meant going into endless monologues. "Well, maybe I am getting crazy." He was looking at the dead beast now. Its torch was on the ground and its internal organs were mingled inside its body. His beastly arm had created a hole big enough to fit his head. The powers he had gained after the blood ministration intrigued him. He wanted to know more about them. He had no mentor and the only person who knew about hunting was Gherman, the old man in the hunter''s dream. "That old geezer is only good at snoringˇ­" he sighed as he thought of how many times his questions were answered by snoring deeply. "I don''t even know how he can fall asleep so quickly," he mumbled under his breath as he climbed over the stacked boxes. "Maybe if I drag his ass out here and show him what beasts really looked likeˇ­" he threw some crates aside as if they were made of cardboard and cleared the entryway, "he would provide me with some answers!" he threw the last crate as he finished the last word. He crossed the door and found himself on the upper level of the warehouse. He could see two beasts beneath him. He felt his blood boiling at the sight of the beast that had "killed" him earlier. He had to exact his revenge and make that stupid brute pay. He was standing on a catwalk. Merchandize was stacked against walls and some boxes were scattered all around the area. In fact this floor was like a mezzanine for the warehouse where people used to stack unwanted goods. Only few boards survived the passing of time since it was built and all that remained of the floor were catwalks. He scanned the warehouse carefully from above. He didn''t want to fall into the same mistake again. Carelessness had only led him to waste his time. This time, he wanted to avoid stupid mistakes. The beast carrying the torch was patrolling the right side of the warehouse while the grimier one was just standing idly by. It was holding a makeshift spear in both hands. He dreaded being impaled by that weapon. The crosscut saw had cut him into pieces. He was grateful that the pain from his broken back had made him forget how it felt to be cut open. Behind one of the pillars on the far left corner, Surgit saw the extremities of a gun barrel. ''Sniper! Again!'' He thought angrily. If he went below without noticing that gunman, he would have had more trouble getting rid of that spear wielding beast. He inspected the mezzanine again to find a good spot from which he could deliver a surprise attack. He saw another door which led somewhere outside the mezzanine. "This place has so many hidden spots!" he exclaimed. The rasping below stopped and he could hear the beast below him move. He had to make himself scarce and quick. He didn''t want his enemies finding out about him so darted through the door and found himself outside. On a balcony that looked over the canals of the city, stood a person clad in black clothes. The person was as dark as those crows he had encountered earlier. He or she even wore a cape which was made out of crow feathers. Surgit couldn''t make out their sex since the person was wearing a plague doctor mask. The mask slowly turned towards Surgit and from underneath it, a woman''s voice was heard: "Oh, a hunter, are ya?" 41 Eileen the crow The lady looked like a spooky scarecrow. She wore a long dark purple leather coat on top of which she wore a cape made of black feathers. She had black trousers on and black boots. On her head she wore a small pointy hat which looked like it had been stomped upon by a giant troll. What made her look even more forbidding was the plague doctor mask. Her arms were covered in bloodied bandage. She held a hunter''s pistol on one hand and a shiny blade on the other. The blade was the only clean thing she had on her. "Oh; a hoonter, are ya?" the woman asked the moment Surgit got closer. "Well, yes I am", answered Surgit, puzzled and glad to meet a sane person. "A hoonter and an outsider? What a mess you''ve been caught up in. And tonight of all nights," she said with a tone of sarcasm in her voice. Surgit didn''t know how to answer that comment. He knew that it was the night of the hunt. He had calculated the date earlier and made sure that they wouldn''t land in Yharnam during the hunt. But here he was, hunting beasts and hearing voices inside his head. The woman saw that he looked puzzled and fumbled in her pocket. "Here," she started "to welcome the new hunter." She handed him some parchments on which a man dangling upside down was drawn. He looked at her puzzled "What are these exactly?" he asked. "An ignorant hoonter!" she exclaimed with that same sarcastic tone. Surgit started to get irritated by that tone and that accent. He wanted to cut her in half but the voices in his head seemed distressed. The twitching he usually gets when facing enemies stopped. It was as if those voices worked as a talking sixth sense. "They''re bold hoonter''s marks. They come in real handy when ya need to leg it," the woman explained. "Just stick it on yer forehead and up ya go, you''ll wake up next to a lantern." "Thanks I guess," he said while stuffing the parchments in his pockets. ''I will need a new garb if I want to hold on to these items,'' he thought. ''I seem to get into the habit of losing things lately.'' He was absorbed in his thoughts. The woman''s mask was still pointing towards Surgit. After a moment of awkward silence, she spurted out: "Prepare yourself for the worst. There are no humans left. They''re all flesh hungry beasts now." Surgit looked at her puzzled. "You mean to tell me that those talking creatures down there were actually human?" He asked, he was relieved to have his suspicions confirmed. "Well yes but that was long ago. The only humans left are huddled inside their homes. The good that will do them! Heh.. hehˇ­" Even her laughter annoyed Surgit. Perhaps it was her unnerving mask that kept him on his toes. "Now off ya go," she continued. "A hoonter must hoont." Surgit was relieved to see someone up and about, but meeting a woman dressed in black looking so unsettling wasn''t comforting. She looked terrifying. From her weapons and the pistol she carried he concluded that she was a hunter. But he didn''t want to ask her anymore questions about hunting and the order of the hunters. He had a feeling she''d make fun of him again. "Ignorant hoonter" he said, mimicking her accent and making faces. "I''ll show her who''s the hunter." He was back at the mezzanine. He stood right on top of the spear wielding beast. In a heartbeat, he had jumped down and plunged his cleaver so deep through the monster''s skull that he heard its spine shatter. He knew the sniper had heard him tear through the creature''s flesh and he was ready to anticipate what was about to happen next. He wrenched his cleaver from his enemy''s body, or rather; he tried to wrench it from its body. The weapon was embedded into the poor creature''s bones. As he struggled to remove his weapon the sniper had already taken aim. With all his superhuman strength, Surgit moved the weapon and the body it was stuck to. The beast''s corpse acted as a bullet sponge while he approached his enemy. The gunman kept shooting at him stupidly even though it didn''t work. As Surgit got closer to the body, he left his weapon where it was and jumped behind the sniper. One punch and Surgit felt his opponent''s ribs cracking. Another punch to the face and he dislocated its jaw. He then took the sniper''s rifle and aimed it between its eyes. Two shots were enough to bring the fight to an end. The shots attracted the beast on the other side of the warehouse. Surgit saw the light from the torch approaching him. He tried to get his weapon out but it was still stuck deep within the corpse''s spine. He ran to where he had landed on top of the monster and took its spear. He turned just in time to see the beast, ten paces from him, making that raspy noise and running towards him. He threw the spear with all the strength he could muster towards his assailant. The weapon penetrated his chest and threw him a few paces back. Surgit ran towards the beast and shot its right shoulder with his pistol twice. The crosscut saw fell down just in time for Surgit to arrive, pick it up and burry deep in the beast''s skull. With both hands, he wrenched it out and slammed it on the dead body multiple times. When he came to, his whole body was painted red. He was covered in blood and flesh. He''d never felt more alive. He went back to retrieve his weapon. With the sniper''s rifle, he shot the beast''s spine multiple times until he broke it. He took his cleaver and smashed the piece of bone which was stuck to it on a wall. "That''s what you get for keeping my weapon." After he calmed down, he came back to see the woman again. He''d forgotten to ask her name. He found her in a peculiar position. She was squatting on the railing and observing the area beneath her. She turned to look at him and Surgit felt his hair stand on end. He was sure that she would be a very tough opponent to fight. "Still lingering about?" she asked "A hunter, unnerved by a few beasts?" she started to chuckle under that terrifying mask of hers. He was about to say something when she followed up: "No matter, a hoonter must hoont." She jumped down towards the canals, disappearing in the darkness of the lower part of the city. 42 Addicted to blood Blood vials were the only thing occupying Paul''s mind. So far he had collected four of them which he filled with blood from fallen foes. He had tasted what Yharnam had to offer and his body thanked him for it. In fact he felt more powerful than ever. After he heard a bell ringing in the distance, he noticed that all the monsters he had slain before came back to life. He was thrilled by the idea of having a constant challenge at his disposition. Such a strong body needed a continuous flow of enemies to slay to remain in good shape. He had already made his way down the city canals. The darkness in these lower parts of the city provided him with a great advantage. After two dozen injections, he noticed that he could see clearly in the dark. The little creatures in the streets and in the canals were no match for him. He was walking by the water channels, making as little sound as possible, when he heard a sound in the distance. "Why are we leaving the safety of our house again? This is insane!" said a woman''s voice. It sounded as if she was pleading to whoever was beside her. Paul hid in a corner and decided to stalk the couple. - "I assure you Eleanor. If we reach the Cathedral Ward, we will be safe from these monstrosities. How long do you think we have until those scents wear off? The beasts will swarm us then!" another female voice said. - "But do you know which way we must take to reach that damned Cathedral? Cordelia, I beg of you, let us return to our home." Eleanor was clearly uneasy at the idea of walking around in a city full of monsters. - "Oh shush! Once we reach the ward, you''ll thank me for dragging you out here. There are hunters in there who will keep us safe. Not some lantern with a strange smell that''s "supposed" to ward off evil!" Cordelia was getting agitated. - "Alright, then which way should we go? You seem to know your way around these parts so by all means; I''ll follow your lead while you get us to safety!" Eleanor''s tone veered slightly towards sarcasm. - "I''ve been through these canals so many times. Don''t you remember that my late husband was one of the engineers looking after these dirty parts of the city?" Cordelia had a haughty air about her while talking about her husband''s occupation. - "And if your husband didn''t drag mine out in his attempt to save the city, we would both still have men to protect us." Eleanor was upset and started shouting. - "And if it weren''t for the church shutting the door from the Great Bridge we would all be safe in the upper part of town" retorted Cordelia. "Now lower your voice and follow me, we don''t want to attract any unwanted attention." There was obviously some bad history between these two women. Paul followed them as they tried to navigate the canals and the sewers. It was like getting inside a maze. It was easy to reach a dead end or go full circle. However, finding your way out of them without prior knowledge of the general layout of the maze was almost impossible. Paul had faced that predicament but he was enjoying killing all the creatures he met that he forgot about getting out. Once he heard the women talking about getting to the Cathedral Ward, he remembered his first objective. If injecting himself with beast''s blood had given him this much strength, what would it feel like if he ever received blood ministration? After all, he considered himself worthy of becoming a hunter. A splashing sound was heard beyond the two women and Eleanor gasped in fear. Cordelia produced a kitchen knife from her blouse and stood with Eleanor huddled to her back. They were both terrified from what would come at them. The splashing sound got louder and louder and Paul saw it before the two widows could. A werewolf was slowly approaching them, probably stalking them before jumping and devouring them. He saw this as an opportunity to test his skills. The only time he had encountered a werewolf was with that mysterious man. They used fire to kill them but this time, Paul had no intention of using Molotov Cocktails nor did he have them. He ran towards the werewolf and the widows started screaming in unison. He jumped over them and brought his axe down on the wolf. The beast dodged the attack and started running towards the ladies. "Picking on the weak are we?" shouted Paul as he ran after the beast. He took some throwing knives from his pocket and threw them at the monster''s posterior. The werewolf let out a howl and slashed Eleanor''s shoulder as it wriggled in pain. Paul jumped on its back and swung at its back. Blood came rushing as the beast howled and fell to the ground. Its spine was broken and Paul made his way towards its head. He took his axe in both hands and with one strong motion, brought it down at its neck. The lycanthrope''s head rolled down and blood flowed and mixed with the water that flew down the canals. The women looked at Paul in amazement and relief. "Are you a hunter?" Cordelia asked. She turned towards Eleanor and exclaimed "I told you we''ll be alright!" Eleanor however, was looking at Paul with fear in her eyes. The man that had just saved them was smeared in blood. Eleanor couldn''t avert her gaze from Paul. He looked frightening and somewhat crazed. He was in fact getting an unusual urge fill his body with that woman''s blood. The werewolf had wounded her after Paul threw his knives at his posterior. Now after seeing her blood, he couldn''t stop but feel the urge to cut her throat open and indulge in her blood to his heart''s content. When Paul came to, both women were dead. His mouth was filled with a coppery taste. 43 What real horror sounds like The image Francis and Surgit had painted to Karla regarding Yharnam was much more enchanting than the real thing. She thought of the job as an easy escort one. She didn''t even think they would reach Yharnam as it was only considered a legend. She wasn''t the kind to believe in legends and fairy tales. She was sure that they would wander around the sea for days until they decide that the city didn''t exist after all. When the Cathedral clock tower loomed large above the fog, Karla felt her hair stand on end. It looked like a bad premonitionˇ­ Then came the cannon fire and all the deaths. She considered herself lucky. One can only have so much luck before it all runs out. She could have been anyone of the other bodyguards that died to the assault or the ones that were cut down by those two mercenaries. She wished to meet one of those two. Her eyes chanced upon Paul running away from the towering beast when they arrived to help Surgit. She didn''t pay him much attention at the time. But remembering how they took advantage of the commotion to shamelessly kill so many strong and valuable menˇ­ That was inexcusable. They were lost in the city water canals. The place was a labyrinth. Francis had suddenly gone silent. He appeared to be deep in thought. Perhaps he regretted following the myth to find himself in a dangerous place. Karla knew that if she''d abandoned him, he would''ve sulked somewhere and awaited death. He was resourceful though, he could use his intellect to get them out of dire situations. After they''d come down and away from the monster that could''ve ended them both, they found themselves in the city sewers. He had concluded that it was still the city canals, but the water had gone so bad that it looked and smelled awful. With his help, they managed to navigate through the maze while avoiding the traps that were supposed to catch the beasts that roamed down there. They moved about, making little to no noise at all. They couldn''t afford attracting any attention to them. The water had long gone still and mud had made it much more difficult to move. They looked for higher platforms to walk around and only used the canals when they had no other choice. They were walking in a dark area, the setting sun rays barely reached them. The tall buildings of Yharnam blocked the sun from ever reaching these lower parts. "I pity the people who had to live in these parts," started Karla in an attempt to break the silence. Even though she didn''t like Francis'' monologues, she felt uneasy when he''d gone quiet. Francis looked at her startled "Come again?" he asked. He was definitely absorbed in some reverie. After she repeated her sentence, he scrubbed his chin lightly and said: "Well I pity all the people who have to live through the horrors of this huntˇ­" he paused for a moment, showing signs of sadness and depression. "Why did we have to follow such a foolish dream? I never thought that we''d end up in a situation such as this oneˇ­" He was definitely questioning himself and everything he had ever believed in. "Look old man," started Karla, putting on her most serious tone and face. "I know things haven''t been up to your expectations. And I know you feel down about what happened so far," she quickly glanced at the pants he''d spoiled earlier. Her face twitched and she was grateful that the hood she wore concealed her smirk. "But we are on the right path, we''ll soon be at the Cathedral Ward and from there, I''m sure we''ll come across a church doctor or a hunter." She didn''t believe in the words she spoke but she had to do something about his mood. She couldn''t afford having him daydreaming like that. In that darkness, they needed to be alert. The smallest misstep might lead them to their demise. She wasn''t willing to die in some dirty sewers. Francis'' face livened up a little. "I suppose you''re right. We shouldn''t give up yet. Let''s press on." At that moment they heard a chilling scream in the distance. It was definitely in the sewers, but they couldn''t make out its source. From where they stood, there were several branching paths. Francis had advised Karla to stay on the right. The sun''s reflection on the buildings above guided them. They had to keep moving east in order to reach the bridge they had seen from the fountain plaza. The screams chilled Karla to the bone. She looked at Francis and he was frozen with fear. It sounded like women screaming in unison. Karla knew that scream very well. She worked as a bodyguard for many wealthy families in the past. The women would scream at the smallest sign of threat. That sound usually irritated her, but in this town it scared the willies out of her. She knew that two sane women were in danger somewhere in this maze and that danger could come at them after. "We should press on," she said in a cold tone. "We cannot help whoever is screaming over there, but we can avoid whatever came at them." She pulled Francis by the arm and started moving fast. His legs started moving only after he recovered from the shock he''d experienced. "Let''s move!" she shouted at him, "We can''t stay here or we''re next!" She had to act selfishly. Yharnam was a brutal place. If the only action you''re capable of is screaming then walking outside during such a night would be suicide. The screams stopped and a howl reached their ears. Karla knew that it was a werewolf and quickened her pace. Those monsters were bad news. She knew she was no match for their speed and one mistake would get her killed. Dying in the sewers was bad, but being eaten by a werewolf in the sewers was worse. Another howl, then an agonizing cry was heardˇ­ then silence. Karla stopped for a moment. She pondered quickly then pulled Francis and moved faster than before. The old man didn''t even argue. He understood the gravity of the situation and he didn''t even utter a word. They walked for a few steps, in fear and stress. Darkness was their biggest enemy in this case. Lycanthropes had excellent sight, especially in the dark. The women started screaming again. "What the?" muttered Francis. "I thought it was over for them." More moans and cries reached them from the other side of the canals. Karla winced every time she heard one of the women scream. "Oh lord!" gasped Francis. "It''s eating them alive!" 44 Small victories Surgit was back at the ground floor of the warehouse. Meeting that crow lady confirmed that there were at least some people with their wits about them in this godforsaken city. He felt relieved and hoped he could meet with someone less enigmatic and more welcoming. He was drenched in blood and sweat. That last fight had helped him improve a little. He''d learned the basics of sword fighting in the military but he was no expert. His sickness had deprived him of having a career. He knew he had to improve and learn while slaying monsters. There was nobody around to teach him how to do things. It was only by trial and error that he''d get anything done right. He was looking at the canal underneath the warehouse. After the rasping sound emanating from those hulking monsters subsided, he could hear a new intriguing sound. It was definitely coming from below but he couldn''t make out its exact location. The canal below him had two brick platforms on each side. The whole place was built like a small port. Boats would come through the canals to transport merchandize. The hot goods will come up using a pulley and displayed in the market (which was the area where he stood). The heavy products will be stacked in small storerooms underneath the market. It was there that he saw them. Rats bigger than the hounds he had to fight earlier, rats that made him forget the horror of meeting the crawling crows. They were definitely rats. He saw one of them sniffing at the air, with its rodent teeth glistening as the fading sun rays reached them from the windows above. They made an unnerving chattering sound that made Surgit''s skin crawl. He hated rodents, but most of all rats. He didn''t need to go down there though, so he decided to take the door which led from the ground floor to another area in the city. He knew he could reach the canals from that part of town since the boats parked down near the rats had to come from somewhere. He took the door and found himself in a vast area. He saw a bridge in the distance and felt relieved to have found a way to the canals. On the bridge he saw a man-beast walking by. He saw the barrel of the rifle and gritted his teeth. He wished he could eradicate all snipers from existence. He heard the rasping breathing noise. "Oh no!" he said in dismay. The hulk that had difficulty breathing was holding a spear. He still didn''t know how they fought. He executed the previous one with such brutality that he didn''t even give it time to react. Before he could make a move he heard a cocking sound. He ducked as a bullet grazed his head. "Phew, dodged a bullet there!" Two gunmen were taking aim, he had to move quickly. He moved back at the warehouse. He had to get away from the rifles'' range. The hulk had chased him inside the building. Surgit had to finish him before the two gunmen caught up to them. It all happened in a flash. If anybody watched the fight from a distance, they would only be able to see the end result. The beast launched itself towards Surgit with tremendous speed. It attacked in a frenzied way, waving its spear around in random motions. Surgit knew that if he got hit by one of these attacks, he would lose the fight immediately. He shot the beast once but nothing came out of it, twice and it was still dangerously getting closer. There was no way for him to predict where the next attack would come from. His incredible reflexes had suddenly failed to assist him. The movement of the monster was just too fast to read through. The hulk tried to thrust the spear through his right shoulder. ''To the left, you fool!'' the voices inside his head murmured. Surgit miraculously escaped the deadly attack. He jumped to the left just in the nick of time. The spear hit the ground and Surgit used the momentum to his advantage. He slid on the ground and made a 180 degree turn. Then he threw himself at the monster''s head. As soon as the beast turned towards his prey, he saw a shadow rushing towards it. Surgit planted both his feet on the beast''s chest and slammed it to the ground. The impact made the monster loose its weapon. Surgit clenched his cleaver in both hands and drove it through his enemy''s neck.He had to slam his cleaver on his foe''s neck twice more before the head came out. ''Footsteps at the door, they are coming'' the voices whispered. He retrieved the hulk''s spear and threw it at the first gunman to appear. That was enough to send him flying over the railings and down towards the canals. Surgit didn''t have enough time to dodge the second gunman''s bullet though. It planted itself in his stomach. With great difficulty he jumped behind a pillar in the warehouse and injected himself with a blood vial. He was glad he still had some in his pocket. He stood up and dashed towards the damned sniper. ''Bless us with blood! Bless us with blood!'' he heard inside his head as he ran towards his next victim. There were at least twenty paces between him and the gunman. He heard the first click and jumped to the left. The second bullet was loaded and ready to be used when Surgit appeared in front of the poor sniper. With an uppercut, he sent the poor man flying in the air. He waited for him to land on the floor and kicked his gun away. He sat on top of the deformed man''s chest and started pounding at him with all his strength. He wanted to see blood, he wanted to see a man''s skull being ripped apart, he wanted to kill and feel the thrill of ending a life with his own hands. When he came to his senses, the voices in his head had calmed down. He hands were covered in brain matter and blood was dripping from them. He felt a sting at his ribs. He looked at them and saw a hunting knife deeply inserted within. "Damn it, can''t you just die without inconveniencing me like this?" He took the knife out and blood came rushing out from the hole it had created. He had to inject his last vial or he''d have to repeat everything. The monster''s blood had been in the open for too long, he wouldn''t be able to use it to heal. He injected himself with his last vial and felt his strength coming back as the wound closed gradually. ''Next time, fill your vials as you use them,'' a lone voice murmured in his head. ''You fool!'' 45 The little voices in his head After disposing of the enemies outside the warehouse, Surgit took his time exploring the area. He was in an alley surrounded by tall buildings. A bridge connected the alley to another one on the opposite side. The setting sun glistened against the cobbled floor and the big colorful windows that adorned the beautiful structures around Yharnam. The city would have been amazing to explore as a tourist if it weren''t for these accursed fiends that roamed about. The alleys were high enough to be above water level. As he looked down he could see that the canals were far below. ''I could break a knee jumping from this height, even with my new earned strength,'' he thought. He wasn''t sure if it was his own thought or one that is induced by those strange murmurs. ''Well, as long as it doesn''t end with: you fool! I''d take it as my own thought'' There was a ladder leading down towards the canals next to the bridge. On his right, there was a wall that looked like it was hurriedly built. He leaned on the railings and looked beyond the wall. There was definitely a way behind the hastily made barrier. He decided to explore the upper area before heading down. So he crossed to the alley on the opposite side. He wanted to have a good vantage point on the aqueducts. He didn''t want to be ambushed. He didn''t have any blood vials left and he couldn''t afford making any more mistakes. ''Fool!'' he heard the voices whispering. ''Fooooool!'' at this point they were outright taunting him. He decided to ignore their taunts and moved forward. Their mocking increased and he swore he could hear some of the voices giggling. He was walking through the alley looking down at the canals. He had to scan the area for any rats that could be lurking about. He saw the rats below the warehouse and he didn''t want to be surprised by them once he got down through the canals. He heard the cawing too late. One of the fat ugly crows had stabbed him on the leg with its sharp beak. In his head he heard all the voice roar as if they were an audience to a comedy play. That hurt him more than the actual stab. He beheaded the crow and drank its blood immediately. The taste of blood in his mouth was different tough and his would barely healed. ''Fooooool'' he heard them say again. "What''s the matter with you!" he cried out. Laughter roared again and Surgit felt his ears get hot. His leg hurt but the wound wasn''t bad enough to stop him from moving around. He could limp but he wouldn''t be able to dodge effectively. The voices in his head no longer warned him of danger in their usual way. He became confused as to what their use was. Had he really gone crazy? He heard another caw in the distance and noticed another crow crawling towards him. He shot the creature and sent it down towards the canal. "You''re so heavy you can''t even walk. I hope the fall finishes you off," he said as the crow plummeted to its death. He came across another bridge that took back to the alley where he was. He was finally about to discover why that wall was built and what was its purpose. He heard muffled chuckling in his head. It was as if he was walking beside a live audience. Two crows were already crawling towards him when he got closer to the wall. He was ready to face them with his limping leg. One of them jumped towards him, trying to bite him while the second was still crawling slowly. Surgit slowly walked to the left and cut the jumping bird. The crow needed to use its wings in order to jump. It probably thought it was flying but its weight kept it down. After he cut the first one, he immediately turned towards the second and shot it in the head. ''Fool!'' he heard again. He checked his pistol and only one bullet remained. He was running low on ammunition and he had no vials left. "This is great!" he said, exasperated. He needed to be more careful about how he handled his equipment and munitions. He limped towards the wall carefully. Against the railings were stacked several boxes and he had a fleeting suspicion that something might be behind them. All the voices in his head grew silent, that''s when his suspicion was confirmed. A black beak peaked at him from behind the boxes and Surgit brought his cleaver down at the boxes. He broke the boxes and the crow''s bones at the same time. The voices in his head remained completely silent and Surgit enjoyed that. When he looked at the wall he struggled to reach, Surgit''s eyes lit up. A corpse laid down opposite the barrier and it held a blood vial; a full vial which he could use. He snatched it from the dead body and immediately injected himself with it. He felt his wound closing and he jumped several times from excitement. He was sick of limping and the thought of meeting a fast beast horrified him. He searched the corpse''s dead body and found several vials, some were empty but there were four of them which were filled with sweet healing blood. He took the vials and stored them in his pockets. He really needed some new garb which would help him carry more bullets and vials. His clothes were not practical. He thought of the crow lady and wished he had a terrifying garb such as hers. There was no other way to go but down from there. He went back to the second bridge and scanned the area below him. The canal below the bridge led to another one below it. There was a wooden platform big enough to close the gap between the bridge and the canal underneath it. Perhaps it was used to close the area which led to the market in cases of floods. The other water channel was wider and deeper. It seemed to lead towards the eastern side of the city. That was where he was headed. He went back towards the ladder to climb down. Before doing so, he searched the headless gunman and retrieved three quicksilver bullets from his pocket. He found the impaled one below and retrieved three more. "Who''s the fool now huh?!" he shouted at the whispering voices. He moved quickly through the canals. He knew that there were no enemies below. Once he arrived beneath the second bridge and stood on the wooden platforms, he saw a tall ladder to his right. He got dizzy just from following the ladder all the way up. ''Ladder, music. Ladder, music. Ladder, music'' repeated the voices inside his head. The things inside his head clearly wanted him to climb the ladder. He decided to climb up against his better judgment. He didn''t trust those voices but curiosity had taken the better of him. He reached the top and heard a troll moaning in the distance. ''Well as long as I keep my distance and shoot on time, I''ll be able to come out on top,'' he thought as he looked around. He was in an alley similar to the ones he had been in earlier. One small street led to a bridge which led to a bigger area. The city was very well connected. It was built and structured vertically. The upper parts had sophisticated buildings while the lower he got, the more he noticed that the houses looked dingy and old. The hierarchy and social status in the city was perhaps dictated by how high a person lived from the ground. Surgit crossed the bridge to reach the small square in which moaned the troll. He heard crows cawing behind him but he decided to ignore them. They hadn''t seen him and if he ever started fighting them, the troll would join the fight and make it harder for him. ''His back is exposed, cut it open!'' whispered an enthusiastic lone voice. ''Or just make a noise and let him crush you with that big statue he''s holding,'' murmured another. ''Oh won''t you just show us the blood?!'' shouted others in unison. Surgit held his head in both hands and shouted. The voices were going to make him lose his mind. ''Uh oh!'' said all the voices as the troll turned to face Surgit. ''Look at what you just did! You fool! heh... heh... heh...'' 46 A complicated turn of events The trolls in Yharnam were dangerously strong. Surgit had trouble concentrating with all the voices mocking him. He tried to parry the troll but mistimed it. The statue hit him on the chest and the impact sent him flying. His back slammed against a wall and stars sparkled in his vision field. ''Stand up you fool!'' said a lone voice in his head. He struggled to find his footing and the troll rushed him again. He rolled forward just in time to avoid the statue. It almost slammed him to the ground and finished him. The troll faced Surgit again and jumped at him. The attack was frightening to behold; a frightening giant troll, holding a statue on one hand and jumping towards his foe in order to mash his brains and organs together. ''Shoot you fool!'' said the voice again, and shoot he did. The troll fell to its knees before it could deliver the blow. Surgit quickly used his sharp claws to destroy his enemy''s insides then injected a blood vial. "I''m wasting too many healing items and THAT''S BECAUSE OF THESE ECHOING VOICES IN MY HEAD!" He had had enough of those voices. He needed to get rid of them but he didn''t know how to do so. The murmurs had gone silent though and Surgit heard the music. It was the same tune he''d heard when he was at the fountain plaza. He pricked his ears to pinpoint its location. It was coming from someplace above him. The square where he fought the troll had a ladder which took up. "This is convenient," he said as he started climbing upwards. The music reached his ears clearer the more he climbed. He finally reached the top and saw the gate that led towards the fountain plaza.It amazed him how the city was well organized. It felt like navigating a maze: a beautifully built one. He went full circle and somehow ended up back at the fountain plaza and he didn''t even know how he got there. He saw the lever he had to pull in order to open the gate but he needed to investigate the music first. He saw a red lantern hanging from a window and heard the music getting louder from that direction. He approached the window and heard a little girl''s voice. - "That smell, are you a hunter?" - "Little girl, are you alone in there?" Surgit was still surprised at how people recognized him by smell. What smell do hunters have? - "Yes mister hunter, my mum went out looking for my dad. She hasn''t been back since then. I''m worried mister hunter. Would you please look for my mum?" - "I will do so." Said Surgit, his sense of duty towards helpless children pushed him to grant her the wish. "Do you know which direction she took?" he asked as the voices inside his head were split between approval and mockery. - "My dad is a hunter too. He''s been out for a long time. My mum went out looking for him. I don''t know where she went, but she must be here, in central Yharnam" said the little girl with her innocent voice. - "Alright, I''ll find your mum for you little girl." - "Take this" the little girl opened the window and handed him a music box. "My mum plays it for dad when he forgets us. It''s so silly of her to go out without it. Please mister hunter, find my mum." Surgit left the little girl and wondered at the mother who would leave her little daughter alone at home on a night like this. He hadn''t met any sane Yharnamite in the streets since he arrived. The only person he met was the crow lady. Her apparel didn''t suggest that she was from the city. People in Yharnam gave too much importance to their looks. Even the mutating men he met in the street wore elegant coats and sometime top hats.He was afraid that the mum had lost her mind and killed herself somewhere in the city. He opened the gate then took the ladder back down towards the canals. He kicked the dead troll''s body as he passed next to it. He almost died to it and felt angry since he missed his first parry. He needed to get better at it. He crossed the bridge and came face to face with three crows. They were slowly crawling towards him. They still disgusted him but at least he knew how to deal with them. As soon as they tried to attack him, all he had to do was walk around them and behead them. After he dealt with the three deformed birds, he took the other ladder down towards the canals. Surgit took the ladder down to the aqueduct. He reached a wooden platform on top of which he stood, witnessing one of the ugliest scenes he''d ever seen since he arrived to Yharnam. A pile of corpses were thrown down at the bottom level of the water canals. The water was shallow now but Surgit could swear that these corpses have been there for a long time, drowning there until the water level decreased. He jumped down and went to inspect the dead bodies closer. He jumped back as he saw all the bodies, a dozen in fact, crawling towards him. ''Heavens! Don''t even trust a dead body here'' he thought to himself, his heart was racing. He looked behind him and saw that the canals were leading towards a tunnel. He decided to leave the crawling bodies alone and head towards the tunnel. They were slow and wouldn''t catch up to him anyway. As he reached the entrance to the tunnel, Surgit heard a strange noise from the other end. He had goose bumps and every voice in his head told him not to go through it. He saw a ladder, attached to the wall in which the tunnel was carved. "Call me a coward but I''m not going in there" he decided to take the ladder up. "Great, now I''m speaking to voices inside my head like a lunatic" he spurted out as he climbed the long ladder up. As soon as he reached the top, Surgit found himself standing on the bridge he had spotted earlier from the fountain plaza. He was on the right path. He approached the bridge and saw a bloody scene in front of him. Half a dozen bodies were on the ground, with burn marks on them. Was Karla here before? Or was it someone else? He clenched his saw cleaver and advanced. At the end of the bridge there were stairs leading towards what seemed to be an old graveyard. At the top, Surgit saw a dead troll and two other bodies. One of them was still breathing and badly injured. Surgit ran towards it. Karla was resting against a wall, on the verge of death. 47 Healing blood VS Crazing blood The beasts in this city are hideous and the danger that looms around every corner made Francis shake with fear. He was lucky to have Karla with him. She was the best warrior he had ever seen and he was honored to have her at his side. He still wondered why she didn''t abandon him, maybe out of sense of duty or because he was useful to her. In any case, he used her for protection and hoped to reach the Cathedral ward soon. He was afraid that he wouldn''t find any live member of the church to administer blood to them though. This fear grew inside of him every time they encountered blood thirsty beasts. What he witnessed at the aqueducts horrified him to death. Starting from those tall monsters to the crawling corpses, there wasn''t a single safe place left in central Yharnam. The pressed on and reached the bridge that he had seen earlier. The voice from the tunnel beneath them still made him shiver at the thought of what laid there. Half a dozen corpses welcomed them at the bridge. "Stay on your guard Francis. I don''t like the look of this" Said Karla. She unsheathed her sword and walked slowly, pricking her ears for the slightest sign of ambush or attack. Then they saw him, at the top of the stairs which marked the end of the bridge, Paul was standing, brandishing his axe in the air. - "We finally meet, woman. I was dying to see you again and chop you to pieces" - "We saw you running from that beast like a frightened little boy." Replied Karla in a sarcastic tone. Francis repressed a laugh then looked fearfully at Karla. - "Don''t worry old man, I''ll drag you along until you show me what you know of this so called healing church, but first," he descended the stairs "We have a score to settle." Paul dashed towards Karla and kicked her in the stomach. She let out a painful cry as she gasped for air. He proceeded then to strike with his axe at her exposed head. Karla miraculously dodged that execution and retaliated with a quick jab behind Paul''s ear. Disoriented, Paul almost took Karla''s sword in his face. He barely managed to block with his weapon and threw her back, away from him. "You''re a nimble woman, but you''re no match for me. The blood from these beasts made me even stronger." Karla looked shocked at Paul''s statement, the latter punched her hard in the face throwing her backwards, rolling on the cobbled floor. She had lost her weapon, and Paul was standing on top of her. "Don''t worry I''m not going to kill you. I''ll just enjoy seeing you suffer, then leave you to die on your own." He sheathed his axe and began hurling punches at Karla. Francis was horrified at what he saw. Paul had become worse than the beasts they have been fighting. Karla took the punches though without a single grunt. Annoyed at her perseverance, Paul took a hunting knife from his boots and put it on her neck "let''s see you keep calm after this" he said in a menacing voice. He started by cutting her fingers, one by one, leaving them hanging only by a thread of skin. He went on to her chest and stomach and started making straight lines that ran from her upper chest towards her abdomen. Francis fell to the ground and covered his ears. Karla''s screams made him want to die and end this nightmare. To add salt to injury, the psychopathic Paul laughed hysterically every time he heard one of Karla''s howls. With the pommel of his knife, he proceeded to breaking her knees. The more she screamed the more he enjoyed himself. "Ah, she passed out! Too bad, I wanted to have more fun with her" Said Paul in a placid voice. "You don''t even feel remorse for what you''ve done to her?" exclaimed Francis in a shaking voice. "Hahahaha, you mistake me for some lowly human like you, I just wanted to see her suffer as she made us run away earlier. No one humiliates me like-" Francis watched with an open mouth as Paul''s head rolled down the ground. He was decapitated in one strike. "I hate this kind of scum. The poor woman, to die like thisˇ­ Pitiful." Francis saw a silhouette in front of him. He knew that it was a woman from her voice, but nothing from her garb could have suggested her gender. She was wearing a long sleeved shirt with crow feathers covering the sleeves and the collar. She ironically was wearing a plague doctor''s mask and looked like a crow herself. She was all dressed in black and only her gray beak offered a change in color. - "Where are ya headed old man?" said the woman. - "C-c-c-c-cathedral ward," said Francis, he was shaking and frightened." We want to meet someone from the healing church there." - "Well good luck findin'' anyone with their wits about ''em." She said and started giggling. "I cannot believe people are still searchin'' fer blood healin'' and miracles in this god forsaken city." - "You mean to tell me that the church is no longer operational?" Said Francis in shock. - "I can still walk and talk, so there must be some more humans left in ''ere. Go and find out." - "Can you save my friend please? I need her to reach the church." - "She''s gone. Ya shouldn''t worry about ''er anymore. You should worry about the road you still have to go through." Said the woman in a sarcastic tone. - "Can you lead me there yourself then? I''ll reward you handsomely" - "Not my business old man. Go through the cemetery over there and you''ll find your way towards the church." She looked at him seriously and made a grotesque bow gesture "Fare thee well!" The woman disappeared as she walked towards the area where he and Karla came from earlier. Francis sat there for a long time, looking with shock at Karla and Paul. He decided to stand up and check the graveyard the woman spoke about. **** "Please Iosefka my friend doesn''t have much time to live. I really need to save her." Surgit was back at the clinic and was knocking at the door from which he usually speaks to Iosefka. He heard footsteps approaching and was relieved to hear her voice. "What is it good hunter? What happened?" Iosefka was genuinely worried. "My friend is gravely injured and I need one of your vials to help her. I already used one on her but the damage she took was far too severe to save her with just one injection." said Surgit, breathless. "Don''t panic, if you injected her already, she will have enough vitality to survive and wait for you to come back. Here, now go and save your friend." She said as she handed him another one of her vials. On his way back from the bridge towards Iosefka''s clinic, Surgit had discovered a shortcut leading directly to the secondary bridge and old graveyard. An elevator had to be activated from below and took Surgit on a plaza right behind Gilbert''s house. The door he had seen the first time he discovered the blue lamp next to Gilbert''s house was locked from the other side. By taking the elevator near the bridge, Surgit had access to the door from behind and unlocked it. He had now a faster way to get to the bridge and he ran as fast as he could to reach Karla. - "Here I got us some help" said Surgit as he reached for his pocket and drew Iosefka''s blood vial. - "I told you I didn''t want the blood of those beasts in me" exclaimed Karla, still breathless. - "It''s not taken from their blood, this from a doctor, she made it herself" replied Surgit and he made to inject her with the vial. - "Ah you na?ve thing, do you really believe everything people tell you?" Karla tried to push Surgit''s hand away but her strength failed her. "Well, forget it just inject the damn blood already." Surgit injected Karla with the syringe and they both watched as her tissues reconstructed and as her skin regained its pinkish color. Karla stood up and inspected her body. She retrieved her sword and gave it a few swings. "Well, their blood is as miraculous as ever" she said, although sounding a bit vexed. Noticing the tone of her voice, Surgit replied: "What? You would have preferred to die?" Karla took a deep breath and with a cold look replied. - "I saw how Paul became corrupted with the blood he had used on himself. You told me that he received a vial from you and it makes sense that the blood had made him lose his mind. Not that he was sane to begin with." - "But I''m not insane nor am I crazy from imbibing the blood of those beasts." Voices chuckled inside Surgit''s head. - "You should have seen yourself after you killed that huge giant. I could swear I saw your arm become something else for a brief moment" She had touched a sensitive spot there. Even Surgit was scared of what he''d become. He still had many questions in mind he had no answers to. One more thing was bugging him though. - "What happened to Francis?" He looked at Karla with grave eyes. - "I don''t know, I passed out from the pain and when I came to, I found Paul''s head next to mine" - "Do you think he did it?" said Surgit, although the answer seemed clear in his mind. - "The coward couldn''t even walk straight when Paul ambushed us here. I highly doubt it. He must have run off. As to the reason why Paul had been beheaded, I''m as puzzled as you are." - "You should take a rest. Take the elevator on the right from the end of this bridge. You''ll find a plaza there, I''ll go scout the place here and come back to you." Karla was indeed lacking strength and found the idea of taking a rest very welcome. - "Very well then, I''ll wait for you there." And she disappeared in the distance. 48 Totally worth it! Surgit took the last flight of stairs leading to the old graveyard. As he approached it, he heard familiar breathing noises. He slowed his pace and looked for the hulking beast. He reached a small landing where two tall deformed creatures stood opposite a bonfire. They both produced a rasping noise while breathing. One of them held a spear and looked more menacing than the other who held a crosscut saw. It was certainly because the spear holding one wore just shorts. Even if both had fur all over their bodies and fangs protruded from their mouths, one of them wore human clothes which concealed most of its beastly appearance. The spear holding one looked like a monster trying hard to look human. That was pretty unsettling. They had their backs to him. ''If I leave them be, they might become a problem once I get to the area upstairs.'' He decided to deal with them swiftly. He had the advantage, they hadn''t noticed him yet. If he acted quickly and effectively, he could end the fight in a matter of seconds. He silently walked behind the spear holding one and hit its back with all his strength. His cleaver tore through flesh and bone and the monster fell to its knees. The second beast turned to look at Surgit and bared its teeth at him. He quickly used his beastly arm to crush the fallen monster''s spine. He then threw the dead foe at the tall beast. That action helped Surgit jump back and put some distance between him and his enemy. The beast let out a harrowing howl and launched itself at Surgit. ''Uh oh! Looks like you managed to make it look uglier than usual. Good luck killing it'' the voices were actually supportive? Surgit couldn''t believe what he had just heard. ''Foooooool!'' they said in unison the moment he saw the saw coming down at his face. He jumped back just in time to avoid getting his head split in two. Blood poured down on the floor. ''Oh no! the fool got himself distracted.'' Surgit wanted to scream at them but he had to stay focused. He avoided the deadly attack but the saw had grazed his chest and injured him. The pain wasn''t unbearable but he was losing too much blood. The monster swung at him again. Surgit quickstepped behind his assailant and quickly injected himself with a blood vial. "Only three left, I must be careful." He jumped back to avoid another attack from the beast. At that point he was just dodging. The monster didn''t give him enough time to retaliate. Another scream and it started swinging fiercely and rapidly. The saw cut through the air and the gap between Surgit and the beast started narrowing dangerously. He shot the beast but it didn''t even flinch. It kept waving its weapon in all directions. He shot it again but the saw and its bearer were still getting closer. "Why won''t you get to your knees you stupid shit?" He saw the weapon coming his way. He knew he couldn''t dodge on time and he had to block. He shielded his right shoulder with his cleaver and the hit projected him from the ground and against a wall. He fell to his knees and the beast was already on him. It kicked him in the stomach and its talons penetrated his stomach. He let out a gasp and the voices inside his head let out a ''oooooooh, that must hurt!'' He was curled up on the ground and knew that a saw will soon cut him to pieces. He instinctively rolled to the left as the saw hit the ground and bounced back towards the beast. Surgit took another blood vial shot and stood up. He had to take the offensive or he''d be dead. The beast was flabbergasted as the saw had bounced back from the ground and hit it on the nose. It made a terribly funny, puzzled face as it looked at its weapon. It looked like it wanted to reprimand the weapon for bouncing back at it. Surgit couldn''t repress his laugh. He found the scene grotesquely funny. The beast turned towards him. It looked furious and its face looked funnier. Surgit burst out laughing and that enraged the beast even more. It flung its weapon at him which hit Surgit at his left shoulder. The impact threw him on the ground and with agonizing effort, he managed to wrench the saw away. "Totally worth it," he said as he injected another vial into his bloodstream. The beast jumped at Surgit with tremendous speed. He didn''t even have enough time to recover from the early shock. A punch to the face and Surgit started seeing stars. Another punch and he saw his teeth falling to the ground. He dodged the third punch and delivered one to the beast''s stomach. The beast let out a small cry. "How''s that feel huh?" he said as he punched the beast a second time. His third punch was blocked by the monster''s furry arms. It looked straight at Surgit''s face, as if challenging him. The beast clearly had the upper hand. It was taller and tougher than a human. Surgit was no ordinary human though. He was a hunter with enhanced physical abilities. Another punch and the beast blocked it again. Surgit had to change his tactics. After a shoulder feint, the beast moved its long arms towards the left side of its face. Surgit used the opening and quickly took his pistol. One shot and the beast let out a painful cry. He had shot it between its legs. "I wonder if that grew in size after you transformed you freak," he addressed the howling beast. "Oh well! I suppose we''ll never know," he had a mocking smirk on his face. The beast, in a desperate attempt slashed at Surgit with its claws. He barely dodged the attack but another slash filled his eyes with blood. He really shouldn''t have let his guard down again. He blindly shot the beast again and heard another painful cry. After he wiped his eyes from blood he saw that he managed to shoot the beast at the exact same spot. He was amazed at how unfortunate the beast was. At that moment it was wriggling on the floor, screaming murder. Surgit retrieved his cleaver which fell after he was hit by the saw. He brought down on the monster''s head, ending its agony. Blood poured down from his face. The last slash he received had injured him badly. He injected his last vial then took the stairs towards the graveyard. 49 Father Gascoigne The graveyard was filled with gigantic trees that blocked the sunlight from reaching the ground. It looked as though night had fallen and countless stars were illuminating the place. The graveyard was rectangular and large, around a hundred feet wide and three hundred feet long. In the middle of the area there was a statue of what appeared to be a man. The man had a beard that Surgit swore was made of tentacles. It looked like a god of some sort. A small wooden house could be seen at the left corner of the graveyard and, at the right corner, another flight of stairs took up towards a big metallic gate. The gate was closed and Surgit made towards it in order to inspect it. He heard the strange noise again. It was coming from the direction of the wooden house. It was hard to see clearly in the darkness that enveloped the place despite his enhanced vision. As he approached it, he saw the silhouette of a man holding what appeared to be a weapon. He was hacking at something on the floor. As Surgit got closer, he saw the man clearer. He wore a long black coat and a long white shall was wrapped around his neck and hung on his back. The man wore a black leather homburg on his head and black trousers. He had a gigantic axe in his right arm and a pistol hung from his holster. Once Surgit got a little closer, the man turned around and looked at him. He had white bandages on his eyes and he was sniffing the air. The man then spoke "Beasts all over the shop. You''ll be one of them, sooner or later." He dashed towards Surgit and struck at him with his axe. Surgit barely had time to dodge the attack when another swing came his way. He blocked with his cleaver and was sent backwards by the impact of the attack. A shot later and five bullets flew towards Surgit. One hit him in the right shoulder. Surgit, in pain, saw sparkles in the ground as the man dragged the axe and hit him with an uppercut that he blocked again with his cleaver. The impact of the attack left him open and the man shot him again with his shotgun. Surgit let out a painful scream as he felt the five bullets penetrate his chest. He could still move however and he jumped backwards to get some distance between him and the crazy old man. The gun lost power to the number of bullets it produced. Or perhaps Surgit''s skin was just too thick that it slowed down the bullets as they hit him. He was puzzled with regards to the motive of the old man attacking him. He felt the pain in his body and the bullets were in the way, halting his breathing. But he was miraculously still moving. The man swung at him one more time and Surgit sidestepped to the right and attacked him too. With an agile jump, the man made some distance between the two of them and shot him again. Surgit was prepared to dodge it and ducked under the bullets. He dashed forward and tackled the man. As the bandaged man fumbled back, Surgit attacked with his saw and hit him in the chest. The damage wasn''t too great though and the old lunatic went on attacking as if nothing happened. His attacks and movements were too fast. Surgit couldn''t see through all of them and had to either block or jump back to get away from him. He felt his strength failing him as the injuries he had suffered started weighing on him. The man surprised Surgit with a jump attack and a kick in the face. Stunned, Surgit saw the man''s axe miss him by a hair''s width then another swing hit him on the right shoulder. His cleaver fell to the ground and pain was blinding him. ''The fool wants to fight with no vials,'' the voices whispered. The axe was buried deep in his arm and he could barely keep his eyes open. The man kicked him again in the stomach but Surgit persevered and took the hit without flinching. He had to show those voices who''s boss. He wanted to at least inflict some damage on this surprise attacker. He punched the man in the face and heard a cracking sound. The mad man spit a tooth and smiled at Surgit, revealing canine teeth. Blood poured down from the stranger''s mouth.The sight of blood excited Surgit and he attacked more fiercely. "Ooh what''s that smellˇ­ the sweet bloodˇ­ it sings to me! It''s enough to make a man sick" The man spoke again in a whisper and elongated his axe. ''A trick weapon! A hunter''s weapon!'' Surgit was in shock, a hunter attacking him? Surgit''s right arm was useless. Every movement he made was painful and breathing had become even more difficult. He was a terrible mess to behold. His vision became blurry and he knew he didn''t have much time. He would pass out and wake up next to the lamp in a few. He hated how the fight would end. He was a fool for messing up with enemies, wasting too many vials in the process. If he could heal, he would still stand a chance against his enemy. The axe came crashing towards his head. ''You can still move. Jump and dodge now!'' ordered all the voices in unison. He jumped to the right as the axe hit the ground. Surgit almost lost consciousness once he landed on his injured shoulder. Five bullets penetrated his lower body and he bellowed in pain. The axe finally cut his body open and he felt himself fading from reality. ''You fool!'' echoed the voices in his head. In his last breath, Surgit saw the man holding his axe in the air and slamming it again down on his body. "You sick creature. May your rest in peace. Umbasa." Those were the last words he heard. 50 Fireball! He awoke next to the lantern again. Karla was fast asleep next to Gilbert''s house. Although she miraculously recovered fully from her injuries, she would still need to rest for a considerable amount of time. Iosefka had told him as much. Curiosity had taken the better of him and he went to ask the doctor about his sleeping friend. She had told him that in spite of the fact that her muscle tissues had reconnected, her body still needed time to recover and heal the internal damage she had suffered. Karla wouldn''t even budge or move after he appeared next to her. He tried to wake her and check up on her but she just wouldn''t awaken. He decided to leave her be. He had other pressing matters to attend to. That hunter had beaten the living daylight out of him. He had to go to a completely new area without any preparation or any healing items. That was clearly stupid. Iosefka had given him another one of her vials on his last visit to her clinic. The doctor was a lifesaver and benevolent one at that. He looked at Karla and scoffed at her. She mocked him for being too na?ve but if it weren''t for Iosefka''s miraculous blood, she would be eternally sleeping by then. He had to get more vials but didn''t know which blood would have the healing properties he wished for. After the conversation he''d had with Karla, he dreaded the consequences of imbibing too much blood that emanated from the beasts slayed. He had ten empty vials in his pocket. The man-beasts he faced in the streets of Yharnam had blood that didn''t seem to affect him too much. Perchance it was because he was a hunter who had already received blood ministration. Blood that emanated from certain beasts healed and invigorated him. He needed to have enough healing blood in order to face that old lunatic. He knew what he had to do. He went to the street which led to the crucifix square. He killed the axe wielding man then finished the six that patrolled the street. He had filled his ten vials when he heard the voices again: ''Why don''t you kill that executioner over there? It would certainly be a good exercise before your next battle.'' He pondered for a moment then another voice spoke: ''the fool is too craven, leave him be. He just wants to pound at the weaklings that roam the streets.'' That was enough to convince him to face the executioner. At first sight, the beast resembled a troll. It was a troll that wore an executioner''s hood and wielded a giant executioner''s axe. All in all, the sight alone could drive any sane man to turn tail. As soon as the monster saw Surgit, it brought its axe closer to its chest. It was on the defensive and that was a good sign for Surgit. He got closer and made to attack his foe. Despite its size the executioner''s attack were very fast, too fast in fact. Surgit welcomed the giant axe with open arms as it hit him straight in the chest. He knew that his body had departed the ground and with his only open eye, he could see blood raining down on him. ''Hehˇ­hehˇ­hehˇ­ foooool'' echoed the voices as he his unanimated body fell to the ground. He woke up again next to sleeping Karla. That last encounter left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. "Damned voicesˇ­ You really had to go and listen to them, didn''t you Surgit?" He shouted at the top of his lungs. He kicked a wall near him and winced as pain calmed his frenzied state. He looked in fear at Karla. She already suspected him of being a beast. He didn''t want her to think of him as a lunatic either. He sighed in relief since his outburst didn''t even shake her from her slumber. He still had his ten vials and didn''t even have the chance to use one against that executioner. He was indeed too na?ve. He despised the fact that he didn''t learn from his mistakes despite repeating that instruction in his head countless times. ''Where are you now devilish voices?'' he asked in a whisper. He had died foolishly but nobody was mocking him anymore. He tried to bait their taunts as he approached the axe man and danced around him, avoiding his attacks with complete ease. The voices didn''t come though and he was forced to execute the poor creature. He dealt with the six men patrolling the streets and walked towards the executioner. The voices were right. If he managed to defeat this monster, he would stand a chance against that hostile hunter. He was facing the beast when it ran towards him. He was taken aback but a voice inside his head snapped him out of his reverie in the nick of time. ''Fooooool!'' He dodged the first axe uppercut and saw the momentum of the attack throwing the executioner off guard. The weapon was too heavy and it would drag him along if he ever missed his attack. Surgit dashed towards his enemy and slashed once. He got back just in time as a swing grazed his nose. ''Fooool,'' the voices said. He was getting irritated but he had to keep his cool. Those voices served only to annoy him and seldom threw nuggets of advice his way. The executioners nimbly jumped at him and brought its axe down towards him. He dodged it to the left and punished his assailant for being too hot headed. The beast had plump small feet. This surprised Surgit as he cut them open with his cleaver, depriving his enemy from the ability to walk. The executioner rolled around in the ground and waved his arm around. It looked like a turtle that fell on its back and struggled to regain its usual position. ''There''s no time to laugh'' he thought to himself as he jumped up to avoid a reckless swing from the axe. The executioner still had the strength to swing his weapon around despite losing too much blood. He plunged his knees on the executioner''s chest as he landed. Its fat cushioned his landing and he still managed to empty his enemy''s lungs of air. He held his cleaver with both hands and sawed the executioner''s head off. By the time he was done, his whole body was sticky with blood. ''Fool nonetheless!'' said one voice to which another replied: ''don''t mind him, he''s just bitter about losing a bet.'' Surgit felt confident enough to face the old man. He took the stairs near Gilbert''s house and headed for the elevator. On the way, he had to dispose of two troll which didn''t trouble him much. All he had to do was to shoot them and stagger them in order to crush their insides. As soon as he came down, he found himself on the bridge where he''d found Karla earlier. ''Well, that wasn''t here before,'' he thought as he saw a mob patrolling the bridge. ''What a pain in the bottom,'' he thought irritated. He got ready for a difficult fight and elongated his cleaver. Two of the man-beasts patrolling the bridge held swords. Another one held an axe while the one next to him held a pitchfork. The one behind the group had a wooden shield on its hand. That amused Surgit. A wooden shield would be of no use against beast nor would it be efficient against the hunters'' strength. He dashed towards them and jumped back just in time to avoid a pitchfork to the face. He strategically baited them in a line and started hacking at them one by one. He knew he didn''t stand a chance against a mob that surrounded him. And so he used a hit and run strategy. He would punish every fool who dared swing too wide and jumped back to get them to follow him. He was too absorbed in executing his strategy that he ignored the voices shouting ''HOT! HOT! HOT'' at him. He looked up just in time to see a giant fireball rolling at a dangerous speed towards him. He was burned to a crisp and sent down towards the canals below. His body slammed against the floor and he swore as all the voices roared with laughter inside his head. 51 Father Gascoigne – Round two He was back at square one. That stupid trap had gotten him while he was executing such a flawless tactic. He was expecting a voice to taunt him by then but nothing happened. He shrugged and dashed towards the bridge again. He had to get back and finish what he started. The only advantage dying presented him was to anticipate future traps. He ran towards the patrol and baited them. They all ran towards him and he repeated the same tactic he undertook before. He knew what he was doing this time around though. He caught the sight of a small flame with the corner of his eye. He shot one of the man-beasts then jumped on the bridge''s railings just in time to avoid the big fireball that swept everything away. ''Oh the fool has made a smart move!'' the voices suddenly spoke in unison. Surgit was startled. He had enjoyed silence during the whole trip to the bridge. He sighed in regret and moved towards the stairs at the end of the road. A troll was standing guard at the landing on top. Next to him stood a man-beast, holding a wooden shield on one hand and a torch on another. "So it was you who burned me to a crisp earlier eh?" he shouted at them. The troll rushed him and was met with a bullet to the chest which brought it down on its knees immediately. Surgit eviscerated the poor beast and moved on to the next target. He was tired of wasting his time dying stupidly to these monsters. He took the next turn to the right and climbed the stairs up towards the graveyard. As he approached the two hulks, he slowed down his pace and sneaked around them. He had no intention in losing his precious healing blood to these fiends. As soon as he reached the graveyard the old man charged him. It was as if he was waiting for him to get back there again. Surgit easily dodged the axe uppercut and the bullets that followed. He was slightly getting used to how the man attacked. He dashed towards him and with a feint, pushed the man to jump back. He shot him in the leg and hit his knee. The bullet penetrated the bone but the man still ran towards Surgit as if nothing happened. He was a hunter alright. They don''t get affected by conventional damage. The old man delivered a flurry of axe swings towards Surgit, forcing him to keep moving back. He felt his heel grazing a hard surface and with a glance, realized it was a tombstone. He performed a somersault and landed behind it. ''Well, I really am pretty athletic!'' his body transformation still amazed him. There was no time to be absorbed in his reveries. The man had also jumped towards him and almost created a big opening in his body from head to toe. He jumped to the right to avoid another dangerous swing. He had to do something. He couldn''t stay on the defensive. He had to risk it. He closed the gap between him and his foe and dodged again a dangerous swing. He could feel the wind being cut next to his ears as he moved around the old man''s attacks. He punched the man in the stomach and that slowed him just enough for Surgit to deliver a front kick strong enough to knock him down. ''Gun!'' he jumped back just in time to avoid five bullets flying his way. That old man''s fighting style was very aggressive and the shotgun he had didn''t make the situation any easier. He got closer to the hunter again and tried to attack. A preemptive strike could give him the advantage and flip the situation over. The old man dodged and shot blindly, hitting Surgit in the left leg. He felt a bullet in his knee but that didn''t slow him down. He still hadn''t sustained enough damage to be completely immobilized. He shot the man with his pistol as well. That served just to stop him from making one extra step towards him. That didn''t bother Surgit as that was all he needed. He rushed, jumped and slashed at the man''s chest. He landed behind him and rolled forward to avoid any possible retaliatory bullets. The hunter slowly turned towards him and elongated his axe. He was slightly bleeding from his chest and it looked like it excited him. "Ahhˇ­, the sweet stench of blood. Justˇ­ just marvelous" the man ran towards Surgit and attacked again relentlessly. The axe finally found its target and ironically hit Surgit in the right armˇ­ again! ''Fight, kill, Give us blood'' those voices again started inside Surgit''s head. His right arm was bleeding profusely and he had to fight with the left. His attacks didn''t do much damage but he had to press on. He wanted to use his blood vial to heal but he couldn''t create an opening long enough for him to use one. With the long axe, the man now had a comfortable distance between him and Surgit. He continuously slashed at Surgit and the latter dodged and tried to reduce the distance between them. He couldn''t attack if it remained like this and he''d soon lose consciousness from the injuries he''d suffered. He then took his pistol and with a well-timed shot, stunned the man and brought him to his knees. Surgit''s injured arm twitched as he approached the man and he ripped the man''s flesh apart with his beastly arm. As he pulled his arm back, blood spurted out from the man''s body and he was thrown backwards. His arm hurt even more than before. Transforming to the beastly form and back again caused his injury to grow in size. At least he managed to land a counter attack on that mad hunter. Surgit watched as the man withered in the ground, trying to fight back his inevitable fate. That attack was really handy. Surgit''s eyes widened and his gaping mouth couldn''t close as he saw the old man standing up. He was holding his head with both hands and seemed to struggle with something. Then a blinding light forced Surgit to cover his eyes and before him stood a beast. It still had the man''s clothing on it but its body was all covered in fur. It grew in size twofold and its arms had claws and its faceˇ­ A human face though furry and with protruding fangs. It was a hybrid between man and werewolf. Surgit felt the fear crawl through his entire being. For the first time since he met that werewolf at Iosefka''s clinic. He had the time to be afraid while looking at an abomination like this. His feet wouldn''t budge and he saw as the beast turned slowly to look at him. It jumped at him so fast that his eyes couldn''t follow the movement. The beast ripped Surgit''s chest apart and bit at his neck. He felt his skin and muscles depart from his bones as the beast bit and feasted on him. He was being eaten alive and there was nothing he could do but to feel the beast''s claws and teeth tear his whole body apart. Tears filled his eyes as the pain became unbearable, then he lost consciousness. 52 Gruesome death…again Karla was taking a rest next to the gate leading to the elevator. Surgit saw her sleeping and she heard his footstep, she stood up and unsheathed her sword. "Oh it''s you. You scared the hell out of me. I didn''t hear you coming till you got close." Karla had no idea that he''d just resuscitated right next to her. All the best for him, he didn''t want her to know that. "So what did you find?" she asked. "An old graveyard and a closed metallic gate, I''ll look around here to find a key or another way in. There has to be something we could use to open it. You should take more rest. I''ll be back before you know it." He was too ashamed to tell her of what happened to him against the old man. And he didn''t know how to explain to her that he can''t technically die. "Alright, thanks for this, I owe you one." She said and she leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She was in no condition to help him either. That hunter was fast and deadly. One attack from him could finish her in no time. What''s more, her clothes were all in tatters. She couldn''t be expected to move around the city while most of her body was exposed. He thought about doing something about but he decided to leave the matter for later. He suddenly remembered a fact and woke her up. - "There is a clinic not too far from here. There are no beasts in there so you can rest there without fearing any ambush." - "That sounds better than this cold floor. Where should I go?" she asked. - "I''ll lead you there myself. Your body is still recovering, your reflexes might fail you on the way there and there are beasts on the way." He tried not to sound too chivalrous. He knew that would annoy her and he also dreaded the reaction of the voices inside his head. - "That would be helpful yes." That was so out of character that it took him aback. - "Well, I''ll head down the ladder first and take care of one patrol there." When Karla reached the bottom of the ladder, he had already taken care of the axe wielding man-beast. He led her towards the clinic and advised her to rest in the anteroom next to the door where he usually meets Iosefka. "I will leave you now. I will close the door to the clinic as I leave. Stay on your guard though, the beasts here are unpredictable." She nodded and lied down on the wooden floor. Surgit went back towards the lantern then took the elevator down and went through the bridge. He saw half a dozen men-beasts standing in front of him, barring his passage. He marched forward and got ready to dispose of them. They ran towards him in an organized manner. They attacked in group and synchronized their movement. They didn''t leave him any opening to strike at. ''It''s as if they too learned from our previous encounter,'' thought Surgit. He was just dancing around their attacks, waiting for the opportunity to obliterate them. It was crucial that he''d lead them in a straight line. Then with the corner of his eyes he saw a light coming towards them. It grew larger as it was heading their way. A gigantic fireball was rolling at top speed, he rolled to the side but the other men-beasts didn''t have enough time to dodge it. It hit them all on the back and killed them instantly. ''Now to the bastard who organized this ambush'' He looked up and saw a troll standing at the top of the stairs. If it weren''t for his enhanced vision and quick reflexes he would have been back next to the lantern again. He disposed of the troll easily and proceeded back to the graveyard. That man transformed into a beast right in front of him, he was really afraid of becoming like him. He wondered at the hunter''s first words before he attacked him. ''I''ll become a beast too? Is that what he hinted at?'' he thought. ''Possibly..'' answered a lone voice in his head while others chuckled. As he entered the graveyard, he was ready to move faster and dispose of that beast as fast as possible. Lingering around for long will only make the beast deadlier. What he found in there was not a beast though but the old man, standing in front of him, looking at him with murderous intent. The man released a shot from his shotgun and as Surgit dodged it, he took the axe swing right in the chest. He was sloppy again and let the man hit him first. His feet felt weak and he struggled to stand up and regain his form. The old man didn''t leave him any moment''s respite, he struck him again with his axe and Surgit watched with horror as his left arm lay in the ground motionless. He received a blow to the jugular with the pommel of the hunter''s axe and as he staggered back, the weapon sliced his throat open. He gasped for air as the man watched him lose consciousness. He then heard him say "Afraid to show your true face ehˇ­ But a sporting hunt it was." **** Francis was glad that whatever was in the dark, killing those poor men-beasts hadn''t noticed him. His fear from death was driving him forward. He didn''t want to meet the morbid end Karla did. He saw the gigantic closed metallic gate. He tried to open it to no avail. He made some noise trying to force it open and he heard that the thing downstairs had stopped hacking and slashing. ''Maybe he''d noticed me. I need to move fast or I''m minced meat.'' He climbed the gate and dropped on the other side. He didn''t know he managed to climb those metallic bars, without anything to grab onto but he was on the other side. His desire to survive had won. He found himself in front of a tall building. Three or maybe four floors; he couldn''t tell as he was clearly standing in front of the back door at the bottom floor. The door was open so he went through. It looked like a basement and storage facility. Barrels and sacs were scattered all around. He saw a ladder leading to the upper floor. ''Yes this is definitely the basement.'' He climbed up and opened a trap door, revealing a library. "Oh, you''re not a hunter, yet you''re sane. How did you worm your way up here?" He turned right and saw a woman, fully clothed in white from neck to toe. She had long dark blonde hair, a thin nose and small lips. Her chin was pointy and her exposed neck looked long and pale. She looked like one of the ladies he''d met during the numerous balls he used to host in his mansion, aristocratic and pretentious. The kind he hated but the ones he could easily manipulate. He climbed from the ladder and closed the trap door. 53 The need to get stronger Francis turned towards the woman and began speaking. - "No I am not a hunter nor am I from around here. I''m simply seeking greater knowledge and I ended up in Yharnam, on my road to Enlightment." - "One of those who think Yharnam holds the answer to your existential questions eh?" retorted the woman in a mocking voice "Wasn''t there a hunter down there barring the way in and out of the graveyard?" - "I saw something that resembled a man down there, I just didn''t linger long enough to find out" said Francis shamelessly. He knew he was a coward and he stopped trying to conceal it. - "Fear allows us to survive anyways. I commend that. You''re not afraid of admitting your own weaknesses. So what brought you to the cathedral ward?" - "As I said before, I''m seeking knowledge but I have to say, I''d love to receive a blood ministration and join the rank of hunters as well." Francis felt that honesty could lead him somewhere with this woman so he just said what came to his mind. - "You''ll have to find a blood minister for that and they''re quite rare nowadays. As for knowledge, you can use this library for the moment. It contains countless books about the history of men and evolution." The woman was willingly sharing with him the information without hesitation. - "And they say that Yharnamites aren''t willing to share their knowledge of blood healing." Francis was amazed at how easily he got access to information from the first Yharnamite he''d met. - "Who said that? We are knowledgeable people and there is no shame in sharing information. I''ll just require you to tell me more about where you came from and the place you used to live in. I''m fascinated to hear about foreign places." - "We have nowhere to go and I like this place already, so I''ll be glad to share with you what I know." Francis liked the woman already and was excited at the prospect of having an intellectual conversation, away from the horrors of the streets of Yharnam. - "Well, you can access the Cathedral ward from the floor above, but I have no business there. I''d like to go to Central Yharnam but that hunter down there scares me to death. I''d rather not go near him." She said in a frightful voice as she mentioned the hunter. - "I must be lucky that I have avoided him then. Very well, let''s converse. What would you like to know about my land?" - "Everything, just tell me everything." **** ''Oh my god, when is this going to end? I must have died to this man a hundred times. I lost count at ten.'' Surgit started losing hope at beating the old man. He was agile and fast and the more he fought him the less effective he became at countering his attacks. In fact Surgit had lost to him twenty four times already. He was getting tired of that situation. Either he wasn''t strong enough or he needed to improve his fighting skill. He thought of asking Karla for help but he preferred to keep the whole affair hidden from her. What bugged him though was the fact that every time he resuscitated, Karla was sound as sleep. She''d always wake up to his footsteps and get startled. It was as if he was living in a broken world where the same events repeated themselves over and over again. The only difference was that his death was different every time. That man had so many ways to kill him that Surgit had enough of tasting his own blood every time he bit the dust. He was back at the clinic talking to Iosefka. He noticed that she also didn''t tire from his countless visits, requiring blood vials from her. Either she was the nicest person in all of Yharnam or she didn''t notice that he''d visited her on so many occasions. - "Here, take it, I hope it will come in handy for you" she said after handing him another vial. - "Thank you Iosefka, this blood really is a lifesaver." He was really grateful for her help. - "I like your visits here. At least I have a sane person to talk to in this city." She said in a cheerful tone. - "Likewise, I grew tired of slaying so many beasts." - "A hunter''s job is awfully gruesome. I don''t know how you manage to accomplish it. But you keep us safe so the vials are the least I could do." - "I thank you again for your tremendous help lady doctor. Without your assistance I would have lost my mind a long time ago." And as he said it, he swore he could hear a giggle from the other side of the door. - "Maybe once the hunt is over, we could finally meet face to face. I know I shouldn''t be saying this but now I find myself looking forward to it." Her melodious voice made Surgit speechless. For the first time he wondered what the woman behind the closed door looked like. - "I''m looking forward to that too." He finally managed to say. - "Now go, I wish you a fruitful hunt." She said after a moment of silence. ''You had to blow it you stupid shit,'' he reprimanded himself for the way he ended the conversation. ''Looking forward to it too? What do you think you were doing? Closing a business deal?'' a sarcastic voice commented in his head. He was clearly not satisfied with the way their conversation ended and those damned voices weren''t making it any easier. He was afraid that he''d offended her. He tried to erase that embarrassing moment but the voices were still mocking him for it. Karla was still sleeping in the anteroom. She sat in a corner leaning on the wall behind her. ''How long is she going to sleep?'' she had suffered enough damage to kill a person so he decided to leave her alone. He also wanted to find some change of clothes for her. What Paul did to her was inhuman. Her breasts were almost exposed and the hood that concealed her head before was used now to cover her chest. On closer inspection Karla looked almost like a woman from a fairy tale. She had long red hair, a fine pointy nose and big eyes. She was as tall as he was and she was slender. She reminded him of those ballet dancers he used to watch back when he was at the academy. On his days off, he''d spend the day going to the opera house or the theatre. He enjoyed artistic performances. He preferred ballet shows the most though: how they moved gracefully with their long legs, muscular thighs and thin upper body. Karla had fair skin, too fair as a matter of a fact. A sleeping beauty, that could cut you open in two strikes. He felt drawn to her and at the same time he dreaded being on her kill list. Surgit then had an idea. He could go to the dream and ask the doll or Gehrman how he could get stronger. As he peered into the blue flame in the lamp, Surgit felt his body getting lighter and no time, he found himself standing in the middle of the gigantic garden. The doll was standing right next to the front door. She didn''t move or bat an eye. Her sight was fascinating yet disturbing. She looked like those upper class women who always dress up when they leave their homes. No matter the errand they had to run. She wore a wood brown cape that extended down to her waist. Underneath the cape she wore a brown bodice with golden laces on them and on her head she wore a brown bonnet ornamented on the right side by flowers. She also wore a black long skirt that extended under her knees and leather brown boots with golden laces. She had ashen hair and big almond shaped eyes. She was taller than him and her voice was melodious and sweet. - "Welcome home good hunter, what is it you desire?" she said in her dreamy voice. 54 The echoing will of the dying ones - "I need to become stronger if I want to have a chance at defeating stronger foes. Do you know of any way that can help me get better?" He was at a loss. Gherman disappeared from the dream and no one was there to help him out. - "I can channel the will of the dying ones within you good hunter. You will hunt beasts, and collect their echoes, as it is the hunters'' gift. I will then transform them into your assets. You can choose to develop your strength, skill, bloodtinge or even arcane. That of course, depends on the type of prey you have slain and the echo you collect from it," said the doll in an almost mechanical tone. - ''Say what again? This looks like a lot of information to process.'' Surgit thought to himself then asked the doll: "So I''m supposed to kill beasts and collect something from them right?" - "Yes good hunter. For every beast you kill, their dying will is transferred to you. Didn''t you hear many voices whispering in your head before?" - "Yes! I''ve heard them many times. I must have too many then, don''t I?" Surgit remembered the voices that almost made him go crazy during his most intense fightsˇ­ or embarrassing moments. - "Good hunter, have you died recently to any enemy?" asked the doll, still in a mechanical tone. - "Yes I did, that''s why I want to become stronger." Surgit felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment. - "Good hunter, every time you die to an enemy your echoes and those of the ones you possess are transferred to the one who killed you. If you don''t retrieve it from them, you will lose them forever." - "How do I know that I have echoes in me then? Is it only the voices I hear in my head?" - "Use your insight good hunter." Said the doll as if expecting Surgit to understand what that was. - "And what is that insight you''re talking about?" Surgit was exasperated at the amount of information he just received. - "If you can see and speak to me, then your third eye has been opened. You can see what others cannot. Just close your eyes and concentrate on the point in your forehead, the one between your eyes." ''This is just plain stupid'' he thought as he executed her instruction. He then saw it: fire, too much of it, burning beasts, alive, and around half a dozen hunters surrounding them looking at the fire as if in trance. The scenery changed again and he saw a man or woman, he couldn''t tell, hanging from their legs while from the neck, blood was seeping drop by drop. - "What was that I saw just now?" he exclaimed loudly - "I cannot see what your third eye had witnessed good hunter. But you need to train your mind to use insight. Insight helps you envision extraordinary beings but also induces frenzy. So beware of its excessive use good hunter." - "I still cannot see if I have any blood echoes at the moment though." - "I will inspect them for you good hunter. Give me your right hand," she said as she kneeled down. "Now close your eyes, I will examine the amount of echoes you possess." A white aura glowed around Surgit''s hand as the doll inspected his echoes. It looked like a magic spell of some sort. But of course, Surgit couldn''t see that. He could only hear a hypnotic sound emanating from the doll and soothing sensation enveloped his hand. Her melodious voice made him obey every instruction she gave. When she was done, she looked at him with the same emotion ridden, yet beautiful eyes and said: "You don''t have any blood echoes good hunter." ''Great, I have none'' he said in a faint whisper as he opened his eyes. Well, at least now I know the nature of what almost drove me crazy. He thanked the doll and went back to the city of horrors and beasts. As he was about to leave though, the doll called out to him from where she stood. "You can always check how many echoes are within your mind by using your third eye." Once in Yharnam, he used his newly discovered ability to inspect how many echoes he had. He couldn''t believe what the doll had just told him. He was used to hearing too many voices in his head. But then again, they all went silent the moment he resuscitated. After some failed attempts, he could finally perceive, or rather ''know'' what the number was. It felt like when someone gets a d¨¦j¨¤-vu feeling. Or when they just happen to know something and imply that it was their great sixth sense that bestowed upon them such unexpected knowledge. It felt like he was alone, swimming in a dark void. He confirmed that he had no echoes. He then concentrated on reducing the amount of beasts that roamed the streets. He knew he had to become stronger in order to face that hunter. The old man was better than him in every aspect. He was faster, brutal, and more importantly, he could transform into a hideous beast that tore Surgit to pieces every time. The voices multiplied in his head, each advising him to do a different thing. He almost died to an axe wielding man once because the voices were fighting to decide on his best plan of attack. He did his best not to pay them any heed and concentrated on the task at hand. He was soaking with blood and minced meat adorned his whole body. But he was satisfied. He had managed to clear most of the streets of dogs, man-beasts and disgusting crows. He was ready to go see the doll and see how the voices in his head could be used. He was most of all curious, if they''d ever shut up at all. He used his insight this time to see if he can discern how many echoes he had. The feeling came back to him, but more intense. He was no longer swimming alone in a dark void. Shapes in different sizes surrounded him. They looked like a distant star light as observed from the ground. The light had a faint green glow to it. He couldn''t approach it but he could hear the echoes'' voices. They all had something to say and the more he concentrated on one of them, the stronger its voice became. The chatter among all the voices became too loud for him and he opened his eyes. He was back at the city and ready to get rid of them. He went back to the doll and she was the first to speak. - "Good hunter, what would you like to enhance?" - "I need to get stronger and deadlier, so what do you advise me to do?" - "I can channel the echoes into your muscles. Or if you wish, I can embed them into your blood stream." Her melodious voice always made him lose track of what she said. Or was it that the information was too ambiguous? - "I want more strength. Will it allow me to be faster too? I need faster reflexes to dodge swift attacks." he asked. - "It will certainly make you faster. However if it is perception and reflexes you''re after, you''re better off enhancing your skill. It would allow you to observe your enemies'' patterns and predict their movements." - "I understand a little better now. Oh and one more question, will the voices in my head subside after you channel them?" - "From what other hunters told me yes, they do subside." The doll answered. Surgit liked the sound of that. He asked the doll to channel his echoes and strengthen his body first then his skill. When the doll was done with the channeling, he felt his body with his hands and there were definitely some changes. His muscles were thicker and tenser. His whole body felt invigorated as if he had just received the ministration for the first time. The doll advised him to use insight again and inspect his status. He did as he was asked and titles popped up in his trance state. It looked as follows: Name:Surgit Insight level:Narrow minded Strength:Waste of Skin (2) Skill:Skillful (1) Bloodtinge:Blood Hungry (1) Arcane:Blind (1) 55 Gearing up for the big figh Karla woke up and felt her heart racing against her chest. She had a bad dream she couldn''t remember. Surgit was nowhere to be found. He must have gone looking for the key he spoke about earlier. She still felt tired and her bones hurt. The memory of what Paul had done to her still haunted her. She realized how weak she was against enemies who use that blood to enhance their bodies. It seemed like some kind of drug to her. She couldn''t fathom the idea of letting something foreign into her bloodstream. But she had no choice earlier, it was either that or death. She inspected her sword as she sat on the wooden floor in the anteroom. She had a long curved sword. The blade wasn''t broad and it fit her fighting style perfectly. When she trained to become a swordswoman, not even her father had given her a chance at succeeding. In retrospect, it was her spite against the men who belittled her that drove her forward. She found pleasure in humiliating the men who sparred against her. It was like she had a gift for sword fighting. She leaned back on the ground and the memories came flowing back. A man in the street had tried to come in too hard on her and even threatened to cut her throat open with a machete. She refused even though the fear that gnawed at her very soul urged her not to. She was surprised to see herself dancing around the man as he hacked at her with his weapon. At that time, the need to survive drove her to action. She miraculously snatched the machete from his hand and cut him too deep. He never walked the same again. From that day onward, Karla decided to learn how to fight. If it weren''t for her attacker''s recklessness and stupidity, she would''ve been dead before she even tried to get away from his swings. Her father tried to dissuade her but after seeing her determination, he had to cave in. Five years later she had become the best sword fighter in the kingdom, to the awe and envy of many. It took hard work and determination. She would train alone at night, hidden from her family''s sight. She knew of their disapproval and that drove her forward. There were too many dangers around the world and she wanted to be ready to face them all. Her master often called her obsessive. He taught her all he knew nevertheless and his face gleamed with pride the day she got a position within the place. She was affiliated to the royal guard, following the princess everywhere. Soon after, she had become her personal bodyguard and confidant. She looked like an innocent child who was waiting for the perfect suitor. While on the other hand, she hosted men in her chambers in secret.She knew every secret and every lover the princess had. Yet she grew bored of that mundane life. She felt that her skill was wasted and that her father, through his connections to the higher ups, landed her what he thought the safest position in the castle. And indeed it was, until the day Julius came in the picture. He was among the many lovers the princess had. Her thirst for lust was insatiable and she looked constantly for new adventures to have in bed with different men, and women. Julius came and changed everything. The princess fell for him and wanted only him. Karla didn''t like him one bit. Call it jealousy or intuition; she couldn''t put her finger on it. She warned the princess and asked her to be on guard, if the man ever acted strangely, she just had to call out to her. One morning, Karla came in to kick the man out of the princess'' bedchambers. They all had to leave early before the king''s servants saw them and reported to him. Karla found a bloodied bed and the princess'' head on a silver platter in the middle of it. Her shock was as big as her fear. She thought of her whole family getting slaughtered in front of her eyes and the torture she''d have to endure. So she ran, as far as her feet could take her. She knew that her family would suffer the consequences but she didn''t have time to warn them. She shamelessly got away from the kingdom and finally found herself under the wing of Francis. She wondered what happened to the old man, there was no sign of him anywhere. Even Surgit had confirmed that he didn''t see any corpses that looked like him. Could he be still alive? **** Surgit''s body was drenched in blood. He had managed to clear all of central Yharnam from the beasts lurking in it, except for two. The first one was the old man who''d killed him countless times. The second one was the thing lurking within the tunnel down in the aqueducts. He never dared go in there. The grunts and wails that came from there didn''t encourage him to go forward. One thing was bugging him though: if the old man came back to his original form each time Surgit was killed by him, and if the beasts in the city came back to life every time he died, doesn''t that mean that the gigantic beast he''d fought earlier should be back by now? He decided to inspect the great bridge, even though he really didn''t feel like it, but he had to know. As he reached the great bridge and the closed great gate, he saw the blue lantern and no sign of that colossal fiend. He sighed in relief but still wondered why its corpse wasn''t even in there. He returned to the dream to see the doll and get her help. Now that he had echoes, he could get even stronger and face the old man. He couldn''t accept the title he was given. ''Waste of skin?! What is that supposed to mean? I will not fight such a deadly foe with a shameful title like that!'' He had just realized how weak he was. After the blood ministration, he not only regained form but also gained in strength and perception. That was enough to make him think he was capable of defeating any enemy that came his way. All he needed was to be skilled enough to come out victorious. He realized by now that this was far from the truth. The ability to come back from the dead wasn''t the only thing that allowed him to learn and become better. There was something else, something deeper and more powerful. Back in the dream, Surgit decided to upgrade his strength and skill. He knew that he needed to have enough perception to dodge all of the old man''s attacks and strike back at him. He also needed strength as his attacks didn''t always damage him and he needed that fight to end quickly. He inspected his echoes before talking to the doll. In the darkness that enveloped his trance-like vision, he saw a light in the distance. It was the same as his previous vision. The echoes'' voices produced wails, laughter and even shouted in despair. They were all huddled together and the cluster they made shone in a green light. That vision took him to a place which felt like he was floating in open space, surrounded by darkness. Only those clusters of echoes provided a semblance of light far away in the distance. He could see other lights, straying away from the bright cluster. Their murmurs were too faint to make out what they had to say though. All he could hear were cries of agony and despair. When he spoke to the doll, he learned that the echoes he had could only upgrade his skill, arcane or bloodtinge but not his strength. As to the information on how he could know the necessary amount of echoes needed in order to upgrade his skill, the doll had just one answer "Use your insight good hunter." He retorted that the only thing he could see were lights when he used it. The doll then suggested he looks for the needed information in the various books in the hunters'' workshop. Upon inspecting the books, Surgit realized that he couldn''t read a word of it. He was, after all, a foreigner. He thought of asking the doll to clarify things for him. She was the one who channeled the echoes. That meant that she could actually tell him how it worked. He anticipated what their conversation would amount to: "Use your insight good hunter," he said in an outrageous imitation of her melodious voice. The little voices inside his head giggled. Then it dawned on him. He used his insight while holding the book and to his surprise, some of the letters on the volume became intelligible. He read the title of the book he was holding. It read: "How to pick up fair maidens." He silently put the book down and used his third eye to look for another one that could be of actual use to him. ''Hunters weren''t really popular with the ladies, were they?'' an echo was happily asking the others as they chortled at his lame joke. Surgit ignored them and picked up another book. "Increase your strength and become the beast slayer you''re meant to." He sat on a sofa and began his reading. By the third page, the letters became unintelligible. His head throbbed and he had to stop using his insight. In fact, the headache forced him to. The gist of what he''d read could be summarized in the following: If that crazy hunter had more strength and skill, it would mean that he also had great defense against weaker attacks. He had to match those in order to deal some significant damage. Among the interesting pieces of information he came across too was that the messenger in the bath didn''t only serve to transport him back to Yharnam but it also sold items and equipment. Surgit returned to the messenger''s bath. The little white creature looked at Surgit and waited for his instructions. "Show me the things you have for sale little man, I understand you sell stuff," said Surgit. The messenger instantly disappeared into the black pool and soon after that; a screen appeared on the liquid. There was a list of different items, written in gold. All he had to do was touch one of the items and it would display if he could purchase it or not. He needed echoes to finalize the purchase but it was much simpler than dealing with the doll. Each item displayed on the black pool had a YES or NO written next to it. He still didn''t understand how echoes worked precisely but at least the messengers were pretty straight forward with him. Surgit touched the top left corner of the screen and the items displayed changed. The messenger also offered different types of body armor. Everything that was displayed could be bought using echoes. Surgit decided, with the echoes he had collected, to buy new set of clothes for himself and a long black leather coat for Karla. He wanted to become stronger, but good gear also provided great defense which he was in dire need of. He went back to the clinic and found Karla, sound as sleep as usual. She woke up as soon as she heard his footsteps. "I almost didn''t recognize you with that new outfit of yours, where did you get that from?" she said in a startled voice. He wore a long dark brown leather coat with a black cape on his shoulders. On his head, he wore a triangular cap, similar to the one privateers used to wear. He also sported a gray shirt on top of which he wore a leather vest ornamented with a belt that attached diagonally to from his left shoulder to the right side of his waist. The belt was there to hold his ammunition and blood vials. He also wore dark brown trousers and black leather boots. The outfit he chose fit the traditional attire hunters usually sported on nights of the hunt. "I got you something too." He handed her the coat he got from the dream. "Where did you get this? It fits nicely." She was obviously pleased by the coat he handed her. "I found them while searching in the city for that key we need." He didn''t want to tell her about the dream, it wasn''t her concern and she shouldn''t know about it. "Did you find it then?" Karla asked. 56 Take 36. Ready, Set, Action!! Surgit stood in front of the graveyard, ready for another round against Gascoigne. He''s been clobbered to death, eaten, torn apart and even shot to death. He wondered what else the old man still had in stock for him. The last time he went to face him he was so sloppy that the fight finished in two swings. When he came back from the dead, he decided to clear his mind and went on a rampage around the city. He cleared it of all that roamed about except for the thing that wailed in the tunnel by the canals. He still didn''t feel like going in blind and risking another humiliation. He couldn''t take it. Gascoigne was enough. He had already accumulated enough echoes to upgrade his skill a little. His skill tree now read: Name:Surgit Insight level: Narrow minded Strength: Waste of Skin (2) Skill:Skillful (2) Bloodtinge: Blood Hungry (1) Arcane:Blind (1) Even though the change looked small, he actually felt like the monsters in the city moved slower. He could read through their movements with ease. He even found himself mechanically predicting their next move. He wanted to improve his skill more but so far, he was still unable to read the book he found for a longer time and the information wasn''t too helpful. His new attire also had some interesting use. First, he had extra pockets in which he could store medium sized objects. He had put the music box the little girl had handed him earlier in one of the pockets. Secondly, the belt that aligned diagonally from his chest to waist was useful to quickly access bullets and blood vials. And he finally had a proper holster for his gun and a unique kind of sheath for his weapon. It wasn''t a proper sheath per say as the cleaver was not even a conventional weapon to be sheathed. Instead, he had a strange strap on his back which was ornamented with little magnets. All he had to do was throw his weapon at his back and it would attach automatically. Surgit stood at the entrance of the graveyard and took a deep breath. He had to finish the hunter now. Karla started insisting on going with him and he started running out of excuses. In fact she looked better and felt like she could fight by his side. The last time he spoke to her, he''d asked her to regain more of her strength. He promised that if he didn''t find the key that time, he''d take her with him. That was the only way to keep her at the clinic. If he ever brought her to fight the hunter, she would get herself killed. Surgit was a hunter and he had trouble dealing with the old lunatic. He couldn''t imagine how Karla would be able to match Gascoigne''s speed and deadly attacks. When he made his presence known in the graveyard, Gascoigne dashed towards him. He shot him with his shotgun and as Surgit dodged, he saw the man''s axe right in front of his eyes. It was as if time had slowed down. He dodged the first swing that was aimed at his head then bent backwards. The back of his head almost touched the ground while the horizontal swing missed his chest. Surgit rolled backwards then jumped at the man, bringing his cleaver down on him. Gascoigne blocked the attack, holding his axe with both hands. Surgit didn''t stop at that and kicked the man so hard in the stomach. He sent the hunter flying only to be smashed on a tree. His strength had increased considerably. The blood echoes were a real life saver. Gascoigne stood up then dashed towards Surgit. The kick didn''t affect him much, he kept his usual speed. Two strikes from his axe missed Surgit as he dodged in the nick of time. He could see clearer through the old man''s attacks. The only thing left now was to find an opening and damage him badly. Gascoigne took his shotgun in order to shoot Surgit but the latter had read through his movement. He kicked the firearm away from the man''s left hand and, as he spun, elongated his cleaver and struck Gascoigne on his right ribs. The saw was buried deep within his ribcage but Gascoigne just looked at Surgit and smiled. That smile which could immobilize a person from fear.He had canine teeth and his eyes were bandaged. It felt like a demon was playing with him and giving him room for a first hit before he finished him. Surgit jumped back and readied himself for another flurry of attacks from Gascoigne. The man dashed towards Surgit and attacked furiously. He could see through all his movements though and it appeared to him that they were slower than before. He saw that the bleeding hadn''t stopped and perhaps, Gascoigne didn''t feel the pain. It was like he didn''t realize that he was injured. Gascoigne elongated his axe and performed a spinning attack. Surgit jumped behind him just as the axe grazed his legs. None of them noticed the music box falling from Surgit''s pocket. The box fell down and opened, it played some kind of lullaby. Surgit looked as the old man stopped at his tracks and held his head with both hands. The music affected him in some strange way. Surgit was too absorbed by the fight to make a connection between the music box and the hunter''s reaction. It was his chance to finish the fight at last. He ran towards him and struck him with his elongated cleaver. The weapon hit him on the left ribs and the impact placated Gascoigne on the ground. Surgit''s saw was dripping with blood but that still didn''t stop Gascoigne. The hunter stood up and rushed Surgit again. The latter dodged his attacks which seemed to slow down a little. With his left foot, Surgit almost tripped on the music box and the axe missed him by a hair''s width. ''If I use that music again, I might finally finish him and bring this fight to an end.'' He dodged another flurry and picked up the box as he rolled away from a large swing. He opened it again and Gascoigne held his head in pain again. Before Surgit could approach the struggling hunter, a blinding light forced him to jump back. ''Oh shit!'' The beast jumped at Surgit and tried to rip his body apart as it did earlier. Surgit rolled forward and avoided the attack. He turned back towards the beast to see it relentlessly running at him. He saw its claws missing him by a whisker. The music box didn''t affect the monster anymore. So he stood in place, dodging all the beast''s attacks until the latter performed a slam that forced Surgit to jump back. ''His attacks are dangerous. I need to find a way to knock him out or something. There has to be a way to bring him down.'' He could already see that the wounds he had inflicted on him earlier had slightly closed and the bleeding stopped. He baited another slam attack from the beast and jumped to avoid it. He kicked the beast as hard as he could in the head. He was aiming to knock it out but the beast didn''t even react to the attack. ''Its strength and speed have increased and the kick that sent him flying earlier had no effect on him. I need to find another way.'' As the transformed man came at him with a new flurry of attacks, Surgit drew out his gun and went for the counter attack. As he shot the monster and saw it down on its knees Surgit heard the echoes in his head again ''Bless us with bloodˇ­ GIVE US BLOOD.'' The voices were too agitated and their screams gave Surgit a headache. He winced from pain and couldn''t move for a little while. When he came to, the beast had recovered and kicked him in the stomach. Surgit felt the claws penetrating his abdomen and as he flew backwards, blood came rushing out of his nostrils. A huge tombstone stopped him on his tracks and he felt some bones breaking. The beast was running towards him again and Surgit had barely enough energy to take a blood vial from his pocket and inject himself with it. The healing effect helped him regain some of his power and he managed to stand and run away from the beast''s next series of attacks. The old man always attacked in flurries or with body slams. The kick was a new attack but all in all, Surgit started to see a pattern there. He injected himself with another vial and regained his strength completely. The beast repeated another slam and Surgit was ready for it this time. He shot the old man in the chin as the latter landed with all his body weight on him. That shot was enough to stagger him. Surgit fought against the pain induced from the screaming voices in his head and tried with all his might to attack the beast and finish it off. The beast was already recovering from the stagger and was about to stand and attack again. There was no time for a visceral attack. He threw his cleaver on his back, which attached immediately to the magnets. He had both his hands free at that moment and he inflicted a rapid and strong series of blows on the beast''s face. He felt the adrenaline rushing through his body. He felt the excitement of battle and the feeling that he was about to win the fight pushed him to punch even stronger. Pain came searing through his ribs as the beast had caught him with both hands and slammed him to the ground. His punches were still too weak to bring the old man down to another stagger state. The man stomped at Surgit''s face twice and he started feeling himself losing consciousness. ''Blood, bless us with blood!'' The voices in his head were getting less frenzied. All he wanted to do was lay in there and rest. It felt good to be plummeted to death and he knew that he would have another chance at thinking of a way to bring the man in a flash, using the box. With a jolt of pain, he felt the beast''s teeth wrapped around his right arm, Surgit took his gun from the left and shot the beast in the face. As the old man was stunned by the shot, Surgit took two vials and injected himself with it. Surgit didn''t lose time as he started hacking at the beast''s left leg. In three strikes, performed in a Z movement, Surgit cut its leg off. He followed this strike with a kick to the other leg. He heard Gascoigne''s howls as he fell to the ground. He enjoyed hearing his tormentor scream in pain. He finally had the chance to give him back some of the pain he inflicted upon him. He used the momentum of his kick to take his cleaver from its sheath. He elongated it then brought it down on Gascoigne, tearing apart flesh, bones and muscles. The sight of blood gushing out from the beast''s body excited him even more. As he pulled his weapon back, Surgit saw Gascoigne''s insides gushing out of his body. He then took his pistol out and shot the man twice in the head, the only part of the beast''s body that hasn''t been affected by the cleaver. He slowly walked towards the hunter''s axe and took it, throwing his cleaver on his back in the process. The beast was drawing its last breath but it was still trying to stand up. Surgit elongated the axe and held it with both hands. He brought the weapon on the beast''s head with such force that he split it in half. "Well, there is a brain inside this grotesque skull after all," he shouted as he brought the axe down on the beast again. He hacked at the corpse multiple times until he felt satisfied. He had finally brought down the nemesis that blocked his progression towards the Cathedral Ward. ''Blood! Sweet, sweet blood!'' shouted the echoes. 57 Beasts all over the shop... Gavril, in his meditative state received a vision from his queen. The message was clear: ''seek the new hunter, and recruit him to our cause.'' Excitement filled the old knight. It had been long since he heard her thoughts. His queen was concealed from them and that pained him tremendously. The bridge connecting to the castle to the village had been long destroyed. In order to reach the castle now, one needs to have a special summons made in their name. Only the queen can seal the summons in one''s name. The manner in which the summons was sent to the one worthy of an audience was not known even to him, her most loyal knight. It pained him even more that the queen didn''t summon him to the castle. If there was one worthy fighter in all of Yharnam, capable of freeing her from captivity, it was definitely him. But the queen saw something in some unknown hunter who had just risen. He knew he had to train him to be capable of reaching the castle. He despised that he was transformed into a mere trainer. Perhaps the queen shunned her knights for not being able to protect the castle. But years of exile and atonement would surely be enough for her to forgive and forget. She was not the kind of person to forget easily though. He knew that this would be his permanent status and it would never change. Gavril wore a regal black coat adorned by intricate gold needle work. The stitching was extremely detailed and brought to mind the pomposity way knights of Cainhurst loved to dress. Underneath the coat, he wore a crimson vest ornamented with golden locks that brought the two sides of the clothing together. Black knee height boots concealed the rest of his black trousers. On his hand, he wore red leather gloves and the bracers he wore were golden with intricate engravings on them. The man was old, too old. He had white hair and a pointy nose. Despite age, his face still kept noble features. He looked younger than any normal middle-aged man nonetheless. He decided to get a change of clothes first. If he ever had to train a new hunter, he needed to look familiar to him. Besides, Yharnam was too big of a place to be wandering about in his knight garb. He didn''t wish to soil them with profane beasts'' blood. He left the peace and silence of his tower and descended to the village. There were too many dead hunters in there anyway. The women had done a great job hunting down any poor soul that dared explore the hamlet. He was sure to find some dead hunter to loot for an appropriate attire and weapon. *** Surgit looked at the dead body which lied next to his feet. His body shook violently after the fight was over. The adrenaline rush was exhilarating. After a moment, he regained his senses and started analyzing the situation he was in. The hunter he finally managed to slay was mystery. He didn''t know who he was or why he relentlessly attacked him on so many occasions. ''Use your insight good hunter,'' said the echoes in his head, imitating the doll. He used his third eye and too much information popped up in front of him. The first thing he learned about the hunter was his name. ''Father Gascoigne'' the insight had showed him. His third eye showed him the hunter laying on the ground in his human form, not the beast he''d just hacked to pieces. The man had hands crossed over his chest and held two items. The first one had a crimson glow and upon inspecting it Surgit realized that it was the hunter''s core. The information he received looked like crudely written letters that flew on top of the item or the person he inspected. + Gascoigne''s core: give to the messengers to receive a gift. The other item which Gascoigne held glowed a green light. He inspected it and it read: + The echo of a man hunter. Pop to receive echoes. Another item shone on Gascoigne''s pocket. He inspected it and knew immediately what it was: The key to unlock the closed metallic gate. + Oedon tomb key: use to unlock the gate towards Oedon Chapel. Surgit opened his eyes and massaged his head. Using insight for too long always caused him to have terrible headaches. He had finally beaten the hunter and even got the key in the process. He looked at the music box and smiled. "If it weren''t for the gift that little gir-" he stopped mid-sentence. The thought that came to him surprised and horrified him at the same time. The girl had told him that her mother played the tune to her father when he forgot about them. Surgit inspected the box and on the bottom, he could read two names which were engraved in the metal casing: Gascoigne and Viola. His whole body shivered at the thought of what he had just done. ''If you had used your insight beforeˇ­.'' Some of the echoes whispered. "Not now voices!" Surgit shouted. He had just orphaned a little helpless girl. What''s more, her mother was nowhere to be seen. He decided to explore the graveyard before he headed back to Karla. The first thing he did was open the big metallic gate. The key worked and his paranoia calmed down. He couldn''t trust everything the echoes or the insight told him. He had to learn this as some of the echoes led him to his demise many times before. He returned to the graveyard and went to the place where he had first seen Gascoigne. As he got closer to the dark corner, a horrifying scene awaited him. Many man-beasts were on the ground, in pieces. Gascoigne was hacking them all using his axe. Surgit was still holding on to that weapon. He liked how it handled despite it looking crude and heavy. With his hunter''s strength, using that weapon wasn''t going to be too much of a hassle. He was standing next to an old cabin. Perhaps that was where the graveyard keeper used to live. He tried to open the door but it wouldn''t budge. He slammed his shoulder on it and a fetid smell made him stop his attempt. Gascoigne had actually been killing every beast that came his way and cleared his space by throwing them inside. Blood trickled down on Surgit''s forehead. He looked up and saw a corpse''s arm dangling from the roof. Surgit jumped up and inspected the body. A woman wearing a black dress was lying face down on the roof. She had dark blond hair. Surgit squinted at the woman''s hair and his heart skipped a beat. A red jeweled brooch was attached to the cold corpse. He took it and hoped against hope that what he dreaded didn''t come to reality. He flipped the item and on its back a name was engraved. He didn''t need to use his insight to inspect the item. It was clear whose ornament it was. ''Viola'', the name gave Surgit the shivers. The poor helpless girl had lost both her dear mother and her hunter father. He dragged his feet back towards the clinic to see Karla. 58 The horrors of the upper cathedral ward Francis and the woman were watching the fight from the closed gate above. They heard a lot of noise from below earlier: too many gunshots. They wondered whether the hunter down in the graveyard had been disposed of or not. Finally they decided to go down and have a look. From the closed gate, they saw the hunter transform into a hideous beast that launched furious attacks at Surgit. The sane hunter on the other hand fought well and disposed of his enemy in the bloodiest possible way. As Surgit walked out of the graveyard and went back towards central Yharnam, Francis turned towards the woman and said. - "Good god, why do these people always have to decapitate each other to be satisfied?" - "Hunters like killing beasts, and most of the time, they love killing each other." Replied the woman in a placid tone. "Do you still want to go through blood ministration?" - "I believe that we can control our minds and shape them the way we are. Being simple minded will lead you to be addicted to blood. I am not one of those blood crazed people and will not be." - "Spoken like a wise man. I really believe that you can make a difference in this city. After all, we''ve been stuck in these nights of the hunt for too long. If you can find a way out of it, everyone will be extremely grateful." - "With the knowledge you bestowed upon me and the possibility of elevating my mind by following master Willem''s words, I''m sure I can find a way out." - "You''re a resourceful man Francis; I wish you all the best. We must part ways here. Your path lies in the Cathedral ward while mine is towards Central Yharnam. That hunter helped me out a lot by disposing of Gascoigne." And with these words, the woman walked through the open the door Surgit had left open. She turned around and looked at Francis from the other side. "I guess this is farewell, be careful on the way up to the great cathedral, the key I gave you will only grant you access to the upper ward, getting there will be dangerous." She said with a grave tone in her voice. "Don''t worry, I''ll be careful, I survived this far, I guess I can make it there if I stay vigilant."Francis was scared at the idea of making his way to the upper cathedral ward alone but at the same time, he had to gather all his courage and get to the top. The information he and the woman shared motivated him to receive the blood ministration and look for ways to elevate his thoughts. He heard a great deal from Surgit about the snippets he managed to gather about Yharnam and Byrgenwerth. And with the additional information he received from the healing church doctor, he was even more excited to find out the truth about the city and what its scholars had been searching for before the city fell to the beastly scourge. So he headed upstairs and found himself at the second floor, above the library where he conversed with the doctor. He found himself in a chapel. Jars were put everywhere, next to the walls, around the altar, next to the numerous statues that decorated the place. Next to the altar, a strange creature sat down, not minding Francis'' presence. He also saw three doors, each led somewhere outside the chapel. "Hi there" he said, addressing the sitting creature, hoping that it was capable of speech. The doctor told him that there was no danger in the chapel as incense warded off beasts. And the jars he saw were full of burning incense. "Can you tell me which door takes to the upper cathedral ward?"The strange creature turned slowly towards Francis. It had while eyeballs, as if it were blind. It wore a long red robe that extended to the floor and its skin was ashen gray. "Hey there, I didn''t hear you come in. Yes the upper cathedral ward must be accessed through the door on your right." The creature had a man''s voice and it seemed friendly. Francis didn''t have much time to waste talking to it though as he knew that Surgit will eventually make his way up to the chapel. He didn''t want to see him. He wanted him to think that Francis had died when Karla did. He found the door, went through it and closed it tight. From all the three ways leading out, that one was the only one that had a door that could be closed off. He turned back and took an elevator to go up. He found himself in the last floor of the chapel. There was a sleeping old man on a wheelchair. ''I know what you are, sir, trying to lure me in, faking your sleep then shooting at me with your gun.'' He''d been in a similar situation with Karla in Central Yharnam and he wasn''t about to be fooled again. He walked on tip toe to avoid alerting the man of his presence. There was one door leading out of the chapel into a bridge connecting to a tower. The ascension was going to be hard. That much he knew. But he didn''t expect to see so many enemies roaming about and patrolling the tower. The doctor had given him a concoction which is supposed to make him invisible. The blue elixir could numb one''s senses and needed to be used with extreme caution. She had only one to spare and he didn''t have time to try it out yet. ''Well, I won''t have any second chances at ascending this tower. I should just keep my concentration. How hard could it be?'' He drank half the vial and felt all his muscles tingle.The strange sensation almost made him faint and it was with great difficulty that he managed to move. The lady doctor warned him not to move too quickly and to plan his path before he started walking towards it. He did so and walked slowly through the bridge. No one had spotted him yet. He saw a couple of snipers on the level above and a man-beast patrolling the floor he was headed to. He got inside the tower without any problems. He realized that he could''ve died without the help of that lady. Five more enemies were inside the building, waiting for any intruder to make his way in. He saw stairs that took to the upper floor and took them. With each step he took, he felt his heart beating heavily against his chest. The effect of the elixir would ideally last for two minutes. He counted the seconds in his head and hoped that the two minutes would suffice him to reach a safe place, away from the beasts that would cut him to pieces if they ever spotted him. He reached the second floor and managed to get outside. There were no more stairs leading up but he knew that he had to get to the top, and that was in the floor above. A troll was patrolling the second floor along with the two snipers, and as he managed to slip past them, he found a ladder leading to the balcony of the last floor. Francis went up at the most opportune moment as the effect of the elixir had worn off. He decided to scout the area and make sure that there are no enemies. He didn''t want to take another sip of the elixir. It could come in handy once he reached the upper cathedral ward. He sneaked a peak into the room and saw two more old men on a wheelchair. They wore plague doctor masks that reminded him of the woman who killed Paul. He went back next to the ladder and took an empty bottle he had seen on the floor. He threw it on the opposite side of the balcony and the men on the wheelchair went looking for the source of the noise. Francis then ran in, he saw a closed door and made for it. He used the key the lady had given him and unlocked the door. The men had noticed the ruse and were coming back towards him. He closed the door behind him and locked it. Those two had no way of getting inside without the key. He looked back and found himself next to another bridge. It connected towards a mansion that had a triangular dome and two conical towers on each end. Mist surrounded the mansion and made it look petrifying and at the same time thrilling to look at. He needed to use extreme caution as the place felt ominous. A woman''s voice could be heard in the distance, singing as if in an opera. The voice made the place even more terrifying. ''Why is there a woman singing? And why is her voice this strong around here? I haven''t heard a thing until I came through here.'' Suddenly, Francis felt a terrible pain immobilize him. His head started shuddering and he couldn''t move or say a word. His muscles started contracting and he thought that he was going to die. The pain seemed to last for eternity and he couldn''t bear it anymore. He finally managed to let out a terrible scream and fell to the ground, unconscious. 59 The katana called Chikage When he came to his senses, he found himself in a vast room. He was lying down on a comfortable queen sized bed. The most comfortable thing he had the pleasure of using since his arrival to Yharnam. "Finally awake huh, welcome back to the world of the living." A woman''s voice said from afar. Francis got up and looked at the place where the voice originated. A tall woman, fully clothed in white was looking at him. "It''s a wonder a mere human like you managed to get here. How did you worm your way to the upper cathedral ward?" her voice was authoritative and he didn''t want to upset her from the beginning. "I met a lady doctor down at the cathedral ward who gave me the key to access this closed down area. She told me that I can get access to blood ministration here" said Francis after deciding that honesty would be again a good option to get on this woman''s good side. The woman smiled and inspected Francis from head to toe with her eyes. - "An old frail man, looking for blood ministration: that is unusual. Are you sick old man?" - "No I''m not. I''m just seeking knowledge and Enlightenment. But after what happened to me before I fainted, I''m not sure anymore. Were you the one singing?" He said after remembering what had happened before he fainted. - "You could hear the singing? I''m amazed old man." The woman was taken aback by what Francis had just revealed. Perhaps he wasn''t supposed to hear the woman''s voice. - "I heard it then I felt extreme pain in my head. I fainted right after that, do you know what might be the cause of that?" he asked. - "That was insight. You gained an insight even though you do not possess the old blood. Master Willem was right after all, we should not depend on the use of blood." The woman seemed to have been absorbed in thought after what Francis had told her. - "So, that is how it feels to gain insight huh." Francis was still worried about the searing pain he had just experienced, but at learning that it was insight, he felt relieved. - "Very well, that lady doctor who gave you the key must''ve seen something special in you. And I agree with her. If you''re looking for blood ministration, I may be able to help." Declared the woman after a moment''s silence. - "Wonderful! This is just brilliant. I''m relieved and glad to hear that." Francis was surprised at how fast people trusted him. ''Am I this trustworthy? In any case I need to find a way to use insight to my advantage.'' He decided then to ask the woman - "Before we begin, can you tell me how I can use my insight? I talked about it with the lady doctor but we never go to the part where I''d have to use it." - "This will come after you''re done with the blood ministration. All you need is a bit of Yharnam blood of your own, and everything will follow. Stay here please, I''ll be back with the necessary tools." Then she disappeared behind the door. Francis was glad he met that lady doctor back at the chapel. Thanks to her everything went well for him. He couldn''t stop but think of what could have happened to her. He knew that insight gives one the ability to see things usually unseen to normal human beings. The more one gains, the more he could see and understand about the unseen. They spoke about other worlds that humans couldn''t access and other dimensions in which other creatures live. He knew that to be a hunter would mean that he''d have to kill beasts and fight to survive. But that would also mean that he''d get access to more insight and more knowledge about the unseen. He always had the feeling that humans live in a dimension where everything seemed so harmonious and logical. But on the other hand, what they couldn''t see or explain, they explained it with faith, religion or magic. They never tried to acknowledge that there could be stronger things that control our existence: That we could be just tools for others as domestic animals are used by humans for sustenance and other purposes. As he was absorbed in thought, the woman came back with a set of tools. Syringes, bottles and vials filled with blood. "Now just lie down and relax. The process is painless. You will lose consciousness and wake up anew." The woman then used a needle connected to a tube and inserted it into Francis'' bloodstream. The tube was connected to a vial filled with blood, and it started slowly mixing with his. He felt his head getting heavier and he drifted away, losing consciousness. The woman was still there, looking at him cautiously and clenching a weapon in her right hand as he opened his eyes. "What happened? Did I do something wrong?" he asked as he saw that the woman was stressed and ready to attack at any moment. She relaxed once he spoke and said: "The administration doesn''t go as planned on some occasions and we need to dispose of the patient before it''s too late for them and for everyone else. But yours seems to have gone well. How do you feel? Did you have any bad dreams?" she was still apprehensive although she had relaxed her grip over the weapon. "I dreamt that I was flying above the city, looking at it and admiring its majesty. The dream was wonderful actually." Francis had dreamt something different, but he decided to conceal it from the woman. "Strange, I''ve never heard of someone having such a dream. You really are a special case. Come with me, it''s high time you got used to that new body of yours." She stood and headed towards the door. Francis stood and inspected his body. It felt like he regained his teenage body but with more tone. His body had new muscles and he didn''t feel the pain in his bones anymore. He felt lighter and stronger. ''The blood ministration is a real blessing, it''s better than what I expected'' he thought, thrilled at the idea of becoming more powerful than ever. He followed the woman into a bigger room. It was spacious enough and it had different types of weapons. "You can choose the one you like in here and we will train with it. You need to know how to use your new strength." The woman was excited to help Francis. Spending a long time alone in a mansion like this can get a person to go crazy. Francis looked around at the arsenal presented before him. He liked katanas and he always imagined himself fighting with one. He found one and took it. It was heavier than what he thought, the blade looked extremely sharp and the pommel had some strange inscriptions on it. "Nice choice, the Chikage is a powerful weapon, it uses blood attacks and it can-"The woman wasn''t able to finish her sentence as her head was cut off with one swift strike. ''I like this body and this weapon already'' thought Francis. ''I thought that she''d fight back but she just stood there and took it. Lack of practice I guess, no matter, time to explore this place.'' And he went outside, ready to explore the mansion and unlock its secrets. With his newfound powers, he knew that he could face any danger. Moreover, he had a place to go to, that dream he had was really illuminating. 60 Oedon Chapel Dweller After coming back to Karla, Surgit gave a short account of the fight he had to have with Gascoigne. "I found the key in his trousers'' pocket. We can now access the Cathedral Ward." He said as Karla observed him with wary eyes. They observed each other for until it became apparent that one of them had to say something. Karla spoke:" God you look scary!" After the fight, Surgit was drenched in blood from head to toe. "Didn''t I just tell you that I had to fight a horrific beast?" He asked. Karla shrugged and continued: "with your new attire, seeing you bathed with blood gives me the creeps." Surgit gave her a look that suggested he was offended. The only thing Karla could see was a bloody face making grimaces. "Would stop making faces please? That only accentuates your horrific look! If you could see yourself in a mirror, I bet you would scare yourself with those faces." Surgit turned around and said: "would it be better if I spoke to you like this?" Karla laughed and retorted: "It''s alright. We are in a city filled with blood and beasts after all. I must get used to seeing your bloody face." Karla was making jokes and that surprised Surgit. He always took her for the serious type. He never expected her to be making any jokes except when she wanted to demean a person. He hated past Karla but liked the present one. He couldn''t help but smile. "Oh you''re just testing my limits here Surgit. Please do not make any more faces I beg of you." Disheartened at the misunderstanding his appearance caused, Surgit kept a stern face and announced that they should get moving. They moved through empty streets and Karla whistled as she saw the pile of corpses lying on the road that led to the graveyard. "Was this your doing mister hunter?" she asked in apparent sarcasm. "Oh miss deadly thinks she''s witty." He retorted and kept moving. Although he liked Karla''s witticism, he disliked the fact that it was aimed at him. They took the stairs up towards the graveyard. "This is where I fought the hunter before," he announced to Karla. Karla looked around her. She saw smashed tombstones and traces of claws on the floor everywhere. ''What is it that he fought?'' she thought to herself. Surgit had told her that he''d fought a man, not a beast. But from what she observed, it looked like a beast had been in the graveyard. Realizing Karla''s acute observational skills, he commented: - "The man was a hunter who had gone mad apparently. He even transformed into a hideous beast halfway through the fight." - "And you don''t find this alarming at all?" Karla answered with a raised eyebrow. - "What do you mean by that?" He knew what she meant but he hoped his question would delay the talk about the transformation a bit longer. - "You know exactly what I mean. Don''t you think that this might happen to you too?" - "I honestly don''t know. All I know is that the man attacked everything that moved, even his poor wife. I''m still capable of separating beast from human. That''s what matters to me at the moment." - Karla considered what Surgit said for a moment then said: "That''s reasonable enough. So how do you know that he killed his wife?" Surgit reiterated the story of the little girl to Karla. He could see it in her eyes. She wanted to make a comment on how he managed to deprive a helpless girl from her parents but couldn''t. Or possibly it was just his paranoia talking. Karla looked away from Surgit, she obviously felt bad for the little orphan. Yharnam was indeed a cruel place. But the same could happen to anyone, anywhere and anytime. War could ravage a country and bring misery and despair upon the homes of so many innocent people. What happened in Yharnam was tragic just in a different manner. Instead of blood thirsty warriors, there were blood starved monsters. - "What do you think that is?" Surgit had brought her back from her daydreams. - "What is that hideous thing?" she looked at what Surgit pointed at and she didn''t know what to make of it. A statue of an old man, wrapped in some kind of cloth from shoulders to toes, stood in the middle of the graveyard. It looked like a mummified corpse. The corpse''s head looked peculiar though. The old man had a long beard but instead of having hair, he had tentacles. "It''s either bad art, or a messed up imagination on Yharnamites'' part," Karla was still looking at the statue as she commented. "In some civilizations, people erected statues of saints, angels or even gods. Maybe this statue signifies one of these to the people of Yharnam." Surgit suggested. "If this one is a saint," started Karla before she pointed to another statue. "Then what do you think this one is?" Surgit looked at the statue she pointed at. A veiled person held both hands in a prayer position. The person looked towards the sky. The face was covered and the feet were merged to stone. The whole sculpture looked strange and scary. "I''m chilled to the bone standing in this graveyard. Shall we move and get to the next place please?" Karla pleaded. Surgit nodded and they took the stairs towards the gate. One thing puzzled him though. On the second statue, where the feet were merged to stone, messengers from the dream were sculpted. Did Yharnamites know of the existence of the messengers as well? Or was this done by some aspiring hunter artist? They went through the gate and found themselves in the basement of some building. Barrels and sacks were scattered all around. One ladder took upstairs so they took it. As Surgit opened the trap door at the end of the ladder, he found himself in a library. He inspected the place with Karla. They were looking for clues regarding Francis'' survival as he hadn''t found any corpse during his exploration of Central Yharnam. "The Byrgenwerth spider hides all manner of rituals, and keeps our lost master from us. A terrible shame, it makes my head shudder uncontrollably." Karla read out loud a note she had found on a table. "That sounds extremely cryptic, what do you think it means?" she said as she faced Surgit. "I have no idea to be honest. This city has so many secrets that I get the feeling that it will take us ages to just scratch its surface. I don''t think we''ll find anything in here, let''s go upstairs." The pair took the stairs to the upper floor and found a closed door. Upon opening it, they were welcomed with a wonderful scene. They were inside a tall building. The ceiling was almost impossible to see as it was too high up. Surgit could see spherical lanterns hanging from it and pieces of long red cloth encircled them all. Smoke was emitted from the lanterns. Some of the cloths extended to encircle even other lanterns. On the ground, they were standing on a circular area. Jars were aligned around them and they could sense a sweet scent coming from them. They were like gigantic candles burning and letting off a sweet scent all at the same time. They both felt extremely safe in that place. Karla and Surgit moved around to have a better look at the place and understand where they were. They saw two doors leading outside and another one on their right, locked. Karla tried to push the door open but to no avail. Surgit in the meantime was inspecting the jars from which incense burned. He jumped back as he saw a creature wearing red sitting amidst the jars, not moving or making a noise. In his surprise, Surgit broke one of the jars. Karla turned at him and saw that he looked troubled. She joined him to look at the creature that sat in front of them. 61 Separated "Aah, a hunter are ya? Very sorry, the incense must''ve masked your scent" said the weird creature in front of them. It could speak although it appeared devoid of that ability. It had a triangular long face. Its skin was ashen gray and it wore a log red robe. It had white eyes and a wide gaping mouth. Looking at it felt like looking at a ghost with flesh and bones. It had long fingers, twice as long as a human being''s. Surgit didn''t like that creature one bit. "Who are you?" said Karla. She was as stunned by the creature as Surgit. - "These hunts have everyone locked up inside. Waiting for it to endˇ­ It always does, always has, y''know; since forever. But it won''t very nicely, not this time." - "What do you mean?" Surgit didn''t trust that thing one bit but he was curious to know more. - "Even some folks hiding inside are goin'' bad. The screams of wimminfolk, the stench of blood, the snarls of beastsˇ­ none of em''s too uncommon now. Yharnam''s done fer I tell ya." The creature finished its short speech with a desperate voice, on the verge of crying. - "Then what are you doing here alone, in this place I wonder. Aren''t you afraid of monsters?" Asked Karla. - "The incense wards off the beasts in this here Oedon chapel. If you spot anyone with their wits about ''emˇ­ tell ''em about this here Oedon chapel. They''ll be safe here. Spread the wordˇ­ tell ''em come on over here, if you don''t mindˇ­ heheˇ­ heheˇ­ heheˇ­ heheheheheheˇ­" the creature started laughing nervously and couldn''t stop. Surgit and Karla looked at it, still bewildered at its existence. They moved aside, towards one of the doors leading outside and started discussing what to do with the creature. "That thing looks a bit crazy but I don''t think it can pose a threat to anyone. It''s blind and it doesn''t look like it can move" said Karla in a whisper. Surgit agreed, he preferred not to kill anyone who didn''t deserve to and this creature, although creepy, didn''t pose any threat. They came back to ask him more urging questions, Karla spoke first. - "Tell me, did an old man come through here by any chance?" - "There was an old man yea, he asked about the Upper Cathedral Ward." The creepy creature replied. - "And do you know of the way to the Upper Cathedral Ward?" Karla became more agitated. - "The door on the right takes directly o''er there. He seemed in a hurry and from his voice I could sense fear and anticipation." Karla tried to open the closed door again to no avail. She was frustrated but at the same time surprised that Francis had made it all the way there. "Didn''t you say that the way was blocked earlier?" she looked at Surgit with distrustful eyes. "And the door leading to the place where Francis went was open too. How he managed to get through locked doors is beyond me. We need to find another way around." He was willing to help Karla as he was curious to know how Francis had made it all the way up to the chapel and then through that closed door. Karla went back again to the blind one and asked him: "is there any way around to that Upper part? I really need to get there." She was getting more and more restless. "Not that I know of, but there are many secret passageways in the Cathedral Ward, if ya explore it well enough, I''m sure ya can find a way in." The blind man willingly and calmly answered. They decided to take one of the doors leading outside. The one they took led them behind the chapel. They found a cart parked right next to the door. Behind it stood a tall man, with pale skin, wearing a top hat looking at them. He let out a growl and moved towards them. He was holding a cane and on his neck, a bell hung from it as if it were a pendant. The man made to attack and before his cane could reach any of them, they both cut him open in two perfectly timed strikes. He collapsed on his knees and let out another growl before it died. "Oh I see you''re using a new weapon." Karla observed. "I took it from the hunter I fought earlier. It handles pretty well so I decided to give it a try," Surgit answered. In addition to the strap he had on his back, Surgit had another one on his right leg. It was useful to strap in smaller weapons and even though the axe was gigantic when elongated, it could be shortened and fit the strap nicely. They looked ahead and saw some stairs leading towards a gigantic metallic gate. "Everything needs to be closed by gigantic gates in this city" said Karla in a frustrated voice.They went up and met with two other tall pale skinned men. They took care of them and tried to open the gate, to no avail. "I can squeeze through the bars and open it from the other side" said Karla. She was slim enough to actually fit in between the bars. She reached the other end of the gate and made for the lever but before she could touch it, two tall men attacked her. She dodged and danced around them. Their attacks were too synchronized for her to find any kind of opening though. Surgit clenched his axe tightly, he wanted to help but the bars were too narrow. He tried to fit in but to no avail. He saw two more incoming attackers coming towards Karla from a distance. The situation could turn from bad to horrendous in a flash. He inserted both arms between the bars of the gate and held his axe firmly. He threw it with all his might at one of Karla''s assailants. A "Thud!" was heard as the axe buried itself deep within the tall man''s skull. Karla barely had enough time to finish the second one before the others were in attacking range. "Get out of here!" Surgit shouted. "I will find a way around to the upper ward. If not, let''s meet back at the chapel in a couple hours. Stay on your guard, these things are deadly in groups." Karla nodded and ran towards the darkness. Her speed and agility helped her eclipse herself and get away from danger. The two assailants tried to catch up to Karla but she had disappeared before they could move away from Surgit''s vision field. He made towards Oedon Chapel but before he turned around, he saw a peculiar scene. Beyond the gate, where he''d killed the tall man with his axe, messengers of the dream appeared as if rising from the ground. They grabbed the axe and disappeared immediately afterwards. "What the fuck have I just witnessed?" he shouted. He had to get back to the dream to investigate what happened but he also had to catch up to Karla. He decided to investigate the side of the chapel then get back to the dream. He was worried about leaving Karla alone in those dark streets. Back at the chapel, he took the other door and found himself in a square. In the middle of the square there was a well. He could see two ways that led out of the area. The first one was a set of stairs that took up while the other, right in front of him, took downstairs. He turned left towards the stairs that took him up and saw two of the tall men coming his way. One of them held a strange lantern on his left hand and a cane on the right. They both wore while leather long coats and black trousers. They both had the bell pendant around their neck and the top hat on their heads. The one holding a cane alone attacked him and Surgit shot him right before the hit landed. The man fell to his knees and Surgit used his beastly arm to eviscerate his opponent. The other one soon followed, in the same fashion. Surgit wondered at the cerebral capacities of his opponents. It seemed to him that they weren''t capable of thinking strategically. They would see him dispose of an enemy in a way, right in front of their eyes. Yet they would repeat the same mistake and get killed in the same fashion. Surgit then saw, next to the stairs and under a tree, an chest that drew his attention. He went for it and opened it, nothing. ''Well that''s disappointing,'' he said. Then it hit him, he had to use his third eye. Inside the chest he found a set of clothes, hunter''s garb from its appearance, and a top hat. He tried the top hat and it fit him perfectly. He liked it a lot and, as he was swapping his actual cap with the top hat, he heard a strange noise. He looked in front of him and saw a mini vortex. Stars and nebulas could be seen in the vortex and Surgit couldn''t help but wonder at the beautiful scene in front of him. He felt absorbed by the scene and felt that either it became bigger or that it got closer to him. He then felt hands grabbing him, invisible ones. The vortex disappeared and he tried to free himself from the grasp of the invisible thing that was holding him. He felt his feet depart from the floor and he saw the tree and the whole square from above. The grip around his body got tighter and he felt that he was going to be squashed by its strength. His head started hurting badly again, and his eyes widened. He saw a shape, although invisible. He managed to see some sort of gigantic spherical cage with holes all around it. That was all he could witness before he felt blood rushing out of his veins and exploding outwards. The pain was so strong that he fainted. When he came to, he was on the ground, back in the square, his heart beating faintly. 62 A giant above the Great Bridge Surgit had to use two of his blood vials to feel his feet and start walking again. ''What was that thing? I almost died by just looking at its invisible shape'' He was in shock but he was positive that there was something there, looking at him, observing his insignificant existence. He went up the stairs to explore more of the area. He heard a stomping noise in the distance and clutched his weapon tight. He was standing next to a two way street that took either up or down. Surgit didn''t know which way to take but little did he know that the path would be chosen for him soon, without his consent. As he stepped forward he saw to his left, the source of the stomping noise. It looked like the pale tall men he killed before. But it was as big as a two story building. It had the bell pendant and it held a huge axe in both hands. The giant attacked instantly and Surgit jumped backwards to avoid the strike. He had to make some distance between him and the giant in order to devise a plan to put the thing down and quick. He ran up the street and tried to observe the giant better. His movements were thankfully slow and he didn''t need to run far. Its legs looked frail and barely supported its weight. He decided to go for the legs and bring it down to its knees before striking at the head. The head was always a weak point. He tried to move towards the giant''s legs but every time he got closer, the latter would perform a sweeping attack that drew an imaginary line that blocked Surgit''s way. He was forced to jump back every time that happened until he found himself at the top of the street, with his back to yet another gigantic gate. The gate looked fantastic with decorations on its bars, which were shiny as if someone was taking care of them. In the middle of the gate, Surgit saw a sigil. He didn''t have enough time to look at it in detail as the giant was nearing him and preparing to attack. Surgit had to act quickly, he was cornered and that giant had long reach and a surprising speed to his attacks. He jumped backwards and placed his feet on the sigil, using the gate as his departure point. He propelled himself forward, increasing his speed, in a suicidal attempt to get behind the hulking beast. He felt the gigantic axe miss his feet as passed between the pale giant''s legs. He performed many rolls on the ground as the velocity of the propulsion was hard to control. When he stood up, the giant was left behind and Surgit pondered for a moment before deciding not to fight it. The way he came from was closed and he could easily backtrack and outrun the giant if need be. He went down the street and to the point where he first met his previous opponent. He went through an arc, downwards. He saw an open gate and a lever that could be used to close it. Closing the gate would mean that the giant wouldn''t be able to reach him, on the other hand he''d be trapped if the street he was taking led nowhere. The giant was coming back and Surgit, feeling the impending fight coming his way pulled the lever down and closed the gate. The pale beast looked at Surgit then sat down, opposite the gate as if it was telling him: I''m not going anywhere. Surgit felt shivers running down his spine as he watched the giant fixing him with its big black eyes. He turned and resumed his way down the street. He soon came into a clearing and saw two trolls patrolling the area. He quickly disposed of them then took his time to look around. The sun had completely disappeared from the sky and only crimson clouds remained to announce the end of the day and the approach of darkness. The area where Surgit found himself was pretty large. It was a pedestrian street that gave a view over all of Central Yharnam. From the place where Surgit stood, he saw the great bridge where he fought the giant beast underneath. From where he stood he could look at the Great Bridge from above and see where the road led on the other side. The Great Bridge was a highway that led in and out of the city. Surgit surmised that it was called great because it was the main and biggest structure that led towards the Cathedral Ward. The highway extended towards the horizon and Surgit assumed that it was the main road through which merchandise was transported directly to the church from neighboring cities and countries. Yharnam in its glory days was a popular destination for tourists and miracle seekers. It had to live up and its reputation and it over delivered. The city was a wonder to behold. It had few main roads that branched into multiple paths and streets which led everywhere around Yharnam. Surgit still wished he could visit Yharnam and see how it was in the past. Anything would actually be better than present day Yharnam. The street where he stood contained numerous houses. Most of them were closed off and not a single sign of life was to be sensed around there. The city had become desolate, save for a few sane people scattered around Central Yharnam. He remembered the old lady who asked him about a safe place and wondered if it were a good idea to send her over to Oedon chapel. He decided to explore the street and find a way to rejoin Karla before heading back towards Central Yharnam. He had to pay Iosefka and the little girl another visit anyway. At the end of the street he saw another pale giant. The latter appeared to be sleeping and Surgit didn''t want to have a confrontation with him. So he walked silently, trying to get to the stairs behind him that appeared to lead downstairs. To his horror, the giant noticed him and stood up slowly, hiding what remained of sunlight from Surgit. The pale giant held a metallic boulder in his hands. It appeared that he was a prisoner of some sorts as the big ball was attached to one of his ankles. ''This is going to be very difficult, these things hit hard and fast'' he thought to himself as the giant prepared to attack. The pale beast held the chains with both hands and started slamming towards Surgit. He jumped backwards and started thinking of a way to reach his legs. The reach the metallic ball had was far longer than the axe the other giant used. Surgit soon found himself back to the starting point where he disposed of the two trolls. He had to find a way to bring it down to its knees and fast, otherwise he risked to be thrown off towards the bridge or even lower. He wasn''t ready to die to any beast in the city yet. He had enough of dying. He took his pistol and shot the pale giant in the head twice. He hoped that it would have the same effect it had on the other beasts. The shots connected and he saw a white liquid come out of the giant''s head. The giant let out an enraged scream and started pounding with his ball heavily on the ground. The attacks weren''t aimed at Surgit though. The giant appeared to be in pain and attempting to bring down anything that came near him. After a few strikes, the giant came to its knees, tired and breathless. Surgit immediately dashed towards it and performed his beastly attack, ripping the giant''s head open. As he removed his hand forcefully from the pale beast''s skull, the giant was thrown backwards on its back. Surgit was full of what appeared to be his opponent''s blood, a white liquid that was still seeping through its head. Surgit was breathless but delighted that he found a way to bring these monsters down. ''Just get them to lose their stamina and then attack relentlessly, or finish them with one of my visceral attacks.'' He started enjoying the beastly feature he possessed. 63 An odd encounter At the end of the square where he''d met the giant he just killed, he saw some stairs leading down. He found himself in a room filled with empty jars. They looked like the ones that filled Oedon chapel but these ones were empty. This used to be a safe place, for a long time before the people who were here ran out of incense. He saw a door in the room and tried to open it. It was shut tight and Surgit didn''t manage to open the heavy door, despite all his strength. After pounding and kicking the door with frustration, he finally gave up and sat down to catch his breath. He noticed a closed chest next to one of the jars and he went for it. As he opened it, he saw at its bottom a red gem. It looked like a snowflake that had blood veins in it. The veins were pale and the edges of the flakes were pointy and sharp. It looked beautiful and at the same time dangerous. After all, nothing in this city looked beautiful without having a horrific side to it. He remembered that he could use insight to inspect items and enemies so he inspected the gem. "Radial blood gemstone(1), infuse in weapons to strengthen certain aspects on them. Most radial gems have effects that bear upon physical attacks" In an inner voice, akin to a whisper, Surgit heard the description of the item he was holding. He put it in his pocket and decided to ask the doll for more information about it. Back in front of the metallic gate, Surgit saw that the giant who was waiting for him had fallen asleep. He didn''t trust that anymore. Moreover, he knew that once he''d open the gate the giant would wake and come at him. So Surgit pulled the lever to open it and right after, used his gun to shoot the giant''s head through the metallic bars as the door open lifted. Enraged, the huge monster slammed his axe to the ground as an attempt to swat off the annoying thing that dared attack it. Noticing that it was Surgit, the pale giant stopped and waited for the gate to open. ''So you are capable of thought after all'' thought Surgit, regretful that his strategy didn''t work out. As soon as the gate was half open, Surgit dashed from underneath it in order to surprise his foe and attack his legs. He found himself hugging the back of the great axe as the giant had anticipated his move. He was propelled and slammed against the raising gate. His back ached and he felt himself breathless, losing consciousness. In a split second he had to decide on his next move. If he fell down, he would meet an inevitable and painful death. Time slowed down for Surgit for a moment as he struggled to retain his consciousness. In a miraculous show of willpower, he use his legs to propel himself towards the giant as fast as he could. It was a suicide attempt but he had no other choice. He used his cleaver to slow his descent as he struck the giant''s chest with it. The poor brute didn''t see the attack coming and howled as his entire torso was cut open. Surgit found himself immediately between the beast''s legs. He slashed at them as quickly as he could. He was surprised to find out that he could deal at least five quick slashes with his cleaver before the enemy could retaliate. The giant didn''t have time to retaliate though as his right leg gave way and he stumbled to his knee. Surgit jumped on its back and used his cleaver to cut the beast''s back open, ripping his flesh and breaking his spine into little segments. The giant let out a terrible howl as it fell down to the floor. It was in pain and unable to move and Surgit observed its body, devoid of red blood. Only white liquid ran through it and that explained its pale skin. He decided to finish it by hacking its head off and walked back towards the chapel. The street he left led nowhere. He couldn''t see any other way to access the upper part of the chapel. He was back at the square outside. He stood next to the well in the middle of the place. He still sensed something watching him, somewhere above the building. The event he experienced before was very unsettling. He didn''t know what grabbed him or why his blood just happened to explode out of his body. It was a painful experience. He used his insight in order to inspect what was stalking him from above the chapel. To his surprise, there was nothing. He was positive he felt a gigantic hand grab him and squeeze his body. He swore he had seen some kind of monstrous shape, but even his insight couldn''t perceive it. He opened his eyes and went right, to the street opposite the chapel. The road led down towards a gigantic church where several man-beasts were stationed, patrolling the area. He looked around him but didn''t see any way which could lead him towards the upper-Cathedral Ward. He decided to get back to the chapel and think of another approach. The door to the right of the chapel either led up towards a closed gate or down towards a church. He came back to the door where he and Karla got separated but there was no sign of her. She might have found a way to escalate the tower. She could also have faced some dangerous enemies and had to hide, or worse. He felt trapped, so he decided to wait until the two hours were up. He promised to wait for Karla at the chapel so he decided to deliver on his promise. ''I might still take a little stroll down at Central Yharnam.'' He decided to go and pay Iosefka a visit. Her vials were of great help to him. Besides, visiting her always calmed his nerves. Having a sane human being to talk to was refreshing. After all the hardships and beasts he encounters, he loved paying her a visit and hearing a melodious human voice from behind that door. He also thought of the lady who asked him about finding her a safe place. Oedon Chapel had ample incense to ward off beasts and that could help the old lady remain out of harm. He thought of the little girl who had lost both her parents. He didn''t know how to deliver the bad news to her. As he made his way back underneath Oedon chapel, Surgit couldn''t help but think of the shady blind man or creature he encountered earlier. Could he be trusted? The place seemed safe enough but his presence gave Surgit an ominous feeling. Maybe the blind man wouldn''t dare attack him since he''s a hunter but what about defenseless people who would come to the place seeking refuge? He was prepared to beg Iosefka to forget about her Hippocratic Oath and at least offer asylum to the people in Central Yharnam. The area was deserted as he had cleared it already from all the beasts that roamed its streets. He reached the clinic in no time and found himself knocking at the door, as usual. A woman''s voice was heard from behind the door: - "Oh well, hello. You''re soon off to hunt I presume?" ''Huh?'' 64 Hard truth - "I thought you knew that since our first interaction." - "Oh yes, yes indeed. Then would you do me a kindness? If you find any survivors, tell them to seek Iosefka''s clinic. Upon my Hippocratic Oath, if they are yet human, I will look after them. Perhaps, even cure them." ''This is convenient, too convenient in factˇ­ What''s changed?'' thought Surgit. - "How come you changed your mind about letting people in?" Surgit started having doubts even regarding the nice lady who had helped him since the beginning of his adventure in Yharnam. - "This sickness, these beastsˇ­ they are not to be feared. This time, the night is long." She said, in a strange voice that didn''t resembled Iosefka at all. - "I''ll see what I can do, if I come across any survivors, I will send them your way." - "I may be trapped here but I should do something to help. I''ll even offer a reward for your cooperation." She finally said. She sounded a bit different to Surgit so the latter decided to end the conversation at that point and head outside. He left the clinic. He couldn''t help but think of the last interaction he had with the doctor. How come the doctor who was so adamant about letting anyone inside her clinic was now willing to admit survivors? He was ready to beg her to let the little girl and the old woman in but now, he wasn''t so sure anymore. He had to go see the little girl first and announce the bad news. He would worry about choosing a safe place for her later. The matter that presented itself to him now was how was he to announce to the little girl that she was now an orphan. He made his way through the empty streets of Central Yharnam, towards the girl''s house. The city seemed deserted and silent. Without the beasts that roam the streets, Surgit felt uneasy and extremely lonely. Only the sounds of crackling fire and smoke coming out of the sewers were to be heard. He still wondered at what caused these nights of the hunt to occur. The fact that hunters were scarce and that he was the only hunter he knew of in the city also haunted his thoughts. Information was rare to come by and the people capable of speech in the city either didn''t know a thing or concealed what they knew from him. If there was one thing he learned during his time in Yharnam, it was that he''d always need to be on his guard; that the ones who speak could be more dangerous than the ones who attack him. At least he knew what his enemies wanted from him. He reached the house and called out from the window where he first spoke to the little girl. "Hey little girl, are you in there?" He heard some footsteps in the distance and soon after the girl spoke to him. "Yes mister hunter. Have you found my mum?" The question wrenched Surgit''s heart as he struggled to find the courage to announce the news to her. "I found her yes, and I think I found your father too." He felt himself speaking those words mechanically, as if reciting something he had learned by heart beforehand. "Your father had unfortunately lost his mind, even the music box wouldn''t bring him back to his sensesˇ­" Surgit stopped for a while, trying to catch his breath and tell the girl about what happened between him and her father. He decided to tell her the truth, as he knew that children would always appreciate it better than elaborate lies made not to hurt their feelings. The little girl spoke first: "You had to dispose of him, didn''t you mister hunter? I understand, my father had become a danger to everyone. What about my mum? Was she there?" Surgit was surprised at how calm the little girl was regarding the decay of her father''s mind. "Yes I had to fight your father and set him to rest. Your mother was there too, I recognized her from the brooch I found on her hair." He took out the brooch from his pocket and knocked at the window with it. The little girl opened the window and took it from Surgit. The look on her face saddened him greatly. Tears streamed down her face and as she looked at Surgit with her innocent crying face, she couldn''t retain her sobs. "Mister hunterˇ­ was it really her? Mummyˇ­ Mummyˇ­ Don''t leave me aloneˇ­ I''m aloneˇ­ I''m scaredˇ­ it''s not fairˇ­" As the girl continued crying, Surgit remained there observing the sad scene. The girl had a beautiful white ribbon on her head and she wore a nice beige dress. She managed to take care of herself even though her mother wasn''t at home. The hope that she would return to her and bring her father back with her had kept her going. Surgit was sure at that moment that the little girl shouldn''t remain alone in the house. He had to decide about a safe place for her, and fast. "I don''t think you should stay here alone little girl. Do you know of Oedon Chapel?" The girl was still crying but he didn''t have much time to spare. "Yesˇ­ mister hunterˇ­ is it a safe place for me to stay?" The girl said in between her sobs. "It''s the safest I could think of. There is enough incense to spare in there and beasts will not come near you." For some reason, Surgit''s instincts told him not send the girl to the clinic. "Thank you mister hunter, I love you as much as mum and dadˇ­ and granddad." said the girl in the end, cheerfully. Surgit left the girl alone in the house and made his way towards the old lady. He told her about the chapel too then decided to take the aqueducts and head towards the graveyard, then to Oedon chapel. As he came close to the ladder which took to the secondary bridge, he heard that horrifying noise that came from the tunnel again. He still felt uneasy at the thought of what lurked down there and decided to leave it alone. ''No one in their right mind would go in there after hearing such a noiseˇ­'' He thought as he climbed the long ladder up. He reached the graveyard where he fought Gascoigne then he noticed the lamp he hadn''t activated before. He was with Karla and he didn''t want to check it in front of her. The last time he inspected the lantern, Karla and Francis looked at him as he had lost his mind. They couldn''t see it and he didn''t want Karla to know about the dream. He still had some more time to spare before meeting Karla. He inspected the lamp and felt his body losing its senses, as if he was about to go unconscious. He came to and found himself in the garden, facing the old house and the doll. 65 Enigmatic gibberish... "Welcome home good hunter. What is it you desire?" The melodious voice of the doll welcomed Surgit as he approached her. Her face, devoid of emotions, still looked noble and extraordinarily attractive. Surgit wondered who the doll was inspired from. He would have loved to meet the person who inspired such a wonderful art creation. He wanted to upgrade his skill and strength but was unsure of how the doll would react to the echoes he had. When he inspected them with his insight, he could see the same green cluster of light in the enveloping darkness. He didn''t know what that meant exactly. He didn''t even know how many echoes were enough for him to develop his skills more. He inspected his status using his insight again. It read: Name : Surgit Insight level : Narrow minded Strength : Waste of Skin (2) Skill : Skillful (2) Bloodtinge : Blood Hungry (1) Arcane :Blind (1) Since the doll was enigmatic regarding how he could upgrade his skills, Surgit decided to use a different approach. He addressed the doll: - "Can you tell me what the skills that I can upgrade are?" - "Certainly good hunter. Place your right hand here." She extended her arms towards him. "Let the echoes become your strength." Surgit did as he was asked. After a while, the doll rose and informed his that he can only upgrade his bloodtinge and arcane. ''If I can only upgrade my bloodthing and arcane, that means that the cluster I see serves to help me get only one improvement.'' Surgit was deep in thought. ''This means that those echo clusters serve as some kind of badge to get me promoted through some kind of ranks.'' He was thinking methodically, trying to understand the whole system in a logical manner. ''Then this means that I need more echoes, which would lead me to forming more clusters.'' He had to clear all of Central Yharnam in order to accumulate one cluster. If he had to repeat the same process again and again, he would have to clear all of Yharnam before he could even hope to get a better grade. And how big was Yharnam? How much did he have access to? Would clearing all streets be enough for him to be strong enough to end the hunt? All of these questions raced into his mind to the point that it almost drove him to desperation. There was so little information and so much mystery. If only there was someone who could at least give him a hint to what he should do. He felt lost and alone. The only sane hunters he''d met were that lady crow and the sleeping old man. - "Did you speak to Gehrman?" the doll asked as if she read through his mind. - "Yes I have heard his snoring," Surgit commented, frustrated. - "He was a hunter long, long ago, but now serves only to advise them." - "Really?! All the guidance I got from him was the instruction to go out and kill beasts. The man snores more than he speaks." Surgit had had enough of mystery and enigma. He wished someone could come and give him the answers he needed already. - "He''s in the workshop now. Go and talk to him. He may be of some help this time." The doll hadn''t even changed her tone or her facial expression.She spoke in the same melodious voice, her face showing no trace of emotions. That sent chills down Surgit''s spine. - "Fine, I''ll go talk to him, he may be of help this time," Surgit finally conceded. - "Farewell good hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world." ''And here we are again with more enigmatic gibberish.'' Surgit dragged his feet up towards the workshop. Gehrman was his only hope at finding out some more about the echoes. The books he read only detailed information about beasts'' strength and the way a hunter could deal with them. Besides, reading for too long would only give him terrible headaches. He didn''t want to make it an occurring experience. He went inside and found Gehrman sitting in front of the fireplace again. He wondered where that man could disappear to, although limited in his movement with his wheelchair. The old man heard Surgit''s footsteps then turned towards him. He had that faint smile about him. Surgit didn''t know if it was out of malice or genuine simplicity. The old man started speaking before Surgit could utter a word. He had that annoying habit of going on monologues and not giving Surgit space to place a single question. "The moon is close. It will be a long hunt tonight." Gehrman was speaking in a serious tone. Surgit started noticing that a lot of people started telling him about this hunt being long, as if it were an exception. - "If the beasts loom large, and threaten to crush your spirits, seek a holy chalice, as every hunter before you has." Gehrman went on with his long speech. - "And where might I find one of those chalices?" Asked Surgit, hoping that this time, he could get an answer. - "Most of the holy chalices lie deep within the tomb of the gods. And the few that found their way to the surfaceˇ­ were lost again in the hands of men." ''Here we go again with this enigmatic gibberishˇ­'' Thought Surgit, somewhat frustrated. - "But if the old hunter tales remain trueˇ­one of the holy chalices is worshipped in the valley hamlet. Yet the town is in disarrayˇ­ It was burned and abandoned, for fear of the scourge, home now only to beasts. The perfect place for a hunter, wouldn''t you say?" Gehrman had finished with his monologue and started giggling in his old husky voice. - "Old hamlet that was burned. I got it old man. But tell me, isn''t there a place where I can upgrade my weapon? I found this gem that could help me enhance the capabilities of my cleaver." Surgit had heard of a place that was burned in fear of the beastly scourge, he thought it a good idea to ask the people he knew in Yharnam about it rather than Gehrman. - "The bench next to the fireplace is where hunters like you upgrade their weapons. If you have the right tools that is." Said Gehrman, and immediately fell back asleep, as if Surgit didn''t exist anymore. ''Well, at least I got an answer to one of my questions this time'' thought Surgit as he watched the old man sleeping. He turned towards the bench. He had seen it before, the first time he was in the dream and was looking for a weapon to kill the werewolf with. He had the gem and he needed now to find a way to use it on his weapon. He took his cleaver and put it on top of the workbench. As he inspected it, he found three faint symbols on the blade. Two of them had the shape of a flake, matching the gem he had and one had the symbol of a crescent moon. The symbols were engraved on the saw and he tried to place the gem he had found on one of them; to no avail. He closed his eyes and decided to use insight in order to see what his bare eyes couldn''t. A murmur could be heard in his head, ''You need the blood gem workshop tool in order to upgrade your weapons using gems. You can fortify your weapon using blood stone shards too.'' The murmur ended and Surgit opened his eyes. He had neither shards nor the blood gem tool. He had to go back to Yharnam and search for them. 66 The thing that snarls in the dark tunnel As he got back to the graveyard, he noticed the heavy silence again weighing on him. He was never the type to prefer solitude but this city forced him to face its dangers alone. The graveyard was dark and only the sound of faint wind was there to let Surgit know that there was still life somewhere around. He climbed the stairs and went towards the chapel. As he got to the library underneath the chapel, he saw a small chest he hadn''t noticed before. He inspected it and found an item resembling a corkscrew. He inspected it using his insight and to his delight he heard its description ''Blood gem workshop tool, use it to upgrade your weapons at the hunter''s workshop.'' That was very convenient, as he had no idea where to find it. He climbed another flight of stairs and found himself inside the chapel."Ahh, the hunter.. Alive and well, are ya? This here''s a safe place, stay as long as you like." The voice of the blind creature came from Surgit''s side.Surgit inspected the chapel with his eyes and couldn''t see any sign of the little girl or the old woman. ''This is fishyˇ­ The man acts as if no one came around here.'' Surgit started thinking about the possibilities of the two people he''d sent here being lost. He didn''t have the time to think it through as the blind creature spoke again. "I know I shouldn''t be asking you this butˇ­ next time you''re out on a hunt, remember what I asked: If you find any sane survivors, tell''em to seek shelter at Oedon chapel. Cause there''s nothing to fear hereˇ­ hehe..heeˇ­heheˇ­" - "Do you mean to tell me that no one had come here?" Asked Surgit, he was feeling rage building up in his chest. - "No good hunter, if they were, wouldn''t you see them here and about? Safe and sound." Answered the blind man, confidently and simply. - "I will go look for them and if I don''t find them, believe me, you''d better not be here." - "I''m but a blind man good hunter. I wouldn''t even dare leave this place, let alone harm anybody." The blind man''s started shaking with fear. "I just want to offer people a safe havenˇ­" - "I''ll go look for them. I don''t know who to trust anymore in this city!" Cried out Surgit in frustration. - "If you find any sane survivors, send them to Oedon Chapel will ya?" Shouted the blind man after him, as if taunting him. Surgit left the chapel and went back to Central Yharnam. It was deserted and silent as he had left it. No sign of danger for any of the survivors, and no reason for them not to reach the chapel. He ran back towards the old lady''s house as it was the closest one on his way. He knocked at the door and he heard the old lady''s voice. His relief to find her alive soon turned to anger: "Well whaddya know? a hunter who''s still checking on an old lady. Don''t you have work to do? I know of your safe place and I''m leaving to it shortly. Go slit some throats, get this mess done with!" Surgit didn''t reply and left the old lady to her occupation. He was relieved that she was still alive but at the same time irritated at her attitude towards hunters. What did hunters do to this lady to deserve such adversity? As he made his way towards the little girl''s house, he saw the silhouette of a person in the distance. It looked like trouble and Surgit took his saw and got ready for a fight. The silhouette soon became a body and Surgit saw that it was humanoid. The person wore a strange outfit. On the head, the person wore a plague doctor''s mask and a triangular hat. And the torso was covered in a black garb, ornamented with crow feathers. It looked like a moving, humanoid crow, an ominous sight to say the least. He then heard the lady crow''s voice before she fully manifested in front of him. - "Oh, that hunter are ye? What''re you doing ''ere?." The woman''s voice sounded old and tired. - "Looking for a girl I sent to Oedon Chapel? Have you seen her? She wears a big white ribbon on her head. You can''t miss it." - "Sending people outside on the night of the hunt are we?" the woman asked, as if reproaching Surgit. - "She had no parents to take care of her. Staying at home wouldn''t be in her best interest wouldn''t you say?" - "A hoonter must hoont, not save some distressed damsel or kid. Ye had to send her out and aboutˇ­ and tonight of all nights!" she shook her head as she finished her sentence. - "What''s so special about tonight? Everyone seems to dread it. You seem to be a hunter too if my assumption is correct." He asked, he had hoped that the woman wouldn''t get frustrated at him and attack. Fighting Gascoigne was enough for a hunter versus hunter encounter. -"We''re both hoonters yes, although our prey differs. Prepare yerself for the worst. There are no humans leftˇ­ You''ve sent a little girl by herself into the streetsˇ­" She shook her crow head again then walked by him and kept on her way, paying Surgit no mind. Surgit kept looking at the strange looking woman as she disappeared in the horizon. "What''s wrong with all of you in here? Everyone speaks in riddles. Can''t you just answer one question directly?!" He screamed at her and at all of Yharnam. He grew tired of the mysteries this city seemed to hold so dear, unwilling to share it with outsiders like him. He made his way through the aqueducts and up towards the little girl''s house. As he reached the window, his heart skipped a beat when he saw that the lights at the window were turned off. He knocked at the window and screamed for the little girl; no answer. He stood there, his mind racing with ideas and possibilities. What could have happened to her? Did she get lost and found herself in a different place? That wasn''t actually possible as he knew Central Yharnam so well. The only places he couldn''t visit were due to the fact that huge metallic gates barred the way. And he couldn''t think of a little girl forcing her way through them where he failed to do so. Then it hit him. The tunnel he decided not to explore on so many occasions because of that terrible noise. Could it be that the girl went through it anyways? He decided to head there and to explore it. At the entrance he heard that noise again. It resembled grunts and snorts but more terrible. He walked slowly inside the tunnel and got ready for an attack at any moment. It was dark in there, even for his eyes and enhanced vision. He was walking on shallow water and he didn''t like the fact that his steps were loud enough for any enemy to hear and be alerted to his presence. He saw a figure in the distance. It was gigantic and resembled some kind of animal. As he approached it, trying to muffle the sound of his steps as much as possible, he heard a terrible snarl. It resembled the sound of a pig being tortured. The shape he had seen was actually a gigantic boar, and it was running his way at top speed. It rammed him and he felt his feet depart from the floor. As he landed on his back, he slid many paces away on the shallow water of the aqueduct. He was sent outside the tunnel by just one hit from that big abomination, and it was running towards him again. It was ten times bigger and larger than a normal boar. Its skin was gray and it looked decaying. Its muzzle exuded smoke and the thing looked furious. Surgit stood up, the hit had stunned him a bit but it didn''t damage him too much. As the beast charged at him again, he jumped high, attempting to land behind it in order to land a visceral attack. He miscalculated the length of the monster and found himself on its back. The beast started jumping around, like a mad horse, trying to knock Surgit out of its back. The latter jumped again and landed just behind the boar as it was jumping and kicking. A lucky hit caught Surgit right in the face and he felt blood rushing out of his nose and mouth as he stumbled back, gasping for breath. The pig turned around and faced him. It let out another scream and Surgit felt suffocated as the beast graced him with its putrid breath. He had his doubt about it being poisonous but as his nose and mouth were already filled with blood, Surgit didn''t really have time to think of the effect of the air he had just inhaled. He punched the beast as hard as he could in the head, sending its head wobbling to the left. Surgit immediately injected himself with a blood vial and felt his body rejuvenating. He quickly stepped behind the beast and charged his attack. He hit the boar on the back as hard as he could. As it felt the hit, the pig stumbled on its knees and fell down on its stomach. Surgit used his beastly arm then and performed the most disgusting attack he ever had to perform. He inserted his arm through the boar''s anus and crushed its intestines with his claws. The beast let out a terrible scream as it struggled to move, as if it would help with the pain or even stop it. As Surgit pulled his arm out, he noticed that something was stuck in his hand. He was disgusted by it at first but as he saw what he had in his hand, he felt horrified. He was holding a bloodied ribbon. It was what used to be a white ribbon, identical to what the little girl wore on her head. ''So she took the tunnel after allˇ­'' He thought as sorrow gripped his heart. 67 On the verge of insanity "Ahh, the hunter! Thank you. So, that old girl, you told''er about this place, right? Well, she don''t offer me much in the way of conversation, but still... I''d rather see''er alive anyhow..." The blind man was telling Surgit as the latter''s mind drifted away at all the possibilities he had of saving the poor little girl. He should''ve waited for her and accompanied her to the chapel. Even better, if he had faced his fears and faced the boar beforehand, the little girl wouldn''t have been dead by now. His cowardice led to the death of an innocent orphan. As if her life wasn''t tragic enough, she had to be eaten by that monstrous pig. And what''s wrong with pigs in this city anyway? Does everything need to go bad in Yharnam, even the most docile of animals? Surgit looked at the blind man and realized that the latter had been speaking for quite some time. Absorbed in his thoughts, Surgit didn''t manage to catch a word of what the not so creepy anymore creature was saying. "Come again?" he said looking at the blind man. "I said if you see anyone with their wits abou''em, send them along to Oedon Chapel. Cause there''s nothing to fear here.. heheˇ­ heehˇ­ heheˇ­heehˇ­" The laughter the blind man had, definitely gave Surgit an uneasy feeling every time he heard it. He saw the old lady, sitting in a corner in the chapel, safe and sound. The place was consequently safe for people to come in. He approached the old woman to check on her and the latter immediately attacked him with her sharp words: "Do you think I owe you something? Well, that''s a fine lark I''d say. This whole mess that Yharnam''s in, it''s all your fault, you fidgety outsiders. Our blood''s ruined, tainted by your ilk! Don''t you come near me! I know your type!" The woman then turned around, her back to Surgit, and kept on mumbling to herself. Surgit couldn''t help but wonder at her words. How is it the outsiders'' fault that Yharnam had become home to beasts? He would have to think about it more another time. He was more focused on finding out a way to access the hamlet Gehrman had spoken about earlier. The memory of the little girl''s ribbon haunted him. He had to get active and do something. He couldn''t wait for Karla in the chapel. He was afraid that the thought of the little girl getting eaten by that boar would push him to despair. He had to find that hamlet while Karla searched the upper parts of the Cathedral Ward by herself. He pushed the morbid thoughts away from his mind. Or was it the echoes whispering all kind of reproaches to him? He had to get busy doing something and stop overthinking. After attempting to receive some information from the blind man in the chapel, he realized that he wouldn''t be able to get anything out of him. He left the chapel from the left door, the one that led towards the giants and the thing that grabbed him and almost killed him instantly. There was another street leading down to the old church he had seen earlier. Surgit hadn''t explored it yet. The church had a triangular roof and three doors: a big one, large enough to fit a giant, and two small ones on each side. The gigantic door was open while the others seemed to have been shut tight. In front of the church, the remains of a park could be seen. The trees were devoid of leaves and the ground was dry and full of dust. A man-beast was patrolling the park area with his dog, while two others were standing by a bonfire, on the far right of the church. There seemed to be an alley behind the church from that side and the two were guarding it. The darkness in the streets of Cathedral Ward helped Surgit walk around unnoticed. The sun had set and only its remaining rays provided a semblance of light. The bonfire in the park blinded the two men-beasts and Surgit took his time to silently approach them. While creeping on the two men-beasts, Surgit heard them mumble something. He decided to use the element of surprise to his advantage and finish them off swiftly. But before he went to action, he stopped for a while to listen to what they were saying. "It''s a curseˇ­. This is a damn curseˇ­" one of them was mumbling while the other said "This town''s finishedˇ­. This town is done forˇ­." They seemed to repeat those same sentences over and over again, as if they had some consciousness left within their monstrous body and barbaric way of fighting. In two swift strikes, Surgit disposed of them and got ready to fight the approaching dog. The latter had reacted as soon as the first man-beast''s head fell off. As the dog jumped at Surgit, he shot it in the chest and sent it flying. As it landed, wailing and clearly in pain, its master killed it with a swift strike of his axe then turned towards Surgit. He snarled at Surgit and showed his developing canine teeth. "Cursed beast, you''re better off dead!" said the man-beast as he attacked Surgit with his axe. Surgit shot him as soon as he saw the attack coming his way. It was enough to stagger the poor enemy and bring him down to his knees. Surgit proceeded to destroying his inner organs by inserting his beastly arm deep inside his body. He started enjoying the feeling the visceral attack gave him. He was human, yet he felt like a beast at some moments, like the previous one for instance, and he enjoyed being in control of his beastly side. "Well if you say I am a beast," he said to the corpse of the opponent he had just slain, "I say you''re also one. But one that had lost control over his mind, and I shall never do that." He finished his sentence while putting his chest forward, proud to keep control of his mind. ''The fool thinks he''s saneˇ­'' the voices started laughing in unison. He exhaled deeply. With the voices whispering inside his head, his plea of keeping his sanity had actually lost in credibility. Becoming a hunter was definitely a blessing for Surgit; a blessing that came with its drawbacks nonetheless. He felt as if multiple people were watching him and commenting his every move. He felt like a character in some novel with the readers approving or disapproving of his actions. That feeling unnerved him. ''There he is, losing his cool to a bunch of murmurs in his head,'' whispered one of the voices mockingly. ''The fooooooolˇ­ hahˇ­ hahˇ­ hahˇ­'' The other voices picked up on that remark and started laughing again, bombarding his mind with a multitude of sounds that actually gave him a terrible headache. "Gods I need to get rid of you!" he shouted at the echoes. ''Go on, use us. Get stronger! Become the beast hunter you''re supposed to be! Or become the beast for all we care!'' answered the voices. Since his arrival to Yharnam, Surgit started noticing a pattern. Everyone seemed to think of him as a beast in humanoid form. Except the people he had traveled with to Yharnam, everyone seemed to be keen on seeing him dead. Yharnamites saw him as a threat and did their best to dispose of him while calling him different names. Gascoigne had transformed into a beast in front of him and that was due to the poor man losing his mind. Perhaps it was after he had killed his wife. Blood foraged from beasts could heal him of injuries and he found himself at times, thirsty for more blood. He concluded that he was indeed a monster like the others, but a monster with a brain and morals. He vowed to never let anyone make him doubt that. From that moment on, he knew what being a hunter meant. Hunting beasts in Yharnam meant hunting the ones that had lost their minds to become something different, either beasts or giant abominations. It was the hunter''s duty to keep a level head and put those poor creatures to rest. He took the alley at the back of the church. He decided to search every corner in every place to dispose of all possible enemies. He found himself in front of some stairs that led towards the top of the church. At the top, stood a man with a top hat, Surgit recognized him as a sniper just from his stance. He ran as fast as he could upstairs. He was focused on not getting shot by the man as the effect of the bullets on his body was sometimes worse than he anticipated. As he heard the first shot and dodged by quickstepping to the side. He saw two dogs running at him. ''Perfect, a hunter with his dogsˇ­ how stereotypical.'' He thought as he shot one of the dogs with his pistol and slashed the other using his saw. He was standing in front of the sniper in no time, the other still aiming his gun and preparing to shoot again. Surgit seized the gun from its muzzle and held it up. The shot was sent upwards and Surgit kicked the poor sniper between his legs. The latter let out a squeak and, laughing, Surgit finished him off with a swift beheading. "I always wondered if they''d feel pain from that kind of kickˇ­ didn''t expect such a sound though." He said aloud, still amused at what had just happened. ''And to say he vowed to keep his sanityˇ­'' Surgit swore he heard one of the echoes mumble in his head. He saw the dog he shot earlier struggling to stand up. He elongated his cleaver and with two hits, managed to silence the suffering animal. At the top of the stairs, Surgit saw a door leading inside the upper floor of the church. He opened it and got inside to find himself in an empty room. It was spacious and looked like it used to be the loft. In front of him, Surgit saw another closed door, and to his right, he saw a balcony that gave a vista on the ground floor of the church. From where he was standing, Surgit saw a huge tomb in the middle of the ground floor. The tomb was made out of marble and a statue of a mummy crossing its arms on its chest was lying on its back on top of it. ''So it''s a mausoleum after allˇ­'' he thought. Surgit noticed a lever to his right and decided to pull it. As soon as he activated he heard a noise coming from the tomb''s direction. He watched as the marble monument moved and revealed stairs that led underneath the building. ''A secret passage, I feel like I''m in some exciting adventure story'' thought Surgit as he watched the tomb come to a halt. He went back to the closed door he noticed earlier and opened it. He soon found himself in an alley that led towards a strange statue. It was a tall statue of a woman whose head and face were covered completely by a veil. An altar was organized in front of it and a man was kneeling down in front of it, apparently praying. Surgit approached slowly. He knew that the man wouldn''t attack. If he were to attack, he would''ve done it much earlier. Surgit approached with more confident steps as he saw the man rise to his feet and face him, welcoming. He was wearing a gray cloak that covered all his body. It looked like a religious robe of sorts. He wore a long shawl that enveloped his neck and covered all of his back. His garb looked fancy and the man looked serene. He had blond hair and a fine sharp nose. He looked like those upper class kids who have been promoted in ranks thanks to their upbringing and the family they belonged to. - "You''re a hunter, aren''t you?" Asked the man in an enthusiastic tone. - "Yes I am" replied Surgit and before he could utter another word, the stranger spoke again. - "I knew it!" his excitement didn''t fade out, "That''s precisely how I started out." - "So you''re also a hunter?" Asked Surgit, somewhat surprised. The man didn''t look like a bloodied hunter he imagined encountering. - "Oh beg your pardon, you can call me Alfred." ''At least he has the courtesy of introducing himself.'' Thought Surgit as the man was about to continue his monologue. - "Prot¨¦g¨¦ of Master Logarius, hunter of Vilebloods. So, what say you? Our prey might differ but we are both hunters. Why not cooperate, and discuss the things we learned?" 68 Hunters not wanted here Alfred was looking at Surgit, smiling. Surgit had to decide whether he wanted to cooperate with the simple minded hunter or not. - "Why not, after all there are many things I''d like to know about the city. And I could offer my assistance with hunting some beasts if ever you require my help" answered Surgit. He still had issues trusting the strangers he met in this city. But Alfred looked like a simpleton he could take advantage of. He seemed to know many things about the city and Surgit will need his assistance to gain knowledge about the beasts that roam the streets. Moreover, this man was part of some sort of organization. His master must have told him at least some stories regarding the healing church and what became of the other hunters. He had so many unanswered questions. He thought that by gaining Alfred''s trust, he could extract some valuable information from him. Little did he know that Alfred had trusted him already and was willing to share with him any snippet of knowledge he possessed. - "Very good! Very good indeed!" exclaimed Alfred, beaming with joy. "Take this, to celebrate our acquaintance." He handed Surgit three coarse red pieces of paper. "These are fire papers. They might come in handy in a battle. Beast hunting is a sacred practice. May the good blood guide your way." - "Thanks I guess" Surgit was grateful for this kind gestures. It reminded him of how Iosefka had helped him at the beginning. But before he could think more about her Alfred resumed the conversation. - "There must be oodles for us to share. Go on, just tell me what piques your interest." - "Very well, can you tell me what you know about the healing church then?" Surgit had multiple questions that crossed his mind. But since Alfred was part of it, he preferred to ask him about the church. "As you may know, the healing church is the fountainhead of blood healing." Surgit nodded in agreement, he read that much in the past when he was staying at Francis'' mansion. "Well I''m a simple hunter, quite unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the institution. I have heard that the holy medium of blood healing is venerated in the main cathedral. And that councilors of the old church reside in the high stratum of the Cathedral Ward. If you seek blood healing, and the church is willing, you should pay them a visit." After finishing his monologue, Surgit was left with more questions than answers. He had never heard about councilors living in the Cathedral Ward, nor did he know that the church was restricting blood healing to the ones they approve of. He felt very lucky that the blood minister had agreed to administer blood for him the moment he reached Yharnam. Or was he? Maybe receiving blood ministration only made his life harder as he was stuck in the city, fighting all sorts of beasts. It could have been better to reach the Cathedral and just ask for blood healing then remain in the city to recover, like Gilbert. After all there was no point in thinking about the matter at that moment, he was hunter and his duty was clear: to clean the city from the beasts that roam it. - "Tell me, have you heard of Paleblood?" Surgit remembered the note he saw in the dream. - "I can''t say that I have unfortunately." There was disappointment in Alfred''s face, perhaps because he couldn''t provide Surgit with the information he needed. - "No worries" said Surgit in an attempt to console the na?ve man, "No one seems to know about it in this city." - "If it''s blood related information you''re seeking, perhaps the councilors at the church may be of some help. Find them and they may be of assistance to you." Alfred seemed satisfied as he managed to give Surgit a lead. - "Thank you Alfred, you have been of great help." Said Surgit taking leave of the man. - "I bid you farewell. It has been a pleasure. May the good blood guide your way." Surgit left the man and returned to the ground floor of the church. The hidden stairs led down towards a dark area. Surgit had a hard time adjusting to the darkness as he was going down the stairs, despite his enhanced vision. He reached a spacious room where he could see shapes of jars that used to have incense in them. The place used to host people for shelter apparently but judging from the darkness and the silence that surrounded the place, Surgit concluded that the safety in that place had long ceased to exist. He noticed a chest and made for it. As he opened it, dust filled his nostrils. It was clear that no one had been there in a very long time. He found a small cylindrical object. It was hard and cold, almost freezing. He closed his eyes and inspected the item using his insight. ''Blood stone shard. You can use it to upgrade your weapon and make its damage greater.'' The murmurs stopped and Surgit opened his eyes. ''At last I found the item needed to make those imprints on my weapon stronger. I just need to know how to use them. Once I''m back to the dream, I''ll try them out.'' His eyes by that time got used to the darkness and he could see clearly the path leading down through more stairs. He went down and found himself yet in another opening. It was bigger this time and had two huge pillars in the middle. It was spacious and cold. Surgit noticed some small windows on the top corners of the area. He was underground. He saw a door on the other end of the room and as he headed towards it, he heard a strange noise behind one of the pillars. He jumped back in time to avoid the lunging attack from a werewolf. The beast had stalked him and was waiting for the right opportunity to attack. With a swing from his cleaver, Surgit elongated it and managed to graze the beast''s head. It let out a scream and jumped at him again. Using his speed, Surgit quickstepped to the right and kicked the werewolf in the throat as the latter bit the air. Using his saw, Surgit hacked the monster''s back and cut his right hind leg. Slowing them down had become Surgit''s method of disposing of them. They were agile for their size and letting them attack with full strength was dangerous. He wasn''t going to leave anything to luck. The beast, limping, turned towards Surgit and slashed at him with its claws. It was easier for him to dodge the attack then retaliate with another. He buried his saw in its face. He proceeded through the door and found himself in a dark building. Stairs led further down and Surgit was wondering at his unknown destination. ''I should find some torch. The darkness in these places can be very dangerous.'' He thought as he went down the first flight of stairs. He found himself then in front of a ladder and as he descended, he pricked his ears for signs of enemies beneath him. He could only hear his feet as they hit ladder steps, one by one. Darkness enveloped the place. Even with his enhanced vision, there was nothing to be seen if not even a bit of light penetrated the room. He felt uneasy at the idea that he couldn''t see clearly around him and as he reached the bottom of the ladder, he stood and used his insight to try and scout the area. Nothing happened! He fumbled with his hands in the walls surrounding him and touched what appeared to be books. This place was perhaps a library, a tall building that used to accommodate avid learners. He found a railing and followed it with his hands. He took another flight of stairs down and found himself at the bottom of the building. He saw some light emanating from a door and as he emerged onto the other room, he saw an extinguished lamp. ''The hunter''s dream lamp, hunters used to come here.'' He knew that by touching it, he would light it and even find himself back in the dream. He decided to use the little light a small window at the top of the room allowed, and the one emanating from two torches on different corners to scan the place instead. He only needed small lighting to see very well, as if it was clear as day. He was in a large place, with a gigantic triangular dome on top. A big wooden door seemed to be the exit from the area. Surgit approached it and found a note stuck to it. "The town is long abandoned. Hunters not wanted here." 69 Trapped between two deadly beasts - Part 1 The Cathedral Ward was more dangerous than expected. Karla started regretting splitting up with Surgit. She was grateful for the opening he created earlier. She knew she had to meet up with him again but she couldn''t accept the fact that the man she considered a weakling had saved her life twice already. She didn''t want to get back to the chapel until she had a clear idea of where Francis was. She always fought by herself and thought she could handle herself just fine in Yharnam. On the other hand, the enemies in the area she found herself in after she split up with Surgit were deadly. One wrong step and she would be cut to pieces. From pale skinned giants to other strangely looking men who carried crucifixes as weapons, Karla had had a hard time defending herself against the different dangers the city had in reserve for her. Most times, fleeing the scene was the best option She was standing on the roof of one of the tallest buildings in the Cathedral Ward. She had a clear view over the streets of the city. From there she could spot any strange movement that occurred. She didn''t know for how long she had been searching for that senile old man. She felt responsible for his life and although they got separated and he abandoned her, she didn''t blame him. He was a coward after all, unable to stand straight in front of danger. Let alone defend himself. She tried all possible actions in order to reach the place where Francis was last seen by that blind man in the chapel. She tried jumping from different roofs in order to reach the chapel, she tried looking for underground hidden paths that could lead to where Francis was. Her only success was spotting a tower that connected to the roof of the chapel. She thought that Francis could''ve gone through there. So she sat in that roof, observing the bridge connecting the tower and the chapel, while looking for any movement down in the street. She wondered where Surgit may have left. The Cathedral ward was big and it was easier to get lost in it. Thanks to her speed and agility, Karla managed to get away from most of the dangerous opponents by using the roofs to her advantage. She was used to climbing to the top of buildings and navigating its roofs. She had to keep the princess safe and she always scouted the areas around while the latter was busy with one of her lovers. She came back from her daydreaming as she saw a shadow move below in one of the streets. She jumped quickly through tiled roofs and followed the suspicious movement. She had lost sight of it and she was trying to assess which way it could have gone to. It was too fast for an ordinary enemy roaming the streets. It must have been Surgit or someone else, maybe something else. "Are ye looking fer me?" said a woman''s voice from behind Karla. ''When did she appear behind me?'' Karla jumped back and unsheathed her sword. "Easy, I''m not looking fer a fight woman. I''m merely curious. Why would anyone chase after me in this god forsaken city?" The woman in front of Karla looked frightening and skilled. She wore a black garb, ornamented with crow feathers. She had black leather trousers and long black boots. She even wore a plague doctor''s mask. Karla was intimidated by her appearance. Not only that, she managed to appear behind her silently. She could''ve killed her easily but she chose to talk. "I''m looking for an old man. He was supposed to have come around here. I saw movement in the street below me so I was inspecting its source" said Karla after trying to regain her composure. "I''m also lookin fer an old man, very old. I heard he''d gon mad an'' I''m tryina pinpoint his location. But I doubt we''re lookin for the same person, are we?" The killing intent emanating from the woman made Karla shiver, she had never met someone with such a frightening aura around her. Before she could say anything, the woman went on: "I think I''ve seen ye somewhere before though. I rarely forget the faces o'' people I met beforeˇ­." The woman put her hand on the chin of her mask and seemed thoughtful for a while then said: "No matter, I''m an old lady. I''m allowed to forget some things once in a while. I saved an old man from certain death before. This brute got too fulla himself, thinking he was a hoonter after imbibing some blood. He tortured a poor woman to death and was about to strike at him. I believe that old man was lookin for a way into the Cathedral Ward. Is that the one yer lookin fer?" she asked. The woman liked emphasizing her vowels, pronouncing them for longer than they needed to. "Yes have you seen him anywhere around here?" Karla was excited to know that the man lived, and happy to understand how Paul was disposed of. "Nope, haven''t seen im ever since. But beware," the woman''s tone became serious. "If ye meet an old fella wearing golden hunter garb, don''t ye approach him. Make for a swift escape and try ta find me. He''s an old hoonter who''s gone mad; approaching him, would be the death of ye."The woman then jumped down to the street below and continued her roaming. Karla watched the woman disappear in the dark streets below her. She was glad to hear that Francis was saved and that he could be still alive in the Cathedral Ward. The faint hope she had of finding him alive earlier had changed into a real one. They were both looking for blood ministration. She wanted more strength in order to claim her land back and right the wrongs that had been done to her. Francis on the other hand wanted to reach Enlightment. His purpose was to reach the scholars of Byrgenwerth and converse with them regarding evolution and breaking the limits of humankind. She had to find a way up towards the tower. She wanted to see if he was still alive and if he managed to reach his objective. He was a coward, but a lucky coward nonetheless. He survived while all his strong bodyguards died. She was even on the verge of death while a complete stranger came and saved his life. If it wasn''t for Surgit who offered her a second chance, she would be among the dead Francis left behind. She was sure now that he had survived and found a way to undergo blood ministration. She gradually became against the idea after seeing the effects blood had on Surgit. It made him a cold killer, almost inhuman. She admired the strength blood could give a person but she dreaded losing her humanity and resort to drinking others'' blood for sustenance. She went back to the rooftop on which she was before spotting the movement of that crow looking woman. From there, she took another look at the tower. It was the second tallest building in the city. The biggest and tallest building was the one behind the Great Cathedral, the place where Francis presumably went. Approaching it meant dealing with hordes of monsters thirsty for your blood and Karla for some reason didn''t seem to think Francis capable of going there. She squinted as she spotted some movement on the bridge connecting the chapel and the tower. Heads flew and bodies fell to the ground. The one executing them was fast and efficient. ''If Francis went that way, it means the person in there must know something about him. I have to find a way to get there,'' she thought to herself. The shadow reflected by the fading rays of the sun, re-entered the tower and soon disappeared inside. Karla was now determined to find a way into the tower. ''If there is no way to get to the tower from up here, then there must be another one from down there.'' She looked down, trying to see where the tower connected to the ground. The tower extended to the lowermost parts of the city. Karla thought that if she couldn''t access the tower from the top, she could try getting to it from underneath. From where she stood, she couldn''t even see the bottom of the tower. ''Just how deep this city can go down below?'' From the roofs she has scouted earlier, Karla had found access to a balcony which led to an elevator. The elevator took down to the lower parts of the city. An inscription on the wall next to the device said as much. The balcony could be accessed by a ladder which was destroyed at the moment she had come across it. The ladder could have stopped beasts from accessing it, but it wouldn''t stop her. She could easily jump from one roof to another and reach it. Karla pulled on a lever and she heard the platform of the elevator moving upwards, toward her. The sound came from deep underground.''Now, let''s find a way to reach that old coward.'' 70 Trapped between two deadly beasts – Part 2 When she arrived to the lower level, Karla found herself in what used to be an old poor neighborhood. The shining streets were replaced with unpaved ones. Dust and ingrown grass were everywhere on the ground. Only few cobbles were to be seen here and there, reminiscent of an era where people used to care for that place. The streets were dimly lit and silence enveloped the place. Karla moved carefully, pricking her ears for any upcoming enemy. "Cling!" she jumped back as she realized she had hit an empty bottle with her leg unintentionally. The silence in the place had instilled unrest in her and that bottle confirmed how tense she was. She tried to relax and move more carefully while keeping a cool head. As she walked through the street, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. It must have been at least three people coming her way. She unsheathed her sword and hit behind an old cart that contained half a dozen sacks and waited. Three men-beasts accompanied with a dog soon emerged from a corner. Their garb was different though as they looked like farmers. They wore straw hats and large blue trousers. Two of them were holding pitchforks while the other held a torch on one hand and an axe on the other. A dog was following them from behind, sniffing for any sign of danger. The dog caught her scent quickly and started barking. The other three ran towards her, as if they could communicate with the animal using telepathy. They quickly encircled her but Karla was too quick for them and managed to slice one''s stomach open and blocked a pitchfork stab with her sword. She then pulled the pitchfork towards her and snatched it from the man''s hands in time to throw it at the lunging dog. The dog fell down on the ground wailing while Karla buried her sword deep in the unarmed man''s skull. All of that happened before the axe wielding man-beast could attack. As she faced him, he was aiming at her with his torch, trying to blind her before swinging at her with the axe. She jumped to his right and relieved him of one arm. While he was crying out in pain she kicked him in the back of his knee, bringing him down and beheaded him. It was a perfectly executed attack and Karla was satisfied at how fast she had become at dealing with those abominations. The street was silent again. Karla could hear somewhere in the distance some heavy breathing. It was unlike the one she heard in the aqueducts of Central Yharnam. Something new was lurking around, and that gave Karla a bad feeling. She cleaned her blade on one of the men-beast''s shirt and went on her way. She soon reached a cross road where she could either go right or continue straight forward. The road on the right looked dark and long while the one in front of her seemed to lead into some dead end.She decided to keep going straight. After all, she could always come back and explore the previous street once she was done with the dead end in sight. She reached an opening with a dead tree in the middle; behind the tree, Karla saw a strange cloaked being hunched down on a corpse. She readied her weapon and walked as silently as she could, trying to get a preemptive strike. As she got closer, the creature stood up and faced her. It had gray skin which looked harder than steel. It took off its cloak revealing a strange head. It had big white eyes and only holes in its face instead of a nose. While instead of hair, the creature had a blobby forehead that extended to the back of its head. The end of the blobby feature on its head was pointy and it seemed that the creature could control it as it was moving it right and left, as if it were an antenna. It walked slowly towards Karla and with every step, its feet made a squishy sound, as if it was walking on water. Its hands had five fingers that were attached to each other with patches of gray skin. Suddenly the creature let out a harrowing scream and started running towards her. It was faster than any other enemy she had encountered before and it caught her before she could move. She watched with horror as the antennae in the monster''s head became hard and aimed for her head. Karla had to act quickly so she kicked the creature as hard as she could; trying to stun it back. The beast staggered a bit but didn''t let go of Karla. She still had time to hit it on the face with the pommel of her sword and the strange looking creature finally let go. If she took one hit from it, she was afraid that she would be a goner. She knew that she couldn''t risk being caught by the beast so she jumped back to keep her distance. Unfortunately, more footsteps were heard behind her. She turned around to see a freakishly tall man coming her way. Calling it a man isn''t doing it justice as the one standing in front of her at that moment had only the physique of a man, everything else was different. It had dark purple skin and six long fingers on its hands. It was wearing a long brown cloak and it held a gigantic sack on its back. Karla found herself trapped between two dangerous opponents. As she heard the squishy footsteps behind her, she jumped back as high as she could; performing a backflip, avoiding the grab attack and landing behind the creature. The two enemies were now facing each other and the tall man attacked first. It used its sack to hit the pale monster and the latter didn''t even flinch from it. Karla retreated back in order to watch the ensuing fight. The best case scenario would be if the two could kill each other. The tall man attacked again using its big hand. It had hard nails that resembled claws. They hit the pale cloaked creature and scratched it a bit. The other let out a scream and held its hands up. A blue aura formed and soon after, they projected themselves towards the tall man. He was struck with it head on and Karla watched in amazement as the big guy was bound by the blue aureole like things. The pale creature then ran fast towards the big man and jumped on its torso, holding it with both hands. It hardened its antennae and buried it deep in the tall man''s skull. The antennae then appeared to suck on the beast''s brain and the latter screamed in agony. No sooner had the pale creature let go of the tall man, than he screamed in rage and a red aura formed around his body. ''Is this some kind of magic?'' Karla was amazed to see the fight happening in front of her. If it wasn''t for the lucky encounter between those two, Karla was sure that she would''ve died. She had no idea that this kind of magic existed and if she got hit by one grab attack from that pale beast, she would have been a goner. The big man''s attack became faster and Karla could barely see its movements. The gray skinned beast was instantly pierced by the man''s hands. She could see a big purple hand coming out the back of the poor pale monster. In no time, the fight had ended and the tall man had his eyes for Karla afterwards. She felt her knees shaking as her opponent approached her.She had to find a way out of that situation and fast. The purple skinned man jumped at Karla and aimed at her head with his gigantic hand. Its nails were as hard as steel, and taking one hit from them could mean death, especially in that enraged state he was in. She rolled forward and avoided the attack miraculously. As she tried to stand up and find a quick way out of the place, she felt a heavy hit on her back that flattened her to the ground. She knew that she had to run away from that encounter but that last slam was too strong. She tried to stand up and run but her knees failed her. Her arms were shaking and she could hear the man approaching her slowly. She rolled on her back and looked at the one who was about to finish her. Darkness enveloped her eyes and she lost consciousness. 71 The new Francis The village was devoid of men, only crazy looking women inhabited the area. They screamed and wailed as they looked for unsuspecting victims. From the map Francis had inspected earlier in the upper Cathedral Ward, this village led to the castle. He had to reach it and find his destiny. That vision he had during his blood ministration had given him a new sense of purpose. He had to reach the castle and find the source of all evil that contaminated the city. His only clue was to reach this village and find a way from it towards his destination. The way towards the hamlet was filled with traps and a different breed of dogs. These were fierce and monstrous. Bigger than the ones he had seen in the city. If it weren''t for his new abilities, Francis was sure that he would never be capable of advancing any further within Yharnam. In retrospect, he managed to reach his objective and the money he had invested in this expedition had finally paid off. He knew the risks but he never imagined how deadly the city was. In fact, he was following a myth that no one believed in; not even himself. He was an old man on his way to his grave after all. His children were waiting for the moment he would die in order to inherit his expansive wealth. The meeting with Karla, and later on with Surgit, had given him a new breath of life. He was always interested by the origins of men and scientific evolution. He funded a few institutions back in his country for scientific advancement, but the results were slow and he didn''t have the time to wait for further results. All he wanted was to find a way to cure people from the different sicknesses that ravaged mankind. He yearned to achieve human ascension to immortality so that everyone could live in peace and harmony. His vision showed him a place where knowledge had been buried, where he could find the answer to all the questions that raced through his mind. At that moment, he was standing on top of a hill that gave a good view of the town. It wasn''t as beautiful as Yharnam. The village was built over a multitude of small hills on top of which houses were aligned in a disorganized manner. Houses were built out of wood and the streets were dirty and dusty. Most of the buildings had tile roofs and were composed of just a ground floor, except for bigger ones that seemed to have an industrial function. Lights were seen in some of the big buildings and thick gray smoke protruded from their chimney pots. In the street below him, Francis saw two women patrolling and letting out painful screams from time to time. Their heads twitched before they screamed and the little white hair they had left made them look like insane inmates who have recently escaped from the asylum. They held sickles in their hands and wore long gray robes. From what he observed, Francis concluded that some activity was still in order in the village. The snipers and dogs outside the village were guarding it in order to chase away any intruders from finding out what was going on inside. The women on the other hand, must have been in charge of the production of something of value. His business trips from long ago taught him as much. If there''s anything of value produced in a small hamlet, the men would protect it with all their might while women were the laborers in charge of manufacturing. He had accumulated his wealth from exploiting such poor areas and providing them with manpower and means to protect their assets. After all, becoming rich wasn''t about intelligence alone. Francis had to use whatever means he could in order to protect his valuables, and assert his position in the market. Finding the castle could wait a little bit more, Francis wanted to know what was so valuable that even women in the streets were ready to fight in order to protect. He went down in the streets and faced the first two enemies that patrolled it. Their fighting style was sloppy to say the least. All they did was aim at his body and strike with their sickles. Disposing of them was easy, all he did was dodge a few of their attacks and cut off their heads in one swift move from his Chikage. The weapon he chose was sharp and extremely deadly. He was happy with his choice as the latter responded well to his will and seemed to go where he wanted it to go. It was as if he formed a certain bond with it. He walked through the dusty street and soon emerged into a clearing. It looked like the main square of the town where villages gather to celebrate different cultural holidays. The houses that surrounded the square were simple wooden huts. Most of the doors were closed and silence seemed to be the main theme of Yharnam and its surrounding villages. He didn''t feel in danger in this place, but he felt uneasy. Something terrible must have happened in this village to give it this eerie atmosphere. He saw an open door to one of the huts and went inside. He almost fainted as a putrid smell penetrated his nostrils. He lit a torch he took from the upper Cathedral Ward and waited for his eyes to adjust to the new light. Sacks were scattered all over the hut. They were no simple sacks however as they were long and seemed to conceal something humanoid. With his sword, Francis cut one of them open and discovered that the hut concealed dozens of corpses. They were all mummified and had one common feature. None of them had eyes, as if they were extracted before the mummification. That explained the smoke coming out of the buildings. Maybe some of them were still active and still burning corpses on slow fire. He had seen this kind of process before and found it disgusting. Some cultures would burn their dead on a slow fire in order to conserve their humanoid appearance. Dry skin and protruding mouths were the only thing left to be seen on the mummies. Francis was never a fan of this kind of "burial". After he got acquainted with Yharnam''s atrocities, he found what he was looking at fascinating. There must have been a use for this. Perhaps mummification was the way Yharnamites use to bury their dead. And if smoke still came out of some buildings, someone must be sane enough to make sure this process didn''t stop. His thirst for knowledge pushed him to explore the village further. He wanted to know everything related to Yharnam and its surrounding areas. It was his way of finding out more about the history of the place and purpose of the creation of the healing church. He knew that it had a connection to the old blood, as the doctor Oedon chapel had told him before. But she didn''t have enough information as to the source of the old blood. Some said that it was Old One''s blood. Others said that it was taken from a holy medium. No one knew of its exact nature. The knowledge was long lost in the annals of history. He came back to the main square and proceeded onward, towards the biggest building in town. He went through a narrow street. Houses surrounded him and he felt trapped. If a horde of enemies ambushed him, he wouldn''t have any way of avoiding the attack. He remained on guard and moved slowly. He heard some footsteps in the distance, heavy ones that shook the earth beneath him. At the end of the street, he saw the source of the noise. A hulking giant wearing a black hoodie and holding a gigantic axe was patrolling a small clearing among the disordered houses. The space Francis had was narrow so his movement would be limited when confronted to this enemy. Francis knew that he could use his insight in order to get to know more about his opponent. The woman doctor told him that hunters and church doctors used an item called madman''s knowledge in order to obtain insight. This gave them the ability to see extraordinary beings and eventually communicate with the great ones. The item however, was extremely rare and finding it meant that its owner was in luck. Francis found one in the possession of the woman who had administered blood to him and used it instantly to gain insight. He suffered from a terrible headache soon afterwards but after a short rest, he felt even more powerful. He also learned that by using his "third eye" he could gather more information regarding his foes. For instance, their names and their fighting ability were told to him in a form of murmurs. The one in front of him was an executioner. He wore a steel armor on his chest and the black hoodie hid his face. On top of being huge, he was also fat and large. His fighting ability was assessed as high and extremely tenacious. The executioner held his great axe to his chest in both hands, as if to protect himself from any upcoming attack. He walked slowly towards Francis, assessing his opponent and trying to look for an opening. Francis stood firm in his position, awaiting the executioner''s first move. The latter didn''t dally for long and swung at him with his axe. Feeling the wind blow his gray hair backwards, Francis stepped backwards, enough to avoid the attack and stay within range to counter attack. The swing was wide and left the executioner''s left side open. He stabbed the executioner, aiming for his ribs. A ringing sound was heard as he hit the armor and his arms slipped, causing him to lose balance. His aggressive opponent struck again with a slam from his axe, directed towards Francis'' head. The latter rolled forward and avoided the deadly attack in the nick of time. It didn''t occur to him that his weapon could not pierce armor, he was used to the ease with which he disposed of his foes earlier. He had his back to one of the huts and the giant foe was running towards him, shaking the ground as he moved. Francis waited for his horizontal swing and he jumped high in order to avoid it. He took his gun and shot the executioner in the face. The fat man stumbled back, giving Francis enough time to slip behind him and cut one of his legs. The executioner tried to swing his axe as he was falling down. His fighting spirit didn''t wither; in fact he was more enraged. Francis got hit by the back of the axe and was sent flying. He crashed on a door, breaking it and landing on top of another pile of corpses. The executioner, bleeding and huffing, used his axe to support himself and hopped towards Francis. The old man stood up, almost choking from the smell of rotting corpses and exited the hut. A strong slam welcomed him as he went out. He avoided the attack by quickstepping to the right and shot the giant in the injured leg. The executioner let out a painful scream and fell to his knees. It was Francis''s opportunity to finish him. He climbed on top of him and as if slaughtering a sheep, cut off the fat giant''s head. 72 A mysterious hos Francis was huffing and puffing. That fight gave him an adrenaline rush he hadn''t felt since he killed that poor lady in the upper Cathedral Ward. He wiped his bloody hands and the Chikage on his foe''s hoodie and as he looked up, he saw at least twenty women surrounding him. The commotion from the fight had attracted unwelcomed visitors. They all came at him at once. Some were holding sickles, while others had sledgehammers on their hands. His speed and skill outmatched theirs, but their number was going to be a problem. He quickly tore a piece of cloth from the executioner''s hood and tied it around his face to hide his nose. He went inside the hut he had broken into and waited for them. He wanted to thin the number of enemies that came at him. After two strikes, two women fell on top of each other and blocked the entrance in front of him. The others had to step on the corpses in order to reach him. Dealing with them had become easier but his breathing started to shorten. Although he managed to mask the corpses'' smell, he was still breathing unclean air. He had to finish that fight quickly. He heard a crack in front of the hut and soon after, fire engulfed the corpses that lay in front of him. Some of the women had cocktail Molotov and were throwing them his way. That was a smart way to flush him out of his hiding spot. Francis jumped out of the hut as fast as he could. With the lying corpses inside, he couldn''t risk fire catching up to him. As soon as he was out, four women jumped at him, trying to finish him off. He tackled one with his shoulder and slashed three in one swoop using his sharp Chikage. Their number was intimidating but not to the current version of Francis. He realized that a mere mob wasn''t enough to finish him off. He noticed three women on top of some huts, filling their Molotov and preparing to throw them his way while at least five were rushing towards him. They were relentless but sloppy. Francis jumped quickly on top of one of the old houses and found himself facing one of the women who had just finished filling two bottles. He killed her swiftly and jumped towards the other two; finishing each one of them in one hit. At that moment, the remaining women from the mob, about twelve, had gathered in the small clearing between the houses. Francis took all the explosives he could get his hands on and threw them on the women below. He stood on top of the houses, watching all of his foes screaming as they caught fire, and as their lives faded away painfully. Francis took off the piece of cloth that bound his face and took a deep breath. That was a close one. Although he managed to contain the situation intelligently he made a mental note not to rush enemies too fast the next time. He jumped down from the top of the hut and continued on his way towards the big building he had seen before. As he reached it, he noticed that it was built out of bricks, not wood unlike the other huts in the village. That must have been the most important building in town although he still didn''t have the opportunity to explore the whole area. It was a three story building. It was as large as five village huts aligned one next to the other. The front door was shut tight and Francis, despite his efforts and enhanced strength, couldn''t force it open. He started looking for another way out and noticed an open balcony on the first floor. He used his strong grip to hold onto some holes in the outer wall of the building and reached the balcony in no time. The extra strength and agility he had gained from blood ministration helped him overcome too many difficulties. He had become even stronger than Karla, who he admired. And he understood Paul''s attitude when he discovered the healing properties of the blood. However, he understood that there were still other enemies far stronger than him and he wanted to find ways to become more skilled and powerful. The room he found himself in was clean and organized, as if someone took the time to take care of it and cleaned it daily. There was a small fireplace in the middle of the room, two large bookcases aligned at the walls and a small bed, tidy and untouched. ''Someone must be still living here. I should be on guard.'' He moved about and inspected some of the books on the shelves. Most of them contained information about the history of Yharnam and the healing church. He could stay in that place for days and wouldn''t even feel the time go by. But first he had to explore the rest of the building and make sure that it was safe to let his guard down. As he finished his thought, he heard the door of the room open. A man walked in, clothed in a gray suit, brown polished shoes and wearing a black tie. He looked like an educated gentleman, save for the cane he was holding which concealed a weapon. He had black hair and a thin beard. The man looked like he took care of himself and kept to his hygiene seriously. - "You must be a hunter" said the mysterious gentleman. - "Yes I am, and judging from your cane, you must be one of them too." Replied Francis, he had seen that weapon before at the training room back in upper Cathedral Ward. - "Yes, not sustained by the dream I''m afraid" the man had put his cane down and settled himself on a couch opposite the fireplace. "So how can I be of service? I''m just a retired hunter, waiting to die peacefully." - "I''m looking for knowledge, regarding Yharnam and its secrets, and regarding this town here." Francis was ready to fight the man if he showed any sign of animosity. - "You are in Hemwick. This village has its own share of secrets I''m not willing to talk about. But if you''d like, you can use the books here and explore the village as much as you''d like. This place here is safe, far from the reach of beasts. You can use it as much as you''d like. There''s a room next door, please make yourself comfortable there." The man didn''t seem to be the talkative type but Francis assessed that he was of no immediate danger to him. He thanked the man and went to the room he pointed out to him. It was a simple place. A big comfortable bed occupied most of the space. A desk was arranged next to the door with an oil lamp on top of it. That could be of great use for Francis whenever he decided to read for an extended period of time. After all, he had no need for sleep or food, all he required was a bit of blood once in a while in order to rejuvenate his senses. He took a book he borrowed from the library and started reading: "The healing church or how mankind stepped forward in their evolutionary cycle." 73 The valley hamlet, home to beasts and abominations After reading the note on the door, Surgit pondered for a moment then decided to go back for the extinguished lamp. He wanted to try something he had in mind for some time. He looked at the lamp and closed his eyes. With his insight he started seeing the shape of the lamp, as it were a distant thing in a dark field. He touched it and a blue flame appeared. It was the only thing he could see and upon opening his eyes, he was still in the building. He knew that there was a way to light it without automatically getting transported back to the dream all the time. He went back to the closed door and stopped in front of it. He had no other place to go to and this seemed like the most likely place that would lead him to the hamlet Gehrman had spoken about. He opened the big door, pushing with both his arms as hard as he could. Dust filled the place as if the door hadn''t been touched in a very long time. It creaked and resisted Surgit''s push but in the end it let the faint remaining sun rays penetrate the previously dark lit room. Surgit found himself standing in the middle of a large plaza. The sun had set and only its faint rays remained in the sky. He looked above him and saw the great city of Yharnam high up. He managed somehow to get deeper into the valley on top of which the city was built. He could see on his upper left, Central Yharnam and on the right, the Cathedral Ward. The great bridge that connected between the two sides of the city cast its large shadow upon the valley underneath. The air was damp in the area and Surgit felt heat building up on his body. Upon looking around him, he was reminded by how horrific this place was. The plaza was circular and on one end, there was a small bridge that connected to the other side of town. In the place where he was standing, crucifixes were scattered all around. He could count at least twelve, all of them containing humanoid beasts which were on fire. The fire seemed to be burning constantly and the beasts appeared to have been dead for a long time. All of them had heads slightly bigger than a human''s. The heads were hairy and their open mouths showed canine teeth. Their bodies were charred and what remained of them showed traces of burnt hair and scars all over the body. Their hands had claws on them and their feet were as small as a human''s. Surgit had seen the same crucifixes in the serpentine street leading from Iosefka''s clinic towards the large fountain plaza in Central Yharnam. He wondered at the nature of these beasts as they seemed less dangerous to him than the ones he had encountered so far. What drove people to put them on these crucifixes and burn them? As he moved towards the bridge, he heard a movement from the other side. He stopped and clenched his weapon. Smoke was hindering his eyesight so he waited for the thing that was moving behind the smokescreen to move forward. To his surprise, it looked like one of those creatures that were crucified. As soon as it saw Surgit, it ran towards him and slashed at him with its claws. Surgit avoided the attack and kicked the creature in the stomach, sending it flying backwards. It rolled on the ground and held its belly in pain. It laid down on the floor whimpering and covering its face, in fear of its assailant. "You shouldn''t have attacked me my friend" said Surgit as he drove his saw deep within the creature''s chest, aiming for its heart. Suddenly, he heard a deep ringing voice in the distance. It felt like it came from everywhere around him. "You there! Hunter! Didn''t you see the warning? Turn back at once. Old Yharnam, burned and abandoned by men, is now home only to beasts. They are of no harm to those above. Turn backˇ­ Or the hunter will face the hunt." The man stopped talking and silence settled back in the area. ''So this is Old Yharnam after all. I''m sorry old man but I''m not willing to back down.'' He thought to himself as he crossed the bridge. He started getting used to facing unknown enemies and that fact didn''t unsettle him anymore. After all, he was immune to death and he could come back and hunt whoever tried to kill him before. It didn''t matter how many tries it would take him, he vowed to clear the place of all danger. Moreover, he had to find the chalice hidden in Old Yharnam. That was his objective at that moment. He had to have something to strive for in order to forget the little orphan''s incident. As he crossed the bridge three beasts came rushing at him. Surgit elongated his cleaver and, putting some distance between him and the three in order to anticipate their jumping attacks, cut them open in three quick strikes. Their hide was tougher than expected and two of them still came at him despite the injuries they suffered. He shot one of them in the head, staggering it and finished the other. He then retracted his weapon to its original form and attacked the remaining foe with all his strength, cutting it deep enough to cause it to stumble to the ground, gasping for air. He looked around him again and inspected the town. He had a clearer view over Old Yharnam and the first thing he noticed was the difference in architecture. The buildings in the new part of Yharnam had a gothic architecture while the ones in the old part of the city had square roofs and smaller buildings. He was at the uppermost part of the old town. He could see the city extending downwards, full of open areas and larger streets. The city had more squares and the only two tall buildings were a clock tower in the distance and a large cathedral behind it. He decided to aim for the cathedral as it was more likely the place to host the hidden chalice. The streets were still filled with crucifixes and the never fading flames filled the place with smoke. He walked further and came upon some stairs that took downwards, towards another square. It was an open area where more beasts stood, holding their heads as if in pain. Surgit noticed that they struggled to breath and its sound was similar to the fully transformed tall beasts he had fought in the aqueducts. Statues decorated the square. More like haunted it in fact. They looked eerie as they were of veiled women holding their heads as if in pain. From underneath the women, there appeared to be incomplete bodies forming at their feet. Some of them had the small messengers at the women''s feet, holding their hands together in a praying gesture. The strange sculptures reminded him of the ones he had seen in the graveyard where he fought Gascoigne. He shook his head, trying to chase away the morbid thoughts that rushed back to him. He had to keep moving. He went down the stairs and approached the unsuspecting beasts. There were six of them. He wanted to surprise them but a claw tore down his right sleeve. A humanoid beast wearing a veil, which hid its head and most of its face, was hiding behind one of the statues and almost killed him in one hit. Their claws were sharp and Surgit had let his guard down. With one swing from his cleaver he hit his enemy on the head. Surgit''s weapon hit its mark but it slid down as it made contact with the beast''s tough skull. The latter stepped back but came at him again. They were definitely tougher than they appeared to be. As it tried to attack him again, Surgit shot the beast and staggered it. He prepared to deliver a visceral attack but the others had heard the shot and rushed towards him. He stepped back and got ready to face them all. It was going to be a tough fight if all of them surrounded him so he had to act fast. The veiled one appeared to be the toughest. Surgit led the horde towards him, up the stairs and jumped behind them. He hacked at the veiled one who lagged behind and cut its head off, aiming for its neck this time. As the others turned to face him he tackled two, throwing them to the ground and shot another; One of the remaining beasts, still capable of coming at him, jumped towards him and aimed for his neck. Surgit avoided the swing and punched the beast in the face with his left hand. He then swung with his cleaver vertically at the beast, opening its chest. While two were struggling to stand up, two attacked Surgit relentlessly. He jumped back and elongated his cleaver, hacking at both as fast as his limbs allowed him. After five strikes, he was breathing heavily and soaked in his enemies'' blood. He rushed the remaining three then as he had more stamina left to dispose of them before they regained their composure. He kicked the first one, knocking it against the stairs. He then crushed another''s skull using the pommel of his saw. It took him three strong hits in order to break the poor creature''s defense. He then jumped at the other, imitating their jump attack. He came down at the poor beast with full force in a vertical attack. As blood poured out of it he turned and finished the agonizing one whose bones had been broken by the impact against the sharp ends of the stairs. Surgit stopped for a while to catch his breath. The humanoid beasts in this village were definitely more powerful than the ones in the streets of Central Yharnam and the Cathedral Ward. He would need to stay on his guard and not underestimate his foes. One wrong step could mean his death and despite the fact that he was immune to it, he didn''t want to feel all the pain that comes before losing consciousness. From the square where he stood, Surgit could see the clock tower and the big cathedral far away in the distance. He would need to descend through the streets beside him and find a way towards yet another plaza that preceded his objective. He started inspecting one of the statues in the square. They stood out from the general style of Old Yharnam. The stones looked well-polished, no cracks or dents were to be seen on them. He wondered if the man who had spoken to him earlier was the one taking care of the statues. And what was their symbolism anyway? The one he had in front of him was clearly a woman, veiled in a manner that hid even her face. Her back was bent forward and her hands closed together in a praying gesture. With the establishment of the healing church, perhaps new religious beliefs sprung up in the city and people erected those statues to symbolize their faith. There was a startling resemblance between the woman in the statue and the veiled creature that almost killed him earlier. Could it be that it was a woman that transformed into a beast? After all, Surgit started seeing a lot of similarities between humans and beasts. Something in Yharnam must have triggered these transformations and over time, everyone either succumbed to it or died fighting it. Or at least that was Surgit''s general assumption of what had happened. He heard the voice ringing in the distance again: "You are a skilled hunter. Adept, merciless, half-cut with blood; as the best hunters areˇ­ which is why I must stop you." A loud noise could be heard from the direction of the clock tower and as Surgit looked at it, he saw sparks flying towards him. He rolled just in time to hide behind one of the statues. Bullets started destroying the previously well-polished statue and Surgit had to find a way out from that situation. The man had a Gatling gun on top of the clock tower and was raining bullets at him from a distance. The situation was very dangerous. If he managed to completely break the statue, Surgit will be filled with wholes. A painful death he wasn''t ready to experience. ''That''s very cheap old man, I''m going to get you, mark my words.'' 74 Do not disturb the woman while she rests Surgit was pissed so he started scanning his surroundings in order to plot a way out. Back in the days when he was at the military school, Surgit developed a habit of reading fantastic stories where the characters could use some kind of psychic power to get a sense of their surroundings and detect signs of life around them. He loved to fantasize about having special powers. He used to imagine what he could have done if he was in the characters'' shoes. That was his way of spending most of the cold snowy days, stationed on a far-away watch tower no one ever came next to. He wondered if his insight could give him the same kind of abilities. Surgit decided to give it a shot. He closed his eyes and used his insight. He didn''t want to be surprised by any enemy on his way down. Fighting something while bullets rained his way was out of the question. He could only see darkness, it either didn''t work that way or he didn''t know how to use the ability. Another idea suddenly hit him. Gatling guns always overheat and need some cool down time before they could be used again. Surgit then ran out from behind the statues he was using as cover and triggered the man to shoot him. He immediately slid behind another statue and waited for the bullets to stop. Chunks of rock rained down on him as the impact of the projectiles destroyed the sculptures. As soon as the bullets stopped, Surgit emerged from behind the statue and ran towards the street that led down to his objective: what he assumed was the city center. He started his descent and saw that the street was filled on both ends with different old carts, parked on the sides; A nice coincidence that provided him with cover from the Gatling gun''s continuous storm of bullets. The street led down towards a broken bridge though. ''I guess I can''t be this lucky'' thought Surgit as he hid behind one of the carts which almost succumbed to the successive shots. He needed to move fast before he got killed. He saw an open door towards a building, and against his will he went inside. ''This old man must have sharp eyes. Being able to spot me from that distanceˇ­'' Once inside the building, the shots stopped and silence ensued. Surgit enjoyed silence for the first time since he arrived to Old Yharnam. It was a sign that danger had subsided. He took a look around and saw that the building had stairs that could lead him down towards another lower floor. He went down and found himself in an old flat. The only furniture that remained was a big wooden chair and a dusty fireplace. On the chair sat what appeared to be a gigantic lady. The lady was fully clothed in a beige robe, veiled with her face hidden. She was bigger than the one he had encountered in the square above. She stood up and Surgit saw her eyes glowing red through the thick veil. It was no normal enemy. She jumped at him, trying to grab him. Surgit jumped high in order to land behind her and surprise her with a backstabbing attack. In the heat of the moment, he didn''t take into consideration his enemy''s height and the room he was in. He slammed his back against the ceiling and fell down flat on his stomach. ''What a stupid person I amˇ­'' He thought as he struggled to stand up and regain his posture. ''The fool recognizes his foolishness,'' whispered the echoes. ''Perhaps he''s getting wiserˇ­'' whispered another. ''Oh shush! When did wise men ever slam their backs on a roof?'' answered another to which the echoes seemed to unanimously agree. Surgit had had enough of their live commentary on his mistakes. He had to find a way to shut them up. He tried to get up but his movement was hindered by a foreign body grabbing him. He felt a hand grab him from his leg and soon after, he was dangling upside down. The veiled creature was holding him from one of his legs and inspecting the stranger that had just barged in. He tried to take his pistol in order to shoot her but she anticipated his move and slapped it away from his hand. She knew that he was hostile then and she prepared to punish him. A punch to the stomach with her free hand sent sparkles of electricity around all of his body. These creatures were strong, too strong. Another punch and Surgit let out a terrible scream. Despite his strength and vitality, the creature could still damage him. But she wasn''t satisfied with just a scream. She slammed him on the floor twice, as if she was removing dust from an old carpet.Moving while dangling upside down was an arduous task. Surgit tried to swing his cleaver at the woman but his swings were too wide. For every attempt, he got a punch to the head. Three hits were enough to make him lose the will to fight back. He felt dizzy and blood started pouring out of his nostrils and ears. He knew that another hit would mean that he''d lose consciousness, but the hit didn''t come. Instead, the woman used her claws to tear his garb open and cut his exposed chest. Three vertically aligned cuts were performed in the slowest fashion possible. Surgit felt sick and he lost his voice. He couldn''t scream anymore and the woman finally let him down. She sat back down on the chair and watched as he struggled to stand up again. His knees shook and his vision was blurred. He started vomiting and blood rushed out of his mouth. He was surprised at the amount of blood he still had in him. He started feeling numb and his eyes slowly closed down. ''I guess the bitch poisoned meˇ­'' 75 It’s raining bullets! He woke up next to the lamp. To his surprise, his garb was intact, as if it resuscitated with him. "When you told yourself to be careful, you managed to make the worst miscalculation of your life. Good job Surgit." He was talking to himself, frustrated at how he didn''t think of the ceiling on top of him as he tried to jump over the veiled creature. He waited for the echoes to comment on what he just said then remembered that they all get lost if he ever dies. He sighed in relief. "Now you have to go through all the monsters you''ve slain before, and probably, the old man will be shooting at you at the same time." He was still beating himself up as he went through the big wooden door and accessed the hidden town. By that time, he knew what to expect as he crossed the first bridge. He took care of the first three enemies that came at him and found himself in front of the square with the creepy statues. As soon as he started climbing down the stairs, bullets started raining his way. He was ready this time as he jumped on top of the railings and ran down towards the beasts patrolling the square. He jumped high as soon as the first bullet hit the railing and landed among his opponents. If he had to get away from the flurry of bullets that rained down on him, he had to use his enemies as shields and escape the open areas as fast as he could. The beasts didn''t have time to attack him as they started to drop like flies and Surgit used the commotion to eclipse himself in the street that led down towards the building he died at earlier. The Gatling gun soon followed him, but he was faster this time and hid inside the building just in time. He prepared his plan of attack with the lady monster downstairs and headed to meet her. ''Remember, she''s poisonous so don''t come too close.'' He repeated in his head as he came face to face with his foe. The woman quickly dashed towards him and made to grab him. Surgit dodged backwards and punished her predictable move with a slash of his weapon towards the extended arms of the beast. He managed to scratch the hide of the beast but the injury wasn''t too deep to make a clean cut. The poisonous enemy then slashed with its claws towards Surgit to which he retaliated with a series of five swift and quick blows to its limbs. He managed to stagger it and she fell back. Surgit pressed on and, with a vertical slash using the elongated version of his cleaver, made a deep cut on her chest. The woman let out a deafening scream and her eyes glowed red. She was enraged. She attacked Surgit with her claws in a series of unstoppable slashes. He kept his calm like he had learned earlier while fighting hordes of monsters, and concentrated on reading the patterns of the attacks. He danced around the almost invisible arms as they moved too fast for a normal eye to follow. As soon as the beast stopped to collect its breath, Surgit shot it twice in the head and attacked with all his strength, aiming for the neck. Three strong attacks were enough to open the woman''s throat and blood started gushing out. Surgit stepped backwards in order to enjoy the show and see the woman gasping for breath. He wanted to witness the same thing that happened to him earlier. That didn''t happen however as the beast still kept coming at him, struggling to move but willing to attack and kill him nonetheless. Surgit jumped back as a vertical slam headed his way. He shortened his weapon and hit the hand that just tried to strike him. Another hand came crashing his way so Surgit dodged and shot the dangling head. That was enough to bring the fight to a halt as the beast collapsed and stopped moving. "That was a close one. I didn''t think they could still move with an injury like that." He was out of breath, more from the surprise he had just endured than from jumping and moving around the attacks. ''The fool has recovered us!'' said the voices inside Surgit''s head. He forgot that he could actually recover his echoes after slaying the last beast that killed him. He mumbled something under his breath that clearly signified his displeasure at their presence. As much as he enjoyed the strength they potentially offer him, as much as he hated their constant murmurs and taunts. He inspected the apartment in which he had just fought the beast. There was a closed balcony and he decided to inspect it. From the looks of it, it was positioned at an angle that wasn''t on the field of vision of the man with the Gatling gun. From there, he observed again the city below him and tried to plan his route. He discovered that the city extended way lower than the clock tower and the big cathedral. The darkness that engulfed the valley was still terrifying to Surgit. He couldn''t fathom what would lurk down below. Old Yharnam''s layout sure was strange. The street through which he''d come down led down towards the square. If it weren''t for the destroyed road, he would have been able to reach the place easily. He then remembered the barrage of bullets that welcomed him every time he was out in the open. That was enough to convince him that he would''ve chosen the building regardless of the state of the road. From another door in the apartment, there was another exit. The street outside led towards another building that seemed to give access to the big square before the clock tower. He would need to plan his move carefully once he reached that building. Otherwise, the gun''s bullets would pierce him full of holes. He knew for instance that once he''d be down at the dark alley below him, the man would be ready to fire at him even blindly. Once the monsters attack him, it would be a signal for him to fire, even if it was carelessly done. After all, the street was narrow and he didn''t have much room to dodge or hide.There was no time to dwell on too much planning anyway, he decided to go down and improvise. He went to the ground floor and opened the door that led towards the narrow street. He ran towards the closest enemy and raised him up with both arms.They were small and light, lifting them and holding them from their backs allowed Surgit to avoid their claws too. As he ran forward, the other two noticed him and dashed towards him. He tackled them using their friend as a shield and as he heard the gunshots, he braced himself for impact. The other two died instantly and he felt his body being pushed backwards as the other monster absorbed the bullets. He knew that he had only a few seconds left before its body got impaled and the bullets reached him. He pressed on and saw the opening that led towards the other street and then towards the next building, towards safety. BOOM! An explosion sent him flying several paces away from his previous objective. He was in great pain but he didn''t have much time to dwell on it. Surgit stood up, rolled to the side and picked up a corpse from the ground. He repeated the same manoeuver and, with all his strength, he pushed the succumbing beast-shield forward until he reached the opening. As soon as he glanced at the open space, he rolled to the side. He ran as fast as he could towards the building as bullets hit the ground beside his feet. Silence fell as he was finally inside the building, panting. His body ached and every movement was followed by intense jolts of pain that immobilized him. The adrenaline rush he experienced and the will to survive were the only things that kept him moving after that explosion. Surgit peeked from the door through which he had just come. In the dark street, clay jars were displayed on the ground in a peculiar fashion. "The bastard had already installed some explosive shit in there!" screamed Surgit. He was faced to a cunning and very dangerous man. He injected himself with a blood vial and turned around. He had to reach the clock tower and bring this nightmare to an end. 76 When nothing goes right… turn left! The adrenaline rush had left him breathless but happy. He loved the excitement that dangerous situations brought out of him. In fact he loved surviving dangerous situations and the euphoria that followed it. He was now at another checkpoint and he knew that what followed would be the hardest part before he reached the clock tower and be done with the dangerous Gatling gun aimed at him. The ground floor of the building he was at was spacious. He came from the back door and the main door, opposite him, was wide open. He could see some trees in the distance. It was definitely that square and what scared him most about it was its size: a large open area that leads directly towards the clock tower at its end. He would have to fight his way around, dodge and hide in order to reach it. He wanted to survive that trip and find his way as quickly as possible towards his destination. He made for the wide open door and as he was half way towards it, he felt something jump at him from the side. He jumped back in the nick of time and saw another giant woman monster in front of him. Her veil hid her face and red eyes glowed from behind it. He knew what to expect: a long and strenuous fight. This time around, he had enough space to jump around the beast and wear it down before finishing it off. As the woman dashed forward to attack, Surgit executed his plan and jumped behind her, he landed a vertical attack as he came down, slashing her back. The woman turned around and attacked with two rapid strikes. He dodged to the right and attacked again. The beast was dumb and followed him. He was leading the pace of the fight. The simple beast followed his movements and attacked relentlessly, repeating the same pattern of attacks over and over. She would first start with a horizontal swing, then follow it up with a jumping attack if he ever put too much distance between them. If he stayed closer, she would slam both her fists to the ground. He dodged every time and attacked once to attract her attention. After a few spins, the beast became dizzy and stopped attacking for a while, leaving herself open for Surgit''s counter attack. He jumped at her and kicked her with both his feet on the chest. She fell down on the back and Surgit stood on top of her, hacking with his saw as hard as he could. It was brutal take down, akin to a butcher, mercilessly killing his poor preys. He was then done with his enemy and made again for the main door. As soon as he made his first step outside, he heard the shots and jumped back in. ''The bastard knew that I would come out this way.'' The shooting stopped but Surgit knew that he was being hunted. He also understood that one wrong step would mean instant death. He suddenly had an idea. He dragged the body of the dead enemy he had just disposed of and threw it with all his strength out the bid door. The stench of blood would attract any nearby enemy and the horde would provide for a good cover from the bullets. He knew that his hunter was sympathetic towards those poor beasts and hoped that his shots would become irregular if ever the horde was big enough. He would have to survive among them though but he would rather take a group of enemies coming at him than a flurry of bullets. The plan worked and at least twenty enemies were coming his way. He ran towards them but bullets stopped him on his tracks and forced him to go back inside the building. They were about to reach him and he didn''t like the idea of fighting them all inside that ground floor. The main door was big enough to allow at least four enemies at a time. He waited for them to cramp up against the entrance and ran towards them again. This time, he jumped over them and landed behind the horde. The man must have figured out his plan and started shooting again; Surgit didn''t stop though and kept on running towards the clock tower. Bullets grazed his skull as he ran as fast as his feet allowed him to. From the square where he was, he used the trees as cover from the bullets as he zigzagged through them. He soon traversed the whole square and found himself in another open area, right beside the tower. The horde had increased and they were all following him. The bullets were still chasing him and in front of the street leading him to safety, he saw a hunter. ''Crap, now I''m really trapped.'' He thought as he saw the hunter coming at him, and the horde behind him closing in on him. He couldn''t stop because of the bullets aimed his way. He had to make a decision and he had only a split second to do so. Running towards the hunter would mean engaging in a fight and getting his body pierced with countless bullets. Ignoring the hunter and running past him to escape the bullets would mean that he''d have to fight all the beasts and the hunter. He figured the odds were not in his favor either if he ever took this option. He had to improvise a new kamikaze plan. He turned the opposite way from the clock tower and ran towards a building at the other end of the square. It was the base of the building where he hid before, that was a dead end. He knew that because he had seen that from above earlier. He cursed. In his desperation to get out of the helpless situation, he didn''t think that the building he ran to led to a dead-end. ''Looks like the fool has really gone through with his kamikaze plan,'' the echoes still taunted him and Surgit hated that. From the corner of his eyes he noticed a ledge that he could jump to. He knew it was the only option he had left. The ledge was on the left side of the building and seemed to lead to another structure, far away from the Gatling gun''s reach. So he increased his speed and jumped. As he landed, he felt the platform giving way to his weight, he noticed another platform below and jumped to it as the latter fell down and crashed on a hard surface below. He turned around and faced the danger he was exposed to earlier. He was hidden by a corner of the building so the bullets couldn''t reach him. The other hunter stood facing him from the other side while the horde of enemies was heading back to whence they came from. ''The fool dodged bullets there I guessˇ­'' an echoing voice commented. 77 Bar fight !! The platform on which he stood appeared to be used for renovation work some long time ago. They remained there ever since, which allowed Surgit to escape certain death. He was never one for planning his attacks and that was a weakness he was well aware of. He started wondering at his luck and when it would run out. In fact, it had run out many times before but he always managed to rise back from the dead to attack again. As he jumped towards the platforms earlier, he thought of the possibility of dying and dreaded going back through all the trouble again. That was what tortured his mind and kept him going, fighting death. From where he stood, he saw a catwalk he could jump down to and from there, a ladder that led to a terrace. It gave access to the same building where he died earlier to the veiled lady, but to its lower floors. As he stepped down from the ladder, he saw an extinguished torch on the floor. He picked it up and inspected it. It looked like it was still in a state that could be lit. He fumbled on his back and took a lighter he had found earlier during one of his visits to the dream. He somehow thought it to be useful for him and now he knew that his instinct was right. He went through the only door that gave access to the building and found himself in a dark room. He lit his torch and the room slowly revealed itself to Surgit. It was an open area that looked like an old pub. It had wooden floors and the remains of an old counter were to be seen at one dark corner of the room. On the other corner, Surgit saw the shadow of one of those big women while he heard other whispers coming from the upper floor. Wooden stairs led upwards and as Surgit looked up, he saw an extinguished chandelier hanging from a ceiling, three floors above. The area was large and would allow Surgit to move more freely as he fought the enemies in that place. He decided to try one more thing before he engaged all of his foes though. He closed his eyes and used insight. The knowledge came to his mind instantly: ''Beast patient, female.'' They were female after all. Surgit didn''t know what to make out of the title "patient" though. That would mean that they were sick at some point but the people decided to abandon them and leave them to their sorry fate. It was either that, or everyone had turned into a beast without anybody to cure them from that state. He remembered what Iosefka had told him about not fearing the beastly scourge, that people needed healing, and that her job was to help them overcome this terrible situation. He also remembered the crucifixes scattered around Central Yharnam. Perhaps the people in the city found out that fire was the only way to cure the poor beasts and lay them to rest. His job though, as he had concluded was to hunt the beasts, and clear the city of the madness which inhabited it. He didn''t know how to cure them and dwelling on ways to save them was of no use to him. He readied his cleaver and moved towards the beast patient. ''Fooooolˇ­ and after you survived the worstˇ­'' whispered the echoes in his head. He mentally brushed their comments aside and advanced towards his prey. She heard his steps and turned around. As soon as their eyes met, she let out a terrible scream and all the other monsters above responded to it. He heard footsteps coming from everywhere, even from behind. He turned around and saw that at least six other enemies were coming towards him. They were apparently sleeping and rose as soon as they heard the cry for help. He couldn''t see them before because of the darkness. The situation instantly became helpless, he was surrounded and at that rate, he would have to forfeit the torch and fight in the dark. ''The door! It''s small and it will limit the ones coming at me.'' He thought as he jumped over the beasts that ran from behind him then went outside. The beasts turned around and came at him one by one. What surprised him was that the beasts were now afraid of approaching him. The monsters were afraid of the torch in his hand. Or in other words, they were afraid of the fire. With a smile on his face, Surgit advanced towards his enemies and reduced their numbers. The first five fell down without a hitch. As he stepped inside, he saw more enemies advancing towards him. They were afraid of the fire he held, but they gathered their courage and attacked relentlessly. As soon as they would come near him, Surgit would strike at them and injure them, pushing them back. They couldn''t come at him in great numbers as they hesitated at the sight of fire. From amidst the group of enemies, the female beast made her way through and stood tall in front of Surgit. She didn''t seem to fear the fire. It was mostly because of that veil that covered her face. She screamed again and the other beasts cowered back in fear. And so, Surgit and the female beast patient were standing face to face, in the middle of a ring made of the other smaller beasts, like in an arena. Surgit made the first move, he had the opportunity to kill the leader and inflict fear upon the others who seemed to be watching, waiting for the outcome of the fight. He dashed towards the beast''s legs, aiming to break one of them in order to limit the female patient''s movements. The latter, reading through his plan, kicked him and managed to hit him in the stomach. He stumbled back and as he tried to regain his composure, she dashed towards him. She slammed at him with both arms. He rolled back then jumped right after his feet made contact with the ground. Thanks to his agility and creativity, Surgit found that he could turn the tides of battle using his wits. Yharnam''s beasts lacked the intelligence hunters had. And he intended on making good use of that advantage. He jumped high and towards the beast patient. He landed on top of his foe, sitting on top of her shoulders. He threw the torch on the ground and held his cleaver in both hands, trying to strangle the female patient with it. As he drove the saw cleaver towards him, he felt it penetrate and cut the beast''s flesh. The latter struggled and kicked all around, hitting some of her minions and creating chaos. The others started fleeing the scene and fire caught on some of them as they fell on the torch which was lying on the ground, still lit. It was like Surgit was attempting to ride a wild horse. The ride was difficult and required extreme agility. Surgit managed to avoid the beast''s hands that tried to grab him, and as his saw went deeper and deeper into her neck, her movements became sloppier. She finally fell to her knees and Surgit felt that victory was finally close. He pulled on the weapon with more strength until he heard a loud crack. The head was finally detached and he fell on his back as there was nothing to pull on anymore and he lost his balance. He stood up and immediately went for his torch. The fire was almost gone but the enemies were already scattered around the building, afraid of the new monster that came in to hunt them down. Surgit ran towards the first group that was still in the ground floor, there were about five of them. He finished each one of them in two strong strikes and proceeded to the upper floors. In no time, he managed to clear the whole place. He sat down on the stairs next to the last two beasts he had just dealt with. The place was now calm and he took his time to recollect his thoughts and catch his breath. He used his insight on one of the dead small beasts. It showed that they also were beast patients, but male. The inhabitants of this city had then succumbed to some sickness that transformed them into theses abominations. He understood the meaning of the bandages on their heads and around their eyes by then. They must have been under treatment before the sickness took over the whole city. They no longer appeared sick, or human for that matter. He wondered at the source of the sickness that ravaged this place. Was it before the discovery of blood healing? Or was it the only sickness blood couldn''t heal? He didn''t know what to think of this situation but he decided to press on, and find a way towards the clock tower. 78 Finally out of reach Surgit was still not out of danger. He just took a break from it. He went down to the floor where he fought the bigger beast in order to make sure that he didn''t miss anything of value. The lower floor didn''t contain anything of great value, just some old trinkets that showed that the place was actually a pub. What he found on the second floor though was more interesting. On an old dusty table, there was a note, engraved on the wood. It read: "The red moon hangs low, and the beasts rule the streets. Are we left no other choice, than burn it all to cinders?" The beasts seemed to rule the streets at that point, but there was no moon yet. The sun had just set and its rays still brushed against the sky and the remaining clouds. He couldn''t help but think of the originator of that note. On closer inspection of the place, Surgit noticed something else, a corpse. It was a dead hunter, Surgit could tell from his attire. Most hunters used a similar style when it came to their garb: long leather coats, and hats similar to those of pirates. What confirmed his theory was the weapon the latter was holding. Surgit took it and inspected it. It was a short spear which had a strange handle. The handle was made of wood and under the tip of the spear laid the barrel of a gun. He inspected the barrel but he couldn''t find a way to insert bullets in it. The main hilt of the spear was made of two wooden parts, elegantly stuck together using a metallic sphere. When he looked at the spear''s handle though, he saw that under the main hilt, a type of extension was attached. The extension could be pulled towards his body and as he did so, the sphere holding the two wooden parts of the main hilt opened and extended them, making space for the extension to be added. It was a sophisticated piece of weaponry as not only did the spear extended and allowed for more range, the extension also had a gun trigger and a chamber in which the user could reload bullets. It was a spear and a gun at the same time: a rifle spear. He stored it on the sheath on his back and moved on. ''I wonder what happened to the axe I lost beforeˇ­ Next time I''m in the dream, I must pay a visit to the messengers.'' He thought, remembering how some messengers appeared out of nowhere and snatched his weapon. That reminded him of Karla as well and he wondered if she was waiting for him at the chapel. He had no time to think of her at that moment, he had a Gatling gun, ready to pierce his body as soon as he was out in the open. At the top floor, Surgit saw another dead hunter. His garb looked burned and charred and he was tied to a chair. It was as if he was tortured by someone. Perhaps it was the man atop the clock tower''s doing. He feared being caught by him. Dying to his flurry of bullets was one thing, but being tortured by him may lead him to lose his mind, thus losing his connection to the dream and end up like those two hunters he had just found. It was still unclear to him how some hunters died and never came back to the dream. He wanted to know what made them lose that contact and how it could eventually happen to him. Too many questions were left unanswered and it annoyed him even more than the impending doom that was waiting for him outside. If the hunters were in fact tortured by that Gatling man, he must know where Surgit would come out of and would be ready to fire at him as soon as he appeared out of his hole. After all, he protected the beasts of this city. He should be familiar with its ins and outs.In retrospect, it seemed to him that he was led to jump down that platform and be trapped by the beasts in the old pub. There was a window from which he could jump and get outside. He kept reminding himself to check for ambushes and to plan his way ahead. He didn''t want to fall for another trap as he was pretty sure that the Gatling gun was aimed his way, ready for to spot and fire at him. He observed the area outside carefully. The window led down to a small terrace. Stairs led upwards and when he looked at the destination they took to, he saw the plaza where he was trapped earlier by the hunter. He was close to the clock tower, speed and the element of surprise may come in handy for him at this point. Despite his doubt regarding a possible ambush, he decided to jump down and run as fast as he could before the shots could be fired at him. The faster he ran, the more time he would buy for himself. And so he ran, up the stairs and into the open plaza where the other hunter stood guard right beside the clock tower. The latter saw him first then bullets started raining down on him. This time, the beast patients were pretty far away and their reaction time would buy him some time to dance around the hunter and run for safety, away from the bullets'' reach. The hunter attacked him with a weapon similar to his saw cleaver. Surgit dodged the attack and kept running towards the big Cathedral. As soon as he reached the foot of the tower, shots stopped being fired and he slowed down, coming to a complete halt a few paces away from the plaza. He was standing near the entrance the cathedral''s entrance. He saw a door that led inside but he decided not to go there right away. He had a score to settle. He had been running away ever since he arrived to Old Yharnam. It was high time he stood his ground and fought back. He turned towards the hunter that was running his way. He knew that fighting the hunter would be harder. He had that experience with Gascoigne before and knew the risks of taking on a hunter head on. But if he ever wanted to become stronger, he would have to fight dangerous foes. This one didn''t seem to be the talkative type, he just wanted to fight and kill. 79 Karma strikes back Surgit was standing at the foot of the clock tower. The beast patients hadn''t come looking for him but he was faced to another type of danger. He was faced to a hunter who stood a few paces away from him. He seemed to screen him and assess the best way to attack him. Surgit felt uneasy and analyzed the hunter too. The weapon he was holding was slightly different from his saw cleaver. It looked like a giant barber''s knife too, with a wooden handle and a blade attached to it on one extremity. The blade was folded and it looked pointy, unlike his saw which was flat. The hunter stood still though, unwilling to make his first move. "I get it now" he said to the hunter, "You''re waiting for me to get there and get filled with bullets from the Gatling gun guy up there. Nice plan, but it won''t work." The hunter didn''t reply or move, which confirmed Surgit''s suspicion. He took his gun out and shot at the hunter. The latter dodged the attack and looked at Surgit, as if telling him: Is this all you can do? Surgit was irritated since he couldn''t get the silent hunter to move and he was afraid of turning his back to him. He decided to use the same strategy that was used against him. He turned his back and headed towards the cathedral. He heard footsteps approaching him from behind but decided to keep moving as if he had lowered his guard. As soon as the hunter came close enough to attack, Surgit ceremoniously performed a somersault and landed behind his assailant. With a swift swing of his weapon, Surgit elongated it as it emitted a metallic clicking sound. "Let''s dance!" He shouted at the silent hunter. The battle promised to be difficult and heavily reliant on skill. The hunter was agile and extremely fast. Surgit had barely enough time to finish his sentence when a vertical swing brushed his right shoulder. He had dodged the attack by a hair''s width. Surgit retaliated with a horizontal swing from his elongated cleaver. Using the long version of the weapon was useful in close quarter combat. The opponent didn''t always have enough time or space to dodge its reach. But Surgit was facing an adept hunter who jumper above the attack and shot at him. Surgit quick stepped to the left and shot the airborne hunter. The shot connected and threw the mute hunter to the ground. Surgit quickly jumped at his foe and slammed his saw towards him. Sparkles flew off the ground as the saw made contact with the cobble stones. The hunter had quickly rolled backwards and avoided Surgit''s attack. "Well, that''s promising. He''s pretty good. But not as good as Gascoigne." Surgit dashed towards the hunter and swung his cleaver in a Z motion. He knew that the hunter would dive under the first attack so the lateral swing would be enough to immobilize him. And immobilize it did. The lateral swing cut the hunter''s chest open while the last horizontal attack grazed his knees and brought him to the ground. Surgit smiled as he stood on top of the hunter. He held his saw with both hands and prepared to execute the poor soul. Intense pain stopped him on his tracks. It felt like when you miscalculate a jump, land and break your leg. You do not realize that you have broken it at the moment, but only when the adrenaline rush subsides. Then panic and pain bring you back to reality. You check your leg and find it folded in a weird angle. Then you realize: Oh shit I broke my leg. Surgit had at least three bullets inserted between his legs. He didn''t hear the shots as he was concentrated on finishing his opponent. The latter had kept his cool despite his fatal injuries and shot Surgit to the balls. Surgit howled and wimped like a dog that had just been thrashed would. "You shot me in the balls!!" he shouted at the silent hunter. Surgit swore the hunter was smiling underneath that scarf he wore, which masked half of his face. Surgit immediately injected two blood vials in his bloodstream. His wounds closed but his organs didn''t grow back. "I hope for your sake that these grow back once I''m back at the dream!" He shouted at the hunter as he slashed at him relentlessly. "Otherwise, I will look for you in the underworld, I will find you, and I will kill you!! Again!!" Surgit was drenched in blood. He had gone berserk and didn''t even notice it. The hunter lay at his feet, motionless. He didn''t even know how he had managed to dispose of him or how much time it took him to do so. All he knew was that he was kicking a head that had been decapitated while shouting all manners of insults at it. He took out his gun and emptied it on the mangled corpse. ''No amount of bullets would replace what you have just lost'' said a lone voice in his head. "I''m really not in the mood to listen to your taunts right now!" His voice came back to him in echoes. He was standing at the foot of the clock tower; the cathedral''s entrance just a few steps away from him. He stood next to a railing that gave a vista over the valley below. The hollowness of the valley echoed his voice. After silence had settled over the place, he felt lonely again. He was surrounded only by beasts or humanoid beings that wanted him dead. He missed human contact and intellectual exchange. At least when he was sick and looking for a cure, people had reacted to his appearance. They either shunned him or pitied him. He hated that but at this moment he started missing people''s reactions. His sickness was a curse, but how is getting healed and receiving blood ministration any better? He switched from being spurned by people to being attacked by beast. Their ship had sunk and he had no other way of leaving the city. The only clue he had was to find something called Pale Blood. He didn''t know what that meant and the rare sane people he''d met in the city didn''t know anything about it. Unlike Francis, he wanted to get better and leave the city. He wanted to resume his life in his hometown. Now he had to fight beasts and find more information about a mysterious blood no one had ever heard of. On top of it all, in the process of seeking this Pale Blood, he managed to orphan a little girl, get her killed. As if that wasn''t enough to make him feel bad about how he managed the situation, he had to lead Karla to an uncharted area and get separated with her. "And now I have lost my ballsˇ­ can this day get any worse?" 80 Lamenting the dead Before he reached the door of the cathedral, Surgit saw a ladder leading up towards the clock tower. He decided to climb it and go have a little chat with the Gatling gun owner. The climb was long. Every step Surgit took, he felt his trousers scratching the empty space between his legs. He still mourned the loss he had just suffered and dreaded coming back to the dream and finding out that he''d lost his pearls permanently. He couldn''t afford dying though as he knew that Gatling man will be waiting for him again. He had to get rid of him first. That was the only way he could imagine himself traversing the hamlet in peace. But when the finished climbing the long ladder, he started doubting his ability in terminating the defender of Old Yharnam''s beasts. He found out that he hadn''t reached the clock tower yet. He was standing in some sort of gallery. The gallery led to another ladder on Surgit''s left which ascended towards the top of the clock tower. On Surgit''s right, he saw a quick access leading towards an open window that apparently led to the upper floor of the Cathedral. The Gatling man didn''t make any move to look for Surgit. That unnerved him a little. He had two theories in his mind. Either the man on top had complete confidence in the abilities of the hunter downstairs, or he was just waiting for him to climb on top. He imagined the man hiding and waiting for Surgit to pop up then send him down, whence he came from. He couldn''t afford losing to that man yet. He didn''t want to make the trip all the way back. He thought of the promise he had made when he found out about the poor little orphan. "I''m not running away from a fight!" He spoke out loud as if speaking to the world. "I''m just exploring other alternatives to get rid of my foes." He decided to leave the Gatling man alone for the moment and explore the cathedral. He hoped to find some other access towards the clock tower from the inside. Perhaps there were some stairs that took upwards from the inside. The ladder, after all, looked like an emergency exit in case of fires. He went inside the Cathedral through an open window and found himself on a wooden platform that crossed a hall and led towards the ceiling of the main building. The high wooden roof of the cathedral offered Surgit a good hiding spot and a good vision over the place. The nave below was full of beast patients. They were all crying in unison and their voices sent chills down Surgit''s spine. It was as if they were mourning the loss of someone, or something in this case. There was an altar at the end of the spacious hall, and something shiny was placed on top of it. Surgit saw an open door behind the altar. He made a mental note of it. If he wanted to access that are from below, he would need to find a way to access that door below. At that moment though, he decided to move through the catwalk and discover more about the place. There was a chandelier below him. It was large, as large as the ones he used to see in the big opera house in his hometown. He found himself reminiscing about the past and the civilized world. He blinked as if to bring himself back to the reality he was living. The chandelier had long lost its magnificent look. The wood on which it was attached started getting moldy and threatened to collapse at any moment. From where he stood, he could make out something hanging under the chandelier. He moved further towards a large wooden platform on the other side of the catwalks. He had to move slowly and carefully. One misstep would send him down to his doom. And given the quality of the wood on top which he walked, he had to be twice as cautious. From there he turned around and had a better look at the thing that was hanging from the chandelier. When he thought that he could not be shocked by anything in Yharnam anymore, something new came at him and distorted his standards. A new kind of beast was hung on the ceiling. Its arms were chained and linked to each extremity of the chandelier. A pool of blood formed underneath it and the beast was pale as it was emptied from its blood. Its flesh looked strange. Its body looked lean and very muscular. Its skin had a purple color; the kind of color you see on a suffocating person''s face. Something in the beast''s appearance was off. Surgit had a feeling that he was missing some important detail. Upon inspecting the beast''s head, Surgit saw something extremely peculiar. It looked like it had a red veil on top of its head which hid its face. It resembled the kind of veils the female beast patients had on. On second inspection though, Surgit understood that the veil was actually its skin as he noticed the shapes of arms and legs on the fake cover. It appeared that the beast had been flayed and emptied out of blood, then hung on the chandelier to provide an example to whoever opposed the one that killed it. The purple color he mistook for the beast''s skin color was actually a result of muscles being emptied out of blood and left to rot. The cries of the beast patients down below made the scene even more terrifying. Surgit wished he could travel back in time and understand exactly what had happened in here. It seemed that at some point, beasts and men were fighting each other, but Surgit couldn''t know who came out victorious. Surgit came back silently towards the first hall he had crossed earlier through the first catwalk. The beasts in the nave were numerous, and dropping down amidst them would mean his imminent death. He didn''t want to be surrounded by those beasts. Even though they were not very difficult to dispose of, being outnumbered would mean his imminent death. The torch he had before became extinguished and he couldn''t light it up again. He abandoned it in the old pub when he decided to run for the foot of the clock tower. He jumped down at the crossing below and found himself faced to three veiled beast patients. All three of them were the size of the male beast patients though, they were less dangerous than the big ones, but he still decided to remain careful. Blood vials allowed him to heal, but being hit by the claws of those poisonous beasts could mean death before he could reach for his vials. Besides, poison gets into the blood stream, and he wasn''t sure that more blood could eliminate the poison; it could just buy him more time. He dashed at the first enemy and killed it with three swift strikes from his saw. The more blood his weapon had, the more efficient it became at killing beasts. It was as if it his weapon yearned for more blood. The more he killed, the easier it became to dispose of other. It was either that, or he became more efficient at disposing of the beasts in the city. The other two beast patients posed no problem for him to dispose of. Surgit kept on walking and soon came across some stairs leading down towards the main hall. He went down and was greeted by a dozen of crying male beast patients. They all held their heads and moaned, as if mourning a big loss. They didn''t seem to pay him any heed. The moans and laments that came from women in funerals back in his hometown used to give him the chills. Now Surgit was witnessing a similar scene, but performed by beastly creatures. He felt his hair stand on end. He had a very bad feeling about the situation he was in. ''The fool feels it tooˇ­'' said one of the echoes. ''The live ones lament the dead. Who do you call beasts now, good hunter?'' asked another echo. Surgit was standing, motionless by the door he had spotted from the catwalks up above. Something deep inside told him not to move a muscle. Fright had taken over again. He felt fearful but didn''t know the reason behind it. He was more afraid of that feeling, of the unknown. Fright led to indecision, which in turn led to inertia. Surgit slapped himself awake and decided to move. It was fright that got that little girl killed. It was fright that stopped him from facing the man eating boar and the Gatling man. He wasn''t going to let it control him. He had to face his fears if he ever hoped to leave this place. The sound of the slap attracted the attention of one of the beast patients. As soon as it spotted him, it screamed loudly. The shrill scream sent Goosebumps down Surgit''s spine. Soon after, the laments and moans of the other beasts stopped, and they were all running towards the source of the scream. He was facing a new horde of enemies. Twice as big as the one he had faced at Central Yharnam''s main square. 81 Sitting atop a pile of corpses More than forty beasts were running his way. Surgit had to decide fast on what to do. Retreating would only lead him back to the crossing or even towards the clock tower. Having this number of beasts to fight and the other hunter to worry about was synonymous with death. Advancing to the middle of the nave would also mean a fast death. The more he thought about it, the more time he was losing as every beast in the place was getting closer to him. He decided to rely on his newly learned fighting skills and on the enhanced properties the blood ministration had offered him. He ran towards the first group of enemies that had spotted him and began fighting them. While he attacked two at a time, taking advantage of the length of his elongated cleaver, three more came at him. He didn''t know how he managed to dodge those attacks or how his body moved to strike his enemies down. It was as if he was an external observer, watching over his body as it moved by itself. His weapon had also become deadlier, the more enemies he killed, the less time it took him to finish off the others. He would kill two in one strike and immediately duck to avoid some jumping beast patient then jump to the side to avoid the charging gigantic female beasts. It was a chaotic situation and he was in the middle of it. Everyone wanted a piece of him and they charged at him at the same time. His only focus was to survive this fight, and so the whole situation seemed hazy to him and seemed to go on slow motion. He dodged and attacked and jumped. Blood filled his body and even his nostrils. All he could see was red; all he could feel around him was death and agony. The more he killed, the less he felt human. It felt like a massacre, was he too good for these poor creatures? Was that the feared power of the hunters? Or was there something else to it, something more terrifying? As these thoughts crossed his mind he felt his feet depart the floor as a powerful blow from one of the giant female beasts hit him right in the chest. He landed on top of a pile of corpses and, with difficulty, managed to regain his footing. His body was tired but he knew that he had to keep going. Falling to these enemies would mean going back to the start and he couldn''t take the risk of doing another run through the streets of Old Yharnam while the gun chased him. Perhaps that was the reason why the first horde of beast patients in the square didn''t chase after him. They relied on the beasts in the cathedral to finish him off. He wished he could find another lantern that would save him all the trouble. ''No, my mind is getting weaker. I can''t let these thoughts cross my mind.'' He had disposed of more than half of the enemies. His mind had been in a trance, focused only on one task. It was like climbing a mountain, your body feels tired and you focus only on your steps in order to forget the pain and reach your objective. There were three giant female beasts amidst the remaining crowd. Many male patients were making their way towards the pile of corpses on top of which Surgit stood. The second round of fighting was about to begin. Surgit jumped towards one of the female giants and hit her head with his cleaver as he flipped around in the air. He then landed in front of the other monsters. Surgit swiftly disposed of two male beasts and turned to face the giant. She held her hands together and slammed the ground with her fists. Surgit read through the attack. He dodged in advance and pushed a male beast towards the trajectory of the attack. The poor beast died instantly to the blow and the female giant got enraged. The other two closed in and joined the battle. He danced around their attacks and got himself out of trouble. He was aiming for the smaller enemies, trying to thin the crowd. He ran for the ones that stood the farthest from the giant foes. He had killed six of them before the others caught on. He jumped again and hit the same giant in the head, in the same fashion. Wearing them down was a good plan. If he could get tired, it should be the same for the others. The fight had been going on for a long time and Surgit wondered if it would ever finish. After some more jumping around and dodging attacks, he was finally left alone with the three female patients. The closest one to him ran his way in an attempt to grab him. Surgit shot her in the chest before she could get her hands on him. The stagger that followed allowed him to perform a visceral attack and kill her on the spot. One of the remaining foes was badly hit in the head. Surgit had repeatedly swung at her thick head with his cleaver. All that was left was to bring her down to the ground. As the healthier one dashed towards him and attacked with her claws, Surgit jumped over her and used her back as a platform to jump from. He leapt towards the weaker one. He kicked her in the knee, putting all his bodyweight and momentum behind the attack and broke her leg. She fell down, screaming painfully. Surgit finished her by cutting her head in three powerful and bloody swings. It wasn''t a pretty execution. He then turned toward the standing one and baited her attack. As soon as she swung at him, he shot her twice in the chest, causing her to stagger and finished her with another visceral attack. He sat down on top of his last victim, catching his breath. Despite the difficulty of the fight, he felt bad for all these poor creatures. He took his time to catch his breath and stood back up. He walked towards the altar where he had seen the shiny object before and inspected it. It was a copper bowl filled with blood. The blood was surprisingly still in liquid form and seemed strange. He inspected it with his insight, hoping to find some more information. ''Ritual Blood: one of the basic ingredients used to satiate a holy chalice is this incoagulable blood. When all is melted in blood, all is reborn.'' The knowledge that flowed into his mind stopped and Surgit opened his eyes again. He remembered Gehrman speaking about a holy chalice and realized that this kind of blood could come in handy later on. He left it in place and retraced his steps. He had a score to settle with the Gatling gun wielder and he wasn''t about to leave him wandering around. He promised himself not to leave any danger loom around as long as his heart could still beat. 82 Insigh Surgit went back to the cathedral and through the door behind the pedestal where he found the ritual blood. He had explored the area behind the cathedral and found a way that led further down the valley. Old Yharnam was as big and awe inspiring as the new city. Surgit realized that his new habit was imagining the city before it was struck with this beastly scourge. Somehow he started getting the feeling that the night of the hunt was no longer a monthly occurrence. Old Yharnam was devoid of people. Only beasts roamed the streets and the only talking person he encountered was the Gatling man. Central Yharnam had its share of lit houses. He could hear murmurs beyond the doors as he walked past some of the allegedly inhabited houses. He rarely tried to knock at a door and inspect if the people inside had their wits about them. Somehow, he anticipated their reaction. They would either insult him or mock him for being outside. Yharnamites, after all, didn''t take kindly to strangers. Old Yharnam on the other hand was overwhelmed with beast patients. Surgit''s theory was that the people in the city had all transformed into beasts and drove the few survivors away. The door he had opened before accessing the old hamlet was dusty. Rust had taken over the hinges of the big gate and they emitted an irritating noise as he pushed the door open. No one had come to that settlement in a long time. The silence that fell over the cathedral and its back porch was unsettling. Gatling man had lost sight of Surgit as he was at least two floors below the clock tower. He had found a tightly shut door that led towards the top of the tower from the inside. ''The old man had really thought about everything, leaving his enemies with only one access,'' he thought. He wanted to reach the top of the tower, but not if that entailed his guaranteed demise. He vowed to clear his way of every enemy, but engaging in a suicide mission was stupid, not dutiful. He decided to explore the cathedral more before moving on to the next area. He didn''t want to miss out on anything. Leaving things unnoticed could cost him greatly if he ever had to go back all the way to the lantern by the big gate. The sight of the beast hanging from the chandelier still chilled his bones. He remembered the note he had found in the old pub. Was this the doing of the town folk? Or was it the hunters? He knew that there was some kind of purge in the city. It was apparent from the crucifixes and the fire. Even beast patients feared fire to death. The only plausible theory his mind could accept was that hunters raided the city before and tried to contain the scourge. Once the situation became hopeless, they decided to burn the city and its beasts then seal it off. "When the hunt Began, the Healing Church left us, blocking the great bridge to Cathedral Ward, as Old Yharnam burned to the ground that moonlit night." He remembered the note Francis had given him after Surgit and Karla disposed of the colossal beast. Old Yharnam must have been sealed shut by the hunters after the hunt began. But if it had begun only the night Surgit arrived to Yharnam, why was the door so dusty and difficult to open? The locked door and dust accumulated on it was proof enough that the city was sealed away for far too long. The people who were left behind must have transformed into beasts and exterminated any threat that came their way. It would make sense to see intruders as enemies anyhow as people were the ones to exterminate them and seal them off in this isolated valley. What didn''t make sense was the door that looked ancient. Something didn''t add up. Surgit didn''t bother asking where he was anymore. It became a question of ''when'' he was. Had the hunt just begun the night he arrived to the city or is he and all the inhabitants of Yharnam trapped in some time loop, unable to break free of it? If that was true, was he living in reality? Or was it just a dream? That would certainly explain the nomenclature given to the hunter''s workshop. Surgit''s head started aching. He already had too many unanswered questionsˇ­ Having more of them with no hope to reach a plausible answer made his situation worse. His headache got suddenly intense and he held his head and howled in pain. ''Oh insightful hunterˇ­ Perhaps there is some hope left for the foolˇ­'' echoed the voices in his head. This made him think of all the beasts he encountered in Yharnam. Were they human before? How could he explain the colossal beast he had fought when Paul and Damien accompanied him? Or the giant ones in the Cathedral ward? Was it possible that even their size changed? After all, what happened in the city was still unclear to him. All he knew was that these beasts wanted him and every other human dead. He needed to dispose of them even if he felt bad for them. He felt like one of those secluded hunters he read about in old books. The ones who would live in big forests and live off the game they hunt. They didn''t hunt for sport but for necessity of survival. And they always felt bad for the living creature they had to kill. He found the analogy amusing though as his way of killing was bloodier and more brutal. He advanced through the back door of the cathedral and found himself on a cobbled street. From a marble railing, Surgit looked down and saw a flowing river down below. He was finally getting to the bottom of the valley. The frightening darkness he had witnessed before from the area beside Iosefka''s clinic had become clearer. The valley was indeed deep and Old Yharnam was apparently built around a river, as all thriving cities were. The architectural advancement and the building of the aqueducts above in the newer areas of the city proved how wealthy Yharnam had become after the discovery of blood healing. If the tales he had read were true, visitors from every corner made Yharnam their destination in search for miracles. And that led to the development of the city and the advancement of its technology and economy. No wonder the cathedral ward seemed pretty and clean. It was the area that hosted the Great Cathedral and pilgrims from every corner of the world sought it. As for Old Yharnam, it seemed like it was a well-kept secret. It was the area that hid the ugly part of what hunters did or had to do. He advanced through the silent dark street. The only sounds he could hear were his footsteps and that of the water flowing in the river, some distance away from him. He soon found himself in front of a tower next to which, a street took deeper inside the town. The tower had a single ladder that took somewhere upstairs. He decided to go up before inspecting the uncharted area the other street led to. Once he reached the top of the tower, he opened a metallic door that led him right next to the entrance of the big cathedral, and the clock tower. A convenient shortcut in case he needed to go back through the area one more time. He took the ladder down again and went through the street. As he walked, silence and darkness enveloped him and he felt uneasy. He reached a square full of pillars that could hide any manner of threats. He needed to be on guard and make sure that nothing could surprise him and cause great injuries. As the thought crossed his mind, he felt some movements behind him. He turned to check the source of the faint noise and saw a shadow moving between the pillars. He advanced towards it slowly then felt that something else was lurking behind him. Wherever he turned, he felt like he was being watched. He was surrounded. He clenched his cleaver hard and advanced towards one of the pillars. As he reached it, his instinct pushed him to jump back as a male beast patient jumped down on him. He almost took the hit head on if it wasn''t for his hunter senses. But that wasn''t enough as another beast jumped at him from behind and scratched his back with its claws. He fell to his knees, staggered by the surprise attack while the other one who almost hit him earlier punched him in the stomach. Surgit screamed in pain and struggled to keep his consciousness. Their hits were still hard to endure and he remembered why he made sure to avoid all their attacks. Two more beasts appeared from the shadows and Surgit rolled to the side to avoid another attack from his enemies. He quickly took a vial from his belt and injected himself with it, regaining his strength. He was facing four enemies in front of him but he still felt some more coming from behind. He was surrounded with no source of light. He had to improvise and get out of that dreadful situation. He remembered having two weapons that could be of good use for him. He took the rifle spear from its sheath on his back and threw it at one beast, impaling it to a pillar. He jumped at the nearest one he could see and hit it with his cleaver with two horizontal swings, injuring it badly. He couldn''t manage to finish it however as he saw another beast jumping at him. He swung his cleaver diagonally and caught the beast midflight. The latter got stuck in the saw due to its own velocity and body weight. Surgit was happy that he upgraded his strength as the impact didn''t stagger him or slow him down. In fact, he elongated his cleaver, throwing the stuck corpse away from his weapon and swung it at the remaining two that were coming his way. Meanwhile, two more beasts came running at him from behind and jumped at him. Surgit performed a horizontal swing, slashing the two beasts in front of him and quickly rolled backwards in order to avoid the jumping attack from the other two. He felt that once he got into a fight, his senses became sharper and he could perform feats he wasn''t aware of. It was as if he had gained some new skills thanks to the numerous fights he had been in. He had five enemies in front of him, one of which was badly injured and incapable of movement. The other four still moved towards him, trying their best to coordinate their attacks. His assailants were aligned in a two by two line. The uninjured ones were first then came the other two he had hit earlier with his horizontal swings. The healthy ones attacked first. Surgit prepared to dodge the first one and execute the second. His plan was interrupted as a bloody beast patient jumped on him from above. Not only did they have amazing tenacity, but they also had great agility. He dodged the slamming attack and was welcomed by a beast behind him, ready to dig its claws deep within his back. He instinctively performed a back flip and landed behind the monster. The healthy couple of beasts were already running at him when he landed. He dodged the first monster''s attack and jumped back. They were leading the pace of the fight. Surgit gritted his teeth. He had to do something in order to reverse the tide. From the corner of his eye, as he was dodging yet another flurry of attacks, Surgit noticed the spear, stuck on the pillar. He jumped to the left and snatched the spear, albeit with some difficulty. He underestimated his strength. Perhaps it was because of the title he was given. The beast patients were quickly advancing towards him. He had created a small distance between him and his attackers when he jumped for the spear. But the little instant it took him to take the spear away was enough for them to regain it. With a thrusting motion, he attacked the beast to his right. The monster dodged the obvious attack and Surgit used the opening he had to jump at the injured beast behind. The poor thing didn''t see the attack coming. In no time, the spear pierced his torso and came out the back. Surgit then hurled his weapon at the other injured monster. The hit connected and the beast fell down as the spear had made a new hole in its skull. He turned in time to see the other fit monsters attacking. He dodged the first one and shot the second before its attack could land. He quickly inserted his beastly hands and destroyed its internal organs, killing it instantly. He was then faced with only one enemy. The latter tried to flee the scene but Surgit showed no mercy. He ran towards him quickly and decapitated him. There was no room for mistakes. He had to kill every single enemy on his way. 83 In need of rest and silence Silence came back and Surgit felt somehow safer. The uneasiness he felt before lifted, and he could finally resume his exploration. ''It''s funny how silence affects me in this place,'' Surgit thought. ''There are moments when the silence is completely unsettling, and there are others when it seems like a heavenly bliss.'' He was right. What he hadn''t realized though was that his ability to sense danger around him increased. It wasn''t the impression silence gave him, but more about his sixth sense developing. The square he was in led to a larger street. It looked like the main road of the city, large enough to accommodate carts and vehicles. He stood in the middle of the boulevard, which split in two. The path to the right led towards a dark area he wasn''t keen on exploring yet. The one on the left led towards a bridge that crossed the river. He was finally down at the bottom of the valley where the river was attainable. From the bridge came two werewolves. Surgit spotted them before they could see him. Facing two of those at the same time could prove deadly so he decided to take the street on the right and bait at least one of them. He ran through the dark street and soon found himself opposite a large wooden gate. It seemed like it was the main door that gave access to the city a long time ago, when traders would come inside the city through a security check. The door wouldn''t budge despite his efforts to open it. It looked like it was locked from the other side. He turned around and saw one of the werewolves heading his way. ''Well, at least it''s just one. I could''ve had a very bad time if it were the two of them.'' As soon as he finished his thought, the beast spotted him and let out a deafening scream. The other one came rushing towards his comrade, crashing on the wall that signaled the sharp turn the road took. The scream was a cry for help. The newcomer bared its teeth at Surgit, not really fazed by the hit he just took. ''Well, to hell with this, next time I''ll control my thoughts too.'' He ran towards his two enemies. Attacking first could provide him with an advantage. The two beasts ran towards him on fours and prepared to attack. As one of them swung at him with its claws, the second rushed at him, trying to bite him. The beasts seemed to have developed a habit of synchronizing their attacks to finish their enemy. Old Yharnam was closed tight for a reason. Surgit jumped and landed on the back of the second werewolf and buried his saw deep within its vertebrae. He knew that their attacks were deadly. He also knew that their hides didn''t provide for much defense. So he tore through the flesh of the beast while it struggled to push him off its back. Surgit used the saw, which was buried inside the beast''s back, stood up and stomped on the monster, flattening the poor beast to the ground. He jumped just in time to avoid the other one''s teeth. They were on top of each other as the latter''s attack missed him and it landed on top of the injured werewolf. He observed them from above as he was falling back down. Surgit came down on the beast with full force and buried his saw vertically on its back. He pierced the werewolf''s body until the saw came out from its belly, almost touching the beast underneath. As it howled in pain, he slowly pulled his weapon away. Blood poured down on the beast below. Its comrade had died in agony and it knew that it was next on the list. It whimpered in pain and fear as it observed the hunter walking slowly around and facing it.It watched as the saw came crashing down on its head and darkness fell around its world. Surgit was again soaked in blood. His whole body ached and he felt that he was about to collapse from fatigue soon. Blood sure cured him from his disease and saved his life multiple times, but it couldn''t battle fatigue for him. He tried to inject himself with a blood vial in order to see its effect on his body. He felt a surge of energy fill his body but he felt that he was still not in full control of himself. The effect was similar to drinking coffee while one hasn''t slept for three days. It could give back some energy, but it wouldn''t replace the sleep deprivation. He crossed the bridge where he had seen the two werewolves patrolling earlier and stopped next to a tall building. The tower rose from the bottom of the valley to reach for the entrance of Old Yharnam. ''It would be very convenient if I could access this building and reach the entrance door. I could really use a rest at the dream.'' His only concern was the dark street on his left. He wanted to try and break open the big wooden gate sealing the building. But he was afraid of attracting more unwanted attention and risk getting killed. He felt that his body had almost reached its limit. His thought processing, consequently, slowed down. He was only focused on getting to the lantern somehow and get to the dream. As he moved towards the gate, he heard a noise coming from behind. In a split second, he saw the door being broken to smithereens and a werewolf appearing from behind. It was as if the scene happened in front of him in slow motion. Debris was sent flying all around, and the werewolf''s figure, hanging in the air, was visible to Surgit. He dodged the biggest part of the door that flew his way and jumped at the beast, catching it midair. He managed to cut his enemy deeply but it wasn''t quite dead yet. The slow motion effect had stopped and the beast attacked Surgit with all its speed. Surgit dodged the biting attack to the left and struck with his weapon again, aiming for the neck and the finisher. The beast''s head rolled down the street and blood filled the holes in between the cobbles. ''That does it, the door is open and this beast wasn''t very difficult to deal with. I should get moving.'' He got inside the building and found himself in a tower. Serpentine stairs took to the uppermost floor and Surgit climbed them mechanically.It was as if his brain refused to work anymore. He knew that he was in need of some rest in order to restore all his motor skills to normal. He reached the top and found a metallic door. As he opened it, it screeched, giving the impression that it hadn''t been opened for a long time. He found himself on a small lane leading to another ladder which took him atop another tower. It seemed to Surgit that the city had too many towers, in order to look for any intruders coming by sea or through the river and anticipate any surprise attacks. From the tower, he noticed that he could jump down to the town square near the entrance of Old Yharnam. He went through the small plaza and through the big wooden gate, towards the blue lamp. A minute later, he was in the dream, facing the doll: "Welcome home good hunter, what is it you desire?" 84 A new voice in the dream Back in the dream, Surgit took a long nap and regained his strength. He was glad that he managed to get back to the dream in one piece and without dying to any beast on the way. What made him happier was the fact that he had found a way back to the bottom of Old Yharnam without having to dodge the bullets of the Gatling gun. He wondered if the man atop the clock tower bothered to come down and look for him at all. He had managed to clear the town from the beasts roaming it. He had the feeling that he was close to finding that chalice Gehrman spoke of. He searched for the old man again in the dream but there was no sign of him. He then went to the doll in order to upgrade his attributes. He closed his eyes and made to check his echoes. He was back at the empty dark space. It felt like he was floating serenely in pure emptiness. He didn''t feel as he would in his waking state. It was as if he was transported to another world where the normal senses were dulled. The dream suddenly shifted to empty dark space. Dots, far away in the distance, shone dimly. As he concentrated on them, he realized that he approached them. There was no need to will his body to move. All he had to do was concentrate on a dot to be transported next to it. Ghostly figures danced around to form a big sphere. As he got closer, the doll had slowly transformed into a ball.The shapes produced strange echoing sounds. Some were moans. Others were laughter, while most of them just whispered: ''Bless us with blood. Bless us with blood.'' Surgit, in his meditative state, could observe the echoes and even discern some of their speech. He concentrated on silencing the voices. To his delight, the sound was muted and he could only see the ghosts moving in a circular motion. On another side of the vast dark space that engulfed him, Surgit saw another dot. It was similar to the one he stood next to. They shared the same green color. He opened his eyes since his head started throbbing. Excessive use of insight led to head splitting headaches. "Now I have two green dots whereas before, I could only see one," Surgit said pensively. He went to the doll to ask about the attributes he could upgrade. It was his way of processing the way he could improve. He decided to analyze the situation by process of elimination. The previous time he knew he could only upgrade his bloodtinge and arcane, but neither skill nor strength. He decided to have a chat with the lovely doll: "Tell me dear doll, what attributes can I upgrade?"The doll inspected Surgit then reported that he could upgrade all his skills. He decided to upgrade his strength then inspect his echoes afterwards. - "Very well, let the echoes become your strength. Now shut your eyes." He felt a warm, invigorating sensation take over his whole body. When he opened his eyes, he saw that doll was standing again, motionless, in front of him. Surgit felt his body with his hands. There was no considerable change in his physique. He felt stronger nonetheless. He clenched his hand on his cleaver. Even his grip on the weapon felt firmer. With that much strength, he was sure he could finish off the beasts in Old Yharnam with more ease. He decided to inspect his status, eager to see if any change had occurred in his titles. Name: Surgit Insight level: Narrow minded Strength: Waste of Skin (3) Skill: Skillful (2) Bloodtinge: Blood Hungry (1) Arcane: Blind (1) Nothing changed in his titles but he still noticed a certain change. Each time he upgraded an attribute, he would gain an increased number next to it. That meant that he was progressing albeit slower than he hoped for. His insight level still felt insulting. The doll didn''t help him get any new information though. As far as he could tell, she knew as much about echoes and insight as he did. He inspected his echoes using his third eye. Nothing manifested in the dark space he was floating in. The green dots he had seen before had completely vanished. "So every dot represents a certain amount of echoes I can use to get stronger," Surgit was thinking aloud. "The first time I needed only one dot in order to upgrade my skills. That explains why Arcane and Bloodtinge were still an option for me when I had just one echo dot." He was crisscrossing the hunter''s workshop. "Now that I had accumulated enough echoes, two green dots formed in the echo space." Walking back and forth from one end of the room to another helped him think better. "I could upgrade my strength. This means that I would probably need the same amount of echoes to develop my skill." He stopped for a moment and tilted his head up, towards the ceiling. "I wonder how many echoes I need to upgrade my strength even more. Where would I possibly hope to get more echoes to become stronger?" He shrugged then continued walking. "I guess I can just die and kill the beasts again. It would cost me more time but it sure is an option." He decided to stop pondering on the matter. He had a basic idea of how he could develop his attributes. He would give it some more thought once he collected more echoes. He remembered that he could also upgrade his cleaver. He put the weapon on the workshop''s bench and fumbled in his pockets. He had a blood shard and the tool to insert blood gems on his weapon. It was high time he started experimenting. He tried to insert the blood gem on the flake shape his cleaver had. The slot on which the shape was engraved didn''t look deep enough to fit the blood gem he had. He took the tool he had and tried to insert the gem into its respective slot. Nothing happened. ''I guess I have to start learning with no basis to go from.'' He crossed his arms and looked at the weapon. The books in the hunter''s workshop only detailed some beasts and their fighting style. He couldn''t find anything related to upgrading his weapons or his attributes. He took the blood shard and looked at it. It looked like crystallized blood. Even blood was strange in Yharnam. He found a bowl filled with blood that refused to coagulate.Rust had built up on the hinges of the door to Old Yharnam and dust accumulated on the stone railings of the city. Blood, on the other hand, didn''t solidify. And there he was, holding some form of crystallized blood. He knew that he had to infuse it into the weapon in order to make it sharper. He rubbed the shard on the surface of the saw. The crystal started shrinking in size and the weapon began glowing. It worked like a charm. The more he rubbed, the shinier his weapon became. As soon as he finished, he noticed that the slot for blood gems was deeper. He took the gem and inserted it with the help of the tool he had picked up. "That was easier than expected," said Surgit in a cheerful tone. He gave his weapon a few swings. It had become slightly lighter. He didn''t know if it was due to his increased strength or the blood shard infusion. It would be best if it were the two of them. He decided to compare his cleaver to the spear he had picked up. If the slot for blood gems on that weapon was faded, it would confirm his suspicion. He threw his arm towards his back in order to get his spear. His arms waved stupidly above his shoulder as he slowly realized that the spear wasn''t there anymore. ''What the hell is going on?'' he was taken aback. He thought he had his spear on him when he came to the dream. He started doubting his memory. He swore he had it when he arrived to the lamp. The only explanation he had was that it vanished during his teleportation, from the dream to the city. "Those damn little creatures!" he swore as he descended the stairs towards the messengers'' fountain. The messenger in there welcomed him with a low howl. "Where is my axe?" he asked furiously. "I saw you take it earlier when I was with Karla; you and other little ones that looked like you!" He stopped for a moment. He realized it might not even be the same messenger that took his weapons. "Where are my weapons?" he shouted. It was more of desperation than frustration that he screamed. The messenger dived inside the dark water pool and a screen emerged. The screen detailed the names of the weapons he had. Weapon: Hunter''s axe. Echoes acquired to unlock: NO Weapon: Rifle spear Echoes acquired to unlock: NO Surgit looked at the screen. From the way the screen functioned when he wanted to buy items he knew that in order to know which item he wanted, he needed a yes or a no. He assumed that the messengers knew how many echoes he held and told him if he could afford one item or another. Surgit had used all his echoes on upgrading his strength. This meant that he couldn''t unlock the axe yet. But why were they locked? Perhaps it was because the weapon didn''t belong to him before. He hoped that those weapons would be cheaper and better than the ones he saw on sale in the messenger''s shop."Well, I guess I''m done here." He didn''t have the echoes to unlock his weapons. He didn''t want to dally for too long in the dream either. He wanted to find the chalice Gehrman spoke about. He felt that he was getting closer to his objective. He wanted to get the item then head back to meet Karla. As he headed towards the messenger''s fountain in order to find his way back to Old Yharnam, he heard a strange noise in the distance, within the dream. It was the first time he had heard something of the sort. The dream was usually silent, too silent in fact. The smallest noise could make anyone uneasy when one gets used to complete silence. Surgit clenched his saw and ran towards the source of the noise, to his surprise, he saw a person. ''A new hunter? It must be, no one can have access to this place unless they are hunters.'' He advanced slowly towards the new person then he heard the man speak: "Ah Surgit! I''d hoped to meet you here." Francis looked different, and what''s more, he was alive. Surgit couldn''t utter a word. 85 Insightful conversation Francis was standing opposite Surgit who didn''t know how to react. Francis had gone missing and Karla had risked her neck searching for him. Francis broke the silence. - "Surprised to see me alive and well I see, well I found a way to receive blood ministration and here I am. This place sure is a haven for hunters."Francis had a habit of talking too much, and he didn''t stir away from it. - "Karla looked for you everywhere. I guess she''s still out there trying to find you." These were all the words he could muster. - "Is she still alive? I thought that she died during that fight against Paul. She was completely immobile when I left the place earlier." Francis was surprised at hearing the news. - "I found her lying on the ground next to Paul''s corpse. I guess that was after you left. Was it you who did that to him?" Surgit still couldn''t believe his eyes. - "I wish it was me. I despised that man for killing all my men and almost making all the trouble I went through go to naught." Francis spoke in a bitter tone, remembering all that happened between him and the two mercenaries before. "A woman wearing a crow garb appeared from nowhere and beheaded him. I can''t say I felt bad for him at that moment. He got his hands on a blood vial and blood had made him go crazy." - "I guess that was my mistake, I teamed up with him and Damien before I fought that giant beast when I met you and Karla in Central Yharnam. I guess I thought of them being of good use to me." - "Let''s not dwell on the past now. Since we are both hunters now, I guess we could cooperate in order to achieve our objectives." Francis started speaking in his courteous tone again. - "And what would your objective be right now? I guess you have had the old blood administered to you. What else would you want?" Surgit never liked this old man. In fact he felt used by him since the beginning of the expedition but he didn''t mind as long as he secured his place aboard that ship. He was a man of his word after all. - "First of all, I have a debt to repay you. You saved us the trouble of fighting the cleric beast back on that bridge. Yes the name of that abomination you fought is the cleric beast." He said his last sentence as a response to Surgit''s raised eyebrow. - "Okay, and what would your form of payment be?" Surgit still had trouble trusting the old man so he used sarcasm to hide his insecurity. - "Information, the only valuable resource in here apart from blood echoes is information. And I''m willing to share with you some of what I found out exploring Yharnam. But first let''s make ourselves comfortable inside the workshop. I guess the old man isn''t around?" Francis'' tone had changed to patronizing, almost giving Surgit the illusion that he felt superior to him. They went inside the workshop and settled in front of the fireplace. Francis was the first to resume the conversation: - "I must say, this place is peaceful but I''m not willing to linger around here for long. So tell me Mr. Surgit, what peaks your interest?" - "I don''t know, how about you tell me about the blood ministration and who gave it to you?" He had too many questions in mind, but he didn''t know what Francis knew or didn''t know to begin with. - "Are you sure you''d like to waste the valuable information I''m willing to give you for free, to get an answer to this specific question?" Francis was the sarcastic one this time around. - "Pray tell me then, this information you claim possessing, how did you come across it? And who provided you with it?" - "I''ll give you this tidbit for free. I came across a nice man in a village outside Yharnam, he gave me access to his expansive library and I learned a great deal about how this world functions. So now, what would you like to know about Mr. Hunter?" - "Do you know anything of Paleblood?" The notion came back to him, and Surgit hoped to find at least a clue leading towards that. - "Aha, interesting that you''ve heard about Paleblood too. I''ve seen it mentioned in only two books. And it seems that it has something to do with Byrgenwerth." Francis had an intrigued face and rubbed his white goatee while contemplating Surgit. - "And how do I reach Byrgenwerth? Do you know of a way?" - "I do know of a way but I''m not willing to convey this information to you. I said that I would repay you and I did. My payment has been fulfilled." - "Typical, a businessman even when money has no more value." - "We give value to what we desire and quantify it with means of payment. Don''t you buy strength from the doll and weapons or items from the messengers in the fountain? If there''s no money, there''s barter." - "Well, thank you sir for your valuable information. If you''d excuse me now, I have places to go." Surgit stood up and with his ceremonial words made for the door. - "You can use your insight to summon other hunters from times long past into yours, they may help you fight the monsters that may cause you trouble. Well, they ''may'' help." Francis said, as Surgit reached the door. "As long as you have a summoning bell that is." - "Didn''t you say that information was valuable?" Said Surgit as he turned around facing Francis. - "Well it is, I just had a smaller debt to repay you, for saving Karla." Francis stood up and left the workshop too, heading towards the doll. Surgit remembered having found a bell in an old drawer in the workshop. He didn''t know what its use was but he kept it in his pocket. He took out the bell and inspected it with his insight. Knowledge came to him immediately: Beckoning bell: Great old bell discovered in the underground labyrinth. Its ring resonates across worlds, and the first hunter used it as a special signal to call hunters from other worlds to cross the gap and cooperate. A human must use insight to ring this uncanny bell. But the benefits of cross-world cooperation are many. ''The hell is that supposed to mean? Other worlds, are there other worlds such as this one? Damn that old man'' Surgit took the bell and pocketed it. He headed back towards the doll and met Francis who was on his way out from the dream. "One last thing, legend says that if you find Paleblood, you can transcend the hunt, which means that you can leave Yharnam and keep those special powers of yours. We may not meet again for a long time. So long Mr. Hunter." Francis disappeared in from of Surgit''s eyes. It looked like a mirage that once dissipated, revealed a messenger holding a blue lamp. ''Leaving Yharnam and keeping my full health huh? Very interestingˇ­ For now, I''ll take a rest then head back to Old Yharnam.'' 86 Beast Blood Pellets Surgit was back inside the building preceding Old Yharnam. He was still in search of the chalice Gehrman had spoken about and he was pretty sure that it was in this town. Yharnam had too many secrets that were well concealed and Surgit had the feeling that he was about to uncover some of them. Despite moving forward and having a goal to reach, Surgit couldn''t brush off the uneasiness he felt towards his future. The conversation he just had with Francis made the feeling even worse. Pale blood was rarely talked about, even in the pseudo expansive library Francis had found. That type of blood represented his only way of getting out of this place. He was trapped in a land filled with beasts and mystery. He didn''t know where the chalice would lead him next. All he knew is that he needed to take small steps towards his goal. Overthinking would only lead him to despair. That seemed worse in his mind than turning into a beast. He decided to go look for the item Gehrman asked him to seek. Perhaps it held some answers. As the blue light of the lantern shone next to him, Surgit puffed his chest and threw his shoulders back. He was pretty confident about finding the chalice. He had reached the bottom of the valley. It indicated that he was getting deeper inside Old Yharnam. Gehrman said that people used to worship the holy chalice deep in the valley hamlet. Everything seemed to indicate to Old Yharnam. "There must be some other place of worship where the chalice is placed," he was thinking out loud. Surgit started developing a "Francis habit". "If I couldn''t find anything on that big cathedral, I might as well search every corner of this village." He moved towards the open gate as he his mind drifted towards the things he''d learned about being a hunter. For starters, blood ministration allows people to become hunters. Hunters acquire special powers that let them absorb blood echoes from any enemy they kill. Blood echoes on the other hand allow hunters to become even stronger and tackle more fearsome opponents. This results in the hunters being more capable of treading dangerous areas and getting closer to reaching Paleblood and transcending the hunt. Was this the reason why he couldn''t find any hunter around with the exception of a few such as Francis, Eileen the crow lady and Alfred? He wondered if he was about to find more of them as he progressed through more dreadful areas. At the moment he had to focus on finding the chalice and uncovering the secrets it concealed too. He left the building and headed towards the tower he used as a shortcut to Old Yharnam''s entrance. Getting back to the gate of the first tower was harder than he thought. He had jumped from a high structure before. Now that he was on his way back he realized that in order to jump upwards, he would need to have beastly legs to spring up. He decided to look around in order to find a way down towards the tower. He noticed a broken railing next to the gallery he used before. He looked down and found a way to jump down towards the top of the tower. "Bingo." He jumped down and found himself in a small square preceding the building he needed to reach. On the square, he met two female beast patients that came at him as soon as he landed. Two strikes for each enemy took care of the situation. Upgrading his skill was also useful to spot the weak spots of the enemies and strike at them. Behind one of the corpses, Surgit spotted a small treasure chest. He opened it and found a torch. ''This thing could be useful, I''ll keep it.'' He held the torch in both hands and realized that the wooden stick had some nice decorations on it. He inspected it using his insight and discovered that it had a name: Hunter''s Torch. The wood seemed to be sturdy. It didn''t rot even though it had been stored in that chest for some time. He stored the torch next to his pistol''s holster and moved forward. He dropped down towards the tower and soon found himself back at the bottom parts of Old Yharnam. ''Very useful shortcut indeed, I didn''t have to go through the raining bullets again.'' He thought as he moved towards the shady alley opposite the door he came out of. He remembered seeing something in there that didn''t seem right to him. He was tired back then and not in the mood to explore the unknown but at that moment, he felt rejuvenated and ready for anything to come at him. The streets had become darker as the sun completely sank below the sky and its rays departed from Yharnam''s gloomy world. Surgit relied on his enhanced senses and vision to tread along; there was no need to use the torch for the time being. The narrow street widened and Surgit saw a house to his right, nothing special was happening around there. In fact, the comforting silence had become a bit unnerving. He decided to inspect a small impasse behind the house. He was there after all; it wouldn''t harm to be thorough in his search. He found a corpse lying opposite a wall. There were traces of claws on the body and bites on its neck. ''Something bad had happened to this poor soul.'' Surgit noticed that the dead person was holding something on their hand. He inspected it and found a tissue that contained three red pills. As he made an effort to inspect them, he heard some footsteps behind him. ''I knew it! It smelled fishy around here.'' It was a werewolf. It hid somewhere as the streets were dark and it was harder to notice it if it was silent. Surgit didn''t have time to think his strategy through. He was trapped with little space to maneuver in. The beast walked slowly towards him, as if it was sure of its victory. "Bring it on you stupid monster. You all think you''re so powerful!" He shouted at the beast, trying to provoke it to attack mindlessly, and it did. It jumped at Surgit, trying to bite his head off. It was the attack he was waiting for as it was the easiest one to read through. He quickly grabbed his pistol and shot the beast in the face. The werewolf instantly fell to the ground, staggered. Surgit advanced quickly towards the beast and destroyed its face with his visceral attack; dragging its spinal cord along as he pulled his hand out. "Mindless beasts! You don''t learn, do you? There''s a difference between innocent victims and Hunters that can rip your heads off, don''t you know that?" He was shouting at the inanimate corpse of the werewolf. His heart was beating fast. The little ambush gave him an unexpected rush of adrenaline. "And now I''m speaking to dead creatures, how amazing! Surgit you''ve officially lost your mind!" He moved back towards the main street where the tower stood. He took the tissue out of his pocket and inspected the pills he had picked up from the dead body with his insight. ''Beast Blood Pellet: Large medicinal pellet supposedly formed of coagulated beast blood; Banned by the Healing Church due to their unclear origin. It grants a spurt of beasthood.'' ''Interesting, a blood related item banned by the church, it must have some cool effects then. It may be dangerous, but I''ll give it a shot sometime.'' 87 Exciting figh Surgit had only one way available to him, and that was opposite the bridge, deeper through the dark streets of Old Yharnam. He walked slowly through the cobbled boulevard. The cobble stones on this one remained well polished and put in place. This street didn''t seem to be affected by the fights above and stayed intact. It was perhaps due to the fact that the Gatling gun couldn''t reach this area. As he progressed through the streets, he heard heavy breathing followed by a terrible scream which caused him to clench his weapon hard. The screams came out at steady intervals; Surgit walked even more carefully and tried to pinpoint the source of the noise. The street took a sharp turn to the left as Surgit reached a bloc of tall buildings. Opposite one of them, there was a small shrine that split the street in two. On the right of the shrine, the road led down towards another bloc. On the left, the only thing Surgit could see was smoke. The screams came from behind the thick smoke screen, making its source even more terrifying. Surgit wasn''t really afraid of what lurked behind the smoke but he was uneasy at the fact that he couldn''t see or know what was in there. Another scream was heard and from the right side of the street, Surgit saw a werewolf coming his way. This one had eyes that glowed red. And as soon as it saw Surgit, it came running towards him. ''This one seems to be enraged and ready to see blood. I''ll show you blood if that''s what you''re searching for.'' The beast immediately started swinging at Surgit with its sharp claws. He dodged the attacks and counter attacked with a kick to the nose. The werewolf stepped back a few feet, looked at Surgit and bared its fangs. It was angry.The beast stood on both hind legs and towered over the hunter, looking down on him. "Well, that''s new. Let''s see how I fare against a standing one. Give me your best shot red eyes!" The werewolf''s attacks increased in speed and ferocity. Gone were the easy to read attacks and bites. They were replaced by nimble jumping, kicks and swings that could tear one''s flesh apart in one hit. Surgit had to concentrate very hard in order to avoid the werewolf''s fast attacks. Every time he tried to retaliate with his cleaver, the beast would jump over him and land right behind. Every time he tried to shoot the beast to slow it down, it would swiftly dodge the bullet and come right at him with a relentless flurry of attacks. If he were a normal person, Surgit would''ve succumbed to fatigue and given his life away. If he had been the one he was before in Central Yharnam, he was sure that he would''ve been killed by that beast. At that moment, Surgit started enjoying the fight. It was a challenging opponent for sure, but an opponent he could hold his ground against. He needed to find a way to slow its movement down a bit, otherwise, the stale mate could last for a long time until one of them gets tired or makes the wrong move. The beast didn''t look like it was willing to make any wrong move though. Surgit elongated his cleaver to allow for long range melee attacks. He swung at the werewolf and it instantly jumped back. Surgit, for the first time knew what his foe would do so he jumped after the beast as soon as its feet departed the ground. Once the werewolf landed far back, it found Surgit right next to its left hind leg. He hit the leg as hard as he could with his cleaver, cutting the thighs open. The feeling of blood raining atop his body put Surgit in a state of euphoria. He loved this tough fight, and he enjoyed the feeling he got when he saw victory getting close. The werewolf howled and aimed a kick with its right leg towards Surgit. He knew that this attack was coming his way too so he jumped towards it and over the kick. He knew that the leg had to come back to its place so that the werewolf could maintain its balance. Its left hind leg was injured and it had to keep standing in order to have a chance against the aggressive hunter. Surgit was preparing a strong attack. He clenched his weapon hard and prepared all his body to perform a strong and swift cut. Surgit realized that the connection he started having with his body increased his effectiveness. He was engaging all his muscles in order to deal significant damage. His back gave his swings more power while the positioning of his legs gave him more stability. Using his arms alone in a fight wasn''t enough to break through tough hides or As soon as the werewolf brought its leg back, Surgit hit it with all his might, cutting it clean in one hit. The beast lost its balance at last and fell down face first to the ground. Surgit didn''t waste any time and stood on top of the beast''s back and drove his saw through its exposed neck. As the werewolf''s head rolled down the cobbled street, Surgit heard again that scream and turned right to see a giant female beast patient coming towards him. ''At least I didn''t have to fight them both at the same time.'' The beast patient also had red eyes and it was walking slowly towards Surgit. The sight of the decapitated werewolf didn''t affect her in the least. Surgit dropped down from on top of the werewolf and walked towards his new opponent. He wanted to make that encounter quick, he knew its attack patterns and he wasn''t willing to make the fight last longer than needed. As they were in an appropriate range to start attacking, Surgit ran and slid down, past the beast''s swings. He found himself between her tall legs and shot the right one four times. It was enough to create a big hole in her calf and the beast patient screamed as hard as her vocal chords allowed. Surgit cut off her leg with his cleaver, aiming at the hole he had just made. The beast hopped on one leg, fighting the pain and trying to get its revenge on Surgit. It slammed her body against his, trying to squash him into a pulp. Surgit read through that desperate move and dodged to the side, letting the beast patient fall face first on the ground. Surgit took his pistol out again and short the beast at the back of her head multiple times until it lay down, immobile. "Well, that was fast. I''ve got to find more bullets though, but it was fun emptying my pistol in her head, hehe." Surgit took a deep breath and decided to move forward.Those two fights made him get a better understanding of the upgrades he had made on his weapon and on himself too. He felt like a machine being upgraded to perform better tasks. The machine had become indeed better and stronger. He could read through his enemies'' attacks and he didn''t rush to fight them back as he did before. He knew the limits of his body and he acted accordingly. The fight against the standing werewolf was very exciting for him. He loved the challenge and enjoyed knowing that he had a way out of it, a strategy that could allow him to win and move further. The feeling of blood gushing out of his enemies and their screams, a clear indicator of their suffering, made him euphoric. What was once fear and careful anticipation, became now excitement and joy to come out victorious of any challenging fight. 88 The Blood Starved Beas He found himself climbing some stairs that led towards a small square. Statues of the creepy women filled the square again. The women had arched backs and a veil covered their entire face. Their hands, held together, were a sign of prayer. And as usual, little messengers were clutching at the women''s robes, looking up to them. Surgit didn''t understand the meaning behind those statues, all he could conclude was that messengers were also linked to Yharnam, not only to the dream. From the square Surgit could see a building far in the distance, at the end of a vast field. Stairs led down towards what used to be a park. The only thing that remained from the park was dying trees, leafless and withering.He went down the steps and as soon as he reached the vast expanse, he heard a strange faint noise. It resembled a bell ringing in the distance and he couldn''t find the source of the sound. He moved around the field while keeping his eye on the building in the distance. It resembled an old church. Bonfires were lit around the park, next to some trees, which illuminated the area a little, giving it a gloomy look. Fire crackled in the distance and wind blew softly, pushing what resembled dying grass on the ground softly. The soil was dry and with every step, Surgit could hear his feet cracking the ground beneath him. No living soul was to be seen around; only fire, dying trees and an old church in the distance. Surgit inspected the area and tried to look for the source of the sound of the bell ringing. He wasted his time searching for it to no avail. He then decided to head to the only possible destination: the old building in the distance. As he stood in front of the open door, he noticed that the ceiling had crumbled away long ago and the doors were destroyed and non-existing. He looked up and saw way above the church, the shadow of the great bridge, linking Central Yharnam to the Cathedral Ward.He was at the bottom of the valley after all. He felt like an ant observing humans from below. The buildings around him were large and gigantic. Unlike any other city he''d been in, Yharnam extended upwards. Its vertical layout gave it a majestic look. Towers shot up towards the sky while smaller houses hid behind the big structures. Just standing next to a church or a tower made Surgit look extremely small. Every door to important buildings was large enough to fit a giant. Surgit didn''t know whether that was actually meant to allow giants in or show the magnificence of the city. He got inside the church and walked along its nave. Benches had disappeared long ago and the pillars that stood on each side looked old and crumbling. The slightest damage could bring them down and the church along with it. He made his way towards the aisle and saw a figure in the distance. He didn''t know if the figure was getting bigger or if it was moving towards him. Suddenly he realized what was going on as pain shot through his brain. He was gaining insight for witnessing something extraordinary and the thing he was witnessing was the blood starved beast. Its name was whispered to him in his mind quickly. The beast resembled the one he had seen chained to the chandelier in the other church, behind the clock tower. It had a red mantle which was attached to its back and covered its head. Surgit knew that the mantle wasn''t made of cloth but instead made of its own flesh. The beast was flayed and instead of seeing flesh on its limbs, Surgit could only see muscles. The beast''s muscles were purple, as if devoid of blood, which would explain its name as a matter of a fact. The blood starved beast ran on all fours and was coming towards Surgit at breakneck speed. He elongated his saw and got ready for battle. He wanted to keep the beast at a comfortable distance in order to get familiar with its attacks. Seeing his action, the monster stopped and looked at Surgit. There were still some paces that separated both of them and Surgit wasn''t willing to make the first move. The beast opened its arms as a sign of welcome, or taunt, as if asking the Hunter: Come at me, I can take you. In a flash, the monster disappeared. Surgit didn''t know where it was until he felt himself being lifted away from the ground. The beast moved too fast for his eyes to follow and came right in front of him, grabbed him with its arms and opened its mouth. It was wide and filled with teeth. Its breath was nauseating and Surgit couldn''t move, the beast was also too strong. He soon found himself in its mouth, being chewed to death by its sharp teeth. His leather garb managed to reduce the damage he took from the bites. However that was not enough to stop the beast from chewing harder as it held him firmly from both sides. His arms were caught in the grab and he couldn''t move at all. His legs, the only part of his body that stayed outside the beast''s mouth, moved up and down which showed his desperate need to get out of that situation. His face got scratched and his head started bleeding from everywhere. Finally, the beast stopped and threw him away from its sharp teeth. He landed on his back and started coughing blood. He tried to stand up but his legs couldn''t support his weight and his vision became blurry. ''I guess I got poisoned againˇ­ damn itˇ­'' He fell to the ground, foam and blood gagged his mouth as he died in agony. ''That was unexpectedˇ­'' Surgit inspected his body and his belongings. He managed to come across a bigger challenge this time around. He died and all the monsters in Old Yharnam had been reset. ''Great, just great, die and come back again to fight small fry to weaken you and prepare you to die at the hands of the stronger enemy. I need to be more careful and take the blood starved beast seriously. Attack is the best defense, is it not?'' He was devising a plan of attack in his head in order to tackle the beasts in Old Yharnam and reach the old church as fast as possible.He dropped down from the plaza at the entrance of the town towards the tall tower, leading to the bottom of the city. The shortcut he had unlocked proved useful once more as he was going to avoid dealing with hordes of enemies while dodging the endless barrage of bullets coming his way. He soon found himself in the main cobbled street at the bottom of the city, faced to the werewolf which attacked him from behind the tower''s door earlier. The night sky provided him with good cover as he slipped behind the beast and decapitated it in no time. He knew that he shouldn''t get overconfident with any of the enemies present in the area. Confidence led to mistakes, and mistakes led to wasting blood vials. He needed the vials he had stored for the fight against the strongest enemy in the area. He was prepared for the worst, and his mind was lucid. He ran towards the end of the street and jumped on top of the shrine that divided it in two. The smoke coming out of sewers hid not only the screaming female beast patient but also Surgit. He waited for the patrolling red eyed werewolf to pass by and jumped down on him, driving his saw cleaved deep down its thick skull. The beast died instantly. Surgit immediately turned around and saw that the beast patient had spotted him. As she let out her scream, Surgit dashed forward. He jumped on top of the beast and placed his saw at the beast patient''s neck, in a choking fashion. He pulled the saw towards him while the female patient struggled to get a hold of him. He had to act quickly, lest he got caught by the monster''s sharp claws. He pulled the saw harder and moved it in a horizontal motion. He was trying to cut the beast''s throat open. Surgit was forced to come down though as the beast had almost pierced his eyes with its claws. He jumped behind the female monster and slashed her muscular calves open. The beast patient let out a howl and Surgit shot the open wounds, making the howls even louder. ''Click! Click!'' The pistol ran out of bullets and Surgit cursed under his breath. He put the gun in its holster and rolled forward just in time to avoid a body slam. The female beast patient turned around immediately and swung both her arms at Surgit. He jumped over the predictable attack and landed a few paces away from his attacker. The damage the woman had taken slowed her down. Surgit used the opportunity to quickly finish the fight. He jumped above the hands that tried to grab him and kicked his foe in the face. The beast patient fell to the ground. Surgit''s kick was strong enough to knock her down. He smiled as he drove his cleaver down the beat monster''s throat. Blood splattered all over his body. He couldn''t get enough of the feeling. Killing beasts and feeling their warm blood on splash all over his body had become addictive. The main street was cleared and Surgit followed the road in order to reach the church. He decided to clear just the area that preceded the important fight he had before him. He hadn''t forgotten about the promise he made to himself before, about getting rid of anything that could endanger living human beings. But he figured that if he died again against the blood starved beast, his prior fights would go to waste. Besides, he would lose all the blood echoes he had collected before and he didn''t see a point in wasting his time and energy fighting. He reached the clearing and heard the sound of the bell again. He didn''t know where it came from or what it was for but he decided to press on. He had an important fight to undertake. 89 What doesn’t kill you Surgit entered the church and saw the beast running towards him. He decided to buy some time and used the pillars as cover, in order to force the beast to chase after him and close the distance. He felt more comfortable knowing that their fighting distance would be close. He assumed that he could read better through its attacks that way. In no time, the beast was right in front of Surgit. They were on the east aisle. The beast had long arms and sharp claws. Surgit knew that its putrid breath was in fact due to its poisonous nature. He wasn''t willing to get hit by the monster and taste an agonizing death once more. The beast''s claws came close to Surgit''s body several times. He managed to barely dodge the flurry of attacks that were coming at him. For a short time, he thought that he had a way of winning against this one. The attacks weren''t hard to read, and although their speed and strength were dangerous, he could dodge them. The beast suddenly jumped back, realizing that its attacks were inefficient. It opened its arms again and Surgit knew what was coming, he instantly rolled to the right as the beast appeared on the spot he was in seconds ago, hugging the air. Its attacks were fast and dangerous indeed. Surgit looked back towards the beast and saw only pillars. It disappeared from his line of sight, despite being four times bigger than any werewolf. He felt claws ripping through his back as he was propelled forward from the impact. He landed face first and tasted dirt and blood. He rolled forward and faced the direction from which the attack came. The beast was standing licking the blood from its claws. It was starving indeed, and it was his blood it needed. Surgit quickly injected himself with a blood vial, alleviating the pain he felt. He then ran towards the beast that was still licking blood from its hand, and waiting patiently for its prey to get closer. As he got within range of attack, its hand slammed the floor. Surgit dodged to the right and kept running towards his enemy. The other hand came towards him in a stabbing motion and Surgit jumped and landed on top of its arm. He used the extended limb as a ground to elevate himself more and jumped at its head. He grabbed his cleaver in both hands and drove his weapon down towards the beast head. Sparkles flew around as he hit a concrete part of the church''s floor. The beast had jumped back and avoided his attack. Surgit looked up to see the beast running his way, ''don''t blink, don''t blink!'' he kept repeating in his mind as his enemy got closer and closer. Surgit saw an arm swinging his way and dodged to the side in order to avoid it, keeping his feet firm on the ground. He was waiting for his opponent to get closer and within range of attack. The second swing from the other arm came at him almost instantly. He dodged it too but didn''t see the stabbing motion the previous arm had performed. He managed to avoid it in the nick of time as the beast''s sharp claws tore through his leather garb but left his body unscathed. That soon changed as Surgit had diverted his eyes from his enemy for a second, which was enough to be punished for. A slamming attack smashed him to the ground so hard that his body bounced off the concrete. As blood rushed out of his ears and mouth, and he was propelled into the air by the impact of the slam he had just received, Surgit felt an uppercut tear through his abdomen propelling him even higher. He wished he could lose consciousness and wake up again next to the lamp but the suffering was far from over. As gravity pulled him back towards the ground, the beast was prepared, assembling its claws together in a pyramidal shape. He felt his spine breaking and his flesh being torn apart as the beast''s arms went through his body. He was skewered thanks to gravity''s help and his previous distraction. The beast threw him against a pillar and started licking the blood out of its arms. He remained down there, unmoving. ''Well, that was humiliating.'' Surgit sat down next to the lamp, thinking back on his previous fight. He needed to know what went wrong and he needed to figure out any sign of weaknesses that he could''ve spotted. The beast was fast and relentless. It was aggressive and it didn''t give him the slightest opportunity to observe and buy time until he could see an opening. The good challenge he craved for turned into a headache. He thought that he could enjoy a hard fight. He realized though that he enjoyed coming out victorious, not spending too much time trying to figure out a way to fell a monster that no human could ever hope to defeat. He stood up and headed towards his new nemesis. He knew that the only way to win the fight was to engage it over and over again until he could find a way, a dim clue as to how to deal with that annoying abomination. He was back again at the vast field that preceded the old church where the blood starved beast apparently resided. He noticed something he hadn''t paid much attention to however, and it concerned the bell ringing sound he was hearing all around. The sound was similar to the whispers he heard whenever he inspected an item with insight. The sound then, must be inside his head and it activated whenever he came to this place specifically. He didn''t want to think about it more than necessary however as he had a beast to kill and he had to figure out a way to do so. He got inside the church and was welcomed with his opponent. The flayed flesh that dangled on top of its head made it look even more hideous. And the screeching sounds it made that were apparently its screams were not only frightening but enough to freeze one''s blood in one''s veins. Surgit advanced towards the monster and recited in his head his plan of attack. He knew that if he managed to strike first, he would have a slight advantage at reading through some of the attacks of the beast. ''No one can have an endless attack pattern, not even a beast. It swings and stabs and it alternates between the two. Don''t forget about its speed and its grab attack!'' So he ran, he dodged the first barrage of fast swings and avoided the sharp claws.He ducked under a stabbing arm, which put him in a runner''s pose, before they propelled themselves for the race. He jumped towards the beast''s chest in full speed and slashed at it with his cleaver in an upward motion. The monster''s flesh was cut open and purple blood splashed against Surgit''s chest. ''First successful hi-''with a back hand, the beast placated Surgit against a pillar. He struggled to remain conscious and grabbed with his arms, which bended backwards, against the pillar. He put his feet on the pillar and jumped high, landing behind the beast. He got a good start and he wasn''t willing to lose his advantage, even if he was in extreme pain. This time around, he was slightly faster than his opponent. He landed another hit at its back, injuring it once more before it could turn around and retaliate. Two more missed swings and the beast jumped backwards. Creating a distance between the two of them was its advantage and it knew it. Surgit was prepared though and ran after the beast in order to close the recently created distance. He found himself in front of the beast''s hideous face and it tried to bite him. He avoided the attack at the last minute by jumping backwards. ''I shouldn''t have done that'' was the thought that crossed his mind before he received a hard punch to the chest that made him spit blood and fall to his knees. The beast slammed both its arms at Surgit in an attempt to crush him down. He rolled to the side and stood up. He quickly injected himself with a blood vial and ran towards the beast. He found himself running towards empty space however as it teleported again behind him and punched him in the back, sending him face first towards the ground. As he tasted dirt and blood, he felt the beast''s claws holding him down from the head and pushing his skull against the floor. It was as if the beast was trying to squash his brain and end him there and then. Surgit took out his gun and aimed blindly at his violent oppressor. Click! Click! ''Oh man! I forgot to get more bulletsˇ­'' was his last thought before his head exploded under pressure. 90 Beckoning a hunter ''This is Gascoigne all over again. I can''t let this go on forever.''Surgit went back to the lower parts of Old Yharnam and cleared the streets in order to gain some more echoes which he used later on in the hunter''s dream in order to buy some more bullets from the messengers. He found out that his pistol could take six bullets at a time and that he could keep in his possession twenty bullets in total. His hunter outfit fittingly had a back pocket for storing bullets in which he placed the extra ones he had. Surgit also remembered that he had gained more insight, which confirmed his theory. Headaches which are a result of witnessing creatures such as the blood starved beast or the cleric beast are a sign of more insight. ''Speaking of insight, I forgot that Francis told me I can use it to ring the bell. Wait a minute, what if I use this bell before I get inside the church? Maybe that''s why I hear bell ringing in that area.'' He went back to Old Yharnam and found himself in the vast clearing in front of the old church. He rang the bell and soon after, the ringing in his head stopped. "Splendid, I guess you need my assistance then" Said a voice behind him. Surgit turned around and saw a blond hunter standing opposite him. The hunter wore a gray robe and held a sword on his right hand, and a massive firearm on his left hand. On his back, a gigantic hammer was attached. He looked tougher than when he first met him. "Alfred, so the bell really summons hunters to aid others in their journey." Surgit was pleased to meet someone he knew, and most of all, a hunter who helped him gain valuable information before. "Yes, it summons the ones willing to help. There are other bells capable of summoning the ones willing to harm you however. Let''s not tarry for long, we may have unwanted company soon. So what could I do for you?" Alfred had something new about him though, he had a blue aura that enveloped his whole body and gave him a ghostly appearance. Surgit couldn''t help but ask: "Before we go, can you tell me what that blue aura around you is?" to which Alfred smiled and said, "It''s a sign that I''m a phantom, here to help you. This is not my real body but a replica of it. You''ll have yours made if you ever ring a small resonant bell. Your astral presence is projected into the world of the one you wish to help while your physical body remains in the area where you left it. You''d better choose a safe place before you ring that bell though. So, shall we get moving?" Alfred was getting impatient and Surgit didn''t want to linger there for long either. They both got inside the church and faced the blood starved beast. "A nasty creature you''ve found yourself against. Let''s work as a team then. One of us should distract it while the other strikes at it and weakens it" said Alfred while advancing towards their opponent, alongside Surgit. "I''ll take care of that" answered Surgit and ran towards the beast. After three defeats, he finally had a plan that could prove useful, and with Alfred''s help, they may come out victorious this time. He rushed and found himself facing the monster. He had the timing of its swings and stabs memorized so all he did was dodge and avoid the attacks while Alfred snuck behind the creature. With the corner of his eye, Surgit saw Alfred inserting his sword into the pommel of the gigantic hammer he had on his back. He then slammed the hammer with all his might at the back of the beast, staggering it. Surgit knew what to do then. He transformed his right arm and ripped through the exposed chest of the poor beast, while Alfred did the same to its back. It was a perfectly well timed attack that left the beast lying on the ground, struggling to stand up again. "Well, I guess all that''s left to do now is the finisher," said Alfred in a playful tone, "I''ll let you do the honors." As soon as Alfred finished his sentence, Surgit held his saw high and prepared to deal the finishing blow to the beast. The latter let out a terrible scream and fumes exuded from its body. Surgit knew what it was and jumped back, away from the poisonous cloud. Luckily, Alfred was a seasoned hunter and understood the danger immediately. The blood starved beast stood up again and put its feet firmly on the ground. It opened its arms and screamed again, a screeching sound that made the pillars of the church vibrate. "I think we just made it angrier" shouted Surgit at his fellow hunter while the poisonous cloud dissipated from around their purple opponent. The beast quickly turned towards Alfred and attacked so fast and so relentlessly that Surgit thought his helping partner was about to meet his end. Seeing that he could hold his ground, Surgit ran fast towards the beast and jumped on its back. He landed with force, in an attempt to halt the beast''s speed for a while which helped only to make it angrier. It tried to swat him away, as if he was an annoying fly. Surgit avoided the backhand and descended from the beast''s back. As he was dropping down however, he drove his saw through the beast''s back, making a big vertical cut through it. Instead of purple blood though, fumes came out from the area Surgit had cut and he inhaled a big portion of it. The beast screamed and turned towards Surgit whose vision started to become blurry. "Hey! Forgot someone?" said Alfred as he smacked the beast to the face with his massive hammer. The beast fell to the ground, stunned. Alfred ran towards Surgit and gave him a white pill. "Take this! Otherwise your life will wither away in no time. There''s no point helping a dead person, is there?"He smiled at Surgit, revealing perfectly aligned white teeth. Surgit crunched the pill in his mouth and thanked his cooperator. "It''s an antidote, useful for this kind of situations. You should look for more." The beast stood up again and let out a painful scream. It was definitely in pain and it struggled against two hunters. Purple fumes came out from its body, as sweat comes out of humans when they exert themselves. Alfred took a cloth out and hung it around his face, hiding his nose. He nodded at Surgit and ran towards the beast. As it tried to swing at Alfred, Surgit had an idea. He took out his gun and shot the beast moments before the swing could reach its opponent. The beast fell down, staggered and Alfred took care of the finishing visceral attack. The beast fell to the ground, motionless. ''Prey Slaughtered'' the knowledge came to Surgit''s mind. "Well I guess that''s that. Thank you for inviting me over to this amazing fight. We should cooperate more." Said Alfred as his phantom dissipated in a light blue light. Surgit was left alone in the old church, his hands trembling with excitement. He couldn''t help but feel a bit disappointed. He had to rely on external help in order to defeat this one. ''Is it going to be this way all the time? I must get stronger and better at fighting these abominations. I can''t always rely on others.'' Although he felt grateful for Alfred''s help, he vowed once more to get stronger and take care of his own problems, with his own two hands. Surgit inspected the dead beast with his insight and saw a green glowing item. He took it and a message notified him. It was the same way he received knowledge about items and monsters using his insight. The message read: + Blood Starved Beast''s core: give to the messengers to receive a gift. + The echo of a starved beast: Pop to receive echoes. + Pthumeru chalice: Use at the tomb altar to access. He had another core from Gascoigne he hadn''t checked. In fact, he also had Gascoigne''s echo. He decided to get back to the dream. He found a lantern behind the church''s altar and headed to the workshop. 91 The hunters’ dream *** Francis, before he found his way towards the hunter''s dream *** After reading a few pages regarding the history of Byrgenwerth and the discovery of healing blood, Francis concluded that the books containing information about blood healing were written by the church and had no valuable information about Yharnam''s secrets. They only contained general information about blood healing and the different ministers and vicars that oversaw blood ministration and blood healing, nothing of great interest to him. He diverted his attention then towards books about the hunt and the origin of the beasts inhabiting the city. He gathered that beasts started roaming the city''s streets at nights when the moon was full, shining in the clear night sky. People soon started closing their doors and protecting themselves from the beastly scourge that affected the city. Anyone caught outside could and would be executed for fear of being affected by the bad blood. Hunters took to the streets and church doctors assisted them in their hunts. Being a hunter himself, Francis wanted to know more about the hunters and how they came to be. He found another book that spoke about the first hunters and their struggle to clean the city from beasts. They all trained under a certain hunter called Gehrman, whose name was mentioned only once and in an old dingy book. ''The order of hunters must be as old as the creation of the healing church. No other book mentions this generation of first hunters by name. They only call them the old hunters. Interestingˇ­'' Francis was deep in thought when the retired hunter came into his room. "May I come in?" he said as he peered from the door. "Please, by all means" answered Francis as he gestured to an empty chair by his desk on which the man sat down. - "I''d like to ask you a question dear Francis, but since information doesn''t come cheap in this place, I''m willing to trade with you." - "What could you possibly have that is interesting to me then?" - "Valuable information of course, the more I get from you, the more I''m willing to give. To the extent of my knowledge of course. By now, you should''ve figured out that the books in my library contain but standard material to work with." - "Fair enough, so what is it that you''d like to know?" - "Has anyone taken the old man''s place at the dream?" Francis was puzzled at the question. Which dream? And which old man was he speaking of? He wanted to get more from the retired hunter as he seemed knowledgeable; he needed to be cunning and mysterious then. - "Aren''t you a retired hunter? Why would you want to know about that?" - "Simple curiosity, it''s not easy for a hunter who was used to battle and dancing with death to sit idly for a long time. It is strange indeed, to know that death is a valid option for me now." - "What do you mean?" Said Francis before he could refrain from asking the question. - "It seems that you are a new hunter to me. Don''t tell me that you don''t even know what the dream I spoke of was?" The man had a wide smile on his face. He knew that Francis had no information whatsoever regarding the dream. - "I must admit, I was taken aback when you spoke of that dream." Francis bit his lip and cursed his eagerness. - "Well, that changes things. But let me ask you, how did you get your blood ministration? And when?" - "A doctor in the upper Cathedral Ward administered blood to me. That wasn''t long ago though. I''m just discovering my new abilities." Francis said, losing his superior tone. The retired hunter smiled and asked Francis another question. - "And may I know what happened to that doctor afterwards?" - "I killed her. I had no further need for her." - "Excellent! You did well, those church doctors are an abomination that doesn''t deserve to live. For that you have my thanks and respect dear Francis." The man showed real gratitude which surprised Francis. - "Why do you think so?" Francis didn''t understand the animosity the hunter had for the doctors. But that explained why the one he met in Oedon Chapel feared meeting Gascoigne. - "That is not a question I can answer. It will be up to you to form your own opinion about them." The man diverted the subject then instantly. "So you haven''t been to the hunter''s dream, have you?" - "I didn''t even know that something such as the hunter''s dream existed in the first place." Francis felt disappointed at his ignorance. - "That just means that you are a strong and skilled fellow. From all the beasts you have encountered here, none of them was strong enough to kill you. This counts for something." The retired hunter, feeling Francis'' disappointments tried to comfort him with his words. - "How do I reach that dream you speak of then?" - "It''s simple. All you have to do is die." The retired gentleman burst into an unstoppable laughter as soon as he finished his sentence. - "You jest! I didn''t come all the way here to die." Francis was upset and felt like he was looked down on. The man whipped a gun from his back pocket and shot Francis multiple times in the head and in the chest. Before he could move or attempt to retaliate, blood covered Francis'' face and he felt himself losing consciousness. As he drifted away from the world of the living, he heard the retired hunter say, "Sweet dreams old man, and say hello to the doll from me." And he burst into laughter again as darkness welcomed Francis into its arms. Francis opened his eyes and found himself lying face down on a big flowery field. The grass that grew in the place looked pale and had a mix of green and yellow in its colors. The flowers were all white and seemed to give the place a feeling of serenity. The garden was vast and extended towards a hill on top of which an old wooden house stood. A stone way led towards the house from the middle of the garden. Francis stood up and looked around him. Grave stones were placed around trees and on the extremities of the garden. Further down, he could see a metallic fence that blocked entry towards the place. He inspected the fences and after looking over them, he realized that place seemed to be elevated above clouds, or at least that''s what he could fathom. Everywhere he looked, there was no way to leave the place unless you jump away from the fences. ''That bastard surprised me and killed me, backstabbing son of a bitch. I knew I shouldn''t trust anyone in that place.'' He felt angry at remembering how the retired hunter laughed as Francis fought against death. ''What to do now? Is this the dream he was speaking of?'' Francis turned around and walked towards the wooden house atop the hill. He saw branches of a gigantic tree that grew behind the house, extending over its roof. As he reached the main door, he saw a woman standing, looking at him intently. As he approached her, she spoke: "Good hunter, I am a doll, here in this dream to look after you. Honorable hunter, Pursue the echoes of blood, and I will channel them into your strength. You will hunt beasts. And I will be here for you, to embolden your sickly spirit." Francis looked at the doll intently. 92 Observe, learn, adjust and overcome The doll was taller than Francis and had incomparable beauty. She looked alive although her hands were clearly mechanical and not human. ''Things are getting even stranger in this place.'' He looked at the house behind the doll and turned to ask her: "What are the echoes of blood?" The doll tilted her head to the side as a sign of puzzlement then answered: - "As you hunt beasts, you gather their echoes within you. Come to me, and I will channel them into more strength for you." - "And how do I know that I have these echoes?" - "Use your insight good hunter. You can see me, can you not?" ''Ah so you must be another extraordinary thing that we can see only while having insight?'' Francis closed his eyes and saw that he had no echoes at all. - "How come I have no echoes while I''m sure that I have slayed so many enemies before landing in here?" he asked. He was confused. - "If you have died before arriving here, then the one who had killed you must have collected them in your stead. Kill them, and you''ll retrieve your echoes." - "And how do I leave this place in order to do so? There doesn''t seem to be a way out of here!" Francis was even angrier at the hunter. Not only did he backstab him, he also robbed him of his hard earned rewards. - "Speak to the messenger by the fountain bath. He will provide you with a way out. But beware, if you die again on your way to retrieve your echoes, you will lose them forever." The doll pointed him to a fountain in the distance, next to the back door of the wooden house. Francis walked towards the fountain. A black liquid, akin to stale water, filled it. The liquid soon started to boil and from underneath it appeared a small white creature with only an open mouth on its face. It pointed its long pointy fingers towards Francis and moaned. "The doll told me that you can send me out of here." The messenger disappeared again under the black liquid and remerged, holding a lamp which had a blue flame in it. Francis instantly felt drawn towards it and saw the big building in which the retired hunter lived. What looked like a small picture, a replica of the place, soon became bigger and more real. Seconds later, Francis found himself standing in front of the building, back in Hemwick. He blinked his eyes, like someone who felt dizzy and tried to come back to his senses. Opposite Francis, he saw a blue lamp, dangling from a small wooden pole with miniature bells on top. ''So the dream is real after all. Does this mean that I''m impervious to death? I guess I''ll find out soon.'' He climbed the wall and went through the balcony. The hunter was sitting on a chair, holding his cane and awaiting Francis'' return. "Welcome back!" he said with a smile on his face. "So, is the old man still there?" Francis was enraged by the nonchalance the hunter dealt with him, as if he were but an insignificant insect. He drew his sword and walked towards him ready to cut him in pieces. The retired hunter however didn''t move. He only spoke in a threatening tone: "I must warn you old man. Although you''re a hunter and you have immense strength, I too am a hunter. And I am far stronger than you. I advise you to sit down and have an intelligent conversation about what happened." Francis stopped and looked the man in the eyes. He didn''t doubt his strength but the anger and shame he felt for being humiliated before urged him to attack and deal with the consequences later on. The retired hunter sensed this and went on. "Listen, I know you''re angry at what I did. But if you think about it, I made you discover the dream. Thanks to that, you''ll become stronger." "Moreover, I''ll offer you a deal. I hold your echoes. You can retrieve them by killing me. But if I kill you before that, you''ll lose everything. What''s more, I hold even more echoes that could help you become a strong fighter. But how are you going to go about it, with strength, skill or bloodtinge?" "And judging from the weapon you hold, bloodtinge is your best bet. But you don''t know anything about that, do you? I''ll train you, and in exchange you''ll kill me in an exciting fight. That''s the way I want to go." After the hunter''s monologue, Francis sheathed his katana and sat down. - "Alright," he said "tell me about the skills I can fortify to make myself a better hunter." - "I''ll teach you how to become a better fighter. You''ll choose your own path as a hunter afterwards. I couldn''t care less about what you want to do with your life." - "Why do you want to die then? And why did you retire?" - "I didn''t choose to retire. It rather chose me, or in other words, it just happened. You''ll understand it one day. So tell me, is the old man still in charge?" - "I was decided to come back here and kill you that I didn''t even look for that old man of yours." - "This means that he didn''t choose to show himself to you. He''s a sneaky old bastard. I guess we can start your training then." ***** Surgit was still looking at the chalice he had earned after defeating the Blood Starved Best. Pthumeru Chalice: ritual chalice found in the church of the good chalice. ''So this is what the old man spoke about.'' Surgit knew what to do next. He had to go to the dream and speak to Gehrman, if he was around, in order to know what to do with the item he had just found. A lamp had appeared in the church right after he had killed the blood starved beast with the help of Alfred. He inspected the church further and found a corpse in a corner, far behind the church''s altar. On inspecting its belongings, Surgit found ten antidote pills. ''Thanks for nothing. This could''ve been useful before.'' He stored the pills in his pocket and headed to the lamp. He lit it and went to the hunter''s dream. Back at the dream, Surgit decided to put some order in his belongings and think about what to do next. He got inside the workshop and sat down on a chair in front of a desk. Gehrman was sleeping opposite the fireplace and Surgit didn''t try to wake him up. He was planning on doing so once he organized himself. As of that moment, he managed to get his hands on the chalice that Gehrman had spoken of before. He still didn''t know what to do with it. All he knew was that it was useful. From the note he had seen in the dream and the conversation with Francis, the new hunter, Paleblood is the key to leaving Yharnam. He had to find a way to reach Byrgenwerth and Alfred may be able to help him regarding this matter. He seemed to have some knowledge regarding the healing church, he must have some information regarding the location of the greatest academy mankind had ever seen, or so the tales say. He inspected some of the books that were thrown in a disorderly manner on top of the desk. They were too old and none of them was legible anymore. Among the rubble, he managed to snatch an empty notebook. He fumbled in the drawers until he found some ink and a pen and started scribbling notes. Since his arrival he had observed many events and heard many tales about Yharnam and blood healing. From the beasts he had to fight to the statues he had seen in Old and Central Yharnam, he knew that he had to take notes in order to keep track of all the information he was subjected to. He needed to observe Yharnam closely. He hoped that by gathering enough information about the city he was thrown into, he would have an easier time remembering the events which unfolded before. By understanding, he could learn more about the hunters and the beasts, which would make slaying them easier. He knew he had to adapt to the way this city forced him to live. Not only did he have to survive, but he also had to find a way to access Paleblood and escape this nightmare. He also knew that information was the key to survival in Yharnam. The more you know, the more chances you have of surviving. And so he wrote, about the people he met and the beasts he fought... 93 Looking for Karla - Part 1 Surgit divided the information he had and organized them by columns. On the one regarding the people he met, he wrote. Iosefka: a healing church doctor who helped me overcome many difficulties, especially at the beginning of my journey. She saved my life and Karla''s too. I am eternally grateful for her assistance so far. I noticed a slight change in her attitude after I reached Oedon Chapel. She seems more willing to help the sick while she refused to let anyone in before. I''ll take it as a good sign and keep an eye out for any infected in need of treatment in the future. Oedon chapel dweller: a creepy man who dwells inside the chapel. His voice suggests his sex but everything in his appearance shows that he''s far from human. He provides a safe place for people in need and even though I do not completely trust him, he hosted the old lady who seems to be safe and sound. Old lady: ungrateful woman who seems to hate outsiders. Alfred: a hunter who appears to derive from the healing church. His shawl perhaps shows that he belongs to the church. He''s kind and willing to share information with me despite the fact that I have nothing to give in return. Moreover, he helped me in the fight against the blood starved beast. He has my thanks and I will make sure to repay the debt one day. Francis: the man who made my trip to Yharnam possible. He managed to become a hunter and has an agenda of his own. I''ll keep a close eye on him until I figure out his motives: Neither a friend nor a foe. Karla: skilled fighter who doesn''t need blood ministration to overcome Yharnam''s atrocities. Although I won''t be sure about her chances against abominations like the cleric beast, I hope she''s doing alright by herself now, location: unknown. The crow lady: a hunter who appears to be ruthless and skilled. She killed Paul in one strike while Karla had almost died to him. I need to be on my guard against her, motives: unknown. Once he was done writing down the information he had about the people he had met, Surgit moved to the items in his possession. He then classified them as key items to be stored in the dream for later use and consumables that he can keep in his possession when needed. He found the fire papers that Alfred had given him before. He had completely forgotten about them. He also had extra weapons that could be useful as a way to immobilize fast enemies. He just had to have enough echoes to unlock them. The rifle spear had been useful against the werewolves and the beast patients. He had a torch too and some antidotes. While for key items, he had the church hunter badge that allowed him to get more weapons and consumables from the messengers in the fountain. He also had the beckoning bell and the Pthumeru Chalice. After classifying his possessions, Surgit stood up, stored his notebook in a drawer among some old books and went to Gehrman. The old man opened his eyes as soon as Surgit stood in front of him. - "Aha, you''re back. Did you get the chalice?" he asked. - "Yes I did, I had to struggle to reach it, let alone get it from that terrible monster." Surgit held the chalice in front of Gehrman as if he held a trophy. - "Very well, now you can perform a ritual at one of the altars outside in order to break the seal to the labyrinth. The doll will give you more guidelines on how to do so." By then, Surgit knew that Gehrman wasn''t the type of person to speak too much. He nodded to him and prepared himself to leave. Gehrman however went on. - "The healing church and the blood ministers who belong to it were once guardians of the hunters. In the times of the hunterˇ­ Ludwig" Gehrman seemed to have difficulties remembering names. "They worked, and forged weapons in their unique workshop. Today, most ministers don''t recall the hunters. But they have much to offer you. And so, heed the message of your forebears. Ascend to Oedon chapel." - "Huh? What does that even mean?" exclaimed Surgit. - "Ascend to Oedon chapel. From there, you will find the church workshop." Gehrman immediately fell asleep and left Surgit wondering again. It was as if Gehrman enjoyed puzzling him and leaving him with more questions than answers. Surgit exited the workshop and walked towards the doll. He asked her about the chalice''s function and she explained that he could use the sacrificial altars in order to access the sealed labyrinth of the Gods. The chalice was the most important component used in unsealing them. Surgit still needed to get his hands on ritual blood in order to do so. And he knew exactly where to go in order to find it. He had left a bowl full of it in the big church behind the clock tower in Old Yharnam. The doll explained then that what appeared to Surgit as giant tombstones behind the workshop were in fact the sacrificial altars. Each stone gave access to one part of the labyrinth. Unlocking the seal required a chalice and the one he held gave him access to the first level of the labyrinth alone. All he needed to do in order to get to the others was to finish each dungeon and slay its guardian who resided in the darkest corner of the labyrinth. Surgit was curious about exploring the tombs of the Gods. He read about the tombs being the source of blood healing as scholars from Byrgenwerth had explored them before. This action led them to discover a holy medium that enabled blood ministration. Gehrman spoke about blood ministers being above Oedon chapel. Surgit also wanted to go meet them. He still remembered the old man who allowed him to have another chance at life. He wondered if he could meet him there or if, along with the other ministers, they still lived there at all. There was also the matter regarding Byrgenwerth. He was excited at the idea of leaving Yharnam and resuming his life, back at his native city. Paleblood was apparently the key to unlocking a passage out of Yharnam and resuming his normal life, away from beasts and from the sickness that haunted his life for years. He decided to go to Oedon chapel in order to check on Karla in there and find Alfred. He could provide him with enough information regarding Byrgenwerth. He also had to visit Iosefka and check on her before he went on his way towards Byrgenwerth and the church workshop. The tombs of the Gods could wait until he managed to find a way towards Byrgenwerth. At that moment, he felt that he had so many places to go to, but he had to remain focused on his objective. Deriving from it could lead to complications and stretch his stay in Yharnam for longer than expected. He went towards the messenger and asked him to transport him towards Oedon chapel. The old lady still sat on her chair, frowning and talking under her nose. The dweller still asked Surgit to send sane people over if they ever needed as safe place to hide in. There was no sign of Karla. 94 Looking for Karla- Part 2 Surgit looked around the chapel and found out that the door that had been previously locked inside the chapel was open. He made a mental note to come back and see what''s inside once he paid Alfred a visit. So he went out, in the direction of the church under which the hidden passage to Old Yharnam was. As soon as he stepped outside, he noticed that the streets had become darker. The sun had completely disappeared and the night sky covered the city with darkness. It was all for the best, Surgit preferred hunting in darkness. The beasts are unsuspecting of the shadows in which hunters lurk, waiting to strike their prey down. In the square outside the chapel, Surgit managed to easily dispose of two enemies. Tall pale men who wore long black coats and trousers. Their skin was so pale that he wondered if they ever had any blood in their system. In fact as he struck both of them down, only patches of red were mixed with white liquid. ''What are these things made of I wonder?'' He moved on and reached the park in front of the church leading to Old Yharnam. Men beasts were patrolling the area. One of them, holding a pitchfork saw him first and came running at him. Surgit used his insight in order to check those enemies'' names. He was tired of calling them men beasts. Huntsmen ¨C weak, the knowledge came to him in the form of faint whispers. ''Yeah, you''re telling me! Too weak would be more appropriate'' he thought as he dodged an upcoming attack and beheaded his enemy. He took care of the rest of the huntsmen and their dogs then climbed up the stairs leading to the church''s second floor in order to reach Alfred. The man was praying at an altar in front of the strange statue. From its figure, the statue looked feminine. It had a conical helmet that covered its face and extended upwards. It was as if it wore a pyramid on top of its head. ''What weird god are you worshipping Alfred?'' thought Surgit as he approached the man. When he heard Surgit''s footsteps, Alfred stood up and faced him. - "Oh-hoh! Good to see you safe. That was an exciting fight back there. It was an honor providing you with assistance." - "The honor was mine. Thank you very much for your help, I''ll be sure to repay you one day." - "All in good times. Now let''s think up something to discuss. Just tell me what piques your interest." - "In fact, I wanted to see you not only to thank you but to also ask you about Byrgenwerth. What do you know about it?" asked Surgit. To this question Alfred smiled and started talking in a slow and monotonous voice. - "Byrgenwerth is an old place of learning. The tomb of the gods, carved out below Yharnam, should be familiar to every hunter. Well, once a group of young Byrgenwerth scholars discovered a holy medium deep within the tomb. This led to the founding of the Healing Church, and the establishment of blood healing. In this sense, everything sacred in Yharnam can be traced back to Byrgenwerth. But today, the college lies deep within a tangled wood, abandoned and decrepit. And furthermore, the Healing Church has declared Byrgenwerth forbidden ground. It''s unclear how many of its scholars remain alive..." Alfred stroked his chin for a moment, as if thinking seriously about something. He lifted his head towards Surgit and continued "but only they know the password that allows passage through the gate." - "Do you know why access to the woods was forbidden?" Surgit was left, once more, with more questions than answers. - "I''m but a simple hunter. I merely repeat the words that were delivered to us long ago by our masters. As to why it was declared forbidden ground, only church officials would know about it." - "And do you know of anybody who can lead me to the forbidden woods? Or someone who knows of the password giving access to it?" Surgit was desperate. - "I''m afraid I don''t. But I encourage you to go to the Great Cathedral, you may find someone capable of giving you further guidance in this matter." Feeling that he could no longer get any additional information from him, Surgit thanked Alfred and took leave of him. - "Thank you Alfred, you''ve been of great help. Until I see you again, I wish you a fruitful hunt." - "I bid you farewell. It has been a pleasure. May the good blood guide your way." Surgit walked back towards Oedon chapel, thinking about all the information he had just received. ''What a funny prayer Alfred hasˇ­ May the good blood guide your way. What''s good or bad blood in this place anyway?'' He went back to Oedon Chapel and asked the dweller if Karla had come by at any point. The dweller simply informed Surgit that he hadn''t sensed her presence in the church at all. Disappointed, Surgit decided to get back to the dream and get some more echoes from the items he received fighting Gascoigne and the Blood Starved Beast. Back in the dream, Surgit went to the workshop and took Gascoigne and the beast''s echoes. They had an ethereal form to them. Holding them in his hand felt like he was holding white smoke. They were soft to the touch and felt very cold on Surgit''s skin. He was holding Gascoigne''s echo on his right hand and the beast''s on his left. He squeezed his right hand and felt the smoke bubble burst into white smoke that enveloped his body, then it disappeared instantly. He did the same with the beast''s echo and the smoke dissipated from around his body as soon as he popped the soft bubble. Surgit used his insight then to inspect his echoes. He was again floating in a dark space. Small dots in the distance signaled the presence of echoes of the blood. Surgit approached each one and saw that each cluster had a green color to it. He opened his eyes and headed towards the doll. ''So now I have four echo clusters,'' he was analyzing how best to use the echoes he had gained. ''I''d better inspect my status before deciding on anything.'' He closed his eyes again and focused on his fighting status. Soon after, within that dark space he floated in, Surgit could make out letters and words that constituted his current level. Name: Surgit Insight level: Eye Can See Strength: Waste of Skin (3) Skill: Skillful (2) Bloodtinge: Blood Hungry (1) Arcane: Blind (1) He opened his eyes again, surprised at his recent discovery. His insight level had just changed. He was no longer narrow minded. His title seemed strange though. Was it bad word play or did it actually mean something? He decided to try it out later on by reading more of the books that detailed monster types. He had four green echo clusters he could use in order to develop his strength or his skill. ''I could also unlock one of the weapons from the messengers. Hmmmˇ­ what to do?'' Absorbed in thought, he was tapping his leg on the ground as he stood opposite the unnaturally beautiful doll. The doll tilted her head to the side, puzzled by Surgit''s mannerism. ''I''d better check the messenger''s bath and see what I can get from there. Besides, I have two items to offer them.'' He headed towards the messenger and asked the faceless creature to show him what he could get with Gascoigne''s core. The messenger disappeared inside the stale water and a screen appeared. + Gascoigne''s set: "Hunter attire worn by Father Gasoigne.Similar to hunter garb created at the workshop, only these are tainted by a pungent beastly stench that eats away at Gascoigne."Father" is a title used for clerics in a foreign land, and there is no such rank in the Healing Church. "This is very convenient," said Surgit out loud, happy to see his effort being rewarded. "What about this one?" He held the Blood Starved Beast''s core and handed it to the messenger. Soon after, another message appeared. This time, the message contained two items that Surgit had to choose from. 1- Antidotes: a set of ten antidotes for the ailing ones. 2- A hunter''s bell: Ring at a specific spot to be summoned by others in need. Hunters rely on the messengers to relay their thoughts. Ring this bell and others can call upon you to aid them in their arduous journey. For the hunt is long and unchanging. "I''ll take the bell, it certainly beats the antidotes. I don''t think I''ll need them anyway. All I need to do is avoid getting poisoned." Surgit had an idea as soon as he read the bell''s description. He wanted to explore the chalice dungeons but he was afraid that it would take him too much time. He also wanted to meet up with Karla, but so far, she didn''t show up. He had to find an alternative. He didn''t want to waste time. The more time he wastes, the farther he becomes from reaching the academy and getting information about Paleblood: his only hope to get out of this nightmarish reality. He went first to check on the doll and upgraded his skill. He then went back to the messengers and unlocked the Rifle Spear. He checked his echoes but found nothing. "Humph! As I suspected, the echoes are hard to come by, but easy to spend awayˇ­" Surgit had one more thing to do before he departed up towards the healing church workshop. He went back to Oedon Chapel headed towards the chapel dweller. - "Hey there feller, do you remember the lady that came with me the first time I arrived here"? - "The strong girl? Yes I don''t think she came here. I''d remember her, if only by scent." The dweller seemed eager to speak to someone. As if nobody had addressed him in years. - "Please, I must ask a favor of you." Surgit took the beckoning bell from his pocket and handed it to the chapel dweller. "Please give her this if she ever comes here." - "Oh, I s''pose I can do that." The dweller''s mouth twitched into some grotesque form of a smile. "Next time I see''er round ''ere, I''ll sure hand it to her." The blind dweller''s long and bony fingers closed on the bell. He pocketed it and looked in Surgit''s general direction. "If you find any sane survivors, well, send them along to Oedon Chapel will ya? Hee hee heeˇ­" Surgit took his leave and headed towards the newly open door. Before getting inside, he rang the bell he had just earned from the Blood Starved Beast''s fight. He hoped that Karla would still be alive somewhere, trying to reach the chapel. He had to tell her about Francis, and she had to stay away from the city''s beasts. Some of them he had no doubt she could defeat. But if she ever met some strong abomination, her chances of victory would be close to null. ''Let''s see where this will take me.'' He thought as an elevator took him upwards. 95 What happened to Karla Karla opened her eyes, she was still alive but her whole body was aching and she was barely capable of movement. She looked around her and found herself in a cage. She was captured and imprisoned by that beast that was more than capable of finishing her back there. She cursed her luck and tried to stand up. Death would have been mercy and an escape from this dreadful place. Instead she was in a cage, sitting on a cold and dirty floor. The area was dark and the only light that reached the place emanated from the ceiling. The prison had numerous spacious cages with metallic bars that were supposed to keep prisoners from escaping the place. However, the cages looked old and decrepit. The very high ceiling was composed of bars too. They replaced the skylight and covered the entire surface of the upper part of the floor. Faint light got in between the thick bars and Karla could barely see what was around her. After a while, her eyes got used to the darkness and she started noticing more details within the dark cages and beyond. She was thrown in a large cell. There were two bodies next to her. On inspecting the first, she noticed that it used to belong to a hunter. Judging from his attire and the pistol he was carrying, he must have sustained too much damage to survive the trip to this prison. As for the second, it was all bones and tatters, save for a strange long cage that was placed on the skull. It looked like inmates used to be tortured in the prison too. The cage didn''t seem to only hold the head still but it was long enough for the torturer to insert other object from above to encumber it and torture the poor souls even further. Karla wasn''t willing to stay imprisoned for long. The cages appeared to be fragile and she thought it possible to break through some bars and escape. She was too weak however, and every movement cost her too much energy. She went to the bars in front of her and tried shaking them in order to see how much strength would be required of her to break free. The bars were sturdy though and she needed to strike them with all her force if she wanted to budge them even a little. After kicking at one of them long enough, Karla was out of breath and too dizzy to stand still. The bar didn''t move at all and she felt discouraged. She leaned on the door of the cage to catch her breath and fell backwards on her back. The cage was open and Karla didn''t even try the obvious choice before she used force. She was lying on her back, her bones aching and some veins on her head felt like they were going to explode soon. She was bound to encounter some enemies soon and she knew that her chances at survival were close to nil. She had a blood vial in her pocket and she hesitated to use it. She really didn''t like the use of those things and if it weren''t for Surgit who had snuck it in her coat''s pocket, she would have never taken it. She decided not to use it even if her entire body begged from some relief from the pain she was experiencing. She stood up with extreme difficulty and looked at the bars high above in the ceiling. There was another floor on top and she could see the shadows of some creating moving in there. She had no torch to help her have a better look at her surroundings but her eyes were well accustomed to darkness at that point. Against some wall, she could see big mirrors that were covered with a long piece of cloth. The cloth was wrapped in chains and the chains had numerous padlocks sealing them. ''Why would anyone bother sealing up mirrors?'' Karla was puzzled at what she saw but the splitting headache didn''t allow her to give the matter too much thought. Next to one of the mirrors, Karla saw another skeleton. The body looked shorter than any normal human being but the skeleton was definitely human. The previous owner of the body died sitting on a chair with the same long cage attached to its head. What Karla found inconsistent with her theory of torture was that the person sat on the chair unbound. She inspected the skull and she couldn''t see any sign of injury that could''ve been inflicted to it. ''What a strange city we''ve found ourselves in. I''m trapped here and I don''t even know where I am at the moment. Beasts roam the streets and humans are scarce. What in the world have you dragged us into Francis?'' Karla was worried about Francis but at that moment, she was more worried about herself than anyone else. Her legs shook from exhaustion. She hadn''t had anything to eat in a while. She was sure that at least one of her ribs had been broken by that giant man''s attack. She was bleeding from her head and if she couldn''t find a way to mend her wounds, she would soon lose consciousness. She walked through the corridor, between the cages and found some stairs leading further down into the dungeon. As she approached the chairs, she heard voices. They belonged to three men and a woman, and they appeared to be arguing about something. Karla hid behind one of the sealed mirrors and started eavesdropping on their conversation. - "But we can''t just venture out there, you know how dangerous it is." Said one of the men''s voices. - "Sitting idly in here means our death. You know that as much as I do. Movement is life, the moment we stop is the moment we forfeit our lives." Another man said. - "I agree with him Arthur" said the third one, "I know that those beasts had almost killed us and we faced only two of them. But we need to find a way out of here. Isn''t it our duty as church doctors to rid the streets of abnormalities such as these?" - "Let us pray to the gods, they''ll keep us safe." Intervened the woman, her voice clearly showed fear. - "Oh would you stop it Adela?" Said the first man, "no one can help us here but ourselves. I''m moving out of here, I can''t wait for death." - "I''m going with you Arnold," said the second man "I really don''t see how we can survive by just sitting here." - "I guess I''ll go too." Said the man called Arthur with a sigh. "As much as this place scares me, the thought of what those creatures could do to us if they come back chills my bones." - "This is folly!" exclaimed Adela "You go on ahead, I''ll stay here and pray for safety. The gods have always been sympathetic and merciful." Karla was observing the scene from above. The four people were standing in a circle. Two of them held torches that illuminated the area around them. Karla couldn''t help but notice how many sealed mirrors were scattered all around the place. It seemed that that floor was a storage place of some sort. No cages were to be seen, just mirrors and four people. They were all clothed in black and had white shawls around their necks which extended to the lower portion of their backs. They seemed to originate from the church as the woman named Adela spoke of prayer and the gods to which Karla couldn''t help but snuff out her laughter. She decided it was time to show herself to them before they confused her with an enemy and attack. In her state, she was in dire need of some assistance. She walked down the stairs, and at the sound of her footsteps, the four stopped their conversations and turned towards the source of the sound, unsheathing their weapons. - "Relax, I''m no enemy" said Karla as she moved towards them with her hands held above her head, showing that she held no weapons. "I''m merely looking for people to team up with in order to leave this place." - "Good god! Look at the state she''s in!" one of the church doctors cried out. 96 Church doctors in action Karla was standing in front of four church doctors. They all looked at her in apprehension. - "Are you a hunter?" shouted one of them. - "Don''t be stupid Arthur! Since when did hunters seek help from church doctors?" answered the man called Arnold. - "He''s right, I''m no hunter" said Karla "I was kidnapped just like you and brought here by those giant men." - "You don''t look too well. Are you injured?" Asked the second man whose name was still unknown to Karla. - "I was injured fighting one of those things. I''ll be fine once I mend some of these injuries." She replied. - "We have some extra blood vials, they''ll invigorate you instantly." Said Adela to the frowns of the other three. - "I thought you were church doctors. Don''t you know how to mend wounds without using those cursed vials?" Karla never liked the use of blood. But from the look of things, it seemed that she would be forced to use them after all. - "Listen," started Arthur "We are doctors who work in order to prevent the scourge from further spreading in our city. We roam the streets looking for the sick and we cure them from their fatal disease. Blood is our only cure. But if you''d like to take a chance at dying painfully to one of the beasts up there, I don''t think we''ll be willing to aid you on that endeavor." The other two nodded in agreement while looking at Arthur. - "If you survived a fight against a kidnapper that means that you can fight. We''ll need your help in order to get out of here. But we won''t risk protecting an injured woman who can barely move." This time, it was Arnold who reinforced his friend''s point. - "You have a point I guess. I''ll need to be in full control of my body if we are to bring down at least one of those things without getting killed." She turned then towards Adela and said "I''ll take you up on that offer for blood vials." She took three vials from Adela and injected herself with one. Instantly, she felt the pain in her ribs relieved and the headache dissipating. ''This blood can really heal anything.'' She thought in amazement. - "Now, what''s the plan?" She asked the four doctors. - "I''m not moving from here. I''m confident in my faith in the gods, and they will protect me." Said Adela in a resolute way. - "Don''t be stubborn Adela. You''ll just end up as food for those cruel kidnappers." Said the man whose name was still unknown to Karla. - "Leave her be Bernard. We''ll come back for her once we find our way out. She''ll be convinced by how unsympathetic the gods are then." Said Arnold in a mocking voice. ''Alright, his name is Bernard. Finally, I won''t have to ask for anyone''s name'' Thought Karla in relief. - "Mock me all you want. You will die an agonizing death and I will be here safe and sound." Replied Adela in a scornful tone. - "Alright lady," said Arnold facing Karla "Let''s move out. Do you have a weapon on you?" Karla checked her sheath and realized that she had dropped her sword while fighting the kidnapper earlier. She felt even weaker without her trustworthy sword. Arnold took a sword which was hanging by his belt and presented it to her. "We''ll need all the help we can get. I have this extra weapon that I found earlier on a hunter''s corpse." It was a long sword but not a very heavy one. Karla estimated that it would take her sometime to get used to it as it was heavier than her previous weapon. "This will do. You have my thanks." She placed the weapon on its sheath and buckled it to her waist. Adela remained hidden behind some of the mirrors and sat on her knees, murmuring some prayers. The four of them then moved upstairs, towards the prison where Karla had woken up. With the help of the torches Bernard and Arthur were carrying, Karla could see better in the dark dungeon. More skeletons with long cages on their heads sat on chairs or were lying down on the floor, no torture signs were to be seen on them. - "Do you know what those cages are for?" She asked, addressing the three men. - "They must be some kind of torture device" replied Arthur. - "This place really is terrifying" said Bernard with his deep shaking voice. - "I''m more worried about those chants I hear. Am I the only who hears them?" asked Arnold. In fact, there were some chants in the distance. Their sound, however faint, was bone chilling. It seemed like a choir singing something of a diabolical nature. They went through a big door that used to seal the access in and out of the prison. The door was not locked though and the four people went through without a problem. They found themselves in a corridor with serpentine stairs that led upwards. The stone walls were composed of bricks that started withering and the whole place looked to be falling apart. The more they climbed up the stairs, the louder the sound became. They reached the second floor where they saw a door leading down to some dark chamber. "I don''t think it''s a good idea for us to split up yet. Let''s take a look at the area at the top of this place first. It might be our best chance of escape." Said Bernard, to which the others nodded quietly and continued their ascending. They soon reached the end of the stairway and found themselves in a large room. It looked like a church at first sight. The room was spacious and had pillars on each side. The ceiling extended to reach a height which made making out its patterns impossible. The building was gigantic and gave the impression that it was majestic at some point in time. The floor of the room though was composed only of bars, tightly stacked together to reinforce its sturdiness. From there, Karla could see the cage in which she was imprisoned before. Karla bumped into Arthur''s back who suddenly stopped in his tracks. A kidnapper, tall and menacing, was walking towards them. Arnold immediately asked the others to surround their foe in order to make him lose focus. They surrounded him and each time he made to attack one of them, the other three jumped at him in unison. The kidnapper was fast though and managed to dodge their attacks. Karla was still getting used to the strength she had to use in order to swing her weapon properly. She missed each attack by a long shot. The kidnapper came at her and Arthur this time managed to cut his leg and cause a deep injury. The tall beast let out a scream, and red aura enveloped its body. "Beware, it''s getting angry!" shouted Bernard. The kidnapper ran quickly towards Arnold and struck at him with an uppercut. The movement was so fast that it looked like he teleported from Karla''s point of view. Arnold however managed to dodge the attack and pierced the kidnapper with his sword. It was time to move forward, and Karla and the others ran towards their common enemy. The tall beast was still capable of movement and with its backhand, swiped Arnold away. The poor man rolled numerous times on the ground and only one pillar managed to stop him. The other three surrounded the kidnapper and Karla, swinging her new sword, managed to injure its other leg. The beast fell down on its knees and Arthur pierced it again with his own sword while Bernard shot the beast in the head using his large firearm. The kidnapper fell to the ground, finally dead. - "No matter how big they are, if you pierce and shoot them, they''ll eventually die," Arnold said as he moved back towards the others and retrieved his sword from within the beast''s chest. - "With the four of us, I think we have a chance of getting out of here." Bernard was finally cheerful. 97 Bad teamwork As they stood in the middle of the large building that looked like a cathedral, the church doctors and Karla were listening to the terrifying chant that could be heard everywhere. It was as if invisible people were singing around them and they were unable to pinpoint their exact location. The voices were deep and women and men partook in the singing. The voices grew louder since they had climbed the stairs earlier. Down below, they could barely make out the strange noise. By the time they had reached the gigantic building, the voices were loud and clear. The language they were using in their chant was foreign however, and no one from the group could make out what it was about. Bernard pointed with his index finger to the opposite direction of where the group was standing "What is that?" he said. All of them turned and saw that more stairs led to the top part of the building. The building was indeed built like a cathedral, but anyone observing it wouldn''t give it that nomenclature. In its large expanse, the building had pillars on the right and left parts. Anyone looking at those tall pillars would think of a church or cathedral''s ails. The middle, bigger and wider, part of the building looked like a nave devoid of chairs where people would gather and sit during ceremonies. The group was looking at what appeared to be the choir stalls and instead of seeing an organ up in the middle, they saw a strange statue. It appeared to have a humanoid body. It was very tall, taller than a three floors building. It had long legs, and six long arms protruding from its back. Its gigantic hands had six fingers and its long toes appeared to be sharper than claws. What intrigued them most was the head of the statue, a spherical cage with hexagonal pores all around it. That thing appeared to be of extraordinary nature and may have been worshipped in this building. As they looked in amazement and terror at the imposing statue, a kidnapper appeared in front of it and looked at them. It must have been patrolling the area upstairs. As soon as it noticed the group''s presence and its fallen comrade on the ground, the kidnapper let out a shout and jumped at them from the balcony. Karla avoided the slamming attack by a hair''s width. The attack, combined with the kidnappers weight shook the bars that served as ground and the other church doctors lost balance and fell to the ground. Karla was facing the kidnapper alone and any false movement at that moment could mean her death. The kidnapper was clearly enraged by his fellow''s death and it was ready to unleash its full force against the group. Karla had to buy time while the others regained their composure and joined in. The kidnapper didn''t lose anytime and struck at Karla with its heavy bag which is used to transport the people they manage to beat. She dodged to the side and instantly had to jump backwards as the kidnapper tried to stab her using its sharp fingers. Although their hands looked humanoid and even had five fingers, their sharpness could be compared to that of claws and could pierce a human body in one strike. The kidnapper immediately followed Karla''s movement and ran towards her, performing an uppercut with its claws again which left a fresh cut on her right cheek and relieved her of some of her hair. She was struggling alone against that enraged beast and if she didn''t find an opening, she would be on the ground, meeting the fate that she struggled so hard to avoid. With its right hand which held the kidnapping bag, the beast swung horizontally at Karla, hitting her on the side and sending her rolling on the ground until she hugged a pillar. She heard her bones cracking again and blood filled her mouth. The kidnapper had broken from its usual slow walk, it was running towards Karla in order to finish her and move towards the others. Karla couldn''t believe that the attacks she had to dodge and the one she took were executed in mere seconds. All she had to do was buy some time. A few seconds at best so that the others get back on their feet and surround their foe. She looked at the kidnapper who seemed to take an eternity to reach her. She knew that her body wouldn''t listen and her vision had gotten darker. She closed her eyes and waited for the finishing blow to connect. As the chants in the background became louder, Karla didn''t hear the gunshot that staggered the kidnapper and halted its advance towards her. Arthur had shot it and Bernard and Arnold advanced towards it, each striking at a different knee. The kidnapper extended its arms on each side, swiping the two away and fought the pain to stand up again. It was in pain but it clearly wanted to take its revenge on the group. It was as if that beast was capable of thought and emotions. Karla opened her eyes to witness the scene in front of her. Bernard and Arnold were on the ground, struggling to stand up again while the kidnapper ran towards Arthur with shaking knees. The chants seemed to get even louder and it intensified the terror of what was happening to them. Karla remembered the blood vials and their immediate healing effect. She fumbled in her pockets and took a vial. She injected the blood to invigorate herself and got back on her feet. The kidnapper was swinging violently at Arthur and Karla knew that she had but seconds before he fell to the unending barrage of attacks which were overwhelming him. With her long sword, she struck at the kidnaper''s knee then avoided a quick swipe of the beast that tried to immediately retaliate. The tall monster finally fell to the ground face first, as its leg was broken. Karla struck down at its head with all the strength she could muster and smashed the beast''s brain. Arthur nodded at her in thanks as he was out of breath and too pale to be able to speak. The chanting stopped and silence came back. The group gathered and climbed the stairs in silence and went to inspect the strange statue. - "I hope it''s not life size" commented Bernard as he looked at the giant sculpture. - "I just hope it''s not real" said Arthur "We almost died to one kidnapper, let alone thisˇ­ thing in front of us". Arnold was still silent. He looked intently at the statue and didn''t utter a word. 98 Yaharg’hul, the terrifying village "I think we should be more organized in our attacks." Karla was still shaken by how close they came to death. "If we stick to our strategy and surround our enemies, we should be able to dispose of them easily." She said in an attempt to cheer them up and bring back their fighting spirit. Arnold turned towards her and gave her a stern look "Do you really think that we stand a chance against those things? We were lucky we had to face only one of them. If the one that had been patrolling this area here earlier had seen us, they would''ve been the ones standing by now." He was clearly shaken by the previous battle and his morale which seemed high earlier had been broken. "Except we aren''t, and they''re the dead ones now" intervened Arthur "this woman here saved my life while you two were struggling to get back on your feet." Feeling that a fight was about to break between them, Karla tried to calm them down. "Let''s focus on getting out of here and learning from our mistakes. I think that two of us can easily take a kidnapper out. Their legs are clearly their weakness. If one manages to attract their attention, the other can bring them to their knees and with our joint forces we can kill them quickly before they could counter attack." Bernard and Arthur nodded in agreement while Arnold looked at her, unable to find words that could contradict her. He turned towards the statue again and said: "I heard from a hunter before that kidnappers used to take people at night and bring them to a jail in a hidden village called Yahar''gul. I''m sure that this is what he was talking about. He said that the people in the village used to partake in strange rituals which required human sacrifice." He turned and looked at the others who were intently listening to what he was saying. "Legends say that they worshipped some kind of god, or gods, who demanded sacrifice in exchange for granting them extreme powers. I wonder if this sculpture here is what they imagined as their god." Karla looked at the statue and felt shivers running down her spine. "This looks like a terrible god. I wouldn''t want to meet something that looks like that, or even worship it." As soon as she finished her sentence, the chants resumed and the four of them jumped, startled. They left through the main entrance of the building. The choir chants resumed even louder. As they stepped outside, into the village, an even more terrifying view welcomed them. The street where they stood was cobbled and large enough for three big carts or wagons to drive by, side by side. The buildings, in what was supposed to be a village, were as tall as Yharnam''s and looked even more sophisticated. The cone shaped roofs were decorated with dark green tiles and the tall buildings all had large colorful windows. The houses seemed empty and no light was to be seen on any window. Night had fallen and the streets were darker, save for few poles that illuminated only some parts of the large avenue they were in. Statues were scattered in a disorderly fashion, as if to break the organization that this place had. The statues were big and large. They depicted human bodies tangled and mixed with each other to form only one praying woman, veiled with both her arms holding something against her chest. Karla looked at the sculpture then heard Arthur''s voice behind her: "They have a strange taste for art." She turned around and saw the three men looking at the statue as well, trying to figure out its meaning. "This place seems to be well organized apart from these statues that are present almost everywhere," commented Arnold, to which Bernard answered: "Everything here looks old apart from these sculptures though. It''s like they have been made after the city was established. And this singing makes these things look even more sinister." Karla nodded and agreement and added, "I think we should move, spending more time here will make me go crazy." The others agreed and turned away from the statue, in the direction of the large avenue. They walked through the cobbled avenue and looked at the wagons that were stationed everywhere on the side of the road. The wagons were large enough to accommodate a big number of people. They all had small barred windows. They seemed to have been used to transport prisoners, or in this case people who have been kidnapped and dragged to the village in order to perform some kind of ritual. Only the wagons remained and there was no sign of life within them. Arthur tried to look inside but found nothing. They walked further until they reached the end of the street. The road ended in front of a square which had a huge circle drawn on the ground. "It looks like there was a plan to build a fountain over here, but it never came to fruition" commented Arnold as he pointed to a hole in the middle of the circle. In front of the circle, stairs led down towards another bigger square. The group stopped in front of the stairs and looked at the abomination that was climbing the steps, coming in their direction. "Is that a pig?" asked Karla, not able to contain her surprise. "That''s a man eating boar. They''re boars which were fed humans, then transformed into abnormal creatures. They''re very fast and dangerous. Let''s spread out!" Said Arnold and everyone immediately obeyed. The boar let out a deafening strange scream, and ran towards Bernard who was left in front of it to bait it. As soon as the boar came close to attacking Bernard, Arthur shot the beast twice on it muzzle. The attempt to divert its attention didn''t work however and Bernard was sent flying and crashed against a parked wagon. Karla ran towards the beast and struck at its hind left leg. She had gotten more used to handling the sword and managed to injure the beast pretty badly. The pig, with a surprisingly swift attack, turned and hit Karla with its bleeding muzzle. She was surprised to see the beast''s neck extend in order to reach her. She underestimated its attack''s reach and she was rolling down the stairs. She started feeling dizzy as her head hit a few steps before she finally reached the bottom. She stood up, bruised and bloody, and looked up. Arnold was on top of the beast, trying to keep his balance and striking at its back with his sword while the shadows of the others appeared to be kicked away only for them to stand up and fight back. She injected herself with another vial and ran upstairs to lend them a hand. The beast''s screams mixed with the choir''s chants made Karla feel like she was living a nightmarish scenario. She reached the top of the stairs and avoided the boar''s hoofs as they brushed up against her left cheek. It was jumping around trying to get rid of the one standing on top of its back. Karla stabbed the beast from behind through the only thing that remained tiny from its transformation, its ass hole. The beast screamed at the top of its lungs then fell to the ground, calm and breathing steadily. The three church doctors took care of finishing the poor animal and the fight was over in no time. "What a mess this is. This village is no good news. We need to find a way out of here and quick." Arnold was out of breath and struggled speaking those words out. "I glanced a big gate down there when this disgusting pig threw me down the stairs" said Karla. "Great, let''s check it out, it could be our way out" replied Arthur who was also impatient to leave the village. "These chants really add to the creepiness of the place" commented Bernard as the four of them took the stairs which were leading down. As soon as they arrived to the bottom of the stairs, they saw a big closed wooden gate. It seemed that the gate led further into the village, but the group wanted to just move and find a way out of the place. They looked around and saw two more wagons parked in the street preceding the gate. There was another road which led directly towards the gate that came from the southern part of the village. "More wagons must mean that this place is either the entrance to the central part of the city or the exit" said Karla in a murmur, as if she was talking to herself. "There is only one way to find out" replied Arnold "we''ll just have to push that gate open and see what''s behind it." They all went towards the gate and as soon as they approached it, a creaking sound announced that the gate was being automatically drawn. The chants became louder. The church doctors and Karla stopped and looked at the gate as it slowly revealed to them what lied beyond it. It was as if the chants came from behind the door. The more it opened, the louder the chants began. The three doctors held their heads as if to protect their ears from the loud sound. Karla observed in surprise as the three of them screamed in pain and fell to their knees. Their screams mixed with the extremely loud chants filled her heart with terror. Bernard was hitting his head on the floor while Arthur hit his with both hands as if he tried to make the pain stop. Arnold pulled on his hair and howled in pain. Karla observed them but didn''t feel any pain. She was just terrified at what she was witnessing. The door finally opened completely and the chanting stopped. The three doctors stopped screaming and looked at the gate while sitting on their knees. Karla looked and saw just the expanse of the village. It was the city center after all. She looked back at the men to ask if they were feeling better. All three of them bowed down to the ground and put their foreheads on the floor, as if they were performing some kind of prayer. Karla approached them and called each one of them by name. None answered or moved. They just knelt there, immobile. She checked their pulse individually. They had all died. 99 No home to return to Surgit had visited Iosefka at her clinic and exchanged a few words with her regarding blood healing and the possibility of curing people from the beastly scourge. Her speech about healing patients was pretty ambiguous and Surgit felt that Iosefka hadn''t been acting like her usual self. Since he came back to see her after his fight against father Gascoigne, she had changed her beliefs about not letting anyone inside her clinic and accepted to allow the ill in order to receive more treatment. What struck Surgit as odd was that Iosefka wasn''t willing to open her door under no circumstances. That was also aligned with what Yharnamites did during the night of the hunt. Her sudden change of heart surprised Surgit even if he felt that it was a positive move. He thought about Gilbert and how the poor man couldn''t stop coughing. He was on his way out from the clinic and was heading towards Gilbert while he was processing all the information received from the doctor. As he reached Gilbert''s house, he knocked at the window from which they usually talked. He heard intense coughing from behind the curtain and the sound intensified as Gilbert approached it. - "It''s youˇ­*cough cough*ˇ­I''m glad you''re still breathing" said Gilbert in between his fits of coughs. - "Hi Gilbert, I see that your coughing has intensified." Surgit couldn''t conceal his worry towards the sick man. - "You needn''t concern yourself with me nowˇ­" and Gilbert started coughing again violently unable to speak again for a moment. - "You''re the first person to ever help me in this foreign city. I owe you a lot Gilbert. I think I have a way of helping you defeat that illness that''s eating away at you." - "As I said before dear hunter, you shouldn''t concern yourself with meˇ­ *cough, cough*ˇ­ I''m afraid I''m of little help to you now. But before you goˇ­" Gilbert disappeared from behind the curtain and went inside his apartment. When he came back he opened the window and handed an object to Surgit. "Take thisˇ­ I made no use of it, but perhaps youˇ­" And the heavy coughing resumed again, halting his speech. - "Gilbert there''s this doctor, Iosefka''s her name. She has a clinic near your house. She can help you get back on your feet again. I can escort you there and keep you safe." Surgit was almost pleading to him. He really didn''t want to lose any more people who have helped him in Yharnam. - "What inflicted me was incurableˇ­" Gilbert started speaking again after his coughing fits had stopped. "But this town gave me hope.Their strange blood bought me timeˇ­ I was most fortunate, unharmed by the plague of beasts. I can even die human. I''m no longer looking for a cure for my affliction good hunter." - "Butˇ­ you''ll finally be able to leave this city and live your life anew. This doctor, she''s good and she oversees a clinic full of afflicted humans. I''m sure she can help you." - "I have nowhere to return to. I prefer to end my days in peace, in this house. Thank you for your offer good hunter, but I''m no longer seeking that miraculous cure people spoke of before." - "Butˇ­" Surgit''s mouth was open, he tried to say something but didn''t find the words to use in this situation. - "I had a home once," started Gilbert before coughing stopped him on his tracks. "I never felt welcome there. Because of my sickness, people shunned and avoided meˇ­" Gilbert''s coughing intensified even more. Surgit felt the pain Gilbert had been through. "When I set sail to retrieve the city of miracles, I never thought I could walk among humans, without feeling like an outsider. This city was brimming with foreigners, seeking refuge and healing. Even though Yharnamites didn''t like us, we had each other. I could finally walk in peace and observe the sun, setting beyond the valley." *cough* *cough**cough*ˇ­ Gilbert''s words left Surgit speechless. He patiently waited for the man to regain his composure. His story didn''t seem too unfamiliar to Surgit. "I am grateful for the second chance I had in this city. It is here that I could feel the wind against my face without worrying about others'' judgmental eyes. It is here that I could laugh with others wholeheartedly. It is here that I lived a normal life, and it is here that I wish to die. This is my home." *cough* cough* cough* "I wish you a fruitful hunt good hunter, the night of the hunt is long. It even feelsˇ­. Unending." Surgit took his leave from Gilbert. His heart felt heavy and his soul crushed. Gilbert had arrived to Yharnam and managed to get his treatment. Despite all of that, blood didn''t stop what illness had befallen him. ''What makes one worthy of blood ministration? Why wasn''t Gilbert given a hunter''s blood transfusion?'' Surgit didn''t know what made him worthy of the blood ministration he received. Or is it that they all get the same transfusion? But only the worthy get chosen? His mind was racing. At every encounter, every conversation, Surgit felt that Yharnam had gotten even more mysterious. He needed to understand more. He wanted to know more. He felt helpless without information to explain what had happened in Yharnam. He had to explore more of this city''s past. Surgit started seriously considering exploring the Chalice Dungeons. It was there that most of Yharnam''s secrets were buried. He hoped that Karla would use the bell to summon him when she arrives to Oedon Chapel. Using the bells would mean that he could be at two places instead of one. That helped convince him more to get the material required, perform the ritual at the altar and open a path to the tomb of Gods. Surgit looked at the object Gilbert had handed him. It was a flame sprayer, useful to put distance between him and hordes of enemies. He thanked the sick man for his gift mentally. There was nothing else he could do in Central Yharnam anymore. He kept in mind that if he ever came across anyone in need of medical attention, he would send them immediately to Iosefka''s clinic. Oedon chapel was for sure a safe place for any sane human who sought asylum from the beasts, but if the person was sick, it would be better to send them to Iosefka who would know how to deal with their disease and take care of them. He walked through the dark streets of Central Yharnam. Night had settled and the moon started to rise in the sky. The sky had cleared, unlike the stormy weather during which they had arrived to the city. The memory of their arrival to Yharnam seemed like it happened ages ago to him. As he walked, he thought of the people who accompanied them on their journey and the end they have met. Was it fate that the captain had died as soon as they landed? Was it luck that caused him to meet that blood minister who accepted to administer blood to him? After all, he had no special gifts or talent. At that time, he was just a dying man who could''ve died during the first attack that welcomed them into Yharnam. As memories came back rushing to his mind, he remembered that he was blasted away by cannon fire and left unconscious in the street. No one cared to help him apart from that old minister. His companions didn''t think much of him and didn''t even bother checking on him or dragging him along to a safer place. He only gained Karla''s respect, or in other words her fear, after he became a hunter. As for Francis, he always knew that he cared only for himself and now that he became a hunter, he couldn''t help but wonder at the nature of his agenda within Yharnam. If he had given him the information regarding Paleblood and the way out of Yharnam, it must mean that he had no intention of leaving the city. And what about Karla? After they had gotten separated earlier, he hadn''t seen her anywhere, not even in Oedon chapel. He knew that she was a good fighter, but he feared for her life against the bigger beasts that await at every corner. ''What am I doing concerning myself with other people''s lives? They don''t even care about my own existence!'' He thought to himself and stopped in his tracks. He was already in the graveyard where had fought father Gascoigne. ''I should pay more attention to my own well-being and development. And I should find a way out of this city as soon as possible. I don''t think I can take it in here longer than expected.'' He had reached Oedon chapel and found the dweller and the old lady, tending to their own needs. The door that led upwards was still open and he went through it. He stepped on a round platform that served as an elevator and went upwards. The platform went further up until it came to a full stop in front of an open door. He went in and found himself in a large room with a door leading outside. He could tell that it led to an open space as strong winds came through it. He heard a creaking noise and turned right to see a man on a wheelchair approaching him. As soon as their eyes locked, the old man stopped and started turning a device which was attached on his wheelchair. Surgit saw the device and ran quickly towards the old man. The wheelchair had a mini gun attached to it and the old man was definitely trying to kill him. As soon as Surgit heard the first sound of exploding bullets leaving their barrel, he jumped high to avoid them and landed behind his attacker. In one swift strike, the old man was dead and the shooting stopped. "Fool me onceˇ­" he said as he inspected the mini gun and tried to detach it from the wheelchair. The firearm was tightly attached to the chair and it was impossible to take it off without breaking the mechanism that could make it work. ''Damnˇ­ it won''t work!'' cursed Surgit. The first time he came through this room, the old man had surprised him and pierced him with bullets. He hoped he could use that weapon too. ''I guess I''ll have to wait until I get a hunter Gatling gunˇ­" 100 Ascend to Oedon Chapel Surgit turned away from the dead old man and walked around the room, trying to find anything that could be of use to him. He found a box full of quicksilver bullets that could come in handy for him in time of need. He filled his pocket with bullets and made a mental note to come back there anytime he was short on ammunition. He saw a chest under a large window that gave a nice view over Yharnam. Surgit realized how high he had climbed when he saw the tall buildings below, between which he walked before. The structures looked small from where he stood. He opened the chest and found a piece of cloth on which a strange inscription was embroidered. Feeling that it could be an important item, he inspected it with his insight. ''Communion: a secret symbol left by Caryll, runesmith of Byrgenwerth. This rune represents the Healing Church and its ministers. Blood ministration is, of course, the pursuit of communion.'' Surgit remembered seeing something related to runes at the hunter''s workshop. Those must be the symbols that one can engrave within their minds. He also knew that he needed a special item in order to use them, but he had no idea where to find said item. He kept the cloth and left the room by going through the second door which led outside. He was standing on a bridge that led from the uppermost part of Oedon Chapel towards an even taller tower. Surgit looked up and observed the majesty of the tower that displayed itself to him. The top floor of the building was four stories above where he stood. Surgit could see through the railings of the bridge. He noticed that the base of the building was concealed deep down in the darkness. Surgit heard two shots in the distance then felt the bullets penetrate his chest. He rolled backwards despite the intense pain and hid inside the room where he previously fought the old man in the wheelchair. He leaned on a wall and fumbled quickly in his blood vials pocket, took one out and injected himself with it. The bullets that were previously embedded in his chest were thrown out and his muscle tissue was renewed. ''Freaking snipers; I should''ve known better!'' He peered into the tower and saw two gunmen watching him, aiming at the door. He was spotted and there was no way for him to avoid a confrontation at that moment. From within the tower, Surgit saw a huntsman coming out to inspect the source of the noise. One of the gunmen pointed towards the door and emitted a sound which was close to a growl. The huntsman ran towards the room, sword in hand. Surgit then ran towards the wheelchair and waited for his enemy to get inside. ''Time to pay you back with your own tools.'' As soon as the huntsman got inside, Surgit activated the device and watched as the man had numerous holes made into his body. The huntsman, after struggling with the barrage of bullets that completely destroyed him, fell to the ground. Surgit then adjusted the mini-gun to point upwards and pushed the wheelchair towards the door. He crouched and hid behind the chair and activated the device. Once the bullets started firing towards the two gunmen, they evaded and hid behind some pillars by the large balcony on that floor. Surgit then ran as fast as he could and crossed the bridge before the two could know what happened. He was standing on the floor underneath them and observing the room he was about to enter. The snipers had no clear shot at him. He could plan his next move slowly. Two huntsmen were standing side by side, facing the wall and exposing their back to Surgit. ''This is odd. They don''t seem to have heard the commotion outside.'' Surgit saw it as an opportunity to strike first and entered the room. As he got ready to go for the attack, he saw that he was surrounded by four other huntsmen who concealed themselves. "Oho, you think you''re being smart. I''ll show you smart!" He shouted in frustration, he''d fallen for another obvious trap. The two who were facing the wall turned towards him. He swore he''d seen a smile on their face. The room in which he found himself was circular and had serpentine stairs that led upwards. On the stairs, another sniper was aiming at Surgit.The hunter dodged the bullet aimed at him in the nick of time. For an outsider watching the fight, he would''ve seen a shadow moving so fast while the bodies surrounding it fell one after the other. Surgit knew that his speed was his biggest asset in that situation. Dodging the bullet was a lucky strike, or perhaps a reflex he picked up during the numerous ambushes he''d been a victim of. He rushed towards the first two who were facing the wall. They were the furthest enemies from where he stood. Running towards them would mean that he''d be able to put some distance between him and the others trying to ambush him. He ran fast and got in between the two unsuspecting huntsmen. His speed had become far greater than before and to these ''normal'' enemies. He closed the distance between him and them before they could even realize what happened. He cut the first one open from the chest. His saw went through like a knife cutting through butter. The improvements he had made into his saw cleaver had made his attacks even bloodier and more effective. With a second swing from his weapon towards the other huntsman''s head, he cut it off. Surgit turned back towards the other four who hadn''t even started following him. He jumped to the side as another bullet hit the hard floor and rushed towards his remaining foes. He used his speed to slide on the floor as a sword was thrust towards his face. Surgit swung with his cleaver, elongating it in the process. The huntsman got his leg cut down and fell to the ground. Another one slammed at Surgit with his pitchfork. Surgit rolled to the side, in the direction of the amputated huntsman. He slammed his weapon on his chest and used the impact to lean on the weapon and stand up quickly. Then he swung his weapon violently while performing a 360 turn towards the other enemies and cut them down in one swoop. He shortened his weapon and brought it to his face as a bullet hit the saw and ricocheted to the ground. He ran up the stairs and tackled the sniper from below, flipping the poor huntsman behind him before turning around and slamming his weapon at him, smashing him into the hard stairs. His heart was beating fast. He loved the adrenaline that came after defeating a horde of enemies. He had become more skilled at fighting off groups of enemies and he enjoyed slaughtering them while being showered in their blood. ''Moments ago I was feeling bad for the afflicted people in this city and worrying about Karla and now I''m enjoying this blood bath. I think this city can really turn people into mad killing machines.'' 101 The Holy Blades Surgit went up the stairs and found himself in another circular room. He had spotted another man in a wheelchair trying to ambush him. He disposed of him before he could even fire his gun. Once he was sure that the room was devoid of any other enemy, he took his time to look around. The room was vast and had a high ceiling. Trick weapons were hung from it and it reminded him of the hunters'' workshop back at the dream. The place must be the church workshop Gehrman had spoken of. The floor had tiles on it, darkened by years of neglect. He noticed that he didn''t explore the floor below and went down to see if he had missed anything. The room was similar to the one above it. Trick weapons were hung on the ceiling and the floor was dirty and unkempt. He noticed though that there was a metallic bar on the floor which barred access downwards. He looked for a lever that could allow him to open the trap door but he couldn''t find anything. So he went back up to the second floor. The stairs stopped at that level and Surgit had only one way to go to, the balcony where the snipers who ambushed him were. He was pretty sure that they haven''t seen him run past the bridge and he wanted to surprise them. ''Revenge is a dish served cold. I''m not waiting for it to get cold, I''ll show these two snipers what a hunter can really do.'' He took the wheelchair, on which the old man he disposed of sat, and pushed it towards the door. As he reached the door, the dim rays that came from the faint light of the rising moon was obscured by a gigantic figure. A troll holding a big brick on his hand was barring his way. Surgit jumped backwards ''change of plans! I didn''t see this one coming.'' The troll charged at him, brandishing his brick in the air as if it were a sword. Once the troll brought his arm down to strike at Surgit, he shot him with his gun staggering him. With a visceral attack, Surgit destroyed the troll''s insides and left him on the ground, bloody and immobile. He was certain that the snipers had heard his gun shot and would be expecting someone to come out of the door. He kicked the wheelchair out onto the balcony and turned it towards the snipers position with his feet. He was leaning behind a wall and snuck a peak to make sure that the snipers were indeed in the position he assumed they would be in. A shot almost took his eye out. They were definitely waiting for him to show up. He took his gun and shot the device on the mini-gun, breaking it and unleashing hell on the ones who were trying to ambush him. He got out as soon as the bullets started being fired and pushed the wheelchair, looking for the snipers who were trying to get behind cover. The balcony went around the whole floor, as if hugging the tower. And the snipers were trying to get behind the wheelchair in order to have a better shot at Surgit. He didn''t give them any time to do so though, as he followed them and filled them with bullets as they tried to run away. He shot again the device and broke the chain that delivered bullets into the mini-gun. Silence settled in and Surgit was faced with a clearer view over Yharnam. The city expanded more than he imagined. Central Yharnam and the Cathedral Ward were but parts of the city that expanded beyond the horizon. Surgit could see water in the distance, in the northern part of the city. The blood minister must have dragged him a long way from the port to Iosefka''s clinic. He didn''t want to think about those memories any further. Instead he headed towards a ladder he had seen while chasing the two snipers. He went up and found himself in another floor, similar to the two below it. This time, as he entered the circular room, two men on wheelchairs approached him quickly trying to attack him. He killed the first and jumped backwards as fire almost engulfed him whole. They had flame throwers and he almost got killed in an agonizing way. He disposed of the other man and turned to look at them. He thought he had seen something unusual about them and he was right. The old men with mini-guns wore straw hats or nothing at all on their heads while those two were wearing plague doctors masks. He inspected them with his insight and got the message ''Wheelchair huntsmen''. "This is no fun, I thought you were something new" he commented as he looked, disappointed, at the corpses. He looked around the room and saw that this one had an additional corridor. At the end of the passageway, Surgit saw a door and made for it. He tried to open it but to no avail. He pushed and kicked and tried to force it open, no results. '' Locked'' even his insight had to budge in and let him know that there was no way for him to open it. He walked back towards the balcony and noticed a chest he hadn''t seen before. He opened it and found a pendent: ''Radiant sword hunter badge: one of the badges crafter by the healing church. The radiant sword indicates the heirs to the will of Ludwig. These hunters, also known as Holy Blades, are what remain of an ancient line of heroes that date back to a very early age of honor and chivalry.'' Surgit''s insight had kicked in before he even thought of activating it. ''I guess my insight is improving then, it''s triggered without my need for willing it to activate.'' He thought as he contemplated the badge. He closed his eyes and inspected his status using his supernatural sight. Name: Surgit Insight level: Eye Can See Strength: Waste of Skin (3) Skill: Skillful (3) Bloodtinge: Blood Hungry (1) Arcane: Blind (1) 102 Descend Oedon Chapel Surgit found himself in an impasse. Did Gehrman ask him to ascend the tower only to find this badge? He doubted that and he started looking for a way to unlock the closed door. He looked around the three floors in search of a hidden chest or some hiding spot for a key. He went outside towards the balcony on the third floor, looking around some crates that were stacked near the ladder. Nailed to one of the wooden crates, a note written on a small piece of paper was dangling. He snatched it out and read the content: ''The sky and the cosmos are one. The choir.'' The message seemed cryptic and unclear to Surgit. The choir must have been some code name for someone or even a real choir. ''If there''s a church in this city, there has to be a choir too wouldn''t it?'' he thought to himself as he climbed the ladder down towards the second floor. He couldn''t find anything and decided to give up on the search. He was on the first floor where he was stupidly ambushed by the huntsmen earlier. He walked outside towards the bridge and realized that he hadn''t checked the balcony on that floor. The balcony was similar to the ones above him, circular and hugging the whole tower. As he reached the back of the building, he saw that the balcony had been destroyed and the debris had perfectly fallen below, allowing him access to the lower floor. Jumping down there would mean trapping himself on the lower floors with no way to get back up. There was no ladder leading back to the upper floors nor were there any stairs. He pondered for a moment the implications of jumping down there. Going down would mean that he''d get to explore more of the tower. Gehrman had asked him to ascend, not descend the tower. However, by going up, the only things he found were a locked door and a radiant badge. In the Cathedral Ward, all gates leading further towards the great cathedral were closed and he wasn''t as skinny as Karla to be able to squeeze between the metallic bars. Furthermore, climbing on top the gates and jumping down in order to open them from the other side would inevitably mean his death. The gates were too high for him to jump down without getting hurt. Dying before opening the gates would also be pointless. He sighed at the inevitability of the choice presented to him. He had no other choice but to descend the tower. He jumped down and reached the balcony below. As he walked around it, he found a door giving access inside the tower. The inside was dark with no windows on that lower part. Not even the faint light emanating from the rising moon could get inside. He took his torch and lit it using a lighter he had found in the dream''s workshop. He stood at the door and extended the arm which was carrying the torch. The light emanating from it showed him a decrepit building, falling apart and dangerous to walk around. He looked around him and saw that the tower and all its lower floors had been destroyed before. Only few platforms remained intact and horizontal wooden pillars which used to support the floors before stood as a reminder of an old sophisticated tower. Some were big enough to look like wooden bridges, linking the walls of the tower. Others, beneath him, looked small enough for both his feet to stand on if they were squeezed together. Surgit used the pillars as cat walks and treaded carefully on top of them. His torch offered limited visibility, enough for him to be able to jump down towards visible platforms or other thin wooden pillars. As he walked on top of the wooden catwalk, he felt nervous and tense. Any false movement would mean his fall to death and he definitely didn''t want to die free falling towards darkness. Surgit took his time scanning the area, squinting and looking into the visible platforms in order to assess their sturdiness. As soon as he''d see a platform deemed strong enough to support his weight, he would jump and brace for impact. He hated being in that place. It looked old and decrepit. ''Why did I even get here? I should''ve gone back to the chapel. Or even better, I should''ve gone to the dream and accessed those Chalice Dungeonsˇ­'' He wondered how the upper floors managed to remain intact while the lower ones had been almost completely wiped out. What had happened in this floor? Was it a big battle, or was it deliberately destroyed in order to bar access to something supposed to remain in the shadows? He must have jumped down four floors. He was standing on what remained of that floor''s ground and held his flickering torch to scan the place again. Two floors below him, he saw a door linked to a small wooden board enough for only one person to stand on. The door was closed. From where he stood, Surgit could only see its contours. They looked like they were nicely decorated. Surgit felt the urge to jump towards that door and open it. He was always a curious person. ''That''s what lead me to this dark place! Curse my stupid curiosity!'' If something was worth investigating, his soul would urge him to run as fast as possible towards it and find out its secret. He hated this character trait of his. It was his curiosity that led him to investigate Yharnam. It was his curiosity that converted him into a beast hunter. It was his curiosity that led him to be trapped in this city. For some reason, he felt that the door concealed something important behind it. The jump towards the door seemed improbable, especially from where he stood. ''If only I could climb back up.'' He saw a way to jump to it from two floors above. The landing could be dangerous but his mind urged him to go look into the matter. He tried to find a way to climb back up and attempt the dangerous jump but to no avail. ''I guess I''ll have to return to the tower from above and jump down towards this door.'' He gave up on the idea of jumping towards the door at that moment. From where he stood, he needed to run and jump a long distance, almost twenty feet by his calculation. He needed to have some momentum for that and the small platforms he had jumped over didn''t allow such a feat. He looked at his torch. The flames were swaying and flickering. ''Wind, I must be close to some exit. There are no windows around here that would allow wind to get through.'' He looked below him and saw a wooden plank on top of two wooden pillars protruding from the wall. From there, he would be able to jump further down and reach the source of the wind. He jumped down and landed on the platform that emitted a loud crack. The old plank gave way under his weight and shattered. The whole thing happened too fast for Surgit to react in any way. His torch slipped from his fingers as he tried to regain his balance and find something to latch onto. His body went through the plank and dove down in free fall. He felt his legs, on which he had no control anymore while free falling, hit a wooden pillar and crack. That was enough to flip his body around for him to hit another solid object with the back of his head. The impact sent his body rotating the other way and Surgit landed on his face, on a bunch of sacks and crates that were stacked on the floor. Bloody and dizzy, Surgit tried to stand up and searched around him for his torch. Perhaps it had fallen to the ground with him. His eyes emitted red sparks and the whole place was turning around him at a dangerous speed. His right leg hurt and he could feel that he broke at least two ribs. He sat on top of the pile on which he abruptly landed and tried to catch his breath. Slowly, his vision started to get back to normal and his breathing became steadier. He took out a blood vial and injected himself with it. His bones went back into place and muscle tissues reconstructed. His breathing though hadn''t slowed down. It seemed to have grown louder and heavier. He put a hand on his chest to inspect it and found that his lungs were inflating and deflating at a steady rate. Why was his breathing so loud then? He understood what was happening when he looked around him. The pile on which he landed was stacked on what appeared to be the ground floor of the tower. The ground was intact and circular. In the distance, he saw a tall dark shape coming closer to him. He had gotten used to being alone that the idea of another breathing living being didn''t even occur to him. He took his saw from the sheath he had on his back and squinted to have a better idea of what was coming towards him. He descended the pile of sacks carefully and stood in front of it waiting for his incoming enemy. 103 Beas It was a beast, as his mind had always imagined beasts when he used to read old stories back at school. It looked like a werewolf, furry and with deadly fangs. Its hands had long sharp claws and to top it all, it had two bull horns protruding from its head. Its body was one of a muscular tall person, big chest and chiseled abdominals. It was walking towards him, breathing heavily and preparing for the attack. It stopped a few paces from Surgit and bared its fangs. It let out a scream then held its right arm in the air, as if holding an imaginary object on it. Soon after, a fireball appeared on the beast''s hand, growing bigger every second. The beast flung its arm towards Surgit and the fireball was propelled towards him at full speed. Surgit jumped to the side on time and the ball hit the pile of sacks, reducing them all to ashes. He looked at the impact of that demonic attack and understood that he could not allow himself to be caught by one, lest all his effort be for naught. He dreaded making that descent once more, unless he was forced to. And he wasn''t going to be forced into it by that beast. Another fireball was hurled towards him and Surgit dove to the ground to avoid it again. Then a third, aimed at him lying on the floor. He rolled on the floor and watched as a big hole was carved out from the impact. He stood up as quickly as he could and jumped above another fireball. He landed behind the beast which was fast enough to turn and face him. The beast was smarter than the other werewolves he had fought before and it swung at him even faster. He managed to dodge some of the swings and blocked others with his blade. The beast then used both its hands and performed a slamming attack on Surgit. He had no time to dodge that one so he blocked the attack with his blade, holding it upwards with both arms. They stayed like that for what appeared to Surgit as an eternity. It was a fight of strength and endurance. If he gave up at that moment, he would be shredded by the beast''s sharp claws. He was glad that he had upgraded his strength and skill that much. After a moment of struggling and pushing, the beast started clapping its sharp teeth towards Surgit. It could''ve chopped off his arm if it wasn''t concealed beneath the large blade of the saw cleaver. The beast finally let go of its tight grip on the weapon and Surgit didn''t let the opportunity slip. With his left arm, he pushed his cleaver quickly in order to elongate it. The saw penetrated the beast''s chest, right above the abdomen and Surgit pushed even more with his arms in order to cut deeper. He jumped back as the beast''s fangs missed his neck by a hair''s width. The monster was bleeding heavily and it was angry. It swiped its arm towards Surgit who felt the urge to jump back even if he was well away from the arm''s reach. A fire surged again from the beast''s palm and followed the trail of the swipe. ''If I stood there, I could''ve been roasted by that fire'' he thought as he ran back towards the beast. He knew that he shouldn''t leave too much distance between the two of them. Otherwise he''d be an open target for its deadly fire attacks. As the beast swung at him again, trying to force him to jump back and put some distance between them, Surgit slid on the floor and hit the beast''s enormous right hind leg. Blood rained on the floor as the beast fell on its bloody knee. Surgit stood up quickly and held the werewolf hybrid by one horn, twitching its head sideways. The beast tried to fight back but with two injuries and the loss of blood it suffered, its efforts were weak. He retracted his saw cleaver to its original shape and proceeded to cutting the beast''s throat, slaughtering it as hunters should do to their prey. He stood next to the beast''s corpse and tried to breathe steadily in order to regulate his heartbeat. That fight was exhilarating to say the least. He enjoyed winning difficult fights and he found himself craving them when things became too quiet. Perhaps that was the reason he jumped down, knowing that he had no way to climb back up once he found himself on the lower parts of the tower. He heard the murmurs inside his head again: ''Beast: You have acquired the rune ''Beast'' by slaying one of their kind.'' Runes again, he knew that they had some kind of purpose and that they could be used. He also knew that he needed a special item in order to carve them into his mind back in the dream''s workshop. He just didn''t know where to find the item. He proceeded towards a door he had seen from the corner of his eye while fighting the beast. He pushed the door and found himself back in the streets of Yharnam. The place where he stood was dark and quiet, eerily quiet. He looked up and saw the tall buildings of Yharnam surrounding him wherever he looked. Lights were lit in some houses far up. The moon light couldn''t reach the street in which he was, only the lights emanating from the houses above provided some semblance of guidance, illuminating the ground for him. Instead of the usual cobbles on the ground, Surgit was surprised to see that the road had been destroyed. Only few cobble stones remained, leaving way for dirt and ingrown grass. Every step he made appeared to be loud for him. His boots squished the grass or crackled the dry floor. His breathing, although faint, appeared to be louder than a machine working at full speed. He walked among the deserted buildings and empty houses. No living soul was to be heard or seen in this lower part of the city. Surgit found himself in an intersection, a road taking left led towards a bonfire in the distance, while the one on the right looked dark and grim. He took to the left, knowing full well that he''d encounter whatever had lit that bonfire on his way to it. Halfway through, he saw a tall man, cloaked in black and wearing a hood that concealed its face. As he stepped next to the fire, his features became more apparent. It was no man but some kind of hybrid between man and beast. It had a humanoid form but nothing else in its appearance suggested any other human trait in it. It had dark purple skin. Its hands were large and its fingers as long as Surgit''s forearm. Its feet were as big as his arm and its face was long. Its eyes were white, no pupils or irises. On one arm, the tall man held what appeared to be a heavy bag dangling from its back. It pointed with its long finger towards Surgit and emitted a sound similar to a dog''s growl. The man disappeared and before Surgit knew what was happening, he was hit by the bag on his head. The impact was so hard that Surgit fell on the ground, smashing his head against the dirt. He started losing consciousness and felt that he was being dragged away, from his feet. ''Beasts all over the shopˇ­'' He thought of Gascoigne''s words before he passed out. 104 A memory he couldn’t recall Surgit opened his eyes and found himself lying on the cold floor. He stood up, trying to remember what had happened to him earlier. He remembered seeing that odd hybrid of a man and remembered his head being smashed to the ground. The beast was too fast and he was dead before he could even realize it. The thought of having to go back through all those catwalks and jumping down in the darkness filled him with sorrow. To make matters worse, he had lost his torch somewhere and relying on his eyes in the darkness of the tower could prove very difficult to deal with. He looked around him and realized that something had changed inside of Oedon chapel. The incense pots have disappeared and even the odd chapel dweller was nowhere to be found. It took him sometime to realize that he wasn''t in the chapel anymore. The bars surrounding him made him realize that he was in a different place altogether. It appeared that he was dragged to this place by that beast that smashed his head to the ground. His belongings hadn''t been confiscated though. He still had his weapon and his blood vials. He injected himself with a blood vial to gain his strength back. He must have lost his consciousness for a long time. He looked up and discovered that the cage in which he was held was at least twelve feet high. The bars looked weak and prone to breaking. High up above, he could see faint light emanating from what appeared to be a skylight. Even the door barring his access looked withered. He went for the door and inspected it. He tried the silliest thing every prisoner usually does and pushed the door. To his surprise, the door opened and gave way. He stepped outside and looked around to have a better idea of where he was. The place was strange, filled with alien artifacts he had never seen before. Big wooden frames which appeared to be antique mirrors were covered in cloth and chained. As if the chains were used to keep the cloth in place no matter what. Other cages were aligned in the place. All of them were devoid of living souls, only corpses and skeletons. Surgit inspected some of them and to his surprise all of them were human. Their skulls had human features and their hands were too small to belong to any hybrid or werewolf. Some skeletons however, were small. They couldn''t have belonged to grown men. The only possibility that Surgit could think of, was that those tiny prisoners were children. They had strange long cages closed on their heads. No sign of bounding was to be seen on their ankles or wrists though. They were just skeletons, sitting on a chair, unbound but with a long cage around their heads. It appeared strange to Surgit to see these tiny remains. He didn''t expect to see children dragged into dungeons, but then again he had sent a helpless child to her death, although unintentionally. What surprised Surgit most wasn''t the existence of corpses of children in the cages. It was mainly how it didn''t affect him as he thought it would. Seeing death and blood around him for so long had made him immune to shock from this kind of scenes. He started thinking that he had become heartless, a blood thirsty hunter who relishes killing beasts and rejuvenating at the sight of their blood. If he was presented with the opportunity to save the children, he might have done it. But looking at their skeletons didn''t disgust him nor did it make him angry towards whoever had done that. He was just witnessing the product of Yharnam''s decay into the city of beasts it was known for. A voice in the distance caught his attention and brought him back from his ruminations. In fact they were voices, singing in choral some odd chant. The voices were dim and the words were hard to make sense of. He walked out of the cage he was in. He saw in the distance to his right, some stairs leading up. On his left, among the chained mirrors, there were other stairs leading down. The voices were a curious thing, he hadn''t heard as many people talking in the city, let alone chanting in unison. He wanted to know what it was all about so he took the stairs on his right and went upwards. The stairs were circular and led to two floors above. They appeared to be annex staircases. In the first floor he''d reached, he saw a door leading towards a larger room. The chants didn''t appear to come from there so he decided to go higher. As he climbed the stairs, the voices became clearer. The words he heard were foreign to him. The chant had a grim tone to it. It gave the place, reeking of the smell of death, an even gloomier atmosphere. The stairs ended and gave way to a spacious room. It looked like a cathedral with a very, very high ceiling. From his estimation Surgit could''ve easily given it a height of 60 feet. Such a structure must have been built by expert stonemasons and designed by master architects. The ground was made of metallic bars, aligned vertically and horizontally on top of each other. The little space that was left between the bars gave way for some light to be filtered and reach the lower floor. On inspecting it, Surgit saw the prison in which he was thrown. The light that allowed him to inspect the lower floor emanated from this part then. He looked around him and saw a door further beyond from where he stood. Behind him, where the stairs ended, there was another flight of stairs leading to a higher platform on which a statue was erected. Surgit went up and looked at the big strange sculpture. Its shape reminded him of something he had seen before. It was like an apparition in his dreams or during the period of his death and reanimation. He couldn''t tell when or where he had seen something similar before. The notion escaped him. As if trying to remember someone''s name; though you''ve heard it before, your mind seems to refuse to accept that it knows of that memory. The statue was tall. The body had a torso and six arms, three on each part. Two arms were linked to the shoulders and the other four protruding from the back. The creature was sitting, crossing its enormous legs. Its head was its strangest feature. It had an oblique shape and resembled a cage with hexagonal holes on it. It had a very skinny torso and its limbs were also as thin as its upper body. Its head however was gigantic, almost too heavy for the body to bear it. The statue was at least 20 feet tall and covered a third of the building''s height. The singing continued and Surgit felt the hair on his back stand as the voices increased their volume and pace. It was as if he was trapped in a bad dream, where some bad people were trying to perform some type of dark magic. Only, all of Yharnam was a strange place and felt like being in a bad dream. He was thrust in an unforgiving world where he had to kill or be killed. Good or bad became obsolete notions for him at that point. If he had to kill to ensure his own progression, he would do it without hesitation. 105 Visceral attack Once he had finished contemplating the strange statue, Surgit started observing his surroundings again. On the platform where he stood, Surgit saw two doors on each side. Each probably led outside. He still didn''t know where he was and he was determined to find out more about the place. He couldn''t help but notice a d¨¦j¨¤ vu feeling. The first time he arrived to Yharnam, he was thrown inside the city with no clue to where he should go. This time, he had no idea where he was or what he should do to get back to the Cathedral Ward. He learned from Yharnam that exploration was the mother of discovery. He had to wander around in order to find a way out of the place. When he thought about the situation more clearly, he realized that all he had been doing in Yharnam was wandering around. He had been chasing after a concept no one has ever heard of. ''Am I just trapped in an unending nightmare with no way out then?'' he thought, deeply concerned about his next steps. ''After all, overthinking leads to doubt. Doubt leads to indecision, and indecision leads to death, or in my case, to insanity.'' He hated thinking too much about his situation in Yharnam. He couldn''t help doing so though, as every human does while questioning their existence. He shook his head in order to snap out of his daydreaming. He slowly started recalling where he was, as if his daydreaming transported him to a different plane of existence. At the foot of the sculpture, he saw another tiny skeleton with a cage on its head. There was no doubt about it in his mind. Those things were not really imprisoned. This one seemed to be sitting there, unbound but willing to die and rot until its bones were the only thing left of it. He couldn''t understand their motivation to do so but he decided not to dwell on things he couldn''t possibly have an answer to at that moment. Yharnam concealed many secrets, and if he wanted to uncover them all, he''d have to explore every nook and cranny of the city. However, he wasn''t willing to do so, he only wanted to reach Byrgenwerth and find out more about Paleblood. It felt like he was in a wild-goose chase. He knew that his mission as a hunter was to hunt beasts, but if by finding Paleblood, he could end the hunt and subsequently leave Yharnam, that should be his main focus. Near the skeleton, Surgit noticed a lantern. His way out of this place was at least secured. He lit the lantern using his insight in order to avoid being transported directly to the dream. He still wanted to explore the place he was kidnapped and thrown into against his will. Moreover, he wanted to find the bastard responsible for this and make him pay. He had lost all his progress through the tower and he knew deep down that jumping back down was his only option to go back. As soon as he lit the lantern, Surgit proceeded towards the sealed doors. Both of them were locked from the other side and despite his kicking and pushing, none of them would budge. He gave up his attempts and climbed the stairs down towards the larger room of the building. He made for the open door he had seen earlier, beyond the floor composed of metallic bars. As he walked towards the door, his feet made clinging noises against the metal. He saw a shape entering from the distant door. It was that creature that had kidnapped him. He inspected it with his insight and he saw its name this time around ''Kidnapper'' the voices said. A fitting name for what they do. Surgit grabbed his saw cleaver and stood in the middle of the room, awaiting his foe to come at him. As soon as the kidnapper had seen Surgit, it extended its free arm and pointed at him, growling as it did before. The kidnapper, extremely fast and agile for its size, jumped and landed behind Surgit. He was ready this time and anticipated the next move. Surgit jumped forward and avoided the slam attack by the kidnapper''s bag. He turned around in time to see the kidnapper swinging at him with his enormous hand. Surgit shot his pistol at the beast at the appropriate time, causing his foe to stagger to the floor. He performed his visceral attack, inserting his beastly claws inside the kidnapper''s body and ripping his insides. As he removed his hand from within the monster''s body, the kidnapper went flying backwards. That attack always satisfied Surgit''s desire to obliterate his foes. He prepared himself to turn around and head for the door when, to his big surprise, the kidnapper rose to its feet. His foe let out a screeching scream, similar to the mix of the shouts of an newborn child being ripped off its mother''s womb, and his mother screaming in pain and agony. Surgit felt blood freezing in his veins when the kidnapper turned towards him and ran even faster to attack. The first hit he received in the chest sent him flying in the air, several feet above. The second one, performed with the kidnapper''s bag, slammed him into a pillar. Surgit felt his strength leaving him as blood rushed out of every pore, natural or newly made due to the fractured bones protruding from his body. He was a few feet away from the beast. He gave himself two seconds before the beast had reached him. He let go of his cleaver and quickly injected himself with a blood vial, while his other hand held his pistol in place. As soon as the beast was right above Surgit and ready to finish him off with another powerful punch, Surgit let another bullet pierce its exposed chest. The kidnapper fell again to its feet and Surgit, standing up slowly as his bones and body reconstructed, destroyed the beast once more using his visceral attack. This time, the kidnapper did not move nor try to stand up again. Surgit filled his vials from the monster''s open wounds. He was lucky this time. The blood vial he had used was the last in his possession. ''It seems like I can''t carry enough of the-'' his thought was cut short as he heard another kidnapper''s growl. He looked towards the door and saw another one that had just entered the building. He knew that visceral attacks could make short work of these kidnappers even if they were fast and extremely strong. He didn''t lose any time. He ran towards the kidnapper and tried to induce it to attack him. Every shot he landed however, managed only to slow the beast and not stagger it. This didn''t give him enough time to transform his arm and attack with it. He had to learn the hard way that the process of transforming his arm also left him vulnerable to enemy attacks as he we was flung to the side and smashed against another pillar by one of the kidnapper''s swings. His bones weren''t broken since he managed to move a bit to evade the attack which made the impact less powerful. His feet were shaking however and he was losing his strength. The kidnapper jumped and Surgit avoided the slamming attack in the nick of time. His own movement became slower and his attacks sloppier. He had to fight back otherwise he''d lose this fight and perhaps, he''ll have to face them both at the same time once he resurrects next to the lantern. The kidnapper swung at Surgit so fast that he could barely dodge his attacks. He had to stay in his place and not move. His legs could barely support his weight and so he just danced around the attacks with his upper body. ''Shit! No time to use the vialsˇ­'' The kidnapper grew tired of that exchange and jumped back. It looked at Surgit and opened it mouth, letting that faint growl come out again. It disappeared from sight and Surgit, feeling the danger and the opportunity opening up, turned behind him and shot his pistol blindly. Lucky shot, it caught the kidnapper right in the chest and destabilized him, enough for Surgit to transform his hand and rip his foe''s insides. Surgit knew what was going to happen next and he couldn''t allow the kidnapper to become faster and stronger. He quickly injected the freshly harvested blood vial and prepared his next move. As the beast stood up and let out its harrowing scream, Surgit urged his feet to move and ran behind his enemy, striking at it with all his might. The impact brought the kidnapper to its knees and made Surgit lose balance. He fell to the ground. His cleaver slipped from his hand and was thrown a few paces away from him. He immediately stood back up and saw the kidnapper regaining its composure. Surgit acted as quickly as he could and felt his beasthood manifest in front of his eyes. His whole right arm was covered in fur and it grew larger, four times larger than his human arm. It penetrated the kidnappers back and snapped its vertebra. When he was done, Surgit watched his hand slowly shrinking to its human size, still holding a corrupt vertebra, covered in black and red. 106 Blood echoes Surgit urged his weakened feet to move towards the door from which the two kidnappers came. He dreaded finding more of them in there as he had no more blood vials. He cursed himself for not taking more with him from the dream. The last vial he had moved had the effect of the blood he consumed from the crows earlier. He shouldn''t have filled it from the kidnapper''s corpse. After he''d seen how corroded his vertebra was, he understood why he didn''t heal completely. Surgit stood by the door and leaned on one of the walls to help support his own weight. He looked at what lied in front of him. He saw a large avenue, a cobbled road and many lamp posts on the side. He also saw a multitude of horse drawn carriages parked on the sides of the road. All of them were empty and devoid of their horses. Buildings rose up and made to touch the sky. From where he stood, Surgit felt that this place had something majestic and frightening at the same time. It didn''t feel like he was in the Cathedral Ward anymore. He wasn''t in that area underneath the tower either. Those two areas didn''t have an entire choir singing in the background and giving him goose bumps every time they increased the volume of their voices. The sky was dark, decorated with faint distant moonlight. The moon was rising but the stars were nowhere to be seen, a strange thing that Surgit had just realized. He could see clouds obscuring the sky even further. But those little distant dots in the air were not visible at all. That starless sky and the darkness that subsequently fell on the city because of it made the streets even more perilous. Surgit had to observe his surroundings harder and make sure that no one''s lurking in some corner, with the help of the shadows. As much as he liked using darkness to his side, he wasn''t willing to let it be used against him. Surgit was still leaning on the door, assessing whether or not it was wise for him to explore the place even more when he heard a strange noise. Among the violent chants that could be heard even clearer outside, came the growling and sniffing of some strange animal. It appeared to be big, too big. Just its steps increased in sound as it approached and Surgit slowly started realizing what those sounds meant. Right in front of the building laid the end of the main road. A gigantic roundabout signaled the end of the avenue, or at least Surgit thought it was a roundabout. Beyond the circle, stairs led down towards another neighborhood as far as Surgit could tell. The stairs were hidden from his sight by elegant stone railings which demonstrated the intricacy used by their maker. From the space between each of those small pillars that decorated the railing, Surgit started seeing a shape, climbing up the stairs and accessing the main street. He went back inside and hid behind a wall, observing the creature with just half an eye. The bloated pig came at the level of the roundabout and stopped. It turned towards the stairs and made to climb them back down. Surgit knew that he had to kill that beast, at least to fulfill his promise to the little girl who had died because of his cowardice. But he couldn''t move properly, not because of fear, but because of weakness. During all his previous fights, he had managed to kill stronger foes and bring the toughest of prey down to its knees. He had to require other people''s help at one point but if he wanted to get stronger, he decided that he would need to do his fighting all alone. If he had to fight a horde of kidnappers and then that bloated monstrous boar, he would need to be stronger and faster to dispose of them all without requiring so many blood vials to heal himself. He tried to inspect how many blood echoes he had gotten from the two kidnappers he had killed. Within the dark void he found himself in every time he checked his insight, he saw some shapes huddling together, trying to form a green cluster. He didn''t even have enough to buy anything from the messengers in the dream. It Surgit a long time before figuring out how blood echoes functioned. To be precise, he had a vague idea on how they worked. Every time he disposed of his enemies, their blood echoes would form a ray of light within the dark void in which he swam. The more he collects, the stronger the light becomes. Once he''d killed enough beasts, the echoes would form a green cluster. From afar, they would look like a small green star in another galaxy. Each cluster would allow Surgit to upgrade his skills or buy something from the fountain shop. The stronger he got, the more echoes he needed to upgrade his attributes. He had upgraded his skill and strength twice. This improvement had cost him six echo clusters. He assumed that each time he needed to upgrade, he''d need an extra cluster to reach a new level. But that was, after all, just Surgit''s assumption. '' I suppose I could try and kill as many of those kidnappers that lurk around this place and collect more blood echoes'' He thought to himself. ''But to do so, I would need better protection and more vials.'' It was time to go back to the dream. As he walked back next to the dream lantern, Surgit noticed something his eyes failed to see before. It was shining in the ground. But the shine didn''t come from the reflection of the light. Instead it was as if his mind wanted to bring his attention to it. It was a small glimmering object, the only shining thing on the ground. ''My insight must be playing more games with me again'' he thought as he approached the newly noticed object. He came closer to inspect it and it was another carving on the ground. Words were carved on a set of cobble stones that formed the ground on the higher terrace of the building. He looked closer at the letters and managed to read what was inscribed. Nightmarish rituals crave a newborn. Find it, and silence its harrowing cry. That message was troubling to say the least. What kind of rituals would require a new born if they didn''t have an evil agenda? Surgit thought that he had seen enough horrors in Yharnam to be immune to shock, but this note was grim and he didn''t like to think of the person capable of doing such a thing. The beasts in the city didn''t seem to be able to think logically, let alone read or write. Only a human with a fully functional brain could be capable of writing such a thing. Why would they perform rituals in the first place? He remembered the note he had found in the library beneath Oedon chapel, the one discussing a spider in Byrgenwerth and how it blocked different kinds of rituals. It seemed that Byrgenwerth indeed held secrets from men and would most probably have an answer for him regarding Paleblood. ''Only, if other men or women were trying to reach Byrgenwerth in order to unlock these rituals,'' he was mechanically absorbed in thought again. ''What other dangers lie on the way there? Whoever barred the passage to the academy must''ve put enough abominations on the way to make reaching it almost impossible.'' The password was the first obstacle, but he highly doubted that it would be the only thing keeping people away from the forbidden woods. 107 Communion The first thing Surgit did was head towards the messengers'' shop and bought Gascoigne''s set of armor using his core. It wasn''t a knight''s armor but against firearms and beast claws, metallic armor would only get a person killed. He needed a garb that would allow for more speed and offer him more storage pockets in order to store more vials and other items. Gascoigne''s garb also offered better poison resistance, something he needed during the fight against the blood starved beast. Having more bullets and more blood vials would always give a hunter an advantage against his foes. Surgit didn''t bother upgrading his power though. He just bought some more blood vials to be used in the future from the fountain shop. He had about ten in his belt. If he acted more carefully, he wouldn''t need to use all of them during his fights. He browsed the shop more and found out that more weapons were available for him to purchase, provided he had the blood echoes required for them. He didn''t want to focus more on weapons at that moment. He was pretty satisfied with his saw cleaver and didn''t bother searching for more. The only thing he managed to confirm was that more badges meant more weapons available to him on the shop. It looked like the messenger in the fountain recognized those badges and offered him more weapons and items to choose from. He went back inside the workshop, he would''ve wanted to improve his weapon more but he needed more blood stone shards. In fact, he needed twin blood stone shards and he didn''t even know where he could manage to find some. He sat down on a sofa and tried to recall the events that happened earlier. He was transported to a new place with more dangerous enemies, far more dangerous than the ones he had faced before. The garb he had just purchased allowed him swift movement and more storage, but it wouldn''t give him more speed. In fact, speed and agility were not part of the unique characteristics he could upgrade to become faster. He could increase his skill and it will allow him to perform quicker steps and will give him faster reflexes. But he wanted to be faster. He wanted to anticipate more of those attacks that could instantly kill you. He remembered how the first kidnapper just vanished from sight. He knew that they jumped and landed behind him. But even his own enhanced reflexes and vision didn''t allow him to see the speed at which they moved. He dreaded facing two or three of those at a time. They were dangerous and deadly. He found himself thinking about how much he enjoyed winning. He loved seeing his enemy''s blood rushing out of its body. He enjoyed avoiding a deadly strike then dealing a far deadlier one. That game was dangerous, but winning it was thrilling and he craved more dangers and more victories. He regretted not having a senior though, someone to give him more information about the places he visited, about the history of the hunters and the healing church. After all, he became part of a special faction within the city of Yharnam. Hunters were one of the oldest factions to exist and their history was closely linked to the one of the healing church. But Gehrman wasn''t very talkative and the only hunters he managed to meet were Francis who appeared to know more than him about the city but chose to conceal most his knowledge; and Alfred who was as clueless as him when it came to matters of the healing church and the hunters. "Knowledge is power!" He said, imitating one of his old teachers back in the days when he thought he would have a brilliant future. Gehrman had spoken about someplace where hunters could partake in communion however. Surgit suspected the old senile man of drowning in old glories. But if what he said was true, he may yet find other hunters who could provide him with snippets of information. He was presented with three choices, each one presented different possibilities. Now that he was back at the dream, he could easily go back to Oedon Chapel and access the tower. He will have to fight the kidnapper once he reaches the base of the tower however. And if he reaches the base and manages to kill that kidnapper, wouldn''t there be others waiting for him at another corner? No he needed to get stronger in order to make short work of any who could get in his way. He could also go back to the place he was transported to by the kidnapper and explore it further. He might at least find some more information about the purpose of his kidnapping. No other beast had decided to spare his life before. His third choice however, included going back to Old Yharnam, grabbing the ritual blood he had found in the big cathedral, then perform the ritual at the sacrificial altar in the dream. He had heard about the tombs of the Gods. And he wanted to explore them even further. At first, it seemed to him that reaching Byrgenwerth was to be his priority and main focus. Even though it remained his ultimate goal, he doubted in his ability to reach the forbidden woods and be able to best the beasts that lurk in there. He knew himself to be an impatient person. Once he put a goal in his mind, nothing could sway him away from it: not even time. He would want to reach his goal and reach it immediately. And so was the case with his search for Yharnam before. And what did he find when he finally reached the city of miracles? Beasts and blood and fear welcomed him with open arms. He was healed from his deadly disease indeed but at what price? Following a rumor and some notes he had found carved in the ground could ultimately lead him to something far stronger that he could have ever imagined. Furthermore he didn''t trust Francis. For some reason that man had never inspired trust and his words about Paleblood being the tool to leave the city had some truth in it. But Surgit suspected that there was more to the matter than the old man cared to admit. His only way to find more information about Paleblood and to get stronger, thought Surgit, was to go into the labyrinth where the tombs of the old Gods lay. Once there, he will find some clue related to the origins of the healing church and what Paleblood really meant. He left the old cabin that served as a workshop for hunters. Gehrman had disappeared from sight again and Surgit didn''t even bother looking for him this time. He knew he had to go to Old Yharnam and then break the seal towards the Pthumerian labyrinth. That new place could be the source of new information, perhaps even more strength. He was ready to face the dangers in there. Gehrman''s words came back rushing to him: "if the beasts loom large, and threaten to break your spirits, seek the holy chalice; as every hunter before you has. A holy chalice will reveal the tomb of the godsˇ­where hunters partake in communion." 108 Hunting in the dark The night was dark and starless. Francis sat on top of a hill, observing the whole village of Hemwick. Looking at it from atop the hill, the village seemed to extend to no end; wooden houses and big structures with high chimneys from which smoke emanated endlessly. Francis had learnt a great deal about the village. The first thing was that it was now inhabited by blood crazed women who would cut your throat at the first opportunity. They were gathering ritual materials from corpses and would burn the rest. This explained the smoke emanating from the buildings all around the village. The big brutes known as executioners were there to ensure their safety against stronger enemies. In other words, their role was to interfere when somebody broke inside the village and tried to stop the harvesting of human organs. Francis tried to get his new mentor to tell him about these women''s objective. The retired hunter refused to give him any clue about it, claiming that Francis had to discover the truth by himself. He told him that he promised to train him to become a better hunter, not to tell him about Hemwick''s history. If he wished to know more about the place, all he had to do was to walk around the streets and question the women patrolling it. A joke in bad taste, as all of the women would attack at the sight of Francis. The only words they were capable of uttering were "I''ll slice you in half you fiend" or "I''ll cut your throat". Most of them just attacked him while screaming at his face and waving their sickles or hammers at him. Since he discovered the existence of the hunter''s dream and his inability to properly die, the notion of death had taken a new meaning to Francis. He was careful during his fights against hordes of women for sure. He didn''t want to lose all his echoes stupidly to them. On the other hand, he didn''t shy away from danger. He wanted to put himself recklessly in dangerous situations and see how he could manage to pull himself out of them. One time, he was ambushed by a group of angry women, accompanied by two executioners. The fight was long and bloody. He had had to use all of his blood vials and he ended up with a broken leg and two protruding ribs. He laughed as he drank the blood oozing from an executioner''s neck after he sliced it open. In Yharnam, as much as in Hemwick, blood was in abundance and prey was all his to hunt and feast on. His mentor had told him about hunters who could turn into beasts. They feast too much on the blood, more than they actually needed. The excess of blood corrupts their own mind and makes them blood thirsty hunters. They start relishing fights and exhilarate at the sight of blood. And so they fight any and all that moves. They kill and consume blood until their thirst is satiated. "And when is it satiated?" asked Francis once. "When they completely transform into hideous beasts and another hunter comes to finally put them to rest" he replied. "You must know this, not all hunters have good intentions. Some just want to see blood. Others want to consume it and let themselves be consumed by it in return. Few look for a way to put a stop to the night of beasts and horrors, but none of them survive long enough to reach their objective." That revelation confirmed Francis'' doubts about the order of the hunters. "So you mean to tell me that there are no good hunters left around in Yharnam?" he asked after taking his time to assess the information he had received from his mentor. "There may be one or two, but I have never met them." Francis never told the old man about the dream he had the night he received the blood ministration. That castle and the woman in the iron mask. If his mentor was willing to keep secrets hidden away from him, nothing obliged him to confide in him. Moreover, he understood that trusting anyone in this godforsaken place would probably mean his demise. Not that he feared death anymore; he dreaded being used most of all. The retired hunter had his own hidden agenda and he had his. He doubted that someone who had tasted immortality would give up his life after that gift had been taken away from him. He was afraid that the man knew something he could use against him. He remembered a tale women used to tell their children back in his hometown. The story was about a witch who adopted two orphans, fed them and raised them to be hers. She even taught them how to read and write. When they trusted her enough and the children were big and plump, she fed them to an ogre in exchange for access to his cave, where precious ingredients for her potions grew. She eventually grew stronger and killed the poor ogre too. Her power didn''t stop at that however, she honed her dark arts and assassinated the king. She ate the king''s heart and metamorphosed into his shape and reigned in his stead for many years. Until a brave knight from a foreign land came looking for his long lost daughter. As it turned out, the daughter was one of the orphans the witch used as a sacrifice to the ogre. The man revealed her treachery and after a bloody fight, managed to kill the witch and restore the kingdom to its rightful heir. The story was mainly to scare children off from trusting strangers and to teach them about the benefits of bravery and honesty. If Francis laughed at womenfolk before for believing in witches and all kinds of sorcery, he retained the lesson of never trusting a stranger. That man, although he offered his help, was still a stranger. One who managed to kill him in cold blood before. Francis was determined to get his revenge on him. From the few times they had sparred, he realized how fast and skillful the hunter was. Francis was proud of his new powers and his skill at sword fighting, but his mentor far surpassed him in skill and strength. The man would dodge bullets as if rocks were thrown his way in slow motion. His sword never even touched a cloth from his clothes. What he got in return were bruises and broken bones. The retired hunter deemed it humiliating enough to never use his weapon on Francis unless the latter could tear up a piece of his clothing using the Chikage. To that end, Francis tried while his master dodged and punched and kicked him. Francis had become frustrated to the extent of feeling hopeless. If he could kill his enemies in Hemwick and even in the Cathedral Ward with extreme ease, touching that damned retired hunter was a feat akin to a miracle. That night, as he sat on that hill, he decided to take on the biggest horde of enemies he had ever seen in Hemwick. Every night, women and executioners would gather around the center of the village, an enormous circular area that used to be used for the preservation of their cattle. Some villages kept their cattle in the middle and surrounded them with houses. Men would take turns at night to protect the village while women and children slept. The center was the safest place from predators for the animals that provided them with their sole source of income. Now, the village''s only cattle were living humans and there was no need to keep them alive as the women harvested their organs and killed them in cold blood. Francis doubted if these women even kept any humanity in them otherwise they''d attack each other and harvest each other''s organs. He had seen their eyes and their teeth; reddened with blood and black as night. All they wanted was blood and to taste the fear of their prey before they slaughtered it. He was no different than them however. He grew to love the fights and smell of blood. He learned to recognize the fear in his enemies'' eyes. He swore he could even smell it. That night, a great fire was lit at the big circle. Women in great numbers gathered in there and around them executioners stood; big and clad in black as if they were statues carved out of obsidian. He could count at least twelve executioners. The women must have been four scores or even more. The idea of taking on so many enemies excited and frightened Francis. ''If I am to understand that man''s speed, I need to have as many weapons swinging my way as possible. I need to learn to see not only with my eyes but with my whole body.'' 109 The Chikage’s power Francis needed a tactic of approach. He wasn''t willing to attack the group blindly and die stupidly. Executioners were slow but they had armor and a strong defense. The women had no armor to speak of and were relatively weak. In great numbers however, they are as deadly as facing an armored three headed giant dog. Kill one and the other will take its place and come fiercely attacking you. If his enemies could feel fear, he commended them for never backing down unless their numbers thinned and death was inevitable. A big entrance to instill fear in his enemies'' hearts was needed. He stood up and made for the assembled group. He was clutching his katana in his trembling hand. His feet were also shaking. Fear and excitement mixed in Francis'' heart. Fear, he learned, was the best teacher of all. He took only five blood vials with him. Facing such a great number with a little amount of blood vials was a handicap he was well aware of. He needed to push himself to the limit, beyond fear and doubt. The closer he got to his destination, the calmer he got. He knew that the fight was inevitable at that point. He had eliminated doubt from his mind and there was no possibility for him to get back to his master with his tail between his legs. He jumped across the wooden houses'' roofs and reached one that faced the village''s center. Everyone was facing the big fire, oblivious to his presence behind them. From where he stood, he saw two executioners standing behind the first row of women. Despite being mindless beasts, they were organized in a military fashion. They stood in a circle and women were organized in different triangles within the circle. Francis had the impression that he was watching a sliced pie, ready for serving. The crust of the pie was composed of big executioners clad in black and covering their heads with executioners'' hoods. Francis jumped down and landed as silently as he could. No one managed to see him approach. In a flash he struck the two executioners on their feet, bringing them down to their knees and beheaded them. When the women on the back row turned, they saw a hunter painted in red holding a red sword and running towards them. As they let out their screams and made to attack him, Francis stepped back and took two oil urns from his pocket and flung them towards the center. Creating chaos within the ranks of his enemies was the first step to bringing them to despair. The oil urn cracked and exploded as they came in touch with the fire at the center, burning the women closer to it. By the time the other executioners noticed him and the other women realized what was happening, he had killed at least ten. He threw two more oil urns that caused another deflagration and more chaos. Fire had caught on the clothes and transferred from one fleeing woman to the other. The big center was bloody and bright with fire already. Francis was surrounded by enraged women and more were coming from behind. The executioners, in their rage and anticipation to reach him, swiped their huge axes around in order to clear a path for themselves. They killed their own allies and that was what Francis relied on. The first thing that arises after chaos was carnage and blood. He danced around the hammers and sickles aimed at him. He sliced and decapitated. His body was covered in sweat and blood. Blood dropped from his head and in front of his eyes, covering his line of sight. He felt a hammer pummel him in the chest and he stumbled back a few feet while a sickle came down rushing towards his head. He executed a pirouette and slashed his attacker''s throat then jumped high enough to land behind the group of attackers that started to close in on him. Being surrounded by attackers swinging at him endlessly was exactly what he sought. But he could at any moment tire or underestimate an attack''s reach that would put an end to his little adventure prematurely. He saw the result of his carnage. Women on fire were running everywhere, shouting or rolling on the floor. Two executioners were closing in on him while swinging their axes left and right, causing other women to fly away from their way. He had two more oil urns but he had a different plan for them. While the women turned around and came running at him, their numbers didn''t seem to thin in the least. He could only see the heads of the other executioners running towards him while being drowned in between the other angry foes. He threw the two urns in opposite directions and as they cracked and poured their content of different random heads, he followed them with Molotov cocktails, igniting a new fire and drawing a line between him and the great number pursuing him. The ones that were in front of that line still came at him. They were about a dozen. He disposed of them easily, dancing around their attacks, cutting limbs and heads as easily as cutting through butter. At last three executioners managed to reach him and surrounded him. Women shouted behind them and fire had caught on many. The remaining executioners were fighting off their way, killing the women who also fought back. With a triumphant smirk on his face, Francis took stance and awaited his enemies'' attacks. He learned something from his master about his Chikage. If he were to injure himself with the weapon and inject it with his own blood, he could inflict blood damage to his enemies. This meant that they would be inflicted with poison that would eat away at their health even if he were to stop attacking them. Surrounded by three hulking beasts, he wanted to put this ability to the test. He stabbed himself with the sword, coating it all in his blood as the three beasts attacked in unison. He jumped forward as the three great axes came crashing in the ground in one spot, the one where he stood a moment ago. He cut one of the executioner''s leg open, leaving a large injury from which blood kept rushing out. The three followed him quickly and as his closest enemy turned to punch him away, Francis jumped on top of his head and used it as a base to jump even higher. He landed behind the trio and with a swift and strong strike he cut a second executioner''s leg clean. He fell down backwards in a loud clinging sound, as his armor banged against the floor. Francis thrust his katana in the executioner''s face, finishing him off. The third one, still intact came rushing at him while the injured one used his axe as support for his weight and huffed heavily. The poison really worked! 110 Terror in the dark If the gods really existed, they must have cursed this place. Karla was forced to get inside the open gate and watch it close behind her, as her previous companions lay dead on the ground and other kidnappers were running to finish her off. She didn''t stand a chance against those monsters and so she went through the only open way which was in front of her. As soon as she stepped beyond the gate, it started closing slowly. She stood there, watching the kidnappers gaining on her and prayed that the gate would close before they have reached her. She didn''t dare run forward. She didn''t know what laid beyond the gate and she wasn''t willing to get surrounded by other unknown beasts in front of her and the kidnappers behind her. If she were to die, she''d face it rather than being stabbed in the back while she''s fighting off new threats. She had hurriedly collected some blood vials from her previous companions'' pockets and took Arnold''s firearm. These were handy at stopping a beast movement and slowing it down. She could use them in case she needed to put some distance between her and any attacker while fleeing. The gate closed as the monsters had reached her dead companions. She jumped as she heard the chants which went on, as if nothing had happened. She hated that choir and hated the place she was in even more. The death of the three church doctors was as mysterious as the secrets this city held. She turned around and contemplated the place she was in. A large avenue with post lights that used to illuminate the road. Cobbled streets took left and right and big carriages were parked on each side of the road. The chant went on, louder this time and scarier. Tall buildings on each side of the large avenue stood as a reminder of the great work the architects and stonemasons had done when this city brimmed with life. Between two buildings high above, a bridge connected them and allowed passage to a higher pedestrian street from what Karla could deduce. Yahar''gul was similar to Yharnam in its architecture. Buildings had large window panes, and towers in the distance ended in a conical shape. The whole setting gave the city an even gloomier atmosphere. She walked through the main avenue, apprehensive of every sign of movement in the many dark corners of the street. The moonlight was faint and didn''t illuminate the streets that well. Clouds formed in the sky and shrouded everything in darkness and mystery. Karla had to find a way out of this place. She didn''t like the atmosphere. She couldn''t imagine Francis being held in here. Moreover, the last time she asked about that old man''s whereabouts, she was told that he went up the tower and not down. She was trying to climb that damned tower from below when she was ambushed by that brute and kidnapped. Yharnam had given her the chills sometimes. She was scared of whatever could jump at her at any moment without notice. But she was ready to attack and defend herself as well. She was confident in her ability to kill those monsters that roamed the streets. But nowˇ­ everything''s changed since she witnessed those kidnappers'' speed and ferocity. How could she beat something that moves faster than her own blinking? How could she hope to read through their movement and slow them down? They were four and they barely managed to dispose of one, combining their efforts and strength together. She heard a sound coming from beyond a large carriage, parked on the side of the avenue. Karla hid behind the cart and peaked from there. There were three kidnappers patrolling the dark street. Only the faint light of the moon allowed her to recognize their shape from afar. She could never forget those tall and slender bodies, with hoods on their head and that big bag hanging from their left shoulder. She couldn''t allow herself to be seen by those three. It meant just agony and death. She looked around, trying to find a way around them, trying to escape their line of sight. The street opposite her was dark and narrow, being ambushed there was definitely not a good idea. She didn''t even know if it was leading anywhere. On her left, she saw some stairs leading towards the building from which the hanging bridge stemmed. If she could reach the bridge, she would have a chance of getting to a higher place in the city and have a vantage point from which she could plan her escape. She peaked again to understand the patrol pattern the kidnappers were making. She couldn''t risk them spotting her. Her legs were shaking, she knew that fear had taken over her and she was trying to calm herself down. Against normal enemies, she would never back down or fear being killed by them. With beasts such as these, she feared not seeing death coming her way. It''s the fear of the unknown, she realized, that made her legs shake and blood freeze. Two kidnappers were patrolling down the street, near some big gate. She couldn''t see what lied beyond 6 feet from her clearly. She only managed to make out the shapes of things and deduce the rest from her mind. She had visited many cities before and knew that some buildings had certain obvious shape. And the one at the far end of the avenue was another gate. She couldn''t see if the gate was open though, because of the clouds in the sky that shrouded the city in almost complete darkness. If her visibility was limited, so should her opponents''. Or so she thought. She was unsure about that theory and decided to put it to the test. She took out a loose cobble stone from the ground and threw it towards the dark street opposite her. The sound attracted the attention of the closest kidnapper to the carriage behind which she was hiding. The tall beast ran towards the source of the noise in order to inspect it and Karla didn''t waste any time. She ran for the stairs and got inside the building before the kidnapper got back to its initial patrol line. Her heart was racing against her chest violently. She managed to get through unnoticed and now she had to move about this building silently and without being noticed. She was truly grateful to Surgit for the first time that day, for bringing her the black coat she was wearing. It allowed her for more furtive movements in the dark. The building was tall and had what appeared to be an endless flight of stairs leading towards the top. The conical shape of the top of the building was made of some glass material that reflected the little light emanating from the moon. From the little rays that reached the skylight on top, Karla could make out her objective. She knew it was going to be a long climb. And a pretty blind one at that as darkness inhabited the lower floors of the building. Stairs creaked and complained under the weight of her boots. Wooden staircases made for elegant design during times of peace and human cohabitation. But when it comes to being sneaky and trying to minimize the sound each step makes, wooden stairs were the worst enemy anyone could ever hope for. 111 The real meaning of Fear Karla was praying, after each step, that no one awaited her at the next floor. She didn''t dare count all the floors when the top looked like it was hugging the sky. She just pressed on and tried to keep her composure. From all the enemies she could meet, those kidnappers frightened her the most. She dreaded meeting one of them alone in that dark building. She doubted that any would be climbing the stairs of this building, up and down, just to make sure that no one was around. But then again, she understood that they were mindless beasts, taught to bring humans to the city and imprison them. If they ever catch you outside the cages, they just simply execute you. They were simply jailers, and terrifying ones at that. The types that don''t make threats to instill fear in your heart. But the type to break all your bones until fear was the only thing your heart knew. Then they''d execute you in cold blood. She chuckled bitterly as she understood what fear really meant. She looked down on Surgit before who, truth be told, was weak and afraid of the sight of a weapon. Maybe the gods above were punishing her for looking down on their weak creatures. She had reached the middle of the building when she started hearing strange sounds. She regretted not taking the torch from one of the three church doctors who died before. But then again, using a torch could give away her position. The building was dark and the voices were coming from everywhere. It seemed to her that she was surrounded by strange creatures who whispered in her ear. But when she extended her shaking hands to check if she could touch anything, they closed on nothingness. She turned around her and tried to inspect where the voices came from, tried to pinpoint a source. Every time she''d turn somewhere, the sound appeared to be coming from the opposite direction. She hugged a wall and placed her ear on it, then followed the voices she was hearing. She had abandoned the stairs and was now in some kind of hallway. She walked through the hall, following the voices that resembled a multitude of people whispering blames to your ear. As much as the voices annoyed her, they also scared her and made her feel uneasy. She reached the end of the corridor and didn''t find a thing. In fact, the voices seemed to be still close to her. But their source appeared to be farther on the opposite direction, the one she came from. The chant seemed to have faded to a background noise by then, still present but faint. Those complaints and blames were louder. Voices of people accusing her and blaming her for being there, voices that seemed to be present everywhere without a source or a physical body to utter them. She clutched her head in horror and started screaming. She swung her sword left and right, trying to chase those phantoms away, trying to get rid of this nightmarish situation. Alas her sword was of no use against voices, nor was her screaming and shouting. She heard a step and she stopped in her tracks. This was a real sound, not one of the multitudes of voices that poisoned her head. It was real and it was coming from the other side of the corridor. Step by step, the sound was growing louder and her heart beat was getting faster. The strange voices were mixed to the steps approaching her. There was nowhere she could hide. She unsheathed her sword and clutched it tight. She was tense and she knew that being tense led to an early demise. But she couldn''t bring herself to relax. Squinting didn''t help her see in the dark either. It was useful only when the light was blinding. She would offer anything to the gods above and below, the ones who existed and the ones she thought didn''t exist, to have a small ray of light that would show her what was coming towards her. She felt like she became blind and she had to rely on her remaining functioning senses. From the sound of the approaching steps, she could assume that whatever was coming towards her was bipedal and was about ten steps away from her. What she was about to attempt was risky, but with nowhere to hide and not knowing what was coming near her scared her more than the possibility of dying in this dark place. She took the gun she snatched from the corpse of the church doctor and shot towards the source of the approaching noise. The effect of the explosion of the bullet in its muzzle gave a flash of light. One second was enough for Karla to see what was coming her way. One second was enough to get her to relax a bit more and dive towards her confirmed opponent. She swung her weapon in the darkness and her blade met with flesh and tore it apart. What she saw in that instant was one of those hideous men, transforming into something inhuman. She saw the hairy face and the long fangs during the second when light had flashed from her gun. She knew what kind of foe she had in front of her and fear instantly dissipated from her heart. With one hit, she put the poor soul to rest and heard it hit the wooden floor with a heavy thump. There weren''t only kidnappers in this city after all. The sound of gunfire attracted more of those wandering men that came to inspect what was happening in the empty dark corridor. Their voices while they moved, resembled moans. It was as if they were complaining of some disease but the words never formed in their mouths. Only painful sounds emerged from their gaping holes as they approached Karla. She assumed that the passage from which she came was barred and she had to cut her way through in order to regain the stairs. She let two more bullets leave her gun in order to have a clearer idea of what awaited her at the end of the corridor. No doubt about it, the voices she was hearing were the moans and cries of these weak imbeciles. She felt stupid for succumbing to her fears earlier and panicking like the weaklings she despised. She held her sword in two hands and ran towards the swarm awaiting her at the end of the corridor. She closed her eyes and relied on her ears to calculate the distance between her and her foes better. As soon as the voices grew louder, she started her dance. She cut and slashed and corpses fell around her left and right. By the time she was done, she had to climb a mountain of immobile bodies in order to reach the stairs and continue her ascent. As she climbed the wooden stairs, the chants became louder and the voices she had heard dissipated. A door became visible up above, a faint light emanating from it. She had finally seen the exit. The sound of her heels hitting the hard wooden staircases was the only thing keeping her company as she climbed and climbed. By the time she got to the door a gush of wind welcomed her, cold and soothing. The stench of blood had covered her from head to toe and she welcomed fresh air with a wide smile. She stopped by the door and looked up. The stairs went on to lead to the top part of the building. She had climbed more than two thirds of the tower, but there were more stairs to follow in order to reach the top and have a better view of the city. She had no need of the top floor however, with the cloudy sky, there wasn''t enough light to see the outlines of the city. From the door where she stood, she would access the bridge she had seen earlier from below. It was high enough to get a glimpse of where she had to go. As she walked through the door and onto the bridge she saw and endless amount of high buildings towering above the great city. Far away in the distance, she could make out a faint blue glow that she recognized as the Great Cathedral''s clock tower. Yharnam wasn''t too far from there. If she ever found a way out of Yahar''gul, she''d be able to reach Yharnam in less than an hour. She heard something move behind her, she turned and her heart skipped a beat. A kidnapper had found its way up to the top and joined her. They were a few paces away from each other. She could feel fear creeping up at her heart and bones again. 112 Tales of old hunters It was pouring by the time Francis had finished off the last remaining executioner. He was exhausted and his sword felt heavy on his arm. Taking up such a great number of enemies was a foolish endeavor, worthy of the most foolish hunter. Fire had helped him create chaos in the ranks and induce the women to fight the executioners which made them lose focus on their main enemy. The distraction he created helped him focus on large groups at a time, killing the crazy women as if he was swatting flies. What constituted a real challenge was fighting off three executioners at the same time while other women swarmed the place and swung at him with their makeshift weapons. He got out with some minor injuries. By the end of the battle, he was left with two blood vials from the five he had brought with him. A feat he was proud of. He was sitting in the middle of the circle, now full of corpses. Rain had put off the great fire that arose from the fighting. Calm had come back to the village. "I see you have created a great carnage here" said a voice behind him. The master had come to witness the work of his pupil. "Not bad for a hotheaded hunter. I think it''s high time I gave you a better theoretical lesson about what it means to be a hunter. Let''s go back, rain will wash off the blood in the street, but the stench will remain on your clothes if you don''t wash them." As Francis bathed and washed his clothes, his mentor had put a fire by the chimney and sat in his room, sipping some kind of hot beverage. "I know hunters don''t need to drink or eat, but I enjoy the intricacies of mortals now, some hot tea may taste better than blood if you know how to control your urges." Francis sat in front of the retired hunter, on the armchair he first sat on when he discovered the place. He measured his words carefully when he asked: - "So why is it that you don''t fight anymore? I could see the joy in your eyes when you were landing those punches and kicks while sparring with me. You still enjoy fighting and, I assume, the sight of blood." - "A retired hunter can still hunt, gather blood echoes and even some odd other trinkets. But the joy of fighting big and fearsome beasts is taken away from you as soon as you lose your contact with the dream." - "In other words, you fear death. You fear dissipating into nothingness." Francis wanted to irritate his calm interlocutor. - "I fear death yes. I fear a meaningless death. Being stabbed by a pitchfork is no way to go for a hunter. I saw a great hunter before die and dissipate before my eyes because of a pitchfork he didn''t see coming his way. I''d rather die fighting a worthy opponent." - "And this is why you train me? To become strong enough to cut your head off?" - "Indeed. I grew tired of this dark place. I do not know if there''s a life after death but I''m certain that death is better than what Yharnam had become." The retired hunter remained silent for a moment, contemplating the fire and sipping his tea. He was lost in some train of thought and Francis sat and waited. - "How long can a hunter live?" Asked Francis in the end. Although he considered himself old, he couldn''t compare his age to someone who hasn''t tasted proper death in a long time. - "When you''re sustained by the dream, the notion of time becomes irrelevant. I guess you can say that hunters may live for thousands of years, killing beasts and feasting on the blood of their prey." - "To what end? The hunt, it seems to me, has started years ago. And it doesn''t seem to end any time soon." - "You''re starting to grasp the dilemma most hunters find themselves in, Francis." His mentor finally turned his gaze away from the fire and faced him. "What do you know of the order of hunters?" - "I know that it''s an ancient order. As old as the healing church or even older. It was established to protect the people against the beasts that roamed their city and keep them safe at night." - "That is a good summary of what hunters are. But what do you know of the old hunters? The ones who helped establish the order?" - "Not much I''m afraid," admitted Francis. "I know that he helped Laurence during his excavations in the tombs of the Gods where they had discovered the tool that allowed for blood healing and blood ministration." - "You would''ve made a fine scholar back at Byrgenwerth," mocked the retired hunter. "Yes they helped Laurence and yes they killed beasts. But the part of protecting the townspeople isn''t fully true I''m afraid." - "What do you mean?" Francis suspected as much, once he got to know Yharnam and Hemwick, he couldn''t believe that mere weak monsters could wipe out an order as ancient as the hunters. - "Hunters hunted beasts and grew in strength. There was a time when hunters were so common that you could hire a hunter for a penny. The notion of beast is relative as well. Those poor women you killed in cold blood, what pushed you to slaughter them? You didn''t let a single one escape from your wrath." - "They attacked and they wanted to kill me. All I did was fight back." - "But they didn''t start the fighting you see? They were there, standing and contemplating the fire for a reason I could care less to know about. Yet, you went towards them and you butchered them as if their lives were less significant than yours." - "What''s your point here old man?" Asked Francis, it was strange for him to address someone as an old man. - "My point, my dear ''old man'' is that hunters killed whoever showed hostility towards them. Maybe those women didn''t like that you invaded their village. They seem mindless yes, and they''re not capable of proper thought. Animals are not capable of thought either and they roam their own territory trying to live their life. However, you hunted them for sports, you butchered them and you sat on top of their corpses." - "Didn''t you see what they were doing? Harvesting human bodies and burning the others. They are definitely a threat to humankind. They''re mindless beasts, worse than animals. I don''t see where you''re going with your comparison there." - "Compared to the old hunters, I was admitted very recently to the order. When the city had fallen to the scourge of beasts and only few hunters remained to push them off. Doesn''t it strike you, that there are very few hunters in this city? That beasts inhabit the streets and the few sane people have closed their doors to everyone?" Francis kept silent. It was a rhetorical question. He looked into the retired hunter whose eyes were shining with inexplicable rage. - "Hunters disappeared one day from Yharnam," he went on. "No one knew what happened to them or why that happened. The only surviving hunters spoke of a curse. Hunters can''t die and even when they do, they''d come back to life in the dream or in one of the many lanterns connected to it. "But when the lanterns disappeared from their sight, hunters would start losing their link to the dream. One by one, they would receive a fatal blow and dissipate into nothingness. I''ve seen it with my own eyes and when I felt that my time had come, that I could no longer see those lanterns, I understood." - "So you don''t know why you lost your connection to the dream?" - "I have a vague idea about it, a theory. I might share it with you before I die. But for now, I think it would best if we focused on your training. Go get some rest now. You should go to the dream and spend those blood echoes you have gained. Perhaps the old man may show his face to you at last." - "Perhaps I should do so. But before I go, I have one more question." - "Ask away!" said the retired hunter. - "Is it possible to leave this city? To live a normal life and go back to my own land?" The hunter looked at Francis with an amused smile then said: - "Yes it''s possible, in theory. Some hunters spoke of a legend. Paleblood they called it. If you manage to find the source of Paleblood and halt it, you''d be able to transcend the hunt and you''ll be granted exit from Yharnam. " "You''ll keep your strength and enhanced ability but you''ll never go back to the dream. You''ll become a mortal, but a very strong one," He smiled again and continued "but these are tales I suspect, of tired hunters who dreamed of leaving this dreadful place. I do not believe in it one bit." Francis left the room and went on his own. His body was still aching from the amount of effort he had to make in order to dispose of all his enemies before. Was it true that he had just slaughtered them mindlessly? Was he the real beast while the others were just trying to protect their lives from the strong predator? He was called a hunter after all. A hunter kills animals and uses their fear to his advantage. He came to Yharnam looking for answers regarding the evolution of mankind. Did they evolve to become savages then, who hunt prey and feast on their blood? He refused to accept that it was the sole purpose of the hunters and the church. Those two entities were working closely, but he suspected that they both hid from the other some crucial information regarding the source of their power. He was wealthy merchant after all, he knew more about politics than these mindless killers who called themselves hunters. And he could already observe that the healing church had established its headquarters in Yharnam while the hunters had a hidden workshop, known only to them. No one would believe him if he told them that he uses lanterns to be transported to a floating island next to the moon where white flower grew and a doll could speak. The church had their cathedral and the hunters had their workshop in the hunter''s dream. He suspected that church doctors didn''t know about the dream. He had met two church doctors before and none of them mentioned that dream. Perhaps, the one who administered blood to him knew about it but he killed her before she could even tell him anything else. In retrospect, he didn''t even know why he killed her. He had this murderous surge inside of him. He wanted to understand the extent of his power. He was fascinated when he found out about it. Now he wondered about the political agenda of the healing church. They seemed to have been in control of the city. People loved them and pilgrims from all over the world came to visit them. He knew about the castle of Cainhurst too. Surgit had told him about that, and about the queen that reigned over Yharnam for a long time before the church finally took complete control of the city. He told him about how she suddenly disappeared, giving no sign of life.What about his dream? That woman in what appeared to be the throne room, and the cage that closed on her head, concealing her face. There were so many unanswered questions in his mind. After a while, he decided to go back to the retired hunter and ask him more about the skills he could upgrade. If he was to leave for the dream and talk to the doll, he wanted to know more about what could be useful to him as a hunter. "It''s generally hit and miss for most new hunters who didn''t have the pleasure of having a mentor." He started after Francis had asked him. "You can upgrade your strength if you''re going to rely on weapons that use brute force. In your case you''re using an elegant Katana. It''s fashioned after an old order of knights that used to fight for the queen of blood in Cainhurst." The mention of the castle sent shivers down Francis'' spine. "They fought using their own blood as a weapon. You tried that yourself during your fight earlier. If you want to keep using that weapon, then I suggest you upgrade your skill and your bloodtinge." "Bloodtinge enhances your blood, makes it more poisonous and more dangerous. Skill enhances your speed and agility. You''ll find it useful when wielding that weapon of yours. Increase your endurance and your stamina will improve as well as your resistance towards all kinds of poison. The longer you fight without healing or dying, the more endurance you gain." "Isn''t my blood poisonous? Aren''t I immune against poison then?" asked Francis. "Blood poison is not the type that other beasts can inflict you with. Trust me, with some monsters you''ll need resistance." He said while giving Francis a very serious look. He then went on. "The last skill is Arcane. It is a skill related to summoning forces from the cosmos. Some hunters and church doctors used it against bigger monsters or while fighting servants of the queen of blood. If you''re interested in that skill, you''ll need to find items that facilitate contact with creatures from the cosmos. I''ve never seen such an item before though." "Thank you" said Francis "I think this will do for now. I''ll head to the dream for now and once I come back, we shall have that fight you always wished for." "Not so fast champion, the time for that fight will come. We''ll keep on sparring for now until I deem you ready to claim back your precious blood echoesˇ­ and mine too" finished the hunter in whisper. 113 Pthumeru Chalice Dungeon The horrid stench, mud caused by the mixture of blood and dirt; instead of water, rivers flew in a crimson color. Blood everywhere and creatures that roamed the place didn''t seem to mind the blood at all. It looked like it had become their natural habitat. Surgit saw some creatures that looked like humans, tall as an average human being and almost naked. They had loincloth that covered their private parts but their torso and legs were exposed. They had no hair on their bodies and their skin was as pale as a full moon. They were skinny with no muscle tone. The skin on their bodies seemed to cover just bone. They held scythes and patrolled the vast expanse of the first level of the Pthumeru labyrinth. As they moved, they moaned and their bodies twitched from one side to the other. Surgit had the impression that he landed in hell. The labyrinth in which he found himself was the first of many other deeper levels. He understood from some cryptic descriptions he had found at the entrance of the place that the labyrinth was composed of three main buildings. A makeshift map was carved on a wall detailing every level and the way to access the other. What he understood from the strange drawings was that every level had some kind of contraption leading to the lower one. In order to access the chamber where the contraption was constructed, he needed to activate smaller contraptions in each main building. As soon as he stepped inside the real labyrinth, he realized the evil plans of the architect who had made the place. They would give its explorers hope, showing them the lever in a meticulous drawing which was linked directly to the door giving access to the contraption. But reaching the lever was another story. The door leading to the main lever was close to the labyrinth''s entrance. However, the door was sealed. On closer inspection, Surgit saw that the door''s seal was composed of interlocking bars. The design of the gate revealed intricate craftsmanship. Some bars extended from the top of the gate all the way down and connected to holes on the ground. Others were horizontally aligned and connected to other holes on the gate''s side. Surgit tried to cheat his way in and force the bars open. A shockwave sent him several feet backwards until his back hit a wall though. Surgit injected a blood vial into his bloodstream then stood up. ''That wasn''t worth it,'' he thought as he reluctantly tossed the empty vial in his pocket. He looked at the wall he had just crashed into and saw some strange characters. It looked like some ancient glyphs from a forgotten language. He closed his eyes and inspected the glyphs with his insight. To his surprise, he was able to translate most of them; although the translation didn''t come in words, but in thoughts. It was as if someone thought about the color red. They wouldn''t think of the word written in Latin letters, but of the actual color. Surgit felt the knowledge from the glyphs being transferred into his mind. The gist of what he learned was: ''Poor hunter, you are now in the Gods'' domain. If you wish toreturn to the world of the living, make sure you open the first seal.'' The knowledge came to Surgit''s mind as he contemplated the glyphs with his third eye. He was able to maintain his insight for longer since he had gained a new title. ''If one wishes to open the seal to the labyrinth''s first level, one must defeat the guardians. The mighty guardians keep the Gods'' domain safe from lowly hunters. Worthy warriors will be rewarded echoes, while the weak will be devoured by the Gods'' minions.'' Surgit opened his eyes, he longed for a challenge that would test all his abilities. He smiled as he turned towards the horrifying tombs. He had learned about this place in books and always thought about it as a legend. To see it with his own eyes was an achievement he could have never dreamed of. He turned to have one last look at the stone tablet on the wall. There were more glyphs that needed translating. He closed his eyes again and resumed reading. ''Beware of the watchers!'' The last glyph said. Surgit had never heard of the watchers. Perhaps, this referred to the guardians of the tomb. He shrugged and moved forward. Surgit observed the strange enemies that looked like people inflicted by some strange disease. Their bodies transformed. Unlike the beasts inhabiting Yharnam, these ones had neither fur nor hair on their bodies. Some even had rotten flesh visible on their arms, chests or legs. They moved aimlessly around and held weapons of different sorts. Most of them had scythes, but others also held swords or axes. Their bodies seemed too weak to hold a weapon and yet they had them. As soon as they heard him approaching, they turned towards him and charged. He found no difficulty in ridding himself of them. What disturbed him most was the smell of their live bodies, let alone the dying one. Their smell was rotten and he had a sour ball stuck in his throat once the dying foes fell to his side. This place had nothing godly about it. He wondered why anyone would call it the tomb of Gods. From the vast expanse where bloody rivers flew around, Surgit had seen the entrance to a small building. It was like he was standing on a hill and heading towards some catacombs. Only the hill was underground and the air was damp and smelled of death. It looked like one of the main buildings he had to access. Surgit got the feeling that he was exploring the lands of dwarves that he had read about long ago during his time at school. He loved the idea that some people, smaller but tougher than humans, could live underground and build civilizations in there. At that moment, the idea became repugnant to him. How can anyone live underground without the possibility of breathing fresh air? He went through the first door and took the stairs that led directly down towards a large dark room. The room was rectangular and he could see three doors apart from the one he had come from, each leading to a different direction. One of them was closed by a metallic gate and there was no possibility of opening it manually. He suspected that it was the door leading down toward the guardian of the area. "Of course, nothing can be that easy for me," he muttered as he looked the other way. The other doors led towards the labyrinth, he concluded. He knew that once he took one direction, it would be difficult for him to trace his steps back. At least the closed door was marked by two statues on each side, which made it unique. If he ever walked in circles and came back to that room, he would recognize it by the statues. Each statue held a tablet and faint glyphs could be seen on each one. Bigger glyphs at the top of each tablet were visible enough for Surgit to translate their meaning. As he used his insight to inspect them, the glyphs read: ''Beat the guardian to reveal a secret.'' Surgit swore the translation had revealed a face, winking at him in his mind. 114 Undead Gian Surgit took the path located right to the locked one. In the distance, he heard loud noises akin to swords clashing. He found himself in a small corridor, decorated from each side with wooden coffins and on top hung dim lanterns whose lights didn''t help illuminate the place at all. He was glad that he had taken his torch along. He didn''t need it at that time, but he suspected that the place would get darker as he walked deeper into the dungeon. The coffins made the place look gloomy and Surgit, despite not being a superstitious person, felt the atmosphere eating away at his spirit. He didn''t like to be confined in a dark closed space. The only noise he could hear was the clashing of metal somewhere far away from him. The corridor soon gave way to a bigger room, similar to the first one he had walked in, with more doors to choose from. At this rate, Surgit knew that he was going to get lost and the possibility of walking in circles was pretty high.He kept going right, he had read somewhere long ago that in order to get away from a labyrinth all one needs to do is to put one hand on the right wall and keep moving as said wall moved around. Before he did that, he marked the other doors using his saw giving each door a different sign. If he ever got through a door, he would check it for the sign and if he found one, he would know that he had walked full circle. The process of elimination would work for him as the room had only four doors. If he walked full circle from one door to the other, he would at least eliminate two and explore the remaining third one, the fourth being the one he had come from. But if the doors led to other rooms with more doors, then his possibilities may become endless. The door he walked through led towards some stairs that took him down deeper into the labyrinth. How many levels did this floor have? And how deep is this whole Pthumerian labyrinth? He shuddered at the thought that he may be traveling towards the center of the earth, where something far more powerful than the beasts above hid. He didn''t know if he went to the labyrinth to get stronger or to get his hopes crushed by some mighty creature that will show him how weak hunters were. He soon found himself on another vast expanse. Similar to the first one from which he accessed the catacomb. Bodies were scattered on the floor everywhere and his feet were submerged in blood. It was like walking in marshes, but instead of water, there was blood. His boots were stuck to the mud below and every time he had to detach his feet from the sticky substance, a foul smell would arise. He had an extra piece of cloth hanging from his shirt and for the first time, he understood its use. He brought it up to the level of his face, hiding his mouth and nose. He looked like a bandit, preparing for a raid. The sound of clashing metal was getting louder. And as he traversed the bloody marsh he got inside yet another door. His boots were red and muddy. He was sure that he reeked worse than someone who had traversed sewers. In the new room he had gotten into. He was standing on a narrow bridge, underneath which lay another bloody marsh. Gigantic rats roamed the bloody swamp with big bloated bumps on their back. Surgit was pretty sure that puss would explode out of them if he ever hit them. The source of the clashing metal was visible in front of his eyes. Huge axes swung in the air along the bridge, hitting the surface slightly as they carved a small space on it. The metallic sound was due to them hitting the bridge and the outer walls of the room as they swung like pendulums. ''One wrong move and I''m dead'' though Surgit. And if he ever survived the hit from one of the swinging axes, he would be easy food for the rats below. This was indeed a perfect place for a hunter. Anomalies to slay roamed the place in abundance and deadly traps were laid to improve his perception and agility. With careful steps, Surgit crossed the bridge, jumping at the opportune moment to avoid the deadly strikes. As he reached the end, he found a closed door that he pushed open. Inside, the light emanating from a hanging chandelier blinded him for a moment. He was used to the darkness in the place that light was almost unbearable. The room was wide and composed of two floors. He was on the first one. The ground was decorated with dark blue tiles and the walls had dark visible bricks stacked one on top of the other in a disorderly fashion. Old wooden crates stood on a corner. The wood was rotten and Surgit could see that there was nothing of value stocked inside. In fact, there was nothing at all. Down the stairs, Surgit saw a fat giant. He was similar to the fat executioner that broke his back but this one wore no armor. Like the enemies he had encountered at the entrance, he had only loincloth covering his private part. His skin was pale and polished. The light reflected on it made it look like he was staring at a marble statue. Only the statue moved and its fat belly bounced left and right as the big fat enemy ran up the stairs towards him. He was holding a long pole that he used as a weapon and swung at Surgit as soon as he reached him. Surgit dodged left and right and danced around his attacks. He was slow and his attacks were easy to read. He baited his largest swing and shot him in the belly. The bullet pierced its stomach and the impact made small circles travel through its body. The scene was funny to Surgit who repressed a smile as he inserted his beastly claws deep within the layers of fat. The giant rolled down the stairs as Surgit removed his hands, killing his foe in the process. Down on the lower floor, Surgit had finally found the intricate lever that allowed opening the first door which led to the first watcher of the dungeon. The lever was made in a complex design. A half-moon circle was the base of the lever. The base had some type of small lanterns on each side, ''a decoration'' he thought. Surgit had to move the stick from left to right and he had to use great strength in doing so; again another confirmation that these dungeons were not made for ordinary humans. As soon as the lever traveled to the right, the color of the half-moon circle changed to violet. All he had to do was move back towards the first room and hope he doesn''t get lost in the way. He found no difficulty going back to the first area. Thanks to the doors he had marked, he managed to find his way back easily and access the previously barred door. As he got inside, he found another big gate. He pushed it open and this time, the door seemed to move by itself as soon as his hands made contact with it. The door opened to a large circular room. In the center stood a giant unlike any he had seen before. His first reaction was to use his insight to see what he was dealing with. ''Undead Giant'' the little voices murmured inside his head. It was at least 30 feet tall and held curved swords as big as Surgit on each hand. The sword seemed to be an extension of his right arm. On his left, instead of having a hand it had a big lump of flesh. The lump constituted a big ball to which the hilt of the blade was merged. The sight of the giant wasn''t soothing to the eyes either. Its flesh was rotten and puss was oozing out from some inflated pustules on its legs. Its back was hunched and it had some form of mutated muscles growing all around the curved area. All in all, Surgit had to deal with a new abomination. The giant moved towards Surgit. Its movements were slow and every step shook the earth beneath him slightly. It seemed encumbered by its own weight and that at least offered Surgit some respite. ''Were it big and fast, I don''t think I would stand a chance against it at this point'' he thought as he clutched his weapon in his hand and advanced towards his foe. The giant smashed the curved sword towards Surgit ''Too slow'' he thought as he moved aside and the blade crashed against the floor. A strong gush of wind almost elevated Surgit from the ground. The impact of the weapon on the ground was far greater than he could''ve imagined ''but very strong'' he finished his thought. It took him almost fifteen minutes of dodging and jumping from side to side to get the giant to come to a halt. ''It takes energy to dodge and jump around, but it takes even more to swing and miss. Let me show you what I can do now.'' He dashed towards the big bloated area on the giant''s leg and cut it open. He jumped back on time to see puss pouring down to the ground. The giant howled in pain and fell to its knees. Surgit, with the help of his bigger beastly arm ripped the giant''s chest open and looked for its heart. His claws closed on muscle and he felt that he tore them to pieces. There was no heart in there though. He knew that it was just muscle inside that body. The damage was done and blood was seeping down the giant''s body. Its movement slowed down too but Surgit had more work to do if he ever wanted to stop that hulking beast from moving. He needed to aim for the head which was too far from his reach. The giant stood back and charged again. It swung with both its arms in frenzy. Surgit had to jump back and observe the scene. He could not approach. Even if the attacks were slow, he wouldn''t be able to reach his opponent without getting hit. He was pretty certain that one hit could slice him in half. And so he tried to shoot the giant in the head. Once, twice, thriceˇ­ nothing happened. The giant kept swinging and smashing its hands (which were actually swords) all around. After some minutes the giant stopped again. One could only have limited stamina to execute such a frenzied attack and not tire even if it was a giant. Surgit ran towards his foe and struck at its legs which were as hard as concrete. His saw just grazed them without leaving any scratch. Surgit had to change tactics. He needed the giant on its knees again. He jumped behind his enemy and shot his pistol, this time aimed towards the anomalies on its back. Blood spurted out of them and the giant moaned. Surgit shot three more bullets and it became apparent that his foe was in pain. He released three consecutive shots, aiming for the same spot and an explosion of blood and puss resulted from this attempt. The giant howled and tried to reach for its back with its hands, slicing its own back in the process. That was enough to put the giant on its knees. ''Big, scary and stupid, serves you well'' he thought as he jumped on the giant''s back and planted his saw on the visible mutated flesh. He thrust his saw in the wounds and used it as counterbalance to advance towards the head. The giant howled and moved its back every time the saw was thrust deep within its open wounds. Surgit had to stop every time and hold tight to his saw in order not to fall. At last he was on the level of its neck. There was swollen flesh in there and Surgit knew what to do. He shot the spot, putting his gun at point blank range. The impact created a hole big enough for him to perform a visceral attack. His beastly arm found the giant''s spine and crushed it. The howling finally stopped and Surgit found himself thrust to the ground. He came back later to retrieve his saw which was still inserted deep within the now dead giant. ''That wasn''t too hard. But then again, one hit and I could''ve died.'' 115 A Distant Call From The Queen Fear is a better catalyst than motivation. That''s what Karla learned as she saw the kidnapper approach her on the bridge. She knew she was nimble, quick on her feet. The kidnapper on the other hand was faster and stronger. She had to find a way out of that predicament and quick; knowing that she was no match for him one on one. And so she jumped on the railing of the bridge and ran towards the other end of it. The kidnapper followed and tried to interject her. Every time the beast stopped and tried to attack, she''d jump to the other railing and continue running. She knew that one attack could send her free falling off the bridge. But it was also harder for the kidnapper to attack her head on. These beasts were huge and fast, but they had no agility and could not face her standing on a railing. As soon as Karla crossed the bridge she made her way towards the first building in sight; another tower as tall as the one she had just come out from. Inside, the building was dark and silent. She could hear the kidnapper hard on her heels and she had to make haste. She ran upstairs towards the top of the tower. She had a plan in mind and it relied solely on her capacity to reach the top first. If she was to lose her life, she would''ve preferred it to be on her terms. She assumed the stairs were aligned the same way as the ones in the previous tower. She had to make that gamble; the beast might have better eyesight than hers and could catch up with her at any moment. She jumped on the wooden railings. As soon as her feet made contact with the old rotten wood, her feet flailed and she almost fell off. ''This is going to be a dangerous endeavor, but so be it.'' She thought as she blindly jumped to the opposite side, throwing her arms forward, looking for a solid surface to hold on to. Her hands made contact with wood and she found herself clutching the railing of the opposite staircase. Her assumption was confirmed and so she jumped again to the opposite side. She started climbing the tower one jump at a time zigzagging through the void in between the staircases. She had gained a significant lead over her pursuer. In no time she reached the top of the tower. The conical roof stood imposing on top of her head, ''one last climbˇ­. Come on, you can do it'' she mentally screamed at herself. She could hear hurried footsteps approaching. She had but few seconds to get her plan in motion. She saw the window on top. The stairs that used to lead to the attic on top were destroyed. She climbed and clutched every small crevice she could find on the wall and made her way towards the open window. As soon as she got out, she felt the fresh air slap her face and the wind almost blew her off balance. She heard the kidnapper scream underneath. The beast tried hard to jump towards the window to no avail. Karla was out of breath. She was holding onto the window pane in order to keep her balance. She stood there and pricked her ears for any sign of movement inside the tower. She didn''t know for how long she hung from that window. The kidnapper had gotten bored of trying to climb towards the window and gave up. Karla chose to stay out there and wait long enough for her pursuer to be far away in order to get back inside the building. From there, she managed to spot a road that took back towards Central Yharnam. This place was hidden from the masses sure, but from high up, one could see a way back towards the aqueducts. It didn''t seem to be an easy way since the streets were crawling with monsters, possibly something worse than the kidnapper. But she had to make her way there and get back to Yharnam. **** Blood, fire and corpses became Francis'' routine. Everywhere he went, he''d leave a trail of corpses behind him. The beasts inhabiting Hemwick were no match for him. He''d been thinking about his nameless master''s words all along. He would kill beasts and collect their echoes in order to get stronger. He had an idea on what to strengthen once he''d collected enough echoes of blood. All that was left for him was to thoroughly cleanse Hemwick from the beasts roaming it. His thirst for knowledge hadn''t been satiated yet but he had to settle at that moment for what he had been given. He would roam around the village, leaving no stone unturned until he''d finally manage to understand what has really been happening in there. From what he observed before, the women ¨C now turned beasts ¨C had been harvesting human bodies for some kind of end. They would mainly take organs as the remains would be burned later on. Only at some moment, the women turned mad and started killing everybody who dared approach their hamlet. He was standing on top the tiled roofs of one of the houses in the village; watching over the howling women below him. He felt like the grim reaper; an eastern one wielding a katana instead of a scythe. Half a dozen mad women were roaming below him, screaming and tearing their hair away. One of them stood far away, with two dogs at her side. He knew from experience that this one fought from afar, raining Molotov cocktails at him while the others swarmed him and dogs hindered his movements. He had made the mistake before and he wasn''t willing to fall into the trap again. He jumped from roof to roof until he reached that woman first and struck her down with a clean cut that sent her head flying several feet away. The poor disheveled dogs didn''t have time to riposte. They were dealt with swiftly as Francis made his way towards the five patrolling ladies. As soon as he reached them, he performed his bloody dance around them and slashed them open with his sword. He stood motionless as he heard a bell ringing. The sound felt like it was coming from inside his head, but at the same time he swore it could be heard in the outside too. As soon as the bell''s timbre stopped, a red shadowy aura concealed a figure appearing from underneath the ground. It had gray skin and long disheveled hair. The creature wielded a scythe on its right hand. As soon as they made eye contact, the monster let out a howl and charged at Francis. The fight went on in Francis'' favor as usual. He dodged the crazy looking being''s first two attacks and relieved it from its arms with two clean strikes. He then proceeded to stabbing it and splitting its body in two vertical halves. He''d grown bored of creatures who pose no immediate threat to him. He even started begging from some new challenge that would bring the adrenaline rush backˇ­ and the fear of death. He started to forget what that felt like. As he moved forward, Francis noticed that he was getting deeper into uncharted territory. Hemwick was a pretty big town. Two main buildings had caught his attention the first time he had been in there. The first one was where he encountered the nameless hunter. The second was the one he was heading to. It appeared to be a big mansion from which light was always on, as a beacon beckoning him towards it. A metallic gate used to bar his way from reaching it but he had found his way around it. He was then standing in a crossroad. On his left was the gate which he opened using a contraption once he managed to find his way round. On his right there was a road leading to a broken bridge. Under the bridge there was a massive lake and far off, he could see some gigantic building on an island. He could not make out what the building was or how to reach it. Little did Francis know that the building he''d seen in the distance had called to him in his dreams, ever since he became a hunter. 116 Strange treasure In front of Francis there was another road leading up towards the mansion. As he made his way toward his objective, he saw a dark figure approaching him. He knew from its shape what it was. One of the executioners was patrolling the street. Fighting them was no longer a challenge for Francis. He knew perfectly well how they fought as he''d encountered them many times before. As soon as the hulking beast saw him, it came running straight at him. Francis readied his pistol to shoot second before its axe came crashing towards his skull. A shot was released. The beast was on the ground. Francis got ready to transform his right arm and reduce the beast''s insides into mushy fluid. The sound of heavy footsteps was heard before Francis could complete his visceral attack. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a fast swing aimed at him. He instinctively jumped back but his instincts were not of an experienced warrior. Although he managed to avoid a direct hit from the gigantic axe, its hilt managed to make contact with his body and send him flying dozens of paces away. He stood back, ''hard to breatheˇ­.'' He inspected his chest and found out that several of his ribs were broken. With a shot from a blood vial, he managed to repair the damage and look at what had happened. One of the executioners lured him towards attacking while another was lying in ambush. He''d almost lost his head in one strike. Francis had a bad habit of getting overconfident then makingnear fatal mistakes. That moment was one of them and he cursed himself for being a fool despite his age and experience. The two executioners were running towards him. He slapped himself to regain his composure and got ready to retaliate. Meeting both of them at the same time was going to be a challenge, but not a difficult one if he kept a cool head. The two beasts split up and made to attack him from different angles. Francis turned to the one on his right ¨C the one who had ambushed him ¨C and jumped over his sweeping attack. He softly landed on his toes a charged immediately before the swing from the one at his back could reach him. As the wind got cut right before the back of his head, he cut the beast''s leg and made it stumble down on its knee. He then jumped behind it just before the second blow from the axe came crashing towards his back. The axe hit the staggered executioner and spilt its head in two. Francis appeared from behind its corpse to slash the other giant''s legs and bring down to its knees. He then followed his attack with a thrust to its neck. Then with a swift swing, Francis managed to cut the executioner''s head off. ''That takes care of things.'' He slapped himself again and jumped on the same spot twice as if he were motivating himself to do better. Francis walked through the road he had just cleared. The path led upwards towards the entrance to the mansion. As he walked through the muddy road, Francis noticed a small wooden house to his right. He got closer and decided to inspect the place first. The front door was strongly barricaded. Francis tried to force it open but gave up on the idea after a few pushes. ''It''s probably filled with corpses,'' he thought as the repugnant smell reached his nose. Something kept his attention focused on the house though. Somehow, he knew that there was something special about that small wooden house. He just couldn''t put his finger on it. With three swift swings from his Chikage, Francis cut the door open. Corpses flooded towards him and the rotten smell almost intoxicated him. He coughed as he made way for the pile of corpses. Francis brought a piece of cloth to cover his mouth and nose and went inside. At first glance, there was nothing extraordinary about the place. Francis started doubting his sixth sense but he kept looking nonetheless. There were some old wares scattered all around the decaying house. Furniture had been corroded by mold and even the wooden pillars of the house looked like they were about to collapse. Whoever lived in this place before had an affinity towards trinkets and oddities. In the farthest room from the entrance, Francis found something quite peculiar. It looked like a treasure room built by a child. The content of the treasures varied from one item to another. ''Perhaps these had great value to people before the beastly scourge,'' Francis was thinking about the place as he stroked the little white hair that grew on his chin. ''Let''s see, we have useless wares, some big empty wooden chests, a big metallic jug eaten by rustˇ­'' Francis was sorting out the items he found in the room. Part of him wanted to leave the place while the other still pressed him to look some more. He didn''t know why, perhaps it was his insight taking over, or it was just his curious nature. Either way, Francis kept looking and sorting the useless items. ''Look what we have here,'' he pulled a small wooden box from underneath a pile of rusted iron cups. The box had a complex carving and seemed to belong to some noble family. ''Our late collector had gotten his hands on something precious. It even has its own sigil!'' Francis looked at the wooden box with awe. Despite the humid air and the countless dead bodies stacked inside the house, the wood still managed to keep its splendor. Francis was puzzled at the properties of the wood from which the box was made. He opened the box and found an intricately designed necklace. The chain was made of gold and its links were smaller than an ant. Francis'' eyes widened as he saw the sigil on the precious stone attached to the chain. The stone had a dark red sparkle to it. Francis was amazed at the work that had been done on the stone. It was a jewel he had never laid eyes upon in his lifetime. Being an old wealthy merchant who had traveled to many places and seen what no one could see in their lifetime, Francis was bewildered. The stone had a dark red color and a deathly aura surrounded it. On the inside, Francis could see two lions circling each other but never attacking. As he moved the jewel around, it felt like the lions were moving as well. Francis couldn''t help but admire the work of whoever engraved that sigil inside the stone without damaging it. Francis pocketed the necklace without inspecting it. He decided to ask his mentor about it as soon as he finished exploring the mansion. After all, he grew tired of this village and wanted to find a way towards Byrgenwerth. He longed to meet the scholars that made Yharnam a legendary place. Francis left the old wooden house and walked upwards, towards the mansion. At the front door he found a trio of mad ladies guarding it. They did their best to stop him but he was too focused, too fired up to be stopped by mere mindless assailants. Francis entered the place to find it old and decrepit, as if it was untouched for many years. The ceiling was crumbling and the entrance hall filled with corpses. In fact, it wasn''t even a hall. It was rather a small room, which was filled with corpses, with a staircase leading down. Francis immediately took the stairs and went down. As he entered the next room he understood that he was in no mansion. He was in a large hall filled with hanging corpses and strange statues. At the end of the hall, he saw a small door yet before he could move towards it he heard footsteps to his right. 117 A never ending nightmare ''How did I ever get into this mess?'' Karla was climbing a high wall, a gamble she had to make if she wanted to reach Yharnam. ''First we pursue a legend no one was sure even existed. Then we find a dying man who claimed to know the way there. We finally reach the place to find ourselves in a place akin to a nightmare.'' She blamed herself for being dragged into such a dangerous place. All her previous thoughts and wishes for death had been wiped out from her memory. She wanted to live. Moreover, she wanted to leave this nightmarish place. ''No place is safe in Yharnam. All the strong warriors who came with us died fighting each other or their own madness.'' The wall she was climbing looked like it was made to conceal Yahar''gul from people''s sight. She didn''t want to know the reason behind it. All she wanted was to reach Central Yharnam then the Cathedral Ward; the last known place for Francis. The higher she climbed, the longer she thought. The monsters that appeared to be out of this world, the people who looked like they''d lost their minds for a long time. Surgit, the withering man who was at death''s doorsteps saved her life before. ''From all people it had to be him? The man I looked down on so much for being a weakling?'' The memory brought back all the shame she had felt and the pain that Paul had inflicted on her. But amongst all the injuries she had suffered, nothing equaled Francis'' abandoning and disappearing to god knows where. She had to find him and have a word with the old man. ''This city has a tendency of making weak people strong. I hope he hasn''t lost his mind either. That blabbering old fool would better have a good explanation to give.'' She was angry, mainly at herself for being a trusty pawn. ''Finally back! First things first, I have to find the sword I lost to that scary kidnapper.'' Karla was familiar with the set out of Central Yharnam at that point. She knew the streets she had roamed with Francis at her heels. She was at the great bridge leading towards the Cathedral Ward; the one where they''d fought that cleric beast. That place brought back the memory of how she helped Surgit defeat it. ''That man had become a hunter? He has limited fighting skills, but the ability to heal his wounds and regain the upper hand on the battle sure is handy.'' She was surprised as she felt a tinge of jealousy seeping through her veins. She was a formidable fighter. Everybody attested to that. However, looking at somebody who barely knew the basics of sword fighting bring such a gigantic foe down was something worthy only of great warriors. She still resented blood healing and resorted to it only during critical moments. Karla had taken the other route towards Cathedral ward. She was already close to reaching the lower streets through the dark tower she had seen Francis come out of earlier. Although it was from afar, she swore it was him. Call it instinct or women''s intuition, she was sure the man walking down the dark alleys was Francis. Tracking him would be difficult but she had to retrieve her sword first. She wasn''t comfortable using the heavy one the church doctors had lent her in Yahar''gul. And so she leapt from one building to another like a nimble cat until she reached the lower dark streets of Yharnam. It was there that she''d lost her sword and got kidnapped by that beast. It was there that she realized the horror in which they had landed. ''Back to square one!'' a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu had overtaken her. Dealing with the kidnapper would be quite troublesome in her current state. The beast could take many hits without showing any signs of weariness or fear. They keep relentlessly coming back with more ferocious attacks and deal a lot of damage if she were to take one hit. She remembered that pale beast which looked like a human. Tentacles grew out of its mouth and it had some kind of antenna on top of its head. She knew what to do. She was walking carefully through the dark lower streets of Yharnam. Every sound made her look around, prying for any sign of an enemy attack. She knew where to find the kidnapper and how to prompt the fight. She walked through a small alley, taking a detour to surprise-attack the monster and deal some heavy damage. Every step she took was carefully calculated. She made sure that no sound whatsoever would come out from her steps; like a feline hunter, stalking its prey from the shadows. She spotted the kidnapper standing watch over a small plaza. The street next to it would eventually lead her to where the other monster lurked. She knew that most of the monsters end up coming back to life. She didn''t know how it triggered. All she knew is that Yharnam loves torturing people so much that it brings deadly creatures back to life just so they could be tortured some more. She felt like she was exploring a nightmare where the agony never stopped. Worst of it all, the pain she experienced felt real, and the wind on her face felt refreshing. She never remembered her dreams being so lifelike. On the other hand, this place felt like a nightmare, the worst she''d ever had. As she approached the kidnapper, she jumped towards his knees and used the momentum to strike as hard as she could. Mixing speed with strength had always helped her severe her enemies'' limbs. The kidnappers bones cracked but the beast still managed to turn around and let out its dreadful scream. Karla took flight and headed towards the small alley. The kidnapper, despite not showing its weakness, was slow to follow her. ''That injury could be enough for the two to duke it out equally.'' Her suspicion about monsters coming back to life was confirmed as she saw the strange pale creature standing near a tree at the end of the street. Karla didn''t wait until she was spotted by the beast but jumped towards a balcony and started climbing higher. ''This would give me a chance to watch the fight and assess my best course of action.'' She sat down on a balcony on the third floor of a building by the time the kidnapper had caught on ¨Cor so it thought- with her. As soon as the pale beast looked at the kidnapper, it screamed and let out a blue halo from its hands. The halo flew straight towards the kidnapper and surrounded it. It was like a chain, binding it. The kidnapper tried hard to break the seal, to no avail. The pale creature ran towards the tall snatcher and caught its shoulders with big pale hands. Karla then looked at the pale beast inserting the antenna protruding from its head into the kidnapper''s. It looked like it was sucking life out of the tall monster. As soon as the pale creature finished "drinking" whatever it found in the kidnapper''s head, the victim collapsed on the floor. Karla got ready to get down and kill the pale creature when she saw the kidnapper rising back up again. ''Now it''s going to get angry'' Karla knew what was about to happen. The kidnapper got up and a red aura enveloped its body. The snatcher became faster and more aggressive. The fight ended in two strikes from the angry kidnapper. An uppercut followed by a smash with the bag the monster carried on its back were enough to bring the pale creature to eternal slumber; or in this case, momentary slumber until it comes back to life again. Karla, watching from above, was devising a plan on how to finish off the kidnapper. She had noticed her sword lying beneath the tree in the small plaza. She immediately plunged towards the kidnapper and thrust her sword between its shoulders. That attack should have been enough to immobilize any living creature. However the monsters inhabiting Yharnam still managed to move as long as they could still breathe. Karla rushed towards her sword while the kidnapper was slowly following her, struggling to move. She picked up her sword and with a swift pirouette, managed to dodge the incoming attack aimed at her head. She then swung her sword with all her might, aiming for the kidnapper''s neck. The monster''s head rolled down on the floor. Only the big sword''s hilt remained to replace its head. ''Now''s the time to look for Francis'' thought Karla as she swung one more time in the air with her sword, splashing blood on the ground. She felt much better with her own weapon at hand. 118 Approaching doom - "Disposing of that witch was no easy task" - "I''d met a hunter long ago who attempted to kill her. I haven''t seen him ever since. I''m surprised you managed to dispose of her without dying even once." - "Well, I had an extra incentive. Dying would''ve meant losing the echoes you still hold." - "Indeed. However I don''t think you need them anymore since that witch holds even more echoes than the ones you lost to me when you died." - "Call me greedy then! I just wanted to get back my echoes. Don''t think I''ve forgotten how you killed me. I''m grateful for that somehow, since I got to discover the hunters'' dream." Francis had just come back from his exploration of the village of Hemwick. He had stumbled upon the witch of Hemwick and he''d wanted to know more about her and what she was doing in that mansion. - "By the way, that hunter you talked about, I think I''ve found him." - Is that so? - "I''ve rather found his corpse. I also found this item within his belongings. I don''t think he needs it anymore." Francis took a small metallic tool from his pocket and showed it to the nameless retired hunter. It looked like a small wine opener. The only difference was at the bottom of the tool. Instead of a screw, metal converged in an intricate way to create a seal of some sort. It looked elegant. Yet something about this tool feltˇ­ abnormal. - "You''ve found quite a tool here my dear apprentice." Francis could feel envy in the eyes of his self-proclaimed master. - "What is this thing used for?" - "Have you seen a bloody desk in the hunter''s workshop?" asked the nameless hunter with a smirk on his face; as if proud of his stupidly made up pun. - "Yes I remember seeing one with a white cloth colored red with blood" replied Francis, not amused. - "That desk is what hunters long ago used for rune induction." The retired hunter switched back to his serious tone. - "I''ve read about those runes somewhere in the Upper Cathedral Ward. Aren''t they the ones that do not rely on blood?" - "Indeed" replied nameless "hunters from the past had a sense of humor I suppose. Whoever put it there was clearly being sarcastic. The joke was well received and so the cloth stayed in there." - "I''ve also read that the runes transcriptions were long lost. How is that tool going to benefit me then?" - "That, my dear pupil, is up to you to find out about. You see, I''ve never used them myself. I thought the art was long gone and frankly, no one ever sought to use it again." Francis could see sparks of jealousy emanating from the retired hunter''s eyes. "And to think that rascal had it all to himself and never bothered to share it with anybodyˇ­" - "You seem to have known that hunter pretty well," observed Francis. - "That is of no matter now. How about we settle our score and you set off on your journey. I''ve nothing else to teach you and I''m quite sure you''re pretty excited about exploring other areas of Yharnam. After all the night of the hunt is long, almost unendingˇ­" - "There is one more thing I wish to ask of you. Do you know anything of that building far off beyond the lake?" - "You''ve got good eyes for an old man," replied nameless with another smirk. "It''s the forsaken castle Cainhurst, or that''s what some would believe." - "And you like to speak inconspicuously. I must add, your sense of humor is quiteˇ­ unsettling." Francis clearly did not appreciate nameless'' jokes. "Anyway, how do I get to this forsaken castle?" - "I simply don''t know and I couldn''t care less. I merely opened your eyes to the possibilities a hunter has to improve." Nameless was glaring at Francis. "You know what''s tiring? Having to answer questions from a newbie who thinks he''s special. I''m a retired hunter. All I wanted was a proper send off. I''m tired of this place and all I want is to die in a fight." - "You seem to be tired of my curiosity. Well I''ll make sure to apologize properly and pay you back for the way you''d shot me earlier." Francis drew his sword and got ready for battle. The nameless hunter swung his cane in the air and it transformed into a whip; an elegant weapon suited for Yharnamites who adored flashy costumes and trinkets. The nameless hunter was first to attack. He dashed towards Francis and swung his cane-turned-whip towards his head. Francis almost instinctively shot his pistol and the quicksilver bullet landed on nameless'' chest. The retired hunter fell to his knees. "How about a beastly send off?" asked Francis as he plunged his transformed arm through the retired hunter''s chest and ripped it apart. "Rest in agony, master" said Francis as he withdrew his hand from his fallen enemy''s body. Not long after, the retired hunter''s body dissipated like a mirage. "Well that was easier than disposing of that witch," said Francis as if speaking to himself. "Now what do I do? I guess I''ll return to the dream and spend these well-earned echoes." *** Karla had scanned the totality of the lower streets of Cathedral Ward. There was no sign of Francis. She''d lost sight of him since that time on the bridge. Too many events unfolded since then and she didn''t even know where to start looking. He could have been long gone. But there she was, patrolling the same streets over and over again. She felt like someone trying to find a solution to a problem by repeating the same actions over and over again. In short, she felt dumb. ''I have to think about this differently.'' She thought as she got up from the roof tiles on which she was sitting. She''d had enough time to familiarize herself with the layout of the Cathedral Ward. From Oedon chapel there were three branching paths, each leading to a different part of the city. From where the peculiar beggar sat, there were three doors. The one to the front led to the upper part of the Cathedral Ward. The one on the left led to the lower part of the district while the one on the right led to the tower where she had glanced Francis before. She looked at the bell the beggar had handed her. According to the blind weirdo, Surgit waited for Karla in the chapel for a very long time. She felt bad for not honoring her word. Even if the kidnapper hadn''t snatched her and thrown her in Yahar''gul, she still wouldn''t have showed up in the chapel. She was too focused on finding Francis. Surgit''s kindness somehow irritated her. She still thought of Surgit as a weakling who survives by being kind to others. That sort of way to deal with life situations irritated her. She felt that she already owed him too much for saving her life, she wouldn''t possibly ring that bell to ask for his help. She decided to continue her research by process of elimination. If Francis came down from the tower above, he might not come back to it for a long time. She had been jumping from roof to roof, scanning every street while avoiding monster encounters, for more than she had planned to. All the streets were populated by monstrosities which can slice a man in half in one strike, using their claws. Others had fangs that can, with one bite, pierce through muscle and bone; eliminating all chances of survival; traversing the streets below meant encountering beasts. It was a risk not worth taking. Her only objective was finding Francis, not wasting her time and effort on needlessly killing monsters. She decided to explore the lower parts of the Cathedral Ward. She took the left exit from Oedon chapel and went down some stairs. The stairs led towards a square with a well in the middle. From the square there were two sets of stairs: the first lead towards the upper district while the second to the lower part. She moved towards the ones which led down. The sound of steps coming from her right made her stop. With the corner of her eyes, she could make out two shapes rushing towards her. She immediately jumped forward to dodge an incoming attack. As soon as she turned around, another swing almost caught her to the chest. Her experience trumped however and her body moved seamlessly. After dodging the second attack, her sword found its way into soft flesh and tore through with enough strength to severely damage it. A "thud" was heard next to her feet while other steps could be heard in the distance. Karla looked at the source of the sound to see a ghastly figure approaching her. It looked like a man whose blood was drained from its entire body. His skin was as pale as the moon. Although taller than the norm, he had all features of regular men. He wore a white coat, like those of doctors, and a top hat. His trousers were grey and he wore a pair of black shoes. On his right hand he held a thick cane which he did not use to help him walk. On the left, he held a lantern. The only unusual feature in his attire was a bell that hung on his neck. As the man ran towards her, the bell moved but produced no sound. It was a strange necklace to use. ''Was this a trend in their fashion?'' she wondered, bewildered. Once he got close enough, he swung his cane towards her head. She ducked in time and, using the momentum, jumped over the man''s head. She performed a somersault and as her feet pointed towards the ground, she swung her sword as hard as she could. As soon as her feet made contact with the ground, the man''s head followed. These beasts were weaker than the ones she encountered in Yahar''gul. *** Gavril opened his eyes. He was back within the mansion of the old witch. "My liege, I have done what you asked for and pointed the clueless hunter your way," he said in some kind of prayer. "Now is the time for this old man to have some fun." He took out a small bell from his pocket and rang it. The bell could intercept other hunters calling for help. Whoever rings a beckoning bell will encounter Gavril''s wrath. He was itching to kill and massacreˇ­ 119 Summoning a friend Surgit had spent a long period of time in the Pthumeru Chalice Dungeon. The first level''s enemies weren''t too much of a challenge to him. The guardians of the two doors he had already opened were the Undead Giant and the Merciless Watchers. What Surgit found interesting was the amount of knowledge he gained from going through the dungeon. One level was enough for Surgit to have a clearer understanding of how blood echoes functioned. Basically, each enemy he encounters has battle experience. What hunters generally do is borrow each prey''s battle experience and harness it to themselves. After each kill, a hunter absorbs the echoing will of a dead beast. Those echoes are the accumulation of each beast''s strength and battle experience. What is more supernatural about the ability to absorb echoes, is the fact that these echoes are automatically rendered neutral. In simpler terms, a hunter gains the experience of the beast by slaughtering it. This experience however, stays in a neutral realm and waits to be converted into strength. Only by using an external catalyst can a hunter achieve that. The catalyst in this case is the doll in the dream. Echoes are categorized by the beasts'' deadly power and the amount of battle they have survived. The more battles they have survived, the more cunning and ruthless they are. In the beastly world of Yharnam, the ability to crush every opposition is the only thing of value. Blood echoes are also categorized by color: the deadlier the beast, the darker the color. Surgit had been hunting first level beasts all along. Every time he hunts a low-level beast, a green light would condense in a cluster. By amassing enough echoes, a dark green cluster forms. The cluster has the shape of a galaxy, the farther you look from the center, the lighter the color gets. After the colors from the center to the edge of each galaxy condense and form the same shade, a cluster is formed. Obtaining green clusters is the easiest. However in order to obtain blue or red, one has to beast and extraordinary being. The stronger the beast, the more echoes one can absorb from them. For instance, Surgit had managed to beast two strong beasts: the Undead Giant and the Merciless Watchers. Although the two fights weren''t too hard for Surgit, if he had made the smallest mistake, he would''ve been dead. The Merciless Watchers were a pain since they were three and attacked in unison. While two attacked using their melee weapons, another shot at him from the distance. His despise for snipers increased tenfold. He had to bait the two and dispose of them while hiding behind pillars. If it weren''t for his deadly visceral attack, the fight would have lasted much longer. It was after he disposed of the ugly watchers that he realized a cold truth. Surgit could not leave the labyrinth unless he killed the first level''s Gate Watcher. Each level of the labyrinth had access to the next one through an elevator. Accessing the elevator means opening the elevator gate. The deeper one goes, the more requirements they get in order to access the elevator gate. For Surgit''s case, he had to dispose of the two watchers then access the final chamber. The final chamber hosts one more extraordinary beast to slay. If Surgit couldn''t slay the beast, he wouldn''t be able to leave the labyrinth. He was trapped inside. So far, Surgit had collected 4 green clusters. He received two while fighting the Undead Giant and The Pale Fat Watchers, then two others while clearing the whole area near each boss from monsters. With that amount of echoes, he could easily upgrade his strength one more step. He could get back to the dream on the condition that he forfeits his echoes. As soon as he gets back to the labyrinth again, Surgit will have to repeat the whole process from the beginning. This prospect didn''t appeal to him one bit. He pondered for a bit, and decided to risk it all and fight the beast. If it was too difficult to beat, he could always collect his echoes on his way back to fight the Gate Watcher. At that moment, Surgit heard a faint ring. It appeared to come from every direction. Surgit didn''t know if the sound came from inside his head or from the outside. Suddenly, the ringing became louder and Surgit''s eyes widened. Karla must be summoning his phantom to Oedon Chapel. **** Francis was stunned. Karla looked beat and weak. He didn''t know if it was due to his transformation to a hunter or to her actual state. In short, Karla no longer had that scary aura around her. They had met a few hours ago at Oedon Chapel. When Karla first saw Francis, she pointed her sword at him and demanded an explanation. Francis had been punishing his cowardly self for leaving Karla behind ever since Surgit told him that she survived. In truth, Francis admired the woman for her strength and sense of duty. Back then, the crow lady had told him that Karla couldn''t be saved. He assumed that she died and moved on. But Francis always remembered everything she had done for him and the sense of loss intensified in his mind. It was only after he heard of her survival from Surgit that he cheered up. After seeing the sadness in Francis'' eyes when he apologized to her, Karla decided to let bygones be bygones. She only wanted to have an explanation as to why he''d left her behind. She was staring at the necklace he had given her. She felt like she had seen the seal inside the red gem somewhere. No matter how hard she thought about it, her mind couldn''t come up with a name for the place. She knew that the seal was related to some specific place. For some reason, just the thought of the place filled her with dread. But the name still wouldn''t come to her. She averted her gaze from the necklace and stared at Francis. "So, did it work?" she asked. Francis was holding the Hunter''s Bell Surgit had given to the dweller. He rang it and soft sound emitted from it. Soon after, Francis could hear another bell ringing in the distance. The tinkle in each one had a different sound to it. Francis'' eyes widened as he saw a blue phantom appear next to the lantern. After the blue phantom formed, Francis recognized Surgit. "I see that you''ve gotten quite used to Yharnam and its secrets," Francis was addressing Surgit in a mocking tone. Surgit responded with a ''humph'' and looked at Karla: "Glad to see you safe and sound. From those bruises, I can assume that you''ve survived the worst?" Karla cleared her throat and prepared to say something but it was soon forgotten. He mouth opened and her eyes grew in size. A red phantom appeared from the ground, similar to Surgit''s phantom but with non-friendly intentions. The phantom materialized in front of them and a man holding a katana appeared. "From all the people I could barge into, it has to be you?" the red phantom asked, addressing Francis. 120 Annihilation Surgit stared at the red phantom dumbfounded. The hunter in front of him gave him the chills. He could feel that the man itched to kill. When the man spoke to Francis, Surgit was surprised. Even Francis was at a loss for words. It took Francis a minute before realizing who was standing opposite him. That man was Gavril, or as Francis knew him: the retired nameless hunter. "Have you used the echoes wisely?" he asked Francis. In fact, Francis had received a generous amount of echoes after he killed his master. That allowed him to significantly increase his bloodtinge and skill. Francis'' current level could be summarized as follows: Insight level: Eye Can See Strength: Waste of Skin (3) Skill: Skillful (3) Bloodtinge: Blood Hungry (4) Arcane: Blind (1) Francis could be considered a lucky beginner. Because of the Queen''s interest in him, he received a generous gift: plenty of blood echoes. He managed to become stronger than he could ever expect. Because of that, he wanted to reach the forsaken castle and know more about the strange dream he had. He wanted to get back to Oedon Chapel to find more information about the castle. Although he could clearly see it from Hemwick village, he couldn''t find a single way to access it. His goal was to find a way to gain access to the castle. As he entered the chapel, he met Karla, sitting atop the stairs leading the entrance. That encounter made him forget about his initial objective. After that came the encounter with Surgit then with Gavril. Each time something new showed up, Francis would slowly forget about his initial objective. Now that he was looking at Gavril, terror gripped him. This man''s aura couldn''t even compare to the man who trained him. His master had a cool, embracing aura whereas this one emitted a strong suffocating aura. Francis could feel the air becoming heavy and his breathing grew in speed. The red phantom appearance gave the man an even more terrifying appearance. He slyly smiled addressing the three of them: "Now, who should I kill first?" Surgit pulled Karla behind him and stared at the red phantom. When he gave the bell to the dweller, he didn''t think this could happen. As his insight level increased, Surgit started getting knowledge about objects even without holding them. It was as if his insight gave him a brief lecture about the nature of the object and it use. As Surgit went through the information about the Hunter''s Bell in Francis'' hands, he realized something new. Each time a hunter rings a bell of reckoning, a bell lady would appear in the area. The bell lady would ring a sinister bell to invite murderous invaders to hunt the beckoner. Since Francis rang the bell, the invader''s main target should be Francis. But nothing stopped this madman from killing Surgit and Karla in an instant. Surgit tightened his grip on the weapon. His phantom, he knew, wasn''t as strong and he was. He couldn''t afford to be hit by that hunter. Gavril looked at Karla and squinted. "Isn''t that the necklace you have found in Hemwick?" Francis trembled, that question confirmed the person identity. The man''s question was actually rhetorical. He looked at Francis and Gavril''s previously smiling face had turned into a murderer''s face as he was about to execute his victim. All traces of friendliness disappeared from Gavril. He stared at Francis for a long time, enough for the silence to be awkward, then smiled. "Since you value her so much, how about I torture her to death?" The scene from Paul torturing Karla flashed through Francis'' eyes. He tightened his grip on the Chikage and rushed towards, Gavril at full speed. Surgit didn''t waste any time and jumped at the red phantom. If they surround him, they might have a chance of disposing of him. As Francis stabbed with his sword, Surgit cut vertically with his elongated cleaver. Both their weapons slammed to the ground. At the moment the two of them attacked, Gavril managed to move too fast for their eyes to see. To the two of them, it appeared as if he had teleported behind them. Surgit''s vertical cut landed on the Chikage and pushed the weapon towards the ground. They heard a mocking laugh behind them and turned. Surgit internally cursed. ''What has Francis done to make this man this vicious towards him?'' In fact when Francis showed the necklace to Gavril, the old hunter''s face revealed a greedy look. Francis denied him the item. He told him that he intended to find a dear friend in Yharnam then find a way towards Cainhurst''s Castle. Francis had actually planned to find Karla and make amends. He just didn''t expect to meet her so soon. The necklace had the seal of the Forsaken Castle. Very few necklaces had been made in the time when the Castle used to recruit hunters to join their cause. As time passed, and after the castle had been wiped out, those necklaces became extremely rare. Little did Gavril know that a villager was summoned to join the ranks of the Castle''s knights. This man was excellent at extracting ritual materials. The queen saw in him an excellent provider of materials. The rarer sacrificial material one has, the more they can access ancient tombs and harvest old beasts'' blood. Alas, the Executioners invaded the castle and wiped it out of every breathing being and sealed the castle away. Gavril at that time was in a mission outside the castle. He was a spy disguised as a church doctor. The moment Gavril heard that the fanatic sect invaded Cainhurst Castle; he threw caution away and ran towards his Queen. He was a bit too late though as the Castle was sealed away and the massacre began. Gavril still held his hatred towards the executioner''s deep within heart.In the meantime, he cherished every item he could collect from the Forsaken Castle. Francis refusing to give him the necklace had offended him greatly. Gavril sheathed his sword and looked at the two hunters facing him. "Why isn''t she fighting?" asked Gavril mockingly. "Is it becauseˇ­ she can actually die?" Upon hearing those words, Karla shivered. What did he mean that she can actually die? Does it mean that this monster cannot? In Karla''s mind, several questions raced. Some were about the meaning of existence. Others were about the suffering that many people live through. She didn''t know why she had to suffer so. All her life, she wanted to challenge her body and mind to feel complete. But life kept sending her waves of hardships. She wondered at why she was so mercilessly challenged, day after day. Weren''t all her previous hardships enough? Why did life send her yet another mountain, impossible to climb? In a flash Gavril appeared in front of Karla and seized her from her hair. At that moment, all Karla''s willpower collapsed. As she stared the man in the eyes, she noticed how coldly he was ready to execute her. It felt like a helpless animal, about to be butchered by the merciless hunter. Tears filled her eyes and her body helplessly convulsed. She recalled her entire life and found out that all the suffering and the fighting she had been through was for naught. She couldn''t even remember a single happy memory from her life. That feeling alone, broke her. She cried uncontrollably and shouted: "What have I done to deserve this?" her question wasn''t addressed to the hunter, but to everyone and no one. She was addressing Life and Mother Nature. "Karla!" a voice in the distance shouted. Karla could faintly recognize Surgit''s voice. Surgit ran towards Karla as fast as he could. He shot Gavril and he deflected the bullet with a mere swing of his katana. The red phantom sighed: "If you''re willing to throw your life away." Gavril struck with his weapon. The movement of the weapon was too fast. Surgit didn''t even see the katana coming his way. Karla looked in horror as Surgit''s head rolled to the ground. The man she knew had become strong beyond her understanding died in one hit. Karla felt like a mountain had just landed on her. She remembered how this man saved her life before. She remembered how he saved her against those church doctors and she smiled. There was at least one person who genuinely cared about her during her miserable life. She smiled as tears flowed down her cheeks. Gavril looked at Francis and smiled. He inserted the katana deep within Karla''s abdomen. Blood filled her mouth. Then a screeching scream came from Karla as the man slowly elevated his sword and cut through Karla. Her shrieks sent Francis into a berserk state. He charged at Gavril and struck relentlessly with his weapon. Gavril managed to easily dodge all Francis'' attacks. Although he could dodge all the attacks, Francis didn''t give him any time to retaliate. He kept on pushing forward and aiming at Gavril''s openings. Gavril suddenly jumped back. He was instantly several paces away from Francis. The hunter sheathed his sword and took his pistol. "This pistol contains bullets I refined from my own blood. They''re stronger that what you usually use. Here, have a taste." As soon as he finished, two bullets flew from the pistol and landed on Francis'' chest. Francis felt like two spears were impaling him. "The difference between your bloodtinge and mine is simply astronomical. Perhaps, I''ll see you again old man. Hehˇ­hehˇ­hehˇ­" The red phantom faded as Francis'' body faded and got transported to the dream. 121 Life is unfair Rage filled Surgit as he awoke in the Chalice Dungeons. Although he couldn''t leave the dungeon, his phantom could. The only function a phantom has is to fight alongside the beckoner. They can gain echoes from the fight but they wouldn''t lose any if they die. Their real body held the echoes. He was faced with a big dilemma. On one hand he couldn''t leave the chalice unless he beats the final guardian. On the other hand he had to get back quickly to where Karla was. With any luck, Francis would stall the invading hunter until he came back. Little did he know that fight was already over, that Karla was mercilessly butchered by that mad hunter. Gavril was part of the Vilebloods, an ancient order formed to serve the Queen of Vilebloods. The vilebloods used to collect Blood Dregs from hunters they invade and successfully kill. The Queen of the Vilebloods believed that she could carry a child of blood. For that, hunters collected Blood Dregs and gifted them to the Queen. Blood Dregs would allegedly help the mysterious Queen successfully carry a child of blood. The whole Vileblood affair was shrouded in mystery. Only the ones that swore the oath to the Queen could perceive the dregs in hunters, then extract them from their corpses. Gavril was smiling as he sat atop a hill within Forbidden Woods. He flipped the dregs he took from Surgit and Francis in his hand and smiled. Amidst the heavy mist that surrounded the forest, one could clearly see Gavril''s eyes as they shone with a hint of red. In the end, Surgit quickly decided to forfeit his progress. He used a lantern that appeared before him to get to the dream. As soon as he reached the hunters'' dream, Surgit ran to the messenger''s fountain. Surgit urged the messenger to transport him to the chapel. As soon as his body materialized in the chapel, Surgit ran outside. The fight had taken place next to the rear exit of Oedon Chapel. When he got outside, a puzzling scene welcomed Surgit. Before him was the Cathedral Ward. A church doctor who stood next to a cart charged towards him. Surgit patiently waited for the doctor to attack then shot him. The visceral attack took care of business then Surgit resumed looking at the place. He knew that their fight had taken place here. But looking at it now, there was no sign indicating it. Karla was nowhere to be seen, Francis had also disappeared. Surgit looked up, alerted by the sound he heard coming from the chapel. His gaze fell on Francis. Upon crossing eyes with Surgit, Francis grew sad. "Did you see what he did to her?" Francis asked. "See what?" Surgit didn''t know what Francis was talking about. Startled, Francis ran towards Surgit and looked around. From where he stood earlier, the cart obstructed Francis''s field of view. Once he got past the cart, his mind raced and he felt lost. "I saw him kill her here. I tried to fight back but one shot from his firearm was enough to bring me downˇ­" Francis'' voice was low. One could feel the melancholy in Francis'' tone. "I thought that I had become exceptionally strong. It appears that we''ve just experienced the tip of the iceberg Surgit." He looked at the other hunter and sighed. "I don''t know what happened to her body, but Karla''s body was here after that fiend cut her open. As long as I live, I will not forget that boastful man." Francis clenched his fingers together and made a fist. Surgit was staring at Francis all along. After a while, he spoke: "What relationship do you have to that hunter?" Francis turned towards Surgit and sadly smiled. "He was my mentor," He finally said. Surgit looked at Francis some more then walked away. "I''ll be leaving now," Surgit started. "If you ever need my help defeating an enemy, use my bell." He threw his bell towards Francis. "Its only use is to summon me and I don''t have any use for it now. I''d rather give it to you in case you''re in need of a helping hand." Francis was startled by Surgit''s shit in behavior towards him. Before he could speak, Surgit answered the question that bugged him the most. "We''ve landed in a city of horrors. At first, I only thought of becoming stronger and leaving this city. Now I understand that I need to get stronger. You''re the only link I have to the external world. If I lose that link, I''m afraid this city will completely absorb me." With that Surgit disappeared inside the chapel. He walked towards the lamp and went back to the dream. He got back to the Pthumeru dungeon without any pause. This time, he knew what it took to get stronger in Yharnam. He had to hunt, the more ferocious the beast was, the more the benefit. If he couldn''t gain one more rank in Skill or Strength, Surgit decided not to leave the Chalice Dungeons. He was deeply sad for the loss of Karla. That woman had despised him since they first met on that cursed day. Looking at the situation now, Surgit wished he could''ve just accepted his fate and died. Karla would never have experience all of this. He felt countless needles grasping his heart and tightening their grip on it. As pain surged through his entire being, Surgit came to the firm belief that life was simply unfair. While his only achievement in life was to be enrolled into the military school, very few people could reach the amount of respect he enjoyed in there. He was considered a fast learner and his superiors always valued his talent. Overall, his life wasn''t that bad. If that disease hadn''t suddenly shattered his dreams, he would''ve died in combat or filled with pride as a retired soldier. In short he wouldn''t have had any regrets. Karla on the other hand let out a shout of despair before that cold blooded hunter ended her life. Surgit could tell that Karla cursed the heavens for what they have inflicted upon her. Surgit had experienced that once, so he felt sorrow fill his heart. For him, death had become immaterial. While for Karla, one strong enemy meant death and nothingness. Surgit memorized the shape of that man. He wore a crow feather cape but no plague doctor mask. Instead he wore nothing. He looked middle aged although he was hundreds of years old. The fact that he kept his memories and hadn''t lost his mind was a commendable feat. "As long as I live, I will never forgive that man," Surgit said as rage filled his heart. 122 Watchdog of the Old Lords Surgit stood in front of the gate which led to the last guardian of the Pthumerian Chalice Dungeon. After Karla''s death, he found himself mechanically going through the Chalice Dungeon all over again. He''d sacrificed all his echoes and progress to come back in an attempt to save Karla. Once he saw what happened, he dragged his feet to the dream then entered the dungeon. In his mind, several theories raced through. Going through the dungeons had cleared some of the doubts he had about using echoes to gain more strength. The tablets he inspected after defeating each guardian revealed some crucial information. For instance, Surgit learned that there are a total of three ranks per attribute. At that moment Surgit was still a Waste of Skin when it came to strength. If he wanted to improve his attribute in order to reach a new title, he''d have to upgrade using Green Echo Clusters. For each rank, there are five tiers. In order to get from "Waste of Skin" to "Hunter", Surgit will have to upgrade the attribute five times. Each tier requires more Green Echo Cluster than the last. Surgit had to collect as many echoes as possible in order to gain more strength. His mind started pulling ideas together. As he mindlessly went through the dungeon''s interconnected rooms, he thought about what kind of hunter he''d like to become. After witnessing what Gavril could do, he knew that he was simply a beginner compared to what real hunters achieve. Back then, he couldn''t even see him move behind them. It was as if he''d teleported behind them. According to what Francis told him, Gavril was able to finish him with just a shot. That frightening hunter must have upgraded his Bloodtinge to an unfathomable level. Surgit knew that he relied a lot on brute strength during his fights. That fighting style, he felt, suited him best. Along with strength, Surgit wanted to improve his skill and enhance his perception. However, something about Arcane attracted his curiosity. He wanted to reach Byrgenwerth in order to find out about the scholar''s findings. Losing Karla had really left a sour taste in his mouth. ''If the Byrgenwerth scholars had researched human evolution, they might as well have researched supernatural phenomenon. I might find something in there. Although I might be immune to death now, I cannot guarantee that for a long time.'' The loss he experienced changed his mind about his final objective. The message he saw carved in the dream clearly said: ''Seek Paleblood to transcend the hunt.'' There was no mention of leaving. Surgit had experience Yharnam enough to understand one thing. Information was scarce; hence every piece of knowledge contained vague descriptions. Surgit didn''t know what Paleblood was. This information made whoever read it focus on the word Paleblood but not think of what came next. Surgit did as anyone else would do: Assume that Paleblood is the key to leaving this wretched place. After he''d experienced all these horrors, Surgit learned to take a step back and analyze radically. Transcend didn''t mean leave, it meant being in a state above the night of the hunt. It meant being away from the suffering and the stench of blood. It meant being liberated from this endless cycle of misery. It meant transcending human nature as well. Of course, this was Surgit''s suspicion. Although he had no proof of what he thought, he had a strong feeling that he''d find more details if he reached Byrgenwerth. But before doing that, he had to get stronger. He no longer wished to be ambushed by a stronger foe and losing miserably. He wanted to be the one inflicting damage. As he pushed the gate in order to reach the last guardian of this level of the Chalice Dungeon, his mind cleared up. This was a new fight and he had couldn''t afford to drift off. A strange creature looked at Surgit from afar. Its body looked gigantic. Surgit quickly rolled to the right as the beast charged towards him. The speed this beast had was astonishing. Although it was as big as a three storeys building, it was fast. Surgit almost didn''t see the first attack coming his way. The creature had the body of a dog. Its head looked strange though. It had a hexagonal shape. On the top part of the head, Surgit saw that it had empty gaps from which fire exuded. The lower part of the dog''s head displayed a large open jaw with countless sharp teeth protruding from it. Every time the creature charged at Surgit, he would dodge and feel heat building up as the beast''s attack went by him. ''This land is not fair to anyone,'' he thought as he dodged and tried to find a weak spot. As Surgit positioned himself in front of the watchdog, he baited its bite attack. Every time the beast took a bite, Surgit would dodge under the attack and hit the beast on the head. He was trying to find a weak spot. With every hit, came a spark and a wave of heat would burst through his face. He carefully dodged and counter attacked. The more he observed the beast, the more cautious he became. This monster could adjust to its opponents fighting style As he dodged the attacks and easily countered, the beast quickly jumped back and opened its mouth. Surgit quickly jumped back as fire came out of the dog''s mouth. Surgit tightened his grip on his cleaver. He''d brought the rifle spear with him time around. As the fire faded, the beast''s head appeared from behind it. Surgit jumped high and used the beast''s head as a platform. He jumped even higher and let the beast run past him. As he performed a roll in the air, his left hand went towards the spear. The beast turned and prepared for another charge. It would catch Surgit mid-air and slam him on the opposite wall if the beast caught him. Surgit threw his saw as fell and clenched the rifle spear with both hands. He put his feet before the spear''s tip and plummeted to meet the beast''s charge attack. His spear went through one of the gaps, and he heard bones crack. The spear planted itself in the dog''s head. Surgit held on even tighter as the beast stopped and waved its head in pain. Just the sudden stop the beast performed almost slammed Surgit to the ground. Thanks to his current level of strength, he could barely hold on. Surgit activated the device on the rifle spear and pulled the trigger. The shot, performed from close quarters, shattered the bones and went through the beast''s skull. Surgit lost his grip on the weapon and was thrown away, in the distance. The beast howled and its head fell to the ground with a heavy ''thud!'' Surgit dismissed reaching for his Saw Cleaver and ran towards the fallen dog. He transformed his arm and started pounding at the dog''s head with his beastly fist. One hit, two hits, the beast howled even louder. As it howled, Surgit inserted his hand through the dog''s mouth. He pulled a fiery tongue from which lava dripped. If it weren''t for his beastly arm, he would have been burnt to a crisp. As Surgit realized that he''d been using his beastly arm, his hand started shrinking in size. He let go of the hazardous tongue and jumped back. The watchdog stayed on the ground, motionless. Surgit examined his arms bewildered. In his anticipation to eviscerate the enemy and gain an advantage in the fight, he didn''t notice his transformed hand. It was as if he was in a trance. The heat of the fight made him lose all senses. This state of mind made him feel free. He no longer cared about blood echoes or about his progress. What he wanted was to destroy his enemy. There was no doubt in his mind that he''d come out victorious of the fight. But he didn''t wish for victory, he wished to completely obliterate his enemy. If he hadn''t realized that his arm had turned beastly, he probably wouldn''t have stopped at just ripping the dog''s tongue. It was as if the dormant beast inside of him could take over. If that happened, he was afraid that he''d forget everything in the process. 123 Worst Worst Wors Surgit sat on the sofa in the hunters'' dream and started going through what he earned from the Chalice Dungeon. So far he collected six Green Echo Clusters. That alone was worth the effort he had gone through. With the clusters he had, he could upgrade his strength. However, what he had collected wasn''t enough to earn him a new rank. After going through the dungeon, he understood more about Blood Echoes. If he wanted to earn more echoes and form more clusters, he''d have to go for an extra challenge. Surgit will have to test his mettle against beasts in root levels. Each Chalice Dungeon is composed of a maximum of five levels. After entering each level, the hunter cannot leave unless he completes it or forfeits his progress and echoes. Completing a level means defeating all guardians and obtaining the chalice for the next level. After each final guardian, Surgit learned, there is another sacrificial altar. When successfully triggered, the altar will open a path towards the next level. In order to open the path, Surgit will have to make another sacrifice, using the correct Chalice. After defeating the Merciless Watchers, Surgit received a root Chalice. And after defeating the Watchdog of the Old Lords, Surgit received the Central Pthumeru Chalice.After inspecting both items, Surgit decided to bring them back with him to the dream and decide on his next step. He wanted to go for a hunt that will allow him to receive at least a Blue Echo Cluster. One blue cluster equals five green clusters. So if Surgit finds a beast powerful enough to hold a blue cluster, his improvement would be greatly accelerated. He knew that root chalices strengthen the guardians. But in order to do so, Surgit would need some special materials to use in the sacrifice.He decided to forget about that prospect and turn towards a more aggressive approach. When he saw Gavril last time, the idea planted itself in his brain. If he managed to acquire a sinister bell, he could invade other hunters and steal their echoes. This method, even though risky, could pay off generously. Invasion was something Surgit never considered. But after the tragedy in Oedon Chapel, Surgit realized that he had to get much stronger. While going through the chalice dungeon, his brain never stopped thinking about the fastest way to improve. If he starts invading other hunters, he can even use their surroundings against them. After all, he had explored Central and Old Yharnam long enough to know every nook and cranny in each district. Yharnam was merciless, hunters must be worse if they ever hope to transcend it. Surgit only wanted to get a cure for his illness. Instead he got power. After he understood that the power he received was nothing compared to what other hunters have, he realized his weakness. He was now a hunter, so he had to think like one. A hunter is required to hunt all sorts of abominations. So the hunter must know about his prey''s strengths and weaknesses. Although he usually meets beasts that greatly differ from each other, Surgit started noticing some similarities. For instance, big monsters like the Cleric Beast, Gascoigne when he transformed, and also the Blood starved beast were fast and deadly despite their size. However, their pattern of attack seemed to be easily predictable. For a hunter, dying to one of these beasts isn''t a loss but a lesson. And Surgit learned valuable lessons during his previous fights. So if Surgit ever had to fight a big monster like these again, all he''d have to do is to bait as many attacks as possible. Patience is key as any misstep would lead to a painful death. Surgit didn''t want to die anymore, he wanted to obliterate. So against this kind of beasts, all he''d need to do after baiting their attacks will be to look for one weak point and attack it relentlessly. The weakness will break and he can then obliterate his prey. However, when it came to hunter versus hunter fights, Surgit will need to go in with a different perspective. Hunters are fast and cunning. If he finds himself against a hunter like Gavril, he must not approach the fight head on.But if he ever found himself fighting a hunter who is close to his level, his gains wouldn''t be worth the time. He wondered if there was any way to control these odds. Surgit stood up and went to the doll. Thinking for too long will only lead him to a confused state. He needed to take action and learn more about this invasion. Last time he checked, he could acquire it from the messengers'' bath. He wanted to upgrade his strength attribute first. After he spoke to the doll, Surgit closed his eyes and checked his status. He was a waste of skin(4). Two more upgrades and he''d reach a new rank. With his strength greatly increased, he could use more weapons that rely on brute strength. Surgit went to the messengers and bought a sinister bell and Gascoigne''s axe. After he bought the axe, a notification on the black pool read: ''Do you want to transfer it to storage?'' Surgit was pleasantly surprised. He didn''t know that he could use the messengers to store extra items he had. He said yes then stored the two Pthumeru chalices he had as well. As he was about to leave, he scratched his head, as if hesitating about something. Surgit went back to the messengers'' bath, stored the Rifle Spear and took the axe. The next thing he did was to teleport to the church where he fought the Blood Starved Beast. As soon as he appeared there, Surgit took the sinister bell and rang it. He was determined to test his theory and moved up the streets towards the Gatling hunter. As the bell rang, Surgit could hear some tinkles in the distance. The tinkles synchronized with the ringing of the sinister bell until they became one. Surgit quickly jumped towards a corner where no beast roamed. Mere seconds after that, he felt drowsy and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his insight automatically sent him a snippet of information. ''You have invaded the world of FallessOrigin''. Surgit clenched his weapon and took a look around. He could hear the female beast patient roar in the distance. That meant that whoever he invaded hasn''t reached the Blood Starved Beast yet. Surgit had appeared on the stairs leading to the old church. He calmly climbed the stairs and made his way towards the werewolf and the roaring Female Beast Patient. As soon as he reached the dark alleyway, Surgit heard the werewolf howl and run. Surgit ran towards the source of the sound and saw a hunter trying to fend off the werewolf. This hunter seemed to have had a hard time. His clothes were in tatters and his left arm was broken and bloody. The werewolf attacked and the hunter struggled to dodge the attacks. Surgit smiled as he approached the poor bastard and shot the hunter. The hunter looked at Surgit with a surprised look. He screamed and wailed as the werewolf devoured him. The hunter didn''t even know how to react. In fact the hunter didn''t even know of the existence of beckoning bells until recently. He used it since he had too much trouble going through Old Yharnam. He still didn''t know that there were friendly and non-friendly hunters. Consequently, he didn''t know that a red phantom meant death. Surgit slowly opened his eyes and came back to his original body. During the time between the completion of the invasion and him getting back to his body, Surgit learned something new. The information he received startled him. As soon as he started transferring,the images kept coming at him. It was as if he was witnessing some event. He could understand the images and expressions on people''s faces. But he couldn''t hear a word they were saying. It was as if some mysterious force blocked the sound from reaching his ears. He saw two people arguing. One of them seemed to be upset and his face contorted into ugly grimaces. The other had a resolute face and seemed to speak about some important matter. But this was not the only image Surgit had seen. Other images displayed people arguing with an old man. As people who argued changed, the old man remained. He only sat there on his rocking chair and frowned. Surgit could only understand that this man held some kind of grudge towards these people. Soon, images about hunters fighting different beasts together appeared. Then hunter fighting each other. These images all depicted Yharnam and other places that looked like the dungeon he''d been in. As he opened his eyes, Surgit was puzzled. He received too much information at once. He had a feeling that he''d understand more if he invaded more. The more he spends in the space between his original world and the invasion world,the more Surgit would get to understand these visions. In his mind, he thanked the foolish hunter for summoning him to his world. The information he received seemed to be precious. But the hunter he had to face was simply the worstˇ­ 124 Runes Surgit had been using the sinister bell for at least three hours. He was only able to invade two other worlds. During the three invasions, he only managed to collect three Green Echo Clusters. "This is not getting me any results. I thought I would have been able to invade a lot faster." Surgit was frustrated at the rate at which he was progressing. On the back of his head, something was pressuring him to move forward and stop wasting too much time on invading others. "Perhaps this area doesn''t have too many hunters going through it. I''ll have to try this again after I get to a new place." While Surgit was busy invading other worlds, he awaited with anticipation the images displayed to him at the end of his hunt. The state he was in was akin to a dream. He felt like he was lucid dreaming. He was in control of his body but unfortunately not of his surroundings. All he could do was move closer towards the images.The old man''s facial expression in each picture seemed resentful and sour. Despite looking very old, his appearance never changed in any of the images. It looked like the man never aged or got younger. "This man is the only constant in all the images, he must mean something." Surgit had gotten used to how Yharnam only threw snippet of information his way. He felt that he''d get a clearer idea about what was happening in each of the images if he kept digging into the matter. He wanted to keep using the sinister bell. The more he got transported to another world, the more he could investigate those images. However, Surgit felt that he was wasting too much time. If he wanted to get stronger, he''d need to gather as many echoes as possible. It is noteworthy to mention that clearing all of Central Yharnam from all the roaming beasts would only grant Surgit one Green Echo Cluster. Killing one abnormal beast like Gascoigne would get him one Green Cluster as well. So the stronger the beast becomes, the more Surgit has to gain. Surgit thought that invading would at least put him against hunters who had collected enough echoes for him to steal. In theory, that constituted a good shortcut to collecting echoes. In reality, most hunters in the first areas have only few clusters. At most, they''d be carrying two at a time. The rest would be used by them to upgrade their attributes or to buy items. After experiencing it first hand, Surgit decided to leave invasion until he reached areas with much more violent beasts. He would concentrate on reaching the Forbidden Woods. At least, he was sure that he''d gain more by going in there. Not only are the beasts stronger in there, but he''d read in some of the dingy books at the workshop that the forbidden woods have a strong guardian. Surgit decided to look for a way to reach the dangerous forest. From what Alfred told him, accessing the Forbidden Woods requires a password. Surgit had no idea on how to get it. He was back to the state of not knowing where to go next. He decided to get to the Cathedral Ward and explore the bottom of the dark tower. The last time he went there, a kidnapper surprised him and snatched him to Yahar''gul. He had a feeling that this area held some kind of secret. He went back to the dream and soon after, he was teleported again to Oedon Chapel. Scenes from the previous battle against Gavril flashed before Surgit as he appeared in the chapel. That man''s attack was so fast that Surgit had his head on the ground before he realized what happened. He wanted to have that much strength and more. If he had been as powerful as that mad hunter, Karla wouldn''t have had to suffer that fate. At that moment, after picturing Gavril''s eyes as he fought, Surgit had an epiphany. Gavril''s madness led him to the power he held. The hunter didn''t seem to dread being attacked. He seemed like a calculating man, but in reality he was just bloodthirsty. His skill exceeded both his and Francis''. But it was his mental fortitude that made him feel certain about his victory against two hunters. It was like Surgit when he fought the Watchdog of the Old Lords. The odds weren''t in his favor at first. But when he saw the opportunity to weaken his enemy, he grasped it and his beastly transformation took care of the rest. "Beasthood, something hidden in every hunter," Surgit was mumbling while the Chapel Dweller looked at him, puzzled. "The werewolf in my first dreamˇ­" For someone like the dweller, watching Surgit from afar, the man looked like he was losing his mind. He was mumbling nonsense that nobody understood. But for Surgit, those were sequences and experiences he lived. It felt like he was solving a puzzle, connecting pieces together to reveal the bigger picture. "Every hunter must have his or her own dormant monster. I saw mine in the dream I had during blood ministration. I wonder what his monster is." Surgit thought of the moment his beastly hand stayed activated while he ponded at the fiery dog. He dreaded the fact that he was losing control of who he is. "What would happen if I let that beasthood take over?" On one hand, Surgit feared that the beast would take over. "Beasts all over the shop. You''ll be one of them, sooner or later." Those were Father Gascoigne''s words when he first encountered him. Surgit didn''t grasp the meaning then, but now it got clear. On the other hand, Surgit saw what hunters who have completely accepted their beasthood could accomplish. Father Gascoigne was terrifying. If it weren''t for his ability to come back from the dead, Surgit would never have defeated him. Gascoigne fought as if it was his last day. That kind of resolution made him relentless in his attacks. Gavril had a hint of madness in his eyes. He wanted to draw blood and he only focused on that aspect. He quickly managed to dispose of the three of them without mercy. Those two hunters were focused, giving their maximum effort. Surgit still played around and made stupid mistakes. Those two would rarely make one. It wasn''t just the difference in skill, but also in mental fortitude. The prospect of being one with the beast looked dangerous. But to Surgit, that danger was well worth the effort. If he wished to obliterate his enemies, he''d have to give his maximum effort on preemptive strikes. The harder he hits the more chance he has of completely destroying his prey. He clenched his fists and went towards the tower. A voice brought him back from his reveries. "Surgit, I thought I might meet you here." Francis was standing next to the chapel lamp. "I have something for you, here." He threw an item towards Surgit and the latter caught it midair. Surgit inspected the item then looked at Francis. "What is this?" Surgit was holding a strange item that looked like a corkscrew. "This is the tool used to imprint Caryll Runes in one''s mind." Francis casually spoke as if he expected Surgit to know what that was about. After he understood the confusion in Surgit''s eyes, Francis clarified. "Have you ever come across a piece of cloth on which a strange symbol was drawn?" Surgit nodded then smiled. He finally understood the use of the corkscrew item. "So we''re supposed to use this thing to imprint them. Francis, thank you," said Surgit to Francis. "It is only to repay you for that bell you gave me. Keep it in the dream. This way, both of us will get to use it." Surgit nodded then pocketed the item. "Will do, where are you headed now old man?" Francis smiled then replied: "That snake left me a letter with the Dweller," Francis lowered his head then continued. "He is toying with me. I will have to bid you farewell now Surgit. I''ll make sure to summon you when I need you, just keep your resonance bell with you." Surgit looked at Francis and sighed. The pride in that old man''s face disappeared. It was replaced with melancholy. Francis and Surgit couldn''t be called friends, so Surgit didn''t try to talk to him anymore than needed. He watched Francis vanish after he touched the blue lamp. From his pocket, Surgit took a piece of cloth and looked at it with anticipation. It was a rune. When inspected with insight, it would reveal a name: Beast. Now that he had the tool to use these runes, he was excited to try them. 125 Mindblown After receiving the rune workshop tool, Surgit went directly towards the tower leading to the Upper Cathedral Ward. He didn''t bother using the rune right away. In his mind, the rune he received was from a beast he easily managed to dispose of. Despite its strange powers, Surgit didn''t think he''d need the rune just yet. So he went to the dark tower and started his descent. Surgit''s mind had become sharper than before due to the experiences he endured. He no longer omitted small details. For instance, as soon as he reached the lower part of the tower, he remembered the door he wanted to jump to earlier. He remembered that in order to access that door, he''d need to jump from a high platform near the entrance. He stood on top of the wooden catwalks and looked down. Darkness welcomed him and he couldn''t even see the platform on which he should jump. It is fair to see that hunters had their senses enhanced to those of predators. They could see in darkness as long as some faint rays penetrated the area. Since the tower had no windows, the only source of light came from the door Surgit had just arrived from. He could see around him but he couldn''t make out what was deep within the dark tower. Surgit took his torch, lit it then threw it down towards the direction of the door. Surgit''s eyes followed the torch and remembered every little detail the light revealed. The torch bounced on a small wooden platform then fell even deeper. Surgit soon followed the torch''s trail and jumped. He gritted his teeth and braced for impact. The fall seemed endless as Surgit prepared himself mentally. Although he knew his muscles will take the impact from the fall, Surgit still dreaded the impact. It was more because he didn''t know when he will land. Cracking sound was heard as Surgit landed on a wooden platform. Surgit felt the impact in all his body. If it weren''t for his enhanced strength, all his bones would have broken and killed him as they pierced their way out of his body. His knees shook as he tried to regain his balance. Surgit quickly injected a blood vial then jumped down again. He had memorized the place by looking at the torch''s trajectory. If he thought about his pain or anything else, he was afraid he''d lose some of that memory. It was crucial that his jump was precise. Miscalculating the distance by just some millimeters will result in him plummeting to his death. The second jump was shorter than the first and he soon landed on a larger wooden platform. In front of him, there was a small wooden gate. Surgit looked at the gate and the patterns that decorated it. He was amazed at the care that was given to engrave complex and intricate patterns on that door. ''I might have stumbled upon something amazing here.'' Surgit felt excitement building up as he pushed the door. From all the rubble and destruction that this lower part of the tower suffered, this gate endured. Surgit pushed the gate open as dust filled his nostrils. He soon found himself walking through a tunnel. The tunnel extended for a short time before giving way to a familiar yet outstanding scenery. A field with white flowers extended before Surgit. Far in the distance, Surgit could see a wooden house atop a small hill. That small wooden house stood amidst the tall Victorian buildings of Yharnam. Surgit''s mouth was agape. He just couldn''t believe that the hunters'' dream he''d been traveling to for so long had its own replica in Yharnam. ''Wait a minute now, which one is the replica? Or are they the same thing?'' Surgit''s mind was bombarded with yet another series of question he couldn''t hope to answer just yet. Just when he told himself that Yharnam had already shown its true colors, more mystery jumped at Surgit like a wild beast, tearing through all his previous theories. If the hunter''s dream was a replica, and if Surgit''s life was bound to the dream, was the body he inhabited now just a projection? Or was the dream actually reality and Yharnam was just a shadow of its ancient glory days? ''Where the hell am I? Why is everything so damn enigmatic in this place?'' Surgit felt pain searing through his brain. He clenched his head and let out a terrible scream. If someone were to hear it from a distance, they would definitely be wary of a great monster that loomed around. After the pain had subsided, Surgit walked towards the wooden house. The sense of familiarity with the place intensified. He walked through the broken stairs many times. The only difference was that Surgit could feel wind on his face. He could hear monsters howling in the distance. Compared to the hunter''s dream, Yharnam felt more like the real thing. But Surgit''s mind felt blank. He no longer wanted to know more about what''s real and what''s not. He felt that he didn''t have enough knowledge to make heads or tails of the place. He went through the door to the wooden house and felt horror shake his being. The place looked exactly as in the hunters'' dream except for the fireplace that was extinguished. In farthest corner of the wooden house, Surgit saw the doll lying lifelessly on the ground. ''Whut?'' **** Francis had to take the trip, but in order to do so he had to get even stronger. So far, he was close to getting a new title. If he hadn''t spent his echoes to increase his strength, he would''ve already reached the next rank in Bloodtinge. He loved his katana. The weapon seemed to become deadlier as he mercilessly killed beasts. After Gavril left him that letter, everything in Francis'' mind has changed. The letter was addressed to him by name. It was a summons to Cainhurst Castle. The nameless hunter had duped him. He only recognized him due to his voice. Everything from the attire to the weapon he used was different from the man he knew. That man was terrifyingly skilled. After the fight, Francis realized how much he needed to develop. He knew the man''s name after he invaded them though. His name was Gavril. Francis swore he''d never forget that name as long as he lived. If Gavril was a hunter who still had access to the dream, then Francis technically couldn''t kill him even if wished to. Instead, he vowed to get stronger then chase after that man. If he couldn''t kill him then he''d use all his strength to make his life a nightmare. Everywhere Gavril will go, Francis would be at his heels and kill him. He didn''t know what Gavril''s agenda was, but he vowed to find out and stop him no matter what. His hatred for Gavril wasn''t because he''d killed Karla, the woman he admired and looked up to. It was mainly because he felt dumb for easily trusting a stranger. ''I guess it is Karma after all.'' I killed that blood minister who might not even have access to the dream. Otherwise she''d be chasing me now.'' Francis was deep in thought as he stood in Hemwick Charnel Lane. The invitation clearly stated that he''d need to stand at the crossroad and wait for the carriage to come take him. As he waited, he thought of his past deeds and what he should aim for. ''In this city, I feel like my younger self has resuscitated.'' Francis used to be ruthless. That''s what made him one of the richest men in his country of origin. He understood from observing his late father that only the strong survive. If he wanted to get what he wanted, strength and witticism were the only key factors to success. Francis had already made up his mind. If he wanted to transcend the hunt and reach his ultimate goal, he had to be his young self. He needed to rely on his wits but also in his strength and ability to come out victorious from any fight. He had a pretty clear idea on who he wanted to become in Yharnam. First he had to know more about what happened in Cainhurst and gain more knowledge about the Vileblood that caused the place to fall. He felt that this information would bring him closer to understanding the use of blood in his attacks. Secondly, he vowed to find out more about the Great Ones and develop his Arcane. The mix between those two attributes was rare even amongst experienced hunters. The two represented two mortal enemies: Vilebloods and the Healing Church. As Francis made up his mind about his path, he looked up towards the approaching stagecoach. Two ghastly horses pulled an elegant coach and approached. Francis didn''t even know how those two animals were capable of movement. Their heads were half eaten and skin was dangling from different parts of their bodies. Even ribcage bones were showing. As soon as the carriage stopped, the door opened as if by magic. There was no conductor or people on the inside. Francis shrugged and walked up inside the coach. He sat down and closed his eyes as the horses moved towards the castle. 126 Abandoned Old Workshop Third of Umbilical Cord "A great relic, also known as the Cord of the Eye. Every infant Great One has this precursor to the umbilical cord." "Every Great One loses its child, and then yearns for a surrogate. The Third Umbilical Cord precipitated the encounter with the pale moon, which beckoned the hunters and conceived the hunter''s dream." Surgit''s insight kicked in the moment he inspected the item. He had read about the Great Ones before in some old books. The books generally dealt about ancient myths and legends. That was where Surgit had found his first clues about Yharnam in the first place. People laughed at his attempt then. Even Surgit doubted himself as he started looking into the matter back then. Now that he had experienced Yharnam in all its magnificent beastly glory, Surgit couldn''t help but smile. On one hand, he had proven all those who mocked him wrong. On the other hand, not only did he get cured, but he also gained strength in the process. This strength presumably came from the blood of a holy medium. Surgit had heard the story from Alfred before about Yharnam and its relation to the Great Ones. The cooperative hunter told him about how scholars from Byrgenwerth found something in the tombs of the Gods below Yharnam. That discovery alone led to the establishment of the Healing Church. As to who established the Church, Alfred didn''t know. The man only told Surgit what had been passed out to him from his master named Logarius. ''Such an extravagant name for a blood thirsty hunter,'' Surgit thought mockingly. The item Surgit held in his hand was peculiar to say the least.Most people know of the existence of umbilical cords. Unless you are a mother who had just given birth, or just a really curious person, you wouldn''t bother remembering what an umbilical cord looks like. (Looking it up on a medical book might turn some people''s stomach.) However what Surgit held in his hand didn''t look like a fleshy tube. What Surgit held looked like a fossilized shell. I didn''t feel like a fossil though, Surgit could squash the ''umbilical cord'' at any moment. On the surface of the object, there were several holes. Everything about the object Surgit held chilled his bones.''This cord precipitated the pale moon and the existence of the hunter''s dream.'' Surgit was deep in thought. From his point of view, this meant that the place he was in now was the original. The description he got from his insight was his only mentor. Surgit decided to treat it as such. Therefore, he took every tidbit of information his insight threw his way as fact. The hunter''s dream was an exact replica of the place, even the doll was in there. However, the dream felt more alive. From the fire crackling inside the workshop''s fireplace, to the sweet feminine voice welcoming the hunter home, everything felt peaceful in the dream. ''A dream come true!'' The idea came to Surgit like an epiphany. ''But, whose dream is it? Gehrman''s? That old geezer didn''t even care about that doll, let alone give her life in there. If Gehrman wanted to have his dream come true, then why is he still on that wheelchair? Something doesn''t add up here.'' As of late, Surgit found himself deeply immersed in unraveling the mysteries of Yharnam. He felt like a detective, trying to solve a difficult case. This case however contained some dark mysterious power that controlled everything. If the hunter''s dream was indeed an imaginary place of peace and freedom, why did he have to hunt dangerous monsters and come back there every time he died? Something terribly evil must have caused all these beasts to plague the city. What Surgit learned as he grew up was that life doesn''t end up as in fantastic books. Good doesn''t prevail over evil. Evil doesn''t prevail either. It was always a matter of conflict. The winners always proclaimed themselves good while their enemies would be considered evil. Why would a beast kill humans if it weren''t for its survival? From a human''s perspective, beasts were bad. From a beast''s perspective, a human was necessary food to insure their survival. The conflict between hunters and beasts was the same as the usual conflicts humans have with each other. The only difference was neither seemed to know how to die. If a hunter dies, he''s brought back by the power of the hunter''s dream. If a beast dies, it comes back after the hunter dies as well. So if the dream gives hunters a second chance, the same could apply for monsters. So far Surgit was pretty certain that the dream controlled both aspects. ''Unless I don''t find something to refute this theory, I think I''m going to think according to this logic.'' Surgit felt trapped in endless death and agony. The only way for him to prevail was to seek Paleblood. Something he still couldn''t find any information about. He searched all of the Old Workshop. The only other items he found were a set of clothes identical to what the doll wears and a beautiful hair ornament. When inspected with his Insight, the item gave off the following information: "A small, very ordinary hair ornament. Although it has been lost for quite some time, one can still see signs of the care with which this tasteful ornament was once kept. Its colour would stand most brilliantly against a head of greyish hair." ''A head of greyish hair? Could it be?'' After he made sure that nothing that remained in the workshop was worthy of his attention, Surgit touched the lantern inside the wooden house and teleported. He was back at the same place, but in a different dimension. "Welcome home good hunter. What is it you desire?" The doll''s melodious voice reached his ears. Surgit looked at her and his mind went blank. The resemblance between the two dolls was uncanny. It was as if they were the same thing. One could only twitch one finger, while the other could speak and even manage some extraordinary feats. Surgit searched in his pocket and took out the hair ornament. Without a word, he just handed it to the doll.The doll looked at the strange item then looked at Surgit. Her porcelain like face didn''t show any change in emotions. However, a tear fell down as the doll said: "What... what is this? I-I can''t remember, not a thing, only... I feel... A yearning... something I''ve never felt before... What''s happening to me? Ahh... Tell me hunter, could this be joy? Ahh..." The whole scene made Surgit feel even more puzzled. He didn''t know how to react. The doll was clearly happy to receive the item. On the other hand, nothing apart from the word she said suggested that she was happy. Her voice was as sweet and melodious as always. Her face didn''t change, not even a smile appeared on that pale beautiful face. Surgit could tell that the doll was capable of talking and standing, but he doubted that she could show their emotions at all. ''So that place really is connected to this dream.'' Surgit felt like he was given only snippets of information just to irritate him.By now he was sure that even his life was being controlled by some invisible hands. After all he was part of this reincarnation cycle and nothing he knew of could stop it. It felt like the doll couldn''t have forgotten what had made her this happy. For a doll to experience emotion was something exceptional. Surgit doubted that she could easily forget that. She was either faking it or someone must have erased her memory. Surgit''s paranoia had reached a whole new level. He looked at where the tear had fallen and saw that it solidified into an item. He picked it up and inspected it with his insight: tear stone. He pocketed it then looked at the doll. "Tell me dear doll, what do you remember of old hunters that inhabited this dream before?" *** At the time Francis was about to board the carriage to Cainhurst, another scene occurred in a small wooden house not far from where he was. Gavril was looking at Karla''s corpse while scratching his head. He wanted the pendant Francis gave to Karla. On the other hand, the item seemed to have fused with her hands. No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn''t get it off her without damaging the gem it contained. He sighed then placed Karla''s body on a wooden chair.The chair was ordinary except from some engravings on its back. The pattern resembled the sigil of the healing church. Gavril sadly contemplated the item in Karla''s hand then said: "If I can''t use it, then you do," he was looking at Karla''s dismembered body. "This is Yharnam after all, death is a blessing. Don''t think I''ll give you that after you stole this from me!" Gavril''s voice didn''t reach Francis as the latter had already left Hemwick towards Cainhurst. The pendant stone shone. A bright red light emanated from the stone. Soon, the two lions inside the stone started moving. They ran around each other and their speed increased as one chased the other. The circular motion became faster until a golden blur emitted from the stone and it chattered. A bright golden light covered the house. As the stone shattered, Karla''s body disappeared along with the chair. "Bring me back my summons or I will haunt your life forever." Gavril sat in the wooden house and waited. 127 Fishing hamle "Hey Alenka, snap out of it we have to stay focused," A hunter with a husky voice addressed a woman dressed in plain white. She was a church doctor appointed by Laurence to help the hunters scout a nearby fishing village. She had just joined the healing church after graduating from Byrgenwerth. After Laurence split from the academy to establish the church, many students and scholars followed him to Yharnam. They all believed that blood healing was the future for humanity. Hunters accepted to work together with the healing church in order to chase out the beastly scourge that had plagued Yharnam recently. Alenka was a curious doctor. She loved experimenting with these abnormalities. If the hunters'' job was to hunt and kill beasts, she considered hers to be studying them. She believed that if they took enough time to study these creatures, they would eventually find a way to suppress them. It was no secret among doctors and hunters that most beasts were just humans like them. Not everybody reacted the same way to blood infusions. Alenka was fascinated by this transformation. It is important to note here that church doctors didn''t look for a way to cure the beasts from their transformation. The moment a beast appeared, the best way to cure it was to offer it a quick death. Church doctors studied the beasts to understand the impact of old blood on humans. Therefore, doctors harvested organs to study. Alenka was diligent and good at her job. That was the reason she was chosen to observe the fishing hamlet. There were rumors about a Great One inhabiting the lake near the village. Alenka''s job was to infiltrate the village as an immigrant then to socialize with its people. The Church''s orders were to gain their trust in order to allow for a close examination of the lake. The lake was a sacred place to the villagers. No outsider could get close to it at any time. Guards were put next to the entrance all day long. The hunter had accompanied her during to journey to provide extra protection against the beasts on the way. Alenka was a good fighter, but her skills could never compare to those of a hunter. As soon as the two of them got closer to the village, they felt the air pressure change and clouds started gathering in the sky. In no time, the sky had darkened and rain started falling. The rain meant that they were approaching the village. "Alenka, stay on your guard here. These woods are teeming with beasts that can end a hunter''s life in a flash." The hunter observed his surroundings as he slowly walked through the dark woods. In order to reach the fishing hamlet, they had to traverse dark woods that were brimming with abnormalities. As they walked in silence, rain drops hit their surroundings and hid all sounds. Alenka didn''t have hunters'' senses but she had a hunter on her side. She walked in silence behind the hunter while she nervously looked around. Because of the rain, it was impossible to notice any change around her. Suddenly the hunter in front of her froze. Alenka could hear her heart pounding against her chest as she stopped as well. The hunter signaled Alenka to wait then rushed ahead. A few growls were heard in the distance followed by whining sound. The hunter came back, covered in blood and signaled Alenka to follow him. From time to time, Alenka would be asked to wait while the hunter chased after some beast she couldn''t see. As they got closer the beasts became more numerous. The hunter didn''t display any signs of fatigue. It was like he was doing some basic house chores. The rain intensified as they walked through the forest. Alenka was left alone again. She got used to it and no longer feared the silence in the woods. She was no longer worried that the hunter was going to perish to the beasts here. As she waited, Alenka started hearing a cry not too far from her. Due to the heavy rain, she couldn''t make out where the cry came from exactly. The voice sounded too familiar to her. She knew she didn''t have to move from where she stood. After all, the hunter made sure to choose the safest place for her to wait. But the more she waited, the more she could hear the crying noise. She didn''t know whether the noise was just a manifestation from her mind or a real crying person. ''What if it''s mister hunter? What should I do?'' To her, it felt like she had been waiting in that clearing for ages. She''d pinpointed the source of the noise to come from her left. All she had to do was to move and investigate. She knew that the wisest course of action was to patiently wait for the hunter to come back then ask him to investigate. But her mind kept on pressuring her under the pretext that it might be the hunter himself in mortal danger. She had a lot of blood vials. So if she acted quickly she could save his life. She started walking towards the source of the noise. Her boots got stuck in the mud and every time she made a step, her feet squishing against the mud would terrify her. She was afraid of being ambushed in the forest. She was taught to fight against humans, but never against a beast. She didn''t even know how to react if it were a horde of them. The cry intensified. Alenka felt that she was getting closer to the source of the sound. The closer she got the more certain she was that it was a human sound. It wasn''t a cry, but more like a moan. Someone was in pain and needed her help. She hurriedly moved towards the sound, soon after Alenka froze in place. Her heart skipped a beat. In front of her was a woman sitting on a wooden chair. There was blood all over her clothes. She could see that there was an opening in her stomach. It looked like someone tried to stitch the wounds together but did a poor job at it. What puzzled Alenka the most was the presence of a chair in there. What was a wooden chair doing in the middle of the woods? Moreover, who would carry a wounded woman on a chair in the middle of the woods? She brushed those questions aside and went to examine the injured person in front of her. Her wounds, from Alenka''s expert observation, weren''t inflicted by a beast but by some kind of sword. The stitching on her stomach seemed to be poorly done, she didn''t even know how anybody would try to stitch wounds using thick golden threads. She looked at the woman and sighed, she was definitely a goner. Her blood could heal her but Alenka wasn''t sure how this person would react to blood infusion. As she got a vial out of her pocket, a ghostly hand caught her arm. Alenka was startled. She didn''t think the woman capable of movement. "Give me just one." Her voice was hoarse and could barely speak. "I hate using this blood." As soon as she finished, the woman lied back on the chair then closed her eyes. Alenka''s eyes widened. She''d never met someone who wasn''t a hunter but could take the blood without turning. For a moment Alenka forgot where she was. She was excited to meet such a rare sight. Hunters recruited the elite warriors all over the world. This woman might have been traveling to Yharnam when she encountered danger. ''Wait a minute, this doesn''t make any sense, she wouldn''t know about the use of blood if she were an outsider.'' "Alenka, why did you-" The hunter with a husky voice stopped as he saw the answer to his question. He was covered in blood and only the white of his eyes stood out from the red that smeared his face. "What''s this?" he asked. "I don''t know, I found her here then she asked me to use just one vial on her. Do you know her?" The hunter''s order was just too big. It was hard to keep count of all of them. The hunter shook his head then said: "She doesn''t bear the mark of hunters. You should at least know that you''re a doctor." The hunter frowned and looked at the body that sat on the chair unconscious. "Inject her with a blood vial and I''ll carry her," said the hunter. "We''re close to the village, I''ll leave you at the entrance per my orders then I''ll carry her back to Yharnam. We''ll observe her then see what to do with her." Alenka nodded then followed the man. They were both puzzled by the appearance of the mysterious chair and the lady on top. It wasn''t common to see an outsider willing to take a blood injection. Outsiders generally used healing blood by drinking it. Only special cases were admitted to the hospital where they would receive blood injections. The ones who reacted well to treatment would be candidates to receiving ministration. As to the rest, doctors didn''t have to always have successful results, did they? Alenka eventually split up with the hunter and entered the village. She was determined to see her mission through despite her excitement to study the new specimen she stumbled upon. As for the hunter, he carried the unconscious woman then hurried to the Great Cathedral. He had just found something worthy to report to the ministers and Gehrman. The appearance of a woman in a chair in the middle of the woods was bound to result in a thorough investigation and he was the only witness in place. 128 Running out of time After speaking with the doll, Surgit realized that most of her speech was general. She never spoke about anybody in particular except for Gherman and the little messengers. As for the hunters who have gone through the dream before him, the doll was of no great help. She only pointed at the numerous gravestones that covered the field around the hill and told Surgit that they were there as a memorial for old hunters. Surgit saw countless gravestones. Surgit found himself fantasizing about the place having numerous hunters. At that moment, Surgit no longer wished to be part of a big order where seniors would give him pointers. He even started enjoying the solitude. ''All I need is a talking doll and beasts to kill.'' Surgit no longer felt lost when it came to getting stronger. He knew exactly what to do in order to gain more ranks. First, he''d need a place where he could get enough Blood echoes. The best case scenario would be if he could find beasts that drop blue echoes. Second, he also needed stronger runes to help him increase his ferocity. ''If I am to fight beasts, then I must become an even more terrifying beast.'' He teleported to the Chapel then went towards the tower. After exploring the abandoned old workshop, Surgit was sure that hunters had something gruesome hidden from public. He couldn''t put his finger on it just yet, but he was sure to find out if he kept exploring until he reached Byrgenwerth. He had a score to settle first, that kidnapper from the lower parts of the city had played a number on him before. He vowed to take revenge on him. He descended to the foot of the tower while jumping from one wooden plank to another. As soon as he reached the bottom, he rushed towards the door. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the beast he fought before didn''t come back to life. This matter puzzled him a bit but he brushed the thought off then kept going. He was holding Gascoigne''s axe while wearing his garb. After he activated the beast rune using the tool Francis had given him, he left the tool at the altar then took Gascoigne''s garb from his inventory. If he wanted to be a beast, he would have to look like one. Gascoigne was the one that reminded him the most of a hunter turning into a beast. He no longer cared to fight the beast inside of him. He embraced the fact that something was dormant inside of him. After his last fight with the watchdog, he realized that his beasthood started manifesting more and more. Only by getting stronger and reaching new ranks, could he hope to suppress the beast inside him. For now his objective was to use beasthood to his advantage and obtain as many blood echoes as possible in a short period of time. Surgit ran through the dark streets in the lower part of Yharnam. He heard his enemies approach before he saw them. As soon as three huntsmen with their dog showed up, Surgit elongated the axe and struck the three hunters with a horizontal swoop. Three heads rolled to the ground and the dog barked. It jumped at Surgit who casually retracted the axe towards him as he jumped back. The axe went through the dog''s head without any resistance. He briefly looked at the fallen bodies then ran towards the kidnapper. He remembered where he was attacked by the snatcher. He wanted to get a preemptive strike this time around. Surgit stopped right before he reached an intersection. The snatcher was visible in the distance, patrolling the intersection. Surgit silently walked to a dark corner. He used darkness to surprise his enemy. As soon as the kidnapper turned around Surgit followed and struck the axe at the beast''s back. The kidnapper fell to his knees and Surgit used the beastly arm to claw his way into the beast''s internal organs. Not only did Surgit eviscerate his enemy this time, but he also left a big hole in his body. Surgit''s transformed hand was twice its original size. This startled him at first. But after he realized its destructive power, he let out a mischievous laugh. It was dangerous for him to let the beast possess him, but it was also efficient to deal with stronger enemies. It would have taken Surgit two visceral attacks to kill a kidnapper if it weren''t for the increase in size and strength of his beast form. After he disposed of the kidnapper, Surgit went back to exploring the dark streets. He soon found a device that could take him from the lower streets to an area high up. His curiosity led him to take the elevator which led him to the Cathedral Ward. He was standing on a balcony that overlooked the area where he was separated with Karla before. The gate that separated them was open though. Francis had opened it when he wanted to come back to Oedon Chapel. Surgit jumped down and looked around. He was waiting for the church doctors who attacked Karla before. Sure enough, two tall men with pale skin appeared. The wore a shawl like the one Surgit had on and had bells hanging on their neck. This amused Surgit as it reminded him of his grandparent''s farm. His late grandfather used to hang bells around his cows'' necks. With the black garb the doctors wore and the while color of their pale skin, Surgit found the resemblance at moment uncanny. His reverie was cut short as one of the doctors growled as he pointed at him. Since they were freakishly tall, they didn''t need to run. Two steps were enough for them to fill the gap and reach Surgit. As the first one who arrived attempted to attack Surgit, the latter shot him then destroyed both doctors using his beastly arm. "This is amazing!" Surgit shouted, he loved how powerful this transformation made him feel. From where he stood, Surgit had two ways to take: one on to the right which led to some stairs, and another right ahead of him which led to a plaza with even bigger stairs.After pondering for a while, Surgit decided to take the one to his right. If the road ahead of him led to the big stairs, then the steps should lead to the Great Cathedral. The stairs he took though took to a back alley behind the Great Cathedral. He suspected that the main stairs must be heavily guarded. He decided to take the back alley in order to scout the area before engaging. His hunch was correct as he found out that some church doctors were lying in ambush, waiting for anybody to climb the stairs. They would come out of their hiding then and ambush the unsuspecting person. Surgit had the upper hand however as he backstabbed one of the doctors. This one used a scythe as weapon, opposed to the canes other doctors usually have. Surgit had no problem disposing of the first doctor. But when the back alley ended and he had to get back to the main road, Surgit was faced with three doctors and a giant holding an axe. One of the doctors was a sniper. Surgit had developed a sixth sense towards snipers. After being ambushed by them on so many occasions, he was now able to detect them from behind a horde attacking him. He rushed between the giant''s legs and attacked the sniper first. His axe felt like an extension of his arm. It was deadly and it was also thirsty for blood. Every time Surgit attacked, the axe would cut through flesh and bone then dismember everyone it attacked. Surgit had to dodge the giant axe crashing down towards him as well as fend off the other two that attacked. He easily disposed of the one doctor however as one extension of his axe was enough to split his face in two. Surgit danced around the giant''s legs again and reached the last church doctor remaining. As the latter trying to swing his cane towards Surgit, a bullet pierced his chest. Surgit''s arm transformed again and this time, he used the sharp claws to cut the doctor down. Surgit immediately jumped at the giant''s legs and cut them with his beastly claws. An image of the beast flashed in Surgit''s mind. That image flashing through his mind made him pause for a second. He felt like the area around him just got darker. One second pause was enough to allow the giant to smash his axe towards Surgit. At the last minute Surgit took one step back and the axe crashed right in front of him. The shockwave the impact emitted didn''t affect Surgit one bit. In fact Surgit wasn''t affected by anything anymore. His eyes were completely red as he looked up at the giant. He jumped and in a flash, he was in front of the beast''s face. He opened both his arms as if to taunt the giant. He then slapped them both together on the beast''s face. Blood seeped down the giant''s head as it got cut to six even slices. Surgit looked at both his arms in amazement. This time both his arms transformed and six sharp claws protruded from each hand. His chest was hairy and legs felt stronger than ever. His body started morphing back into his human self. "I''m running out of time." 129 Vicar Amelia "Remain wary of the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young." "Were it not for fear, death would go unlamented." "Seek the old blood." "Let us pray, let us wish... to partake in communion." "Let us partake in communion... and feast upon the old blood." "Our thirst for blood satiates us, soothes our fears." "Seek the old blood." "But beware the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young." "The foul beasts will dangle nectar and lure the meek into the depths." "Remain wary of the frailty of men..." Surgit was standing atop some stairs which led to the main nave of the Great Cathedral. After disposing of the giant, he only had to deal with two more church doctors to reach the entrance. At the edge of the nave of the Great Cathedral was a woman. The woman was kneeling at the altar and repeating the same words as if it were some kind of prayer. Surgit stood there, motionless. The words the woman spoke had a deep meaning to Surgit who was struggling with bestiality. His beast form started taking over his body and he struggled to control it. He needed to collect enough echoes to gain a new rank. That alone will give him enough willpower to control the dormant beast inside of him. Surgit enjoyed the powers his bestiality gave him. He was faster, deadlier and everyone around him seemed to move in slow motion. On the other hand, when his body transformed a little against that giant earlier, doubt and fear took over him. He couldn''t remember what exactly happened as he sliced the giant''s face in pieced. All he remembered was that his body was covered in fur as he observed it shrink in size. He was afraid of using his visceral attack. He was also afraid of letting the beast take over. On the other hand he wanted the power and strength that came with the package. He wanted to find a way to control his beast form. ''The foul beast dangles nectar. They must think of beasts as an evil being,'' Surgit was thinking while observing the woman praying. ''Everyone must be prone to beasthood then. Be wary of the frailty of men. They sought the old blood but rejected the side effect it came with. What''s evolution if we remain the same after all?'' Surgit shook his head as if to wake himself up from his daydreaming. However, the voice that spoke inside his head wasn''t him. It wasn''t the echoes eitherˇ­ Surgit''s heart skipped a beat. ''So you''re starting to realize the situation you''re in right now, don''t you?'' said the voice inside his head. Surgit kept a cool head though. He had been through this phase with the echoes before and he managed to shut them down. The beast inside of him was no different. He just had to endure and find more echoes. After entering the Great Cathedral for the first time, he saw a message engraved on a wall. Surgit didn''t even know how he noticed that engraving. The sight that welcomed him inside the Cathedral was horrifying to say the least. Countless statues were erected at each step. Their heads looked exactly like the one he had seen in Yahar''gul. The statues held some kind of pole on their hands which extended forward. The poles connected to the ones on the opposite side. Those interconnected poles formed an arch that Surgit walked through to access the nave of the cathedral. After he saw the woman kneeling and praying, Surgit stopped to observe. He learned to observe before taking action in Yharnam. Every little detail meant something and he wasn''t willing to skip anything anymore. The engraving he found at the entrance to the cathedral read: "Heir to the ritual of blood, purveyor of ministration. Place your hand on the altar''s sacred covering, and inscribe Master Laurence''s adage upon your flesh." Laurence was a prominent legend in all the books Surgit read about Yharnam. After all, the books claimed that he was the founder of the Healing Church. Surgit was curious about this adage, he wanted to know more about what Laurence''s legacy. Before he moved towards the woman, he made sure to inspect her with his insight. A name came to him along with a title: Vicar Amelia. Surgit was excited to finally meet a sane person from the Healing Church. At least, she could provide him with a semblance of knowledge regarding the beasts and the order of hunters. As he walked to greet the woman, her body moved. Surgit observed the vicar as her body twitched. He squinted to focus on what was happening. The woman clenched something in her hand then the bones in her body emitted cracking sounds. Her back bulged and her arm grew larger. Suddenly, with an explosion similar to the one Surgit experienced against Father Gascoigne, the woman transformed. A beast, as tall as the Cleric Beast, stood in front of Surgit and let out a harrowing scream. The putrid air that came out of her mouth repulsed Surgit. Surgit sighed and took the axe. He was ready for battle. The beast had an Elk''s head complete with its antlers. The only exception was for its muzzle which had canine teeth. The beast still clenched something in its monstrously big hands. It jumped at Surgit and arrived before him in the blink of an eye. Surgit was surprised at its speed. He jumped forward in order to avoid the slamming attack and landed between the monster''s legs. One swing from his axe and blood came rushing out of the beast. The tall monster let out a menacing growl then slapped Surgit with its backhand. Imagine being slapped by a big gate. Imagine that the gate had five fingers from which sharp claws protruded. Imagine that the impact was similar to being hit by a fast moving train. If it weren''t for Surgit''s strength, he would have died instantly. Instead he landed on a pillar nearby and all air exited his body. Surgit could taste blood in his mouth. He injected himself with a blood vial and instantly rolled to the side. The beast had caught up to him in an instant and almost finished him. ''A moving building with the agility of a catˇ­'' Surgit cursed his bad luck and ran towards his enemy. The moment he thought that he was getting close to having some answers, the sane woman turned into a hideous beast. He assumed that he had more of a shot if he stayed close to the monster. He would be able to dodge her attacks as long as he learned her pattern. He wasn''t willing to rush this enemy as he did the others. He knew full well the dangers of becoming hot headed. ''If I want to beat this thing, I must not trigger my beasthood. I refuse to turn into a mindless beast. This one looks like she knows what she''s doing, I must observe and learn. Perhaps there is a way to control the beast, she could be the key to understanding it.'' For what seemed an interminable amount of time, Surgit kept dodging and carefully counterattacking. The beast didn''t slow down but Surgit learned a lot about her. For instance, fighting in melee range was its greatest weakness. Because of the beast''s freakishly big legs, it couldn''t attack effectively using its arms. The beast didn''t seem to know how to use its legs for attacks as well. They were there to allow for nimble and fast movement. Surgit, consequently, stayed in close proximity. He also learned that the beast''s injuries closed after a certain amount of time. He projected it to be around five seconds. However, if he struck the same area where the injury closed then it will reopen with a larger cut than before. His objective was to hack at the monster until the injuries on its legs no longer supported its weight. Then he would climb on top of the monster and try to attack the head. This plan worked to an extent with the Cleric Beast. With his level of strength at that moment, he was confident that he could pull it off. As he hacked and dodged, the beast became slower and fatigue took over. The vicar was now breathing heavily and tried to put as much distance between her and Surgit. On the other hand, Surgit was focused on attacking and chasing. The moment the beast jumped, he''d run as fast as he could and close the gap. This time, as the beast felt tiredness take over, it jumped to the other edge of the nave. It''s worth noting that the nave of the Cathedral was as wide as a running track. Surgit always needed to run like an Olympic sprinter to catch up to the beast. This time the vicar had put too much distance between them. Surgit cursed as he ran after his target. He saw Vicar Amelia join her hands together as if she was praying. The moment the two hands joined together, the vicar slammed them on the ground. The resulting shockwave caught Surgit head on and propelled him towards the stairs. Surgit cursed as he got up. He instinctively rolled forward to avoid any retaliation from the beast. However no hit came his way. Amelia was actually praying and a gentle golden aura surrounded her. Although he was puzzled by this, Surgit decided to run and attack the monster while it prayed. As he got closer, he noticed that all the previous big scars and open wounds he left on the monster were healing rapidly. "Well fuck me sideways!" 130 Fight fire with fire The beast had become much more difficult to deal with. Not only did she fiercely attack, she also managed to heal herself completely. Surgit was disappointed with this unexpected turn of events. He had taken his time to read through the beast''s attack pattern then punished her whenever he found an opening. However, with her healing ability things have gotten more complicated. He needed to find a way to quickly dispose of the beast before she could heal. He bitterly smiled as he saw the beast as his own reflection. A hunter can heal while fighting a horde of monsters. This gave them a great advantage during a strenuous fight. One blood vial is enough to turn the tide of battle. This time Vicar Amelia gave him a taste of his own medicine. After the Vicar unclasped her hands, she immediately went on the offensive. Surgit had to stay focused and dodge all attacks that came his way. For its size, the beast was incredibly agile. Surgit found himself dodging every attack that came his way. However, if he missed his dodge by a hair''s width, he would be beaten to a pulp. Surgit found himself dodging attacks and devising a plan of attack in his mind. He kept a close distance to the Vicar and kept dodging. He used his axe as he did before and slowly hacked at the beast''s feet. He knew he needed more explosive attacks and a more aggressive attacking style. He was afraid of letting the beast take over again though. So he kept a cool head and slowly drained the beast''s energy. When the wound on her monstrous legs stopped closing and healing, Surgit immediately ran between her legs and slashed at her exposed lower torso. Amelia let out a deafening scream and jumped backwards. As soon as Surgit hit the beast, he kept running forward. He knew what her next move was and he aimed to stop it before it started. Once the vicar landed, Surgit was standing right in front of her. He held the axe with both hands and hurled it with all his force towards the beast''s head. His aim was to hit the object the beast held between her hands. He suspected that it was the reason why she could heal after taking damage. Since he had to use vials to heal, he assumed that the vicar did as much. The axe hit the beast''s hand before it clasped on the other. A metallic "clink" was heard then the beast looked down at Surgit. She growled and showed her teeth in a menacing way. Surgit felt chills go up his spine. His axe was buried deep within the vicar''s hand but she didn''t seem to mind it. She raised her hand and immediately slammed it on Surgit. He smiled as he saw the hand coming towards him. With a swift movement, he took his cleaver from its sheath on his back then jumped. The beast''s fist made contact with the ground and hit nothing. Surgit was several feet above. He had predicted the attack and reacted accordingly. He clenched his non-elongated cleaver with both hands then descended on the closed fist. The weapon made contact with flesh and tore through it. Surgit was showered with blood as the vicar let out yet another deafening scream. The vicar held both her hands and howled in pain. Surgit didn''t stop though. He took advantage of the moment and ran towards the beast''s hind legs. He jumped at the injuries and hacked as hard and as fast as he could. The already open wounds became deeper and blood poured out. A big pool of blood formed under the beast. These two bloody attacks were enough to bring Vicar Amelia to the ground. A huge shadow covered Surgit as the monster fell face first towards him. "Oh no!" Surgit was crestfallen. There was no way he could avoid that body slam. He looked around him in desperation. He needed to find a way to escape the body that was about to flatten him. He didn''t want to die. His plan was working perfectly, he just needed to land one more sequence of attacks and victory will be at hand. He quickly ran towards the beast''s hind legs as its lower torso was catching up. There was a wound there large enough to accommodate him. He ran as fast as he could and lunged towards the open wound. As he got inside the beast''s thigh, he started hacking at the muscle tissues around him. At that moment, Surgit was soaked in blood. His nose was full of blood, and his mouth too which made breathing a very difficult task. The taste of blood in his mouth made Surgit''s own blood boil. He wanted more of this substance. The more he consumed, the more invigorated he felt. He no longer thought about the difficulty of breathing, instead he focused on attacking and imbibing blood. The thigh in which he landed started moving and the muscles inside started contracting. Surgit felt the pressure and quickly looked for a way out. Movement meant that the beast had regained consciousness. He had to go out and finish what he started. The prospect of having more of this blood from the beast stimulated him. Vicar Amelia stood and felt the pain in her thigh. She could barely move that leg but she persevered. She had to heal and teach that brat a lesson. An insignificant insect dared attack her and even go for the amulet on her hand. That infuriated her. She stood up, albeit with great pain and inspected her surroundings. She needed to find that small insect and tear him into little pieces. The vicar felt extreme pain coming from her thigh. As she looked down she saw a black shadow shoot out from her leg. She could see sparks of red in her eyes as every move she made hurt her. She followed the black shadow until it stopped and looked at her direction. The black shadow slowly dissolved. Instead of the shadow, Vicar Amelia saw a furry dark monster jumping towards her face. A heavy punch that shook her jaw brought her back to the fight. She felt that punch and it even felt like some of her teeth had fallen off. She immediately turned her face to where the monster was and bit the air. With that blind attack, the vicar hoped to catch her enemy unaware. But the beast was nowhere to be seen. She looked down just in time to see an uppercut change her point of view towards the ceiling. Blood gushed out of her mouth as the other beast let out a roar. She could clearly see that her opponent was celebrating victory. Vicar Amelia quickly jabbed with her injured right hand and hit the beast. The furry monster landed on the second floor of the cathedral as his body hit the ceiling. It was a blind jab, but her animal instincts were better than most. She let out a loud scream and looked at the monster on top. She gave him her most menacing growl as she waited for his next move. That monster was nothing like she''s ever experienced before. He was fast and his attacks were too strong for its size. The beast stood up and jumped on a railing. It let out another loud roar. It stood on both hind legs and ran on the railing towards the area atop the vicar. Amelia followed the beast with her eyes as it ran on top of the railing. She was ready to attack as soon as her opponent jumped. As long as she could see where he was, she was sure to catch him. She wanted to chew and feast on this beast''s blood. Most of all she wanted to teach the small insignificant beast the difference in strength between the two of them. She could see all his movements now so she was confident to catch him the moment he attacked. However, the beast didn''t attack. It simply jumped towards the ceiling. At that moment, the furry black monster performed an acrobatic somersault in the air and its feet made contact with the ceiling. Amelia looked above her and before she could even react, she felt her eye explode and pain paralyzed her. In an instant, she fell to the ground motionless. She didn''t even have the time to let out a frustrated scream. The monster shot from the ceiling towards the beast''s eye. Surgit''s beastly form used the ceiling and propelled its body towards the beast''s head. It aimed to destroy the brain, therefore killing the beast instantly. As Surgit got out of the beast''s eye, his body started shrinking and getting back to its usual human form. "Eight claws have already gone out, this city will soon kill meˇ­" 131 Fear the Old Blood + Core of a Vicar: give to the messengers to receive a gift + The echo of a cleric: Pop to receive echoes + Gold Pendant: Pendant of Vicar Amelia. Use to change into a Blood Gem, which fortifies weapons. This pendant, passed down among the vicars who head the Healing Church, is a reminder of the cautionary adage. To reveal the adage, touch the altar skull. Surgit was standing atop the Vicar''s unmoving body. "Remain wary of the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young." He repeated the same sentence over and over again. His mind was in shambles. He managed to destroy the vicar in a few well executed strikes. The worst part this time around: he wasn''t in control of the beast but he was a bystander watching the fight. He knew that if he didn''t act now, he''d lose all control. He immediately popped the echo he received from Amelia then closed his eyes. As soon as he was at the space where Surgit could check his echoes, he saw three Green clusters orbiting a blue one. Surgit''s heart started beating fast as he opened his eyes and walked towards the altar in the Great Cathedral. He finally got a blue echo which will allow him to get a new rank. "All that''s left now is to touch this hideous skull and see what happens." Surgit advanced towards the skull at the altar. He had developed a habit as of late. Whenever Surgit saw something, he''d take his time looking at its details in order to remember everything about it. He made a mental note to write everything down on his notepad in the dream. He couldn''t afford forgetting everything he had seen so far. From the place he was kidnapped to, to the old workshop he found at the tower, he didn''t want to forget the little details he had worked hard to remember. Then there was the prayer the vicar was repeating. He needed to go back to the dream in order to write all of it down. There were some hidden meanings in there. Surgit walked towards the skull and inspected it. There was a diagonal cut on the skull that extended from the top part all the way to the lower jaw. A big section of the skull was destroyed from what appeared to be a serious injury. "That might have been what killed this beast," Surgit was thinking out loud. "What''s a beast this hideous doing at the altar of the Great Cathedral of the Healing Church? And why was I told to inspect this skull? Hmm.. let''s see" Surgit approached the skull and put his hand on it. A purple gas-like aura enveloped the skull then extended towards Surgit. Soon after, he found himself observing the countless people speaking to the old man on the chair. This was the same scene he had seen while invading other worlds. Surgit felt his body being transported towards one of the images by some unknown force. After a short moment, Surgit found himself standing next to the two people as both of them talked. The young man started speaking: "Master Willem, I''ve come to bid you farewell." Willem! Surgit''s heart skipped a beat. He''d read about this man for so long, he would''ve never linked him to the old one on the chair. After all, he had never seen the man before. Willem spoke next: "Oh I know, I know. You think now to betray me." Surgit felt like a spectator, watching some historical event he had always dreamt of witnessing. The young man spoke again: "No, but you will never listen. I tell you, I will never forget our adage." The old man listened to his student while rocking on his chair. With every movement, the chair would make a creaking sound. Master Willemsighed and then said: "We are born by the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood. " Willem''s voice changed into a lower tone before he continued: "Our eyes are yet to open." Surgit felt Goosebumps upon hearing the next sentence. In unison Willem and Laurence both said: "Fear the old blood." ''They knew of the effect of blood on people. They knew!'' Surgit''s heart palpitated even faster. The young man wearing a student uniform advanced towards his master. "I must take my leave," the young man said then walked out of the room. Surgit was left in the room observing the old man as his chair never stopped rocking. "By the gods, fear it Laurence." Surgit opened his eyes and found himself back at the Great Cathedral. He sat on the ground next to the altar and held his head with both hands. "Laurence, who created the greatest church our humankind has ever seen, was aware of the side effects of healing bloodˇ­" His parents have always told him to never believe legends and tales. They always cautioned Surgit that if something sounded too good to be true, then it probably was. Getting to Yharnam and getting a cure for his disease was a dream come true for Surgit. All he wanted to do was to get a second chance to build his life and live like others. Little did he know that fighting against fate and challenging the laws of nature didn''t come without drawbacks. He found himself thinking about how much his personality changed since he arrived to Yharnam. If it were Surgit with his current state of mind, he would probably accept his fate and welcome death. Death was better than turning into a bloodthirsty beast. Death was better than being stuck in a place where he had to kill and kill and kill. Death had surrounded Surgit so much that he no longer thought about it as a threat. He missed that feeling. Death was now just a waste of his time. "This healing church surely found a way to experiment on people." Surgit was analyzing what he had just seen. He stood up and started walking around in the cathedral while speaking to no one in particular. "Hi we''re the Healing Church, we offer you a miraculous blood that can heal any ailment. In exchange, you tell everyone you know about it and create a movement that will change history." "But in reality, we''re not actually curing you. We''re just using the people who come to us in good faith as guinea pigs. Have faith though, we have holy church doctors who will examine the symptoms you show after a long use of blood. If we see a bad reaction, you will be eliminated. If you run from us, our hunters will find you and kill you." Surgit was making faces as he launched himself into his crazy monologue. From everything he had seen before in Yharnam, Surgit managed to link some puzzles together and made his own conclusions. Whether they were right or wrong, only time will tell as he delves deeper into the secrets this city held. After all, if Yharnam was good at something, it was hiding its secrets very well. The adage he had witnessed during Willem and Laurence''s conversation was his password to access the forbidden woods. Surgit had found a note earlier stating that. However, he didn''t know where the entrance to the forbidden woods was. He decided to go the dream, upgrade his skill and use his notebook for a while. He needed a break from all the calamities Yharnam kept throwing his way. He also needed to cool his head and find out if his beastly transformation will be contained. As much as he loved the strength it allowed him, he feared getting possessed and losing himself completely. "I wonder if the blood they administer to hunters is the Old Bloodˇ­" 132 Hunter "After countless battles and deaths, I have finally managed to understand one constant about Yharnam. It is as Gascoigne said before: Beasts all over the shop! I was so absorbed by not letting the beast devour me. I should''ve known better. A hunter becomes strong because he has the Old Blood in his veins. Old Blood heals, but Old Blood also devours." "I have long shut down those echoes from my mind. But what I didn''t realize was that they held the key answer for me. If a hunter craves blood, then a hunter must hunt. If a hunter doesn''t satiate his thirst, the beast will do it for him. The more intense their hunger becomes, the bigger the beast they have to defeat." "Losing Blood Echoes without putting them to good use will only weaken a hunter. If a hunter doesn''t fortify his body and mind, he will definitely be eclipsed by the beast inside of him." "Fear the Old Blood!" Surgit was absorbed in his writing. Since he started exploring the Chalice Dungeons, a lot of information was given to him regarding hunters and blood echoes. The knowledge Surgit gathered, mixed with his own experience, helped him form his own theories. After all, there was no one to teach him about his nature as a hunter. He had to find answers for himself or risk losing his link to the dream and transforming into some type of hideous beast. Iosefka was right although she probably didn''t know what she was talking about. Multiple deaths may probably lead a hunter to lose his link to the dream. This had probably something to do with the hunter not able to withstand the beast inside of them anymore. Surgit had already reached a new rank in his strength. That fact alone made him breathe easily. He no longer felt beasthood eating away at him. Fighting Vicar Amelia had taken a big toll on him but the reward he got from the fight was worth the risk. Not only did he upgrade his attribute but he also got the password to access the Forbidden Woods. Now he only had to find a way to get there. He had no idea how to find that entrance though. "No matter, there is an entire section of the Cathedral Ward that I haven''t explored. I also need to check the surrounding areas of Great Cathedral." In his haste to collect echoes and suppress his beasthood, Surgit didn''t explore the areas around the Cathedral Ward. Now that he felt the pressure lifting from his mind, he felt more inclined to find out what the Cathedral Ward hid in its dark streets. Surgit was still sitting in front of the desk at the hunter''s workshop. There was one more thing he wanted to do. In front of him was the prayer Vicar Amelia repeated. He had memorized it and written it on his notebook. There were some hidden meanings in there. He wasn''t willing to leave until he found them. "Our thirst for blood satiates us, soothes our fears. Hmmˇ­ Why do I get the feeling that these people always speak in riddles?" Surgit sat on the chair and pondered while stroking his chin, a stubble had already shown on his face. "Remain wary of the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young." "Hmmˇ­ I have a feeling I''m close to the answer I''m seeking, yet something is missing so I just can''t grasp it yet. Minds young, Old Blood, this is a living breathing oxymoron and I am one too. The tombs I explored didn''t contain any Great or Old Ones. It only had guardians. I assume I will find something if I dig deeper into the dungeon. That place had some many answers for me before, it might contain something capital in its lower levels." Surgit stood up and headed towards the messengers. He still had some echoes and he wanted to trade them for some items. Before defeating Vicar Amelia, he had already accumulated three Green Echo Clusters. After the fight, he had Blue Echo Cluster on top of the Green ones he already received. He tried activating the echo in the Blue Cluster and all he heard was the same prayer the Vicar repeated over and over. The Green Ones though insulted him and mocked him for his naivet¨¦. He sighed as he shut them up again and focused on upgrading his strength. He needed to use the Blue Cluster to upgrade from Waste of Skin to Hunter. He was now a full-fledged hunter. He needed some ritual material and suspected the messengers to have some. Sadly, the little creature just looked at Surgit with no reaction when he asked about ritual materials. "I guess you need some kind of badge for that. I have an idea, let me go to that place I was kidnapped to, I will certainly come back with something useful from there." The little pale creature nodded and a lamp appeared from the black pool the messenger was always linked to. In no time, the Cathedral in which the big creepy statue was erected showed in Surgit''s field of vision. He looked around and saw a kidnapper a few paces away from him. He immediately ran towards the beast and swung Gascoigne''s axe towards its head. The kidnapper heard Surgit coming and turned to face his fast approaching enemy. The axe was buried deep within the kidnapper''s chest that it took Surgit two jerking motions to get it out of there. "Wow, the strength of a Hunter far exceeds my expectations!" One swing from the axe was enough to create a wound deep enough that even the Kidnapper''s magic couldn''t withstand. Surgit was excited but this feeling was cut short as he saw the kidnapper rise again. "How are you even alive? I can see the locked door behind you from the hole I made in your body!" Since he rarely met humans capable of speech, Surgit started talking to the beasts he fought. He found that it was better than living in silence like some bald monk on top of a secluded mountain. On the hole Surgit made on the kidnapper''s body, there were red lightning-like strands that connected the tissues and helped the snatcher move. A loud scream came from the kidnapper which was cut short by Surgit''s axe being buried deep in its skull. "Shut the fuck up! And stay dead!" Surgit quickly ran towards the second kidnapper and split his face in two. As long as he didn''t have to fight two at a time, there was nothing for him to worry about. "Now, I think it''s high time I explored this area more." When he first came here, Surgit was short on blood vials and the Kidnappers were hard to deal with. Now he felt more confident in his ability to unveil what secrets this place held. "I want to know why I was kidnapped here. Then I want to know who sings this terrifyingly beautiful song." Surgit now found the choir singing beautiful. Since he was the one with the upper hand, he felt like a hunter mercilessly destroying his enemies while having his own orchestra play music for his fights. He elongated his axe and moved outside the Cathedral, towards the main street. 133 Hypogean Gaol "Madmen toil surreptitiously in rituals to beckon the moon. Uncover their secrets." Surgit found this note on one of the corpses of countless hunters that had been kidnapped and thrown in the underground jail. In fact the cathedral to which he teleported in Yahar''gul had two floors underneath it. Both floors were jails in which prisoners were kept. Surgit had given up on going outside. Instead he opted for the underground floors first. He didn''t want to get lost exploring the streets and miss important things inside the building. He was right to do so since he had already found two notes worthy of his careful attention. The first one was the engraving he had found next to the dream lantern and the giant creepy statue. "Nightmarish rituals crave a newborn. Find one, and silence its harrowing cry." The second one was underneath the cathedral in the jail and in a dead hunter''s corpse. What puzzled Surgit was that some bodies had decomposed until their skeletons were the only thing left of them. Other corpses didn''t even decompose. "Not only this place has otherworldly beings, but time also seems to move in a weird pattern here." Surgit started noticing that time flowed differently than usual. He didn''t know how long he''d been in Yharnam for. Since his blood ministration, Surgit didn''t need to eat to replenish his energy, all he needed was blood. If he ever got tired, he had the dream to rest in. He didn''t need to sleep like he used to though. Because of that, he never really noticed that time had been slowly advancing. He was stuck in the same day even though it felt like he''d been in Yharnam for at least a month. A voice in the distance brought him back from his ruminations. "Oh merciful gods, help me. In the name of the Healing Church, cleanse us of this horrible dream." It was a woman absorbed in some prayer. Her voice trembled as she repeated those words. Surgit was on his guard so he approached the source of the noise silently. After his experience with Vicar Amelia, he didn''t trust talking people anymore, especially the ones repeating prayers. As he approached, he discovered that there was yet a third floor underneath the Cathedral. ''This place is bigger than I gave it credit for,'' Surgit thought as he silently walked towards the praying lady. There were many mirrors scattered on this floor. All of them were covered with large cloth that was surrounded with big chains and closed tight. ''Talk about superstitionˇ­'' Surgit approached the woman while using the big mirrors as cover. As soon as he got close, the woman heard his footstep and started begging for her life. "Please, leave me be. Don''t take me please. Please, oh Gods." - "Calm down woman I''m not here to take you anywhere," Surgit had to calm her down to get something out of her. - "By your garbˇ­ The Healing Church!" The woman happily exclaimed. - "And it appeared you''re part of the church as well. What brought you here?" Surgit was wearing Gascoigne''s set. He didn''t think the garb would come in handy in this situation. - "You''ve come to save me. Ahh Thank you dear saint! I have no words to express my relief." The woman was apparently very pleased to see a member of the church. She didn''t show any sign of transformation so Surgit relaxed a bit. - "I heard that some members of the healing church had been missing, so I came to investigate," Surgit lied. After all, he was quite certain that there were no living members of the healing church anymore. "So what happened to you?" - "I was seized on the street by a hulking brute in the Cathedral Ward. They''ve been others but they''ve either been taken away or left to find a way out of here. I''ve heard moans echoing in the distance, I was too scared to investigate." - "You were the wisest one among them all. There are powerful beast upstairs and even more terrifying ones outside," Surgit felt that this woman, despite being a low member of the church, could provide him with some information about her organization. - "So the hunt is on tonight? Then the streets are perilousˇ­" The woman seemed scared of the prospect of going outside by herself. "Then every door in the city must shut tight." She looked at Surgit with pleading eyes then said: "Perhaps it isn''t my place to ask but, do you know of any safe place that could take me in?" Surgit pondered for a moment then decided to send her to Oedon Chapel. "I''ll go upstairs and clean the place from the beasts that roam around. After that, you head on to Oedon Chapel in the Cathedral Ward." The woman gave Surgit her biggest smile then said: "I''m Adella by the way, pleased to meet such an upstanding member of the church as yourself." "I''m Surgit, do not do anything stupid. Don''t go out until I''ve cleaned up the streets." Adella nodded at Surgit. "Thank you so much kind hunter. I pray for success on your hunt." She fumbled in her pocket then handed two items to Surgit. "I have no need for this. An upstanding member of the Healing Church such as you would love it I presume." Surgit inspected the object. It was indeed a valuable item. ''Moon: A secret symbol left by Caryll, runesmith of Byrgenwerth. A transcription of "moon", as spoken by the Great Ones inhabiting the nightmare. Gain more Blood Echoes. The Great Ones that inhabit the nightmare are sympathetic in spirit, and often answer when called upon.'' Surgit thanked Adella then again asked her to wait for him to clear the streets. He didn''t want her to meet the little girl''s fate. The item she had given him was very valuable. Surgit wanted to hunt more beasts to gather more echoes. He needed to upgrade his skill as well to the next rank. He had no interest in Bloodtinge but Arcane still intrigued him. However, he hadn''t found any concrete information on how to use the arcane arts yet. So he didn''t upgrade it at all. The rune he received could be also equipped using the tool Francis had given him. The beast rune was useful against Vicar Amelia but he unequipped it as soon as he got back to the dream. "I have an idea on how to get more echoes from this place, but first I need to explore this whole area before putting my plan in motion." Surgit came back to the upper floor where he found the note on the dead hunter. He was then as the second floor underground. He had one more floor to explore before going outside. What he found in that floor was both horrifying and deeply mindboggling. As soon as he approached the door that gave access to that floor, Surgit saw a shadow run fast past it. He was on guard as he got inside. A split second was all he needed to grasp the situation. He had been ambushed so many times by the beasts of Yharnam to prepare himself for one. The shadow that ran past the door was to lure him inside with no regards to his surroundings. However Surgit had tasted horrible deaths because of his carelessness before. He jumped forward as soon as he heard a step. A hunchbacked woman tried to grab him and slit his throat. Surgit was too fast for her however. When he jumped to avoid the attack earlier, he swung his elongated axe in the direction of his attacker. His swing was so strong and fast that he threw the woman''s upper body several feet further. Her lower body stayed in place and fell motionless. The other woman who ran before to lure him in saw the scene that unfolded before her and ran towards a dark room deeper inside the floor. Surgit didn''t follow her. Instead he took his time to observe his surroundings. "Shit just got weirder in here. Why are you collecting eyes and putting them on your back woman?" There were eyeballs rolling down the ground and mixing with all the blood that seeped from the hunchbacked woman. Surgit turned to look around him. That floor also contained some cages whose metallic bars were so old that they had already broken. In the cages, unarmed huntsmen were lying on the ground. There were no wound marks on them. ''They can''t be dead. These things don''t seem to die a normal death.'' Surgit approached the huntsmen carefully. When he got inside the cages, one of the huntsmen stood up and looked at Surgit. Their garb was different from the ones he saw in Central Yharnam. These had simple civilian clothes on. They didn''t attack either. They just stood there and watched Surgit. With a vertical swing of his axe, Surgit cut the poor beast in half and advanced towards the others. The cage he was in led to another room. From the open door, the hunchbacked woman appeared once more. She showed Surgit her black crooked teeth. "Sorry madam, not my type." Surgit retracted his axe to hold it in one hand and took the cleaver on his left. Two kidnappers appeared behind the old woman and growled while pointing at Surgit. The latter clenched his weapons and shouted at them: "Time to start a massacre!" 134 Forsaken Castle Cainhurs Francis stood in front of a long flight of stairs and observed the big gate that awaited him at the end. The Castle''s gate was closed. The way to the castle was long so he drifted off. Upon awakening, he found out that the carriage stopped and that he arrived. The castle welcomed him with a mysterious sight. The horses that pulled the carriage were walking dead. What Francis didn''t expect to find however was the dead horses completely covered with snow. ''How are they covered in snow? I just arrived! It''s not even snowing at the momentˇ­" Francis'' mind was with Karla as he traveled to Cainhurst. Her death pained him too much for him to forget about it easily. He hoped he could get his master to administer blood to her and make her a hunter as well. After all, her skills were far superior to his. If she ever got the blood ministration, she would be a fearsome hunter. But his master revealed himself to be a villain. Not only did he lie about not being able to access the dream, but he also killed him and his party in cold blood. Karla was the only one to whom death was permanent, losing her pained Francis. She was the reason he made it this far in Yharnam. He wanted to pay her back somehow. As he traveled to the castle, he vowed to find a way to exact his revenge upon Gavril. After all, he still didn''t know what made a hunter lose his connection to the dream. He hoped that Cainhurst would have something about this in its expansive library. Francis climbed the steps towards the castle''s gate. As soon as he approached the gate, a loud creaking sound was heard. The gate elevated itself as if by magic, revealing Cainhurst in all its majesty. Snow covered the whole castle yard. Francis felt like he was in some fairy land. The castle extended as far as the eye could see. The architecture was somewhat close to Yharnam''s. Stone walls were erected as high as a five storeys building. Towers with conical roofs pierced the sky far in the distance. Cainhurst castle was simply the most magnificent piece of architecture Francis had ever laid eyes upon. Everything about this place spelled majesty despite it looking deserted. Francis hadn''t heard about the massacre that took place in the castle. Gavril didn''t deem him worthy of the knowledge. He didn''t tell Surgit about his destination nor did the latter ask about it. If he had known, he would''ve at least been ready for what was coming for him next. Francis saw a dream lantern next to the castle''s entrance. He activated it using his insight then walked through the yard, towards the castle''s main entrance. There were marble fountains that had long been inactive in the yard. Thanks to the snowfall, the marble still shone. Francis was captivated by all the marble statues that decorated the way towards the main entrance. They were completely different from the ones he had seen in Yharnam. In here, statues depicted noble men and women. Extra care had been given to the shapes of women''s bodies, especially the nude ones. In Francis'' mind, this only showed how aristocratic the royal family was. Hiring top notch sculptors to make such fine sculptures showed how sophisticated and educated the royal family was. ''I wonder what made this place so deserted. There isn''t a single living soul around here,'' Francis thought as he walked around, exploring the yard. Once he finished his thought, Francis heard some hurried footsteps in the distance. He immediately jumped back and scanned the area. He pricked his ears to pinpoint the exact location of the sound. ''To the right!'' he turned and saw a hideous creature walk towards him on all fours. Imagine if a mosquito could grow to the size of a cow. Now imagine if that mosquito had a face similar to those of humans with a long red tongue protruding from its mouth. Female mosquitos absorb blood from humans and store it in a small bag under their bellies. The creature in front of Francis fits the description of said mosquito. It just couldn''t fly so it walked on all fours towards Francis. Francis was more startled at the sight than terrified. He expected to see werewolves, mythical creatures that no one had ever seen. At least lycanthropes were described in all books detailing mythical monsters, seeing one would surprise a person and terrify them. However looking at a giant mosquito running on all fours to hunt was a different matter. Surprise will be mixed with fear while your heart would beat faster than you''d ever expect it to. It took Francis a moment to snap out of it and jump back, away from the monstrosity that aimed to devour him. The mosquito was too fast though. It caught up to him in mere seconds. Its attacks were even weirder. It used its tongue as a whip and attacked Francis who was still surprised at what he was looking at. The sharp tongue hit him on the chest. A big wound opened diagonally on Francis, from shoulder to hip. Pain shot through his body and Francis winced as he tried to get away from the tongue''s range. ''What the hell is this thing? What a way to be welcomed to Cainhurstˇ­'' The beast kept coming at Francis while the poor old man kept on dodging. The mosquito didn''t even give him time to find an opening. Its attacks were fierce, relentless and deadly. Francis jumped back once more and immediately coated his Chikage with his own blood. The creature''s eyes glowed red at the sight of his blood. "You want some this, you hideous creature?" Francis shouted at the mosquito as if he needed to provoke it some more. The mosquito whipped its sharp tongue again at Francis. The old man blindly swung his katana horizontally. He couldn''t see the tongue as it whipped towards him. All that was left for him to do was to learn the attack''s timing by feeling. The moment his katana cut the tongue, the mosquito let out a scream that made Francis'' hair stand on end. No mosquito was supposed to make this noise. Francis immediately rushed towards the beast and managed to thrust his katana deep inside the mosquito''s left eye. Francis still felt strange about fighting this monstrosity. It just looked too disgusting to be approached in the first place, let alone attack and kill it. He wished he could just stomp on it and hear it pop as blood splattered on the ground. But he wasn''t fighting a normal insect. The one he was fighting was much bigger and much more disgusting. As soon as his katana pierced the mosquito''s eye, the latter let out yet another screech. Francis was forced to jump back and cover his ears. It felt like a mosquito humming in ones ears but at a supersonic frequency. ''Damn it, its skull is harder than steel. And I can cut steel with this weaponˇ­'' After Francis upgraded his bloodtinge anything he hit with his katana split in half, especially if it was coated with his blood. However, the mosquito''s skull was too hard for his current Bloodtinge rank to cut through. The mosquito jumped high above Francis and landed behind him. Francis cursed as the tongue whipped his back and sent him rolling down the floor. The mosquito jumped again and landed on top of Francis. Its tongue was cut but that didn''t stop it from trying to suck Francis dry. Its tongue, which was flexible mere moments ago, became hard and pointed towards Francis'' head. The old man, desperate to bring this abomination down, swung his katana towards the bloated belly. Blood exploded out of the sac and the beast was blown to smithereens. Francis was showered with blood. His heart pounded against his chest. As he tried to calm himself down, Francis sat on the fountain, breathless. "Welcome to Cainhurst I guessˇ­" 135 Out of Body experience "How is the patient?" asked a melodious female voice. "She''s adjusting pretty well. Her wounds have healed and her organs are in the process of reattaching. I don''t see any signs of rejection from her side. I think she''d make a fine hunter after the ministration is over," another hoarse voice answered. It clearly belonged to an old man. His breathing was ragged and every time he spoke, one could feel that the man had put great effort in pronouncing the words. "Very well, if anything happens, notify me at once," replied the woman''s voice before footsteps were heard then the sound of a door closing. Karla hadn''t regained her consciousness yet. However, she was somehow capable of observing everything around her. Her comatose body lay on the bed while Karla felt like she was observing the scene from above, like an out of body experience. The man who supervised her blood ministration was indeed old. He wore a top hat from which white hair protruded to the side. His white beard was disheveled and his teeth were almost all gone. Nothing from his appearance suggested that he was a doctor. But in Yharnam, not only was he considered a knowledgeable person in the medical field, but he was also a blood minister in the healing church. This was one of the most important titles a person could hold in Yharnam. Being associated to the Healing Church to begin with was a great honor. To climb the echelons of the church and work directly under the supervision of the first vicar was considered the highest honor in the Healing Church. Blood ministers were among the people who worked under the direct supervision of Laurence. Blood ministers were basically the link between the Healing Church and the Hunters'' order. Each hunter must go through blood ministration before joining the order. The Blood ministers oversaw this process. At the time of the first vicar Laurence and the first hunter Gehrman, hunters were numerous. Many people from around the world came seeking blood healing and blood ministration. The strongest candidates to become hunters were always skillful warriors or martial artists. Thanks to the synergy created by Laurence and Gehrman working together, the city flourished and their fame skyrocketed. There were thousands of hunters and hundreds of blood ministers. The old man who administered blood to Karla was the head minister. His life''s work was studying the miraculous healing properties of the Old Blood. He had been studying the properties of the Old Blood since he joined Byrgenwerth. Since then, he became obsessed with healing blood and humans'' transcendence. He believed that the beastly scourge that hit Yharnam every night of the hunt was an obstacle they had to face in order to evolve. After all, Old Blood had miraculous effects that far exceeded humans'' imagination. The discovery of healing blood was a global scientific breakthrough. Humankind''s worst enemy was their lifespan. If humans could transcend to a state which allows them to live forever, one can only speculate at the endless possible things they can study and invent. Scholars in Byrgenwerth believed that the strongest species are the ones most adaptable to change. Through studying the Old Blood, the head blood minister believed that he''d find the source of the beastly scourge and eliminate it. Casualties were unavoidable. With the help of hunters, Laurence also believed that they could defeat the scourge. The doctor looked at Karla then sighed. This woman''s appearance created a big chain of events to unfold. Nobody knew where she came from or why she was injured on a chair in the middle of the woods. She had sustained heavy injuries and the only way to save her was to get her through blood ministration. Healing blood from the church''s nuns would only slow her death. She''d either die in the process or transform into a beast. Old Yharnam was proof of that. No matter how much they tried to contain the scourge, more beasts appeared. So the head blood minister agreed to administer blood to her. They had to get some answers from her so they needed her alive. In fact, Karla''s body was recovering very well. Thanks to her previous exposure to healing blood, her body didn''t reject the blood ministration. Her out of body state started fading two days ago. Some days, Karla could only hear what people around spoke about. Other days, she would have control of all her senses as she observed her motionless body from above. She learned a great deal about where she was, or rather when she was, during the past few days. She knew that she was in Yharnam at the time when the healing church flourished. She learned that the head of the healing church as long as some senior member of the Hunters'' order were keen on interrogating her. She hoped that she''d remember this state when she wakes up. She had already prepared a plausible story for them. She could feel that she''d wake up in a few days and have the abilities of a hunter. She saw the beast approach her every night in her dreams. Every time it got close, Karla would immediately wake up then she''d watch her body from above for hours. Every night, the beast got closer. Every night, Karla dreaded the moment when the beast would reach her. In her dreams, she was always tied up and unable to move a muscle. All she could do was helplessly watch the beast take slow steps towards her. After the woman left the room, the man inspected Karla''s eyes and her pulse then left the room. It was getting darker outside and Karla was getting ready to face that horrible dream. She could feel the connection to her body getting stronger. It felt like her ethereal self was being pulled towards the corporeal. A suction force would suck her towards her body every night to live the same nightmare. Karla was again dreaming. As soon as she realized that she could move her head, she turned towards the blood puddle from which the beast appeared. A hideous lycanthrope whose body hadn''t formed completely came out. Its whole body was dripping blood as it approached Karla. She was determined to fight the beast with her ethereal self. So she tried to push outside with her mind, as if she was chasing her soul away. Nothing happened as she kept trying. The more she tried, the more she exerted herself. The beast slowly approached and touched her cheek. She shot an infuriated look at the beast. She tried to shout at it but no words came out of her mouth. She was in a bad dream she couldn''t will herself to wake up from. As soon as the beast''s claw touched her cheek though, its whole body caught on flame. The beast let out a long wail as it fell to the ground. Karla opened her eyes while her heart pounded against her chest. She sat on the bed and examined her body. She had completely recovered and was now able to move all her limbs. She inspected her belly and felt the pain of the katana piercing her. Anger was building up inside as she clenched her fists and whispered "I have your letter for you, that''s an invitation to hell!" "Ah, it looks like we''ve found ourselves a hunter,'' a melodious voice came from the door to Karla''s room. A tall lady walked into the moonlight and smiled at Karla. Her voice and smile could soothe all pain. Karla forgot her vengeful wish for an instant as she looked at the stunning lady. "Who are you inviting to hell?" said the lady with the melodious voice. 136 Lady Maria It was nighttime when Karla woke up. The fair lady noisily dragged a chair and sat beside her. "Foreigner, we have found you on the verge of death in the woods in an area outside the city." Karla fixatedly looked at the woman, her gaze unfaltering. The woman''s melodious voice was enchanting. Karla had immediately forgotten the rage she had towards Gavril. "Are you a hunter?" asked Karla. The lady revealed a gentle smile as she answered: "So are you my dear. As I said earlier, we found you in the middle of the woods. Your injuries were grave so we decided to break the rules and admitted you for blood ministration. The fact that you recovered and you''re able to speak to me at the moment is proof that you have successfully become a hunter." Karla knew that these people had saved her in order to question her. Her sudden and mysterious appearance in Yharnam wasn''t going to go unnoticed. She was pleasantly surprised to have kept the memories from her comatose experience. Not only that, but she also deeply remembered Gavril''s last words. At the moment that strange pendant broke, Karla felt that she had mysteriously regained consciousness. It was as if she''d lost consciousness and awoke several minutes later. What had actually happened was a mystery to her. She still remembered that man''s last words however. "Bring me back my summons." She didn''t know what he meant by that, but she was sure to find out eventually. The fair lady was still looking at Karla, expecting a reaction from her. Karla quickly cleared her throat. "Thank you for saving my life, I don''t think I can ever repay you for your kindness," she said in a low tone. It felt like she was apologetic. "There''s no kindness in administering blood to a foreigner. You do not know what a great burden it is to be a hunter. We saved your life because we need answers." Karla was surprised by the bland tone the discussion had taken. The woman''s previously smiling face turned into an emotionless one. No wrinkles or features indicated what the woman was feeling or thinking. Karla was good at reading people''s faces, but this one was just impossible to read through. "Answers about what?" she asked. "For starters, where did you come from? And why were you heavily injured and sitting on a chair in the middle of the woods?" Karla had already prepared an answer for the question. "I come from the country of Caylind." That was her country of origin. Every lie has a bit of truth in it. Karla decided to go with that in order to tell her story. "I was ambushed by a mad man. He had a grudge against one of my companions and decided to kill every person related to him." Karla''s heart ached as she remembered the slaughter. "It was a massacre. To all of us, he looked like a demon in a human body. The moment he saw blood rush out of poor Mikhail, he madly laughed as he seemed to have gone into a trance." Karla''s hands trembled and she clutched the bed sheets tight. The fair lady looked at Karla and smiled at her. "It seems you have survived the worst. If it was around Yharnam, I would''ve thought of Cainhurst. But since you clearly look like a foreigner, how would you explain your appearance here? The one who ambushed you wasn''t around when we found you." Karla could clearly see that her story wasn''t solid enough. "I escaped during the ambush. I wasn''t injured so I travelled as far away as I could from that fiend. Our ship was attacked at sea and I somehow drifted off to the shore nearby." Karla had studied the geography around Yharnam with Surgit before they set sail before. It was stated in the books that Yharnam and other countries around it formed an archipelago. Since she didn''t remember the names of neighboring countries, she decided to risk it by lying about the ship sinking. Karla''s mind raced as she started making up her story. She desperately wanted to avoid telling them that she came from the future. The idea alone seemed farfetched. If Karla hadn''t experienced it herself, she wouldn''t believe anybody with that claim. She also wanted to find a way to get back to Yharnam. That chair was her clue but she didn''t know where it was. If the hunters here concluded that she was insane, she''d be automatically executed. She knew that they didn''t tolerate failure. "When I arrived to the shore, I didn''t know where I landed. I aimlessly wandered, looking for civilization. On my way, I encountered a man clad in armor. He elegantly greeted me and offered his assistance. He pointed towards the woods and told me that there was a village beyond." Thanks to her out of body experience, Karla had heard about where and how she was found. She collected some information about the area from their speech. What she was saying didn''t arouse the lady''s suspicion. "As soon as I reached the forest, I heard howls and screams in the distance. I was scared, but the moment I tried to investigate them, beasts came rushing at me. "I fought them off ran and, but I sustained heavy injuries. I don''t know what made them lose interest in me but that allowed me to get away from their grasp. I thought I had died when someone appeared and dragged me around in the forest. At that moment, I had lost consciousness." The lady listened to Karla intently as she told her story. Something was off about what she told her but she couldn''t press the matter any further. Her story was solid. She couldn''t refute the facts she was given. "Do you remember the person who dragged you?" the fair lady asked. Karla shook her head and said, "I thought it was one of you. It was only when you told me about where I was found that I knew I was wrong." The fair lady smiled at Karla and extended her hand towards her. "Welcome to the Order of Hunters, my name is Maria. I will be your master from this day on." Karla shook the hand that extended towards her. "I''m Karla." Lady Maria nodded then went on: "From today onwards, you will answer directly to me. Would you join us in hunting some threatening beasts?" Karla knew that she had no other choice in the matter. She nodded then stood up from her bed. "Go on, feel how different your body is after the ministration." Karla''s physical prowess was extraordinary even before becoming a hunter. Now that she felt her body and realized how much had changed, she couldn''t help but smile. Her heart ached since she dreaded the use of blood the moment she arrived to Yharnam. She had become a hunter against her will. That frustrated her a little. But seeing the effects of blood ministration on her, her view on the matter started changing. "Are you good with weapons?" Lady Maria was still looking at Karla with a smile on her face. That smile started weighing on Karla. She didn''t know what that smiling face hid underneath. She knew hunters to be ruthless and bloodthirsty. Looking at an Old Hunter who was respected by everyone, Karla could only imagine how much blood was on that woman''s hands. "Yes I have trained on the use of broad and short swords. That was how I managed to survive against those beasts earlier." Lady Maria approvingly nodded then said: "The attack of the beasts wasn''t earlier. It was three months ago." 137 Deep Sea ''Cainhurst, what are you plotting again?'' Lady Maria was deep in thought as she led Karla towards her quarters. The Upper Cathedral Ward was directly linked to the hunter''s tower. It was there where direct disciples of the first hunters resided. Hunters in Yharnam were countless. Some were mingled in the street, others were part of the healing church while other displayed themselves outside proudly. The reason behind that was for hunters to precisely predict anomalies and remove it before it spread. The beastly scourge was dangerous. It was spreading fast and hunters had to cut the root of evil before it sprouted. Thus, hunters were everywhere "protecting the people". Citizens didn''t seem to mind their presence everywhere. However, hunters dreaded the spies. There too many kinds of spies in the city. Some were foreigners who came to the city to steal its secrets. Others were appointed from the castle to spy on the healing church. There were also hunters from the order hiding in plain sight. Their job was to observe and notify their direct supervisors if anything abnormal was noticed. It didn''t matter if the abnormality came from a citizen or a fellow hunter. There was no room for mistakes with the Order of Hunters. Lady Maria was originally a direct descendant of the queen of Cainhurst Annalise. She could feel a trace of Cainhurst blood in Karla. She just couldn''t link her to the Castle. She was an outsider. She definitely looked the sort. Moreover, outsiders who are transferred to Cainhurst never leave the castle ever again. ''None of this makes any sense. The queen will never let a slave out of her grasp no matter what.'' Yharnam was after all in a fierce political battle against Cainhurst. Lady Maria was part of the hunters though. It was only due to Gehrman''s trust that she was allowed into the Order and the Healing Church. The Healing Church was wary of people of Cainhurst. To make matters worse, she was directly related to the queen, which made the Healing Church doubt her even more. However, Laurence seemed to have accepted Lady Maria after Gehrman''s convinced him of her true intentions. She was even granted a prominent position within the Healing Church. She only wished to rid the world of the beastly scourge that had plagued them all. Most of all, she was a skilled hunter, second only to Gehrman and Laurence. Some even suspected that she was stronger than Laurence. As she walked down the tower, she would occasionally glance at Karla. The mysterious lady looked amazed by the interior of the tower. Her gaze was everywhere as she seemed to absorb every little detail of the place. This increased Lady Maria''s suspicion towards Karla. Little did she know that Karla was helplessly contemplating the place and comparing it to its future state.She felt horrified. She was still unable to tell when she was. After all, Karla didn''t know who Laurence or Gehrman were. She heard legends about the founder of the healing church, but she never listened when Surgit and Francis spoke about it. Karla was simply lost in her contemplation. She was afraid to witness the fall of the Hunter''s Order. The Old Hunters were mostly all wiped out by the time she and her party landed in Yharnam. She didn''t know what led to that state, but she knew that the event that led to it might lead to her death as well. She needed to find a way out and come back to when she came from. The chair was her only hope. But she secretly suspected the hunters to have retrieved it. In fact, Laurence was studying the chair with great interest. Lady Maria hadn''t disturbed him yet to announce that Karla awoke. She knew though that he wanted to interrogate her personally. From looking at Karla however, Lady Maria knew that she didn''t have any arcane powers. She wasn''t even a hunter to begin with, so she couldn''t control Arcane. She suspected Laurence of going mad. He saw everything as a threat and was deeply absorbed in studying the beastly scourge. His discovery of healing blood was heavily clouded by the beast plague that appeared with it. ''There has been a number of foreigners suddenly showing up in Yharnam lately.'' Lady Maria was absorbed in thought again as they descended the deep tower. Beside her, Karla didn''t speak a word. She silently walked while listening to the sound of their heels hitting the floor. She was too mesmerized by the majesty of the tower. She had observed this tower from afar while waiting for Francis to come out of it earlier. She didn''t think it would have been this beautiful on the inside. The circular tower was composed of many floors that extended forever under the ground. Karla felt like she was sinking towards the center of the earth. Each floor had dark brown wooden floors. In each floor there were different doors that led to God knows where. Karla couldn''t access them at that moment. There were large chandeliers that could hold up to 50 candles hanging on each floor. Sometimes, they would cross someone who had just entered a door to the tower. A gentle breeze would follow and wash over Karla''s face. The person would immediately greet Lady Maria respectfully and leave hurriedly. Lady Maria stopped at a door and opened it. She led Karla inside a small tunnel which gave way to a beautiful square. In the middle of the square there was a large well from which one could fetch water. "The house on the left is where you''ll reside from now on," Lady Maria''s melodious voice reached Karla''s ears. "You will be provided with fresh water to bathe in. There are different sets of clothes in your room inside. Have a nice bath and change your clothes, you don''t look like you belong here." Karla had been given patient clothes during her ministration. Lady Maria had come to find her immediately after she woke up. "I will come back to see you in the morning. For now have a rest, your body still needs to adjust after the ministration. There will be a woman inside to answer to your needs, do not hesitate to call on her." With that the fair lady left Karla and turned towards the tunnel she came from. "Has our mystery lady been appraised?" asked an old man as soon as Lady Maria entered the tower again. "She''s definitely hiding something, but I can''t put my finger on it. These foreigners are becoming a real pain in the ass." Lady Maria smile had disappeared completely. She frowned as she unconsciously went for her weapon in its sheath. "We''ll carefully observe her and make our own conclusions. For now there''s the matter of the fishing hamlet that we need to discuss." At the mention of the fishing village, Lady Maria turned towards the man. "Did they find anything?" The old man in front of her smiled as he said: "A deep, bottomless sea." 138 Inside the castle Inside the castle, Francis was taking in the magnificent scenery that unfolded in front of him. The marble floor was so polished that it reflected his image. Although Cainhurst fell long ago, the servants still kept their duties. They scrubbed and polished the floors tirelessly. Their clothes were looked old and dingy. They didn''t give off any sense of strength. In Francis'' eyes, they just looked like withered bodies. They didn''t threaten him at all. He walked around the main hall. There were stairs leading to the first floor of the castle. The stairs branched off and each path led to a different part of the place. Francis wasn''t in a rush to get deeper into the palace. He wanted to explore ground floor first. He hoped to find some blood vials around. Before getting inside, he had to fight many mosquitos. By then he dreaded them more than any other creature he had encountered so far. They were vicious beasts. Their attack pattern was so diversified that he couldn''t predict their next moves accurately. First, there was their extreme speed. He could barely predict where they''d land after they jumped to avoid his attacks. They were so fast that Francis resorted to a different approach. He let go of his usual calculations and let his survival instinct do the rest. After all, he was now a hunter with sharp senses. In a way, he was closer to being a beast that the other monsters. The second issue was their unusually hard skin. They had a natural armor that prevented all attacks from cutting through. Their only weakness was their blood sac. It was extremely weak to the Chikage''s attacks. All Francis needed to do was to reach the blood sac. That wasn''t as easy as he initially thought. The creatures stood on all fours. Every time they jumped, they''d immediately land several paces forward. Francis couldn''t even follow the arc their body made as they jumped and advanced. It looked like the mosquito had just vanished to appear several feet closer to him. They also had monstrous strength. Every hit from their unnatural hands would shake Francis'' body and cause some bones to break. "Hands", this is what Francis started calling them. Although the creatures stood on all fours, they didn''t have paws like other beasts. These had hands on their front "legs" and human feet on the hind legs. To top it all, the mosquito had a hideous face. Its mouth had countless sharp teeth protruding from it. A red long tongue would usually come out like a snake''s. That tongue was a fearsome weapon on its own. It acted as a whip and one lash from it opened a deep wound on Francis'' chest. He could see his ribcage after the tongue landed on him. That frightened Francis so much that he did his utmost to avoid dealing with the beasts face to face. The most horrific physical feature the beast had was its long silver hair that flowed down its face. The mosquito''s face was half hidden by the hair. Francis would only see the horrific face when the beast opened its mouth to bite him or whip its tongue at him. Every time Francis saw that face, his heart would start beating fast. He just hated looking at all that ugliness. In total, he had to fight twelve of them. One had a blood sac so big that it bloated until it touched the floor. That mosquito couldn''t even move. After Francis discovered that it was easier to kill the hideous mosquitos from behind, he tried to sneak attack them all. That didn''t go so well though as the ones capable of movement would welcome the sneak attack with a mule kick. Francis'' face was so mashed up together that he barely had the time to inject himself with a blood vial before suffocating. He suffered through the long fights with the hideous beasts and came out wiser. He was short several blood vials though. In his mind, he wouldn''t use those withered servants'' blood unless it was his last resort. So he decided to explore every nook and cranny of the ground floor. He fought the mosquitos, lost many blood vials, but found nothing of use to him outside. That frustrated him. As Francis walked across the main hall, his footsteps echoed through the building. The servants were still polishing the marble ground, not minding his existence. The chandeliers that hung from the ceiling reflected on the polished floor. This intensified the light that spread around in the place. Francis couldn''t help but admire the interior design of the castle. ''These people knew how to show off.'' He noticed a wooden chest in the distance, hidden behind a small bookcase under the stairs. He walked faster towards the chest and inspected it with his insight. There was a golden light emitting from it. ''This means treasure!'' Francis felt excited as he opened the box. In his excitement, he didn''t notice those faint crying sounds.In his excitement, he reached with his hand and took the weapon that lay inside. In his excitement, he didn''t notice the dagger aimed at his back until it was too late. Sharp pain penetrated his back as he jumped forward and turned around. That scene seemed to have agitated the servants as they all stopped what they were doing and looked at Francis. Francis didn''t notice the cries when he entered because they were barely audible against the sound of his footsteps. He also didn''t notice them after he tried to open the chest because he was too excited to find his first treasure in Cainhurst. His previous fight against the mosquitos frustrated him. He thought that he''d find something valuable after he had to fend off against three mosquitos at the same time. Alas, there was absolutely nothing of great value in the castle grounds. That frustration was soon washed off and replaced by excitement when he saw the chest. In short, he dropped his guard down and paid the price for it. After he evaded death, Francis turned around to face his assailant. A grey figure looked at Surgit with ghostly eyes. In fact, the whole figure was a ghost. A woman, whose hands were bound together by shackles, held a knife and slowly advanced toward Francis. This woman''s body was completely ethereal, yet her attacks felt real to Francis. ''What kind of sorcery is this?'' Francis couldn''t contain his surprise. Francis reluctantly used a blood vial to heal his wound. The knife had gotten deep into his back. His movements would be greatly hindered if he didn''t heal up. Francis pricked his ears and heard the other wails and cries. They were behind him, in front of him, upstairs and everywhere around him. He could only see the one that attacked him before but none of the rest. He quickly ran towards the ghost and slashed with his weapon. ''If their attacks can damage me, so can I.'' He had to try. Deep down he feared not being able to damage them. He would have no way to fight back otherwise. Fortunately, the ghost let out a wail as its figure disappeared after one attack connected. ''As long as they don''t ambush me, I should be fine.'' Francis was hopeful again. His face regained some of its colors. ''I need to find the queen, but I know that this castle has too many secrets of its own. I must tread carefully. Perhaps I should seek his aidˇ­'' 139 Darkness There is a reason why Surgit caught the eyes of many high officials back when he was in the academy. His ambition and boldness were peerless. Back in the day, he was sociable and easygoing. In a short time within the academy, Surgit managed to make a name for himself as a talented young man. Most teachers saw in him the potential to become a great leader in the future. Surgit''s upbringing wasn''t political, but he always had a certain fascination towards politics. He strove to become a respected politician in his country, perhaps even serve under the king. He studied hard and worked on his soft skills in order to gain some charisma. His physical appearance also helped paint him a potential leader portrait. Over the years, he had gained confidence through his different interactions. He made sure to mingle in political events and the different balls officials held. His easygoing nature made him very likeable to most people. All in all, Surgit would''ve had a great life ahead of him if it weren''t for his sickness. Years of seclusion and rejection from society can greatly change a person. Surgit slowly changed from an outgoing person into a lone passerby no one paid attention to. The pains from losing his position and from his approaching death had destroyed all of Surgit''s great personality traits. He refused to let go of the past and kept looking for a way to cure his disease. As the search became hopeless, a woman appeared from nowhere and told him about Yharnam. That excitement, combined with his will to get back to his past self, became obsession. The obsession led him to Yharnam and to the world of hunters. After years of being shunned and rejected by society, Surgit found a place where he could vent his anger. Since the day he received blood ministration, Surgit had kept the idea of getting back to his home country priority number one. All the clues he collected were in order to find a way out of Yharnam. Although he found himself involuntarily pulled towards hunters'' affairs, he still progressed towards finding Paleblood. He now believed that being a hunter is the only way out. Karla''s death was the most obvious sign. ''Beasts in the city are fiercer the more you advance towards the truth,'' Surgit found a table in the room where he fought the kidnappers and sat on top of it. ''Karla died to a hunter who couldn''t even find his way out of here. No one would want to live this life forever. Even if he was a complete monster when he fought us, I don''t believe he''s even remotely close to what I will encounter when I get closer to finding out more about Paleblood. It feels like there is a big hidden secret nobody wants me to find about. The more I dig into it, the fiercer the counterattack I receive. '' ''That hunter simply can''t compete against stronger enemies and invades others like us to steal from us. In a way, you cheat the system and you can eventually become stronger. However, the process is too slow to be considered an option for me now. I don''t think I should rush it and try to reach Paleblood just yet. If what I consider a monster can''t compete at that level, how can I?'' He touched the weapon he had in hand. Before he came back to this room, Surgit had already cleaned the whole area around him and notified the nun. She told him that she knew of the short-cut only church officials could use to reach Yahar''gul. That was the first time Surgit had heard the name of this town. Adella recognized the place as soon as she walked out. When the nun told him about the short-cut, he nodded and told her about Oedon Chapel. He still didn''t trust Iosefka. The change in her behavior still puzzled him. Surgit didn''t say anything to the nun except the safe place she could get to. The nun still thought of him as a hunter from the church. While exploring the streets of Yahar''gul, Surgit stumbled upon a strange weapon. It looked like an experimental lightning rod. Instead of the pointy end however, there was a dark sphere. The sphere, which was roughly 6 inches in diameter, emitted faint sparks. It was more shaped like a Morningstar without the spikes. As Surgit sat on the table below, he decided to research more about Arcane. The weapon he held was called Tonitrus. When one strikes this weapon in the air, like lighting a match, it generates powerful blue sparks. These bolts deal damage and stagger the enemy, allowing one to mercilessly pound at them to death. When Surgit tried it for the first time, he was pleasantly surprised. The weapon didn''t have high requirements to be used. Surgit could even use it with his low Arcane rank. ''If this weapon is this powerful without the need for high Arcane, how would the others be?'' He was excited at the prospect of fusing bolt to his attacks. Surgit knew he had to become stronger. For that, he needed to hunt strong beasts and accumulate echoes. He knew that this would take a lot of time. At that moment, he decided to give up on rushing towards Paleblood. If it was easy to find, why hasn''t anyone found it yet? Surgit decided to explore one more area in Yahar''gul before searching for the Forbidden Woods. He wanted to get there to get more sacrifice materials. Of all the places that must have many, Byrgenwerth was the prime candidate. There was a hole dug into a wall in the room where Surgit fought the two kidnappers. That path was the only one he hadn''t gone through yet. He was still absorbed in the sparks that came out of the Tonitrus. His insight had informed him that a man named Archibald made this weapon to look like the blanket of a darkbeast. Those sparks that shone inside the dark sphere were hypnotizing. Surgit couldn''t take his eyes off of them. It felt like this weapon represented him after the blood ministration. His old habits and mannerisms started resurfacing after they had been buried by the darkness of the sickness for a long time. His calculating mind and ambition were the sparks that made him stand out back in the day. He could feel his old self coming back. Surgit was now calculating. He wanted to get stronger to pave his way out of the city. He believed the tombs of the Old Ones were his key to getting as many echoes as possible. For that he wanted to reach Byrgenwerth. ''One more matter to deal with before I look for those Forbidden Woods.'' He walked through the tunnel that had been dug through the wall. It looked like someone really wanted to escape that prison. But since the Kidnappers were in that room already Surgit didn''t know if the attempt succeeded or not. He walked through the tunnel expecting to find a dead end. What he found was a big hole that led to the exit. "What the hell is that?" Surgit muttered as he looked at the monstrous skeleton that slept in the distance. When he peeked from the hole, he saw that it led towards an enormous plaza. There was a closed gate next to which the skeleton of an giant beast lay down in a sleeping position. It looked like a guardian dog that slept until it died and only bones remained. But when his insight kicked in and informed him of the beast''s name, Surgit''s heart raced. 140 Hunters Mark The beast was coiled up and seemed to be resting. Surgit didn''t rush to meet it. He carefully observed from a safe distance. He didn''t want to provoke the beast just yet. His insight informed him that he was facing a darkbeast. The first time he ever heard of this name was when he checked the Tonitrus. Every once in a while Surgit could barely see a thin line of lightning spread along the bones of the beast. ''Either this beast''s lightning energy isn''t as strong as it used to be, or it''s just sleeping and hiding it. Knowing my luck in this city, I''m betting on the latter.'' After all the fights he had to go through unprepared, Surgit started being cautious when approaching big monsters. It was his own recklessness that got him into helpless situations. Surgit didn''t wish to go through that anymore. ''If I''m going into a fight like this, I need to rationally assess my chances of victory. This beast is large enough to cover the whole main street of Yahar''gul. If I had to fight it without its lightning, I might have a chance at winning. But this thing seems to be lightning incarnate. I don''t see myself winning against it with my level of strength. What to doˇ­'' Surgit didn''t want to let go of the echoes he had just earned while cleaning the town of kidnappers. He took an item from his pocket and looked at it. ''I don''t think I have a chance against this beast, but at least I won''t lose anything thanks to this. I''ll take this as a learning experience. This is my biggest chance to learn about Arcane.'' With careful strides Surgit walked towards the darkbeast. When he was a few paces closer, blue lightning emitted from all the bones. The lightning seemed to connect the bones together until the beast was completely reformed, standing on all fours. It let out a scream and lightning spread out from its body outwards. The shockwave caused Surgit''s clothes and hair to flap. He looked at the beast and cursed. He took both his axe and cleaver and held each of them with one hand. He didn''t have a lot of time. If the beast was as strong as he suspected, he was afraid that he wouldn''t be able to withstand more than two attacks. He had to take the initiative and strike first. He knew that the Tonitrus would be useless against the beast. He had thrown it aside and the messengers came and collected it. He knew that he''d find it back at their shop to be unlocked using echoes. If one finds a weapon in the streets of Yharnam, they can use it as much as they can. However, they can''t repair or upgrade it unless they unlocked it at the messenger''s shop. The only upside is that a weapon that has been found by a hunter will always be cheaper to unlock than buying a brand new one from the shop. He jumped high enough to be at the same level as the beast''s head. The beast''s skull looked disturbingly human. It had two eye sockets filled with blue lightning and its hair flowed behind. It seemed like the aura emitted by the magical power the beast had, caused its hair and all the remaining fur on its skeleton to flap around, like it was hit by wind. Its mouth was inhumanly large though. Countless sharp teeth were aligned on the jaw. Lightning had even spread to the teeth, giving them a frightening look. Surgit observed all of this during the time it took him to throw his axe at the beast''s head. When the hit connected, Surgit had already landed and ran under the darkbeast.He didn''t wait to see if his axe had done any damage. His goal was to find any weak spots. So far, the head seemed to be the go to place. However, the axe didn''t even seem to bother the monster. Surgit swung down with his cleaver at the beast''s legs. He hit the bones and blue sparkles jumped at him. Surgit jumped back and felt electricity surging through his body. That small retaliation was enough to make his brain go numb. That made him pause for a few seconds. He couldn''t move even when he ordered his body to. His breathing became rasped and unsteady. Terror engulfed him. ''This power is extremely frightening. The energy on the Tonitrus isn''t as dense as in this beast. I wonder if-'' Surgit''s back landed on a wall and all air exited his body. It took him a second to think of the power of lightning. During that second he was already hit by the beast and launched several feet away in the air. The wall halted his flight and broke his bones. Surgit immediately placed the item he had on his forehead and closed his eyes. By looking at the symbol using his insight, he was able to awaken back next to the dream lantern. His body slowly dissipated like a mirage. He reappeared next to the dream lantern in Yahar''gul. All his injuries had been healed. Surgit was smiling. The power of Arcane was much more useful than he thought. ''If I could harvest this arcane power, would I be able to produce something like this?'' He shook his head as if he was answering his own question. ''If it had been that easy, that Archibald would''ve been able to do it. I''m afraid it''s more complicated than this. I can''t beat that darkbeast just yet. One attack from that thing put me in a sorry state. I saw it jumping at me before I reawakened. If I gave it one more chance, I would be dead by now. I think it''s high time I found a way into the Forbidden Woods. With my strength, I''m pretty confident in reaching Byrgenwerth.'' A low growl came into Surgit''s ears. He turned around and found a kidnapper walking towards him. ''Eh?'' Surgit moved quickly and pounded at the tall creature. By now, he was used to their attacks and no longer feared them. He just dodged and baited their transformation. Whenever a kidnapper transforms, a red aura would surround them and their attacks become deadlier. It takes time for that red aura to materialize and envelop them though. That was their biggest weakness according to Surgit. All he needed to do was to go behind them and perform a visceral attack that would easily dispose of them. On one hand, Surgit wouldn''t need to use his transformed hand for too long. On the other, the beast will die on the spot. This removed the possibility of the beastly transformation to remain for long and affect his body. He didn''t want to go through the same crisis as earlier. He needed many more echoes to reach one more rank in either skill or arcane. He simply didn''t have the required echoes. Surgit stood next to the kidnapper''s body and smiled. ''I can use these things to revive the beasts and kill them againˇ­ I don''t even need to die. This is like cheating death and getting a reward out of it.'' Surgit''s heart beat fast. He was excited to put his theory to the test. Yahar''gul wasn''t big after all, he could clear the area in no time and earn a green echo cluster at that. ''I can easily upgrade my arcane and skill. All I need is some patience and a lot of tedious work. So far I have only two of these bold hunter''s marks, but the little messengers sell them in their shop. I wonder how many I can get with the cluster I have.'' 141 Lonely Surgit went back to the hunter''s dream after he used the two bold hunter marks he had. ''This mark is useful, especially in area where I can get an even bigger harvest.'' Surgit was very happy with how things turned out so far. The echoes he collected were still not enough for him to earn one extra rank in skill. He sat down in the workshop and got to work. He had to figure out how he''d upgrade his skill. Bloodtinge wasn''t something Surgit wanted to delve into. In his view, Bloodtinge relied too much on weapons that have affinity for it or on firearms. The weapons he had so far didn''t allow him to use Bloodtinge. He had only heard about its power from Francis. That hunter that invaded them managed to kill Francis with just one shot. ''Bloodtinge is really scary. But with Arcane, I don''t think I will have an issue fighting hunters with high Bloodtinge rank.'' After he saw what the darkbeast was capable of, Surgit couldn''t help but admire Arcane. Somewhere deep in his mind Arcane had even taken the top priority, even above Strength. ''So far I have accumulated six green echo clusters. I can fuse five of them into a blue cluster, but I need the messengers for that. I don''t know if that will be for free. With one blue cluster, I can upgrade my strength by one tier. However, I can use the six clusters to upgrade my skill and Arcane.'' Surgit stood up and went to the messenger''s fountain. He had to pay them a visit before proceeding to his upgrades. ''Hey little ones, where''s the Tonitrus I found earlier?'' The pale little creature let out a faint growl then disappeared inside the black pool. A screen formed right after the ripples on the fountain stopped. Surgit looked at the screen and saw the Tonitrus. Next to it there was a message: "Yes: would you like to unlock it for two green clusters?" Surgit frowned at the screen. ''Everything here is paid for by the echoes. I don''t even know if I need this thing right now.'' Surgit shook his head then asked the messengers to display the screen for items. He looked for the bold hunter marks then asked for their price. ''One mark for one green cluster!'' Surgit was perplexed. ''I guess for its benefit, the price isn''t that high. However, buying it now is only a waste of echoes. No matter the place, if I clean it of beasts once, I only get enough echoes to create one green cluster.'' ''If I but six marks, I will lose all my echoes to retrieve the same amount after. It''ll be a waste of time, not to forget stupid. That crow lady casually gifted me three of them. I wonder how strong she isˇ­'' Surgit was absorbed in thought. When he came to, he jumped back. When a person gets absorbed in thought, they generally look in front of them without actually seeing anything. Their sight usually flies away with them into the realm of daydreams. Surgit was picturing the crow lady in front of him gifting him the three bold hunter marks. When he came to and he was actually capable of interpreting the data his eyes were delivering to his brain, he saw the little messenger too close to his face. The pale creatures were small and had no eyes. When one looks at their face, they would feel chills run up their spine. If it weren''t for their docile nature, Surgit would never trust them enough to drop his guard in front of them. When he saw the wrinkled pale head of the creature next to him, Surgit''s mind subconsciously went into battle mode. The wrinkled skin on the messenger''s made them look like corporeal ghosts. Only these ghosts didn''t have eyes or a nose. There were just some openings that looked like tears in space. The openings were completely hollow and dark. By thinking of the lady crow and forgetting where he was, Surgit was actually scared by the messengers. After he recovered from his stupor, Surgit hysterically laughed. His voice filled the empty space around the hunter''s dream. As his voice echoed far away in space, Surgit felt even lonelier. He continued laughing with no control on how to stop himself from doing so. All memories rushed over, from the moment he was diagnosed with that damned sickness to the horrors he had to live through in Yharnam. Surgit was rejected from society and lived in loneliness for a long time. When he found a little group who admitted him among them, he was somewhat relieved. Although he knew they didn''t accept him for their respect for him, he still took that as a personal win and tried to feel good about it. Then they arrived to Yharnam and most of them died. From all these people, he was given a second chance and became a hunter. That excitement overshadowed the loneliness in his heart. He didn''t care if Yharnam was empty. As long as he had a chance of getting out and recovering his status among society, he didn''t mind the loneliness. The messenger startling him reminded him of how lonely he had become. He was surrounded by extraordinary beasts. The few people he could speak to didn''t seem to be willing to converse with him for long. In fact most ordinary people either feared him or mistrusted him. The only friend he made here was Karla and she was mercilessly killed by that hunter. This loneliness was so engraved in Surgit''s mind that he subconsciously thought of everything around him as an enemy. The docile messengers scared him and pushed him into battle mode. Although they were probably just curious about his state of mind, Surgit couldn''t tell. He had lost control of his emotions and laughed uncontrollably. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he fell to his knees. After all the experiences he had been through, he never took the time to process his thoughts and emotions about the matter. All he cared about was to rush out of the city. After Surgit realized that he couldn''t rush it as he planned to, loneliness came back and stabbed at his heart mercilessly. After a long time passed, Surgit finally calmed down and stood up. ''Is this why that old man created this doll? This place really is small and lonely. What is Gehrman''s story I wonder?'' Surgit walked towards the doll and asked her about Gehrman. The doll closed her eyes and slowly opened them before answering. It was like she struggled to find the memories in her mind. "Gehrman? He was a hunter long, long ago. But now serves only to advise them. He is obscure, unseen in the dreaming world. Still, he stays here, in this dream. Such is his purpose." Surgit was startled again but for a different reason, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu swept by him. Not only did the doll told him the same thing already, she also told it the same way, with the same tone of voice and the same movement in her eyes. ''This thing is scarily alive but I can still feel how it''s not capable of intelligent speech. Was it Gehrman who created this doll? I saw a similar doll in that workshop in Yharnam. Just how old is this Gehrman?'' 142 Darling In a small house in the Cathedral Ward sat a young lady. She was about to run out of incense. That sweet smell always put an invisible screen between people and beasts. Beasts were very sensitive to smell and that incense had a scent that repulsed beasts. None would dare approach a house where a human lives unless there is no incense burning outside. This was how Yharnamites lived during nights of the hunt. They wouldn''t dare leave or open their doors to anyone. In a sense they would live a lonely night if there was nobody to keep them company. Most people lose their patience and leave their houses. They would naturally disappear without a trace. It is unknown why a radical person would leave their house on a night of the hunt. All a person needs to do is patiently wait for dawn to break and they''d resume their daily life. This hunt was special though. The night seemed to go on forever. People inside their houses started feeling that after they began going dangerously low on incense. If they didn''t leave their house, then the beasts will ultimately find them. The young woman sat on a chair and sighed. She knew that leaving wasn''t an option for her. She couldn''t fight or run faster than those monsters. She feared the monsters outside. That fear developed overtime as she developed a new habit. The night seemed to go on forever to her too. So in order to kill time, she''d go next to the house''s door and listen to what''s happening outside. She wouldn''t dare show her face through the windows. She was too afraid of being spotted by a beast. She knew in her heart that beasts wouldn''t come close to the house as long as the incense burned. However, she couldn''t trust burnt herbs with her life. Every time she got close to the door to listen in on the outside world, she''d pray that the street would be silent. She''d pray that the screams and wails outside would stop. She heard of the hunters that come at night to slay the beasts. She''d even met some before. During the day, they''d roam the streets and show their might to the people around them. Some even hid in plain sight and acted as though they were ordinary. However, this young woman knew something about hunters that others didn''t. Like the beasts in the streets, she was very sensitive to smell. Hunters had a certain queer smell to them. She couldn''t give it a description. It was a feeling that couldn''t be described with words. Whenever a hunter passed by her in the street, she would be submerged in different kinds of sensations. For people with keen sense of smell, they often associate experiences with some scents. The young lady always had this experience when passing by a hunter. She''d take in their special scent and experience different types of feelings. The most vivid one was that of fury. There were other sensations that she could discern from the countless ones that submerged her consciousness. Sometimes she''d feel some calmness, others she''d actually smell something familiar. It was the smell of dirt after it had just rained. Crossing a hunter in the street was always a unique experience for her. On this night, she hadn''t smelled the presence of a hunter in a very long time. ''Tonight''s hunt is longˇ­ I don''t know how much I can survive here. It feels like days have passed but it''s just got dark outside. What exactly is going on in this city?'' As she got up to check on the door again, she thought about her chances of survival. The more she thought, the more desperate she became. Outside, she could clearly hear the beasts'' growls getting louder and louder. ''They''re becoming bolder! They must''ve noticed that the hunters have disappeared as well. Since that incident in Central Yharnam, hunters started dispersing and disappearing. Are we left no choice but wait for the monsters to devour us?'' As she stood next to the door, she extended her head and her left ear was glued to the door. She had gotten used to the sounds outside. Footsteps echoed in the distance as something patrolled the street next to her house. That street led directly towards the central plaza of the Cathedral Ward. If she could get there, she would have a chance of reaching the Great Cathedral. She was sure that she''d find protection in the Great Cathedral, but she was too afraid of stepping outside. The growls she used to hear in the distance got closer every time she came to the door. The fear in her heart grew bigger and bigger. Humans are mostly afraid of the unknown. As she couldn''t bring herself to sneak a peek from the window, she couldn''t possibly know what was getting close to her. In fact, it was because of the recent habit she''d picked up that the beast outside was getting closer. Every time she went to the door, the beast would smell prey. After continually smelling that, the beast got closer to the place. If the young lady ran out of incense, she''d immediately be at the beast''s mercy. The footsteps in the distance stopped and a ''thud'' was heard in the distance. The other beast that was approaching her house let out a deafening scream then ran towards the source of the commotion. Soon after, the woman heard footsteps approaching her house. The smell hit her nostrils first and sense of loneliness submerged her entire soul. Sadness engulfed her and she couldn''t help but shiver. After the initial shock, she regained her composure. A soft knock on her door brought her back to land of horrors and nightmare. She knew a hunter was on the other side of the door. "Oh my, what a queer scent! But I''d take it over the stench of blood and beasts any day. What is it you want?" Arianna wasn''t the kind to speak gently to anyone. In her line of work, she had to be blunt with any stranger. Only after closing the deal would she soften up and take on the role her clients usually wanted her to. A man''s voice came from the other side: "Do you know of the road to Byrgenwerth?" The man didn''t mince words either. He was straight to the point. "I''m off during hunts, if that''s what you''re here for, I''ll leave you to your own devices." Nothing irritated Arianna like hunters seeking her services during the hunt. In fact hunters used Byrgenwerth as a code to let a whore know which order they came from. If they used that word, no woman in the city had any right to refuse them. But Arianna''s status in the city was different. As she seemed to have a special scent for hunters, they also had a special liking to her. Not only did they love fucking her, they also loved the taste of her blood. She had been running a peaceful business under their wing. She was never mistaken for a common prostitute, and she dealt exclusively with the hunters. She even had their protection. If she refused some common hunter, no one would come ask for an explanation. "Eh?!" Surgit was taken aback. "I''m not here for thatˇ­ Forget it." He took a step to leave the place when the woman''s soft voice reached his ears: "If your own devices don''t satisfy you much, come back in the morning!" The woman let out a chuckle then said in a flirtatious tone: "Darlingˇ­" Surgit was puzzled. ''Who would''ve thought that I would meet someone capable of making jokes when the city is swarmed with beasts?'' Surgit looked at the door and shouted. "I''m not here for that! Now do you know where I can access those damned woods or not? I''m in no mood to be teased now." Arianna was greatly surprised by this man''s answer. ''He must be an outsider really seeking those cursed woods. The poor thing must be clueless.'' She cleared her throat then spoke. "I can tell you where it is but, do you know of any safe place? The night is long, and I''ve very little incense leftˇ­" She hoped that this outsider would have some chivalrous spirit. If it was a local hunter, she would''ve immediately rejected him and got back inside her house. She''d rather die to the beasts than ask those despicable hunters to help. Although they provided her with protection and a stable income, she hated them and the craze they developed for her blood. But this one was an outsider. He probably didn''t know anything related to Yharnam and its deep secrets. "Oedon Chapel is your safe place," the young man answered. "I''m afraid the streets are too dangerous for you right now. Come out and I''ll escort you there myself. Once we''re in the chapel, you can tell me about the road to the woods." After hearing this, Arianna was ecstatic. ''Not only is this hunter willing to help, he''s a gentleman at that! Yharnamites should learn something from this hunter.'' "Oh thank you darling! Let me grab some things, I''ll be right with you." Arianna was about to go fetch her things before the man spoke again. "You do that and wait for my signal. I''ll go clean the streets." With that the man''s footsteps echoed in the distance. Arianna sat there and waited for her gentleman to come back and take her to safety. 143 Subconscious The old man sat next to the window opposite the whore''s house. When he heard the commotion outside, he got closer to sneak a peek. He saw a man clad in black with a white shawl hanging from the back. He narrowed his eyes. He always made that ugly grimace when he was thinking. It was as if squinting helped him think better. ''Healing Church hunter! Nothing good comes out of those.'' He nodded his head as he concluded in his mind that the person outside could not be trusted. Conversing with himself helped him organize his thoughts better. For him a conversation had to be complete, with its non-verbal aspect as well. So he''d nod, gesture with his hands, and even sigh or laugh. If someone looked at him from afar, they''d think he''d gone crazy. But that was far from the truth. This man considered himself enlightened. The night of the hunt and the beasts that threatened everyone was a mere illusion. ''The blood heals everything but if you rely on it too much, you lose your mind. But I found the perfect way to deal with this. My mind is stronger than those illusions. Their lies spin a web that entangles the simple minded. I am not one to be fooled easily. As long as I keep my mind sharp, their illusions won''t work on me.'' He pumped his chest as he finished the last thought. He watched the man exchange some words with that hag. He always deeply despised her. She always acted all mighty and looked at people as if she was above them all. While she showed class on the outside, on the inside she was just a despicable person. ''People really fall victims to the illusions before their eyes. They get captivated with what they want to see, disregarding reality. I can see through that woman. She is nothing like she appears to be. There is foul blood in her.'' ''Oedon Chapel eh? Lies!'' The man intently listened to Surgit and Arianna''s conversation. He gave his live commentary on everything they talked about. ''The man is just using the safe place as an excuse to hide his embarrassment. I''ve been observing this house since that despicable woman came to live across my palace. She dared sully my view with her obscenity.'' This man is known as the narrow minded man. He thinks of himself as a self-made scholar. He proclaims seeing things that others don''t. In fact he is actually capable of doing so. However, his biggest flaw is that he''s incapable of looking at himself with the same critical eye. His hatred for the woman wasn''t because she tarnished his view. His hatred came from his inability to go and ask for her services. Deep down, the narrow minded man hated himself but couldn''t face that fact. He thought of himself as a coward. But whenever he''d try to prove himself wrong, a deep desire to stay still and do nothing arose in him. He was too weak to resist that desire though. So in the end, every time he convinces himself to visit that woman, he''d just stand still next to his door for hours. He''d stand there motionless until he just drags his feet towards his sofa and sits down. His head will look down on the floor then, defeated. After he repeated that process for many times, he ended up abandoning on the idea. So he sat next to the window and watched the lovely lady from the window. Her dark blond hair that let itself get carried away by the evening breeze; Her crimson dress flapping about lazily, as if embracing the wind; The serene look on her face that would soothe any man''s heart. He observed the woman from his window every day. He''d watch her and imagine what it would be like to walk by her and hold her hand. That thought transformed into an obsession. That obsession was suppressed with his cowardice. The obsession evolved into fanaticism. The man would continuously watch the woman as the day went by. He''d analyze what she was doing and comment on the people she met. All he needed was his bottle. Blood healed all, and blood enlightened. Blood helped him regain his consciousness and remove that bitch''s spell. The narrow minded man''s view of the world shifted. Everything he saw and judged was true (In his own mind that is). But if the matter concerned him personally, he''d give a false judgment. That was because he couldn''t face the reality in front of him. He couldn''t face his weakness regarding that woman. He couldn''t get over her if he went on admiring her. He could only resent her and kick her out of his heart. His palace was closed. The princess was no longer needed. He saw hunters as liars because they all courted that despicable woman. In his eyes everyone was a starved beast, awaiting the opportunity to devour the other. How he wished he could be one of those imposing figures that awed everyone. But since he never met the requirement to become a hunter, he decided to hate them all. The narrow minded man thought of everything in reverse.If he liked something, his speech and attitude would suggest that he hated it. Therefore, while speaking to him one must always take what he says and think of its opposite. That would reveal the narrow minded man''s true intent. While it is easy for someone to decipher the man''s speech by knowing that, the same could not be said for Surgit. The hunter only wanted to help sane people find a safer place. For some time, the idea of the time flowing differently in Yharnam had taken root in his mind. Everyone around him also seemed to think the same. With how lonely he felt in Yharnam, he decided to seek sane people and send them over to Oedon Chapel. If Surgit managed to create a small community inside the Chapel, he''d feel less lonely. That was his way of dealing with the possibility of never going back to his native city. He missed having a normal life and meeting people from different backgrounds. In Yharnam, everything revolved around blood and echoes. He got tired of that. In the meantime, he knew that stopping wouldn''t lead him anywhere. ''Just a little break.'' He''d mutter to himself as he cleared the streets of the Cathedral Ward of its beasts. ''I''ve been through a lot lately. I deserve a break. As long as there are people around, why won''t I have a semblance of a human life? I got tired of speaking to blood thirsty beasts. I got tired of the mocking voices of the echoes. I need some human interaction.'' With Karla''s death, everything around Surgit changed. In a way, she was a companion to him during the short time he spent fighting Gascoigne and checking on her. Although they didn''t talk much, the little time they spent together was the only time Surgit felt human since his sickness took away his life. The outburst in the hunter''s dream caused him to think and re-evaluate his life. Surgit realized that he hadn''t been in touch with civilization for a very long time. It had been so long that the memories of his old days in the academy felt like a distant dream. None of it felt real anymore. In a flash, all his sickness and reclusion were replaced by blood and beasts. It was a long struggle for Surgit. He hung between death and life for too long. Even now, he was the embodiment of that concept. He couldn''t die as he was always connected to a mysterious realm. He was literally hanging between death and life. His only way out of this was to find Paleblood. But after meeting that woman and hearing her teasing, he couldn''t help but reminisce about the old days. He loved being the center of attention since it nourished his ego back then. Now that he found someone who could bring out the old him and make him feel alive, he wanted more of it. He wanted a small community that would acknowledge him as their savior. He wanted to feel welcome within a group of people. Our subconscious has strange ways of dealing with our ego though. Even if deep within Surgit thought all of the above, his consciousness told him that he was doing all of this to protect the helpless citizen. There was no chivalry in his actions, just a selfish desire he wanted to fulfill. Surgit was convinced that all his actions were due to his first promise to not let any beast live and threaten the living. That promise was built on a fake basis that would eventually collapse and cause great pain to Surgit in the future. No matter how strong we become, our biggest enemy remains deep within ourselves. One has to dare and look inside, to unveil the monster that lurks deep within. Only by facing it can we move forward and live our life with a calm heart. Our biggest enemy becomes our closest friend, and we become whole. Surgit was too scared to face that monster. In fact, due to the blood that ran in his veins, that monster had taken shape. When Surgit met the narrow minded man, he had already cleared the streets of the Cathedral Ward. Arianna had told him that someone lived in the house across the street. When Surgit spoke to the narrow minded man, he just couldn''t bear him. His haughtiness and rudeness irritated him. Surgit ended up telling the man to head for Iosefka''s clinic. He actually whispered it so that Arianna couldn''t hear it. The narrow minded man knew that the hunter was hiding something. But since he couldn''t bring himself to speak to Arianna, he didn''t warn her of the hunter''s depravity. He just asked the hunter to go away and refused to join them. Soon after, he left the house and silently followed them to the chapel. He had to see it with his own eyes to believe it. As for the clinic, he completely disregarded it. 144 Dumb Jack ''This past week felt like a dream.'' Karla lied down on her bed while recalling everything that happened since she was admitted into the Order of Hunters. Every time she thought about her new abilities and the power of blood, she''d feel sadness grip her insides. She never wanted to be a hunter. She hated that cursed blood and everything that came with it. ''That old man sure is strong. But I can''t stand the perverted look he has towards women. The only one he seems to respect deeply is Lady Maria. That woman gives me the chills.'' Over the past few days, Karla had been in training with the hunters. She was assigned a task recently and had to be fully prepared for it. ''In two days, I have to report to that Curtis in Hemwick. Why do I get the feeling that they''re trying to get me out of the city.'' Karla knew that the hunters didn''t trust her. They wouldn''t have administered blood to her if she could be saved using a different method. They only kept her around to keep tabs on her and figure out how she suddenly appeared in Yharnam. Karla was forcibly pulled away from her reveries by the sound of distant footsteps. Due to her new abilities, her hearing had improved drastically. Not only her hearing, but all her senses had become sharper. Although she hated Yharnam''s blood, she couldn''t help but admire its properties. "Come in," Karla was almost whispering, but she knew that the other person had already heard her. She got used to his visits since she arrived to Yharnam. This person came to visit her the night Lady Maria showed Karla her living quarters. The door creaked and a slim figure appeared behind it. The man wore an ordinary set of clothes, blue trousers with striped button-up shirt on top. He wore a straw hat on top and the smell of sweat that emanated from him was enough to asphyxiate a person. He was one of the spies the order sent out to patrol the streets and eavesdrop on people''s conversations. Everybody knew him as Dumb Jack. He was an ordinary farmer that got to the city of knowledge looking for fame. But of course that was just a fa?ade. The man roamed the streets and did odd jobs trying to survive and buy his blood bottle. Nobody in Yharnam paid much attention to the drunk. But Dumb Jack observed everything and reported it to the Order. He was keenly interested in Karla because of her sudden appearance in Yharnam, like everyone else. What he offered in exchange for her "company" though was information on Yharnam. "Can''t sleep?" Dumb Jack asked as soon as he got inside. "Your observations annoy me Jack, what is it you want?" Karla looked out through the window. She gave Jack the cold shoulder in hopes he''d just leave her alone. The man just smiled then went on: "I heard you were assigned to Hemwick. That place is going mad I tell you. The womenfolk are absorbed in their rituals and the men adore blood." Karla glanced at Jack for a moment then let out a faint "humph". She was too tired from that day''s training. All she wanted was to have a quiet time with her thoughts. Jack didn''t seem to be bothered by the cold shoulder he was given. "I''ll spare you a nugget of advice. Beware of Curtis. If you think Gehrman has deep secrets, Curtis is like a bottomless sea. Don''t get on his bad side." Karla turned to face Jack and arranged a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I''m just going there to do my job. The night of the hunt is approaching and Gehrman wants to deal with the roaming beasts before their numbers become a problem for us." Karla wasn''t interested in the political games people played here. But she couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by these people''s schemes. Thanks to her experience being the princess'' personal escort, she knew how to keep herself away from them. She felt that sooner or later, she''d be dragged into one of these people''s plans though. She was already at the mercy of that hunter that mercilessly slaughtered her and Surgit before. She had to find a way back to the current day but she couldn''t bring up the chair to anyone, especially not to Dumb Jack. That man frightened her the most. He was terribly cunning. "Jack, I''ll spare you a nugget of advice. No matter how much you try to get me on your side, unless you spill it out, I won''t cooperate." She knew that he would become a hindrance to her. He was a spy and he didn''t conceal that from her the first time he visited. That meant that he had ulterior motives for his visits every night. "Your late visits are starting to attract a lot of attention. Speak your mind or never show your face around, unless you want to explain yourself to the Lady." Jack sighed and revealed yet another irritating smile. "I''m just a perverted old man. All I want is the company of the new beauty in town." Karla turned around and shot a menacing look at Jack. He smiled again then lowered his head. "What is it with you women hunters? Can''t you have fun once in a while?" Karla smiled back then retorted: "The only fun I''ll have is by drying you out of blood. No one knows you came to this house. And you''re no match for a trained hunter." Karla''s threat was clear. Spies generally didn''t have the same fighting talent as hunters appointed to the order by Lady Maria or Gehrman. They were considered the elite that would interfere only when a great calamity threatened the city. Jack gave Karla a black look. He knew full well that she was capable of delivering on that threat. He was after all no match for her strength. That was the reason why he decided to gain her trust. ''This damn woman is harder to please than others. Apart from Lady Maria, she''s the only one whose threatening look gives me the chills.'' "I won''t trouble you with the predictable questions. But I have something of great value to offer you. I only need one thing in return." Jack gave up on his first tactic. ''If she won''t be swayed with sweet talk, then I''ll trade.'' Karla stared at Jack long enough to make the silence uncomfortable. She casually adjusted her hair behind her ear again before she spoke. "What do you need?" ''Damn foreigners! No manners or proper etiquette!'' Jack cursed on the inside as he revealed his most innocent smile. "I know where that chair is. All I need to find out what that Curtis is hiding. Hemwick is close Cainhurst. Lady Maria assigns the Order''s representatives since she''s the one who manages the administrative part of things." "I can''t be seen there unless I want to invite the Lady''s wrath upon me. Since lady hunter is heading there on a direct assignment, why don''t we have a mutually beneficial relationship?" Jack smiled again, revealing his surprisingly well aligned teeth. "Strictly business of course," Jack added before Karla could comment on that. "I know that Laurence has the chair. Everyone in the order knows it. What could you possibly offer that differs from what I already know?" Karla was irritated. She got up to kick the man out of her house. "I know how you can use it and get back to where you came from. Or as most people who know of its use would say: I can tell you how you can get back to when you came from." Karla stopped in her tracks. For the first time since she became a hunter, she was truly terrified of someone''s knowledge about her. Seeing her reaction Jack smiled and continued. "I am not interested in your past. I don''t give two fucks about where or when you came from. All I want is to see that Curtis taken down. He''s a perverted old man, but using that to take advantage of him will only lead you to a nameless grave." ''If it were that simple, he would''ve spilled his guts for me long agoˇ­'' Jack had to use this card as his last resort against Karla. "Just who the hell are you?" asked Karla. "Names are not important in my line of business. I''ve forgotten my real name a long time ago. What I want is a way into Cainhurst. I can tell you more about the chair tomorrow. Think of my proposal carefully." With that, Jack drank a blue liquid and instantly disappeared. Soon after, Karla heard other footsteps in the distance. ''Lady Maria, that''s why he suddenly disappeared,'' Karla had to struggle to maintain her heartbeat stable. If the Lady found the man in here, she would arouse even more suspicions. Luckily, Lady Maria no longer questioned her in the past week. She just observed her from afar but never got too close. Karla feared that more than anything. But since Jack mentioned the "when" she was sure that he wasn''t in league with the Order but was playing a dangerous game too. Karla looked at Jack and knew that he''d be found out by the Lady. - "A mere blue elixir won''t do it, take off your clothes quickly!" - "Eh? What are you-" - "There''s no time you fool! Quick!" Karla was whispering, trying not to get her words to the Lady''s ears. When Lady Maria approached, she could hear the sound of flesh against flesh. Faint moans reached her ears. She got to Karla''s house and swung the door open. "Smelly Jack keep your hands off my guest!" Her voice was imposing and Jack quickly retreated. Karla was naked and instantly covered herself and hid behind a blanket. Lady Maria shot a threatening glance at Jack who bowed down and apologized. He hurriedly took his clothes and left without a word. Lady Maria looked at Karla and sighed. "From all the people you could''ve chosen, you went for smelly Jack?!" She was obviously disappointed with Karla. "What can I say my Lady, he has a special way with words. And his tongue my lady, he doesn''t use that just to speak." Lady Maria chuckled for the first time since she met Karla. "Lady Hunter you should rest. Tomorrow you will be briefed about your mission. Do not disappoint me." She turned around to leave. As she reached the door, she looked back at Karla and said with hint of sadness in her face: "Hunters lead a lonely life. There is no harm in taking a man for yourself. But that Jack is despicable despite his unusual skills." The Lady emphasized the0 "unusual skills" part as she left and closed the door behind her. "You are a hunter under my wing. Take a man that fits your status." Those were the last words Lady Maria left in Karla''s ears before she left the house. 145 "There have been multiple reports of beasts in the woods next to Hemwick. We''re sending you with a couple other hunters to help Curtis deal with the situation. This is also a test for you. We''re preparing for a dangerous expedition soon. We believe it will solve our fight against the beastly scourge." Lady Maria''s melodious voice explained to Karla her assignment. "This curse has plagued us for far too long," Karla felt the melancholy in Lady Maria''s heart. Her melodious voice had a special way of reaching out to a person''s soul. "We believe we''re close to finding a way of dealing with this." Karla listened carefully and nodded along the way. This was her chance of finding out why Yharnam had fallen. "The night of the hunt is close." Lady Maria spoke as if in trance. She looked at the window and her gaze seemed to drift away in the distance, towards her home. "Before we make our final move, we have to deal with important matters. We need you in Hemwick to deal with one them. As soon as you''re done, report back to me." Lady Maria''s voice returned to her authoritative tone. "You have one day. We''re calling back all our hunters to headquarters tomorrow. There are many matters to settle before the hunt. Now go, you will find the other hunters waiting outside." Karla left the Grand Cathedral and found two people outside. Both wore straw hats and had their face hidden with a scarf which was tied around their necks. Both hunters looked at Karla and nodded. None of them seemed to want to talk. A man wearing white clothes stood next to the two hunters. His attire meant that he was part of the Healing Church. He looked at the three of them then spoke. "Good, the three of you have been briefed on the mission. If you don''t come back tomorrow, you will not be permitted to take part in the next hunt." The man smiled as he emphasized his last sentence. Karla knew about this after spending enough time within the order. Every hunter is assigned a mission the moment he or she awakens from the blood ministration. If they do not succeed within the time limit, they won''t be allowed to participate in the monthly hunt. "The beasts that appear during the hunt are much more powerful than the one we''re hunting now." One of the two hunters spoke as they walked towards Hemwick. He sounded young. Karla looked at his direction and inspected him in details. The man was relatively skinny for a hunter. He wore a long dark brown leather coat that looked too large for his body. The young man held a weapon that looked like a pick. "I hear the master is going to join the hunt this time. Rumors say that this upcoming hunt is special," replied the other hunter. His voice was deep and he stood over Karla like a hundred feet giant. The man was very tall and toned like a god. Just standing next to him made Karla feel like an ant. He wore a black leather Jacket coupled with blue trousers. He held an enormous curved chunk of metal on his shoulder. The weapon looked like a metallic jawbone on which sharp pointy teeth were aligned. When Karla looked at it, she had the feeling of watching a primal version of Surgit''s Saw Cleaver. The Beast Cutter wasn''t related to the cleaver though. It was Karla''s weapon that was the Cleaver''s spiritual predecessor. While the Beast Cutter relied on brute strength, the Beasthunter Saif relied on elegance in its swift attacks. Originally, Karla wanted to use her trusty sword against the beasts. But when she tried it during her training, the sword broke due to her dramatic increase in strength. The Saif was the closest thing to a sword Karla found. Initially, the curved blade could be used as a sword when held by its long wooden hilt. But when retracted, the blade becomes like a sharp razor which strikes swiftly and precisely at its opponents. Karla loved this feature the most. She relied on her speed and gracious dodges to counterattack and inflict great damage to her enemies. The Saif was her best match. On one hand, she could use it as a long sword and put a good distance between her and the prey. On the other hand, by retracting the weapon, she can quickly reduce the distance and deliver the final blow. That weapon''s unpredictable pattern of attack was what fascinated Karla. After she trained with it for more than a few days, she became confident in using it almost perfectly. The two hunters kept talking on the way about the latest rumors. The fact that Gehrman and Laurence were both joining the hunt created uproar around the Cathedral Ward. Most hunters lived in the Cathedral Ward. Most of them also went to the local pubs of the Cathedral Ward. Wherever hunters went, blood flowed. Either by killing beasts or by drinking blood to satiate their thirst, Hunters were always associated with blood. The Cathedral Ward was usually swarmed with drunken hunters talking about the latest rumors in town. The two hunters spoke about the hottest topic in town. However, what got Karla''s attention was the story about the foreign hunter who devoured a beast. Very few people knew of what really happened to that foreign hunter. So the stories that traveled from ear to ear differed. "I head someone tell that the man hunter the beast because it spread vermin. The only way for him to get rid of it was to swallow the beast whole then extract it from his body," the skinny hunter was telling the story with a lot of enthusiasm. "Do you reckon he did it?" The deep voice asked. "I don''t know. What I know for sure is that man told people that vermin was created and lived in blood. He said that by drinking blood, we nourish it and make it stronger. People obviously didn''t believe this part of the story. How could blood that heals, create and nourish the vermin in our blood?" The skinny man continued his tale as both Karla and the tall hunter listened carefully. "What did he say then?" Karla asked. She was also interested in this story. A man swallowing a beast; that reminded her of the time she saw Surgit drinking the Cleric Beast''s blood. The skinny hunter looked at Karla and went on. "Nothing is given without a price. When we use blood, we agree for it to invade our bodies. We are healed but to what price? That vermin inside of you will soon be the death of you." The skinny hunter looked forward before finally saying. "That''s the story I head. And it''s the story most people in Yharnam use to discourage people from drinking too much blood. It became like a spooky story for drunken people. Most people consider it a myth. I choose to believe there is some truth in every myth." The brawny man stopped and looked towards the skinny hunter. "What''re you trying to say?" The skinny hunter stopped and looked back. "I believe the beasts are originally people. I believe the vermin in our blood turns us into monsters. This town was cursed the day it accepted the Healing Church. We carry the curse in our blood. "We carry the vermin that will make us what we hunt today. Our curse isn''t intangible, think of it as the ultimate disease: one that even our so called miraculous blood can''t heal. The master joining the hunt is a sign. It means that he and Laurence have found a way to cure us all from this damned sickness." The skinny hunter looked at both Karla and the other hunter and said nothing. "You mean to tell me that even the powers we have are from some sort of sickness?" The tall hunter asked. "Yes, that foreigner spoke of other lands afflicted with the same sickness. They call it ashen blood in some lands. It has different names but the same symptoms. People get sickly and beasts appear out of nowhere the moment they started using some type of miraculous liquid: Blood. But of course all of these are rumors people spread around." The skinny hunter paused for a moment before walking forward. "We have to hurry, or we''ll miss our deadline." ''A blood borne disease, what have you gotten yourself into Karla?'' Karla was terrified at the thoughts that flashed through her mind. She felt like she was doomed. ''I only wanted to get as far away from my native place as possible. I guess this is the price I pay for causing a slaughter among my familyˇ­'' 146 Blood Pellets In the Order of Old Hunters, merit regulated how hunters were assigned. Hunters fight and slaughter their prey in order to have a better standing in the hierarchy. The bigger the prey, the better the status one could earn. Beasts came in all forms and sizes. As the night of the hunt approached, beasts would increase in number and ferocity. Curtis was waiting for the three hunters assigned to help him clear the woods around Hemwick. The area wasn''t large but hunters couldn''t afford to be reckless. When Karla and the other hunters arrived Curtis eyed them from head to toe. Karla felt like she was being scanned by an appraiser, evaluating the treasure in front of him. When he was done with his "evaluation", Curtis cleared his throat then spoke. "Two of you will be dispatched to the eastern end of the woods while you," he pointed at Karla, "will come with me to the western side." Curtis wasn''t the talkative type. He took his job very seriously and exterminating beasts came at the top of his priorities. The two hunters nodded and without a word disappeared towards the eastern side of the forest. "You''re clearly new here. Stay behind me and do as I say. If you survive this, I''ll probably invite you for a drink once we''re back to headquarters." Curtis was very strong even among the old hunters. This is why the Order had put him in charge of the area between Yharnam and Cainhurst. Gehrman had appointed him in there long ago right after they were betrayed and forbidden blood was delivered to Cainhurst. It must be said that the castle was completely cut off from the city at the moment Karla arrived. There was a cold war between the Healing Church and the castle. Gehrman and Lady Maria were the ones managing intelligence for the church. They would send hunters to the church and spy on their every move. As long as Cainhurst wasn''t going to make a move against the church, then the hunters wouldn''t intervene. Curtis had one job: not letting anybody in or outside of Hemwick. He would also communicate with the womenfolk in the village and retrieve sacrificial materials from them. As of late, the church required many strange materials. The women in the village worked relentlessly in order to satisfy the church''s strange needs. Curtis'' role was to overlook the supply of materials to the church. He also supplied the villagers with healing blood and corpses to extract materials from. The Healing Church had corpses in abundance. They experimented on people after all, in order to find a cure for the disease that threatened to end them all. Dealing with beasts, blood, corpses and different dark rituals, Curtis developed an insensitive heart to everything that surrounded him. When he met hunters that were sent to him, he would only glace at them before assigning them a task. He didn''t care if they lived or died. Either way, they would provide him with bodies to gift the villagers. Curtis'' only vice was women. He usually had women from Hemwick but when he encountered a newly assigned hunter, he''d usually take the chance to drug them and abuse them. He had to send the other two away in order to get his plan in motion. What the order didn''t know, or feigned ignorance in its regard, was that the women in Hemwick found a new way to use blood. When hunters die, they''d take their blood and mix it with that of beasts. The mixture would create a foul smell that would disgust any sane person. They would then dry it and create a pill from it. This pill would numb the senses and make one feel invincible. The drug soon reached the city and ravaged it. In spite of its popularity, people would consume it in secret. The Church banned the blood the moment it appeared. For hunters, the drug would make them countless times more ferocious, making their odds at victory higher. For ordinary people, the pill would send them into frenzy. One would lose their consciousness and upon awakening, they''d realize that they have killed many people. The reason why the church didn''t hunt down the people selling the pills was because they needed corpses to experiment on. If the suppliers were not associated with the church, that would help their standing in the city as the peacekeepers. Although the Healing Church was initially created to help cure diseases, it quickly became an organization that upset the political environment in Yharnam. Curtis knew full well that the Church suspected him of dealing in these Blood Pellets. He also knew that they wouldn''t act against it since it benefited them greatly. So Curtis grew bolder and started using hunters assigned to him as a supply for the manufacture of the pellets. Women hunters'' blood increased the success of manufacturing the pellets. Karla followed behind the man as she watched her surroundings. Dumb Jack warned her of Curtis and offered to help her if she ever gave him important information about this mysterious hunter. As they walked Karla could hear the distant growls of werewolves in the distance. "Keep your guard up. I''ll take care of the ones in front. They''re too dangerous for a new blood." Curtis ran at the werewolves'' direction. He was confident that the new hunter would be too terrified of the beasts. She wouldn''t dare attack in front of this senior whose merits earned him a permanent position. He was shocked to see Karla running beside him and even overtaking him. ''Little brat, trying to steal my thunder!'' Curtis ran faster and caught up to Karla who had already killed two werewolves in the blink of an eye. Her speed increased tremendously since the blood ministration. She was excited to go for this hunt actually. The first time she landed in Yharnam, she managed to hold her ground against these monsters. Even though they were hard to kill, with her skill, she could still come out on top. When she became a full-fledged hunter, things changed. These dangerous monsters became practice dummies to her. There were six werewolves when Karla arrived to the clearing in the forest. When Curtis managed to kill one, Karla had already finished the remaining five. ''Bitch Maria, you really know how to pick them,'' Curtis silently cursed. He hoped to impress this woman and win her to his side. After delivering her to the old lady in the village, they could put her in a coma and drain her of her blood. She could provide them with blood for at least a year. That prospect excited Curtis at first. No one would question him if a new hunter died on duty. It was just fate. But upon witnessing her skills, Curtis gave up on the idea. ''I hope one of those two dies. We''re really running low on supplies.'' He looked at Karla and forced himself to smile to her. "You''ve been trained well. Good job. There is a beast I''ve been meaning to deal with after the other two joined us. But you show great potential. "If we work together, I believe we can kill it without a hitch. What do you say? Shall we start the fun without them? We''ll split the merit and your standing in the order will increase." If he had no chance of backstabbing her, the beast at the edge of the woods would at least injure her badly enough for him to kidnap her. "We have only a day to clear this forest. I don''t know how long it will take those two to finish up. Let''s get going." Karla didn''t try to get in good terms with this man. Although Dumb Jack had something to offer her in return, she couldn''t bring herself to butter Curtis up. She could see the lust in his eyes. Every woman is familiar with that look. No matter how much a man tries to hide it, the look would always reveal itself the moment the thing between their legs replaces their brain. Karla just wanted to finish her mission and get back to the city. She didn''t care about merit. She was already part of Lady Maria''s crew. There was no higher status in the order apart from working directly under Gehrman''s wing. Karla ran after Curtis who was leading the way. When they approached the forest''s edge, a Blood Starved Beast saw them and ran towards them at full speed. ''Let me see how you''d handle the poison from this one.'' Curtis ran to the beast''s side then shouted: "We must surround it if we want to have a chance at killing it. Beware its-" A powerful blow sent Curtis flying several paces in the distance. In front of Karla, there were two Blood Starved Beasts. Curtis disappeared without a sign. ''Shit! I can handle one, but I''m not sure if I can match the speed of two attacking at once.'' Karla clenched her Saif and ran deeper inside the woods. She had to use her surroundings to her advantage if she wanted to deal with those two effectively. ''What crime have I committed to deserve such a life?'' 147 Beware the crazy hunter Karla didn''t know whether the other hunters were alive or not, let alone if they were capable of lending her a hand. Curtis had disappeared after the second beast punched him with all its might. ''It seems I can never have it easy in this place.'' Karla was running through the forest and used the trees as cover. The two beasts either smashed the small trees in their way or went around the big ones. Their speed was phenomenal. If it weren''t for Karla jumping around and zigzagging, the beasts would''ve caught up to her and finished her. ''I can''t keep running forever. It doesn''t look like I can separate them either. Time for plan: improvise!'' Against one, she could''ve used a hit and run tactic. Against two, she just had to rely on her survival instinct and come up with something that would help at least slow them down. Karla jumped high and landed on one of the trees. ''If I get surrounded, I''m dead. I might as well try this crazy plan.'' The two beasts saw Karla jump on the tree and stood right below. They started pounding on the tree and the latter shook, threatening to fall at any moment. Her agility was of great use as she used the momentum from the tree swaying to jump farther towards another tree. ''Damned beasts, can''t you just be a little bit slower?'' The two monsters were abnormally fast for their size. As soon as Karla landed on another tree, they would immediately follow suit and arrive immediately next to her. ''This is bad. This is really bad.'' Karla kept on jumping from one tree to another. Her initial improvised plan failed miserably. ''I have to risk it then. I refuse to die helplessly again.'' The moment Karla landed on another tree. She blindly jumped down and thrust her Saif downwards. After observing the two beasts, she had a vague idea regarding their speed. She decided to risk a surprise attack. She relied on her instincts combined with the enhanced capabilities she gained from the blood ministration. A loud screamed filled the forest. Karla''s weapon tore through one of the beast''s neck and blood splattered everywhere. She managed to land a critical attack on one of the beasts. However, that was not enough to instantly kill it. The beast turned toward Karla and screeched with all its lungs. Putrid air filled Karla''s nostrils and almost made her faint. She felt movement behind her and instantly ducked. The second blood starved beast slashed with its claws but missed Karla. Instead, it tore through the other beast''s mantle. It''s worth mentioning that blood starved beasts have mantles that flow behind their backs. The mantles are just their own skin that has been flayed and only attached through their neck. The injured beast was infuriated and punched the other, sending it several paces away. That opening was enough for Karla to gamble again. She jumped on top of the injured beast and held the torn mantle with both hands. She jerked the flayed skin with all his might and detached it from the beast''s body. That was enough to send the beast into a frenzied state. Karla, sensing imminent danger, used the beast''s body as a platform and jumped on a tree nearby. She kept jumping from one tree to another until she put enough distance between her and the injured monster. When she turned back, she saw purple fumes spewing out of the monster''s body. All the plants around the beast withered and died instantly. ''Poison!'' Karla was glad she ran away the moment she felt danger. The uninjured beast noticed Karla on a tree and followed her. "Do you need help with that miss?" Karla heard a deep voice from beneath the tree. The two hunters were done with their assignment and came back at the perfect moment. "There are two of those here," Karla shouted at the two. She could feel them getting tense the moment they heard that there were two. "You take care of this one, I''ll finish the other." With that, Karla jumped around the trees towards the poison spewing monster. "Beware of its poison!" Her voice reached the two hunters as she disappeared in the dark. "Where the hell is Curtis?" shouted the tall hunter as he activated his Beast Cutter. The big chunk of metal extended and became like a chain. It would definitely need a lot of strength to wield such a weapon. It looked like a gigantic saw that could extend using chains linked to each chunk. With one swing, the weapon hit the beast in the face and staggered it. "Go around it, we need to keep its focus dispersed. It''s too fast for its size." The big hunter told the skinny one. The latter nodded and immediately ran around the beast. The blood starved beast growled as it looked at the two hunters. It could clearly feel the danger it was in. It looked behind it, towards its companion and saw it fiercely fighting the little one. Fighting only one beast was easier for Karla. Although its poison was very dangerous, she stayed cleared of the purple mist as she slowly hacked at it. The Saif was very useful for hit and runs. With Karla''s fighting style, the Saif was the best match she could ever hope for. With one uppercut from her weapon, Karla could shorten it and get immediately close to her opponent. With another downward motion, she could swing her weapon and elongate it in the process. This would allow her to create some distance between her and the monster. With that tactic, added to her agility, she could easily hit the beast and run away from its retaliation. If looked like a person trying to catch a fly. The moment their hand extended, the fly would already be away from range. Karla managed to enrage the monster and make its attack become reckless. The beast jumped back and landed ten paces away from Karla. It extended both arms horizontally as if inviting Karla to come over. ''Is this thing taunting me?'' Purple fumes were instantly released from the beast''s pores and covered a large area, about a hundred feet. Karla took her handkerchief and wrapped it around her nose. She jumped and disappeared from the mist. The beast jumped toward Karla but caught nothing. ''I guess it was just trying to surprise me before it releases its poison.'' Karla was very cautious. Her fights in Yharnam and Yahar''gul made her very attentive to all details. If she waited just a second inside that mist, she would be poisoned and the fight would turn ugly for her. When the beast realized that Karla had read through its attack, it let out another deafening screech and more mist spewed out. It blindly rampaged in its immediate vicinity. The beast seemed to completely forget that it was in a forest, that Karla was observing its crazed state from above. After the beast''s rampage calmed down and the mist disappeared, Karla jumped down thrust her weapon through the beast''s back. She didn''t have much time. She knew the monster''s strength would soon outweigh hers. She jerked the weapon around and started rotating it, cutting a big hole on the spot her weapon landed. The beast shook its body violently and flailed its arms around. Karla jumped away from the monster''s back and slowly walked around it. She knew she had disturbed the monster''s momentum. It was close to death, making it fierce but predictable. When Karla arrived in front of the monster, the latter saw her and its eyes became red. It swung its arm towards her extremely fast. Karla shot the beast then decapitated it after it got staggered. She took her handkerchief and cleaned the blood away from her face. She then looked at the two hunters, struggling to kill the beast in front of them. The skinny one had a terrible time fending off the monster''s fast swings. The tall, monstrously strong hunter seemed out of breath despite holding his ground. Using the beast cutter, he managed to push the beast back every time it started getting the upper hand. When Karla looked at them, the strong hunter had just landed a hit on the beast''s head. That destabilized it and caused it to retreat. Its eyes glowed red. ''Not good!'' Karla ran towards the two to lend them a hand. After the strong hunter noticed the red eyes, he immediately jumped back while swinging the beast cutter down. The extended weapon had an amazing reach which allowed the hunter to put a great distance between him and the beast, hitting it in the process. ''What an amazing weapon!'' thought Karla as she ran towards the two hunters. ''It''s a pity it requires tremendous strength to be used. Otherwise, this would be my second choice after the Saif.'' The skinny hunter wasn''t as fast. As soon as the beast''s eyes turned red, it looked at the closest person nearby and grabbed him. The skinny hunter released a miserable cry as the 20 foot tall beast stood on its hind legs and bit the poor man. The beast looked like it was munching on delicious prey. Karla stopped and looked at the poor man being devoured by the beast. She was horrified. The skinny hunter''s eyes filled with tears. The sharp teeth tore through his flesh. The pain was unbearable. He thought of all the sacrifices he had to make in order to be accepted within the order. He had spent countless hours buttering up the higher ups of the church until he was able to reach the inner circle of the Healing Church. As a church doctor, he demonstrated great potential even during excavations to the tombs of the Gods. His fighting spirit was soon noticed by the hunters that accompanied them. They later recommended him for blood ministration. He finally found a way to prove his skills to the blood ministers who agreed to make him a hunter afterwards. After all the trouble he''d gone through, he was being eaten by a blood starved beast. The frustration inside of him built up to its peak. He let out a frustrated scream and the blood starved beast immediately released its grip on him. "This is really bad, that hunter has gone crazy." Curtis had finally managed to catch up to the team and was standing next to Karla when he spoke. 148 Gargoyle At first it was werewolves, and then large abnormal beasts showed up. There were crazed hunters, and some of them even transformed due to the nature of the blood inside of them. For a human who has always been pragmatic, seeing these monsters was akin to losing their mind. How could science explain all of that? And then came the ghosts that chased after Francis. They didn''t have solid bodies but their knives felt colder than any other when they stabbed him. Francis was exhausted. For the first time since he became a hunter, mental and physical exhaustion reached their peak. He didn''t expect to see so many abnormalities in Yharnam. Francis didn''t expect to find such a strong resistance inside the castle. Not only did the ghosts swarm him, but the docile servants also rushed towards him. If he had to deal with them individually, he would easily dispose of them. But they all worked together and synchronized their attacks. Francis felt like the world conspired to end him. He had to use everything at his disposal to clear the main hall of the castle. When he was done, he sat down on the stairs to catch his breath. The crying sounds the ghosts emitted still rang in his ears. When he fought them, he could easily kill them with two strikes. As soon as his second strike connected, the ghosts would dissipate. They were like a mirage with offensive capabilities. They weren''t difficult to deal with, but their large numbers made Francis go on full alert. He could take one or two hits from their knives, but the effect it had on him was akin to damaging his own soul. All his senses would blur and he wouldn''t be able to think clearly. He shuddered at the thought of the few close encounters he had. He was fast and very decisive. If it weren''t for that, he would be fighting the mosquitos again, trying to reach the castle''s main hall. "One mistake and I could''ve died. I can''t allow myself to be caught in their traps," Francis muttered to himself as he inspected the weapon he got from the chest. "A rapier with a gun muzzle attached to it. This thing really is useful." Francis was fascinated by the design of the weapon. On one hand, the rapier was an elegant weapon that allowed for fast and deadly attacks. If one added a gun on top, the weapon would have a much better offensive feature. Francis smiled as he strapped the weapon to his waist. He''d tried it before on one of the servants. The shot alone staggered the opponent, and allowed Francis to stab it in the eye. Not only did the weapon have a sharp end, it also had sharp edges. Francis decided to use it along the Chikage during his adventure in the castle. If he managed to master the Reiterpallasch, he would be invincible dual wielding both. The cries from the ghosts still rung in Francis'' ears, they haunted his thoughts even after they disappeared. Francis got up and climbed the stairs. He had finally managed to get inside but he only had a few blood vials on him. He needed to be extremely careful. The servants were useful for extracting blood. But ghosts, as Francis would soon realize, were much more numerous. As he climbed the stairs, the cries from the ghosts intensified. This put Francis on guard. ''So it wasn''t just my mind still playing those wails to me, there are even more around here. What happened in here to cause such a slaughter?'' Francis saw the ethereal figures in the distance and got ready to fight. Francis noticed something about the women while he fought them earlier. The fight was too fast for him to even take his time to remember the details. But he remembered the feeling, the feeling that he''d seen something important. As he approached the nearest ghost to him, he made sure to be noticed. He lured the lonely ghost towards him and walked downstairs. He needed a test subject. The ghosts had only two types of attack. They would either stab or swing their knives in all directions, trying to hit the enemy. They couldn''t float or teleport like Francis thought they would. Instead they just walked slowly towards their enemy. They could become invisible though, and that was their deadliest ability. One could sneak up on him and backstab him any time. So he lured only one to study. He was sure that the main hall was completely cleared. The woman that walked towards him wore an elegant dress. Francis didn''t pay too much attention to the woman''s garb. If he did, he would notice a striking similarity between her and the doll''s apparel. Instead, he looked at her hands which were tightly tied. The ghost also had their throats sliced open and blood still poured out of the opening. ''Vengeful spirits!'' Francis thought about the legends his old nanny used to tell him when he was a child. ''Vengeful spirits roam the land to exact revenge on the ones who wronged them. However, a ghost remembers the feeling, not the person they vowed to get revenge on. So they roam the place they died at, and kill anything that comes near them. ''But this is just a tale. I never expected to be real.'' Francis'' heart was beating fast. He was excited to explore more of this castle. The tiredness from before evaporated. He thought of the countless secrets Yharnam still hid from him. With two swift strikes from his new weapon, the ghost dissipated. ''I don''t know what happened here, but I''m sure that I will eventually find out. This place is too big. I''m sure that someone had kept some records of what happened here. While I''m here, I might as well search every nook and cranny of the castle. Only when my thirst for knowledge is satiated, would I look for the queen.'' Gavril left him a message in the letter he gave to the chapel dweller. If Francis wanted to find a way out, he needed to find the queen. She was the only one who could point him to the right direction. If he can have an audience with the queen, he would receive a gift. The message Gavril left him was very cryptic, but the gist of it was that the queen was his key to finding Paleblood. Francis didn''t believe in those words, but the vision he had during blood ministration pulled him towards Cainhurst. He got to the second floor and cleared it from all the ghosts that got in his way. He found two servants as well which helped him fill in more blood vials. Upstairs, Francis found his way towards a large room. It looked like the banquet hall. Different tables were set. There were golden and silverware piled on top of each other. There were even some statues scattered all around the place. As soon as Francis got to the middle of the room, the previously lit candles went off. Wails came from everywhere and countless ghosts appeared around Francis. Francis cursed then unsheathed his Chikage. He was dual wielding, shooting and stabbing with his left, and swinging blindly with his right. He didn''t have time to think of how to escape from the trap. All he thought about was to create a circle around him that no ghost could approach. After a few minutes, he finally managed to get rid of them all. ''I was too sloppy, I can''t even hold two weapons and attack at the same time.'' Francis reprimanded himself for his carelessness and moved forward. The banquet hall didn''t have anything worthy of his attention. The place looked like it was raided but no treasures were taken outside. Francis wasn''t interested in gold or silver, he wanted knowledge. The banquet hall led to an area outside. Snow covered the ground and the statues that were erected everywhere. Francis stopped and looked at the faces of the people in the sculptures. Most of them had noble features and wore elegant clothes. Some men even had crowns on top of their heads while they held long staffs. One sculpture in particular caught Francis'' attention. It looked withered and smaller than the others. It felt like the sculptor made sure to get this one to stand out. It even had devilish features. Its eyes were fixated on Francis. ''The sculptor really outdid himself here. This thing looks alive.'' Francis''s eyes narrowed as he got closer to the statue to have a better look. ''It really looks like a statue that could come to life at any moment.'' It was at that moment that Francis knew: he fucked up. The gargoyle jumped on Francis and placated him on the floor. It buried its teeth deep inside his neck and proceeded to drinking his blood. 149 The price of knowledge One shot from the Reiterpallasch was enough to repel the gargoyle. The sculpture like beast fell on its back and wiggled around like a turtle that fell on its back. Francis inserted his katana in the beast''s neck. Blood flowed out and filled the gargoyle''s mouth and neck. Francis slowly bent over and filled the remaining blood vials he had with the gargoyle''s blood. After he stood up, Francis kicked the gargoyle many times. ''Thisˇ­ isˇ­. Forˇ­ scaring the wits out of me!'' He would accentuate every word he said with a strong kick at the monster''s body. He took a deep breath then looked around him. The other sculptures looked normal, devoid of life. He made a mental note to beware of any weird statue. When Francis looked out from the balcony, the majesty of Cainhurst castle revealed itself to him. The castle was in fact very large, larger than he ever imagined it to be. ''Many paths have been destroyed here. I''m afraid I don''t know what happened here in detail but I can make my own speculations.'' With his sharp observation skills, Francis looked outside and started deducing. ''To reach the castle, one has to cross a bridge from Hemwick Charnel Lane. But the bridge had long been destroyed and I don''t even understand how I reached this place. What''s more, as soon as I arrived, the main gate opened by itself. ''Someone must be watching in the distance and manipulating things around me.'' Francis didn''t like this prospect at all. Even if it was the queen observing him, he didn''t like being led around like a helpless sheep. ''I can see a destroyed path from here that used to lead to the uppermost part of the castle. Perhaps I should check it out.'' Francis was reluctant to do so. Going back to that path meant going outside. He didn''t want to risk meeting those mosquitos again. ''The statues I saw outside and even around here are out of place. Who would decorate such a well-designed place with scattered statues? The way I see it, the statues were most probably a blockade erected at the last minute. ''There has been a great fight inside the castle. I have no doubt in that. As to who fought who, I can only assume that the church had finally had enough of the castle and decided to organize a coup.'' Francis looked at the banquet hall he just left. ''The church might even have interrupted their little party to start a slaughter.'' The ghost he saw were a clear indication of the killing that took place within the castle. Francis decided to risk it and go back outside. If he wanted to reach the queen, he had to be sure of her intentions. He strongly felt that he was being watched. As much as he loved manipulating others, he loathed being on the receiving end. He was dead set on figuring out what happened before. If he was to meet the queen, he would do so with a firm heart. If he felt like he was dragged into something that had nothing to do with him, he wouldn''t meet the queen no matter what. He suspected that she wasn''t the only one who knew about Paleblood. Surgit didn''t seem to be surprised at the mention of Paleblood before. Francis suspected that he knew something about it. If Francis had just taken as much time searching the hunters'' dream as he actually did looking around the castle, he would stumble upon the hidden message. Since he didn''t notice it, Cainhurst was the only place that knew of Paleblood in his mind. Francis took the stairs and left to the main yard. After he exited, he clenched his weapon and walked slowly. He didn''t want to be ambushed by the mosquitos. If those things attacked in great numbers, he would definitely meet his demise regardless of the blood vials in his possession. Francis looked around and saw the remnants of the broken bridge that led to the top of the castle. There was only rubble left and the road that used to take up, took down. The descent was treacherous. Snow made Francis move slowly around the boulders that blocked his path. There were no mosquitos around. Francis didn''t drop his guard however and kept moving downwards. When he reached the bottom, Francis looked up to see the castle''s roof; just looking at it made him dizzy. There was nothing special about the place though. A frozen corpse lay down on the snow. After he inspected it with his insight, Francis reached out and scooped up the shiny item that sparkled on top of the body. ''Echo of a fallen knight.'' Francis'' heart skipped a beat. Countless larvae creatures jumped at him the moment he picked up the item. They were the most disgusting thing he''s ever seen since he arrived to Yharnam. They were bone white and extremely slippery. The moment one of them jumped at Francis'' face, he tried to catch it and crush it.However the little thing slipped through his finger and bit off his nose. Their teeth were extremely sharp as well. As soon as the creature bit his nose off, it tried to bite much more and get inside his head. That terrified Francis and pushed him to jump back in horror. Pain soared through his entire being. The larvae were attached to his feet, back and shoulders, nibbling and trying to get inside. Multiple shots were heard all around the castle''s main courtyard. Francis used everything in his possession to get those small disgusting things off him. Molotov cocktails, gun shots and even swings from both his weapons. Francis was in a sorry state after he got rid of the larvae. It took him three vials to recover from his injuries, but his nose was completely gone. He looked like Voldemort stuck in Yharnam. After inspecting the little creatures, Francis''s eyes widened. If he gave them some more time to devour him, his whole body would be consumed in seconds. On top of the teeth they had in front, there were small sharp ones that extended down their throat. ''What frightening munching machines!'' Francis sighed in relief. His nose was a small price to pay in order to know of their existence. He vowed to burn them to ashes the moment he noticed their presence the next time. He couldn''t allow himself to be swarmed by them. They were like piranhas, attacking in great numbers and devouring their prey in seconds. Francis looked at the cold blood he just received. Cold blood was an item that could be popped in order to receive blood echoes from a fallen warrior. It wasn''t the same as killing a hunter and stealing the echoes. But if a very strong hunter died, their blood would coagulate over time and form cold blood. If one was lucky enough to find cold blood formed from the echoes of an experienced hunter, they''d have a chance at gaining a new rank instantly. Francis popped the item without hesitation. After he checked his echoes, he let out an audible gasp. He had actually found cold blood in which two blue clusters formed. ''Talk about lucky! With that I can reach a new rank in Bloodtinge and even get close to a new rank in skill. I should keep an eye out for these larvae. I have a strong feeling that they feed off strong foes.'' Everything feeds on blood in Yharnam. Francis knew that full well. He couldn''t bring himself to go to the dream yet. There were too many things to explore in the castle. Francis didn''t want to lose his momentum. ''Going back to the dream would restore my nose. But as long as I can still smell things around me, I don''t see how that matters to me.'' Francis took the treacherous path back up towards the castle. When he reached the top, he saw a small tower he hadn''t noticed before. Due to the mosquitos trying to kill him earlier, his only focus was to reach the inner part of the castle. The tower led to an area above, closer to the roof he noticed from the balcony. ''Closed! I can''t be that luckyˇ­'' Francis was now pretty sure that the castle was unsuspectingly attacked. The broken statues scattered everywhere were living proof of the attempt to fend off the attackers. Even the broken path that led upstairs meant that people were trying to protect the most valuable thing in the palace. ''I must get up there! But before I do so, I really need to take my time exploring the place. There are scholars everywhere who write what happened to them before they died. They value the knowledge they''d leave behind more than their lives. Such a big palace must have different libraries and studies. I came to Yharnam for knowledge, and knowledge I shall have!'' 150 Chapel Dweller Silence reigned over the streets of Central Yharnam and the Cathedral Ward. Surgit had been busy since he came back and settled at Oedon Chapel with the rest of the refugees. There was the nun named Adella, Arianna the prostitute, the narrow minded man and the old rude lady. The Chapel Dweller was ecstatic. He never expected the hunter to actually go and look for survivors. His appreciation for the hunter increased. His simple mind quickly accepted Surgit as his closest friend. Although he couldn''t see what he looked like, the hunter''s scent was engraved in his mind. While he was thinking about that, he heard footsteps approaching. The hunter''s scent entered his nostrils and he smiled. For an outsider looking at the dweller, they''d feel fear grip their heart. The beggar wasn''t good looking. He didn''t even look human. Apart from a mouth, nose and eyes, his other features had nothing human about them. His arms were as long as Surgit''s legs. His hands could easily cover up all of Surgit''s head. On top of that, his skin complexion was strange, charcoal grey. Surgit had never seen someone with such a skin color. If the dweller could stand up, he would easily tower over Surgit. But he never stood up or left the place. When Surgit approached him, the dweller revealed a scary smile. His bright white eyes formed a great contrast with his skin complexion. With his large mouth and pointy teeth, he looked grotesque. When Surgit saw the dweller''s smile his eyes widened and his heart beat faster. ''This little fella looks exactly like the kidnappers of Yahar''gul.'' If the dweller stood up and donned a grey robe instead of his red one, he''d definitely be mistaken for the kidnappers. ''How didn''t I notice this before? After all those things gave me a hard time back thenˇ­'' Surgit was absorbed in thought. He even forgot what he came to ask the dweller about. The latter just sat there, patiently waiting for Surgit to speak. After sometime, Surgit cleared his throat. "How did you end up in this chapel anyway? You don''t look like someone who''s able to walk." After getting back to the Chapel, Surgit started a little investigation around Yharnam. Surgit met sane people in Yharnam. That fact alone alleviated the pain and loneliness in his heart. But after he spent some time conversing with the people he brought over, he realized that something wasn''t quite right about the city. He''d met many people in Yharnam, but he was only able to convince a few of leaving their houses. He started getting very suspicious after he was met with refusal. Yharnamites didn''t trust outsiders, Surgit knew that full well. He could clearly see that the people were running out of incense though and the chapel wasn''t short on that at all. His selfish desires drove him to knock on all doors and even clear the streets of all the beasts that roamed about. He was desperate to create a little community around him and regain a semblance of life. He hadn''t forgotten about reaching Byrgenwerth, he just wanted to have a "home" to return to after a difficult hunt. The dream was just an empty shell for him. He hadn''t been there since he created his little community. "I''ve always been''ere." The dweller''s voice reached Surgit''s ears and brought him back from his daydreaming. Surgit asked the people he brought in about the dweller but none of them gave him a plausible answer. The narrow minded man told him many things before; among them were ramblings regarding the dweller. The gist of it was that the dweller was a beggar with a murky past. In short no one knew where he came from. Surgit couldn''t seem to get anything out of him though, no matter how many times he tried. It seemed like the blind guy didn''t even know about his own past. The dweller would always give him vague answers like the one he just got. Surgit sighed and was about to leave for Central Yharnam when he heard the strange gentle voice of the dweller. "I often get thisˇ­ desire. A desire to help others." He spoke as if in a trance, even his accent was gone. "This place here is safe. Why not invite others to seek shelter?" a creepy laugh came after the question. That laugh alone would make anyone who met him suspicious. "It feels likeˇ­" The dweller winced, as if in pain. Surgit felt like the strange creature struggled to speak. "like somethingˇ­ or someoneˇ­" The pain intensified and the poor creatures let out a soft moan. He went silent, and after a little while spoke again. "Ahh, the hunter. Alive and well, at that! This place is a haven now, for so many. Thanks to you. I''m...overjoyed, really. That you''d even give me the time o'' day! I don''t suppose there''s anybody out there worth savin'' anymore. But you did all ya could, and so many owe you so much. Amazing, really. Not ''cause you''re a hunter, but because you''re you. Hee hee hee... " ''What the hell is wrong with this guy?'' Surgit was shocked at the rapid change the dweller had just gone through. There was a trace of fear in his heart too. Not from the dweller, but from the pain he seemed to experience to let those words out. ''This chapel is safe, and no monster could come inside. If this one had any ideas he wouldn''t be sitting inside here. There''s something more sinister going onˇ­'' Noticing Surgit''s silence, the dweller spoke again. "Makes me think, once dawn breaks, maybe I can just, you know, start-over. Makes it easier to bear all o''this, you see? You''ve made life easier. Thank you." Surgit''s heart wrenched. He didn''t know why but something inside made him feel extreme sadness. He faintly smiled at the dweller. "I''m just trying to get these people to a safe place, like you." With those words, Surgit turned around and made for the library downstairs. He had to visit Iosefka and Gilbert one last time before he headed to Byrgenwerth. "Kind hunterˇ­ Pleaseˇ­ save meˇ­"Extreme pain was visible on the poor dweller''s face. He couldn''t fight it anymore. It felt like sharp needles drilled into his mind every time he tried to think of getting up or leaving the place. He''d tried that many times but was always met with unbearable pain. He could barely remember that. His mind would always be wiped clean and he''d get back to his usual self after a while. Arianna looked at the poor creature with a sad smile on her face. She wanted to help, but she had enough on her plate as well. She couldn''t be bothered with something beyond her comprehension. Surgit turned around and looked at the dweller. He felt like the beggar had just spoken to him. ''Must be imagining thingsˇ­ this little guy isn''t hiding anything. It feels like something is hiding in him instead. I just can''t figure out what it isˇ­'' He sighed and went down towards Central Yharnam. Once Surgit reached the entrance to Oedon tomb (where he fought Gascoigne before), he saw Eileen standing by the gate. He approached her and was about to speak when she put her index finger on her plague doctor mask. "Do not to go near the tomb below. Henryk, an old hunter, has gone mad. And he''s my mark..."She spoke in a faint whispering voice. Surgit looked at the old woman with indifference in his eyes. "Need a hand?" 151 Old Hunter Henryk Eileen looked at Surgit in silence, long enough to make him feel uncomfortable. "The old hoonter is my mark. Leave the hoonting of hoonters to me." Surgit could only guess the woman''s state of mind from her speech. She wasn''t hostile to him, but she didn''t invite him to the party either. "I can be useful. I want to get to Central Yharnam and that old man will be in my way. I can either try and fight him by myself, or you can accept my help and our chances at winning will increase." Eileen let out a sigh and looked at Surgit. He could feel her eying him from behind that mask. ''I wonder what wrinkles that woman is hiding with that hideous mask.'' From her voice and tone, Surgit was pretty certain that the woman was at least middle-aged. He couldn''t help but admire her tenacity. Fighting beasts and hunters at that age must be difficult. Eileen knew that Surgit wouldn''t back away. She had no quarrel with him and, she couldn''t deny it, his help would make the fight less strenuous. "Something must''ve happened to make that old man go crazy." Eileen muttered to herself. She remembered meeting this young hunter while she looked for Gascoigne. "Did you kill Father Gascoigne?" she asked. Eileen wasn''t sure. There were many new visitors to the city lately. Surgit nodded without saying a word. He was surprised by the woman''s question but didn''t dare make any comment. He didn''t know anything about her background. He dreaded offending her. Surgit was sure that she was stronger than him. He even suspected that she could fight evenly against the hunter that invaded them all. What frightened Surgit was her garb. It was similar to what Gavril wore when he invaded them. If that woman was his partner, offending her would bring him continuous suffering. ''She asked if I killed Gascoigne. She must have a strong suspicion that it was me. I can''t lie to her and cover my story now, might as well go with the truth. If she doesn''t like it, then I''ll use the other hunter to kill her.'' Surgit couldn''t trust other hunters easily. People were easy to intimidate, but a hunter was a different story. After another long silence from Eileen, she walked towards the graveyard and Surgit followed. Eileen pointed down at the spot where he had killed Gascoigne before. "Normal people can''t see it but if you use your insight, you clearly feel Gascoigne''s aura in there. He was falling apart. It had to be done." She looked at Surgit then went on. "Hoonter must hoont beasts. Try to keep your hands clean, and leave the hoonting of hoonters to me." After she finished speaking, Eileen jumped down and ran towards a hunter clad in yellow. Surgit noticed the man turning around and elongating his saw cleaver. The hunter had very simple weapons, a saw cleaver and a hunter''s pistol, the same set Surgit started with. Surgit sat down and observed the fight from above. ''If that woman doesn''t need my help, then I''ll just observe and learn. Two hunters fighting each other is a great opportunity for me to learn a thing or two.'' His eyes were glued on Eileen. Her resemblance to Gavril filled him with dread. He didn''t dare provoke her. There was something worse than death in Yharnam, and that was being hunter by a powerful hunter. No matter how many times he''d die, the woman will be there to kill him again. That was sufficient to deter him from taking part in the fight. He didn''t want to invite the monster inside him to surge out again. That would definitely invite her wrath upon him. Eileen''s hunt was related to hunters who had gone mad. What she said about Gascoigne and Henryk was enough to confirm Surgit''s theory. If she realized that he had a dormant monster inside of him, he''d be her next target. Below Surgit the fight was intense. Seeing two powerful hunters duking it out made Surgit''s blood boil. He wanted to take part in the fight but he suppressed himself. Their movement was fast and Henryk had a slight advantage over the old woman. However, the weapon Eileen used made Surgit focus on her more. She could split her sword in two and land quick blows on Henryk. If it was Surgit, he would die after three or four attacks. Eileen''s movement was extremely fast, but when dual wielding her swords, her speed increased exponentially. Surgit could barely keep up with his eyes. Henryk on the other hand used his pistol to slow her down. He wasn''t aiming for a visceral, he just wanted to slow her down and retaliate. He was successful at that. Every time Eileen was stopped by a bullet, he would instantly come close and strike with his cleaver. The fight had just started but Eileen was already at a disadvantage. Surgit watched closely. He wanted to see if the woman was capable of getting out on top after this. Her crow feather cape was lacking some feathers and her mask was already dented. Henryk wasn''t easy to deal with. "The beasts cannot be stopped! What good are hunters now? Your blood is mine!" Eileen shouted as she shot Henryk the moment he tried to retreat. While dual wielding, she could only push him back and receive a shot. But when Eileen changed tactics, the fight instantly turned favorable. She''d relentlessly attack and push Henryk to retreat and shoot. When the latter took his pistol to shoot, she''d immediately fuse the swords together and dodge the shot aimed at her. She would then shoot the hunter, giving him a taste of his own medicine. "A hunter''s blood for me! Your punishment is death! Death to the hunters! Enough of this terrible dream!" Eileen''s enraged voice reached Surgit above. She quickstepped after dodging a bullet, then stood in front of Henryk, ready to deal the final blow. The latter didn''t waste any time and jumped backwards. Surgit saw a subtle movement from Henryk then the woman let out a painful groan. Two more quick motions from Henryk and three knives were embedded in Eileen''s body, two in her legs and one dangerously close to her neck. The throwing knives were thrown by Henryk with extreme precision. ''Old hunters are frightening. If I fought him instead of Gascoigne, I''m afraid I would''ve gone crazy.'' Surgit was amazed by both hunters'' skills. Eileen took the knives out and threw them at Henryk, causing him to back away. She instantly injected herself with a blood vial and pressed on. "Few hunters can resist the intoxication of the hunt." Eileen shouted as she jumped to the side and disappeared. She merged with the darkness in the tomb. Her black garb made it easier for her to eclipse herself. Henryk looked around, searching for Eileen. His eyes locked on Surgit. The loss of an old friend had caused Henryk to go mad. When he saw Surgit and felt Gascoigne''s aura in him, he let out a frightening roar. Surgit''s heart skipped a beat. He didn''t expect this old hunter to quickly focus his attention on him. "Look at you, just the same as all the rest... The hunters must die... The nightmare must end... Only I can stop this madness! The hunt makes hunters mad!" Two swords flashed and landed on Henryk''s back. The old hunter fell on his knees and Eileen struck again. She brought her swords down with all her force behind it. She aimed to kill and end this difficult fight. Henryk wasn''t willing to go down easily though, especially after he found his old friend''s killer. He let out another roar and Eileen was expelled backwards. Surgit coldly looked at the old hunter from above. He jumped down and walked towards him. His heart beat heavily as he slowly approached. In an instant, Henryk closed the gap and was about to strike. One bullet landed on the old hunter''s chest and brought him down to his knees. With a visceral attack, Surgit destroyed the old hunter''s insides. He made sure to rampage inside the old man''s body, leaving him no chance of survival. It was his only shot and he had to make it count. Eileen got up and joined Surgit. "That wasn''t necessary of you... But you have my thanks. We made it with our lives. You''re not bad at all." If Surgit could see behind the plague doctor''s mask, he''d see Eileen smiling. The beast roar used by Henryk shocked her. If he had recovered, she would have undoubtedly died to him. 152 Flora After the battle ended, Surgit headed straight for Isoefka''s clinic. ''That old man wore a hunter''s garb similar to mine. The only difference was the color and feather attached to his hat.'' Surgit started seeing some symbolism to the clothes hunters wore. Gascoigne wore clothes that associated him to the healing church. Eileen had a strange garb. Her hunt wasn''t related to beasts but to hunters. What Surgit experienced in Yharnam pushed him to start analyzing everything, down to the smallest detail. There was no way for him to know exactly what happened in Yharnam. He wasn''t willing to unearth all the secrets either. He only wanted to find enough information that would lead him to Paleblood. Yharnam held too many secrets. One wouldn''t even know where to start. Surgit realized that he couldn''t rush things anymore. He stayed in Oedon Chapel and made it a base from which he could operate. From all the people he visited in Central Yharnam and the Cathedral Ward, he managed to gather some clues. The few sane people that remained were afraid of hunters and the church. Most of them would even praise him then send him away in a diplomatic manner. Surgit understood that the church and hunters held the highest esteem in society back then. Overtime, people still feared dealing with the church, but they were unwilling to help or listen to their advice (in this case Surgit''s advice). ''The church had lost people''s trust. I''m not sure if that happened before or after the burning of Old Yharnam.'' Every experience Surgit went through before that point flashed through his mind. ''What I know is that few hunters stayed behind to defend Central Yharnam. The note Francis showed me is proof of that. Perhaps, people even went to the street to defend themselves but fell to the beastly scourge.'' Surgit was slowly walking towards Iosefka''s clinic. He cleaned the place of all beasts before. He didn''t have to worry about ambushes. He took an item from his pocket and inspected it with his insight. "Radiant Sword Hunter Badge: One of the badges crafted by the Healing Church. The radiant sword indicates the heirs to the will of Ludwig. These hunters, also known as Holy Blades, are what remains of an ancient line of heroes that date back to a very early age of honor and chivalry." ''Chivalry, hmph!'' He couldn''t imagine a hunter being chivalrous. ''That Ludwig must''ve been a prominent figure in the history of the healing church. I should probably check the weapons I can buy with this badge. Perhaps I can find some more details about this hunter.'' Surgit arrived in front of the clinic with too many questions that needed solving. There was the matter with Cainhurst first. He had found a way towards Byrgenwerth thanks to Arianna. Before the entrance to the forbidden woods he met Alfred, the hunter who helped him against the Blood Starved Beast. That hunter had told him a thing or two about Cainhurst. He wondered if Francis knew that they could visit the castle. ''I wonder where Francis is right now.'' Then there was the matter with Byrgenwerth. He knew he had to head there but he kept delaying his departure. He didn''t want to go the Forbidden woods without prior preparation. He had hoped he could get his hands on sacrificial materials for the root chalice. He wanted to get stronger before hitting the road. Luckily, he stumbled upon Hemwick and had a fruitful haul. All beasts had been exterminated in the village, suggesting Francis had come through there. That''s what pushed Surgit to think of him. Hemwick could be accessed through a road next to the Great Cathedral. On the other side of the Great Cathedral, Surgit stumbled upon something that made him visit Iosefka one more time. He found a strange elixir. From the description provided by the insight, the elixir could make a person''s hide tougher than iron. Surgit tried it once. The backlash he suffered after the effect subsided caused him to be extremely wary of it. He had to use it against hunters that ambushed him in the area where he found it. He had a hard time repelling two skilled hunters while other snipers shot him. The lead elixir allowed him to deflect the bullets while taking minimal damage from the two hunters'' attacks. He couldn''t move fast since his bones were turned to lead. That mysterious substance really worked, but its backlash made it a double-edged sword. After the effect of the elixir subsided, Surgit was out of breath and couldn''t lift a finger for almost two minutes. If he wasn''t out of the sniper''s range, he would''ve died to the bullets. He came to see Iosefka in order to give her the elixir and extract some information from her. "Aah you''re back! Find any survivors yet?" Surgit didn''t send anybody to Iosefka. He noticed that her behavior changed. The elixir was his method of confirming that. "The city is crawling with beasts. I''m afraid there are no sane people in the streets anymore," Surgit answered. "A pity really! But if you find any, let them know that my clinic is a safe haven for survivors. The beastly scourge shouldn''t be feared. Doctors have sworn to protect and cure their patients. Hunters hunt beasts and protect the people. I must play my role and protect the afflicted from their sickness. "It''s a pity the city has fallen to this sorry state. I would be roaming the streets myself otherwise. Good hunter, help me fulfill my duty as a doctor. I''m even willing to reward you." Iosefka spoke with an excited voice. Surgit was moved with those words. What bugged Surgit''s mind was that they didn''t match her previous resolve. The doctor was still not willing to open her door to him though. Surgit suspected that it was from fear, not her resolve to keep her clinic safe from infection. "I have found something strange. I was hoping you could tell me what it is." Surgit took a pot containing the elixir from his pocket and showed it to the doctor, through the broken glass of the door. A pair of eyes peeked from the hole and instantly widened. "What an interesting item you''ve found." Surgit could feel greed fill the woman''s tone. That sudden change didn''t go unnoticed by Surgit. "Do you recognize it?" Surgit asked. "I will need to examine it closely to be able to give you a full report on it. I''ve read something about it long ago. But I''m not sure if it''s the same liquid the text spoke of." As the woman spoke, Surgit anticipated her question. "I can give it to you, for your research purposes of course. However, I''d need something from you in return." Iosefka was startled. She realized that she''d been seen through. "This doctor has nothing of great value for a hunter I''m afraid. If it is blood vials you wish for, I can provide them to you." Surgit''s eyes narrowed. "I just want to see the good doctor''s face once more," Surgit said with a friendly tone. Iosefka told Surgit once that she looked forward to the end of the hunt. Only then would she open the door and meet him face to face. He didn''t know what Iosefka looked like. If the woman behind the door opened it to him, then she must be an impostor. "I''m sorry but this door can only be opened to host patients. I''d really like to see good hunter again, but this night is really long and treacherous. We wouldn''t want to spread some disease to the clinic, would we? The matter last time was just a mistake. I can''t open this door to the good hunter anymore." Iosefka''s footsteps were heard leaving the place. Surgit stood there, going through what had just happened. ''If this isn''t Iosefka, where is the real one? Orˇ­'' A crazy idea came to Surgit. ''Could it be? No, if she had a double personality then I would''ve noticed some contradiction in her speech before. She suddenly changed her behavior. It was too sudden, too fast. ''Since then, I couldn''t recognize the doctor. She doesn''t even offer me her vials anymore.'' Surgit felt like he was hit by lightning. ''She offered me blood vials earlier! Even if she had double personality, Iosefka would still have her blood to offer. She was clearly interested by the elixir. But instead, she offered me blood vials that could be gathered from corpses of beasts and drunkards.This woman has definitely been outside, and she is not the doctor.'' Surgit visited Gilbert on his way back to the chapel. He exchanged some words with him then left. He was the only true friend he had left in Yharnam. After offering him to leave with him to the chapel and being met with refusal again, Surgit left him alone. His health had deteriorated. Gilbert was adamant that he''d get better by staying in his house. This pained Surgit but he didn''t want to force a sick man out. He had no way of helping him ease his suffering either. Iosefka couldn''t be trusted anymore. He arrived to Oedon Chapel then used the lantern to go to the dream. He was ready to explore the root chalice and collect more echoes. He was sure of travelling through the Forbidden Woods would be much easier after that. When he arrived to the dream, Surgit went directly towards the doll. He was surprised she wasn''t in her usual spot. After looking for her for some time, Surgit found her kneeling next to a tombstone. The stone was located next to the backdoor of the workshop. "O flora, of the moon, of the dream. O little ones, O fleeting will of the ancients. Let the hunter be safe, let him find comfort. And let this dream, his captor, foretell a pleasant awakening. Be one day, a fond, distant memory." 153 Yharnam’s schemes run too deep "You''ve become quite famous around here." Lady Maria was standing in the lumen flower garden, observing the city from above. Karla had gotten back a few hours ago to report. The skinny hunter transformed into a hideous beast in the woods. That event shocked Curtis greatly. Karla on the other hand, reacted quickly and swiftly. She had already encountered a similar beast. The Cleric Beast that Surgit fought in Central Yharnam was at least three times bigger than the one skinny hunter transformed into. Karla assumed that the small beast would be most vulnerable after it just transformed. Her mental fortitude far exceeded that of Curtis. Hunters knew they risked transforming into beasts. But none of them expected the skinny hunter to transform into a cleric beast. Their shock slowed them down. They could only watch as Karla slaughtered the Blood Starved Beast before shouting some sense into the two bewildered watchers. Curtis and the burly hunter joined her to fight the newly transformed Cleric Beast and came out on top. "You killed two Blood Starved Beasts and helped put a fellow hunter to rest. You''ve done a great deed today." Despite Lady Maria''s doubts about Karla, she had to show her some respect. "You can go now, celebrate the victory and report back to me tomorrow. We have to prepare for the upcoming hunt." A party was waiting for Karla at the hunters'' tower beneath the Upper Cathedral Ward. Many hunters could slaughter beasts, but very few of them were capable of defeating two Blood Starved Beasts and help cut down a Cleric. Her deeds earned her great merit which in turn would play a major role in her future assignment. Karla spent the night partying with other hunters. She didn''t partake in blood however, she was still wary of Yharnamites'' practices. Many hunters came and exchanged pleasantries with her. She no longer felt like a foreigner among them. She was now welcomed as an official member of the Hunters Order. In the Upper Cathedral Ward, an important meeting took place between Lady Maria, Gehrman and the leader of the Healing Church Laurence. The hunt was almost upon them, they had too many preparations to finish before dispatching hunters to their respective positions. They had just received a report regarding the fishing hamlet, excitement filled Laurence''s voice. - "The sea shore is a forbidden place for foreigners. No matter how hard we tried in the past months we couldn''t get the villagers'' trust." - "What are you inferring Laurence?" Lady Maria asked. - "The hunt is our best opportunity to get inside the village and get to the sea. Leta wasn''t allowed near the place. Despite her best efforts to gain their trust, they still wouldn''t allow her near their ''sacred ground''. We can''t sit idly by while this curse is exterminating us." - "Laurence is right," Gehrman''s old voice intervened before Lady Maria could utter a word. "We''ve tried your subtle way, but we can''t wait any longer. That village is our last hope. We need to make a move before we are exterminated." - "Are we sure that it''s our only way of preventing the curse from spreading?" Lady Maria didn''t want to move in blindly. The intelligence they received mentioned a Great One living in the sea by the fishing hamlet. The church had even sent some ships for reconnaissance. All the reports indicated that a creature that looked like a great whale roamed about. What aroused Laurence and Gehrman''s interest was that the latest report specified that the Great One might bear a child. - "She might be with child," Laurence told Lady Maria. "This is a chance we must grasp. The Great Ones have all vanished without a trace. This might be the only one we will ever encounter away from those cursed tombs. This encounter will benefit us greatly." Laurence turned to Gehrman. "How about we join the hunt one last time? I have a good feeling about this, our factions will benefit greatly. After this, Cainhurst will live under our shadow." - "My lady," Gehrman addressed Maria. "The villagers will never yield their sacred ground to us. I''m afraid we''ll have to fight for this one. During the hunt, we will use the commotion created by the beastly scourge and enter the village." - "Those people''s only crime is worshipping a Great One." Lady Maria knew of the bloody ways of the Healing Church and the Hunter''s Order. She knew what would happen if both Gehrman and Laurence went there. "Let me talk to them. If it comes to fighting, I won''t hold you back. I just ask you to give these villagers a chance." - "Fine, you can use your silver tongue. But I''m not willing to come back here empty handed." Laurence was exasperated. He spent too much time and effort studying the beastly scourge. He wasn''t willing to let this golden opportunity go. - "As you wish." Lady Maria hated conversing with Laurence. He was stubborn and would never back down once he put his mind into something. "Can I be excused now? I have hunters to dispatch for the hunt." Gehrman sighed and let Lady Maria go. As soon as she left, he turned to look at Laurence. "There is a high chance we can get our hands on an umbilical cord in there." Laurence and Gehrman weren''t interested in the Great One by the sea. What made them impatient about the matter was the child she bore. "Our ritual will definitely succeed this time." Laurence was beside himself with excitement. "A new age is upon us Gehrman. The Healing Church will carve itself a golden name in the annals of history." Gehrman looked at Laurence with a placid face. "Two days from now, we''ll meet at the entrance to the village. Don''t bring anyone else with you. The villagers won''t yield. Lady Maria''s soft heart still believes in the goodness in people. I''ve seen through humanity. The beast inside of us grows hungrier. If we don''t put a stop to this, we''ll end up like Loran. "Greatness can only be achieved through blood and sacrifice. Laurence, I hope you''re ready for this." Gehrman sighed and looked dejected as he went on. "It won''t answer our call. We''re left no choice but use drastic measures." Lady Maria went out to the lumen flower. She would usually come to this place to collect her thoughts. She was by no means a saint. In the Upper Cathedral Ward, she overlooked gruesome experiments on afflicted children. The Healing Church and the Hunters worked together to study the beastly scourge. Human experiments were necessary to find the root of the disease and cure it. She had too many things to settle before the hunt. The castle grew bolder in the past few months. They had recruited hunters and even created their own faction. The queen rallied her troops to topple the Healing Church. The castle deemed the blood used by the church impure. Their way was the only way to help the queen bear a child of blood. Lady Maria grew up in the castle. She knew of the old legends related to the queen''s origins. Her royal blood could be traced back to the old inhabitants of Yharnam. Only a few select people knew of this. Gehrman knew that but turned a blind eye to what happened in Cainhurst, mainly for his fondness towards Maria. He took her as his apprentice and trained her in the old arts. Lady Maria was a fierce, deadly hunter. Thanks to Gehrman, she abandoned the use of blood in her attacks and solely relied on her strength and skill to slaughter her way up to the highest echelons of the Healing Church. She was grateful and never questioned his actions twice. If Gehrman was unsure of his next step, he would heed her advice and back away. But the matter with the fishing hamlet was bigger than that. She knew that encountering a Great One would be their only chance at getting rid of the curse. Great Ones were powerful beings capable of erasing the curse of the Old Blood. Great Ones were sympathetic in spirit and would often answer when called upon. When dealing with a supernatural being, one could only speculate on their reaction. What seemed to be a helping hand from a Great One could only meant destruction for the human race. Lady Maria had a very bad feeling about this. She didn''t want to shed innocent blood to reach the bottomless sea. She sighed and headed to her study. Thinking about the matter too much gave her a headache. She had other pressing matters to attend to. Gehrman wanted to concentrate fully on eradicating the curse, so he delegated all matters related to hunters to her. ''I need to send someone to fetch that dubious Jack.We can''t tackle the hunt without intelligence on the castle''s moves. I also need to send hunters to the Forbidden Woods. Byrgenwerth isolated itself from us after Willem considered Laurence a traitor. I''ve received some worrying reports about the woods." Lady Maria sighed as she started writing down orders. She had a very long night ahead of her. She was still unsure of Karla''s true intentions. She was going to summon her as soon as she finished dispatching hunters to their respective positions. ''The Oto workshop can deal with the woods. Laurence doesn''t like them, but as long as they''re affiliated to us, they''ll participate in "our" hunt. ''I don''t care if I have to torture that woman, I need to get answers. Laurence doesn''t know what that chair means. Anybody who grew up and had his education in Cainhurst knows of the power of those chairs. I had to feign ignorance. Laurence must not know of this. Karla, I will get my answers out of you, one way or anotherˇ­'' 154 Executioners Late at night, the sound of laughter and music still echoed in the streets of the Cathedral Ward. Karla managed to eclipse herself from the crowd and went out for a walk. The streets were peaceful, unlike what she experienced before when she was looking for Francis. She knew the streets very well. She had jumped from one roof to another, in search of the old coward. She smiled as she remembered that Francis became a hunter as well. ''I feel like I''ve been stuck in Yharnam for years. Those people drink and laugh, oblivious to the tragic end they''re all bound to experience. I just don''t know when the city completely fell to the scourge.'' Karla reached the bridge that led from Oedon Chapel to the Cathedral Ward. From there, she had a very good view of the city. She was forced to drink some of the blood with the other hunters who celebrated her victory. She felt light headed. ''Everything in this city is related to blood. That skinny hunter spoke about a curse. Perhaps this blood is a wolf in sheep''s clothing. You get healing, but you''re cursed and become a beast.'' Karla witnessed the transformation of the skinny hunter. Her theory about the cursed blood was proven right. ''I have to get out of here before things go really bad.'' She sighed and walked toward the tower. She had no idea where the woods where she was discovered were. Moreover, she wasn''t sure if the key to going back to her version of Yharnam was the chair. "Tired of the fraternizing with fellow hunters?" a melodious voice reached Karla''s ears. She looked up and saw Lady Maria watching her from a balcony in the hunters'' tower. Lady Maria was on the floor above Karla. For some reason, meeting Lady Maria at that moment gave Karla a bad premonition. The tall, beautiful woman jumped from the balcony then landed next to Karla. She was as graceful as a feline. Her landing barely made any sound. She slowly walked toward Karla. "Your accomplishments may have something to do with your background. But I don''t believe the story you''ve told me." Lady Maria''s tone changed drastically. Her melodious voice was now cold, her gentle smile disappeared. Karla didn''t utter a word. She had a feeling that whatever she said would be used against her. She stared at the lady and waited for her to speak. "When are you from?" That question sent shivers down Karla''s spine. "I''m afraid I don''t have time for this. Otherwise I would have played your little game and extracted information from you differently." Lady Maria closed in on Karla and squeezed her shoulder. Her smile returned then she said "why don''t we talk somewhere else? Prying ears are plentiful in Yharnam." Karla nodded and walked with the lady. They went towards the Great Cathedral. Karla opened her mouth to talk but was silenced by her boss. "We are just taking a walk through the city. You are a foreigner, and a famous one at that. There is no harm if the student of master Gehrman showed you around. Now, let''s enjoy the wonders of Yharnam in meditative silence." Karla followed behind, unsure of her future. ''She asked me "when"! She knows about the chair. She just doesn''t know who I amˇ­'' Karla pondered while the lady pushed the door of the Great Cathedral open and dragged Karla in. "In this city, I''m the only friend you''ve got. If you cooperate, I''ll help you get out of here. If you don''t, I''ll get my answers then send you to the forbidden woods." Karla and Maria didn''t stop at the Great Cathedral. They went through the nave then reached the altar. The altar was beautifully decorated with the statue of a headless woman, pouring some kind of nectar from a jar. Even though the nature of the sculpture was grim, the execution of the piece was beautiful. Karla didn''t have time to admire all of that. Her mind was in shambles. The woman in front of her was a legend in Yharnam.People dreamed of working under her wing. Karla was blessed enough to be chosen to work directly with her. People regarded that as a blessing, Karla wasn''t so sure anymore. ''This curse disguised as a blessing thing is really getting annoying.'' Karla thought as Maria activated a hidden contraption. The whole sculpture trembled and started moving. Soon it disappeared as chains rattled as the altar sank underground. Karla looked above and saw another platform descending towards them. When the chains stopped moving, another sculpture displayed itself in front of them. On top of a rectangular platform were different marble statues. A patient lay on a bench while three church doctors stood around it. The church doctors seemed to be experimenting on the patient who was just bones at that moment. The face of the patient was covered by a cloth. Under the bench, a beast resembling a werewolf peeked behind the cover. Maria jumped on the altar and pulled Karla next to her. She took an item from her pocket and inserted it on the patient''s skull. The platform shook then the whole altar started moving upwards. When it reached a complete full stop, they were at a completely different building. Karla could never have imagined that such a place existed on top of the cathedral. It looked like a large medical establishment. Maria led Karla through some stairs then through a big wooden door. "This is my study. We''ll be discussing your matter here." Wails, crazy laughter, painful cries, all of them reached Karla at once. "What is this place?" Karla asked. Lady Maria smiled. Karla saw the devilish smile on Lady Maria''s face then shuddered. "The dark side of the moon. "This is the place where the church works tirelessly to find a cure to the disease that threatens us all. No one would hear your screams here. If you wish to fight for your life, be my guest." Lady Maria move like lightning and positioned herself behind Karla. Stupefied, Karla remembered how Gavril moved behind Surgit and Francis to reach her. Fear filled her heart and her knees grew weak. "Will you tell me what I need to know? Or must I extract it from you?" *** In Central Yharnam, a different kind of meeting took place. "Ladies and gentlemen, something had caused old man Gehrman to make a move during the upcoming hunt. The city will be on high alert before and during the hunt. This is our best bet at launching an attack against the castle." Dumb Jack gathered many people in a secret chamber. What he planned had nothing to do with the church or the hunters'' agenda. It was something only he cared about. With his charisma and charming words, he managed to rally a lot of people to his cause. "Lady Maria, our nemesis, will join Gehrman and Laurence in their hunt. This will be our greatest chance. Once the hunt begins, we will meet at the entrance of Hemwick. We''ll slaughter our way through and end those vile bloods once and for all!" People clicked their fingers. They couldn''t clap or cheer lest they attracted unwanted attention. "Master, how are we to get the gates to open?" asked a frail young man in the back of the room. "I have help from our brethren at the Oto workshop. We have enough explosives to destroy the main gate and the bridge leading to that wretched place." Hate filled Jack''s heart. Every time he spoke of Cainhurst, his blood would boil. "Master Willem was right. We should never have used the Old Blood. But those vile bloods partook in forbidden blood, given to them by our own scholars. It is our mistake. So it is up to us to correct it." The frail man raised his hands again. "Master, those vile bloods deserve to die. But their knights are as deadly as any other experienced hunter." Jack shot a cold look at the frail man. "Logarius, do not misunderstand my eagerness. I''ve spent months planning this attack. We will definitely succeed. We are executioners. When we strike, we leave a trail of blood behind us to warn our enemies. Once this is over, the executioners will be a recognized faction within the Hunters'' Order. Even the old man will be forced to recognize our merit." 155 Bucket Head "The paaasswooooord," said a feeble voice. Surgit had been here many times before. He never pronounced the password to the man behind the door. The first time he arrived there, he only wanted to test the waters. He was afraid that the man behind the door would turn hostile as soon as he gave him the password. ''Byrgenwerth''s adage, fear the old blood.'' Surgit stood there, waiting for the man to go nuts again. Every time Surgit visited that place, the voice behind the door would start mumbling if he didn''t utter a word. Soon enough, the voice behind the door reached Surgit again. "The password, ah the password! Got to close the doorˇ­" ''That vicar seemed to repeat that prayer over and over again. It''s like she had one memory engraved in her mind. She could either sit there and mumble, or transform into a beast and devour.'' Surgit knocked on the door again. ''I have to be sure. If he''s as crazy as her, I''ll have to fight my way into the woods.'' "Who''s there, who''s there? Don''t you wish you could hear them when they are coming... You mustn''t... Oh, no, no... it bit me, bit meˇ­he was bleeding...Oh, no no no no. He was bleeding... he wasn''t...No, no, no, no not like that, no, no, no..." Another knock: "Gotta get the door... Must get the door...No, no, no. Knock, knock, knock, all day. Knock, knock, knock all day, all day, all day, all day... all day, knock, knock, knock..." After hearing all of this, Surgit smiled. ''He used to mumble numbers, now he''s getting restless. He''s not as crazy as the vicar, but crazy nonetheless." "Fear the Old Blood," Surgit finally said. "I don''t know how the hunter learned the password, but let me say this much... Down the embankment, beyond the forest, there it stands, old Byrgenwerth... But it''s not what you think. They don''t welcome new comers, and their knowledge is better left untouched. No. The old college is not what it once was. Those who enter, never return. At least, not as who they were upon entering... Don''t say you weren''t warned..." Creaking sounds emanated from the wooden gate as it slowly opened. Surgit clenched the sword in his hand, expecting the worst. The old voice reached Surgit, mixed with the creaking of the door. "Ah, ahh, ahh, a nightmare is upon us... Is this your doing, great master? Does it mean that my work is done? ...Ahh, ah... Ohh,... I failed... Forgive me master, forgive me master Willem" By the time the old man finished his monologue, the door was completely open. A shocking scene welcomed Surgit as he stepped forward. On a chair next to the door sat a skeleton. ''What the hell is this?'' Surgit felt some tingling inside his head. The headache he used to have when he received insight receded. It was now reduced to a tingling feeling in his head. It felt uncomfortable, but it was better than the splitting headache. ''Master Willemˇ­ The old man in the visions?'' Surgit was excited. ''I''m finally close to finding out about what happened to that old man. Byrgenwerth, I''m coming. Surgit took a final look at the skeleton on the chair then descended the stairs next to him. There were things in Yharnam that Surgit gave up on explaining. If he felt that he didn''t have enough information to base his deduction on, he''d just make a note of it then move forward. Before reaching the forbidden woods, he spoke to the doll in the dream then made some purchases. He was broke, but he had a new arsenal at his disposal. ''Going to the root chalice was useful.'' I no longer need to concentrate on gaining echoes from Yharnam, I should find Byrgenwerth and get as many ritual materials as I can.'' He was fully convinced that he can grow stronger in the Chalice Dungeons rather than Yharnam. The doll had repeated some strange chant. ''The waking world, does that mean that I''m not in the real world here? Or does she mean that the dream isn''t the real world?'' Those were questions that Surgit couldn''t answer. That pushed him to stop analyzing everything he saw. He concentrated on taking notes then putting everything together when he''d explore everything Yharnam hid. As he descended the stairs to the forbidden woods, Surgit searched every corner of the building he was in. Parts of the wall had fallen down; suggesting the dilapidated state Yharnam had grown into. There was just one door leading outside, nothing of value could be seen around. Surgit left the place and entered the dark woods. ''Two windmills in the distance andˇ­ a dome? That must be the college.'' Surgit''s sight developed to an inhuman level after he became a hunter. Surgit walked towards the closest windmill. If there were buildings in the forest, he had to explore them. Surgit could only see the shadow of the dome far away in the distance. He knew that it would take him some time before reaching the place. ''One step at a time Surgit, explore everything and beware of traps,'' he repeated to himself mentally as he moved forward. The trees around Surgit didn''t rustle or move. It felt like everything around him was dead. Only the sound of his feet crushing old leaves could be heard around. He descended a winding path that led towards the first windmill. As Surgit moved, the sound of crackling fire reached his ears. That reminded him of his first time in Yharnam; leaving Iosefka''s clinic to fight the Huntsmen. Wheezing, ragged breathing reached his ears in addition to the crackling fire. ''Large huntsmen, as long as I keep calm, I''ll come out on top.'' Surgit approached, the large huntsman caught sight of him then ran towards him. With the corner of his eye, Surgit saw another untransformed huntsman in the distance. He didn''t pay attention to it as it didn''t have any rifle on it. What annoyed him the most were snipers hindering his movements while he was engaging a hulking beast. Surgit dashed to meet the fully transformed huntsman halfway. They were easy to stagger and perform a visceral attack on. However, he wasn''t willing to rely too much on that ability. The memory of his unplanned transformation still haunted him. ''I''d keep visceral attacks as a last measure. I have this weapon now though. This one will be my guinea pig.'' The large huntsman carried a torch on one hand and a crosscut saw on the other. He immediately launched a flurry of attacks as soon as he reached Surgit. The latter didn''t panic but jumped back, leading his opponent far away from his supporter. Once the large huntsman realized what was going on, it stopped and retreated a few steps. Surgit didn''t allow the beast to go back but attacked with his sword. The huntsman deflected the sword with his saw then tried to set Surgit on fire, using the torch in its hands. The hunter saw the attack coming and jumped aside. With a swift movement, his sword attached to his back. A large rock descended on the huntsman, smashing it into bloody, fleshy pulp. The untransformed huntsman, upon witnessing what happened to his partner fled the scene. Surgit let out a "humph" then chased after the retreating foe. He closed the distance in no time and beheaded the poor creature. "I love this weapon!" shouted Surgit. "Alfred really know how to choose his weapons." In the dream, using the sword hunter badge and the radiant sword hunter badge, Surgit managed to expand the items he could buy from the messengers. He could now buy more weapons and one of them was the Kirkhammer he had. He had the choice of buying a great sword but he didn''t have enough echoes to do so. He liked swords, and his newfound strength would allow him to use the great sword. He was now more excited to reach Byrgenwerth. ''With more blood echoes, I can increase my strength and use more powerful weapons. I need to find enough materials to reach the bottom level of that dungeon.'' He thought of this as he followed the road the retreating huntsman took before he killed him. ''If he retreated that way, it means he hoped to get some aid. I have to exterminate all threats and collect their echoes; the bigger the beast, the higher the reward.'' Surgit reached the end of the road in no time. Heavy breathing announced his next enemy. The fat executioner walked slowly, patrolling an area illuminated by a large bonfire. Surgit hid behind the trees and approached the executioner slowly. Without visceral attacks, it would be difficult to kill that hulk head on. He took advantage of the blinding light emanating from the bonfire. The executioner didn''t see Surgit approaching from behind the trees. As soon as he was within attack range, Surgit slammed down his hammer as hard as possible. The hammer broke the executioner''s spine as it descended on its back. Surgit wasn''t done however as he lifted his hammer and swung it horizontally. Gaining an extra rank in strength displayed its full benefit while wielding the Kirkhammer. With one swing, Surgit managed to send the big executioner flying, slamming him against a cave in the distance. "Holy mother of all things!" with a gaping mouth, Surgit looked at the crushed executioner flying until it slammed against the wall. "Ludwig''s workshop came up with some really powerful weapons. No wonder Alfred slammed the Blood Starved Beast and ended it easily." With a smile, Surgit went to the cave and collected blood from the executioner. It had become second nature to him to collect blood from fallen enemies. There were some whose blood was too corrupted. Surgit only experimented until he identified from whom he can collect. The executioners, trolls and huntsmen all had blood he could use. In the cave next to the executioner, Surgit found two corpses from which he extracted three green echo clusters. That was something Alfred taught him. By using his insight on fallen corpses, Surgit could see the remnants of blood echoes. He would then be able to extract some of their echoes. It was only thanks to his current insight rank that he could do it. If he did so before, he wouldn''t be able to see it. The echoes formed on coagulated blood. His insight could guide him through the corpse''s veins, leading him towards coagulated blood. The stronger the stench, the better the reward he could reap. ''What a bloody mess this city is. Everything is related to blood. Even my way out is related to blood. Paleblood, I wonder what that is.'' Surgit thought of this as he retraced his steps and rejoined the winding path towards the first windmill. There were no other enemies on the way. He reached the place pretty quickly. The building was also crumbling. The windmill wasn''t in working condition anymore. The metallic barred door leading inside was closed. Surgit tried to force it open but a voice from behind the door stopped him on his tracks. "That door won''t open until you reach it from the other side." A man wearing blue appeared from the shadows. ''Is that bucket supposed to be a helmet?'' Surgit thought to himself. Anybody who could speak in Yharnam pushed Surgit to be on guard. After he spent enough time with the people in Oedon Chapel, Surgit developed a certain sense. There were normal people, whose scent gave of the stench of sickness. And there were hunters, whose scent gave of a familiar feeling. Surgit had that feeling from Alfred. He even smelled something similar on the woman pretending to be Iosefka. ''The more one spends in Yharnam, the more they get accustomed to the stench of death. I understand now how people could tell me apart from my scent.'' "Why don''t you open it for me then? I can see you''re more than capable of doing so," Surgit said. The man chuckled. "You''re a hunter, aren''t you? With your strength, I don''t doubt that you''d find your way around here. Find the way, then I''ll be willing to gift you something of great value." This was within Surgit''s expectation. Nothing in Yharnam came for free. He wondered what that man hid or what pushed him to stay secluded within the tower. Without uttering another word, Surgit left the man and headed deeper inside the forest. ''I would welcome unseen aid from others. But if they''re unwilling, then that only means they''ve got something to hide. What a peculiar helmet! That man is without a doubt a hunter. His scent hides something different though. I can''t wait to make my way to him and figure out his secret.'' 156 Step Lightly From the mill there was a bridge that led across the valley. The forest extended down through the valley. At the end of the valley lay the great lake next to which the academy of Byrgenwerth was built. Surgit has been through a lot in order to reach this checkpoint. From the frail dying man to the inexperienced hunter, he honed his skills on his own. He was trained on the field. The advantage of getting experience on the field is that it helps the person increase their observational skills. Surgit was careful as he crossed the bridge. His experience in Yharnam made him wary of silence. ''When things are too calm, it means that there''s an ambush waiting.'' Surgit crossed the bridge and saw two huntsmen waiting on the other side. "Damnit sniper!" Surgit jumped to the side as soon as the bullet left its muzzle. The bullet grazed his left arm as Surgit rebounded and dashed forward. He ran past the first huntsman, targeting the sniper. When the second shot fired, Surgit was below the rifle. With an uppercut from his sword, the huntsman was cut in half. Surgit ran forward, ignoring his pursuer. With the corner of his eye, he had spotted a device on the ground when he evaded the first bullet. The device was crudely hidden with a bunch of wooden planks. Surgit stood on top of the wooden planks, activating the device. "Holy shit, they''re really prepared to kill.'' Surgit jumped, avoiding a big trunk that swung his way. There were sharp metallic spikes on the tree trunk. Two chains were attached to each end of the trunk and were released as soon as Surgit activated the device. As soon as he landed, Surgit jumped again to avoid the second swing. ''This is hardcore gymnastics.'' Surgit jumped one more time as the sound of chains breaking was heard. The whole contraption broke. It caught the huntsman chasing after him and brought him down with it in the valley below. ''Take that bitch! Trying to ambush me?!'' After that, Surgit made sure to avoid falling into enemy ambushes. One time, he took the high road and observed his enemies from above. A wandering large huntsman led him to that road. After he silently disposed of him, he followed the road and descended on the unsuspecting mob. Surgit realized that some huntsmen used oil urns in order to use torches against him. He escaped being burned alive by a hair''s width. The forbidden forest hid nasty secrets and encounters for Surgit. Every time he came out on top of a scary situation, another would befall him. He finally made a wrong turn and was ambushed by carrion crows. The small, slow crows managed to stab Surgit with their sharp beaks. They used Surgit''s weapon against him, darkness. He didn''t notice them as he was inspecting a corpse for coagulated blood. He barely managed to escape the ambush and regain his composure when a large huntsman chased after him. Surgit retreated, trying to lead the fast enemy away from the crows. It was at that moment that he stepped on an unstable surface. ''Shit! F&@k!'' The wooden platform on which he stepped crumbled under his weight. Surgit fell down and barely blocked the plunge attack from the huntsman. He was fast enough to take his Kirkhammer out and reduced the damage from the plunging attack. Despite all of that, the fall, coupled with the plunge attack from the beast, damaged him. His mouth was filled with blood as he retreated trying to avoid the flurry of attacks coming from the large huntsman. ''Shit, I completely lost my momentum.'' The large huntsman raised both its arms and brought it down on Surgit. He held the hammer with both his hands and pushed. The impact of the two weapons colliding was heard all around. Thanks to his enhanced strength, Surgit managed to push the beast back. The staggered beast was open for attacks. Surgit let go of the heavy hammer and jumped at the beast. He kicked the crosscut saw away from its hands then threw a punch with all his strength. The punch landed on the beast''s face and threw back some more steps. Surgit picked up the crosscut saw from the floor and brought it down on the large huntsman. Shrilling screams filled the forbidden forest as the saw went through the beast''s left shoulder and buried its way towards its right hip. The crosscut saw stopped right when it penetrated the large huntsman''s right rib. Blood poured out and gore filled the ground. Surgit stood next to the beast, listening to it gurgling as it struggled to survive. "We''re both trapped in a place where the strong feed on the weak. You lost because you couldn''t use your brain. That''s the only advantage I hold against you." Surgit walked through the place he had just fallen in. It looked like an abandoned village where only mad people lived. ''Wooden planks again. Those guards didn''t even react to the commotion I just caused.'' Surgit''s eyes narrowed. ''Those beasts are dumb anyway.'' Surgit moved and started shouting at the beasts that didn''t seem to know he existed. With a "humph" Surgit took out some throwing knives from his belt. He had found those while he explored the streets of Central Yharnam. He threw two of them at a large huntsman that stood with its back to him. Surgit wasn''t willing to cross through the wooden planks in front of him. He was a hundred present sure that it was a trap. The large huntsman took one knife to the back while the other missed. ''Damnit! I need more practice.'' The large huntsman was still enraged by the knife that was buried inside its back. It ran towards Surgit then fell down. The wooden planks quickly gave way to the large huntsman''s weight. Witnessing this, the other huntsmen patrolling the area got enraged and charged at Surgit. Five minutes later, Surgit managed to slaughter two men-beasts with pitchforks, dodged his way out of bullets and beheaded a sniper then plunged down on the injured large huntsman and mashed it to a pulp using the Kirkhammer. His reaction was swift, effective and bloody. Surgit climbed his way away from the large hole and observed his surroundings. ''This is definitely a village. I wonder why anyone would want to live in a place that could barely have some sunlight. There were other houses in the distance. If Surgit wanted to reach them, he''d need to go through a river. Surgit got close to the river then stopped. He sniffed the air. Something smelled strange in the water. A faint sound made Surgit jump backwards. That faint sound saved him from a horrible death. A Molotov cocktail was thrown his way and landed on the river. Soon the area where the bottle cracked, fire surged high and illuminated the dark area. ''Whoa! Those bastards have too many tricks up their sleeve.'' Surgit jumped back to evade the Molotov cocktails that followed. He got out of the place and exited the village. ''I need to find another way up. If I keep going that way, I will fry!'' In the exit of the village, Surgit noticed a road that led to the upper part of the village. ''How convenient to put a trap right before the important road!'' Surgit avoided the contraption this time and went around it. ''People really don''t welcome strangers here. They''re doing their best to exterminate any threat.'' Surgit''s heart started racing. ''The stronger they fight to hide repel me, the more important the secret they hide. I can''t wait to reach Byrgenwerth.'' Surgit smiled as he shouted: "You can''t stop me! I will find my way out of this Godforsaken place!'' Surgit sped up towards a big gate. ''That must be the real entrance to the village, not where I was.'' He abruptly stopped when he heard some coughing from a wooden house on the way. Surgit approached the window and peeked inside. It was dark, too dark. His enhanced vision only allowed to him to see a pale face. The man looked sickly. "Oh, a hunter of beasts, are you? Glory be. You know not the value you possess. But, more''s the pity... The hours of the night are many, and the beasts more than I can count. A veritable hunt unending! Not even death offers solace, and the blood imbibes you." The voice that reached Surgit''s ears was cold. "There''s no glory in being a hunter. We live in a place where the strong pray on the weak. We''re showered in blood and on the run most of the time." Surgit spoke, detailing his current state of mind. "Ha, a most frightful fate, oh my. But I''m willing to do you a kindness. step lightly round to the right of the great cathedral, and seek an ancient, shrouded church. The gift of the godhead will grant you strength... Yes, I''m unquestionably certain, heheh..." A round object rolled down from underneath the house and reached Surgit''s feet. He knelt down and picked it up. "A tonsil stone," Surgit muttered as his insight activated. "A latticed, deformed rock, or perhaps a meteorite. Appears useless, but possesses some old gravitational force that prevents its riddance." Surgit tried to get rid of the stone but couldn''t. He threw it away, but the stone miraculously stuck to his hand. "What the hell have you given me?" Surgit shouted as he turned toward the man in the wooden house. Silence came and Surgit grew impatient. He shouted at the man again then peeked from the window. No matter how hard Surgit tried to see inside, he couldn''t catch a glimpse of that dubious man.''Damnit! I''ve been hadˇ­'' 157 Guinea pig The forbidden forest at night had an eerie atmosphere. Growls of beasts in the distance, coupled with faint footsteps, were the only sounds that could be heard. A huntsman patrolled the area around the village near the entrance of the forest. His job was to make sure that no intruder entered the place. Traps were carefully implemented on the way to the dilapidated hamlet. The huntsman no longer cared about going around the road that led to the village. He only stood by the big gate. It had been such a long time that intruders came seeking Byrgenwerth. The huntsman even forgot why he stood by the gate. His mind was focused on one command: pull the lever as soon as a foreigner shows up. That would close the gate and alert the dogs. The dogs on the other hand just lay on their cages. They also seemed to forget the reason why they were put at the entrance. They were surrounded by the stench of blood and decaying corpses. No new smell could arouse their attention anymore. One whimpered, then another. Soon most of the dogs were slaughtered before they could even stand up. The huntsman, noticing that something was amiss, peeked around the gate, nothing. He got back to his only duty then stood next to the lever. ''Smash!'' the huntsman''s skull was bashed and reduced to a pulp. ''I love this hammer. As long as I keep my distance, I can easily dispose of any threat.'' Surgit silently walked through the village, slaughtering his way through. Dead huntsmen, dogs, and even an unsuspecting kidnapper, were scattered all around. Surgit managed to kill them all silently before reaching an area that led to the roofs. ''This is where that bastard shot Molotov cocktails at me. When he stepped on top of the first house, Surgit saw five huntsmen. Some were wielding pitchforks while others had curved swords on their transformed hands. Surgit put the hammer on his back, unsheathing his sword in the process. The design of the weapon was ingenious. It''s a sharp sword that could be sheathed into the pommel of a large hammer. The huntsman that targeted Surgit earlier with Molotov cocktails was on the furthermost roof from where he stood. ''Those men-beasts have surprising accuracy. I gotta move fast.'' By the time the farthest hunter heard the screams of his dying brethren, Surgit was already moving his way. Surgit''s executions have become fast and effective. The huntsman threw the first Molotov that Surgit nimbly evaded. By the time the huntsman reached for the second bottle, Surgit was already within attack range. "What do you think you''re doing?" asked Surgit as he held the beast''s throwing arm. One punch to the face was enough to destabilize the huntsman. Surgit kicked the staggered beast, throwing him on the shallow river below. "Let''s see how your trap works." Surgit threw ignited the cloth on the bottle then threw it down on the huntsman. As soon as the bottle broke, flames engulfed a radius of three meters. The huntsman died screaming. Surgit''s eyes widened. "The forest of traps. They could''ve added some snipers around to hinder my movement. That would''ve been more effective." Surgit sighed. ''These beasts were definitely humans who succumbed to some kind of disease or curse. Given the healing properties of the blood in Yharnam, I would assume that it was some kind of mutated disease. ''These beasts at least have an excuse for being an easy target for me. They gained strength but lost their sanity. What''s my excuse for taking an item from a stranger?'' Surgit sighed again. No matter how hard one fights against their curiosity, they''d still make a stupid mistake at some point. He looked at the tonsil stone he received from that dubious character. ''Step lightly round the right of the cathedral ward. It sounds like the place where I got the lead elixir. I mustn''t go there!'' After dealing with the patrols on the roof, Surgit took his time to analyze the situation he just got himself into. He did his best to remember all the mistakes he''s done and learn from them. Curiosity was the only thing that led him to perilous situations. He dropped his guard since he met so many people in the city. He didn''t expect someone to fool him in the forest. ''How stupid could I be? This forest is teeming with beasts trying to get my hide. How could a sane person live around here?'' Anger built up inside but Surgit quickly suppressed it. ''My anger will lead to me wanting revenge. If I look for whomever gave me this stone, I might find myself in a situation I''ll regret again.'' He sighed once more and decided to forget the matter. Moving through the roofs proved to be an effective way to go around the oily river. Surgit found other huntsmen on the way who tried to fire Molotovs at him. They were quickly disposed of. During that small trip through the roofs, Surgit had made quite an impressive haul. He could hold five bottles at a time. But whenever he got more, he''d summon the little messengers and give them the Molotovs. That was something new he''d learned about the little ones. They could carry his weapon and any excess items he collected. Weapons found in the waking world, as the doll put it, would need to be unlocked later on using echoes. However when it came to items, he could keep what he finds. Surgit soon reached the end of the shallow stream. He was welcomed by a large huntsman that was swiftly disposed of. "Click!" Surgit dashed forward to avoid a gunshot. ''Damn you Surgit! Why did you have to think of snipers? You just jinxed it now.'' Among all the enemies in Yharnam, Surgit hated snipers the most. The sniper was on top of a small wooden house, away from the residences that were stuck together in the village. On the way to the roof, Surgit disposed of two lowly huntsmen then jumped behind the sniper. He didn''t just cut the beast down. He snatched the rifle from its hands and emptied it on its brains. From that roof, Surgit noticed that he was very close to the second windmill. ''Only one avenue left.'' There was a large avenue that split a row of houses in two. There were wooden road blocks scattered on the road. ''There must be more snipers around, hidden in the distance. Surgit could only see the large building in front of him. It was already late at night. Darkness enveloped the place, making it hard for him to make out how many enemies patrolled the area between him and the windmill. ''Fuck it, I''ll just take it slow and use darkness to hide and execute.'' He jumped down and moved towards the large avenue. Silence put Surgit on edge. He knew that the village was well guarded, that traps were waiting for him at every turn. He took his time observing the wilting houses on each end of the street. ''Gotcha!'' He ran inside one house and disposed of two sleeping huntsmen. 158 Join The League The windmill tower was pitch-black on the inside. Faint moonlight penetrated the cracks of the crumbling outer walls. Silence almost filled the place. Surgit walked in the darkness, the sound of his footsteps was his only companion. This was the first tower he entered. Despite his enhanced vision, Surgit could only see five feet in front of him. With every step he took, Surgit would hear his boots hitting the hard wooden floor, thud, thud, thud, thud. The rhythm of his march was in synch with his breathing. He would stop every four steps, check his surroundings and prick his ears. The Forbidden Forest teemed with traps and danger hid in every corner. He couldn''t leave anything to chance. Surgit slowly approached the edge of the wooden platform on which he walked. From where he stood, he could roughly estimate that there were other floors below him. ''This tower is taller than I expected.'' After he disposed of the cannon operator, Surgit bombarded the other houses he hadn''t inspected. He entered the windmill after that. From the entrance, the tower looked to be 2 storeys tall. However upon entering the place, Surgit realized that the building went deeper. ''I must''ve come through a secondary entrance,'' he thought to himself as he felt a cold breeze caress his face. Outside, wind swept by the building and found its way through via small holes on the outer wall. The tower stood unkempt for so long that its walls started crumbling. The inside was worse though. Wooden planks that used to constitute sturdy floors have become unstable. Surgit understood that and treaded carefully. As he advanced, he could see a faint light coming illuminating a specific spot in the tower. ''It must be a window.'' Surgit pricked his ears as he advanced even slower. In the darkness that enveloped the building, he could only rely on his other senses. The wind that came through the window and the little holes carried with them the stench of death. When he got closer to the opening in the building Surgit heard the wind howling, almost slapping him. The change of scenery disrupted his concentration. Silence was instantly gone, replaced by the howling wind. Surgit stood next to the large open window and snuck a peak outside. ''If I drop down there, I will have to find my way inside again. I don''t even know where this would lead me, better be safe and explore this place first.'' The loud wind, relentlessly smashing against the building, hid the sound of an axe being dragged down on the wooden floor. Surgit only noticed a small change but couldn''t quite figure out what it was. ''I''d better get away from here, I can''t use my ears properly.'' He walked deeper down, carefully descended the creaking stairs then noticed a faint moving light ahead. A person, or monster in humanoid form, held a torch in one hand while it dragged a crude axe on the other. The axe, trailing on the wooden floor, made a threatening sound. Surgit slowly approached, he meant to surprise his foe. The torch the man held illuminated the place. Surgit could make out the outlines of the building better. ''As I suspected, I came through a secondary entrance.'' From what he could deduct, he arrived at the ground floor. The torch carrying man-beast stopped and stood next to a corner. ''What are you playing at?'' thought the paranoid Surgit. His foe stood with his back to him. It unnerved Surgit. No one would stand still in a corner with their backs fully open for attacks. Seeing that the man-beast didn''t move at all, Surgit decided to leave him be and explore the place first. ''If it looks like it''s too easy to be true, then it is.'' Surgit made sure to make silent steps even though the wooden floor didn''t help much. The man-beast remained motionless despite the obvious loud footsteps behind him. After inspecting every corner of the ground floor, Surgit decided to approach the motionless torch carrying beast in man''s clothing. He sheathed his sword, merging it with the hammer''s pommel. He cautiously walked behind the beast then smashed down his weapon. ''Bam!'' the sound of the hammer crashing down on the beast''s vertebrae broke the silence that reigned over the empty tower. A shrill scream filled Surgit''s eyes. Wincing, he retreated a few steps, trying hard to repress the urge to cover his ears. Something was happening to the man-beast in front of him. Surgit fought the pain and raised his axe again, bringing it one more time down on the beast''s skull. The sound of breaking bones reached Surgit''s ears as the screaming subsided. Blood filled the ground. The torch rolled down on the ground as it was released by the beast''s limp hand. Surgit picked it up, ''I should''ve kept the torch instead of leaving it with the messengers.'' The little ones could easily take items from Surgit in order to store them in the dream. When it came to taking transferring items from the dream to the waking world, Surgit found them uncooperative. ''Perhaps not all of them are willing to trap me,'' he though as he observed the corpse at his feet. ''Or they might be trying to get me to drop my guard down.'' Surgit started believing that the world conspired against him, trying to stop him from reaching the academy. ''The more they struggle, the biggest the secret they hide.'' Surgit was certain he''d find some great secret hidden in the academy. The road may be long, but he didn''t care for it. He faced hardship before in Old Yharnam. Surgit learned to conserve his strength. He would engage hordes of enemies only if he''s forced to. He didn''t want to waste his energy and blood vials anymore. Besides, the towers seemed to be close to each other. Perhaps he''d find a way to reach the first one. He noticed a lantern inside the first tower. Apart from the man behind the barred door, the lantern was his second motivation to reach the tower. It would provide a great checkpoint for him in case he met some unknown danger. Surgit left the tower through the big gate at the ground floor. A bridge linked the tower to the other side of the valley. The Forbidden Woods, like Old Yharnam, were located in a large valley. Old Yharnam was located on the opposite side of the Forbidden Woods and the modern city of Yharnam was located on top of them both. As he crossed the bridge, Surgit was thinking of the dark room he found next to the man-beast he killed. If it weren''t for the torch, he wouldn''t be able to find it. It was well hidden. There was nothing noteworthy in there apart from a conspicuous lever. Surgit tried to activate it, but it seemed to be blocked by some strange mechanism. ''I hope I''ll be able to find a way to activate that thing. If it''s tightly locked, it must hide something interesting.'' Surgit didn''t notice the change in his personality. He had become greedy for treasures and trinkets. Everything in Yharnam was shrouded in a dark fog. Only by searching carefully can a person link the puzzle pieces together and find valuable information. The sound of hissing snakes brought Surgit back to the waking world. In front of him, a strange scene unfolded. A man, similar to the one he had just executed, approached him. The startling difference was that the man lacked an important feature: a head. Its head was replaced by a multitude of entangled snakes. ''First, I had to deal with mobs and traps. I prefer weird abnormalities to traps. At least I have a clear objective, attack, maim and kill.'' He locked the hammer on his back and unsheathed his sword. The snakes wavered on top of the man''s body like swaying tree branches. The snakes hissed in unison, announcing an intruder to the body they possessed. The man puppet dashed towards Surgit at a frightening speed. Surgit couldn''t help but retreat. He didn''t know how this thing attacked. ''If I let that thing scream some more, it could have transformed into this.'' Surgit wasn''t sure if he had made the right move when he crushed the thing''s skull. He could at least understand the weakened beast''s attacking pattern before facing this one. He shot the spot where the snakes were entangled. This only helped enrage the beast some more. The snakes'' puppet moved even faster and closed in on Surgit who quickly transformed his weapon and swung his horizontally. This display of power was only possible after Surgit gained a new rank in strength. The hunter''s Kirkhammer hit the puppet''s torso, breaking bones and projecting the body away from Surgit. ''Amazing!'' Surgit was stunned at the power of the Kirkhammer. He previously used the hammer by swinging down on his enemies. He never thought of using the horizontal swing unless his enemy was on the ground. This last attack hit the strange creature and propelled it over the bridge, down towards the bottom of the valley. ''The only downside is that I remain open for retaliation. I can''t use this swing unless I''m sure the attack will connect.'' Surgit crossed the bridge and soon found himself on a descending road. On his right was a large building. Surgit followed the building with his eyes until he reached the top. Blades, as large as the Blood Starved beast, swayed back and forth due to the wind. ''Even this strong wind can''t make the windmill work properly. It must be broken.'' Surgit entered the building through the main entrance. His experience with the previous tower confirmed that the barred door was a secondary entrance. The one he walked through was the main one. He soon reached a platform that could be used as an elevator. After activating the contraption, the platform move upwards. "Ahh, the new face, are you? What an accomplished hunter... it would appear," Bucket head chuckled."I am Valtr, Master of the League. Members of the League cleanse the streets of all the filth that''s spread about during the hunt. Like any half-decent hunter ought to, you know? Haven''t you seen enough of these wretched beasts, freakish slugs, and mad doctors? Sentence these fiends to death." Valtr''s tone was dead serious. "With the help of your League confederates. What do you say? Why not join the League?" 159 Addled with Blood Francis was absorbed in devouring the books he found in the castle. After he disposed of a few servants and ghosts, he sat down next to a large oak table. Books piled up next to him as he absorbed its content. From time to time, he''d take a break and walk around the vast library. He felt at home, surrounded by the smell of paper. The servants in the castle were easy to deal with. If Francis had encountered them before receiving blood ministration, his body would be filled with new holes. Being a hunter increased one''s reflexes and perception. The attacks of their rapiers were easy to dodge. Francis was even faster than their counters. He had watched fencing competition back in his native city. As a young aspiring entrepreneur, he hosted some competitions himself. That was the best way to meet people of high society. It was a sport nobles loved watching. They''d hire their own sword hands and have them compete in their names. In peaceful times large kingdoms, such as the one Francis lived in, would organize sword fighting tournaments to keep their warriors sharp and ready for battle. Nobles fancied fencing the most. It was an elegant sport, based on one''s dexterity. Francis loved the skill required to perform counter attacks. An experienced fencer would always attack relentlessly, pushing his opponent to reveal an opening. One wrong move, a well-timed riposte, and the fight would be over. Francis observed the same posture when the servants approached him. His Chikage was faster and deadlier though. He easily slashed the servant''s throats and advanced. His biggest worries were the gargoyles and the mosquitos. Fortunately, he hadn''t encountered any inside the castle. On his way towards the library, he encountered some gargoyles on the bridges that connected one pavilion to another. He managed to spot them easily thanks to the first ambush he suffered. The enemies he encountered later on were either women ghosts or castle servants. They were no match for the katana Francis learned to wield so effectively. He had become pretty skillful at using the Chikage. On the back of his mind, he''d always compare his fighting ability to his previous impostor master. He still felt that he had ways to go before considering himself a match for that old monster. Francis suspected that Gavril couldn''t enter the castle. His suspicion was confirmed after he observed the state of the carriage that led him to Cainhurst. ''Only the chosen could be summoned to Cainhurst. A summon letter is required, like the one I had. If that monster used the letter with my name on it, the carriage wouldn''t show up.'' Francis didn''t understand how the selection process worked however. ''I was chosen to roam this castle for a reason unknown to me.'' Francis hated being in the dark. He decided to explore and read about Cainhurst thoroughly before looking for the queen. He had a gut feeling, the kind to make one shiver for no reason. The old man always trusted his instinct. "In business there is no right or wrong, just profit," he stated matter-of-factly. "The nobles of Cainhurst ruled over Yharnam for centuries. They didn''t reach this position by offering charity." Francis had stood up to take a break from his extensive reading. The language in the books of Cainhurst was foreign to him. He had been using his third eye to translate the language into something he could comprehend. Excessive active use of insight induced terrible headaches. Insight was a hunter''s most loyal companion. It would translate texts, give extra information on items they pick up now and then, and allegedly reveal secrets that would remain unseen otherwise. "The texts don''t reveal anything of what happened to cause the fall of the castle though. I must keep searching for the castellan''s study or quarters. There has to be some information on the incoming attack that decimated them all." Francis paced back and forth in the large library. This helped him organize his thoughts better. "All I learned was a bit about the history of Cainhurst. They''re apparently related to the Pthumerians who inhabited the place before them. It could either be a rumor to strengthen the family''s hold on the place, or a true fact. It is unfortunate that no one is around to converse with. "The castle has tolerated the existence of the Healing Church for political reasons. They kept a close eye on the leaders of the church nonetheless. From the scriptures, I can safely assume that the fallout had something to do with the church. After all, Cainhurst acquired some type of blood deemed forbidden by the Healing Church. The beloved royal family became the church''s main enemy after that. "Neither could launch an all-out attack on the other. They both had immense strength and countless capable hunters and knights at their disposal. What happened in the castle was a surprise attack. The aggressors had carefully planned their invasion." Francis frowned. He couldn''t understand why nobody stayed behind from the assailants that stormed the castle. The place was a well preserved fort. With enough planning, the castle could become impenetrable. The ones who have planned the attack must know that best. Thus using the castle as a new base seemed the most logical action in Francis'' mind. "The castle started organizing pompous feasts after they received the forbidden blood by a Byrgenwerth scholar. The scriptures I read are clear on that point. However, the nature of the feasts is unknown to me or at least purposefully hidden away. Cainhurst, what dark secrets are you hiding?" Francis''s headache didn''t subside. He couldn''t read or fight anymore. "I think it''s high time I went back to the dream. I have enough echoes to use. A rest would be of great help as well." He left the books where he left them then moved towards a closed barred gate. He had discovered this shortcut after a strenuous fight. The female ghosts in the library had some new abilities. Some of them were decapitated. They''d hold their detached heads high above their shoulders. The head would then open its eyes and let out a deafening scream. The first time Francis had seen this, his blood went cold. The scream enraged the other ghosts. They all turned towards him and attacked in unison. The scream also had an additional effect. An ethereal ring appeared around Francis and bound him in place. He couldn''t move his arms or jump backwards. It felt like invisible giant hands caught and glued him. Fortunately, the effect of the spell was only a few seconds long. One second later and he would have lost his life to all the ghosts rushing at him. One hit from his Chikage was enough to dispose of the decapitated ghost. To Francis'' dismay, there were others like her. His hunt almost turned into a nightmare. He had to evade the ghost mob while chasing after the spell casters. If that was the only hindrance, Francis would still find it easy to come out on top. There was a well hidden servant shooting darts at him from a safe distance. Every time the dart connected, his movement would slow down and the ghost''s attacks would become deadlier. Fifteen blood vials later, Francis bashed the servant''s skull using his sword pommel. The dart was the most frustrating attack he''d ever experienced, no pain but a lot of loss. Francis reached the barred door and activated the contraption. The intricate machinery of Cainhurst showed the might of the ruling family. They had enough wealth to invest on the latest technologies. ''When wealth is abundant, one would spend it on things to show the extent of their might.'' The elevator quickly reached the library. Francis reached the main gate of the castle in no time. The elevator led to the tower next to the entrance. He used the lantern then faded from existence. "Welcome home good hunter. What is it you desire?" the melodious voice of the doll welcomed Francis. "I''d like you to channel my echoes into strength," the old man replied. "Very well, shut your eyes. Let the echoes become your strength." Francis knew what to expect. He closed his eyes and told the doll what attributes to upgrade. The doll touched Francis'' hand and a cold sensation swept through his body. Every time he increased his attributes, Francis would feel invigorated. It felt like a new life had been pumped into him. After a short while, the doll stood up. Francis opened his eyes and looked at the porcelain face in front of him. The doll''s face looked familiar. It reminded him of something, but he couldn''t put his finger on it. ''Let''s see how strong I''ve become.'' Francis closed his eyes again then used his third eye to check his status. To his delight, he had finally broken through a new rank in Bloodtinge. Name: Francis Insight level: Eye Can See Strength: Waste of Skin (3) Skill: Skillful (4) Bloodtinge: Addled With Blood (1) Arcane: Blind (1) ''I can confidently slaughter my way through Cainhurst now!'' he thought with confidence. No matter what I encounter there, I''ll clear the castle and make it my own base of operations. Francis had forgotten about the queen and the vision he had after the blood ministration. His excitement made him forget that queen still lived, hidden somewhere within the castle. 160 Negotiation Back in the Forbidden Woods Surgit exchanged some words with Valtr, the Confederates'' self-proclaimed leader. The man wearing a bucket over his head was peculiar to say the least. He spoke about vermin that lived inside people''s blood. He said that the Confederates'' job was to hunt infected people down and kill them, extracting the vermin from them in the process. Surgit was used to being a lone wolf, hunting beasts on his own. Joining the league wasn''t his priority. After hearing stories from the strange man, Surgit''s interest in the vermin that lived inside the blood increased. What the man told him had rung some bells. Surgit observed the beasts that roamed the streets of Yharnam. He''d made his own theories about the origin of the monsters. He didn''t expect to hear a story that completed his own thoughts to a certain degree. He initially thought that people transformed into beasts due to excess use of blood. The prayer Vicar Amelia repeated, coupled with her hideous transformation helped him ascertain his point of view. ''Communion: that is a term used in certain religions. It implies partaking one meal to strengthen the bond between the members of said religion. In Yharnam, their gods are the Old Ones. They partake in Old Blood.'' Surgit was absorbed in thought as he walked towards the dream lantern. He had unlocked an important checkpoint in the Forbidden Woods. He now had access to a dream lantern and a way to get deeper into the forest. He needed to visit the dream in order to purchase some upgrades for his Kirkhammer. He even hesitated whether or not to acquire Ludwig''s Holy Sword. The hammer was bloody and effective. He wondered how the Great Sword would fare against the snakes in the forest. He also needed to write down everything he thought of on his notebook. He didn''t want to lose his chain of thought while he battled the beasts of the Forbidden Forest. Surgit activated the lantern. Soon after, he felt his head getting lighter and a sensation akin to sleepiness overtook him. When he opened his eyes, his body was already transported within the dream. The doll didn''t welcome him this time. She was busy upgrading Francis'' attributes. Surgit wondered how strong Francis was since he received blood ministration. The only time they fought together was when he was summoned by Karla. "Welcome home good hunter," Francis'' deep, raspy voice welcomed Surgit. He gave him a mocking smile before continuing: "What is it you desire?" This time his speech was a clear imitation of the doll''s, he even emphasized the "t" sound and rolled his tongue as he pronounced the "r". Francis was clearly in a good mood. "A way out of here my lady," answered Surgit pleased to see the old man doing well. Francis chuckled lightly. The two never spoke to each other about anything but Yharnam. After they boarded the ship, bound to the fabled city, their conversations stopped abruptly. Everyone was focused on the preparations. Surgit never realized that the two never spoke on the same footing. As fellow hunters, this was the first time Surgit realized that he considered Francis his equal. "Getting stronger I see," remarked Surgit. "I had some lucky encounters," the old man replied. "How have you been faring recently?" The change in Francis'' tone caused Surgit to raise an eyebrow. The old man had always been condescending towards him, whether he was a hunter or not. "The last time we spoke, you offered me information for a price. I hope the offer still stands." Surgit spoke. Seeing Francis in the dream had given him an idea. The old man had a certain help from Gavril who he regarded as his master. This time around Francis must be alone, dealing with Yharnam as Surgit did when he first received blood ministration. "What does fellow hunter want to learn about?" asked Francis. "I''m not asking, I''m offering." Surgit walked toward the workshop. "Let''s get comfortable inside and talk." The old man watched Surgit walk, the big hammer strapped to his back, and disappear inside the old wooden house. He followed suit then seated himself on the large sofa opposite the fireplace. Francis had many questions regarding Cainhurst. He wasn''t sure if Surgit knew anything of it though. Besides, he wasn''t willing to lightly share his new treasure trove and would be base of operations. "Yharnam has a special way of hiding secrets. Unless you look really hard, you wouldn''t be able to find a single clue. What are we looking for? Why are we here? Each one of us has a certain objective in mind. "This city gives you what you want the moment you step foot in it. However, was finding a cure to my sickness everything I ever aspired to in life? Was finding the Byrgenwerth scholars and reaching enlightenment your purpose? We seek answers. What is life? Why do we exist in this land? Are there gods? If yes how many? Were we created by them?" Surgit lied down on the sofa and spoke, to himself and to Francis. The old man remained silent. He clearly felt that Surgit was going somewhere with his speech. It felt like listening to a salesperson at the beginning of their sales pitch. "We get super powers then we''re asked to hunt beasts." Surgit turned to Francis and looked him in the eyes. "What are those beasts? Their mystery has filled my thoughts ever since I arrived here. Today I reached my own conclusion on the matter." "Care to enlighten an old scholar?" asked Francis. Surgitcrossed his legs and rested them on his large stone hammer. "What have you got to offer in return?" he asked nonchalantly. "I know how this type of negotiation goes, state your price." The old man went straight to the point. He had other matters to attend to in Cainhurst. "I want to know where you are and what you''re doing there." Surgit noticed that Francis had become even more secretive ever since he became a hunter. His only motive was to destroy the old man''s ego, make him feel insignificant. "I''ve been to most places in and around Yharnam old man, don''t try to weasel your way out of this question. If you lie, I''d know. If you tell me the truth, I might even be able to help." That last statement hit Francis where it hurt. The old man was proud. He enjoyed knowing more than others. He loved having more than everyone else. That had always put him ahead of the competition. He was famous and respected because of that. Since he came to Yharnam, he made sure to keep the same position. Upon meeting Surgit for the first time in the dream, he made sure to point out his weaknesses. He needed to nourish his ego, the easiest way to do so was to find weaker people to prey on. Surgit had greatly changed since that day though. He appeared to have an understanding of Yharnam Francis hadn''t reached yet. "I was in the castle of Cainhurst," he said reluctantly. If it weren''t for the fact that he desperately needed some information on the place, he wouldn''t spill the beans. He''d simply walk away. But Francis felt manipulated by some unknown entity. Going in blindly would mean an untimely demise. Surgit''s mind went blank. He didn''t show his surprise though. He kept playing with his sword while his feet rested atop the large hammer. "Our paths have diverged greatly. I admire your devotion Francis." This was the first time Surgit called the old man by name. This took him aback. "While I struggled to reach my own peace with Karla''s death, you''ve found your way to the fabled castle. I hope you''ve found what you''re looking for in there." The old man looked at Surgit with a wry smile. "It''s all as you said. You find small clues and follow the trail. I eventually found my way inside the castle by following my own path." "I assume the letter that hunter left you was the summons to the castle?" the question boomed in Francis'' ears like thunder. "How do you know of the summons?" Even Francis didn''t know he needed a letter to reach the castle until Gavril left him one. The information Surgit held surprised Francis greatly. "I''ll offer you a deal," started Surgit. "I need some material that you might easily acquire in the castle. Take me with you there. In exchange, I''ll tell you everything I know of Cainhurst. We have access to the lanterns from the dream. It won''t be hard for you to ask the little ones to take me with you. I don''t want my phantom to go to Cainhurst. I wouldn''t be able to use my full strength." "I can find information on my own," Francis retorted. The deal was unfair. The castle teemed with beasts but also with coldblood. The items he had found earlier helped him level up quite quickly. On top of that, he had only started exploring the castle. "How about you show me the place you''re in right now and we call it even?" "I''m stuck at the Cathedral Ward," Surgit lied. "I need material to access the ancient tombs. It is the only place where I can find a way to reach the forgotten academy. If you take me to the castle with you, I''ll show you how to open a way to the ancient tombs from the dream. How about it?" Surgit knew that Francis hadn''t been to the chapel yet. He would''ve noticed the people that lived there otherwise. He was willing to share the knowledge of the Chalice Dungeons, but not the location of the Forbidden Woods. After all, he was still not done with exploring the place. "Very well, but you''ll have to tell me what you know of the castle now." Francis was used to compromise. The new deal aroused his interest but his suspicion as well. No one gave up on valuable information easily. Surgit must have some hidden motive. That didn''t matter though, he was sure to find out about it as long as he kept the hunter beside him. "I''ll tell you what I know when I see the castle. It''s not that I don''t trust you Francis. But I''m not sure if my idea will work anyways. If you can take me to the castle, I''ll tell you everything I know and even bring you with me to the tombs of the Old Gods. I''ve been there before. I know how to get there, but I need more materials to access the deeper levels." "Very well, we''ll consult the messengers then. But as soon as we reach the castle, you''ll tell me what you know and the way to access the tombs." The old man wouldn''t budge unless he felt satisfied with what he''d gain from the negotiation. "Fair enough." Surgit took the large slab of a hammer and easily threw it on his back. His strength surprised the old man. Remembering how strong he''d become himself, Francis secretly sneered. ''Just you wait, as soon as we reach the castle, you''ll witness my might.'' Surgit went to the memory altar then used the tool to activate a rune. Francis patiently waited until the latter finished then both of them went to the messenger by the fountain. ''With this rune and Cainhurst''s tainted blood, I will be able to confirm my theory. Byrgenwerth can wait a bit. I won''t reach the academy with incomplete theories.'' Surgit thought as the messenger accepted their request. The hunters'' dream slowly faded away, replaced by a large field covered with snow. 161 Lowly beings Within the darkness of the room, the sound of the bell''s tinkle was the only thing keeping Karla company. She didn''t know for how long she''d been trapped in there. A day, maybe a month, she couldn''t tell. She was sure that no more than a day had passed, but she felt like she''d been held there for eternity. Lady Maria didn''t speak a word to her since she bound her to that cold metallic chair. Her bare flesh stuck to the metal. Her sweaty feet slipped down the ground every time she tried to struggle. "Tinkle, tinkle" the bell would ring every now and then, putting Karla into a frenzied state. ''What the hell is this bell effect? I can''t even think straight after the ringing starts.'' Karla was trying to steady herself. She needed to clear her mind in order to get herself away from this dire situation. Lady Maria had asked Karla about her origins. She clearly didn''t buy her initial story. Karla wasn''t a born liar after all. She usually let her sword do the talking. Now that she was stuck in a city where scheming and spying was the common currency, she had to adapt. But how could Karla outsmart people who have lived their whole lives scheming against others? She was but a lowly beginner compared to them. Karla tried to tell the truth, but something inside of her didn''t let her speak. She couldn''t even believe her own story. She didn''t expect anybody else to believe it. Lady Maria was surprisingly impatient for someone who played the scheming game. During the time between the tinkles of the bell, Karla had time to think of a way out of this situation. Lady Maria had "left her alone with her thoughts" after she got bored with the interrogation. Karla was indeed left alone with her thoughts. Every time the bells rang, Karla''s mind would go in shambles. She started dreading the soft tinkles, fearfully expecting the next sound. "Tinkle! Tinkle!" The soft bell ringing sound reached Karla''s ears another time. She had lost count of how many times the bell had rung. ''You insolent beast, you dare defy the world order,'' voices whispered in Karla''s head. Multiple voices spoke at the same time inside her head. Some were screaming in agony, others laughed crazily. The ones Karla hated the most were the ones speaking to her. "Leave me alone!" she''d shout when the voices spoke. She''d had enough of their whispers. She felt like she was about to lose her mind. ''You didn''t leave us alone. You had no right to claim us as your own. Insolent lowly being! You dare imprison us here? We''ll break free. And when we do, we will toy with your weak body until it bores us. You are but a mere tool to us,'' the voices spoke. There was a mix of male, female, and childish voices all speaking in unison. Coupled with the wails and laughter in the background, Karla felt fear crawling through her entire being. Karla couldn''t move either. Her hands and feet were tightly bound by leather belts. She couldn''t move a muscle. She could only shout at the voices, trying to push them away from her mind. "What do you want from me?" She shouted. Her voice broke down, hoarse from all the shouting. "The truth," Maria''s melodious voice answered. She sat down in a dark corner, ringing the bell at intervals. "You can feel fear spreading through you. In time, you will lose your identity. You won''t know who speaks inside your head. Are the voices inside of you memories of the past? Or is it your consciousness fighting to tell you something you don''t want to face? You will start wondering who you really are. You''ll even forget your name and the reason behind your existence. "Your body will ache. Your bones will crack and pain will soar through you. That is the transformation process. You''ve witnessed it, didn''t you? That poor hunter in the woods, you put him down yourself." Karla''s heart started beating faster. That woman with the sweet voice terrified her. "Tell me what I want to know. Where did you come from? What do you know of Yharnam, of Cainhurst?" Lady Maria rang the bell one more time. Karla started screaming. Her feminine voice soon changed into the wails of an injured beast. Lady Maria''s melodious voice reached her ears despite her loud screams. "Tell me what I need to know, and I will end this suffering." Karla couldn''t take the pain anymore. There is something worse than corporeal punishment. Karla learned this the hard way. Everything inside of her begged her to tell the story, give up on her own stupid stubbornness. She struggled to keep her sanity. "We will get you for this. The lonely woman doesn''t know who she''s upset." A hoarse, loud voice came out of Karla''s mouth. Lady Maria, stupefied, smiled and got up from her dark corner. She slowly walked towards Karla. A slap brought Karla back to her senses. "It seems the transformation is almost complete. You''re a good hunter, brutal and relentless. Tell me what I need to know, I''ll grant you a swift end." Lady Maria''s rolled her tongue as she pronounced the "r", giving her sweet melodious voice a barbaric aspect. "The lowly woman doesn''t know her place," Karla''s face contorted as voices merged in her vocal chords. "Her blood doesn''t excuse her actions. She is not chosen. The blood in her is tainted, filled with impurities." Another slap and Karla bared her teeth. "We will make you suffer. Lowly humans and their frail ambitions, you shall never stand above us." A long, loud shrill exited Karla''s mouth, Lady Maria winced at hearing this foreign sound. A punch to the stomach emptied Karla''s air reserve. Another punch to the face sent her head wobbling backwards. Lady Maria''s strength was peerless. She had held down on Karla as she tortured her. "Lowly creatures, we will prevail." The leather belts, binding Karla, started expanding dangerously. She struggled to break her restraints. Lady Maria let out a long sigh then kicked Karla so hard it propelled her towards a brick wall behind her. The metallic chair made a humming sound as it slammed against the wall. Maria produced a thin needle from her pocket and injected Karla with it. She sat down in her corner, re-arranged her hair then pocketed the bell. ''One more day until the hunt, this woman will either budge or die. ''Laurence, I won''t let you get there by yourself. You think you know everything of the Great Ones. They''re proud beings, easy to anger.'' Lady Maria sighed as she waited for Karla to wake. ''If the reports are correct, she might even be dead by the time we reach her. Greed will be the end of us, not our salvation.'' A soft moan echoed through the dark stone room. Karla woke up, her body aching from the beast that took over her body and the hits she received from Lady Maria. ''My dear lady, you are on the verge of death. How many times have you evaded death I wonder? It seems that even death despises you. Where did you find the chair? Tell me and I will heal your wounds, let you join the hunt if you want.'' Karla''s state of mind was on the verge of collapse. Lady Maria knew that. ''This one didn''t want to tell, I won''t grant her mercy. She''ll collapse after the red moon. At least let my false sympathy appease her mind.'' "Waterˇ­" Karla''s mouth was dry. Her human needs took over. She no longer craved blood or the excitement of fights. She only needed the basic water every human needed to survive. "Where did you find the chair?" The lady''s question brooked no counter argument. "I was put thereˇ­ by a mysterious man. Iˇ­I don''t know whyˇ­" Karla''s voice was hoarse and broken. She felt weak, her mind in a haze she couldn''t get out of. "Why were you put there?" Lady Maria asked her questions, confident to get her answers from the broken naked lady on the chair. "I only remember one thingˇ­ he asked me for summonsˇ­I was badly injuredˇ­" Karla finally lost her consciousness. Lady Maria injected her with a blood vial extracted from a holy nun. This type of blood heals without putting one''s mind into shambles. ''The queen eventually closes her doors as she planned to do eons ago.'' Lady Maria left the room where she imprisoned Karla. She had to send dispatch letters to all the workshops around the city. ''I have a bad feeling about this. I must keep this one close to me. I need to learn more.'' Lady Maria''s connection to the castle never died down. Despite her affiliation to the hunters and the church by proxy, she never let go of her sense of belonging. ''I must learn what happened in the castle. This one might not know much, but I can make my own deductions when she tells me of Yharnam''s state. I will convince Gehrman to take an extraˇ­'' 162 Blood Crazed Fiends The morning''s cold breeze caressed Karla''s face as she stood beside the tall fair Lady Maria. She felt like a puppet, being dragged around against her own wishes. The city was calm. Few people walked by them in the street, on their way to open their shops or attend to some matters before the night falls. The whole city was about to go into an uproar. The day preceding the hunt was special in Yharnam. Incense shops would run out of stock early during the day. People stock up on food and drinks, as if one night would last them an eternity. As the four hunters strode through the Cathedral Ward, Karla heard murmurs inside the houses they passed by. People would wake up earlier to strengthen their doors and windows with wooden board. It would be useless against the attack of beasts, but they did it nonetheless. Beggars, wearing but tatters, stretched their limbs before going to their respective begging spot. "These are the most dangerous types," Lady Maria broke the heavy silence that settled within the party. "Some of them are ours." The old man spoke for the first time in front of Karla. "They won''t let the city fall before the hunt even begins." "Do you even know which one of them is yours, and which is not?" the other man retorted, giving Karla''s thoughts a voice. She couldn''t speak in front of those three. She was intimidated. "I might not know their faces Laurence," Gehrman answered after a light chuckle. "I can assure you that my nose never fails me." The old man was famous for his infallible olfactory system.He could smell a hunter, miles away. No spy would dare get too close to the Hunter''s Order. They generally spread around the city or inside the Healing Church. "You see the hat on the roof?" Gehrman asked. The three looked up, where Gehrman had pointed. Laurence nodded. "That''s a hunter keeping guard before sunrise. And there," he pointed at a shopkeeper, arranging the merchandise on the shelves by the wall. "He''s a hunter too." Gehrman chuckled before going on. "I''m not certain of his affiliation though." Lady Maria sighed. "You never take these threats seriously master. We are worse to each other than the monsters we hunt." The lady had spent most her life in the castle, being educated on matters of governance and diplomacy. "What threat is there?" the old man asked. "We''re but mere creatures looking for a way to lead a carefree life." Gehrman went silent for a moment. Lady Maria opened her mouth to say something, but the old man interrupted her. "Other seek power, we seek humankind''s salvation. Those on the path of power play a losing game." He looked at the fair lady beside him. "They are no match for my chosen student." "Your flattery won''t help you get away from your duties. When the night of the hunt is over, we need to discuss Cainhurst and that secret order that calls itself the executioners." Lady Maria wasn''t impressed with Gehrman''s words. "The lady is right. We cannot allow foreign disturbance while we try to finally solve our case." Laurence was clearly talking about the thing they hoped to extract from the Great One at the fishing hamlet. Laurence shot a hateful look at Lady Maria. Karla could see his eyes sparkling, loathing seeped through the light the man''s eyes emitted. "I trust you''ve received the village''s news my lady?" asked Laurence, his voice trembling. Karla finally understood the reason behind the heavy tension she felt. Since the four of them met and walked through the city''s streets, Karla felt that something was amiss. Lady Maria didn''t answer. She looked at Laurence with cold eyes. She looked the other way and kept moving. "Do you still believe that a conversation is necessary with those yokels?" Laurence''s voice was loud. Karla stiffened as she saw Lady Maria''s reaction. "The salvation you seek will be the end of you. You''ve lost your way, looking for truth Laurence. What happened to the vision you''ve had? Reuniting people under one banner? What people if none remains?" Lady Maria''s voice was still melodious. Yet the melody it sang was one of fury and disdain. "Let''s not speak of matters we haven''t confirmed yet," Gehrman''s welcomed voice interrupted the brewing argument. "We do not know if the girl has indeed been murdered. Laurence, let''s not make any hasty judgments. We''re on our way. We''ll make our own minds when we see things for ourselves." "I don''t believe you''re siding with her," muttered Laurence under his breath as he looked away. "And what use will this lass be to us?" asked Laurence, unwilling to give up the fight. "The chair she arrived in belongs to my family. If the castle is involved in her appearance, I prefer to keep her at my side." The conversation swiftly became about Karla. She looked at the two legendary men with fearful eyes. She had never experience a fear as intense as the one Lady Maria had subjected her to. The old man was her master. ''What master would take such a student?'' In Karla''s mind, Gehrman was scarier than a thousand Cleric Beasts. The old man taught Lady Maria everything she knew about hunting. He also trusted her with managing the Order while he focused on private matters no one knew of their nature. "You pick your prot¨¦g¨¦s with care my lady," commented the old man. Karla swore she could see a light smirk on Gehrman''s face. That little change in his facial expression sent shivers down her spine. "I don''t see anything against keeping one. The lady knows how to handle people, this one won''t go anywhere." Gehrman spoke after he carefully observed Karla. The look in Gehrman''s eyes put the fear in Karla''s soul. She had never been more afraid in her life. She could face beasts countless times more frightening that Gehrman''s in terms of physical appearance. But she couldn''t bear the thought of what was on the old man''s eyes when he gave her that look. Him speaking about her not escaping was proof enough that he knew of Lady Maria''s methods. Laurence shot a short look at Karla. "Did you put the poor soul through the bell?" he asked. Lady Maria nodded, not caring to elaborate anymore on why Karla was among them. Laurence let out a "humph" then no longer spoke. "The moon will be close tonight," Gehrman said as he looked beyond the city''s gates. Karla didn''t notice that the party kept moving despite the argument that broke earlier. They had arrived at the city''s gate when the sun rose, releasing golden lights against the wet paved streets. Gehrman looked at the almost full moon across the horizon. It was that time of day when sun and the moon danced before one eclipsed the other. In that early morning, four hunters left Yharnam for the fishing hamlet. The events that unfolded in the village became the church''s, and hunters by proxy, most well-kept secret. They didn''t keep it away from prying eyes for shame but for the irreversible curse they''d cast on hunters; A curse that would last for generations, plaguing every soul that dared join the hunters. The party arrived at the forest where Karla was found, half-dead on a mysterious chair. "You might not remember this, but you were found here. You were dangerously close to the fishing hamlet. Beasts inhabit the area, threatening everyone''s lives. I do not know how you survived so long to be found, but death seems to have other plans for you kid." Gehrman''s voice reached Karla''s ears. She didn''t believe that the old man was addressing her. It took her a minute to realize she was expected to give an answer. "The gods love me, or curse me. I don''t know which. But I do know that my life has been one of suffering since the day I wanted to wield the sword. Nothing would have led me here if I decided to shun the sword, and pick up a needle. "Staying home, educating my children while my husband drinks his doubts and sorrow away. It''d be a dull life, but a life nonetheless. Would I change my decision if I was given a second chance?" Karla was speaking mostly to herself than to the others. The invitation to speak came as a relief to the poor woman. She had endured so much lately, with no time to settle the experiences into thoughts. "I will still pick the sword I believe. Although my life would be one of suffering, I''d take it over a dull one anytime." "Piss on the gods," retorted Laurence. "We are weak creatures on our way to revolutionize evolution. None shall speak about the food chain anymore. This blood was our first step, the second step is the one we''re about to take." Laurence shot a dark look at Lady Maria. The darkness of the forest emphasized his glistening eyes. "If we''re not met with difficulties that isˇ­" "Oh, enough!" Lady Maria couldn''t keep up with his constant nagging. "We''re almost at the fishing hamlet. Less speaking, more slaying! The faster we get there, the closer we''ll be to the truth. I don''t take murder lightly, let alone the murder of a member of the church. But we mustn''t be hasty." She looked at Laurence, meeting his gaze. The latter looked down, realizing that Lady Maria wouldn''t turn against them. They had been companions for longer than a decade. She never kept any secret from them, but voiced her concerns clearly every time she disagreed. It was his eagerness that pushed him to become restless, thus stupid. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we solve this. The beasts in this forest are good stalkers. Be on your guard. When you strike, you strike to kill." Gehrman said as he unsheathed his weapon: A large curved sword that could be attached to a long pole, transforming it into a scythe. When held in its transformed mode, Gehrman looked like the grim reaper. The old man moved with tremendous speed, going deeper into the forest and towards the fishing hamlet. 163 Reaching The Fishing Village Gehrman and company ran through the forest, slaying any beast that dared bar their way. Gehrman and Lady Maria''s movements and the precision in their attacks astonished Karla. She regarded herself as a talented swordswoman. Witnessing Lady Maria''s grace and finesse were steps above what Karla could achieve on her best day. The lady moved with tremendous speed. Watching her and Gehrman work together was akin to watching a storm ravaging everything it touched. Karla could only see shadows flicker in the forest as beasts fell one after the other. She could barely see one of them stop to shoot a beast then eviscerate it. There was that one time when Karla was almost ambushed by a four legged beast, jumping at her from behind. A bullet whistled as it passed next to Karla''s ear then pierced the beast''s skull. The bullet landed between the monster''s eyebrows. The lady quickly appeared next to the beast then executed it, using the dagger attached to her sword. Karla was dumbfounded. She knew that hunters far surpassed humans in terms of strength and speed. She had personally witnessed the effect of the transformation. She could never imagine that a hunter could reach such strength though. Compared to the first hunter and his student, she was but a mere fledgling. Laurence wasn''t to be underestimated either. His fighting ability was on par with Gehrman''s. Although their fighting styles differed, both were quick on their feet, ruthless in their strikes. Karla only dealt with smaller beasts that didn''t attract the others'' attention. She followed as best she could, falling behind due to her slow speed. Lady Maria came to her aid from time to time. She wouldn''t let her eyes off of her. They soon reached the end of the forest, no beasts on their trail. Their weapons dripped blood. Their hands were slippery with sweat, blood and entrails. Gehrman took a handkerchief and applied it to his curved sword. "If we hurry, we''ll make it to the village before noon," the old man said, sheathing his clean sword. The four hunters moved forward without a word, each of them alone with their thoughts. The morning breeze was replaced by a cold wind. The sun was hiding behind thick clouds. ''A storm is brewing,'' thought Karla. A bad feeling stirred in her heart. They had arrived to Yharnam on a stormy night. She left her country and family behind as she fled on a stormy night. Karla had become extremely sensitive to storms. She wasn''t a superstitious person, but what she experienced in storms always haunted her soul. ''The Yharnam I came from was completely deserted. The people I saw today in the city were nowhere to be seen while Francis and I roamed the dark streets.'' The party reached the main road that led towards the fishing hamlet. The road used to be functional, brimming with carts bound to the great city of Yharnam. The fishermen would exchange the day''s haul for medicine and the sweet, addictive blood Yharnam was so famous for. One day, the fishermen stopped coming. The citizens surmised that the village had succumbed to the beastly scourge. The Order sent a hunter to investigate. The news that reached the higher ups highly alarmed them. The villages had found something that forced to shut it down to all visitors. The hunter that came back with the news was badly injured. He tried to infiltrate the village but was chased away and barely escaped alive. The villagers used strange artifacts to attack. Their power was similar to the Arcane some hunters used. The church got involved in the matter. Whenever Arcane was involved, the church would interfere. They were very knowledgeable in matters of extraordinary powers. Laurence argued that the villagers had found a holy medium like the church had. The villagers couldn''t keep such a big secret from Laurence who had taken every precaution to hide the church''s secret so well. ''They must have the backing of a Great One,'' Laurence said when the news reached him. ''Although I cannot say how they managed to extract so much power from the one they have.'' Greed had taken over Laurence that day. The thought of the immense power he could hold against the curse pushed him closer to madness. He had worked on a plan with Gehrman long ago. Great Ones were sympathetic in spirit. They''d often answer when called upon. The two worked tirelessly to find a way to summon one. From the ancient scriptures the two have studied, only one Great One was capable of countering the curse that had befallen them. They''d need eyes for their plan to come to fruition. Laurence sent his spies to relay precise information on what the villagers kept hidden. The day he had set up to the village with Gehrman, Lady Maria and Karla, they had received news of their spy''s death. The letter was sent by one of the villagers'' self-proclaimed elder and leader. To Laurence, this was a proclamation of war against the church. To Lady Maria, she favored talks to slaughter. She argued that the villagers hold something sacred in their premises, that the church violated their privacy. She wanted to talk to the villagers in order to personally assess the situation. She acted solely for the image of the church and the Hunter''s Order. If they killed the entire village, the church would lose its benevolent image. They''d become a pure political figure which would leave them vulnerable to Cainhurst''s wrath. They were playing a dangerous game and Lady Maria had to keep things afloat. ''I wonder what happened to cause the city to fall,'' Karla wondered again as she walked through the main road. The village showed itself in the distance. They would reach it in an hour''s time. Water drops fell on Karla''s nose and cheeks. ''Rain,'' Karla''s heart tightened. Her bad feeling intensified. ''Was it the action that these three are about to take I wonder?'' "My lady," said Gehrman in his low, husky voice. "Perhaps you wish to talk, but it appears the villagers are in no mood for words." The old man pointed with his chin towards the village. Carts and boats were aligned at the entrance of the village. Villagers, armed with lances stood on top of wooden ramparts, ready to fire at will. Karla noticed the saddened expression on Lady Maria''s face. "I''ll take the lead," said the lady. "They would have spoken their minds when they attack." The lady walked faster towards the village. Karla''s heart started pounding harder against her chest. Something inside her told her to run after the lady. She had to stop her, stop them all from doing something they might regret. "Milady!" shouted Karla. Maria turned slowly, looked at Karla with annoyance in her face. "What is it?" she asked. "You believe that I came from another time, don''t you?" Karla began. Lady Maria approached. She didn''t want to let the opportunity go to waste. She had put Karla through intense pain, but she didn''t get anything to satisfy her curiosity. "What if I do?" she asked. "Don''t waste my time now." Her tone was threatening. "I believe I came from a time where neither of you exist anymore. I''ve seen Yharnam of the future. In our lands, it is a legend. No one believes in the fabled city anymore. We took a gamble and sailed across dangerous waters to reach the city of blood and healing." This time, even Gehrman and Laurence listened intently. "When we arrived to the city, it was nothing like the one I saw in the past few weeks. The city fell from grace. Beasts roamed the streets. Very few people lived, waiting for their incense to run out and be devoured. I was attacked by a crazed hunter who tied me up and sent me here, asking me to find him a summons." Karla looked at the three hunters. They towered over her by at least two feet. These people were the leaders of their factions. They weren''t dumb to ignore Karla''s words. "Cainhurst still exists in the future, but what about the healing church?" asked Laurence. "People still talk about the church, but we''ve never met anyone affiliated to it." Laurence looked dejected. "Are there any hunters left? Apart from the one that killed you?" asked Lady Maria. "There were two. They were my companions. They received their blood ministration in Yharnam. I don''t know how though. I was separated from them when that happened." Gehrman looked at Karla, his eyes piercing through her. "Beasts are more numerous than hunters. The church''s light had faded. Cainhurst is but a shadow of itself. The cycle repeated itself." Gehrman face changed for the first time. Sadness tore through his heart. "Laurence, my old friend, it is time we end this curse. Forgive me my lady, we cannot reach greatness without sacrifice." The old man was the first to trigger the chaotic fight that ensued. The grim reaper danced through the village, singing a song of death and slaughter. Spears seemed to miss him the moment they got too close. Heads rolled wherever he passed. The ground was painted red. The houses were filled with women screaming and children helplessly wailing. Karla didn''t know how it all happened. The moment spears were thrown her way, her body moved with the flow of battle. She dodged, sliced and shoulder slammed. The commotion didn''t give her time to think or process what was going on. It was either kill or be killed. She couldn''t think of retreating. The lady stuck beside her all the time. They cut their way through the village, indiscriminately killing. The group of four soon reached the village''s main square. A well was located at the center, probably for the entire village''s use. Scaled men stood on the roofs, holding their spears, ready to attack. A villager stood in the middle of the square welcoming the four hunters. "Where is the Great One you hide?" asked Gehrman, his voice still cool and husky. The old man shrugged then held both his hands high. His arms revealed themselves from beneath the falling sleeves. They were scaly, strange tattoos were drawn on them. The old man chanted an odd language then purple fog chased after the four hunters. Laurence jumped in and shot multiple blue lights at the fog. Karla had the feeling of watching two wizards battling. A shot was heard and the old man fell to the ground. "Where is the Great One you hide?" Gehrman asked again. In the blink of an eye, the first hunter arrived on top of the village elder. He pointed his scythe down the man''s throat. His gaze was threatening. The villagers raised their spears and were about to attack when the old man shouted in their strange language. Everyone stopped. The old man looked at the hunter on top of him then said. "The sharks will come for you soon. I won''t tell you where it is even if it kills me." The old man''s language was rough, rolling the "r" and confusing the vowels. As soon as he finished speaking, spears rained down on the group. Lady Maria grabbed Karla and jumped behind. One second later and they would have been impaled by three spears. Gehrman evaded the attack, killing the old man in the process. A loud angry shout reached the ears of the villages and the four hunters. Then another roar came from the opposite direction. The villagers all jumped down the square, ready for battle. A third roar announced a third large beast. They all appeared at the same time. Their appearance was the villagers'' signal to attack. They all rushed towards the four hunters. The large beasts'' bodies were covered in blue scales. They had fins and gills across their body. Sharp teeth protruded from their gigantic bodies. They looked like the creepiest mutation of a fish gone human. They had gigantic arms. One of their arms was twice as big as Karla. Rocks protruded on their backs while hair had grown on their torso. They had legs and a large tail wobbled behind them. Their strangest feature was their blobby head. It looked like a human baby mutated. Its bald head had grown tenfold but retained the small features of the face. Small ears, small hands, nonexistent nose, but it had a gigantic mouth, filled with teeth sharper than steel. One of these beasts attacked Gehrman while another went for Laurence. The third one attacked Karla and Lady Maria, backed by two dozen villagers holding various weapons. 164 What happened in Cainhurs Francis stood behind Surgit as they both stared at the creature in front of them. "What the hell is that?!" even Surgit was disgusted at the sight of the mosquitos. "I don''t know how these came back to life. I didn''t even die on my way here, not even once." Francis was more surprised than Surgit. "Tell you what," started Francis. "I''ll let you deal with the first one. Facing these disgusting creatures for the first time is something every hunter must experience." The old man grinned as he walked back a few steps. Surgit furrowed his brows, something smelled fishy here. The old man was tricky, and Surgit forced his hands. He expected Francis to have some tricks up his sleeve within the castle. "Very well," Surgit unsheathed his sword. "Let''s see what this beast is made of." The mosquito-like Blood-licker jumped at Surgit at tremendous speed. Surgit barely managed to dodge the first attack when a sharp tongue whistled by his ears. Warm blood trickled down his left cheek. Surgit jumped backwards to avoid the next swipe from the beast''s freakish human hands. The mosquito immediately jumped after Surgit. If it weren''t for his experience fighting all sorts of abnormalities, Surgit would have been stomped to death. Surgit rolled to the front then jumped even further to create some distance between him and the mosquito. He turned around to see the beast running towards him on all fours, a scene to frighten the strongest of hearts. Silver hair dangled in front of the mosquito''s human face. Sharp teeth glistened as the hair uncovered them, wavering left and right. The beast''s dangling blood pouch wiggled as it ran towards Surgit. He secretly cursed. Francis was watching the fight from a safe distance, grinning. Surgit, desperate to slow the horrendous mosquito down, swung his left arm backwards. He lifted the heavy hammer with one hand and, throwing his right leg forward, flung it at the beast''s face. The hammer slammed on the mosquito''s face with a "thump". The monster stopped right at its track, allowing Surgit to perform a surprise attack. He jumped high above the monster then plunged down, sword first, at the mosquito''s back. The sound of metal hitting rock echoed across the courtyard. The mosquito''s hide was harder than steel. Francis knew that, he was waiting for the moment Surgit realized it. Surgit didn''t react like Francis did though. He immediately jumped in front of the mosquito. The beast was still stunned by the hammer''s effect, having a heavy slab smashed into one''s face wasn''t easy, even for an otherworldly creature. Surgit pulled the mosquito''s tongue using his strong hands. With the pommel of his sword, Surgit pounded at the beast''s face. The nose broke. The sharp teeth gave way after a few punches. The beast tried to fight away from Surgit''s grip, to no avail. His grip on its tongue allowed him to fully control the beast. Surgit slid his sword through the pommel of the hammer then brought it down the mosquito''s face. A deafening scream came from the disfigured beast as it fell back. Surgit immediately jumped at the beast''s stomach. He found the blood pouch, filled with red liquid. He smashed the whole thing using his Kirkhammer. Blood spurted in all directions. The beast stopped wiggling its limbs helplessly then went silent. Surgit looked at Francis, "Fair challenge. Let''s see who kills the most." He immediately turned around and ran after the other beasts. Francis smiled as he followed Surgit. He had gained tremendous power as of late. He wanted to put his new attributes to the test. He stabbed the katana into his body, tainting it with venomous blood. His speed had increased tenfold. He caught up to Surgit in no time. The hunter was already fighting a mosquito beast. Francis held the Chikage with both hands then brought downward, in an arc, at the mosquito''s leg. His new rank gave him something he didn''t expect to have. As he swung his sword, Francis aimed at a specific spot. It was as if something deep inside him, call it intuition or sixth sense, told him where to strike. The leg was cut-off. The mosquito fell down, face first, into the snow covered ground. The hammer reduced its head to smithereens. Blood painted the white snow pink. The two hunters ravaged through the courtyard, killing every beast on their way. They soon reached the castle''s main hall. The ghosts inside surprised Surgit but didn''t pose him any threat. Francis had a good laugh when the gargoyle surprised Surgit as well. The beast was disposed of easily afterwards. But Francis'' laughter echoed in the castle''s empty halls for longer after that. "That damned rock scared the wits out of me the first time it ambushed me," said Francis in between fits of laughter. "And to fell less lonely, the wealthy philanthropist decided to let me fall for it. What if I died?" mumbled under his breath. He knew the gargoyle''s attack wouldn''t have killed him. He felt his ears burn in embarrassment. He would''ve done the same to Francis if he''d had the chance. "What other traps does this castle hold?" asked Surgit, almost certain that Francis kept more traps from him. He knew the old man wanted to have a good show, to pay back Surgit for forcing him to bring a visitor along. "The important question to ask would be: what happened to cause this castle to fall?" Surgit remembered the promise he''d made to Francis. "I heard some tales from a hunter I met some time ago. He told me that a group of hunters, called the Executioners, stormed the castle long ago. They had a grudge against the people of Cainhurst, calling them vilebloods. Have you ever heard of this story?" Surgit turned to look at Francis. The old man shook his head, intently listening to Surgit. They were both standing outside. They had reached one of the tall towers of the castle. They stood on top of the tower, cold wind brushing through their faces. "They say that long ago, a scholar betrayed his brethren in Byrgenwerth. He took blood, deemed forbidden by the church, and brought it to the castle. That vile blood led the Healing Church to declare Cainhurst their enemy. "Since then the Executioners, led by a man called Logarius, sought to exterminate the vilebloods. They stormed the castle one day, killing everyone." Surgit turned to look into the distance. The view of Yharnam from afar was fascinating. Tall conical towers formed the city''s gothic shadow. "The hunter who told the story also said that Logarius still lives, that he''s here in the castle. Logarius had become a blessed anchor to them, guarding the world from evil. I do not know what evil lay in this castle. But I learned not believe everyone''s word." Surgit turned to look at Francis once more. "I''d like to journey with you in the castle. If I''m not welcome here, I will not force myself into the matter. You''ve brought me here, and this was the deal. I''ll take the materials I''m interested in. Then I''ll take my leave. If you''re interested in partnering though, I''d take you up on the offer." Surgit was curious to know what secrets the executioners held. "Let me think of it some more. I''ll let you know once we reach the library." Francis could use Surgit''s help. However, he didn''t want him to discover the secrets that were meant to be his. Surgit understood that. That was why he tried to soften his tone. "Did that hunter mention what happened to the queen?" Francis asked. "No, he only spoke of the people of Cainhurst, calling them vilebloods. All I know is that something unexpected happened. The executioners weren''t able to complete their missions. They retreated apparently, leaving their leader behind." Surgit didn''t know all the details. When Alfred talked to him about the castle, he didn''t expect to find it so quickly. He would''ve asked more questions then. "No matter, let''s head to the library. From there we can look for their secret labs and studies. We shouldn''t waste time on speculations." The two hunters reached the library in no time. "Beware of the beheaded ghosts!" warned Francis. The trap they prepared for intruders was no joke. Francis slapped his forehead all of a sudden. Noticing this Surgit shot him a puzzled look. "I completely forgot that there''s an elevator next to the lamp that led through here." Surgit looked at Francis with wide eyes. He suspected the old man of purposely putting him through all of the earlier fights. "Let''s just get this raid over with, shall we?" he turned to face the multiple ghosts heading their way. 165 A man’s word is his bond "What is this blood? I''ve never seen liquid blood in the open that never coagulates," Francis inspected the secret chamber they had found in the castle. "It''s ritual blood. Use your insight. It will give you more details about the item." Surgit fumbled around as he commented on Francis'' observation. Francis scoffed then continued looking for some diary or a ledger. Castellans kept their own diaries in which they inscribed their daily events, like log books kept by captains at sea. Francis hoped to get a confirmation of what happened to the castle. Surgit''s tale was still full of ambiguity. "How strong can a faction be to bring down the whole castle?" He wondered as he searched through the books that piled on top of each other next to an oaken desk, ornamented with golden engravings. Everything inside the castle showed the extravagant lifestyle to royal family lived. They clearly boasted their wealth in front of every visitor. The marble walls inside the castle, the oaken furniture, the marble pillars and marble floors in halls and chambers, everything within the castle suggested the royal family''s extensive wealth. Surgit didn''t care to comment on all of these aspects. Compared to Francis, he looked like a brute, vandalizing everything as he looked for some secret stash. He didn''t destroy the furniture, but Francis looked at him with reprimanding eyes. "Can''t you see the cultural heritage the castle has left behind?" he asked, like a father lecturing his child as they visited an ancient historical monument. "Wait until you see the chalice dungeons. You''ll be lost, observing the surroundings while beasts jump at you while you''re not paying attention," Surgit said. "It''s not that I don''t appreciate what surrounds me. I''m more concerned about what hides in the darkness." With an "Aha," Surgit took out an old book, covered in tainted leather. "I believe you were looking for this." Surgit threw the book at the old man who caught it in the air. The old man quickly found an empty chair. He sat down, devouring the contents of the book. Surgit looked around some more, collecting every strange artifact he could find. Every time he''d find something that interested him, he''d throw it to the ground where the little messengers would spawn to collect it. He could keep the items he''d find in the waking world. He wasn''t required to pay for them to unlock them. In the end, Surgit had collected all types of junk. Some of it was useful for chalice rituals. Others were just collectibles he was interested in studying. He had found a dress that reminded him of someone. He couldn''t tell who it was exactly. His mind was in a haze, looking for ritual materials. He preferred to stock things that sparked his interest then keep them for later inspection. "I''m done here. We can depart whenever your highness is ready." Surgit''s sarcastic tone didn''t go unnoticed. The old man stood, looked at Surgit with his bright gray eyes then handed him the notebook. "Read this, you might find it more interesting than the trinkets you''ve been collecting." Surgit looked at the tainted leather cover. The sigil of the royal family had faded. The Castellan had obviously kept that book close to him, most probably in his pockets. Sweat had erased the magnificent work on the leather. Surgit opened the book and began reading. Most of the content spoke about shipments of blood and livestock for the castle''s parties. The last pages were what got Surgit to sit down and read carefully. "Year of the Basilisk, Tirkas, Day 14, The red moon hung low in the sky. Most knights were called back to the castle. The call to arms came too late for us to gather our forces and counter attack. "By the time our knights made it to the bridge, the fortifications were blown up. We all watched as our troops sank in the lake below. The remaining troops worked hard to mobilize statues outside to block the intruders'' advance." "The crazed hunters have broken through our defenses. They stormed the castle, killing every living being that came their way. That red moon had made matters worse for us all. Our women have gone crazy. The knights are no match for the blood crazed fiends. They''re strong, ruthless and fast, too fast for our eyes to follow their movement." "Their leader had fallen to the hands of our strongest knight. Victory was at hand when another young fellow emerged. He slaughtered his way through the castle. Gavril, heavily injured, fled the scene. The queen is furious, she ordered the king to take action. I have to assist him in this last attack. I hope we come out victorious. May the gods help us all! Our queen has gone into a tantrum. The castle may not remain if we do not repel these blasphemous murderers." The writing stopped, Surgit closed the book then looked at Francis. "What do you make of this?" he asked, looking expectantly at Francis. "I think the queen might still be alive somewhere. I can''t say the same for the king. But from what I read, the queen must possess some incredible power." Surgit remembered Vicar Amelia and her transformation. "If the queen is still alive, then she must be in the throne room. Although I don''t know where it is, I suppose it must be a large building. Kings and Queens hold court in their throne rooms. If we go back to the tall tower, we might spot it from high above." The old man was excited at the thought of meeting the queen. "You seem too eager to meet this queen old man." Surgit was still sitting on the wooden chair. It looked eerily similar to the one Karla sat on while Gavril sent her to the past. "What of it?" Francis asked. "I''ve seen a woman turn into the most hideous beast I''ve ever laid eyes upon. If this queen is as powerful as the tales say, she must have a beast inside of her." Surgit was speaking from his own experience. He didn''t want to find the queen. A vicar was manageable, but a queen who had lived since the times of Old Hunters... ˇ­That must involve some otherworldly powers they can''t hope to compete against. "I came to this castle to find out about the queen of blood. We aren''t sure if she''ll turn as you blatantly suggest. All we know is that she''s the sole survivor. Do you think that new leader is the Logarius you spoke of?" Francis didn''t doubt the queen''s existence. He had seen her in his dreams too many times, calling to him. "I don''t know of the details. That hunter told me that Logarius is his master and leader. The log speaks differently. I don''t know how people could stay alive so long after Yharnam fell to the beastly scourge. Hell, I don''t even know how long Yharnam had been subjected to this nightmare." Surgit had been thinking about this matter for long. He just couldn''t figure out how long it had been since the city fell. What he didn''t know was the Gehrman, the first hunter, was the same old man that appeared from time to time in the hunters'' dream. People could live longer than he anticipated. "I want no part of your quest to find the queen," Surgit announced after a long silence. He''d been mulling over whether or not he wanted to join the old man''s quest for knowledge. On one hand, he wanted to join Francis and find out what happened in Cainhurst. On the other, he deeply feared a transformed queen. The last experience with Vicar Amelia made him rethink his choice. ''I can''t afford being stuck in a desperate fight. My beastly form could resurface. I won''t have any means to counter it then. I''m not even close to gain another rank in any skill.'' Surgit needed to collect as many blood echoes as possible. That was his plan when he joined up with Francis. By collecting enough materials before reaching Byrgenwerth, he''d be able to visit the deeper levels of the Chalice Dungeons. He wanted to explore those levels mainly to the rich prospect of collecting large amounts of blood echoes. "You are most welcome to join me in the chalice dungeons. It might even allow you to become stronger, far stronger than you are now. The queen might even be a walk in the park after that." With Francis'' help, Surgit was sure he''d race through the dungeons. "Tell me more of those dungeons you speak so fondly of." The old man wasn''t willing to go in blindly. "They''re big tombs, filled with monsters. You kill them, receive echoes and unlock gates. The gates harbor even more dangerous beasts and some information on how to use your skills as a hunter." Francis looked at Surgit. An amused smile drew itself on his face. "Quite simple, yet why do you want to go there so badly?" the old man asked. "Echoes dear Francis, the more you have the stronger you become." "What, you mean to tell me that this is all you seek in there?" "Unlike you, I use knowledge to reach the so called Paleblood. What happened in Yharnam or Cainhurst only interests me if it tells me where I can find this coveted blood. The chalice dungeons give knowledge and power. Although power is what you mostly get from there." "Help me find the throne room. I''ll help you explore those ancient tombs." Surgit pondered for a bit. "If we meet the queen, I won''t help you fight her. It is not a fight I wish to take part in." "I can sense fear in you." Francis saw contempt in Surgit''s eyes as he finished his last sentence. "I won''t press the matter further. Help me reach the throne room, that''s all I ask. Two brains are better than one. We can both look for the place. Whatever spoils we get on our way, half of it goes to you. Fair enough?" Surgit stood from his chair, walked towards the old man then shook his hands. "You have yourself a deal. I can assist you in your fights, but not against the queen. I don''t want any part of it." "Sure thing," the old man said, the strange smile still lingering on his face. 166 Catch Me If You Can The moon''s light illuminated the castle''s polished floor. Despite the years that went by, without a sane soul inhabiting the big palace, the servants never stopped attending to their duties. Their heads fell down one by one, painting the clean floors red. Francis and Surgit danced around, sword in hand, slashing and decapitating every living soul they encountered. The two finally reached a tall tower from which a vista over the castle presented itself to them. Cainhurst''s castle, majestic and deserted, seemed to hibernate under the effect of the snow. "There, that''s the elevator that takes us from the dream lantern to the library," Francis pointed to a spot next to the main gate. "If you look carefully, there used to be some sort of hall, staircase or road that took up high above." For a hunter, seeing that far ahead wasn''t difficult at all. "I can see the traces of a destroyed path. But I just don''t see where it''s leading. There''s just an empty roof up there." Surgit was right. There was nothing for them up there. "How about we place a bet?" the old man asked. "What''s at stake?" "If we get there and we find a way to the throne room, you''ll help me deal with the Queen. If not, I''m not going to bother asking you to take me where you''re at now," Francis had felt that Surgit was hiding something. He never tried to press the matter though. "Let''s raise the stake a bit then, shall we?" Surgit answered, startling the old man. "I''m a big gambler, and it''s been a long time that I didn''t have any fun. You clearly started exploring this palace before me. I''d wager that I can reach that hidden roof, without your assistance. I''d even wager that I can reach it first without you guiding me around." "What''s in it for me?" asked the old man. "You''ve allowed me to see this fabled world. Never in my life did I dream of seeing such magnificent sights. This castle is horrifying and deadly sure, but it''s awe inspiring nonetheless. If you beat me to the roof first, I''ll tell you where I am right now. If we find the throne room in there, I''ll take you with me. The scenery is quite different, but beautiful nonetheless," a sly smile was stuck on Surgit''s face while he spoke of his wager. "Deal!" Francis said. Without a word the old man jumped from the tower. "Motherfucker! That sly old man has some guts," Surgit cursed as he ran down the stairs. He didn''t want to risk dying in the castle. To Francis, death would only slow him down. But Surgit didn''t activate the lantern at the castle''s gate. If he died, he''d resurrect in the Forbidden Woods. In a way, their wager was a race where Surgit had a major handicap. Surgit had memorized the general layout of the castle from above. Although it seemed clear enough from atop the tower, reaching that roof was no easy task. The moment Surgit left the tower he was welcomed back by the tall walls of the castle. It was like looking at a maze from above. One could easily find the center. But if one had to enter the maze and find their way through, they''d mostly get lost on the way. Francis had the upper hand. He had been through the castle twice. He knew the area better than Surgit. Surgit on the other hand wasn''t willing to give up. He followed the wails of ghosts and the flapping wings of those ugly gargoyles. If there were enemies on the way, it meant that neither of them had been through the area before. A flawed plan to say the least, but it was better to follow one''s instincts in this situation. Surgit knew that he needed to keep going north of the tower if he wanted to reach the roof. He encountered two gargoyles that almost knocked him off a narrow railing he was running on. Surgit tried to use the nimble approach. He wanted to reach the rooftops. It was impossible to access them from the tower for two reasons. Firstly, because it was too damn tall. Secondly, it was because there were no other structures near the tower. Surgit didn''t even know how Francis could have survived that fall. He didn''t. Francis'' plan was to die, reset all the monsters in the area and confuse Surgit. He wasn''t willing to lose the bet. It wasn''t for the prize, but for the sake of winning. Francis'' ego was simply too inflated. He''d never let anybody win against him in any fight. The loss against Gavril had only reinforced his narcissistic behavior. He was adamant on becoming stronger. He wanted to repay that fake master tenfold, a hundredfold. Every time he thought of his loss, his resolve strengthened. Surgit ran through the buildings, crossing covered bridges that connected one pavilion to the other. He learned that gargoyles attacked using sound waves. That was the worst attack against a hunter with sharp senses. The first time he experienced the attack, it took him three vials to restore his hearing. He also learned that gargoyles were extremely vulnerable to quicksilver bullets. One bullet was enough to send them wiggling on their backs. It was an amusing sight that Surgit repeated as many times as he could. Whenever he encountered a gargoyle, he''d shoot it in the head then execute it. ''That roof isn''t easily accessible. If that was the case, the old man wouldn''t have accepted to bring me along, no matter what.'' Surgit finally reached a balcony from which he could see his destination. He was closer than he had anticipated. He heard footsteps coming from above. He dodged at the perfect moment. Francis landed with a "thud" on the spot where Surgit stood seconds ago. "I guess it''s a race then," Surgit said as he dashed forward. They had to run on a narrow railing, attached to the balcony. Surgit cursed under his breath. The old man was extremely fast. He suspected that he''d become even stronger than him. Two gargoyles flew from above and landed on each end of the railing, surrounding the two hunters. Surgit smiled, he hoped that Francis didn''t know about the sound wave attack. He shot the gargoyle in front of him before it even landed. The poor beast lost its footing on the railing and fell down, into the darkness of the night. Surgit shot through like an arrow, wind hissing against his ears. ''I won''t let that old man get ahead,'' Surgit also enjoyed the wager more than the stakes. Both men had put something to bet on out of basic rules, nothing more. The race made them experience something human once again. After all, they''d been hunting beasts and abnormalities non-stop ever since they became hunters. They''d forgotten what it meant to experience the little things normal human beings took for granted. They no longer ate food, drank tea, fell asleep after a long tiring day. They were stuck in one night, cleansing the streets of vile beasts. That wager had put some life back into their dull hunting. Surgit soon found himself in a room filled with ghosts. Francis was hard at his heels. ''That old rascal never gives up, doesn''t he?'' he thought as he slashed the ghosts with his shiny sword. Surgit spotted a decapitated ghost in the distance. He remembered Francis'' warning and headed to take care of it first. The old man also noticed Surgit''s action. He shot the ghost before Surgit could reach it. Unluckily for Surgit, that shot caused the ghost to let out a shrill scream. Surgit was instantly trapped, an ethereal circle bounding him on the spot. "See ya later slowpoke!" Francis shouted as he headed towards the stairs at the end of the room. Most of the ghosts were attracted by the scream. They all headed in an orderly fashion towards Surgit. "Fuck you old man! I''ll get you for this." Surgit was angry. It was fair game though, the old man didn''t attack Surgit directly, he merely used the environment to his advantage. The ghosts suddenly screamed in unison then turned towards Francis. Surgit looked in surprise at the event that unfolded before his eyes. He was still stuck, the spell immobilized him. A servant had hid itself on top of some book shelves. They had reached another library, bigger and larger than the previous one. The servant shot Francis with a blow dart. The effect of the dart surprised the old man and Surgit. A sign showed above Francis'' head. That symbol seemed to enrage all the ghosts that were present in the area. They all suddenly moved towards the old man, completely ignoring Surgit. Surgit heartily laughed after the effect of the spell subsided. He ran towards the stairs, ignoring Francis'' calamity. "Karma has a strange way of acting, don''t you think old man?" Surgit shouted at Francis as he drove his sword through the servant. He couldn''t afford being trapped like the old man. He ran upstairs while Francis fought his way out of his predicament. Surgit found himself in a large area, at least a hundred yards. Books were stacked in neatly organized shelves while other servants worked hard, polishing the floors and washing the windows. Surgit ran, not daring to approach all the enemies. ''It''s better if I leave some behind to slow Francis down.'' Francis had barely come out of the fight victorious. The ghosts were deadly when they attacked in unison. His recent upgrade played a major role in his victory, especially that he didn''t have any time to heal during the fight. He ran upstairs following Surgit. In the distance, he saw Surgit running towards a broken railing. ''This library is immense,'' the old man thought as he ran in pursuit. ''I need to come back here and explore the area.'' Francis had an unquenchable thirst for books. He''d collect them all, read them once, then repeat them if the content interested him. The servants that were chasing after Surgit turned towards Francis the moment he showed up on the upper floor. ''I shouldn''t have triggered that spell for Surgit. It only brought me misery.'' Francis didn''t try to slow Surgit down this time. His speed was far greater than Surgit''s after all. He quickly reached the servants, disarmed them then killed them using their own rapiers against them. Francis saw Surgit use the momentum of his run to jump high and reach a ladder that led to the second floor. The old man followed suit and reached the second floor in no time. Surgit had a slight advance, one that Francis was confident in crossing. He ran after Surgit, climbing some stairs that led outside. They both reached the roof of the library and stopped. Three gargoyles surrounded them the moment they arrived. Francis was more focused than Surgit. He moved like lightning, striking the red eyed gargoyle. It looked like the strongest one. Francis didn''t want to leave it behind. ''Every strong monster must be dealt with swiftly. Otherwise they''d chase after us indefinitely.'' Francis slashed with his katana, aiming at the beast''s neck. One strong swing would behead it and he''d be on his way to the roof. With the corner of his eye, Francis noticed a shadow running forward. Surgit had somehow disentangled himself from the gargoyle''s formation. He was heading towards the roof that appeared a few paces away from them. They only had to cross a visible bridge, beneath the roof, in order to reach it. "MOTHERFUCKER!!!" shouted the old man for the first time since Surgit had met him. Surgit''s smile widened even more when he saw another gargoyle jumping on Francis'' back. The creature dug its teeth deep into the old man''s throat, emptying his blood vessels. Surgit was already standing on top of a conical roof of an adjacent tower. He was about to jump when he saw a terrifying sight. Francis had activated some kind of spell. Red skulls surrounded the old man, attacking the gargoyles in the process. Francis quickly stood up, sheathed his sword then blood showered the whole roof. ''What amazing power!'' Surgit thought as he jumped down, running towards the opposite side of the bridge. Francis quickly disposed of the three gargoyles then ran. He used all the strength he could muster not to attack Surgit when he saw him. ''That little shit got me good this time.'' He still had some distance to cross. To Surgit it looked like a gale had swept by, carrying an old man with flowing white hair towards him. "Can you be as fast on a ladder old man?" Surgit asked as he climbed up. 167 Execution The highest structure in Cainhurst castle hosted its most well-kept secret. An old, decaying body sat on a chair, a crown in his head. "Is this Cainhurst''s throne room?" asked Surgit. The two hunters didn''t dare go through the door that led to the open area. They still had some matters to discuss. The result of the bet they had made had just become very ambiguous. Surgit turned to look at the old man. "I can''t believe they had made this open place their throne room. I refuse to believe it." Francis looked ahead at the body that sat on the chair, crown in head. "The chair he sits on fits the general description of a throne," he said after a moment''s reflection. "I don''t know about you, but something smells fishy." Francis was also bewildered at the sight in front of him. "When didn''t things smell fishy in this godforsaken place," Surgit commented. He still wondered if coming to Yharnam was a good decision after all. They had reached the roof moments ago. Surgit was first to arrive, Francis running as fast as he could. The loss left a bitter taste in his mouth. However, everything changed the moment they laid eyes on the room ahead of them. The place wasn''t a roof per se. It had its own pathway that led towards a door. From the place they had climbed over, both men could see that the door that initially led to this place had become a brick wall. People really didn''t want anybody to reach this area. They stood on the pathway, observing the place. In front of them were stairs that led to an archway. If one went through the entryway, they''d find themselves in an open area, surrounded by conical shaped small towers. Icicles formed at the extremities of each cone, pointing downwards. "I don''t see a queen either," Surgit observed. Francis had been mulling over this before Surgit noticed it. In his dreams the queen sat in a throne room, fully covered and beautifully ornamented. "The only mention of a king was when we read those notes in that study," Francis voiced his thoughts, mumbling under his breath. "If the queen still lives, why shouldn''t the king?" Surgit asked. They came to this place without any real expectations. They thought they''d find a secret passageway to the throne room. At least Francis thought so. Surgit was too busy winning his race to think too much of the matter. "There''s only one way to find out I guess." Francis finally found the resolve to cross the archway and approach the decaying corpse. Surgit followed the old man. The cold wind blasted in their faces, blowing their hair away. "Don''t you find it strangeˇ­" Surgit started. "ˇ­that we don''t feel cold despite the freezing environment?" "I just give credit to the blood in our system. I don''t try to think too much of it." The old man was absorbed in thought. He mechanically answered Surgit. The queen filled his thoughts. ''Why can''t I find the throne room? I''ve risked too much to reach this place. I''ve even brought this little shit with me, uncovering my secret. Am I even going to find her alive? Perhaps those dreams I had were just hallucinationsˇ­'' Francis didn''t notice the blizzard that suddenly sprung up. Surgit stopped in his tracks, observing the scene in front of him. The snowstorm suddenly enveloped the corpse. Surgit squinted to see through the thick snow that surrounded the crown wearing body. He could see old, withered hands crackling then moving. It felt like an old mummy had come back to life. The mummy held a long staff on its right hand. A blade was crudely inserted at the tip of the long staff, making the whole thing look like a makeshift scythe. Long white hair, carried by the wind of the snowstorm, flowed in the air as the mummy''s body finally moved. The man in front of the two hunters looked like an old wizard. His long robes, wide sleeves and long white beard made him look like the king of wizards. To make matters worse, the man towered over the two hunters. He was twice as tall as Surgit. He''d have to incline his head at a ninety degree angle to see the wizard if he stood close to him. Bones cracked and the withered body moved. Only flesh, glued to bones, remained. The tall man slowly walked towards the two stunned hunters. An intense headache made the hunters wince in pain. They had just gained insight. Surgit''s heart raced, he now knew who he had to deal with. He looked at Francis. The old man had an ugly grimace on his face. His brows furrowed, his lips tightened and his nose found its way up towards the spot between his eyebrows. "Martyr Logarius," their insight had kicked in and given them the man''s name. The sickle that attached itself to the tip of the staff glowed red. Lorgarius'' eyes glowed red as he closed the distance that separated him from Francis. There was no need to talk about anything, the two knew that they had to fight. Francis and Surgit had been through many difficult fights in Yharnam. Nothing could prepare them for Logarius'' strength though. Terror was about to be redefined for both of them. Francis had his first contact with Arcane when he discovered the executioner''s gloves. It was this item that saved him against the three gargoyles earlier. Surgit''s only knowledge of Arcane came from the Tonitrus and Darkbeast Paarl. Logarius drew an arc in the air, using his glowing long sickle. Red skulls immediately rushed from the weapon towards the two hunters. The skulls were different from what Francis could produce using his executioner''s gloves. They formed a large sphere, orbiting each other as they traveled forward. Francis immediately sensed danger and quickly backed away. Surgit dashed to the side, trying to use the small conical towers as shelter. The skulls had targeted Francis and chased after him. Surgit found another surprise awaiting him as he reached the mini tower. An old dried up face peeked from around the tower, showing its crooked blackened teeth at Surgit. He barely had enough time to bring the sword in front of him, reducing the damage from the kick that broke two of his ribs. Francis was backing away, the skulls still chasing after him, when a body slammed against him. The skulls reached the two hunters at that moment then exploded. Surgit was propelled into the air, his body filled with burns and holes. Francis almost fell from the roof. The impact of the explosion had dealt considerable damage to both hunters. The fight had just started and they were at a considerable disadvantage. Surgit could barely move his burnt fingers, fumbling in his vials'' belt. Francis recollected himself, shot a vial in his bloodstream then ran at Logarius. He wasn''t willing to lose without even landing one hit. Fortunately for Surgit, Logarius was distracted by the old man''s speed. Francis quickly reached the martyr. His katana slashed the air as the withered mummy jumped backwards. Another explosion occurred. Francis''s hair was burnt to a crisp, his clothes but tatters. He clenched his teeth then dashed forward. Surgit stood after recovering. He immediately reached for the hammer on his back then flung it at Logarius. He hoped to slow him down to allow Francis to land his first attack. The martyr suddenly jumped high, avoiding the hammer. Francis stood there, astonished at the tall wizard''s speed. Francis was fast, faster than Surgit by a long shot. But he couldn''t avoid what he didn''t see in advance. The vanishing of Logarius revealed a large marble slab, heading his way. The old man could only watch, helpless as the hammer hit his chest. The impact propelled him backwards, blood seeping from his orifices. Surgit watched, dumbfounded, as his attempt to help was turned against them. Francis was badly injured. The Kirkhammer dealt significant blunt damage. The old man''s legs shook as he struggled to stand up. He searched his pocket for a blood vial. He wouldn''t give up, no matter the cost. He''d finally reached this place after facing so many gruesome monstrosities. He wasn''t willing to give up just yet. "Klang!" Francis'' body was pierced through with the martyr''s red glowing sickle. Logarius held his long staff high, Francis'' limp body still attached to the mysterious blade. He flung the body towards Surgit. Surgit was in deep shock. Francis had been disposed of quickly. Logarius didn''t even break a sweat ¨Cif he could do so that is- as he disposed of the first intruder that dared disturb his long slumber. Surgit''s body moved, albeit with great effort, to avoid Francis'' body. Logarius had vanished into thin air again. The martyr slammed his weapon down at Surgit, going for the same execution he performed on Francis. Surgit dodged in the nick of time, swung his sword and slashed a red glowing skull. The explosion that ensued broke the remainder of Surgit''s fighting spirit. The withering mummy slowly walked towards the injured hunter, sickle in hand. Surgit quickly stood up, unwilling to give up. ''I only need to put some distance between me and this monster. I just need time to think this through.'' A fraction of a second, to most people it flashes by without being noticed. At that moment, the fraction of a second lasted longer than a lifetime for Surgit. As he backed away, looking at the freakishly tall walking wizard-like cadaver, Surgit felt his feet touch nothingness. His mind raced. He couldn''t look down. He had to keep his eyes on the approaching doom. But his feet somehow managed to find an empty spot. It felt like he walking on air. A fraction of a second went by like eternity. Surgit''s mind processed the information, but gravity was faster than his thought processing. He saw Logarius'' feet get eclipsed by roof tiles. He saw the rooftop on which a beautiful throne was erected vanish, replaced by a gray brick wall. Surgit plummeted down to his death. In his despair to get away from the martyr, he didn''t notice that he''d reached the edge of the roof. He fell down, cursing loudly. 168 Cause And Effec Rain poured on the fishing hamlet, washing away the blood that flowed. The giant shark beasts were harder to deal with than anticipated. Gehrman had to deal with one of them while fending off the villagers that tried to fill him with new holes. Karla saw the full might of Old Hunters that day. The first hunter moved faster than her naked eyes could follow. Lady Maria, his dear student, was as fast and deadly as him. Laurence used some sort of magic, foreign to Karla. ''I wasn''t only transported to the past. I was transported to a magical realm,'' she thought as she dodged the spears that were flung her way. She was an excellent fighter as well. The villagers used their fishing harpoons as weapons. Their barbed poles were as deadly as the shafts. Karla had to be extra careful while dodging and counter-attacking. ''What the hell is happening here? Aren''t we committing cold blooded massacre here?'' Karla could only think this much as she fought off waves of scaly villagers. She had to push them back, in an attempt to give Lady Maria enough space to kill those giant shark creatures. She had a hard time already fighting that one shark. The beast didn''t really look like a shark though. But that was the only name Karla could come up with when they showed up. The one Lady Maria fought held an anchor on one hand, using it as a weapon. For a giant beast, its movement was surprisingly fast. One time, the shark jumped at the lady with such speed that it almost crushed her under its weight. Karla was almost affected by the attack as well. Fortunately, she jumped to the side right at the moment when the shark came sliding her way. Even as the beast slid down the slippery ground, it flailed its arms around, hitting everything that stood on its way. That helped trim the mob that was attacking Karla. She had already run out of bullets. The other hunters were busy killing monsters. They had no time to throw some bullets her way. She used her Saif as best she could, switching between the contracted and elongated forms. Lady Maria had cut off one of the bipedal shark''s legs when Karla had reduced the numbers of assailants to ten. The square had been painted red. Scaly fish men were scattered all over the place. Heads rolled. Arms were cut off. Shots boomed with thunder. The grim reaper danced that rainy day. His scythe spilled guts on the floor. Gehrman had finally managed to kill the shark. He immediately moved towards Laurence, killing all the villagers that surrounded him. Lady Maria thrust her sword between the shark''s eyes. Her silver blond hair was wet and disheveled. She re-arranged her hair, nodded at Karla who had just finished off the last villager, then ran towards Gehrman. The Old Hunters didn''t waste time talking or expressing their astonishment at the monstrosities they met. Karla felt like nothing could surprise those people. Laurence blinded the shark with some type of spell, allowing Gehrman to deal the finishing blow. The four hunters stood alone in the square. Rain continued to fall, washing the sin away from them. "What in the gods name did we do?" Lady Maria looked at Laurence and Gehrman with reproachful eyes. "We did what was necessary. These villagers will never allow us to reach whatever they''re hiding." Laurence retorted, angrily. "So we murdered them in cold blood. That''s your answer to everything now, isn''t it?" Karla could feel the tension between the two rising again. "We murdered them," Laurence stressed out the "we" part. "No one forced you to be part of this. We attacked and you followed." "I had to defend myself against their attacks. You were the ones who forced them to though. Don''t you dare turn the blame on me for this one." Lady Maria''s tone was cold, a bit threatening as well. "You heard the lady you brought along," Gehrman said. "Yharnam will fall if we don''t act quickly. How long do you think we can hold against this curse my lady?" Lady Maria shot a cold look at Karla. She felt her hair stand on end when her eyes met the lady''s. "What we did here couldn''t be avoided I guess," she said after a long silence. "More of them will come to bar our way. My lady, this is war. We need to ensure our survival. If they really have a pregnant Great One hidden here, we will have a chance at halting the curse," Gehrman''s words aimed to comfort the troubled fair lady. "My spies never lie. She even risked her life to get us this crucial information," Laurence was restless. "Can we move now? we haven''t got all day." "My lady, we can''t keep talking about this forever. The sun will soon set, and more monstrosities will show up. We don''t even know if we''ll live to witness dawn. It''s a sad world. Sacrifice is necessary." Lady Maria sighed, looked down then moved forward. She didn''t say another word. Karla looked at the tall lady, feeling bad for her. ''Morality is dangerous when you''re playing god,'' she thought as she followed the three hunters. She quickened her pace then walked beside the sulking woman. Gehrman and Laurence followed behind. They walked in silence, observing their surroundings. Rain continued to pour. Karla finally had some time to reflect on what had happened. ''I had a bad feeling before we left the city. I now see what my instinct was trying to tell me." She hoped against hope that this was the only bad thing that would happen that day. The feeling didn''t leave her though. She still felt her heart tighten every time she thought of what just transpired. ''I heard of cold blooded massacres happening throughout history. I never thought I''d witness one. Hell, I''ve even been part of it.'' Karla tightened her grip on her weapon. Her hands hurt from wielding that weapon for so long, fighting horde after horde of scaly villagers. ''I thought I was paying for the crime of abandoning my family to their morbid fate.'' Karla didn''t notice that she was walking, head down. To the men walking behind them, both ladies seemed to sulk together as they walked side by side. ''If Yharnam was my punishment for abandoning my family, what would my punishment be for killing so many innocent people today?'' She knew full well that she was defending herself. But another Karla, vicious and reprimanding, was nagging at her. ''Life is a series of choices. You only lie to yourself when you say you didn''t have a choice.'' ''You chose to let the princess have her lover fuck her without reporting it to your liege.'' ''You chose to run away after her murder. You could have faced punishment. Your family would have suffered the consequences, but perhaps they would have lived.'' ''You chose to serve Francis.'' ''You chose to come to escape your past and travel to Yharnam.'' We reap what we sow. Never had this saying been more accurate for Karla than this moment. "Life is about the choices we make," she said in a hushed voice. Lady Maria gave her a fleeting glance. "Perhaps our choices were made out of necessity. But we actively made them. If we don''t accept this fact, we cannot live the present moment without constantly punishing ourselves." She looked at the lady who was now intently looking at her. "It wasn''t your fault that we killed so many villagers today. It wasn''t their fault either," she said, pointing at the men who walked closely behind them. "Our choices were somehow made for us. The church decided to use blood to heal people, but it came with unexpected side effects. You are only attempting to right the wrongs. Something I never tried to do. The choice we made today was influenced by the decision to use healing blood. "My lady, don''t blame yourself for consequences you couldn''t avoid." The group was slowly approaching the sea shore. "In my native country, people spoke about causality. I never gave it a serious thought until today. The consequences of today were influenced by choices made long ago. Sometimes, those choices weren''t even ours. Their effect however, falls on us." The noble fair lady silently listened to Karla, nodding at her words. "The Yharnam I came from was the result of the choices you may have made today. Perhaps you have a chance at changing that today. I do not know what caused Yharnam to fall to such a state. But if master Gehrman says that there''s hope to save the city, I say we should take that chance. How worse can it get anyway? The city had already fallen to the beastly scourge. If we can change the future today, we''ll alter the future in a positive way." "Perhaps you''re right," the lady melodious voice reached Karla''s ears. "We''ll see this through, then I''ll help you get back to where you''re from." "When," Karla corrected. "And thank you my lady, I''m not even sure I want to go back there." "Weren''t you the one speaking about causality? You cannot escape your past. You can only stall it before it comes crashing back on you." Karla looked down. Mud filled her boots. Her feet made squishy sounds as she walked through the muddy terrain. "I''m good at giving advice, but bad at following them," she said after a while. "Perhaps it''s time to follow your own advice for a change. Don''t you have someone you want to kill?" Lady Maria asked. "He''s too strong. He was as fast as you and master Gehrman." "Someone from your era knows the art of quickening?" asked the first hunter. He had caught up to them to moment he heard Karla''s last sentence. Gehrman and his student revealed concerned looks. "That''s impossible, I never taught this technique to anyone but the lady." "We can speculate all day about this," Laurence intervened. "But I don''t think any of us can come to a conclusive answer. We have more pressing matters to attend to." "You are right," Lady Maria said. "I don''t like what we''re doing here. But what''s necessary isn''t always pleasing." "Your captive''s words have really changed your mind about this," Laurence observed. They had been walking up a hill when they finally reached a cliff. "Look over there," Laurence pointed down towards the shore. "Can you see the creature down below?" Karla''s heart raced, her head throbbed. She clutched her hair and screamed at the top of her lungs. An intense pain made her lose all her senses. She wanted to scream. She wanted to pound at her head until the pain subsided. But she couldn''t do any of this. She suffered too much to be able to move a muscle. All she could do was pull her hair and wail like a wounded beast. She finally lost her consciousness and fell to the ground. "Looks like someone has experienced insight for the first time," Laurence kneeled and checked Karla''s pulse. "She still breathes. Let''s rest here for a while. It won''t be long before she wakes up." 169 Encounter It was late in the afternoon when the group of four hunters reached the inner part of the fishing hamlet. The place looked different than the first part of the village. Residential houses were two to three storeys high. They were taller than the other houses. The ones at the entrance were more like wooden huts. They stood atop one of the houses, looking at the wooden bridges that connected the roofs together. There were many villagers positioned at the roofs and on the ground below. They were all guards, armed with harpoons and accompanied by strange dog-like creatures. "Expect heavy resistance," Gehrman announced to his team. "We should split up," Laurence said. "It''d be faster if two cleared the lower part of the village while the other two take care of the ones patrolling the roofs." "They didn''t come meet us before. But that doesn''t mean they don''t expect intruders. I''ll take the roofs with Karla. She''s fast and good at stealth. If I let you two take the roofs, you''ll only attract unwanted attention to us down below." Karla was happy to split up from the two men. They simply unnerved her. They were cold blooded. She didn''t like the way Gehrman eyed her either. She welcomed the prospect of splitting up. "That''s good enough for me. Gehrman, any objections?" Laurence asked. "We''re better at frontal confrontations. We''ll make short work of the ones down there." "Beware of their dogs. This whole village has gone supernatural. We cannot underestimate their power." Lady Maria''s concerned tone rang in the team''s ears. "I''d be more concerned about those tall staffs in the distance. Is it possible that the Great One they hold has granted them all of these abilities?" Laurence was scanning the area as he spoke. "We shouldn''t stay separated. We clear this place then regroup to discuss our next step." The three nodded then split up. Laurence and Gehrman jumped down. The rain muffled their steps, making stealth easier. Lady Maria and Karla didn''t go through the main bridge. They both jumped from one roof to the other, using the hipped roofs to hide their presence. They silently executed every sentry that had a clear shot at the two hunters below. "I don''t like the ones holding those tall staffs," Lady Maria whispered. "I''ll cross the bridge, take care of them. You take care of the ones that are left in this area." The fair lady ran towards the eastern part of the village. Karla quickly ran towards the other sentries, taking them out silently. She soon encountered her first lightning summoner. It wore a long veil, covering its entire face. It held a tall staff in its hands, ornamented with a glowing lamp on top. Karla ran behind the hipped roof. She didn''t know how those enemies attacked. They seemed very different from the other fishmen. She approached, apprehensively, clutching her weapon, ready to attack. A flashing light attracted her attention. She looked at the direction Lady Maria went to. A bolt of lightning had missed her by inches. That attack attracted the other lightning summoner Karla was about to attack. It turned then noticed her. It held the staff high above its head and chanted in a strange language. Soon, a strange light surrounded her. Sensing danger, Karla jumped forward, towards her enemy. Lighting struck behind her as she sliced the summoner in half. Below, harrowing wails echoed as Laurence and Gehrman slaughtered the scaled fishmen. Gehrman used his pistol to shoot the dogs while Laurence used his arcane powers. They had both split up, each covering half of the area. The fishmen were no match for the strength of the elite. They had all been brutally massacred. The team of four hunters met again at the area below. "That wasn''t too difficult," Laurence said. "Speak for yourself. If one of those strange lightning bolts hit me, I wouldn''t be talking to you right now." Lady Maria was still shocked at the arcane power the summoners possessed. "I saw the entrance to some cave up above," Karla said. The incessant fighting between the two irritated her. She had to intervene and stop it before they started nagging at each other. "It should be our way to reach the sea shore," Gehrman commented. "We should hurry, the sun is racing west." It was dark in the village. Dark clouds covered the sky, giving the strange hamlet an even darker atmosphere. Karla could still see clearly despite the heavy rain. She assumed that the sun was still up, although it felt like it was about to set. She knew that it was impossible, it was almost noon when they first reached the hamlet. Time couldn''t have passed so quickly. She had heard from the others that she lost consciousness due to the insight she gained. She remembered how Surgit reacted to insight after they defeated the Cleric Beast. She didn''t know what it was then, but the Old Hunters informed her of what it was. The pain she experienced was beyond bearable. Laurence had even praised her, saying that not every hunter survived gaining insight. "Most hunters would lose their mind and eventually transform. You''ve seen it with your own eyes in Hemwick," Laurence told her. "Others would go into a frenzied state. They''d eventually lose their mind and die unless they managed to calm themselves." He handed her two medicinal bottles after that, saying that they were sedatives, useful against frenzy. "You''d know it when you feel frenzy creeping up on you. Your blood will feel like it''s boiling, ready to explode away from your body. It''s an ugly affair. Don''t let it happen to you." Karla wasn''t unconscious for long though. She woke up after a few minutes and the group moved forward. All of that meant that the sun was still up in the sky. Gehrman had a point. If they didn''t move faster, night would fall and they''d still be stuck in the fishing hamlet. "What is that thing they''re protecting at the sea shore?" she finally asked as they were making their way towards the cave. "It''s a Great One," Lady Maria was the one to answer her question. "There are very few remaining in our world. The old records say that they have but vanished from this world," Laurence overtook the conversation, happy to play the role of a lecturer. "From the description we received in the report, this Great One fits the description of Kos. We don''t know why she hasn''t vanished like the others. We can only speculate though." The hunters had reached the cave by then. Sheltered from the rain, their ears seemed to have cleared up. It was similar to the effect of ears popping due to a yawn or the blowing of one''s nose. They could hear Laurence''s words echo through the walls of the large cave. "The Pthumerians, who inhabited this land before us, left some cryptic descriptions of the Old Ones. We worked tirelessly at Byrgenwerth to decipher those inscriptions. The gist of it was that Old Ones always lost their children. They could get pregnant, but their child wouldn''t see the day of light. "This pushed them to look for an alternative. They''d select some surrogate candidates, gift them their blood expecting them to give them the child they never had. The Pthumerians thrived thanks to this gift of blood. Their population grew stronger, healthier and far more intelligent than we could ever hope to be. "We understood from their scriptures that the Great Ones had one day vanished. They had rather transcended into another plane of existence. We never expected to meet a living Great One though. We suspected that they still lived, but proving their existence was difficult." The hunters suddenly stopped in their tracks. They spotted more lightning summoners in the distance. Some fishmen were hacking at some rocks with pickaxes, mining materials of unknown use to them. "I''ll finish this story later, we have monsters to slay." Laurence drew his sword then ran forward. Gehrman followed suit then Karla and Maria came next. The dance of death was performed. Screams filled the cave as the four hunters slayed and decapitated their prey. Miners, summoners and dogs were all slain quickly and effectively. The hunters traveled through the cave, going deeper and deeper into the fishing hamlet''s coveted secret. The soon reached a passage that led towards the exit. An incredible sight welcomed them. About fifty villagers knelt before the exit, prostrating towards the Great One that lay on the shore. "Give people something beyond their comprehension and they treat is a God," Gehrman commented. He attached his blade to its pole then proceeded to slaughtering the prostrating villagers. Nothing could stop them from reaching the Great One they sought. It was their hope to break the curse that had befallen them. They had to reach it, regardless of the price they had to pay. Karla just watched the onslaught, unable to make a move. Defending against attackers that aimed to kill her was one thing, slaughtering idle people was another. Lady Maria stood next to her, unmoving. Karla could see disgust on her face. Laurence and Gehrman killed all the praying men, not one was shown mercy. Karla felt bile build up her throat. She was used to killing, but she could never stomach this kind of massacres. Lady Maria''s hands trembled. Karla looked up at her. She was biting her lips hard enough that blood seeped down from them. The two hunters finished their butchery then moved outside, towards the Great One. Kos lay down ashore, unmoving. Multiple murmurs rung inside Karla''s head, she felt dizzy and disgusted. "All of this for the Eye Cord. I hope those two understand the extent of what they''ve doneˇ­" Lady Maria walked slowly towards Kos, her hands still trembling. 170 Through Her Eyes I was taught that we are but a speck of dust in this vast universe. Master Graham had told me about the beasts, the affliction they had brought upon humanity. "This is the general consensus," he''d say. He tried to simplify his language as much as he could. I was but a teenager after all, trying to make sense of the world that surrounded me. "The truth is, young lady," he looked at me with wide eyes, a dab of blue to them. "The only beast that exists is the one that lives inside of us." Never have I given that statement a thought as much as I did the day we discovered Kos. Laurence was overjoyed. He constantly spoke about the miracle of beholding a live pregnant Great One. They needed her child. Gehrman, my master and benefactor, had looked up to this day all his life. Ever since they''d discovered that blood in the tombs, theories sprung up in their minds. Together with Laurence, they devoured books and conducted unspeakable experiments. Like a na?ve child, I believed in their vision. "The queen looks at blood differently," I had convinced myself of saying. "She wants to bear a child of blood, an unfathomable abomination." I couldn''t bear the thought of a human carrying an unnatural child, one born from old cursed blood. "Blood heals. It is our path to evolution, not slavery. We shall not bow to those greater beings our ancestors called the Old Ones." I devoted myself to the church. I worked day and night in that ward, observing the afflicted, conducting horrific experiments. Science required sacrifice. It is only through sweat and blood that we could hope to achieve enlightenment. The day we witnessed that great white whale of a beast was the beast my eyes were fully open. Master Willem was right. "Our eyes are yet to open." Did he mean it as a metaphor? Or was he speaking about something completely different? Gehrman urged Laurence to wait for the Old One to lose her child. She was soon to go into labor. "Their child never lives," master said. "It won''t take long until we have the cord." That look he had in his eyes was unnerving. I saw my mentor in a different light that day. His eyes sparkled. His smile, wickedly drawn on his face, never faded. He sat on the wet sand of the beach, observing the beast''s womb contract violently. Laurence grew restless. He argued that night was upon us. He didn''t want to face the night without the cord. Urgency had made him careless. He feared succumbing to the scourge more than anyone else. I had given a long thought about this; Laurence was convinced the city was cursed because of his actions. He was convinced that the only way to salvation was the cord. "Our eyes are yet to open." We thought of it as enlightenment. We sought the truth of the universe. In our pursuit, we realized that we never stood on top of the food chain. We opened our eyes and world to a world full of mystery. The Great Ones far exceeded our expectations. They were strong, terrifying but also sympathetic. That phantasm discovered in the ruins below the city confirmed our theories. All one needed was a fragment of a Great One, and they''d be able to summon them from the Cosmos. That was the general consensus. I''m borrowing my teacher''s words here. Master Willem argued that the Great Ones were never far. They rather lived among us, unseen to the naked eye. "Our eyes are yet to open." That was no metaphor. Witnessing that Great One lying on the beach affirmed it.Laurence was ecstatic. Using the cord, he and Gehrman believed they could summon a Great One. The catalyst was just means to witness the Great One. As to the appearance of this one on the shore, we assumed that it had something to do with the fishermen''s transformation. The Great One was suffering, being pregnant only weakened her. The villagers were perhaps trying to help the suffering whale-like creature. We couldn''t confirm our theory because the two hunters in front of me had killed all the fishermen in cold blood. A butchery I''ve never thought I''d see in my lifetime. Hunting beasts was one thing. Experimenting on the tormented souls helped us gain understanding. It was all in the name of science. What we had done that day was only in the name of slaughters. We were no longer hunters. We were worse than the vilebloods we hated. We didn''t kill to survive. We killed for the sake of killing. That was the day my eyes opened. I witnessed a dying creature, using the last of her strength to influence villagers. The villagers helped her sustain the child in her. If she couldn''t live, perhaps she''d wanted the child to live instead. But we destroyed all hope. There was nothing more dangerous than a mother trying to protect her child. We had reached the point of no return. A bad feeling overtook me, gooseflesh building up all over my body. "We should not provoke to wrath of something beyond our comprehension," I argued. "Don''t you see? Our thirst for knowledge has blinded us." I had to slap some sense into the Healing Church leader who eyed me with disdain. "We already see ourselves as the better species. This one is weak, dying. We cannot take her child, we mustn''t. Master, please think about the consequences. We only know little of these creatures." Master looked up, his eyes were cold. Chills went down my spine. He was no longer the gentle, considerate hunter I knew. "This one is dying, so is our city. We act to save our own. She acted to save her child. You saw the villagers, transformed by her power. She can''t save us, we can only use her to get someone who will. My lady please, be rational." I was rational. The beast had used her power to transform a whole village. How could we compare to something like that? The sky had cleared by then. The sun was drowning on the horizon, beyond the western sea. Night approached, slowly but surely. Laurence grew even more restless. "The blood moon won''t show until we''re ready Laurence," my master urged the man to settle down and wait. The woman I had brought along was crestfallen. She had seen and experienced too much. She sat next to me, sullen and silent. Perhaps she had felt what I had. Women could relate to a mother losing her child. There was nothing worse than nurturing life, then have it taken away from you by some strangers. I regret not trying harder to dissuade them. I regret witnessing what happened later that night. I regret the events I helped create. I shunned the blood to be welcomed by it later. Is there such a thing as a God? Is there such a thing as destiny? It seemed to me that the more I fought, the more life brought me closer to my destiny. I hated how blood was perceived by the queen. I hated how we celebrated and hosted feasts in the castle. People were hungry for blood, drinking it like crazed fiends. I believed in moderation. I believed in a path to evolution. But that night, when the moon was finally visible in the sky, I heard a murmur. Laurence could no longer wait. He had convinced my master, through constant nagging, that the child had the cord inside the beast. There was no need to wait for it longer than they had to. At that moment, the murmur came, unheard to anyone else but me. I felt my body shudder, a cold sweat broke through my entire back. The Healing Church''s revered leader proceeded to opening the beast''s womb. They extracted the child, looking at its cord greedily. Their smile soon turned into a frown. The child in their hands turned to dust, like their dreams and hopes. Gehrman was furious, Laurence almost went mad. I was the first one to scream though. A sharp pain in my womb folded me in half. I lay down on the ground, panting and screaming like a madwoman. "We''ll proceed with the ritual as expected." I heard my master say before I lost consciousness. "You come with us. If I didn''t have another use for you, I''d have killed you already." Laurence pulled the woman I captured from the arm and flung her in front of him. My master carried me in his arms. I had fallen into deep slumber then. 171 What are the Gods? In the hunters'' dream, two hunters sat crestfallen. The latest defeat they had suffered destroyed their spirit. "We didn''t even have time to retaliate," Surgit said after a moment''s silence. They had been sitting on the couch opposite the fire, each mourning their recent loss. "You threw your axe in my faceˇ­" Francis mumbled. That was the first thing he said to Surgit when both met at the hunters'' dream. They hadn''t agreed on a way to meet in case one of them died. They just knew it was the place they''d find the other. Surgit had no other way to access Cainhurst without Francis'' invitation. ''I should''ve activated that lantern,'' he reprimanded himself after he awoke at the Forbidden Forest. The Confederates'' leader was still there, eying him with one eyeball that peeked from behind that metallic bucket he wore over his head. He decided to squat at the dream, hoping that Francis would show up. To his surprise, the old man was already there when he arrived. Both of them dragged their feet inside the old wooden house then sat on the couch. "Would you stop nagging about that already? It was an accident. That freak has insane reflexes." Surgit was frustrated at the old man''s constant mumbling. Francis sighed. "Forgive me, I just can''t believe how easily we were dealt with. Are we this weak?" "How many beasts like this one have you fought old man?" "What do you mean like this one?" "There are some men," started Surgit. "And women, who transform into hideous beasts. The first one I fought when you and Karla showed up, do you remember it?" "Yes, that giant of a monster isn''t easy to forget." "I believe it was previously man or woman. They''d transformed due to some strange effect blood has on our bodies." "That''s a bold theory. Do you have proof to back up your story?" The old man had his suspicions. He couldn''t make any concrete conclusions unless he had enough proof of the matter. "Remember the pendant you and Karla found on the beast?" Surgit asked. Francis nodded in reply. "I never thought of inspecting the item with insight until I met another beast similar to it." Surgit fumbled in his pockets, took the badge out and gave it to Francis. "Go on, use your insight on this one," Surgit urged. Francis took the Sword Hunter Badge and inspected it with his third eye. A message appeared soon after stating: ''Sword Hunter Badge: One of the badges crafted by the Healing Church. The silver sword is a symbol of a Church hunter. Ludwig was the first of many Healing Church hunters to come, many of Whom were clerics. As it was, clerics transformed into the most hideous beasts.'' The old man remained silent for a long time before he finally recollected his power of speech. "Why did the other beast remind you of this item?" "It was in the Great Cathedral that I met her. She knelt down near an altar, repeating the same prayer over and over again. At first I thought I had finally met someone from the church who could explain to me what happened to this city. However, as I approached and the praying stopped, the woman turned towards me then let out this shout. "I still shudder at the thought of that harrowing scream. But that wasn''t all that happened. The woman''s bones started cracking. I winced, imagining how I''d feel if my own bones broke that way. But the woman didn''t even flinch. She just stared at me with those dark eyes, as if telling me that I was next. "The next thing I know, blood showered the walls of the Great Cathedral. The woman''s body disappeared, replaced by a giant beast. It looked eerily similar to the one I fought at the Great Bridge. I saw this one transform in front of my eyes. What other proof do I need? You also saw the description the insight provided on the badge." Francis listened to all of this with great intent. That transformation was something that would have terrified him. He wondered how Surgit had managed to deal with that abomination. "Death is part of dealing with these monsters. They are stronger, faster and much more difficult to deal with compared to the normal beasts we usually fight." Surgit''s words came as a response to Francis'' inner thoughts. "I learned to take death as a learning pattern. I go fight beasts, I die to them. But in between me fighting and me dying, I take my time to observe their weaknesses. You may not have fought any of these strong monsters. I can tell you this: against them, death is inevitable. Embrace it, make the best of it." Francis was speechless. He was perhaps stronger than Surgit, but he just realized that he was inexperienced compared to him. He was a knowledgeable man, but he knew only little of Yharnam. "We didn''t find the throne room in there. You don''t have to show me where you are." Francis stood up, ready to depart. "But I''m very interested in those tombs you spoke about earlier." "Don''t worry old man, I''ve found what I needed in Cainhurst. We can go together to the Pthumerian Labyrinth. That Logarius sure is powerful, are you sure you can deal with him on your own?" Surgit had a feeling that the old man no longer needed his assistance. "You have experience so much in Yharnam. You don''t back away from a challenge, I admire that. I feel I should do the same. That Logarius is my prey, I shall deal with him alone. I''ll let you come to Cainhurst the next time we meet. I''ll even let you light the lantern there and come and go as you wish." Surgit nodded. He didn''t know what to say to the old man''s sudden fit of generosity. "Why do you think we can''t die?" Surgit asked the old man who was about to leave the workshop. "It is a mystery I just can''t seem to understand. Worse yet, there''s nothing about this endless cycle in any of the books I had read in Cainhurst." Francis turned then walked towards Surgit. "You have done me a great kindness today, even if you don''t realize it. I had thought that I was simply weak, unable to deal with one man. I thought I had become stronger than most. And when we lost so easily to Logarius, I thought that this city would just never allow us to find the truth. "I was crestfallen, ready to give up. But you told me about your experience. You''re someone who never gives up. Even when you were sick, on death''s doors, you persevered and fought to reach this fabled city. If there''s someone who deserves to leave this place and resume their life, it should be you Surgit. If I find anything at the castle''s archives, I''d be sure to share it with you. I promise you that." The old man hurriedly left after the monologue, ready to deal with the impossible obstacle that awaited him at the highest structure of Cainhurst''s castle. Surgit was left alone with his thoughts inside the workshop. He sat there, for what seemed to be hours, in complete silence. A faint whisper woke him from his daydreams. It emanated from the garden behind the old wooden house. Surgit stood up and slowly walked towards the source of the noise. He soon reached the garden. Beautiful white flowers were scattered all around. The bright light emanating from the moon above his head reflected on the flowers, giving the place an ethereal feel. Surgit felt like he was surrounded by ghosts. Gehrman sat down on his wheelchair, sleeping as was his custom. Surgit slowly approached, pricking his ears to listen in on what the disabled old man was saying. "...Laurence, I''m getting old. I''m of little help, and to wake is to die... But I''m not entirely useless... I can still do my share. How long I''ve waited, for this chance to do something." ''Laurence, this old man knows Laurence?'' Surgit was now completely bewildered. ''Just how old is this old man? It was my understanding that Laurence was the Healing Church''s founder. And what does he mean by waking up is dying? Is this why he sleeps most of the time? Or is talking about something I''m not aware of?'' Surgit walked towards the doll. He knew that the old man would never give him a proper answer. He''d just go back to sleep if he ever managed to wake him up. "Tell me what you know of Gehrman dear dolly," Surgit asked. The doll blinked at him, with her porcelain eyes and long eyelashes. "Gehrman? He was a hunter long, long ago. But now serves only to advise them. He is obscure, unseen in the dreaming world. Still, he stays here, in this dream. Such is his purpose." "That''s all you can say? Can''t you think of something else but your programmed speech? I guess you were created just to channel our echoes after all." Surgit was frustrated. Every time he felt that a crucial information was close to reaching him, it would just vanish. He felt like he was chasing after fairy dust. People would say it existed. But whoever looked for it would only be faced with frustration. The doll looked at Surgit, mechanically blinking as if that was her purpose. "Over time, countless hunters have visited this dream. They all asked about things I could not provide answer for. The graves here stand in their memory... it all seems, so long ago now," Dolly started with her sweet melodious voice. "They have told me about the Church, about the Gods and their love. But, do the Gods love their creations. I am a doll created by you humans, would you ever think to love me? Of course, I do love you, isn''t that how you''ve made me?" Her words were a hidden reprimand aimed at Surgit''s last frustrated outburst. "I..." the man started, unable to utter a word. "Love is a difficult concept to explain my dear doll. Gods created us. There were other people who argued that there are no Gods, no greater power, which one to believe dear doll?" "I can see my creator, he stands before me," said the doll. "Can''t you see your Gods good hunter?" "If it were that easy, I don''t think we''d be in this mess." Surgit sighed, realizing that the doll was just an empty vessel, unable to give him concrete answers. "I must take my leave now. Forgive my early outburst. I should have blamed myself, not you." As Surgit walked towards the messengers'' fountain, his thoughts were filled of Gods and their powers. ''Those people transformed into hideous beasts. I experienced the transformation myself. I even saw the ugly beast try and devour me whole the moment I received blood ministration. Are the beasts just part of us? Perhaps we just never realized it until we witnessed the horrors that lay hidden at night. Perhaps the Gods are just our own creation, manifesting during our weakest moments. ''This blood that runs in my veinsˇ­ What power does it have to create such turmoil?'' 172 Suspicious Beggar Surgit left the dream, back to the Forbidden Woods. He no longer thought of Logarius and Francis'' own fight. He had his own mysteries to unravel. The Forbidden Woods were dark and foreboding. Valtr, the league leader had vanished. Surgit took the elevator down towards the snake populated area. He had some unfinished business to attend to in the windmill he first came through. The tower was big, Surgit hadn''t completely explored it. He had a feeling that he''d missed something important in there so he headed that way. Slowly, the hunter crept behind the snake-man, smashing him into smithereens with his Kirkhammer. Next was the other snake man inside the dark tower. He''d anticipated meeting him head on. He was ready to dispose of him quickly before things became ugly. Things don''t always go according to plan though. The snake man noticed the hunter entering the windmill tower. The latter suddenly clutched his head, screaming in agony. Multiple snakes exploded out of his hooded face, then the abomination ran quickly towards Surgit, trying to end him then and there. The hunter unsheathed his sword, disconnecting it from the big rocky slab. Surgit threw the hammer at the beast, staggering it in the process. He immediately took a Molotov cocktail, ignited it then threw it at the snake man. The abomination caught on fire, hissing sounds ensued as a result. The snakes, burnt to a crisp, stopped moving after a while. Surgit walked up the stairs of the dark wooden tower. He soon reached the large open window. ''Now I can finally jump down, without fearing the consequences.'' Wind howled as the lone hunter reached the window, blowing his hair back. He jumped down landing on a tile roofed balcony. A rasping breathing noise reached Surgit''s ears, announcing a large transformed huntsman was lurking in the vicinity. The large beast, a freakish humanoid body with a furred face, saw the hunter and immediately rushed towards him. Surgit was ready for the attack. He quickly drew his gun and shot the beast before the attack reached him. He eviscerated the poor beast, destroying its internal organs in the process. ''Once in a while won''t hurt,'' he thought as he advanced forward. From the tiled roof, Surgit could see the academy''s dome in the distance. His objective loomed in the horizon. It felt like Byrgenwerth kept moving away from him, exceedingly eclipsing itself from his view. He had to make his way to the academy, but different things kept showing up. He wasn''t even sure he was strong enough to deal with whatever awaited him at Byrgenwerth. His last experience with Logarius confirmed his doubts and fears. The closer he got to his objective, the deadlier the beasts became. He had to get stronger, but he also had to increase his skill. He had to fight more monsters, learn how to read through their patterns and react quickly to them. Surgit had learned a lot throughout his stay in Yharnam. ''Echoes make a person stronger. But without the skill to wield a weapon, one can''t hope to fell the multiple beasts that roam about. I need to learn how to react quickly and kill without hesitation. The beastly form I have is useful, but I cannot use it without moderation.'' Surgit found a ladder, climbed up then found himself at the second floor of the windmill tower. The place was dark and decrepit. The wooden floors had fallen, replaced by the remaining wooden pillars. Surgit, with the help of his torch, slowly walked through the catwalks. The moment he entered the windmill''s second floor, his insight activated. He saw a glowing object in the distance. Surgit got closer, inspected the item then his eyes widened. A smile drew itself on his face. ''A bloody Cannon!'' Surgit was ecstatic. He inspected the item with his insight, revealing extra information about it. "Large prototype firearms fashioned by the workshop heretics, the Powder Kegs. Use of this weapon is equivalent to toting a mounted cannon, complete with its ridiculous weight, staggering kick, and lavish use of Quicksilver Bullets, into battle. Such a monstrosity was doomed from the start, and indeed its development was cut short. Yet, against impossibly gigantic foes, it might be just the thing. " Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please clickfor visiting. ''I must also keep track of all these snippets of information. If I keep track of all of them, I''ll be able to put the puzzle together and figure out what had happened in this godforsaken place.'' Surgit felt a cold breeze brush against his face. The direction of the wind came from a spot, different from the one he''d just came through. He slowly walked towards the place when he saw a door leading outside. He went through it then found himself on a balcony overseeing the village where he almost got obliterated with a mounted cannon. The huntsman, in charge of detonating the projectile, stood behind the weapon, waiting for an unsuspecting soul to pass through. He was thinking of using the cannon he had just found to give the huntsman a taste of his own medicine when he heard strange slurping sounds. He turned to his right. A strange scene unfolded before him. A man, wearing but tatters, was kneeling next to some bodies. Surgit didn''t know what the man was trying to do. The slurping sound alarmed him though. "What are you doing?" he asked. The man, startled, jumped up and turned towards the hunter. "Oh! Blimey... Don''t scare me like that, on a night like this -- I took you for a monster." "Look who''s talking! What are you doing here? I didn''t expect to see anyone with their wits about them in this dark place." "There was that beast down thereˇ­" the man started. He had his eyes bandaged, Surgit wondered how that old man could see anything with his eyes closed like that. "Ooh, that thing had me trembling, frozen in my boots. And then you came along..." "You haven''t answered my question. And what''s that behind you?" Surgit approached the man, the smell of rotten flesh filled his nose, almost asphyxiating him. "Oh, thank the stars, you''re fairly normal. Was it you who put down that awful beast?" The man was obviously trying to stall for time, Surgit narrowed his eyes. "What happened to the people behind you?" The fact that the old man didn''t answer any of his questions made Surgit more alarmed. He didn''t like the way he continuously dodged his questions. "You''re a hunter, aren''t you? Do you know of any safe haven? This place is dark and full of terrors." The man kept talking to Surgit, as if the three corpses behind him didn''t even exist. The stench on the man''s body reminded Surgit of Father Gascoigne. "I don''t know any," replied Surgit. "I''m just here to slay beasts." "Oh, yeah, of course not. I should''ve known... This whole place is falling apart once again. It''s the curse of Yharnam." "What do you mean? The curse of Yharnam?" "These beasts, this unending nightmare. Don''t you see? Every night comes with its terrors. The town is in disarray, people lose their minds. There are no safe places left. This town is simply finished." "Such elegant words for someone who feeds on corpses! I can smell death on you old man. Last chance to tell the truth, what are you doing here? And how on earth have you reached this place?" The old man growled, showing his canine teeth at Surgit. His intuition was right, that old man was no good news. "Have you got a screw loose? Or is it your... animal intuition? It doesn''t even matter... You hunters have got more blood on your hands!" "What about the blood on your hands, teeth and whole being old man? You''re no different from the beasts we hunt." Surgit drew his sword. He had no choice but to exterminate this unexpected threat. "Fool," said the old man, noticing Surgit''s hostile intention. What happened next sent shivers down the hunter''s spine. Bolts surrounded the old beggar. Surgit had to cover his eyes. The light emitted from the lightning bolts blinded him. Bones cracked. Drops of blood fell on Surgit''s face. He drew his hand away. The old man transformed into a beast akin to the darkbeast he had encountered back in Yahar''gul. Fur covered the newly formed monster. Its body, thrice larger than Surgit''s, emitted countless bolts of lightning. It dashed towards the surprised hunter and slammed its large hand on him. Surgit barely dodged the attack when lightning struck him, paralyzing him in the process. "Oh, you are a sick puppy... You drink the blood of half the town and now this... And you talk of beasts? You hunters are the real killers." The beast''s deep voice put fear in Surgit. He had never met a beast capable of speech. This one was intelligent, ruthless and used arcane powers to top it all. The beast jumped at the paralyzed hunter, aiming for the kill. Surgit, with unparalleled willpower, willed his body to move away from the monster''s attack. He jumped to the right, avoiding a thrust attack. The beast''s sharp claws almost pierced his body. Surgit realized how the perilous situation he was in. He quickly drew the newly found cannon and blasted the beast away with it. A loud explosion echoed through the Forbidden Woods, announcing a fierce battle in its dark confines. Lightning disappeared from the beast''s body for a moment. The monster growled again, releasing lightning bolts stronger than the ones it had before. The situation had quickly turned ugly for Surgit. The cannon barely damaged the beast. It even made it angrier. The hunter jumped back, avoiding another slam attack. The shockwave that resulted from the powerful slam destroyed the tiles and propelled Surgit several feet back. Fortunately for the hunter, the shockwave sent him rolling back inside the windmill tower. The door leading inside the tower was too small for the beast to fit in. So it stood outside, staring at Surgit with murderous intent. "I won''t leave this place unless I kill you," shouted Surgit. He wiped the blood that seeped from his mouth. "Perhaps you consider me a beast. Perhaps I am a beast after all, failing to realize my own nature. But you, you take advantage of your human appearance to feed on the unwary. Killing you will be my first step towards dealing with this town''s horrors. I won''t be intimidated by your freakish nature." 173 How Different Are Hunters From the Monsters They Kill? There are moments when one needs to face their inner fears. There are moments when one has to stand their ground and fight. In those moments, one either fails miserably or finds strength they never believed they had, lurking inside. In moments of unexpected strength, one realizes they have incredible focus and extraordinary reflexes. Surgit, in this moment of fight or flight, decided to stand his ground. No matter what the beast did, Surgit could somehow anticipate its next move and act accordingly. He let go of his pragmatic thinking process. He let go of his acute observation, trying to read through his enemy''s moves. All that remained was pure, animal instinct. These kinds of moments could not be reproduced at will. Surgit didn''t even realize what had happened to him. He was only focused on destroying the abomination that threatened his life. The hunter shot himself with a blood vial then rushed towards the abhorrent beast that awaited him outside. The beast no longer bothered with speech. It waited for Surgit, barring the door in front of him. The hunter slid down between the beast''s legs, swinging his sword towards its legs. The sword cut through flesh and got stuck in bone. Surgit lost his grip on the sword. The momentum of his slide was too fast for him to control his grip. It didn''t matter to the hunter though. The beast jumped high, landing a few paces away from Surgit. Blood dripped down from its legs, bolts flashed around its body. The monster growled. Its voice echoed through the hums of the blue bolts. It thrust its sharp claws towards Surgit. The latter jumped back, barely enough for the attack to miss him with a hair''s width. The hunter mechanically grabbed his hammer, without the sword to act as a sheath, and slammed it on the beast''s hand. Bones cracked and bolts of electricity went through Surgit''s body. He was in a trance, not minding those bolts'' stings. He stepped on the hammer, used it as a platform then jumped at the abhorrent beast''s face. He landed with both feet, planting them firmly on its grotesque muzzle. The beast staggered back a bit, trying to regain its composure. With a swing from its free arm, it managed to hit the annoying ant. Surgit''s body was flung sideways, bound for the windmill tower''s high wall. By a show of amazing skill, the hunter used the beast''s swing to flip his body over. His legs were now facing the wall. The hunter landed horizontally on the wall, used his immense strength to plant his feet firmly on the wall then propelled himself at the monster. Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please clickfor visiting. Their bodies collided, the beast let out a screeching howl. Blood covered the hunter''s face as he disentangled his hand from the beast''s inner organs. Flesh was torn, intestines found their way out, succumbing to the law of gravity. In his latest leaping attack, Surgit had unknowingly transformed his arms into their beastly form. He used the velocity of his propulsion to tear through flesh and limb. "Give flesh but break bones, right?" He shouted at the beast as he jumped back. Surgit picked up the hammer that lay on the ground, and flung it at the suffering monster. The hammer struck the beast''s left leg, breaking its bones and sending him face first on the ground. The hunter slowly walked towards his sword, picked it up and went for the kill. He stood over the monster, sword in both hands then held it over his head. "Beasts like you disgust me!" he said, ready to behead the injured monster. The beast looked up at the hunter that was about to execute him. "Hunters are killers, nothing less! You call ME a beast? A beast? What would you know... I didn''t ask for this!" Surgit brought his sword down. The first hit only managed to open up the monster''s neck. "Rancid beasts, every last one of usˇ­" These were the last words uttered by the old man gone beast. Surgit brought his sword once more, finally cutting head from shoulders. "You didn''t ask for this?!" Surgit shouted at the dead monster. "When did anybody ask for anything in this life? I didn''t ask to be born, my parents decided to have a human to play god with. I didn''t ask for that damnable sickness. I didn''t ask to get stuck in this unending nightmare of beasts and blood! "Life always denies us what we ask for. This doesn''t mean you should take it by force, to other people''s detriment. You are a vile creature, the lowest scum to ever exist. We''re all monsters here, but monsters with a conscience. You seem to have thrown it down a deep well. Death is all you deserve." The hunter kept pounding at the dead beast as he spoke. By the time he was done, his anger quelled, the beast was but minced meat. Its majesty and magnificence reduced to torn flesh. Surgit was covered in blood and organic matter, from head to toe. His bloodied hands barely clutched the red marble slab that used to be the Kirkhammer. He didn''t even realize he had grabbed the weapon until he was done. Surgit''s third eye activated, showing him a glowing object floating in the air. He picked it up and a message reached his subconscious. "Echoes of an Abhorrent Beast. Pop it to receive blood echoes." Surgit pocketed the glowing core, making a mental note to use it afterwards. His last bout left a sour taste in his mouth. He left the windmill tower towards the deepest parts of the forbidden forest. He couldn''t stop thinking about the beast''s last words. Its eyes showed extreme hatred towards the hunter who executed it. ''Rancid beasts, every last one of usˇ­ even at death''s door, the beast still thought we were all monsters. How different is a hunter from those monstrosities?'' The thought kept coming over and over in Surgit''s mind. Even when he met those snake-men again, the thought still came to his mind like a faint whisper, coming from deep within his soul. Surgit didn''t even realize he''d been walking in circles, mindlessly killing every monster that came his way. The lower part of the Forbidden Woods was mainly populated with snakes. Even the snakes in this place were strange. For starters, they''d attack in groups. It was rather one unit of a group of snakes. They were strangely tangled with each other, forming a crawling union of snakes that came at the hunter. Their faces would face forward. Their tails, tied together, moved in unison. The perfect name that could be given to those creatures was snake ball. Surgit mindlessly hacked at them, cutting them in half with ease. ''How different is a hunter from those monsters?'' the thought kept coming back to him. That beast''s last words made him think deeply about the question. Monsters killed to feed. What did Surgit kill for? Blood echoes? Paleblood? What was the endgame here anyway? Keep killing until one loses their mind, finally turning into the things they used to hunt? Those questions had been asked by our hunter before. But today was the day he''d finally come to his own conclusion, a hint towards salvation. ''The old man sits on his wheelchair, asking me to kill beasts. Because that''s what hunters do he''d say. The doll tells me to hunt beasts, gather their echoes. She''d channel my echoes into strength she''d say. It all comes to those echoes. If I hadn''t muted them, perhaps I would have lost sight of what''s right or wrong. But what are echoes? ''I hunt beasts, and take their echoing dying will. I take part of those beasts inside of me. Just what is the nature of this blood that seeps in my veins? What use does the doll have for those echoes? Does she keep them to herself? Does that mean that she has the same blood in her system as I do?'' Surgit''s mind was settled. He had a plan to find out what this world really hid from him. He knew he needed to keep absorbing echoes to survive. Echoes were like money, a means to an end. If one ran after them as their sole purpose in life, they''d go mad, forgetting about morality. Echoes made people strong, but made them lose their sanity. Killing beasts gave hunters a taste of blood, a taste they could never get enough of. ''Those echoes are what make us strong. They''re also the source of our doom. Gehrman seems to be stuck in the dream. The doll is unable to tell me the slightest info to save my life. Who''s behind all this manipulation? I must reach Byrgenwerth and bring some things to light.'' The hunter ran past the slow snake balls that barred his way. From atop the windmill tower, the way seemed clear to him. Keep heading down until you reach the foot of the hill. Surrounded by tall trees that obscured all light, things were different for the hunter. He no longer knew which way was up, and which was down. It all seemed the same. The trees towered above him, the snakes crawled towards him. Sometimes snake balls as tall as the trees that surrounded him, showed up to bar his way. He''d fling his hammer their way then proceed to cutting the monsters after disorienting them. These were the only ones he killed. He no longer bothered with the small ones. In his mind, the only thing that mattered was to reach the bottom of the hill. He soon heard some strange noises coming from a crevice in the dark forest. He looked down to inspect it. Surgit''s eyes widened as he witnessed a strange creature, something he''d never seen in the city. The creature was had transparent blue skin. It seemed to glow, a light from inside the beast reached Surgit''s eyes. The creature had a blobby head, wiggling as it moved. It was like watching a walking blue pudding, glowing in the darkness of the forest. It had a humanoid body, black eyes that sparkled. Surgit couldn''t take his eyes off the creature below him. Footsteps reached his ears a tad too late. The snake man kicked the hunter on the back, sending him down towards the strange blue creature. 174 Resolve The darkness of the forest remained, obscuring Surgit''s path. He had fallen deep within the Forbidden Woods. The fall broke some bones, nothing a blood vial couldn''t heal though. The blue creature emitted the only semblance of light in the dark confines of the woods. It looked at Surgit with black dots that were its eyes. The hunter couldn''t explain why he felt the creature seemed to have not only intelligence, but also empathy. The moment he fell next to it, he felt his leg break under his weight. He winced in pain, fumbling in his pocket for a blood vial. The creature only bobbed its head to the side, observing the suffering man. Surgit looked back, fixing the creature with puzzled eyes. The creature, with its nearly translucent body and clear blue skin, looked alien, out of this world. Not that anything in Yharnam looked normal, but Surgit was too used to seeing gruesome beasts that it became his new normal. This creature looked like a moonlit lake, filled with glowing fish that swum inside. The glowing fish were the tiny dots on the creature''s body that shone once, only to be extinguished the next. It was like watching the reflection of a starry, moonlit night sky on the surface of a lake. The creature let out a hum, akin to the sound the bolts surrounding the Abhorrent Beast made. Surgit immediately felt hostility coming from the creature in front of him. He instinctively thrust his sword towards the enemy. The sword made contact with flesh and easily cut through it. The small creature let out a faint moan as its lifeless body dropped to the ground. A white liquid came out of the spot Surgit had pulled his sword from. Surgit observed the thing that lay beside his feet. Its body stopped glowing, the blue color faded from clear to dark. The light that illuminated Surgit''s vicinity went off, replaced by complete darkness once again. Right in front, the hunter could see some more lights, like lampposts illuminating a dark street in a starless night. The hunter slowly walked towards the lights ahead of him. The creatures emitted hums in the distance, confirming their identity to Surgit. He soon reached them, blue and fluorescent. One of them had some kind of antennae on top of its head. They looked like the creature''s hair. They moved on their own, flowing upwards without wind. The creature saw Surgit. It probably smelled the blood of its fallen comrade on the hunter''s sword. Its hair literally stood on end. The pointy end of each hair strand emitted a blue light, illuminating a radius of at least a mile. Surgit could see through the forest that surrounded him as if daylight had miraculously penetrated it. In front of him, half a dozen blue creatures were walking in his direction. They didn''t look pleased with what he''d done to their comrade. Their heads wobbled as they moved, looking like jelly. Their hums increased, synchronizing as they made their approach. Surgit sensed danger, unlike any he''d ever faced before. The haired creature emitted a zapping sound. Alarmed, Surgit ran to whence he''d come from. Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please clickfor visiting. Blue lasers chased after the hunter. Surgit was pretty confident that one of those lasers could tear through flesh and bone. Those creatures kept getting stranger and stranger. The lasers seemed to have been tracking the hunter. They''d take curves and chase him around trees. Surgit cursed as he zigzagged around the trees. He used the light emitted from those lasers to find his way through the forest. A series of explosions finally announced that all the lasers have met with an obstacle. Surgit looked back. The alien creatures were still walking towards him. Two of them had their "hair" wiggling above their heads now. The trees that previously protected Surgit from the lasers had new holes made into them. Surgit could even see the aliens approaching him through one of said holes. Sensing doom approaching, Surgit chose to flee. He couldn''t hope to defeat those monsters if they attacked in unison. He''d had a hard time evading the first flurry of lasers. If he allowed them time to attack again, he''d be dead. He rushed through the trees, using their large trunks as cover. There was only a large cliff behind him. He was lucky enough the first lasers were stopped by the trees before he reached that impasse. "Shit!" he cursed out loud as he realized the difficulty of his situation. The crevice he''d fallen through allowed only one way, and that was through the alien creatures. Surgit slowly turned, facing the six aliens that were almost upon him. They looked innocent. He couldn''t believe those cute looking beings could be so deadly. "Bring it on bitches!" Surgit held a sword on one hand, a pistol on the other as he shouted. He had to get past those things, it was the only choice he had. He refused to die. ''Not anymore,'' he thought to himself as he ran towards the blue aliens. The creatures emitted zapping sounds that echoed within their bodies. Everything about them was strange. They looked different, they sounded different. They even walked and attacked different. The "hairy" creatures attacked first, sending their blue lasers in the hunter''s direction. They launched themselves on the hunter from all directions. The projectiles formed a circle above and around the hunter, approaching rapidly. Surgit had to get past this attack. He wanted to prove that he could withstand anything that came his way. He was doing it more for himself than for anyone else. He needed that confidence boost. He jumped forwards, like a four legged animal jumping on its prey. The jump was perfectly timed. As all the lasers converged in one place, trying to hit the hunter in unison, Surgit jumped forward to avoid them. The lasers converged together then formed a small ball of light that shot back at Surgit. Things went outside Surgit''s expectations. He expected the lasers to explode as they met with each other. However, the attack seemed to have evolved. Fortunately for the man, that jump brought him closer to the other beasts. "Let''s see how you can withstand your own attack." He jumped among the creatures. He immediately grabbed one and threw it at the laser. The creatures were surprisingly light. The poor creature was immediately obliterated by the laser. The projectile kept coming though. Surgit felt a hand trying to grab him. He held the creature by the arm and hurled it at the projectile that tried to harm him. The laser was only slowed down a bit. Surgit grabbed the electrifying hair of the creature that initially shot the laser. He threw it at the laser while two more creatures threw themselves at him. The impact of the projectile on the hairy alien was greater than the others. The laser finally exploded, throwing everyone around it back. Surgit landed on one blue alien, crushing it under his weight. Another hairy creature stood, its hair straightening in a hostile fashion. Surgit shot the creature, slowing its attack for a moment. He immediately jumped up then threw his hammer at it. The hammer propelled the beast backwards then slammed it against a tree trunk. Surgit proceeded to disposing of the remaining creatures, exterminating them all. He went back to collect his hammer, put it on his back then walked forward. "Necessity is the mother of invention," Surgit said, panting. "In my case, necessity pushes me to surpass my limits." Surgit didn''t expect to come out victorious. His resolve to not give in made him push on, fight against the odds he''d put for himself. People have their own beliefs concerning their own worth. If one has high self-esteem, it would be harder to destroy them. That is the prime reason some people, deemed dumb or stupid, still managed to get leadership positions. It doesn''t matter what others believe them to be. What matters is what they believe themselves to be. If they go in a fight with complete certitude about their winning odds, then they''d win. Other people with great critical thinking abilities often doubt themselves. That doubt cripples them, rendering them unable to take action and fight for what they believe in. Those people are the ones that die first in a fight. They spend too much time ruminating about their odds. There are times to think, and there are times to fight. The ones who shoot first then ask questions later are the ones who attract most attention. They build the image of a winner, then use said image to pump up their ego. They''d continuously win against the odds. Not because the odds were wrong, but because of their ability to change the odds. We are what we believe we are. Others opinion of you never matters. Odds are just number made up of someone''s opinion. People make mistakes, often in calculations. People judge things subjectively. People can only understand what they have experienced. There will always be something outside of their expectations. At that moment, a true man''s resolve is tested. Would he fight, or choose flight? Would he challenge the odds and the heavens, or would he cave in and surrender? The ones who surrender are easily forgotten. There are too many of them. The ones that stand out are the ones who stand their ground and come out victorious. They''d rewrite history and their words become law. People will talk about them. Victory is just the action of taking a fight and winning. The winning side could be just or evil. They''d still be called victorious.Victory attracts attention and makes people talk about the victorious. The victorious becomes famous, even idolized by some. The healing church won its battles in the tombs of the gods, unearthing something terrible about humanity. People don''t remember the healing church by the calamity it unleashed upon the world. There were other, forgotten lands that had done the same. The healing church was remembered for its ability to use blood to cure illnesses. It was remembered because other people talked about it, idolized it, and helped it get fame. The fame soon transformed into worship. Worship brought on pilgrims. Pilgrims brought money and left with stories. The whole world knew about Yharnam and sought it to soothe their pains. Little did they know that the blood they sought, consumed them, not the other way around. The city soon fell to the beastly scourge, and its existence slowly faded from people''s memories. It had become only a legend, a story to scare the kids from challenging the gods. If it weren''t for Laurence''s resolve, the healing church would never have existed. We are what believe we are. Laurence believed in the healing powers of blood, in its ability to bring people together. He managed to do so, but the calamity he brought upon the world erased his name from the annals of history. Only Gehrman, the great hunter remained, his name untainted. Resolve made those two men make decisions no other person could. Resolve made their legends live on forever, or become a forgotten memory. Resolve makes a person surpass their limits. It is this kind of person that marks their name in history. Surgit was slowly transforming into this kind of person. He''d fight against the odds and become victorious. He no longer feared death, but he refused it nonetheless. Death was his failure, he wouldn''t accept it. He''d gone through terrible ordeals but came out on top anyways. His inability to die allowed him to learn from his mistakes. His inability to die taught him to observe his enemies carefully. His inability to die made him the man he was today. His honed skills in constant battles made him a force to be reckoned with. He had forgotten the gift of his undead status. He now thought of himself as a skilled hunter who won''t back away from danger. That confidence boost will allow him to overcome many impossible obstacles that lay in his way. He was about to encounter one soon enough. Surgit left the crevice in which he was ambushed by the alien creatures. He soon found himself near a large puddle. Fireflies surrounded the area. Moonlight miraculously penetrated the place, illuminating the water puddle in front of him. The small clearing created a gap wide enough for moonlight to reach the ground. That place looked peaceful, magical. Surgit''s heart felt at peace, observing the natural scene that occurred before him. A normal occurrence, fireflies illuminated a small body of water in the middle of the night. This normal occurrence was out of place in the land of beasts and hunt though. Surgit observed the glowing insects flying around. This scene brought him calmness he hadn''t experienced in a very long time. It was something not even the hunters'' dream could provide. Since his arrival to Yharnam, he had been dealing with the extraordinary. Now that he had a chance to witness something normal, he felt human again. He smiled, feeling one with the nature that felt foreboding a minute ago. The feeling was interrupted by grunts and growls that echoed in the distance. Surgit was back to Yharnam, its Forbidden Woods and the beasts that inhabit it once more. He cursed. ''One can''t even have a moment to catch his breath, can he?'' he thought as he inspected the source of the sound. Beyond the large puddle of water was a branching path. One led to the right where Surgit could smell the man-eating boar. Ahead of him, Surgit''s ears could hear snakes hissing. Surgit walked forward, dealing with the snakes was the priority. He didn''t want to get ambushed again by a snake man. Fighting those along with boars would be dangerous. Surely enough, the snake man was hiding behind a large tree, waiting to ambush anybody who''s passing by. Surgit turned around the tree, backstabbed the snake man and executed him. Up ahead, Surgit could see the windmill tower. He walked forward towards the tower. He soon reached a platform that could be used as an elevator. Surgit used it and soon found himself inside the windmill in which he fought the Abhorrent Beast. ''Useful shortcut,'' he thought as he used the platform to go back down. He had secured a quick way towards the dream lantern. 175 Shadows of Yharnam Surgit walked back towards the man-eating boar, he could smell its rotten flesh miles away. The boar''s was walking around in circles, patrolling the area. The hunter waited in the darkness for the disgusting creature to walk away. He silently walked behind it, eviscerated it then moved forward. Those beasts could easily be disposed of with visceral attacks. Surgit slowly forgot about his resolve. Not using visceral attacks meant not inviting the beast to come out. But the hunter had been in one tight spot after another that visceral attacks became necessary. He was tired of this foreboding forest. He wanted to get out of the place as soon as possible. First there were the huntsmen and their traps. Then there were those snakes and snake men. Now he had to deal with man-eating boars and some strange alien creatures. The Forbidden Woods were bigger than he expected. He was sure that there were other important places he hadn''t explored yet. But he didn''t care anymore. He wanted to reach Byrgenwerth. He was tired of exploring an open area where gruesome things awaited him in the dark. He was ready to move on and put the place behind him. Surgit move forward. The smell of roasted flesh attracted his attention. It didn''t smell good though. It smelled like burnt hair on skin, like when someone got accidentally burned while trying to light a stove with matches. The smell of burning hair on skin, mixed with something rotten he couldn''t identify. He reached yet another branching path. One of them led upwards, while the other one led the opposite way. Surgit looked up, he wasn''t willing to investigate the area above him. The path that took downwards was the one that led to the academy. He could clearly see Byrgenwerth''s dome in the distance, peeking from behind the tall trees. Up in the hill, Surgit saw a big fire though. The smell emanated from there. His curiosity took the best of him. He walked upwards, following the smell. He soon reached a clearing where a gruesome scene welcomed him. A snake man stood beside a large fire. Around the pyre stood two large wooden pillars. Another log was horizontally positioned, connecting the two pillars. The log had been inserted inside a man-eating boar, going from its anus and exiting from its mouth. The snake man used a large stick to turn the enormous log, roasting the dead pig. Surgit watched from a distance, unable to make heads or tails of the situation. ''From all things, I could never have imagined this happening.'' He slowly retreated, leaving the snake man to his roasting. ''Who''d the food for I wonder?'' the hunter thought as he walked down towards the foot of the hill. Surgit soon reached a clearing in which three hooded men sat, munching on something below their black hoods. Surgit couldn''t see their faces. It was like looking at darkness. Their faces were either too hidden underneath those hoods, or they didn''t have faces at all. Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please clickfor visiting. "Shadows of Yharnam," his insight kicked in and informed him of the three men''s title. The three noticed his presence as soon as his insight informed him of their title. The three quickly stood up, threw the food aside and dashed towards the hunter. "How worse can you be? Compared to that beast I just slayed earlier?" he shouted at the three shadows that ran at him. The first shadow to reach him wielded a katana. Its attacks were unexpectedly fast. Surgit saw the pointy end of the katana miss his eye by a hair''s width. He kicked the shadow, pushing it backwards. He then swung his sword at his opponent. Sword met with sword and metallic clang echoed in the clearing. The second shadow had reached Surgit and blocked the sword that was aimed at his companion. This shadow also wielded a katana but had a candle on his other hand. The candle burned bright, then fire was hurled at the hunter. Surgit dodged at the last minute. That blast could''ve burnt him to a crisp. He lunged at the first shadow that attacked him, tackled him then placated him on the ground. He didn''t have time to finish the shadow on the ground as the third one rushed at Surgit, a large pole in his hand. The weapon reminded Surgit of the Tonitrus. ''Shit, I have to separate those three from each other.'' Surgit jumped to the side, avoiding the third shadow''s attack. He immediately ran away from the trio, he had to put some distance from them then devise a plan of attack. Surgit finally had some time to observe his surroundings. The clearing was actually some kind of old ruin. Large marble pillars were scattered all around the place, indicating the place''s decay from its former glory. Surgit hid behind one of the pillars, sure of what the other three will attempt. Surely enough, the shadow wielding only a katana reached him first. This one attacked from Surgit''s right. With the corner of his eye, the hunter could see the second shadow, the one using the candle, approach from his left. The first shadow attacked, swinging vertically at Surgit. The hunter quickly advanced towards the shadow, the enemy''s sword missing him by inches. That was the first technique he learned when he was training at the academy. Use your ennemy''s momentum against them. A vertical swing will only leave them open for counter attacks, given the opponent knows how to properly move for the counter. Surgit moved quickly beside the sword that aimed at his head. It took perfect timing and acuity to see through the attack and counter it. Surgit reached stood at the shadow''s face when his katana hit the air. He thrust his sword in the shadows'' chest. Surgit sword pierced the black clothes. Surprisingly, Surgit didn''t feel any resistance from the shadow''s body. His body went inside the chest and came out the back with no resistance at all. The shadow screamed at the top of his lungs, if it had any that is, then jumped back. Surgit was puzzled. That attack should''ve finished him. He cursed, he thought that he was dealing with human beings. There was no such thing as human in Yharnam after all. ''What are those things anyway?'' he thought as he charged after the injured shadow. He didn''t know how his attack injured the shadow, but the thing was clearly suffering from the thrust attack. A fireball halted Surgit''s advance though. He had to jump back to avoid being roasted alive. ''Damn it! They won''t allow me any time to punish their open attacks.'' Surgit had to act quickly in order to dispose of the things that attacked him. He couldn''t allow them to sward him either. Their attacks were fast, hard to read through if they attacked in unison. The hunter performed a somersault, avoiding the second shadow''s attack. In a fight, one must keep track of their enemies lest they surprise them and cripple them. Surgit landed behind the candle wielding shadow and immediately slammed his Kirkhammer on him. The shadow crumbled against the marble slab''s weight. He fell face first on the ground, getting a taste of the Forbidden Forest''s rotten earth. Surgit immediately slammed his Kirkhammer on the shadow once more. He needed to weaken the thing before the others caught up to him. A second blow was all he was allowed. The other caught up to him, one hurling fireballs at him while the other tried to open him up. Surgit shot the katana wielder, staggering him on the spot. He regretted not being able to finish his attack. He had to avoid the annoying fireballs. The candle wielding shadow stood up and joined the offensive. Surgit ran away again, going for one of the crumbled pillars while fireballs chased after him. Their heat as they exploded behind him made him sweat. Two shadows followed Surgit while the third remained in the distance, hurling fire at him. ''That fire thrower is annoying! I must take care of his first.'' Surgit thought as he hid behind the pillar. Sweat covered his body then. He took the cloth he used to cover his face and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Fireballs exploded against the pillar behind which he hid. ''I can''t keep running away forever. They''d corner me eventually.'' Surgit ran left, this time targeting the candle wielding shadow. He slammed his shoulder against the shadow''s chest before it could attack him. He then slashed with his sword bringing it from the shadow''s feet towards its head. The sword cut through the fabric, revealing only darkness underneath it. With a swift motion, Surgit brought his sword towards the hammer''s pommel. He merged the sword with the hammer then slammed it again on the injured shadow. Against great obstacles, Surgit''s quick-thinking always brought the best of him. He was focused on beating the fire caster first. He needed to reach him though, while the other two did their best to block his way. Surgit had to improvise, his unorthodox fighting style evolved in the process. As he brought down the Kirkhammer on the second shadow, Surgit used the momentum to evade the three fireballs that targeted him. The weight of the hammer was essential in this evasive manoeuver. He used the large swing of the hammer to create momentum. The moment it slammed down on the shadow, his body was arched forward, his feet almost in the air. He used that momentum to leave the hammer in place, holding the shadow on the ground, while he jumped forward, performing a dive roll. The fireballs landed on the hammer and the shadow in pinned on the ground. Surgit landed and ran towards the fire caster. He shot the shadow on the face, staggering it just enough for him to close the distance. He reached the annoying caster, snatched its weapon away and bludgeoned him with it. The round mace-like weapon had no edge to it. Its blunt attack, combined with Surgit''s strength, had its effect on the thing though. He was allowed three strikes at the shadow. The first one, katana in hand, reached Surgit to halt his offensive. Surgit danced around the katana''s swing then pushed the shadow against his injured friend. With the mace he borrowed from the shadow, he proceeded to pummeling them both. The katana wielder quickly regained his composure and blocked Surgit''s attack. Fire was thrown, as if a dragon had breathed on Surgit''s face. He jumped to the side, avoiding being roasted alive. The other shadow struggled to get out from under the Kirkhammer. It still had some life about it. Surgit shot a quick glance at the shadow, dismissing it after a short assessment. The shadow was too weak to get out of the trap. The katana wielder attacked again. Surgit shot it, eviscerated it then moved towards the fire caster. Surgit threw the mace at the fire caster which hit it on the face again. The shadow would''ve shown anger if it had a face. It snatched the weapon that fell on the ground and prepared to rain fire at the impudent hunter. Surgit had quickly reached the hunter before it could cast anymore of its fire. He punched the shadow. His fist went through its body. It felt like punching water, empty. Surgit cursed, the shadow swung its mace at the hunter. He shot his pistol, then eviscerated the thing. ''Aaaah the thrill of the hunt!'' a murmur inside Surgit''s head suddenly said. "Shit, that thing again?!" Surgit shouted as he picked up the mace and beat the living hell out of the shadow that was just eviscerated. The katana wielder reached Surgit again. The stress of the fight had Surgit on edge, ready to react at any moment. The fire caster remained on the floor, unmoving, as Surgit prepared to counter the katana wielder. The shadow that quickly approached abruptly stopped. Surgit was taken aback, the fight suddenly stopped flowing, his momentum broken. The shadow under the Kirkhammer let out a deafening scream. The other one, paces away from Surgit, held its head and seemed to struggle with something inside its head. It reminded Surgit of the snake men, before snakes came rushing out of their heads. Surely enough, the shadow had a snake that peeked from behind its cloak. The other shadow, the one under the Kirkhammer, gained new strength and got out of the marble slab''s grip. "Shit! What now?!" the hunter shouted at the two remaining shadows. The candle wielder was quickly advancing as the other had already reached Surgit. He quickly eviscerated the katana wielder then moved to the next. ''I can''t allow them to use those snakes on me. I''d better finish them quickly,'' he thought as he dashed to meet the other shadow halfway. Half a dozen snakes came out of the shadow''s extended arms, baring their sharp fangs at Surgit. The latter jumped high above them. He was running towards his trusty hammer. Surgit quickly unsheathed the sword from the hammer''s pommel then threw the large slab behind his back. ''Hunters sure have outstanding technologies.'' The strap on his back could easily withstand the hammer''s weight. That was at least something off Surgit''s mind during tedious fights like the one he was in. Surgit turned around, the two shadows were slowly walking towards him. Their black cloaks were torn at different spots, suggesting the sorry state they were in. ''Only one more offensive and I''ll be done with this shit.'' Surgit dashed towards the weakest looking shadow, the one that had just disentangled itself from underneath the hammer. He had but a second to act, the other shadow was dangerously close. Surgit didn''t want to extend the fight longer. He suspected the shadows had another trick up their sleeves, literally. He threw three knives at the katana wielding shadow. He had kept those in case he ran into a similar situation. The knives allowed him another second. His pistol shot echoed through the clearing, the candle wielding shadow was on its knees. Surgit eviscerated the thing, uncertain of what he was grappling inside its body. The shadow lay motionless on the ground after Surgit was done with his visceral attack. The last remaining shadow let out a low growl. Surgit could feel something staring at him from behind the cloaked head. Two shining eyes glowed in the darkness. They were snake eyes. Surgit had dealt with too many snakes in the dark forest. They were easy to identify. ''What kind of sorcery is this? Snakes possessing people?'' he thought as the shadow''s growls intensified. Surgit couldn''t make his move. He was unsure of the beast''s next move. The ground suddenly grumbled. Surgit''s heart tightened. He had a very bad feeling about what''s about to happen. From behind the shadow, a large body appeared. Surgit could only run for safety. He ran as fast as his feet could take him towards one of the pillars. He barely reached a pillar, hid behind it, when an enormous mouth bit the crumbling marble stones. The pillar was reduced to dust. The giant snakes looked at Surgit with bloodshot eyes. ''What the hell have you awakened?'' the hoarse voice echoed inside Surgit''s mind. The snake quickly retracted, as if pulled by insurmountable gravity. It quickly vanished, as it quickly appeared in the first place. Surgit realized the golden opportunity he''d just received and followed the retracting giant snake. Its large head obstructed all vision. As soon as the snake vanished behind the shadow''s body, Surgit was upon his enemy. He thrust his sword in the shadow''s body then proceeded to bludgeoning it with his hammer. One hit, two, three, the shadow took each hit with a silent grunt until it finally stopped moving. Surgit took a deep breath, sweat dripping over his eyebrows. A low growl echoed inside his head. The beast had no need to come out. The fight was over. 176 Metamorphosis When he was but a teenager, Surgit met an officer in the army. He was his father''s friend, who came to visit after a long campaign. The man told Surgit of the exploits of the army, about his countrymen. They were feared by most neighboring countries for their discipline and ruthlessness. All of this was thanks to their academy. Bright people were taught to lead. They had a rigorous training, consisting of combat arts, tactics, even art and literature. Their king, aspiring to build an empire, believed that leadership must be acquired through honing one''s mind and spirit. He built an outstanding academy, invested a lot in bringing the most brilliant scholars from all over the world. He wanted to build a nation that strives for supremacy. Most people revered him, including Surgit. He was a man of vision and incredible talent. Surgit heard too many stories about his country''s military exploits. That was his main motivation to join the army. As a young boy, he was brainwashed into fighting for his country. He used to fantasize about the heroic Surgit, planning a perfect assault against an impregnable fortress. He''d dream every night of how his life would be at the academy. He was disappointed when he joined the place though. All the glory he had imagined was replaced with bland walls and tiny bunkers in which they slept. "War isn''t a comfortable matter boy," an officer told him once when he complained about it. "You are being trained for field dispatch. We''re not fantastic schools from the books you admire so much." Surgit''s second disappointment was when he had finally reached Byrgenwerth. He admired Yharnam''s architecture and could only expect better from the place that gave birth to a legend. The academy was small though. There were no lecture rooms, no big halls. It was basically just an observatory. The dome on top was actually used for stargazing. He wondered if he''d find any telescopes, like the ones in his country. An intricate iron fence surrounded the place, barring passage to any visitor. Surgit found a dream lantern before he reached the academy. He activated then moved on to investigate the fence. He wanted to explore more of the place. His expectations were low at the moment. He expected to find some rare materials for the chalice dungeons. They were the ones who discovered something in the tombs of the Gods. They must have materials to explore them then. That was Surgit''s initial chain of thought. Two metallic gates stood on each end of the fence that surrounded the observatory. Surgit walked towards the open one. On his way, he met with the second strange creature. The first one almost killed him after the fight against the shadows of Yharnam. Their appearance alone could kill a person from fright. They had a gigantic head. It looked like a fly had grown in size, almost on par with a human. It had a humanoid body. It even wore normal human clothes. Apart from its disgusting fly head, it also had bones that protruded from its back, three from each side. The six bones had some torn fabric attached to them. One could only speculate that this creature used to have wings that were torn after a long while. They buzzed as they approached the hunter. Seeing a foreign, as big as an average sized fist, flying towards you is enough to send you into frenzied state. You''d flail about with your arms in the air, trying to chase the thing away. How would you react if you saw a human sized grotesque fly? It''d buzz towards you then quickly jump at you. Surgit experienced this right after dealing with that giant mysterious snake. The fly buzzed then jumped at him with tremendous speed. At first, he thought he was hallucinating. But the hunter felt sharp small teeth gnawing at his shoulder. Disgust filled him, he pushed the strange creature away. Surprisingly, the humanoid insect''s grip was too strong. It kept gnawing while Surgit struggled to find his pistol. It was only he shot the thing three times that it loosened its grip. Surgit backed up, injected himself with a blood vial. Just at the moment when he felt reinvigorated, a new sensation enveloped him. Terror, unlike he''s never seen before, filled his soul. The whole world became blurry. In his mind, he could hear multiple beasts shouting or murmuring words to him. They all spoke at the same time but in different languages. Some sounded angry, others sounded in pain. The mixture of different sensations coming from all those beasts embedded themselves in his body. Surgit held his head with both hands. He couldn''t take the feeling anymore. He didn''t know what he was supposed to think or feel. He wasn''t in control anymore. The shout that came out of him wasn''t of his own volition. The sound came, like a howling beast, and blood followed. Surgit felt suddenly weak, but calm. The voices stopped. The feelings didn''t submerge him anymore. The fly was again in the sky, jumping at Surgit one more time. He jumped to the side then fell to the ground. His body was too weak to support his weight. Surgit injected three vials then immediately shot the insect in front of him. He felt strength filling his body once more as blood surged through his body. He had lost ninety percent of his blood to that frenzied state he was in. His insight informed him of that only after he managed to take care of the insect. Surgit was facing the second now as he tried to make his way towards the metallic gate. He swiftly decapitated the insect then moved forward. ''I cannot allow them to attack. That frenzy felt like when I was snatched by something near Oedon Chapel.'' As he thought, he noticed yet another insect walking towards the metallic gate. It didn''t seem to notice the hunter that was approaching from the side. Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please clickfor visiting. Surgit crept behind the insect, trying to land a backstabbing visceral attack. ''Wait a fucking minute!'' he reprimanded himself. He stopped backed away a few steps then observed the insect. ''Something''s not right. It stopped. It feels like it''s inviting me to go and kill it. I don''t like this.'' Surgit had become too wary of his surroundings. Gone was the hunter who''d dive into the hornet''s nest, unprepared. ''I bet there''s one hiding behind that large tree. They''re smart after all. The first ambush almost killed me. I won''t allow that to happen again.'' Surgit silently walked around the tree he had noticed. Surely enough, a large insect''s head shuddered behind it. He observed the grotesque creature that hadn''t noticed him yet. ''They look strange to me those insects,'' he stroked the small beard that grew on his chin. ''They''re wearing clothes, like those fully transformed huntsmen. Does this mean that they were human once too? ''What pushed these to transform into this form, while others developed canine teeth and fur?'' Surgit''s eyes widened. ''Does it have to do with the beasts they consume? Every beast one kills transfers its echoes to them. Does this means that they transform into what they kill?'' ''What form do I have?'' asked the voice inside his head before he could ask it himself. ''Do you remember the body you''re given? I can feel everything you feel. I can sense your heartbeat getting faster. I can sense the dark thoughts in your head. You despise me. But don''t you see it? We are one. I''m just that part you always kept hidden, restricted by all those laws set by the society you grew up in.'' ''You are the result of the beasts I killed, nothing more. You''re not part of me. You''re the devil that tries to stray me off the road.'' The beast heartily laughed. That laugh sent chills down the hunter''s spine. ''The devil? Since when did you become religious? You see all these beasts that roam about. Look at the one in front of you! Look at yourself in a mirror. You''re no different than those monsters.'' ''A mirror?'' Surgit thought. It was the first time he''d thought about this fact. There were no mirrors in the city. The light on the windows didn''t reflect his body. Now that he thought about it, Surgit wasn''t sure anymore. He couldn''t remember seeing his reflection anywhere. Perhaps he did, he was used to seeing his reflection that he no longer thought about the matter. ''There was one when I awoke after the blood ministration. I must get back to the clinic. Iosefka won''t allow me inside, but I must find another way insideˇ­'' ''You do that,'' the beast said in a mocking tone. ''In the meantime, you have beasts to hunt. Bless us with blood good hunter.'' Those last words unsettled Surgit to an unimaginable degree. The more he hunted, the closer he came to fully transforming. ''Am I really a beast you ask? Who are you talking to right now? Who saved you against the Vicar. Wake up hunter! You''re no different from the ones you slay. Go ahead, decapitate that one. You''ll feel the thrill again. ''Don''t be afraid of you really are. Embrace it. It is the source of your monstrous strength after all.'' The voice inside Surgit''s head intensified, urging him to kill, slaughter, and feel the blood shower his body. ''I''m not a monster. I''m not who you tell me I am. I''m a hunter, my curse is my blessing. I kill beasts then absorb their echoes to gain strength. I won''t be influenced by some voices that try to change me. You can''t even control my body unless I give you permission. You''re but a figment of my imagination. That''s right! I made you to cope with the horrors of this town.'' ''He he heˇ­ he he heˇ­ ha ha haˇ­'' the beast inside Surgit''s mind laughed, its voice booming in his mind. ''You keep telling yourself that. I can easily dispose of that insect for you. Observe.'' Surgit''s hand moved without his consent. It moved at tremendous speed, throwing the sword in his hand at the insect''s big head. The sword went through the head, piercing it from one side and leaving through the other. Surgit watched helplessly, as his body ran for the next insect and cut it to pieces. It was ruthless, the way the beast slaughtered its prey. The courtyard of the observatory was swarming with those insect-like creatures. The hunter danced around them, slicing their limbs off before they could even catch a glimpse of him. Surgit, or the beast that controlled his body, cleared the courtyard in no time. He then went inside the observatory. "Such a nice place, it reeks of fermented organs," the beast observed with a raspy voice. Surgit shouted, willed his body to stop. He tried everything he could to halt the beast''s advance, to no avail. "No need to fight it good hunter!" the beast said in a mocking voice. "It''s too early for me to fully possess this body. The thought of the atrocities I can commit with a fully formed body. Ah! My mouth waters." At that moment, a hunter clad in white descended the stairs that led to the observatory''s first floor. "Come!" the beast shouted. "Satiate this lowly one''s thirst." Surgit dashed towards the hunter, brandishing his sword in the air. The hunter flicked the cane she held in the air. The cane transformed into a snake sword, a whip made of tiny blades attached to each other by a metallic thread. The hunter struck first. The whip lashed through the air, emitting whizzing sounds. Surgit easily dodged the attack. The whip though could change course mid-action. The hunter pulled the weapon towards her in a diagonal motion. The whip came back towards her, threatening to cut Surgit''s left arm in the process. Surgit deflected the attack using the large slab of a hammer he possessed. He threw the axe towards the hunter as soon as its blade was knocked aside. The hunter jumped high. The hammer crashed into the wooden stairs, destroying them as it went past them. ''What strength!'' Surgit was astounded at his own power. ''You haven''t seen the rest of it, fool!'' replied the beast. He swung his weapon horizontally. The hunter was still in the air. The sword cut through the air. It was impossible to reach the hunter from that distance. However, what happened next left Surgit speechless. "Dodge this!" the beast shouted in its raspy voice. The hunter was propelled backwards, midair. The sword''s swing was so powerful that it created a shockwave that travelled through the air. The shockwave hit the defenseless hunter and sent her flying towards the observatory''s ceiling. Multiple cracking sounds ensued. The hunter went through the wooden ceiling then through a window at the second floor. She landed in the distance. Surgit could clearly hear the thud, followed by a metallic clang. His hearing and other senses had greatly developed when the beast took over. ''This is barely the extent of your real power, fool! Not only do you absorb echoes to develop attributes on a screen, but you also use them to learn of their strengths and skills. A fool only explains what they see. He can''t look past the basic physical construct in front of him. ''Behind every building, there is a mason who put the stones together. There''s the architect that planned it. There''s also the family that inhabited it. A building carries the memories of those who gave it life. If you observe it well enough, you''ll see its history embedded in its soul, in its dusty walls, in the smell that hides in its corners. ''You only look at the beasts as prey. They''re more than that. Today''s fight was enough for me. I''ll leave you to your puny affairs hunter. And remember this well. Today marks the day you fully realized your true nature. You cannot get rid of me for I am you.'' The beast''s voice faded, and with it Surgit regained full possession of his body. The sudden change of events had left him speechless. He stood in front of the stairs, looking at the destruction he had just caused. "What''s this? What''s happening? What the fuck is going on?" Surgit had seen and fought beasts he never imagined could exist. But the realization of his own nature came as the biggest shock he ever experienced. Somewhere, deep down in the confines of his subconscious, he buried the question that nagged him ever since he became aware of his beastly arm. He replaced the question with a theory. The theory that the beast''s inside him possessed him. Today he took the beast''s place. He was passenger in his own body. He felt and experienced everything the beast had. The thirst for blood, that never ending hunger, the exhilaration killing caused. ''Ah the taste of bloodˇ­'' his mouth watered just at the thought. Surgit stomped on the ground, slapped himself a couple of times. He had to chase those thoughts away. He still refused to believe it. "I can''t be one of them. I must not. Do you hear me?" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "I won''t allow it. You''re just an impostor. I won''t give you this body. I will find a way mark my words. I''ll quell that thirst with echoes then I''ll bury you deeper than ever. I won''t allow you to come out anymore.You''ll be forgotten with time, and I''ll be me. You''ll fade to nothingness. You hear me?!" Silence. The beast didn''t answer. Surgit felt ignored, looked down upon. That only enraged him. He looked around him. The observatory was full of books. Two floors of the building had immense libraries, dusty books stacked all around the place. Surgit cleared a dusty sofa on the second floor and began reading. "I won''t leave this place until I find a way to bury you!" 177 Surrogate Upon reaching the Grand Cathedral, Gehrman summoned two of his trusted hunters. "The lady is sick, take her to my workshop. I''ll tend to her myself." The hunters obeyed and carried the ailing woman to the hunters'' workshop. "What''s the meaning of this Gehrman? Haven''t you just said that we''ll proceed with the ritual?" Laurence asked on edge. "Calm down Laurence, the lady is paramount to our ritual. Tonight, we will put an end to this damnable curse." Gehrman''s eyes sparkled in the dark. "What this woman has told us. We cannot let it happen." "What will you do with her then?" Karla asked. It was more out of curiosity than concern over the woman who had just tortured her. "You go tend to her needs. I have matters to prepare," ordered Gehrman. The tone of his voice brook no argument. "Laurence, we have a ritual to prepare. Summon your doctors. I''ll get reports on the hunt." The old man disappeared into the night sky. Yharnam''s buildings stood tall over him. ''A noble lady with ancient blood in her, tonight we shall find salvation.'' Gehrman disappeared into the dark streets, looking for his trusted scouts. Karla walked towards the tower in which the hunters'' workshop was situated. She didn''t encounter any beasts on the way. The Cathedral Ward was well guarded. It was the most prominent district in the city after all. She soon reached the workshop. The old wooden house, which stood out from Yharnam''s general architectural designs, was surrounded with beautiful white flowers. Karla couldn''t recognize the flower type. She could only stare at it with bewilderment. "Don''t tell the lady about what happened in Cainhurst," a hunter, who guarded the place, warned her. "The lady is obviously in no mood for such news," Karla replied. "Great, we don''t want her to feel worse," the hunter said. He knew Karla. Her fame among the hunters increased after her last exploit near Hemwick. "We know she doesn''t fancy the nobles at the castle but," the hunter leaned towards Karla, whispering. "To storm the castle at a time like this! They even destroyed the bridge that linked to the castle. No one knows of what''s happening in there now." "The lady must not hear of this. I''ll take care of her while master tends to his affairs. He said he''d be back soon. He''ll know what to do," Karla was shocked at the news. She hoped that the lady had some affection for her family. She''d take pleasure in seeing her suffer. The torture that woman had put her through was deeply engraved in her mind. Karla got inside the wooden house. Lady Maria was placed on top of the sofa, opposite the fireplace. Karla sat on the armchair next to it and observed the feverous lady. She moaned as she clutched her stomach hard. ''One moment she was fine, the next she shrieked like a fox being skinned alive. This kind of pain is only Karma paying her back for what she did. I don''t even know what kind of research she oversaw up there.'' "You must hate me," the lady said in a weak voice. Karla silently observed the ailing woman, not uttering a word. "You don''t understand the sacrifices we had to make to reach these heights. The Healing Church, The Hunter''s Order, all of it was but a dream. No one expected Gehrman and Master Willem''s student to gain such power. But behind every successful endeavor, there is hard work. People only see the end result. They don''t see how much one had to struggle to reach the top." As the lady spoke, Karla thought of the mystery that surrounded Yharnam. Everything was shrouded in fog when she first arrived to the city. After she was sent to the past by that mysterious man, the fog cleared up a little. She was lucky, or unlucky, to end up in the Old Hunters'' era. "Don''t you think that your actions, the cherished sacrifices you speak of so much, are the cause of Yharnam''s demise?" she finally asked. "That only proves your ignorance. We''re working hard to save the people we serve, from a curse that threatens to end us all. Cainhurst has forgotten its duties ever since they discovered that vile blood. The people became their cattle. I could stomach it no more. So I left, to fight for a cause I believed in." Lady Maria spoke slowly. Her speech was interrupted by the pain her stomach cramps caused her. "What are you fighting for then? I''ve seen men chase after impossible dreams, only to be mercilessly crushed later." Karla thought of Francis and Surgit. She saw Surgit die in front of her eyes. The man''s eyes extinguished before he could make a move. She was certain that Francis had met the same fate. "I fight for what all Byrgenwerth scholars have always dreamt of. We are weak. A insect can get into your nose and crawl its way into your insides. You''ll die painfully, unable to fight the insignificant creature that caused your demise. We want humankind''s transcendence. It is no simple matter, only by trampling the heavens could we hope to achieve that state." "Which means you give yourself the right to slaughter a whole village, experiment on innocent humans; you proclaim yourselves the Gods of this world." Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please clickfor visiting. Lady Maria looked up at the woman sitting on the armchair in front of her. "Presumptuous bitch! You know nothing, yet you give yourself the right to judge us. Who''s playing almighty now?" "Enlighten me oh dear lady! I''m just a lowly woman, ignorant to your ways." "Forget it," the lady laid down again. She was unable to stand or sit. The pain crippled her. No blood vials could ease her suffering. "Gehrman tried everything on you. Medicine, blood vials, your pain doesn''t subside. If you know so much then at least tell me what''s happening to you." "There''s nothing more dangerous than someone who acts like they have nothing to lose," the lady started. "You hate us all, don''t you?" Lady Maria asked to which Karla answered with silence and a dark look. Lady Maria sighed. "I can feel a new life brewing inside me." Karla''s eyes widened. "What?" "I can feel it writhing in my womb. It is not an ordinary child. I can feel it growing, sucking the life out of me." Karla was speechless. She looked at the lady, her mouth agape. A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. A guard came it to announce the news. "My lady, a messenger had come bearing ill news. Old Yharnam had fallen to the beastly scourge. Master Gehrman is heading their way now." Lady Maria dismissed the guard then stood up with great effort. "I feel powerless. The blood they injected me with was absorbed by the thing growing inside me. I fear this will be the end of me. You stay with me, Gehrman can take care of the matters in there." Lady Maria looked at the silent Karla. The woman seemed to be absorbed in thought, holding her words back. "You wish to know how I managed to get pregnant. How I never showed signs of it before?" Karla nodded to the lady''s question. "There''s this legend in my family. The queen firmly believes it. "They say that the blood of our ancestors that runs in our veins was chosen by the Great Ones long ago. They say that a woman can be blessed with immense power once chosen. But from what we saw of the old ruins of previous generations, that power was just a story to give people hope. I believed the royal family came up with the story to strengthen their claim on the throne. I was a woman of science. I believed in what we could prove. What I saw when I joined master Gehrman changed me." Lady Maria clutched her lower mid-section, groaning. "You should lie down," Karla said. She got up and helped the lady get into a comfortable position, lying on her right side. "I never liked the hunters. The way they used blood from slaughtered prey disgusted me. Blood consumption changes people. It distorts reality, making them worse than the crazed fiends they fight. When I saw Gehrman and Laurence slaughter those praying people, my opinion of hunters only strengthened. "I despise being a hunter. It''s not that I act like I have nothing to lose. My life has been in turmoil ever since I made one mistake. I never asked for this. It was rather forced on me. I was a dead woman, if not for a hunter who saved my life with your cursed blood. I watched that hunter die, right in front of my eyes. That bastard made me watch before he opened up my stomach, or was it the other way around? "It''s funny how we can''t seem to remember the details, just the thing we feel as we experience events in our life. That bastard might still be waiting for me there. Bring me my summons, he said. He only cared about a piece of paper, for that he slaughtered my friends in cold blood." "Did you have a necklace with a lion sigil on it?" Lady Maria asked. "How do you know?" "It''s my family''s sigil. That item is an heirloom, distributed by the Queen. It says it can save someone''s life. Given they can reach the altar of despair. The altar is deeply hidden here in Yharnam. Laurence never allowed me to see it or know of its location. He''s a sly one that scholar. "As for the chair, many people tried using it but none got a result from it. You were the first to ever have used it successfully. Perhaps it''s got something to do with the state the city is in the future." "Can I use it to get back?" "In theory yes, you can try reaching it in the Upper Cathedral Ward. Laurence''s quarters are in that mansion up top. He takes care of the orphans, trains them on the way of the church." "And you''re letting me go after all the torture you''ve put me through?" "You could have told me what I needed to know. Your stubbornness brought it upon you. Gehrman will be back soon. Old Yharnam has fallen, I believe he''ll purge the place and close it down. If it weren''t for Djura, Gehrman would have done it long ago. "Go to the Upper Cathedral Ward. Look for Laurence and tell him that I have important information about the crimson moon. I can feel death creeping on me. If Gehrman comes back and finds you here, you''re a dead woman. He only kept you around to serve me while I suffer here. Perhaps he likes you too. You don''t want the old man to strap you to a chair. What I did to you was mercy." Karla felt chills run down her spine. "Thank you my lady. I will depart at once." "That hunter who sent you here, what weapon did he use?" the lady asked. "It was similar to yours. A sharp blade that whistled as it cut through the air." "Beware of the vilebloods. Even with your current power you might not be a match for him. Their blood attacks are deadly. If they don''t kill you, they''d poison you." Karla nodded. She stood up, shot a last glance at the lady who lay on her side, clutching her stomach, then made for the door. At that moment, the guard got inside the wooden house again. "My lady, master has ordered all the hunters to guard the Cathedral Ward. The situation in Old Yharnam was hopeless. They torched the place and retreated here. Master is on his way." "Very well," she answered. "You can leave us now." The hunter obeyed and left the room. His hurried footsteps could be heard climbing down the stairs towards the exit. "Don''t let Gehrman see you. Laurence will want to come here, but don''t tell him yourself. He''ll drag you here with him. Send a messenger and hide in the dark. The city is in turmoil. Use that opportunity to make your escape. The pendant had already been broken and merged with your body. You can use the chair as long as you think of the place you want to reach. Think of it clearly. You''ll believe in magic when you consciously experience it." With a wave of her hand, Lady Maria dismissed Karla. The woman happily obeyed and made for the door. The bad feeling she had when she set out for the fishing hamlet hadn''t subsided. It only increased. ''Something bad is brewing in the darkness. I must hurry.'' Karla left climbed up the tower towards the Upper Cathedral Ward. She soon reached the last floor where she stopped to take a look at the majestic city from above. The view was breathtaking. The city''s architecture was unique, unlike anything she had ever seen before. It soothed the soul but at the same time filled one heart with terror. The terror came from its scale, its high buildings that seemed to pierce the sky. This reminded Karla of the time she was trapped in Yahar''gul. The thought made her shudder. Down below, Karla saw Gehrman crossing the bridge towards the tower. That bad feeling submerged her. ''What is this old man planning? What ritual is he preparing?'' Karla looked behind her. The Upper Cathedral Ward was behind her. The pregnant lady who tortured her was dying downstairs. From what she told her of the first hunter, the old man wasn''t about to save her. She suspected that he was planning something bigger, something she could never have thought of. ''This is my only chance to understand what happened here. If I go back without knowing, I might as well have died to that hunter who opened me up.'' Karla followed the old man silently. She knew he''d be at the workshop. She kept her distance. She didn''t want him to hear her approaching. As soon as she reached the tunnel leading to Gehrman''s old wooden house, she took off her shoes and tiptoed towards the workshop. She took the blue liquid Dumb Jack had handed her and used it to get inside unseen. Nimble Karla climbed up the large tree behind the house and sat there observing. Laurence reached the workshop a few minutes later. ''I could''ve crossed his path, trying to reach his quarters. It''s a good thing I stayed behind.'' "Gehrman, the city''s falling to the scourge. It''s worse than we''ve ever experienced." Laurence was hysterical, shouting at the hunter who was supposed to protect their city. "The red moon is upon us old friend. Beasts will roam the streets lest we put a stop to it." Gehrman''s raspy voice reached Karla''s ears. He didn''t seem bothered with the events that plagued Yharnam. "We do not have the cord Gehrman, what are we to do?" "We wait," answered the old man. "The lady is with child. The legends of her family were true after all. She will give birth, and we''ll use the child to summon her." "Flora," said Laurence "The night will end, and the blood will be purged. Laurence, once Flora descends upon us, I hope you know what it entails." Gehrman''s tone was serious, Karla''s heart tightened upon hearing those words. She didn''t know why Gehrman''s voice made her shiver. "Yes old friend, I know. We''ll put an end to this once and for all." "You''ll allow me time to bury the woman I care for," said Gehrman. "I''ll help you do it." "No, I shall do it alone. It is my sin to carry. I never thought it would come to this." Gehrman''s words only increased Karla''s anxiety. ''What the hell are they planning?'' 178 Paleblood *** In game item description: "Every Great One loses its child, and then yearns for a surrogate. The Third Umbilical Cord precipitated the encounter with the pale moon, which beckoned the hunters and conceived the hunter''s dream." *** The discovery of the ancient tombs below Yharnam launched a new era. Byrgenwerth was no longer a normal academy, which the youth sought to further their knowledge. Byrgenwerth became the pioneer of a new age. Brilliant scholars found the buried secrets of the Pthumerians. The technology the ancient civilization had far surpassed their own. Scholars couldn''t understand what caused Pthumeru demise. It was until they understood the nature of the ancient ruins, that they could form a solid theory. The remains of the eldritch truth, found deep within to tombs, brought the Great Ones under the light. The labyrinthine ruins under the city were called Tombs of the Gods, of the Old Ones. Those beings, of extraordinary natures, disappeared long ago. The tombs stood as a reminder of their existence, for all curious eyes to see. The scholars theorized that the Great Ones never died, only lived in a transcendent realm. They have left the realm of mortals long ago, leaving mundane worries behind. The theory became obsession. Obsession turned to mania. Gehrman, the first hunter, was obsessed with the thought. He had seen and fought the abnormally strong Pthumerian elders in the ruins. The show of strength only served to increase his interest in the eldritch truth. He had a brilliant mind, pioneering the way hunters fought today. He was behind the creation of the trick weapons. They were more effective, bloodier and deadlier against beast, whereas traditional weapons and armor could only do so much. The decaying iron armors and swords in the tombs of the Old Gods stand as a reminder of Gehrman''s genius. The man devoted himself to slaying abnormal creatures, drawing strength from them in the process. He developed his strength, agility and knowledge of the arcane through the countless fights and hunts he''d been through. His knowledge of the arcane even allowed him to come up with the art of quickening. A technique unique to the first hunter and his student that allowed to move at tremendous speed. They''d vanish in a cloud of gray smoke as they moved, rendering them almost invisible. Their speed increased tremendously as well. The man shrouded in mystery was revered by all hunters. He was the strongest, the wisest and the most talented among them all. The first hunter got into an alliance with Laurence, the brightest student master Willem had ever taken under his wing. The young scholar devoted himself to studying the properties of the Old One''s blood. Willem called it Old Blood. He always warned against its use. Willem thought that the Great Ones had transcended this plane of existence. Not only were they not affected by time and decay, but they also possessed tremendous powers. Such powers that could not be comprehended by humans'' primitive brain cannot be experimented with. Laurence believed that the blood of the Old Ones was the thing that granted the ancient civilization of Pthumeru knowledge beyond their expectations. It was the missing link, between mankind and its ultimate evolution. Laurence didn''t heed Willem''s warning. He popularized the use of Old Blood. He took something that was not his. He then distributed it among people, healed their afflictions and gained fame. Fame spread and the Healing Church gained power. The blood that could cure all ailments was heard of all around the world. People rushed to the city of healing. The sacred blood of the Gods had been bestowed upon Laurence to bring humanity together. The city''s fame didn''t last long. Beasts started manifesting during nights where the moon hung full above the sky. The hunters, led by Gehrman lent a hand and obliterated the threat. The Gods gave blood to Laurence, and gave power to hunters to repel the beasts that tried to take it from us. The blood''s blessing, people worshipped it. They feared the hunters. They let the Healing Church take command, controlling the powerful hunters for them. People felt safe and blessed. Yharnamites started hating outsiders. They called them impure at first, strengthening their right at having the Old Blood first. Then they blamed them for bringing the beasts over. They''d accuse them of mixing the blood of the chosen with impure blood. Only Yharnamites had the right to use it, no one else. The hate towards foreigners only increased after the outbreak in Old Yharnam. Hunters had to burn the place down, barricading the way to the old city. People barricaded themselves in their homes at night, refusing to help anybody. Yharnamites had their own houses, they''d never leave the comfort of their homes to face danger on nights of the hunt. The night Old Yharnam burned was the night everything changed for everyone in the city. A red moon appeared over the sky. A bad omen of hell hung over the night sky. Under that crimson moon two shapes danced, swords in hand, in a flowery field. The while flowers were painted red that night, Gehrman the first hunter fought and killed his dear friend and leader of the Healing Church. A creature, one that can only span from one''s twisted mind, floated above the sky. The night sky was suddenly painted bright orange. The nameless creature descended upon Gehrman. Its face was just a bone, with a hole shaped like a comma put upside down. Behind the strange thing it had for a face, long squid tentacles flowed in different patterns. They seemed to move on their own. The creature enveloped the first hunter with its bony hands. One hand could cover the hunter''s entire body. The creature brought the hunter closer to its face until it stuck to him. The hunter observed the darkness inside the beast''s skull. When it let go of him, Gehrman was a changed man. The moon hung over the sky. The endless hunt began. Laurence didn''t heed Willem''s warning. He used the Old Blood that was bestowed upon an old being, older than the city of Yharnam itself. The use of the Old Blood on the person they were not destined for had its benefits. The blood could heal any sickness or injury. On the other hand, the blood had a hidden curse on it. The curse of Yharnam, as the Abhorrent Beast Surgit met put it. The curse would turn any who indulges in absorbing the Old One''s blood into a hideous beast. A person who has indulged in blood healing, drinking, or ministration has the Old blood inside them. They start, unknowingly, absorbing echoes from others as they fight them or take from their blood. The echoes, in turn, will require more blood. They''d want more blessing, to become stronger, deadlier and crazier. The Moon Presence, or Flora as some would call it, helped the hunter Gehrman when he called for it. Great Ones are sympathetic in spirit and often answer when called upon. The Moon Presence had its own, unique way of dealing with the curse of the Old Blood. It created a dream world, where hunters could never die. They''d absorb echoes, then hand it to the Great One to feed upon. Gehrman''s beckoning of the Great One triggered an endless hunt, where hunters would constantly have to kill beasts to feed the Great One. In return, the Moon Presence would give them strength. The more echoes one hands, the better the reward. It was like a military system that awarded merit. The first hunter became the Moon Presence''s first slave. He''d teach hunters on the way of hunters. He trained them, taught them about trick weapons and everything echoes could do for them. Without his trusty companion, Gehrman had found solace in training the young ones. The city of Yharnam fell to despair. Beasts roamed about and devoured as they pleased. That fateful night, the city was no more. Many others had succumbed to this curse, and like Yharnam, they were forgotten in the annals of history. The city Gehrman had to protect existed on a different plane. It was dream of sorts, but an ordinary human dream. Scratch that, what are dreams? Don''t we feel everything and experience pain during a dream? It might not be the same sensation, the same experience of pain we go through in the waking world. But it''s the pain we remember through our own experiences. Our brain remembers the signals it sends when one suffers an injury. It can only reproduce it in a dream for us to feel it. Dreams are worlds beyond human comprehension. Is it really our subconscious? Or do we travel through dimensions? Live someone else''s life? Perhaps it is our life, but in a parallel world. Our consciousness travels through realms. What would happen if we lock it inside one specific realm? Wouldn''t we live our own life, thinking it is reality? The lines between reality and imagination get blurred. What is reality? Isn''t it what we believe and experience? It is subjective. We can only make our own conclusions and speculations about it. We exist in the world we believe exists. We have a body when we dream. But is it ours? Sometimes we can see ourselves in a mirror, sometimes we''re addressed in a different name. Flora beckoned the hunters to its own world, woven through their memories. It fed blood to the hunters, and asked them to give something in return. Humans became its pets, living in its own version of a glass bowl when one would keep a fish. One would do their best to recreate the sea for the fish, making them believe they still lived in their natural habitat. One would decorate the fish bowl with algae and face rocks with fake caves. The hunters were stuck, with the hopes of reaching dawn. If one reached their objective and satisfied Flora, Gehrman would grant them the gift of seeing the day of light. They forget everything upon awakening from the nightmare of beasts and hunts, like one would forget a horrible dream they just had. Gehrman taught the hunters but yearned for a companion. Laurence was lost, no sign of him after the defeat. Gehrman was unsure if his lifelong companion was beckoned by Flora or not. He stayed in his workshop, teaching and carving. Overtime, the sullen hunter created a beautiful doll. He wished to find the warmth Lady Maria has marked his life with. The doll was but an inanimate object. Despite his knowledge of the Arcane arts, Gehrman couldn''t give life to the intricate doll. He put her next to the workshop''s back door, facing his student''s grave. The grave he dug himself. His student, for whom he had immense affection, had borne the child of a Great One. Only people with specific bloodlines could actually carry the child of a Great One. Lady Maria was one of those. The child helped Gehrman and Laurence summon the Moon Presence. They put the child on the altar of despair and wrenched out the Cord of the Eye from its fragile body, a bloody affair that pushed the crazed Lady Maria to despair. The child she bore was hideous. She couldn''t believe she would one day give birth to such an abomination. The thought alone disturbed her. She was in the brink of madness when she saw her dear master slaughter the child in front of her eyes. Madness killed her. She lay on top of the bloodied sofa, motionless. The first hunter buried the woman. It is unknown why he had so much affection for the lady. Was it because of his genuine feelings towards her? Or was it because the first hunter wanted to use her bloodline to summon a Great One? The woman carried her own curse with her. Kos wasn''t done with the hunters and the healing church. Lady Maria lived her life, in another dimension, trying to atone for her sins. She became the caring mother, of the afflicted ones in the research hall. Her story will be fully unveiled when Surgit meets her again, in a different time, different circumstances. Hunters thrived under Gehrman''s command. They helped the healing church as was their old customs. The world functioned as it used to. It had to make the hunters believe in salvation, that the world they inhabited was the same as the one they left. But other hunters figure out the ruse. The school of Mensis, along with the Choir, kept digging deeper inside the Tombs of the Gods through Chalice rituals. They eventually found a holy medium that allowed them direct contact with the eldritch truth. Those two movements defined the course Yharnam took next. Gehrman grew old and no longer cared for the hunters affairs. He only contemplated the moonlit sky from the garden in his backyard. Overtime, Gehrman learned to dream. Dream he did. The hunter''s dream was conceived, the old hunter lived there, hoping to die in the calmness of this place where only his workshop existed. His doll followed him, came to life but didn''t fulfill the needs he thought she would. He desperately waited for Laurence, who he thought went to find a way to unshackle him from Flora''s prison. Flora soon discovered the hunter''s world and crippled him. He was the most important piece of the puzzle. It had to keep him to keep Yharnam''s image intact. He was the dream''s host, with the Moon Presence eating away at his vitality. It was like a parasite. It couldn''t live without the host, but relied on the host''s vitality to feed on. It even invited other people to join the hunt, using the doll this time as a medium to consume people''s echoes. An inanimate object wouldn''t decay like humans. It had the potential to last longer. Gehrman remained in the dream, unseen in the waking world. From his mind, the city of Yharnam existed. If a hunter rebelled, he''d be dealt with by the first hunter. They''d receive such a brutal death that the thought of rebellion would cease. And just in case they managed to kill the old man, the Moon Presence still had a strong grip on them. No one could rebel against a Great One, not without great power to match theirs. The schools of thought that followed the Healing Church era analyzed Master Willem''s words and warnings. They managed to transcend the hunt, each in their unique way. Karla observed the atrocities Gehrman and Laurence committed. She was deeply shaken by the events. But before she could digest everything, the first hunter had found her. "Go back to whence you came from. Your time hasn''t come yet." She was sent back to the Yharnam she came from. The Great Ones had mastery not only over space, but over time as well. At least some of them did. Some could create worlds, other could manipulate time. Some existed only in sound, formless. The idea of form, bodies, exists in our minds because it is what we can see, what we can comprehend. We''d imagine a strange creature, hideous and terrifying. But the creature would still want to eat, have a mouth and sometimes all five senses. We imagine what we deal with. But what happens outside the boundaries our minds set for us? Life forms we never thought existed hid in the darkness. No one should beseech them. No one should look for them, lest they want to invite calamity over their world. Gehrman beckoned the first hunter. Byrgenwerth was behind blood healing. Laurence and Gehrman invited the wrath of Kos upon them. They also beckoned a creature, whose powers was beyond them, to help them halt the scourge of beasts. The result was a chaotic world, populated with nightmarish creatures. Master Willem was right. One couldn''t transcend with the help of blood. It is only out of concern for mundane affairs that Laurence thought healing was the path to immortality. What people must do, in order to transcend the hunt, is to align their brains with eyes. Gehrman figured this a tad too late. He left a scribbling to any future hunter: Seek Paleblood to transcend the hunt. Paleblood, Flora, the Moon Presence, the nameless Great Ones had too many names. But if one wanted get away from the nightmare of beasts, they''d have to deal with the source of the scourge. Their blood is tainted with Yharnam''s blood. Their minds twisted with the echoes. Only insight can keep one on the right track. Find the Cord of the Eye, consume it and align your brain with eyes. Only, the hunters and Willem never realized that they only had One third of the Cord. They needed to consume three Cords in order to have a chance against the Great One that imprisoned them. The school of Mensis, like Gehrman, realized this a tad too late. They left a note warning the curious and cursed. If one manages to reach their nightmarish world, perhaps they''d find their way to salvation. Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please clickfor visiting. *** "To escape this dreadful Hunter''s Dream, halt the source of the spreading scourge of beasts, lest the night carry on forever." *** Note found in the hunter''s dream, apparently carved onto the wooden floor. 179 Crown of Illusions Francis stood in front of the archway leading to Martyr Logarius. The last time he fought the frozen skeleton, he was humiliatingly put down. This time, he had to fight it alone, without Surgit''s help. Not that the hunter provided him with any. He had actually died because of his stupid hammer. Not this time old man. He muttered to himself over and over. But the old man couldn''t move past the archway. He hesitated for a while before he finally clenched his Chikage, took a deep breath then dashed forward. He wasn''t going to allow a pile of frozen bones keep him from seeing the Queen. He''d searched everywhere for a path to her throne room, to no avail. The Queen must be hidden somehow by Logarius. The only way for him to find out about it was to engage him in battle and bring him down. But how? He was thinking about a way to evade the man''s fast attacks when he appeared in front of him. He was slowly walking towards him, a strange glowing sickle on one hand, and a sword on the other. Francis observed the approaching martyr with calculating eyes. He needed to be careful. Any sudden move and he''d have to prepare himself for the worst. Logarius swept his sickle aside and a large red skull appeared, out of thin air. The skull emitted an agonized groan as it floated in the air, toward Francis. The old man ran at the strange red smoke then jumped aside as soon as he got close to it. The skull exploded, creating a short shockwave around it. Francis jumped at Logarius immediately after but was welcomed by five more skulls travelling his way. They hit him head on. The old man felt his bones crack. His muscles tore as though some invisible force were pulling them apart from each end. He screamed but his voice broke as his throat was torn open too. Blood filled his mouth then the old man was no more. The explosion of the five skulls obliterated him. Francis woke near the lamp again. Remember Surgit''s words, he told himself as he walked towards the elevator. He knew he was against some supernatural beast. Its nonexistent monstrous body didn''t mean it wasn''t one. The martyr had some peculiar weapons too. One could send exploding skulls flying in the air. The other sword, Francis suspected, must have some hidden power. He dashed through the library and towards the snowy rooftops. He didn''t care about the ghosts that relentlessly followed him. He didn''t mind the gargoyles that tried to ambush him. He knew how they moved, he could even predict their next steps. Francis danced around his enemies then reached the archway. He got in, determined to learn more about the martyr''s attack patterns. The giant frozen mummy walked slowly toward his enemy. The golden crown he wore shone bright against the moonlight. Snowflakes gently caressed Francis'' face as he moved to meet his new nemesis halfway. The martyr swung his sickle and five exploding skulls flew at the old man. Francis jumped over them then ran at the mummy. He managed to land a hit before Logarius jumped backwards while brandishing his sickle in the air. Francis looked up just in time to see a giant red ball rapidly falling in his direction. The old man jumped away. An explosion ensued and Francis cursed as he got hit by the shockwave. He injected himself with a blood vial then ran at Logarius. So far, he''s alternating between three attacks, he thought as he approached his opponent. Francis slashed with his Chikage. Logarius grunted then swung his own sword. The swing was too fast, Francis barely had time to get his head away from the sword''s trajectory. The weapon hit him on the right shoulder. He felt his muscles tear and his bones break then shatter. The pain he experienced this time didn''t differ from the ones he felt before. It hurt all the same. Francis muttered all his courage and willpower to move away from Logarius. He shot two vials within his bloodstream then dashed to the right, just in time to avoid a diving Logarius. Francis rolled to the side again. Logarius was chasing after him. He fell to his back then started rolling away, uncontrollably. The roof on which they fought wasn''t an even surface. Francis was pulled by gravity towards the edge of the roof. He''d fall to his death if he didn''t do anything about it. Or if something isn''t done to him. Logarius caught up to the rolling hunter then swung with his sickle. The weapon caught the old man in the ribs then sent him rolling the opposite way. Francis coughed blood, struggled to get on his feet then injected another vial. He wasn''t ready to give up on the fight yet. He needed to learn everything about this martyr''s attacks. Logarius was already in the air. His sickle, held in both hands, was extended behind his back. He dived at Francis then swung. Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please clickfor visiting. A "Bang!" and a "Crack!" were heard as Francis shot the martyr. He''d chosen a perfect timing as well. He shot the frozen mummy before it landed its attack, bringing it to its knees. Francis felt his arm bulging and changing. He thrust his beastly fangs inside the martyr''s chest and tore through his insides. As he retracted his beastly arm, Francis was showered with blood and sinew. It smelled horrible. The frozen body somehow kept warm on the inside. Francis looked at his steaming arm as Logarius struggled to stand up. He seemed too absorbed by the steam and the stinging smell to care about the giant mummy that stood above him. The sight of blood seemed to put him in some sort of trance. Logarius towered above the old hunter. He brought his sickle downwards, aiming for the hunter''s head. Francis instinctively brought his sword upwards. With one arm, he managed to block the martyr''s swing then deflected it. He thrust his weapon and pierced Logarius'' icy body. Francis heard cracks as his sword broke the layers of ice than covered the old martyr''s skin. Logarius attacked with his short sword, which almost cut the old man in half. With astonishing speed, Francis managed to anticipate the attack then jump backwards. He coated the blade with his own skin then stood in a strange stance. The Chikage was sheathed, Francis'' legs were spread apart. His body was lowered, almost to a squat. He leant forward, holding the blade by its hilt, awaiting the martyr''s attack. He was at close range. The martyr wasn''t going to launch his exploding skulls. He only did that to put some distance between him and his opponent. Logarius swung with his sickle but seemed to stop in his tracks. The blood that coated the Chikage seemed to make the weapon sharper. Blood gushed out of the martyr''s arm as Francis sliced it. Logarius grunted then swung his short sword. Francis deflected the attack then slashed the martyr''s leg. He was still standing in the same stance. He''d draw his sword, deflect, attack then sheathe it back. After two more counters, Logarius held the long pole of his sickle in both hands then started growling. Some type of transparent aura started forming around him. It looked like a mirage distorted the air around the martyr. Francis attacked three more time but the martyr didn''t seem to mind him. Francis jumped back then jumped once more. He must have felt something since he was frowning, clutching his weapon hard. With every growl, Logarius'' voice increased in volume. In the end, his voice reached its highest pitched then finished in a scream. A large shockwave covered a ten foot radius around Logarius. Francis jumped at the martyr to continue his offensive. Something told him he''d be able to kill the martyr if he didn''t think too much. He had to rely on his survival instincts now or die remembering the martyr''s attack pattern. Logarius suddenly held his sword in the air then plunged it at the ground beneath him. The sword glowed then a strong wind started dancing around it. Francis looked up then cursed. Hundreds of flying swords orbited around him. They all threatened to fall upon him at any moment. Francis tried to knock the sword over but Logarius blocked his way. Francis managed to counter the first attack and cut Logarius'' leg open. Blood gushed out and covered his face. It''s all about blood, he heard himself internally mutter. It clears the mind, heals body and spirit. Francis seemed too calm for someone in his situation. Swords danced around him then plunged at him from all directions. Despite all that, the old hunter managed to dodge some and deflect others all while evading Logarius attacks. Trouble began when the old martyr suddenly disappeared from sight. Francis looked up just in time to see him flying in the air, holding his sickle in both hands. Logarius swept the air then landed upon the old hunter. Francis smiled then shot the martyr in the chest. As he was about to eviscerate his opponent, Francis felt his right knee failing him. It suddenly became hard to breathe and his vision became clouded. Three swords had hit him head on. One cut half his face, the other went through his right knee and came the other way. The third one had pierced his back and came out of his chest. The old hunter didn''t give up though. He willed his body to move and his right arm to transform. He put his beastly arm inside the beast just a fourth sword pierced his back again. Francis felt the martyr''s warm blood get in through his injuries. He retracted his arm and let Logarius'' blood shower him. It is all about blood, it feeds us, satiates us. Logarius fell to his knees as his blood poured to the ground. His body started evaporating. The golden crown emitted sharp clangs as it fell to the ground. Francis collected the crown put it on his head then walked toward the throne on which Logarius sat at first. The four swords were still inside him. He limped and wheezed as he approached the throne. The snow storm seemed to have gotten stronger. His torn clothes let icy cold wind tear through the hunter''s skin. It was nothing compared to the pain he experienced from the four swords he still didn''t manage to take away. As he reached the throne, the storm''s intensity spiked. Francis stood there, unable to shield his face from the sharp winds. The storm ended as quickly and as suddenly as it began. Instead of the empty void at the end of the roof, Francis saw something new. A whole new building had appeared out of thin air. Beyond the countless stairs in front of the old hunter, the Queen was waiting. Francis knew he''d find her there. Call it a hunch or a prediction. The old man knew he had found his Queen at last. 180 Master Willem Surgit explored the observatory. There were two floors and an atrium on top. Surgit climbed the stairs to the first floor. There was a large hole, recently created near the ceiling. Surgit''s monster had flung the hunter that welcomed them to Byrgenwerth through it. He looked at it, fascinated by the strength he possessed. He feared losing himself to the monster, true. But he couldn''t stop thinking of the power he held. He only needed to activate it, let go of the rules, of the distinction between good and evil. What he''d seen so far in Yharnam proved that the world he was trapped in wasn''t a good one. Everything and everyone tried hard to kill him. There was no talking to mindless beasts, no reasoning with them. The only truth in Yharnam was power. He walked around the first floor of the observatory. It was a library, quite small for an institution like Byrgenwerth. But then again, Surgit never would''ve imagined the academy to be this small. Books were stacked on dusty shelves. Spider webs covered most books. Moisture had infested the wooden shelves, consumed paper. Only a scrap remained unharmed, with some words scribbled on them. Surgit inspected the paper with his insight. It read: "When the red moon hangs low, the line between man and beast is blurred. And when the Great Ones descend, a womb will be blessed with child." "The line between man and beast is blurred," Surgit said aloud. "A womb will be blessed with childˇ­" Something about these two sentences attracted the hunter''s attention. He''s found an umbilical cord when he found his way into Gerhman''s old house. Perhaps the womb had already been blessed with child and the line between man and beast had already been blurred. But where''s the red moon? Surgit turned away from the dust and moisture then headed for a big door on the first floor. No matter how many times he pushed, the door didn''t seem to budge. "To think with all this power and strength, I should be able to break a door open. How ironic!" He walked back downstairs. He needed a key to open the door, and it was bound to be hidden somewhere in the building. It was always like this with Yharnam. It throws difficult tasks your way but still offers you a way out. It wasn''t unfair, just stupidly difficult. He searched the ground floor of the observatory. There were glass containers in which round objects floated in a dirty liquid. ''Nobody''s been to this place by the look of it,'' he thought as he moved closer to the containers. He didn''t have the chance to explore the place before. He was prisoner in his own body, while a much stronger version of himself obliterated all hostiles in the area. White spheres floated in the dirty liquid. Surgit knelt near the container, observing the peculiar objects before him. "What strange objects did Yharnamites study in here?" He tapped the glass, trying to get the spheres to move. The glass was too fragile to take a hit, even if it were but a tap, and stay intact. It broke and a nasty liquid spilled on the wooden floor. Surgit covered his nose then quickly backed away. It smelled like rotten eggs that were marinated in vinegar for a century. Nasty, nasty smell! The white sphere rolled on the ground. Some hit Surgit''s feet and stopped. When he looked down, he saw eyeballs, perfectly preserved. They were bigger than most, but they hadn''t shriveled one bit. "Ritual materials!" Surgit happily exclaimed. It didn''t even occur to him that he was happy because he found a bunch of organs, perfectly preserved in a shady place called an academy. He looked around him. There were all manners of strange objects, either neatly stacked on a shelf or perfectly preserved in some nasty liquid. He could finally obtain more material to access the Chalice Dungeons. He hated the place but it allowed him to grow stronger. It was stuffy and gave him a claustrophobic feeling, but the gain was better than the pain. He was busy collecting Bloodshot Eyeballs, Arcane Hazes and Coldblood Flowers when a chest he hadn''t noticed before caught his eyes. He opened the chest to find a shining slime-like creature stored inside. It was placed atop a crimson cushion. An eye, embroidered in golden threads, could be seen below the slime. Surgit picked the object then inspected it with his insight. "Empty Phantasm Shell: Empty invertebrate shell that is said to be a familiar of a Great One. The Healing Church has discovered a great variety of invertebrates, or phantasms, as they are called. Shells with slime still harbour arcane power, and can be rubbed on weapons to imbue them with their strength." Surgit rubbed the shell against his sword, nothing happened. He inspected the object again then realized he needed to infuse it with three quicksilver bullets. He took three bullets then placed them atop the slimy creature. The bullets dissolved inside the shell then it started glowing brightly. A silver liquid started dripping from it then splashed on the wooden floor. There was a faint spark as the drop fell to the ground. It shone an icy white before it disappeared. Surgit rubbed the phantasm shell against his sword. The weapon glowed brightly. A mixture of white and silver auras coated the sword. A sound, akin to putting one''s ear against a seashell, emanated from the aura that enveloped Surgit''s weapon. "I need to test this on something," he said as he made for the door. He stopped in his tracks when he remembered his monstrous self, clearing the area. "The ladder!" he thought then dashed upstairs. Near the library he had inspected, there was a ladder leading to the atrium. Surgit climbed the stairs, four at a time, then reached the ladder. He soon found himself in another study. There were no books this time, just Ritual Material. Serpentine stairs, at the right corner of the study, led to the atrium. Surgit pricked his ears, he''d heard some footsteps. He needed to confirm his suspicion. When he heard a faint clicking noise, Surgit dashed through the serpentine stairs. A creature with a gigantic fly head, was roaming about the atrium, oblivious to what had happened in the building below. Surgit swung his sword and cut the beast''s back. The silver and white aura penetrated the beast''s body. From the open wound, silver aura started spreading through the beast''s body, like rust consuming a forgotten sword. The beast shrieked and flailed its arms around. The strange bones that protruded from its back moved about as well. One of them grazed Surgit''s arm. The hunter flinched then looked at his shoulder. ''That''s a sharp bone!'' He thought as he looked at the bleeding cut. ''Lucky they can''t control them.'' Surgit slashed twice at the beast then watched erosion consume it. With a final thrust, Surgit finished the monster then walked away. The Phantasm Shell was pretty useful, but Surgit thought he could finish the monster in four attacks, even without the coating. "It still helps limit their movement. Reduces the damage I can take." He pocketed the item, shrugged then walked toward the ladder. A chest caught his eyes again. He remembered he still needed to find a key to open that large door downstairs. Lucky for him, it was inside the wooden box. He inspected the object with his insight. It had become second nature to him, to inspect every object in Yharnam with his third eye. Lunarium Key: Key to the lunarium facing the lake on the second floor of Byrgenwerth College. In his final years, Master Willem was fond of the lookout, and the rocking chair that he kept there for meditation. In the end, it is said, he left his secret with the lake. The rocking chair! Surgit remembered seeing it when he touched the skull at the Great Cathedral. The man who sat there was Willem, he remembered that young man addressing him as such. Surgit climbed down the ladder then headed for the door. He wondered if he''d find the long lost master behind the door. Perhaps he''d be able to give him some answers. He shook his head, dismissing this overly positive thought. If he needed answers in this city, he knew he''d have to find them himself. He put the key in the socket then turned it. A click, and the door was unlocked. Surgit hesitated to turn the knob. Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. What if Willem was really there? The man who rallied so many devoted scholars and hunters must have been very powerful. What if he''d also transformed into some hideous beast? Surgit dreaded the idea of fighting some man with celestial powers. He''d had a bad time against that snake. "Perhaps I''d go to the dungeons, get stronger," he said as he held the door knob, unwilling to turn it. "Ah what the hell! What''s the worst that could happen? Die?" He finally turned the knob and pushed the door open. A bright, full moon welcomed him to the open terrace. The lake below hugged the horizon, there was no end to it. In front of him, Surgit saw an old man on a rocking chair. He wore extravagant clothes and held a scepter in his right hand. The old man looked at the Lake, his back to the hunter. Surgit approached the old man then stood before him, obstructing his view. The old man pointed his scepter forward then opened his mouth. The only sound that left was a low growl. The man''s skin was saggy and pale, too pale. His eyes were covered, giving him an even weirder look. He certainly looked like the Willem Surgit saw during his multiple visions. 181 Rom, The Vacuous Spider The old man rocked on his chair as he observed the vast lake. He didn''t seem to mind Surgit''s presence anymore. He was in fact, content with being in the Lunarium, contemplating the stars. Surgit inspected the man up-close. His skin had grown very pale, almost viscous. It shone against the bright moon light. On the old man''s neck grew some strange fungus shaped things. They had the same properties as his skin, only paler, whiter. Surgit observed them move as the old man wheezed and rocked. His hands and legs hid beneath large robes, extravagantly sewn. Somebody must''ve been taking care of him. Master Willem pointed with his scepter toward the lake again. Surgit turned the other way. The stone railings of the Lunarium broke, or rather had been left deliberately unfinished, near the lake. Surgit approached it then looked down. The bright pale moon reflected on the still water. He got to the edge to get a better look. Surgit''s pupils widened. The lake didn''t only reflect the moon, but it also cast its own light. ''Something''s not right,'' he thought as he observed the strange reflection. He turned to look at Master Willem, still rocking on his chair, then looked at the reflection. He must''ve done this at least five times before he straightened his back. He took in a deep breath, took a few steps backwards then jumped, into the lake. As his feet came into contact with the moon''s reflection, Surgit felt that he''d just landed in a soft, cushion-like surface. The surface immediately gave way and Surgit''s feet penetrated it. He went through the blanket that separated one reality from another, then landed in a vast shallow water surface. His boots were barely submerged. There wasn''t a single scratch on him. The moon shone above them. Its reflection on the shallow water gave the place a celestial feel. Surgit looked up above. He could see thick clouds surrounding the area, but no trace of the moon. Far away in the distance, Surgit could make out a large shape. It moved ever so slightly, but he concluded it was his next target. He approached the creature with careful steps. His legs caused a loud splashing sound, every time he took a step forward. He was getting ready for a fight. He''d been in these situations before, the calm before the storm. The closer he got, the calmer he''d feel. He knew what he had to do, drag the beast around, learn its attack pattern then punish it for the openings it left. The creature in front of him grew in size as he approached. He''d been pretty far away when he''d first seen it. As he got closer, the monster''s features became more and more apparent. It looked like a fat, giant rat with a stone head. It had many miniscule legs that carried it around. They hopped about the watery surface as the beast turned to have a look at Surgit. Its stone face had multiple holes in which some dark slimy bulbs moved about. Surgit inspected the beast with his insight. It read: Rom the Vacuous Spider. "A spider?!" Surgit surprised himself by speaking out loud, in a rather silent realm. The spider looked at Surgit with its multiple slimy bulbs. It didn''t move just fixed him with the strange things within its stone head. The silent exchange went on for quite a while before Surgit decided to leave the monster alone and move on. If the monster didn''t attack, it only means he didn''t have to fight it. All he needed to do was to find a way out. "But where''s the way out?" he asked out loud. Wherever he looked, Surgit could only see and endless sea; a shallow body of water that extended toward the horizon. Surgit turned to look at the spider once more. Willem pointed him to this direction. The spider seemed to be the only living thing in this endless sea. He approached the monster, attached his sword to his hammer then whispered: "Sorry!" He brought his hammer on the beast''s head. Surgit''s arms vibrated as his weapon hit the spider''s hard head. A loud clanking sound echoed in the vast lake. The spider''s slimy bulbs moved about. Then its whole head turned to the side. The creature curled into a large ball then slowly faded from existence. Surgit observed, bewildered, as the beast turned into vapor and disappeared. He looked around, trying to see if a door had been opened, leading him outside. But he saw the spider, appearing several feet away from him. It moved its head upwards then some dark balls fell from the sky. Surgit moved closer to see that the balls were actually spiders. There were at least two dozen, surrounding the Vacuous Spider. They all had heads made of hard rock. When they moved, their thin legs faintly splashed water around.They saw Surgit then came running at him. The hunter swiftly dodged the creatures then flattened them with his Kirkhammer. He was lucky to have attacked Rom on the head. ''Avoid their heads and they''ll be easy to squash,'' he kept telling himself as he swung his hammer. The little spiders were a headache to deal with though. They crowded Surgit then started jumping at him. Their momentum carried them high in the sky. When they came plunging down, their heads were aimed at the ground, at Surgit. The hunter dodged the first one but didn''t have time to attack it. He had to jump at least three times before realizing he had to run to safety. ''I shouldn''t allow them to team up on me,'' he thought as he jumped away from the swarm. Behind the numerous small spiders, Rom stood, unmoving. It looked vulnerable, unwilling to fight back. Surgit smirked then jumped back even further. The spiders followed the hunter for a while then stopped. They started walking back to Rom. ''So you summoned protector!'' he thought as he observed the retreating creatures. ''Let''s see how many hits I can land before they swarm me again!'' Surgit ran as fast as he could. He dashed beyond the spiders, not paying them any heed. They were going to notice his plan soon. He had to act quickly and swiftly. He soon reached the Vacuous Spider then swung the hammer at the back of its body. The spiders let out multiple shrieks then started running toward Surgit. The hunter landed two more hits before the others reached him. He dodged some sharp spider legs then jumped away from danger. Before Surgit''s eyes, the spider curled up again. A strange mist enveloped the monster as its body rotated three times then stopped. Rom didn''t teleport this time. But more spiders rained down on Surgit. He cursed under his breath. He had to get rid of the spiders before more would show up and make his life miserable. He wanted to find a shortcut to disposing of his prey, but the shortcut seemed to have cost him. He spent a long time clearing the area of small, but dangerous spiders. Their legs were pointy and as sharp as steel. One hit almost managed to perforate his shoulder. Another hit cut his leg open, from hip bone to ankle. He used three vials to completely regain control over his leg. He had to stay on the move, baiting spiders two at a time. He could deal with three of them, but the probability of having a fourth then fifth ganging up on him didn''t seem appealing. He stayed on the move, dodging and punishing until he was left with one final spider. He slowly walked towards the Vacuous Spider while rubbing the Phantasm against his sword. The weapon shone a celestial white color. Surgit jumped at the spider and sliced as fast as he could. The creature moved about, as if affected by the hunter''s attacks. It was hard to know what it was feeling or how it was reacting. It was a big lump of furry flesh. It didn''t seem to breathe or emit any sound. Its fur shone the same color as Surgit''s sword. After six or seven swings, the spider curled into a ball again. "Oh no you don''t!" Surgit shouted as he attached the sword to the hammer then brought it down on the beast. The weapon went through the spider''s body, as though it were made of smoke. The beast disappeared and reappeared behind Surgit, several feet away. The spider raised its head to the sky and move spiders fell down. "Here we go againˇ­" The hunter ran towards the spiders. He knew what to do this time around. ''Drag them around. Finish them slowly then attack the helpless one,'' he continuously mumbled as he took two spiders down. The others noticed his presence then started running toward him. Surgit jumped back, leading the spiders away. He''d dodge to the right every time one of them approached then cut it down. With the Phantasm''s help, the spiders fell down in one strike. Surgit was focused on bringing the little creatures down as effectively as possible. He didn''t expect Rom to fight back. The Vacuous Spider suddenly rose on its tiny hind legs then fluttered its front legs in the air. A strange sound could be heard inside Surgit''s head. He knew it was the Spider''s voice, but couldn''t figure out how he''d known it. A purple light in the sky caught Surgit''s attention. More spiders were approaching him as he jumped backwards. The sky seemed to have torn. Then an opening, it looked as though another dark space had appeared through a tear in Surgit''s reality. Stars shone in the dark space. Then shiny blue objects came flying out of it. Surgit observed with horror as meteors, as large as mountain rocks, were falling in his direction. Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. He ran for it. The meteors landed with a loud bang. Surgit could feel the after effect of the explosion behind him. His clothes fluttered, and he seemed to have been pushed a bit further. The second meteor fell and Surgit was thrown several feet forward. Thanks to his incredible, not to mention supernatural, reflexes, the hunter managed to keep his footing. He ran from five celestial projectiles then turned to look at the large spider. He looked at it under a new light this time around, a terrifying one. Rom''s kin didn''t seem to be affected by the meteor strike. It only seemed to target and hurt hunters. Surgit cursed. In order to take the beast down, he''d have to get closer. Getting closer meant being skewered by multiple spiders with eight sharp legs. He had to rely on his supernatural strength and speed to take care of Rom and its spiders at the same time. He didn''t know if it were feasible, but he had to try it. Surgit dashed forward, avoiding some spiders and slicing others. He soon reached Rom when the beast rolled, its back on the ground. It wriggled there for a moment. Surgit was about to hurl himself at the monster when he noticed a bright blue light underneath his feet. He jumped back just in time to see meteor rising from underground. They shot to the air then disappeared in the sky. Surgit let out a sigh of relief then dashed at the monster. He had to land at least two or three hits before its kin caught up. As he landed the first swing, the spider started flailing about. Its heavy body splashed at the water and shook the ground. Surgit was slammed by the beast and thrown a few paces backwards. Two spiders plunged at him from above. Surgit quickly rolled to the side, got up and skewered the monsters exposed bodies. More of them swarmed the hunter. He dodged and punished while more than a dozen legs were swinging in his direction. He had to get away from this dire situation. He didn''t want to die yet. He wanted to see what other tricks the spider had left for him. He glanced at Rom''s direction to see it standing on its hind legs. The spiders that attacked Surgit quickly retreated. He was surprised at how fast they could retreat. Explosion ensued, The whole lake shook as six meteors landed, obliterating the hunter into smithereens. 182 Frenzy Surgit woke up outside the academy. The lantern by his side emitted a bright blue light while it hummed, like a gas lantern. The creature he just fought was called a spider, but it didn''t look like one, not even remotely. It looked like a giant rat with tiny feet. Everything beyond the forbidden forest looked strangely deformed. The snake summoning shadows were the first, followed by the fly-like creatures. He received help from his alter-self, the monster that threatened to take over. But the monster declared he was done helping unless the hunter asked for it. Surgit was determined to never ask for his assistance. He could do just fine by himself. All he needed was to gather enough echoes and transform them into his own strength. He wondered whether or not he should go back to that lake and fight the spider. All he had to do was avoid those annoying meteors. ''Rom isn''t that hard to deal with,'' he thought, still standing near the lantern. ''I''ve gathered enough material to open a new chalice dungeon. Maybe I should go there, get stronger then come back and make short work of the spider.'' The deformed fly creatures were pacing around the academy, emitting little to no sound as they walked about. Surgit observed them from a distance. In a split second he had made his decision. He walked down toward the observatory then disposed of the patrolling fly. He opened the metallic gate leading directly inside the building before. He didn''t have to fight all the monsters on his way anymore, but he decided to do so anyway. Find authorized novels in WebnovelŁ¬faster updates, better experienceŁ¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. ''Good practice,'' he thought as he walked toward the pair that hid behind a large tree. If he was to dispose of all the spiders that surrounded Rom, he needed to be quick and effective. He waited for the first fly-like creature to emerge from behind the tree before he showed himself. He wanted them both to see him and attack. His plan worked, and both creatures ran toward him. He avoided the first one and dodged the second''s swing. He didn''t want to kill them, not yet anyway. In order to grow, he needed a much better plan. He kept dodging the monsters and backing away. He was now near the entrance to the observatory. To his right, a brain-sucker lurked near a tree. To his left, there was a strange, gigantic insect. Above the insect, two other fly creatures awaited in ambush. He got their attention, all of them, and dragged them below the Lunarium. He was surrounded by five fly-creatures, a cosmic insect and a brain-sucker. It was time to put his plan in motion. The flies were fast and could surprise him from above. The brain sucker used some kind of magic to bind his opponent. And the cosmic insect could hurl meteors at him. It was a perfect simulation for the fight against Rom. Two flies came at him at once. Surgit impaled the first one with his sword and punched the other one as soon as it took flight, hurling it at the brain-sucker. He turned around to deal with another fly but a bright orange light attracted his attention. He looked up too late. The meteor was too close for him to dodge and he took it head on. He woke up near the dream lantern and repeated the same thing. He needed to activate all his senses. He needed to anticipate the monsters'' attacks without the need to observe them. It was easier said than done. Every time he slew two beasts, the third would get him. He attempted to get rid of the cosmic insect but the brain sucker immobilized him just in time for the meteor to obliterate him. Attempt number twentyˇ­ Frustration started building upˇ­ ''I refuse to keep losing to big monsters. This is the only way to move forwardˇ­'' he kept telling himself over and over. The monster inside chuckled every time the hunter died. The monster inside didn''t show up to help, but it made sure to taunt his alter-self. Surgit tried hard to ignore the taunts and hisses (laughter he assumed), and focused on the fight ahead of him. He was used to each monster''s attack pattern by now. What irritated him was his inability to fight them all at once without taking a hit. One hit meant losing his momentum, which inevitably ended in disaster. He learned how to dodge the flying attacks just in time to counter and slash. He learned that ducking under the energy sent by the brain-sucker meant he could avoid it. He also learned that the cosmic beast had a weakness, its head. He only had to shoot it to interrupt the meteor summoning. Thirtieth attemptˇ­ Surgit managed to kill all the flies and interrupted the cosmic insect''s meteor. But the brain-sucker surprised him with a back stab. He was determined to take care of them all without taking a single hit. He didn''t want to use a single blood vial to heal. This time, after thirty deaths, he had a clear idea on what to do. ''Clear your mind Surgit,'' he kept repeating. ''Don''t overthink, don''t swing too hard. Be quick, decisive and deadly.'' He got the monsters'' attention again and dragged them along under the Lunarium. It was now or never. He had to be strict with himself. He didn''t have a master to teach him the right way. He couldn''t go home and call it a day either. There was no home to go to. There were only monsters, silence, and blood, too much blood. The monsters surrounded the hunter, circling around him. That was a first. It seemed as though they grew tired of ganging up on him. They waited for him to make the first move. But he stood in place, unmoving. His eyes were trained on the creatures in front of him. His ears were pricked for any movement behind him. One hand tightly clutched a sword while the other held his pistol. A fly ran at him while another jumped from behind. He saw the brain-sucker lift his arm in the distance. He heard that eerie metallic sound that announced the meteor summoning. He jumped back just in time to avoid the fly that jumped at him and shot, quite blindly, his pistol at the cosmic insect. He ducked to avoid the spell then thrust his sword to the side. It connected. The blade was strategically placed, between the fly''s enormous cage of a head and its tiny neck. He had realized that it was their weak spot. The first fly fell down, motionless. Surgit reached for the hammer that was strapped to his back and brought it down on the fly that had jumped at him. Using the momentum of the downward attack, Surgit executed a front flip and hurled his sword at the brain-sucker. Their weakness was thrust attack. The weapon got in from the chest and through the back, like a hot knife through butter. The other flies were now close to the hunter who shot the first one to his right, interrupting its dash. He seized the monster by its enormous head and pushed it at the others then jumped backwards. A meteor was summoned and crashed. Surgit was well away from the explosion by the time the projectile hit the ground. He retrieved his sword from the brain-sucker''s corpse and awaited the flies that survived the meteor blast. Two of them remained. They were running at him when he heard another humming in the distance, announcing another meteor attack. Surgit shot the cosmic insect in the head. Before the summoning, Surgit learned, a rift in the cosmos opens up by the beast''s head. One well-placed shot was enough to kill the beast. But he only had a few seconds to do so. He urged himself not to think, go with the flow, his muscles would do the rest. Indeed, his arms rose to the appropriate level. He was in the right range, he knew it, he felt it. The bullet was released and his right arm swung at the first fly to reach him. The monster fell to its knees and Surgit thrust his sword down its gullet. The cosmic insect had disappeared. That was a good sign. His shot was well-placed. The second fly tried to swing but Surgit was faster. He shot his pistol and the beast was brought to its knees. A visceral attack and he was done, no hits, no hustle. He''d executed his plan without overthinking it. He was ready. ''Not bad,'' his alter-self whispered. ''I would''ve killed them in two seconds though.'' ''If you''re not willing to help,'' Surgit replied. ''I suggest you go to sleep. Leave me alone.'' ''I can''t leave you alone,'' his beastly-self replied. ''I am you. There''s nowhere for me to go to.'' ''Then observe in silence. Your remarks distract me.'' ''A warrior doesn''t let himself get distracted by his own demons,'' the beast mused. ''When did you become so benevolent?'' Surgit sneered. ''Why advise the person that wants to banish you?'' ''The more you die, the better it is for me,'' the beast said. ''There you go again,'' Surgit scoffed, ''advising me not to die.'' ''No,'' the beast retorted. ''I''m just distracting you.'' Its voice was now that of mockery, of ultimate victory. ''What are you-'' Surgit had forgotten about the fly creature near the auxiliary entrance to the observatory. The commotion had attracted its attention and it found its way toward the hunter. Surgit felt the creature''s antennae dig deep inside his brain. He heard the beast''s rough, hoarse laughter. He heard screams and other people''s jeers. He heard them banish him from their city. He heard them insult him and saw them throwing rocks at him. Then he opened his eyes, he was in front of the observatory. The fly had just let go of him. He felt his blood boiling and his mind thinking of every terrible thing he''d ever experienced at once. He couldn''t take it anymore. He had to scream, get it out of his system. The beast kept laughing, taunting, sneering. Surgit screamed and felt his blood rush out of him. He fell down and darkness ensued. 183 Arcane Danger Surgit rose to find the blue lantern again. His alter-self had grown quiet. He''d led him to a stupid death. The hunter couldn''t get angry at him though. It was his fault for listening to him. He collected himself and headed for the plaza, outside the observatory. He wasn''t going to let the monster inside of him alter his plans. A new death was a new opportunity to retry his training before he got rid of the spider. He attracted the monsters'' attention and led them under the Lunarium. The plan was to fend off the monsters without thinking of the plan, and without getting hit. He avoided all attacks, some by a hair''s width, and slaughtered all the enemies, including the stray near the auxiliary entrance. He was ready. He walked by Master Willem, who was still rocking on his wooden chair, and jumped into the moon reflection. Water broke under his feet and he found himself standing on top of the shallow lake. Rom stood several paces away from him. No spiders surrounded the beast. Surgit knew that it took only one hit for the vacuous spider to summon its underlings. So the hunter ran and slashed the gigantic mouse with tiny feet. Rom screeched and curled up, trying to teleport away. Surgit wouldn''t have it. He kept swinging his sword until the weapon hit the air. Rom appeared in the spot where Surgit had landed, surrounded by multiple spiders. Their heads were gray and scaly. Hitting them was akin to beating on stone. Surgit had to avoid that. ''Rom won''t attack until I get it to disappear twice,'' he thought as he dashed toward the little creatures. ''All I gotta do is kill the spiders, then give it hell once we''re all alone.'' The situation was similar to his training. He ran to the beasts, let them surround him. These were faster and deadlier than the flies. Their hardened heads could pierce the ground. One hit would severely damage him and slow him down. Their pointy legs were as sharp as his sword. He couldn''t risk taking a hit. The monsters swarmed him and the hunter danced around them, slashing and thrusting. The trick was to not apply too much strength to his swings. Wasted energy meant that he''d leave himself open for retaliation. He needed to attack, handicap and step back. If Surgit had one thing in abundance, it was time. But he didn''t allow himself that either. He didn''t want to get sloppy. He needed to be ready for the third teleport. He''d wait until the spiders were close to pummeling him with their heads to jump away and perform a downward slash. The tactic was effective. If he didn''t kill the creature, at least he slowed it down. In two minutes'' time, he had eradicated the little pests. "Now," he turned to look at the vacuous spider, "it''s time I learnt from my alter-self." Surgit threw his sword onto his back and inside the hammer''s hilt. He attached the sword to the big slab of stone and held the Kirkhammer in both hands. "Let''s see," he said to no one in particular. "How did he do it again?" The hunter tried to recall the fight against the woman who intercepted them at the observatory. Although Surgit didn''t actively take part in the earlier fight, he had a firsthand experience launching that shockwave. He was inside his own body, albeit not in control. Rom stood there, it didn''t seem to be bothered by the lack of underlings around it. "It felt like extending my whole being to the sword," he murmured. "The beasts I''ve encountered since the Forbidden Woods seemed to have something similar, some extraordinary power. Since "he" did it, that must mean I can." Surgit closed his eyes and concentrated on the Kirkhammer in his hands. He tried to mentally picture it, down to its smallest detail. He''d been using this weapon for too long, especially during his training. He knew its weight, how it handled. He knew how much strength was required to knock down, and how much was required to flatten the enemy. He tightened his grip and loosened it. The leather strips around the hilt were used, tattered. Slowly, a picture started forming. ''Not bad,'' the beast inside said. Surgit didn''t answer. He concentrated harder. He needed to have a full picture. He started thinking of the hammer, of the large marble slab attached to his sword. There were some engravings on it. Although he didn''t know what they meant, he at least knew what they looked like. His head started throbbing. He didn''t expect this action to be so strenuous. But he pushed on and kept forming a mental image, until the Kirkhammer appeared clearly in his mind''s eye. Surgit didn''t need to open his eyes. He was using his insight. He could see the ghostly shape of Rom ahead of him. He could see the aura surrounding his weapon. It had a clear blue color; almost as clear as the coating he could apply using the empty Phantasm shells. The hunter tightened his grip and swung forward. The hammer moved, lighter than ever before. To Surgit''s surprise, a light blue color followed the movement and flew sideways. It disappeared two paces away from him. ''You have to direct it toward your enemy stupid,'' the beast commented. Surgit ignored him. His headache suddenly got worse. He felt blood trickling down his ears and nose. He opened his eyes and for a moment, he felt dizzy. The world he could see with his own, physical, eyes was completely different from the one his mind''s eye showed. "I can''t use this for long," he swore under his breath. The difficulty of the task frustrated and excited him at the same time. On one hand, he knew he could use the attack. On the other, he knew that it required more finesse, technique and knowledge. Knowledge he didn''t have. He couldn''t use it on Rom yet. But if he could master it, he''d grow in strength exponentially. "What if?" he said, a nasty grin formed on his face. He approached the vacuous spider but didn''t attack. He was in range to hit the beast with his hammer. He closed his eyes and activated his insight. He fought the headache and urged himself to sustain the bleeding. The hammer gave a bright blue glow. ''Not yet,'' he urged himself. The beast inside of him hissed and jeered but he ignored it. The hammer glowed brighter. Surgit''s hands started shaking. His knees threatened to give up but he urged them to be patient. ''Just a little longer,'' he mentally noted. ''Just a little longerˇ­'' The hammer''s color started darkening. His head felt as though it was about to burst. Surgit couldn''t take it any longer. He swung his hammer in a downward motion. Rom gave deafening screech then curled into a ball. When the hunter opened his eyes, the vacuous spider had teleported. Countless spiders fell from the sky and surrounded their boss. Surgit fell to his knees, breathless. His vision was blurry and his heartbeat faint. It felt as though his heart had swollen, beating slowly and awkwardly. But he was happy. One hit and the monster ran away. It took a lot of time to prepare but he could pull it off with Rom. ''Not after this phase,'' the monster reminded him. ''Shut up!'' Surgit snapped. He took two blood vials and injected them at once. The buzzing in his head stopped and his heartbeat returned to normal. He stood up but his head was still throbbing. The vials had a weakness after all. They could heal the body but not the mind. Surgit had put too much strain on his. He had to suffer the consequences. ''Good luck,'' the beast sneered. ''Shut up!'' Surgit snapped. The little spiders didn''t come for him. They circled their boss, waiting for the hunter to approach. Surgit didn''t feel like fighting anymore, not with this head splitting pain. But he had to endure. He had a way to finish the beast quickly. He had to try. He had to get it over with. He struggled to get on his feet and move. Every step he took felt like a nail embedded in his temples. He fought the pain, urging his body to endure. ''Accept the pain,'' he mentally repeated. ''Endure it, overcome itˇ­'' He reached the spiders and the little pests started dancing around him. They''d jump high above and plummet down, head first into the ground. All the hunter had to do was: take a step backward and slash. But that was difficult to pull off, especially with his ears ringing and his head throbbing. He endured though. Thrust and slash, that''s all he could think about. Rom didn''t exist anymore. He could only see a few feet ahead of him. He felt the spiders around him, heard their feet splash as they ran above the shallow lake surface. ''One fight at a time,'' he told himself as he avoided a deadly thrust from a spider. Two spiders landed around him with a loud splash. He had aptly avoided them, pierced one under its scaly head and decapitated the other. At this point, only half a dozen spiders remained. His arms and legs felt heavy. His grip on the sword faltered. He''d unsheathed it from the hammer, the latter was too heavy. His headache was causing his vision to blur. His movements grew unsteady. He knew he was losing control. But he urged himself to endure, just a little bit more. "You still have a meteor summoning beast to deal with after that," the monster inside of him reminded the hunter. "Shut up!" Surgit snapped. The monster hissed and laughed. "Try a vial," he urged. "It might help someˇ­" Surgit ignored the comment and decapitated the last spider. The pain had reached a new level now. His sword fell to the ground. His knees followed. Surgit was holding his aching head, screaming at the top of his lungs. The pain was unbearable. He shouldn''t have strained himself that much. But what was the point of complaining about it now? The deed was done and there was no coming back. He forced himself on his feet and picked up his sword. He limped forward, toward Rom. As soon as he reached the spider, he swung his sword. It felt as though he''d hit the monster with a stick. His strength failed him and the Vacuous spider was idle no longer. It flailed about like a fish out of water. Its gigantic body hit the hunter and sent him toppling back a few feet. Surgit used his sword as a cane to help his stand up. Rom was just a blurry shadow in front of him now. His eyes refused to open. His legs refused to move. And the painˇ­ the pain had intensified, revealing new levels of suffering Surgit never thought possible. He couldn''t possibly endure that any longer. "Use the blood," his alter-self urged. "Use the bloodˇ­" "Fuck it!" Surgit swore and pulled a blood vial from his pocket. As soon as the healing blood got into his system, Surgit felt reinvigorated, but only for a few seconds. The pain came back and the hunter howled like a wounded beast. His alter-self laughed himself silly as the hunter tore his own hair and beat the ground with his bare fists. ''When will this stop?'' he asked. ''When will this stop? Make it stop, oh please make it stop!'' "Are you asking me to take over?" his alter-self asked. 184 Blood Moon ''You will not take over!'' Surgit said. He clenched his jaw, fought the searing pain and stood. He only had eyes for the beast he needed to slay. Every step reminded him of his throbbing head. He persevered however, kept approaching the beast. ''There is something you could use against the pain,'' his alter self said. ''I wouldn''t recommend it though.'' ''Help me or shut it,'' Surgit snapped. ''It''s hard concentrating as it is without listening to your constant whispers.'' ''Alright,'' his alter self replied. ''Silence it is then.'' Surgit took in a deep breath. The vacuous spider was moving left and right using its tiny feet. It looked unnatural, like everything in Yharnam as a matter of fact. By the time he reached the spider again, his headache had reached unprecedented levels. ''Use your arcane powers again and your head''ll explode,'' his alter self told him. ''Let me take over.'' ''Fuck you,'' Surgit replied. He squeezed the hilt of his sword, ground his teeth and swung. His sword slashed the beast, but not enough to cause substantial damage. He hacked at it once more. His head exploded with every effort he made. Rom must have felt that hit though as it started flailing again. Surgit didn''t even try to evade the attack. He took the hit and got propelled backwards. He stood, injected a blood vial then walked toward the beast. The vial helped with his headache for a short while, which allowed him to hack at the beast twice before getting hit once more. He stood again, injected a blood vial then headed for the beast. ''This won''t end well for you buddy,'' his alter self said. ''Stop being stubborn and accept some help.'' Surgit ignored the voice inside his head. He kept hacking at the beast and getting rejected. It felt like hitting a wall, but it numbed the pain he was experiencing. It was only when Rom teleported for the third time that he realized how foolish he was. On normal circumstances, he''d be able to sprint toward the beast and reach it in no time. In his current state however, the distance separating him from the spider felt like leagues. ''You will die if you keep this up, and not the kind of death you''re used to,'' his alter self said. ''Let me help you damnit!'' ''What''s the other solution?'' Surgit asked. ''What?'' his alter self asked back, confused. ''You said there was something else I could do,'' Surgit said. His head throbbed. He could barely keep his eyes open. ''You said you wouldn''t recommend it.'' ''About that,'' his alter self said. There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone. ''You''ve picked up some beast blood pellets before, haven''t you?'' ''That''s like handing the reins over to you,'' Surgit scoffed. ''You''re mistaken,'' the beast said. ''Your body''s slowly transforming. I''m only a figment of your imagination. You created me to help you though the metamorphosis. Don''t fight your new nature.'' ''Forget it,'' Surgit said. ''I''ll find a way without your help.'' ''Those spiders aren''t going to kill themselves,'' the beast pointed out. ''How long do you plan on standing here?'' ''You know perfectly well that I can barely move,'' Surgit said. ''Then take the damn pills,'' the beast said. ''It will release all the tension you''re feeling, transform it into strength. You''ll also take more damage, but you''ll be faster, and I won''t take over.'' The beast was good a spinning lies. Surgit knew it, but his headache was unbearable. Rom moved around using its tiny feet in the distance. It must have noticed Surgit''s inertia since it stood on its hind legs. Surgit immediately recognized that posture. ''Do you think you can outrun the meteors with that headache?'' his alter self asked, mocking. Surgit didn''t have much time to decide. It was either accept death and redo it all from the beginning, or take the pill and deal with the spider. He knew he wouldn''t be able to outrun the meteor shower without the pills. ''That headache will get back,'' his alter self said. ''Even if you die, you''ll experience it once in a while. Take the pill, let it all out and slaughter your prey. Your headache will disappear, and you''ll feel much better later.'' The rift opened in the sky above. Surgit had to make a decision before the meteors rendered him to smithereens. Surgit''s hands went to his pockets. He took the cloth in which the Beast Blood Pellets were stored and inspected it. ''So, what''ll it be?'' the beast asked. ''Die and do it again with a lighter headache? Or would you rather kill the bitch then use its echoes to increase your Arcane?'' The first meteor left the rift and headed toward Surgit. He looked at it then at the pellets. He shrugged then ingested a pill. His throat grew cold as the pellet traveled toward his stomach. Then, in the blink of an eye, Surgit''s vision changed. He could see and smell things that were nowhere near him. He could feel his muscles growing stronger. Most of all, his headache had magically disappeared. It felt like all the pain had transformed into power; a power that was hungry for blood. Surgit dashed aside just in time to avoid the falling meteors. He ran in circles as each celestial object fell behind him. Rom''s small army of spiders noticed Surgit moving toward them and began their approach. The spiders, this time around, seemed easier to deal with. Their movements were predictable. It was either a thrust, a swing, or a head plunge. Surgit could tell what move they were about to execute just from the movement of their limbs, of the tension in their muscles. He was able to see and sense way more things than he thought possible. Avoiding the small spiders'' attacks was much easier now. He even found himself decapitating some of them with a simple swing. ''The more you kill, the stronger you become,'' his alter self told him as he swung at a spider who had just plunged toward him. ''You''ll also take more damage, so beware. One hit from this puny things could kill you. There''s no room for mistakes here.'' Surgit kept his senses in constant alarm. He anticipated the spiders'' attacks and punished them one by one. The tricky part was predicting Rom''s next attack since he was busy fending off the swarm that surrounded him. With the corner of his eye, he noticed Rom standing on its hind feet again. He jumped above a spider then started running toward Rom. The idea was to avoid the meteors, create some distance between him and the swarm, then hack at the vacuous spider. He ran from meteors as they landed behind him. The closer he got to the spider though, the more meteors fell from above. He was forced to change course. Reaching the spider this way was difficult. He had to switch tactics, approaching the beast head on would mean his end. He had to surprise it or at least run around it until the meteor shower ends. ''Don''t stay inactive for too long,'' his alter self warned. ''Beasthood thirsts for blood. You''ll grow weaker if you don''t hunt.'' Surgit cursed under his breath then headed for Rom. Its little goons had surrounded it by the time he reached it. He jumped and dodged as the little spiders swarmed him. One hit was enough to take care of each one of them. In no time, he''d taken care of all of them. He turned to look at Rom to see it flailing on its back. He felt something form below his feet. He jumped away just in time to see the rift opening and a meteor shooting up into the sky. "You sly bitch," Surgit swore. He then dashed toward Rom and started hacking at it with his sword. One hit... Two... Three... Rom wailed then curled up into itself. Instead of the beast dissipating into dust and teleporting, it exploded. Surgit was showered with blood. The feeling invigorated him, brought him close to complete ecstasy. He started laughing then, overwhelmed with his own powers and how quickly he executed the spider. It was only after his laughter subsided that he noticed the crying. He turned around to see a tall woman, taller than humanly possible. She was wearing a wedding dress. Her skin was as pale as the moon reflected on the surface of the lake. She was crying. Her sobs were only interrupted by sharp inhales. Surgit approached her. The lower part of her dress was drenched in blood. He could smell it before he saw it. As she sobbed, a strange phenomenon happened. A giant red moon appeared above the lake. It grew in size, or was it approaching them. Surgit watched as the celestial object came so close it threatened to crush him. He saw it get closer and closer, while the strange woman sobbed beside him. Helpless, the hunter observed the entire thing as though he was an outsider. He felt the moon crush him, then darkness ensued. When he woke up, he found himself standing on some kind of platform. Nothing in the area suggested he was still in the Forbidden Woods or in Byrgenwerth. "What the hell just happened?" he asked, confused. 185 The Gift Of the Godhead Surgit felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a familiar face. His jaw dropped and his eyes popped wide open. He looked around him. He was in some kind of chapel. There was an altar at the far end of the structure. Behind him, a door creaked open. "Surgit, no matter what you do, do not look up." Although he heard her familiar voice and her saw her standing before him, he couldn''t believe it. ''This must be an after effect of that pill,'' he thought. "How are you..." he said then. "Alive?" Karla asked. "I should ask you the same. I thought you died back then." "I''m a hunter," Surgit replied. "Hunters don''t die." "What?" Karla asked. "It''s complicated," Surgit replied. "How are you still alive?" "It''s a complicated story," Karla replied. "We should get out of here, that thing gives me the creeps." She shot a quick glance upwards then averted her gaze. Surgit looked up. The chapel had a high ceiling, about twenty feet high. Above the door that had just opened, a gigantic creature lurked about. It had multiple limbs, like a spider. And like a spider, it crawled above the door. Surgit was but a small fly compared to the monster''s size. Surgit''s heart leapt to his throat. "This thing..." he said in a deep voice. "I''ve seen this thing before, but as a statue." "In Yahar''gul?" Karla asked. Surgit nodded. "Have you been there too?" he asked. "I got kidnapped by this giant man," Karla replied. "This thing''s creepy." "Where are we?" Surgit asked. "Near the Great Cathedral," Karla replied. "I saw that moon descend and the sky turning crimson. Then I heard a loud bang in the chapel. I came to inspect it then found you." Surgit took a step forward. His eyes never left the beast that hung above them. When he saw it as a statue back in Yahar''gul, he felt great apprehension. This time around, the feeling of dread intensified tenfold. "Beasts all over the shop," he said as he took another step. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" "Don''t get too close to that thing," Karla warned. "We don''t know what it wants." "It would have attacked us already if it wanted us dead," Surgit said. "Besides, I think I know what to do here." Surgit searched his pockets then produced a stone shaped like a tonsil. He showed it to Karla. "I got this back at the Forbidden Woods," he said. "Don''t you think it looks like this creature''s head?" Karla tried to take the stone and inspect it, but it wouldn''t leave Surgit''s palm. "I kinda have to have it with me at all times," Surgit said with an awkward smile. "What do you think it doe ¨C" Karla''s eyes widened. Surgit turned around just in time to see one of the creature''s multiple limbs extended toward them. He saw its gigantic hand open, then a rift opened, similar to the ones Rom produced. "Oh shit!" Surgit tried to pull Karla aside and jump, but the pulling force emanating from the rift was too strong. It pulled them both toward the beast''s hand. The latter closed its long bony fingers around its victims then pulled up for closer inspection. Surgit and Karla squirmed as they tried to get away from the monster''s grip. Its head was as big a regular chapel. It had a spherical shape, and looked eerily like a cage with hexagonal bars. Inside the cage, an organic shape pulsated as though it was a heart, but hairy on the outside. Surgit and Karla heard shrill laughter around them then. "Heh heh heh heh...Oh Amygdala, oh Amygdala...Have mercy on the poor bastard...Hah hah hah!" The beast squeezed its fist shut, and the two felt darkness envelop them. The next thing they knew, they were standing in a dark room. Faint sunlight slithered through the small windows on top. "Where the hell are we?" Karla whispered. "I thought we were dead." "I''ve been had, as always..." Surgit said, crestfallen. "The gift of the godhead will grant you strength he said..." "Who said that?" Karla asked. "Whoever gave me this stupid stone!" Surgit said. He tried to throw the thing away but it wouldn''t leave his hand, save for when he pocketed it. "Now what?" Karla asked. "You tell me how you survived first," Surgit said. "I just can''t wrap my head around it. Maybe I really am mad..." "That hunter sent me back in time," Karla said. "I met the forefathers of the Order of Hunters. I even know how this whole mess started." "Do you know how to get us out of here?" Surgit asked. Karla shook her head. "I doubt even Gehrman knows that." Surgit''s heart skipped a beat. "How do you know that name?" he asked with squinted eyes. "Didn''t you hear what I just said?" Karla asked. "I was sent back in time. I met Gehrman and Laurence." Surgit began laughing. "You''re fucking with me," he said. "I bet you''re not even real! I must be imagining things. Is this what you wanted by giving me that pill? Huh?!" he screamed. Karla looked concerned. "Surgit, I''m real, as real as can be, here." She took his hands and squeezed them. "Here, you can feel my touch, right?" Surgit nodded. "Everything I told you is true," Karla said. "How about you take a seat? Clear your head then we''ll speak." Surgit nodded then looked around for a chair. The room was dark and damp. There were some books stacked on one desk, while jars similar to the ones in Byrgenwerth lay all over the place. "I think I know where we are," Surgit said. He started walking around the room. With his insight, he could see anything that could be of use to them. "Aha! There you are." He deactivated his insight then headed for the lantern he spotted. "What are you doing?" Karla asked. "I''ll be back in a second," Surgit said. "I just want to clear a suspicion." He approached the lantern then activated it. "What''s that lantern do?" Karla asked. Surgit turned to look at the woman in surprise. "You can see it now?" he asked. "What do you mean now?" Karla shot back with an annoyed frown. "You couldn''t see it when we fought the Cleric Beast... Did you receive blood ministration?" he asked. Karla nodded. "I didn''t ask for it though... Why do you ask?" Surgit switched his attention from the lantern to Karla. "Have you ever died before?" he asked. "What?" she asked, confused. "How would I be able to speak to you then? Have you lost your mind?" Surgit approached the woman. "Do you trust me?" he whispered. He didn''t expect to, but his voice came out faint. "I guess," Karla said. Surgit''s change in attitude made her feel uneasy. "This is for your own benefit," he said. Without warning, he quickly drew his sword and plunged it deep within Karla''s chest. Karla gasped then squeezed the blade. The fury in her eyes made Surgit''s ears heat up. "I''m sorry," he said. "You''ll understand soon enough." He twisted the sword then Karla let go of it. Her body went limp then dissipated. Surgit let go a heavy sigh then turned toward the lantern. "Here goes nothing," he said then teleported toward the Hunters'' Dream. 186 Lecture Hall Silence reigned in the small room Surgit and Karla came back to. She hadn''t uttered a word since they left for the hunter''s dream. In other words, since Surgit killed her. She was mad at first, but after Surgit explained everything related to the dream, Karla fell quiet. He hadn''t been able to get a word from her since. She even refused to approach the good doll in order to channel her echoes. She only wanted one thing: get the hell out of the dream. On the bright side, Surgit confirmed his suspicions. That giant insect-like beast had sent them to a lecture hall. Surgit suspected it must have been part of Byrgenwerth once. When they came back, he was keen on exploring the area more. Karla, however, didn''t share his enthusiasm. Her eyes blankly stared at a jar filled with marinated eyeballs. Surgit would have loved to leave the woman with her thoughts, but she had things to explain. "What''s on your mind, airhead?" Surgit asked. "Wh ¨C what?" Karla asked. "Oh, sorry, I must have drifted off." "You said that hunter sent you back in time," Surgit said. "What happened to you then?" "The hunters found me unconscious in a forest," Karla said. "They made me one of them, then trained me to hunt beasts. I''ve met the old man, back when he could still walk." "You mean Gehrman?" Surgit asked. Karla nodded. "That doll in the dream. It''s strange, but she looks a lot like a woman I met back then." "Enough reminiscing," Surgit said then gave the woman an encouraging tap on the back. "How about we focus on the matters at hand?" "Like the fact that we''re trapped here forever?" Karla asked with a semblance of a smile. "There is a way out," Surgit said. "It''s just a bit difficult. Well, actually, it''s very difficult but ¨C" "Surgit stop!" Karla cut in. "You''re right. There''s no point in crying over spilt milk. Let''s explore this place." Karla headed for the only door in the room and pushed it open. Surgit remained behind for a while, jaw dropped to the floor. ''What''s up with her?!'' he shrugged then followed after Karla. The room gave way to a hall. The walls were all covered in wood, giving the entire place a rusty feeling. Surgit found Karla staring at the door right opposite them. Surgit stood beside her and followed her gaze. From a small metallic frame at the door, two shiny eyes were observing them. Surgit slowly walked toward the frame, eyes squinting as he approached. When he got close enough, he recognized a man''s face, albeit slightly deformed. As soon as Surgit got close enough, the man chuckled. Surgit recognized the laughter immediately. "You!" he hissed. "You''re the one who gave me this cursed stone." The man didn''t reply before a while. He kept sniggering as his invisible body shook. "What a joy it is to behold the divine," he finally said. "It must be such a pleasure. You''re in my debt you know." "You call those horrific things divine?" Surgit asked, disgusted. "And what debt are you talking about? You tricked me!" The strange man began laughing again. "You''re nigh on a beast, but here you are," he said, "treading a measure with the gods." "You''re definitely the weirdest guy I''ve ever met," Surgit said. His upper lip twitched and his hand twitched to reach for his sword. "Open that door. Let me teach you a thing or two about the gods." The strange man sniggered once more. "Are your feet as fat as your wits?" he asked in a mocking tone. "Oh, cease this dithering! Take the plunge! Throw yourself to the wolves! Hehahahaha...." "What''s up with this one?" Karla joined in. "He''s as mad as all of''em!" Surgit exclaimed. The man, upon hearing Surgit''s exasperated rant, began laughing hysterically. "Don''t dally, you lucky scamps!" the man said, still mocking, still judgemental. "The gift of the godhead cometh! Yes... Hehahahaha...." "He''s out of his mind," Karla said. "Let''s leave him be.??? Surgit nodded then headed deeper into the rustic hall. The smell of old, dusty books filled their nostrils as they walked the empty corridor. Only their footsteps could be heard. Surgit and Karla kept their eyes open, ready to react at the slightest sign of danger. "Look at this place," Karla whispered. "I didn''t see anything like this back then." "How did you come back?" Surgit asked. "Gehrman helped me do it," Karla answered. "I wonder what made him this docile..." Surgit was about to ask something but a sound in the distance made him stop. "Do you hear that?" he asked. Karla nodded. "Something really big''s walking around here," she said. "That door," Surgit pointed at his right. "It sounds like it''s coming from there." Karla headed there first. She put her hand on the handle and slowly turned it. "It wouldn''t budge," Karla said. Something dropped behind them, right where they were a few moments ago. A milky white liquid splashed heavily against the wooden floor then began evaporating with a loud hiss. "Looks like we dodged a bullet there," Karla said with a nervous smile. They were standing right below the corridor of the second floor. Surgit slowly walked toward the center of lower hall, and peeked above. Two slimy things looked back at him, growling like the messengers of the dream. They extended their hands toward him. Then Surgit saw them aiming a weapon at him, very similar to the flame thrower he had. Instead of fire, however, a milky white liquid came pouring out of the device, and Surgit jumped back just in time to avoid it. "They look like ghosts with clothes," Surgit said. "All we gotta do is evade that thing." More liquid splashed before them. The smoke it exuded stung their eyes and made them choke. "I guess it''s best if we got out of here," Karla suggested. Surgit nodded then snuck a peak at the floor above them. "On my signal," he said. He took another glance upstairs then jumped back just in time to avoid the toxic rain. "Now!" he screamed. Both hunters jumped over the smoking liquid then found themselves out in the open. "Now what?" Karla asked. The ghastly creatures above them growled then extended their hands toward them. They arms elongated, as though made of rubber. "Here comes the rain!" Karla warned. Surgit pulled her then they both headed under for a door on the opposite side. He kicked it open and they both got inside before the milky liquid got to them. The ghastly creatures moaned and groaned while Karla shut the door behind them. "Gift of the godhead!" Surgit scoffed. "Those things will surely find a way down to us," Karla said. "Let''s keep moving." They were in a small anteroom. A desk filled with books and gross marinated things was the only piece of furniture around. "There," Surgit pointed at another door to the side. "Let''s try this one." Karla was the first to reach the door. She opened it then got inside. A spacious lecture room welcomed her. Wooden chairs were aligned around a teacher''s desk in a half circle. "Look out!" Surgit screamed the pulled Karla from her collar. A slimy white creature fell right where Karla stood a second ago. Like a big, murky water drop, the thing fell down and flattened. It quickly transformed into a humanoid shape, two arms, a ghastly face, but no legs. It wore a brown blouse and a top hat, which made it look even ghastlier. Surgit struck the thing with his sword and the thing wobbled back and began evaporating. Surgit snorted. "And to think these things gave a scare back then," he said. "Imagine if it fell on my head." Karla shuddered. "Let''s keep our eyes peeled." Surgit nodded then went inside. They found a key at the teacher''s desk and few more ghastly creatures around. Surgit even found a new set of attire thanks to his insight. As soon as he inspected it, he screamed "Aha!" Karla, frightened, jumped back. "What the hell was that?" she asked. "I knew we were in Byrgenwerth!" he said. "What? Why did you have to scream though?" Karla asked, confused. He turned to Karla, looking as confused as her. "This place is driving me nuts!" he said. "I was at Byrgenwerth, and this place was nowhere in sight. I''ve even scoured the entire Forbidden Forests. There was nothing!" "Many things don''t make sense about this city," Karla said. "You know what, how about we go outside and see for ourselves? I saw a door at the end of the corridor. Let''s try it." Surgit nodded. "What other choice do we have anyway?" he said with half a smile. When they re-emerged in the hall, the creatures above them were still trying to find a way down. Surgit and Karla walked toward the double door at the end of the corridor. After learning of ghastly men''s weakness, they no longer seemed threatening to them. They only dodged every time they tried to spray them. When they reached the door, thin black smoke was protruding from its gaps. "What the hell is that?" Karla asked. "I think there''s no point is asking that question anymore," Surgit said. "Let''s just go outside and see." He pushed the door open only to be met with complete darkness. All light got sucked into the center of the darkness, making it look like a cosmic vortex. It looked as though it was inviting them to come in. That was the feeling Surgit got anyway. He turned to look at Karla to see her staring back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Will you say it or shall I?" she asked, smirking. "What do we do now?" he asked, confused. "Take the plunge I guess," Karla said. "The gift of the godhead cometh... or whatever that mad man said." Surgit shrugged. "Ah, what''s the worst that could happen?" 187 Executioners "Visitorˇ­ I claim no subjects, but here lieth Our throne. Kneel afore usˇ­ ˇ­or get thee gone." The queen sat on her throne, eyeing Francis behind an iron mask. Francis couldn''t see her face, he only heard her sweet melodious voice as she addressed him. The Crown of Illusions had revealed the queen''s secret location to Francis. When he approached the towering building, dread filled his heart. He found himself doubting everything he''d done so far. Was he here for the right reasons? Or was it because of that recurring dream? By the time he finally decided to climb up the stairs, frost had already covered his cape. Kings and queens, carved in stone, followed him as he climbed the tall stairs. Most women had their right breast bare, perhaps as an old Cainhurst custom. Francis listened to his beating heart as he climbed the stairs, begged it to calm down. ''Nameless obviously worked for the queen,'' he thought. ''He killed Karla and slaughtered us in cold blood. Am I certain I want to work for his queen?'' Those thoughts immediately vanished when he emerged into the throne room however. The roomy audience room felt surprisingly suffocating. Statues littered the place, all of them similar to each other. There was one of a man, raising his hand to the sky as though he was conversing. The other was of a curvy woman, her left breast lay bare, perfectly carved in stone. Perfect replicas of the same statues stood right next to each other. Only the red carpet that led to the thrones remained clear. Francis walked closer to the queen then knelt. No matter his initial doubts, he''d decided to climb those stairs. There was no more time to hesitate. The queen seemed to have approved of Francis''s gesture. She nodded then spoke. "Moon-scented hunterˇ­" she said in a tone that befits a queen. "I am Annalise, Queen of Castle Cainhurst. Ruler of the Vilebloods, and sworn enemy of the church. Yet, Our people are murdered, and We are prisoner to this wretched mask. What is it thou''rt in search of?" "My queen," Francis ceremoniously said. "The church hid its gruesome ways from the people. I''m in search of truth, nothing more." The queen nodded approvingly. "Well, wellˇ­ An odd hunter thou art indeedˇ­ We''ve tired of these piteous nightsˇ­ Share in Our plight, and take oath against the church. If thou wouldst this path walkˇ­ ˇ­I prithee partake of my rotted blood." Francis''s heart began racing. He''s grown strong faster than any hunter, or that''s what his nameless teacher told him. It was all thanks to the queen''s guidance. If he followed the Church, he''d probably be walking Surgit''s path right now. He took a deep breath then spoke. "It would be an honor to pledge myself to you, my queen," he said. "Very well," the queen replied. "Drink deep of our blood." She produced a ceremonial knife from within her robes then slit her forearm. Blood, thick and dark of color, crawled out of the opening. It looked more like a dark crimson sludge than blood. Francis stood and approached the queen''s extended hand. He pressed his lips against her forearm and sucked the blood in. His pupils immediately dilated. His muscles got tense, and his senses much sharper. He could smell blood from miles away. The queen''s scent became clearer to him, sweet and sour, like an expensive perfume. He felt the liquid spread through his veins, ice cold. It burned, but also exhilarated him. "Feel the spreading corruption burn," the queen said. "Now, thou''rt too a Vileblood." Francis knelt once more before his new queen. "I''m honored and humbled, your majesty." "We two, the very last on this earth. We await thy return. For the honor of Cainhurst." The queen dismissed Francis then. No matter how many times he tried to question her about the last thing she said, she wouldn''t respond. The old man thought better of it later and left her alone. ''The very last on this earth...'' Francis couldn''t stop thinking about what the queen said. That man clearly had an allegiance to Cainhurst. He wondered what Surgit was doing, and if he ever made it out of the Forbidden Woods. In a sense, Surgit was the only sane human he could actually converse with. The man was a dimwit, sure, but in a sense, he was like him. He felt stupid and helpless in this city whose only currency is secrets. Francis hadn''t realized that while he was daydreaming, he was walking around the throne room, slithering through the gaps between the tall statues. He''d reached a lone desk on a corner. His insight immediately brought his attention to a sealed letter. He picked it up and inspected it. "Unopened summons," he muttered. "I have no use for this now, do I?" He threw the letter back on the desk and headed for the exit. As he reached the queen once more, he noticed a lantern hiding between two statues. "I guess I''ll give it to that dimwit anyway..." Once he came back to the dream, Francis got busy upgrading his weapon. The crow feather man was still lurking in Yharnam. He had to be ready in case he ambushed him once more. The queen had also taught him the Vileblood''s Symbol. He could craft it into a rune and inscribe into his mind. While he was busy strengthening his skills, the old man heard a swooshing noise outside the workshop. He stopped everything he was doing, thinking it was Surgit, then headed for the door. He stopped right before leaving the workshop though. It didn''t smell like Surgit out there. Besides, he could hear two heartbeats. "Do you think it''s this one?" a man asked. He had a gruff voice. "We''ve been trying with the bell Gavril gave us," another man replied. "He said it''d eventually work." This one''s voice was coarse, almost a whisper. "What do we do now?" the gruff man asked. "Look around," the other replied. "If that old man''s here, we''ll find him. Gavril says he''s got a treasure for us." "I don''t like this," gruff man hissed. "We''re not supposed to make deals with Vilebloods. We simply obliterate them. Why are we trusting this Gavril?" The other man let out an annoyed sigh. "He says the old man will get us the summons," the man with the coarse voice replied. "If we don''t find him, then we go back to Gavril and make him pay. How does that sound?" From the gruff man''s beating heart, Francis could tell he didn''t like the plan. What alarmed Francis most was the two men''s ability to get into the Hunter''s Dream without raising any alarms. "Look at this doll!" Gruffy said. "I guess Gehrman really lost his mind, eh?" "Let''s split up," Croaky replied. "Find the old man and let''s get the hell outa here. This place gives me the creeps." Francis knew what to do then. He tiptoed back to the workshop''s backdoor and hid in the garden. Gruffy went toward the fences while Croaky got into the workshop. He looked around, started sniffing the air. He sniffed once more then screamed: "I think we got us a live one here Phil!" Francis didn''t move. He crouched behind a fountain in the garden and waited, like a lion getting ready to jump at his prey. Croaky didn''t wait for Phil''s backup. He headed immediately toward the garden in the back. As soon as Francis caught sight of him, he dashed forward, his hand clutched around his sword''s hilt. The Chikage landed on wood and chipped it. The hunter before Francis was holding a wooden wheel as big as his upper half. He had gigantic arms, and his face was filled with scars. He grinned at the old man. Only a few teeth remained, some were even broken. "We''re Logarius''s Executioners," Croaky told Francis. "Any last words?" 188 Vileblood V.S Executioners "Hey Phil," Croacky called out. "Phil, come take a look at this. He was hiding like a trapped rat!" Francis retreated a few steps to take a good look at his foe. His had a strange aura about him. He reminded him of the fight against his ex-master. This one, however, had a purple aura around him. "How did you get here?" Francis asked. Phil caught up with Croaky at that moment. "D''you find him?" he asked, panting. "Exactly as Gavril described him," Croacky said. "An old man who fancies playing hero, and a Vileblood at that!" Croaky spat. "You''re a sorry excuse of a hunter, that''s what you are." "How did you get here?" Francis asked once more. The fact that they were here disturbed him more than their hostile intentions. "Why should we tell a dead man anything?" Phil asked with a wide grin. "Let''s turn him into soup." Phil was the first to move. He held the giant wheel the executioners used as weapon with both hands and charged. Francis dodge aside only to find Croaky right in front of him. "You should watch your surroundings, old man," he said then buried his fist deep inside Francis''s stomach. The hunter didn''t have time to retaliate, as Phil had recovered and charged Francis once more. The excecutioner''s wheel hit the old man in the back, propelling forward, toward the workshop''s brick walls. Francis collided head on with the wall. His nose broke with a loud snap, and the two executioners sniggered at the sound. "Don''t you love it when they squirm," Croaky said with his coarse voice. Francis heard him slowly walk toward him. He fumbled in his pockets and injected himself with a blood vial. "Oh yes," Croaky said. "Satiate your filthy blood''s hunger. Let us see what you really look like." He charged, but Francis was ready this time around. He whipped his pistol and shot him right before he could land his attack. Croaky fell to his knees, his eyes struck with horror. Francis willed his beastly arm to transform. "I thought Quip here told you to stay alert," Phil said as he hurled his heavy wheel at the old man. Francis had to duck to avoid the large weapon. The latter bounced against the workshop''s wall then fell on Francis''s head. Disoriented, the old man didn''t see Quip''s retaliation coming. The executioner heaved his weapon in the air with both hands then brought it down on Francis. Blood spurted out his mouth and nostrils, and the world around him suddenly became red. A constant ringing in Francis''s ears stopped him from hearing the executioners'' jeers. He could still sense their movements however. He took Phil''s kick in the stomach through gritted teeth. They won''t hear him scream even if they pushed him to the limit. Quip held Francis by the collar and brought him closer to him. "Do you know why we carry these heavy wheels around?" he asked. His eyes expressed a degree of mania Francis could only attribute to a crazy man, thirsty for blood. "So we''d tear you apart limb by limb, hear your bones crush and grind," Phil answered. "Haaahahahaha...." "Let''s get started," Quip told his companion in his usual croaky voice, only this time there was a hint of excitement to it. Phil giggled like an excited child. "Yours or mine?" he asked. Francis fought through the pain as the two executioners debated which murder weapon to choose. He took two vials and injected himself without their notice. His Chikage lay on the ground a few feet away from him. Quip was standing on his pistol. They both had their eyes on him as they debated the best way to make him feel every bit of agony they could. "Remember to keep his heart beating," Phil said. "I''d hate it if he just died, then our work would''ve been for naught." "It''s not my first rodeo champ," Quip said. He slammed his executioner''s wheel on the ground then they both headed for Francis. Quip was about to hold him from his feet while Phil aimed for the old man''s arms. "On three," Quip said. "We put him on the wheel, and we watch us a Vileblood scream! Hehahahahaha..." Francis was quick to act. He kicked Quip in the nuts then, with surprising agility, rolled backwards, used his hands as leverage and kicked Phil with all his strength. Both his feet connected with the executioner''s stomach. The hit propelled him in the air, backwards and toward the workshop garden''s fences. Quip winced and retreated a few steps. Francis''s pistol was up for grabs. Quip, realizing his mistake, rushed to pick it up. "You should watch your surroundings," Francis told him before landing a punch at the executioner''s back of the head. Quip lost his balance and staggered forward, leaving Francis enough room to pick up his pistol then rush toward his katana. "PHIL!" Quip''s croaky voice echoed across the empty space of the Hunter''s Dream. He turned to look at Francis. His eyes displayed intense rage, even his arms shook and his face had grown beet red. "You''ll pay for this!" When Francis kicked the executioner, he''d sent him flying into the garden''s fence. The unfortunate Phil landed on the sharp spikes. He looked like the multiple impaled corpses Francis saw in Hemwick, only this one was fresh. Quip heaved his executioner''s wheel and put it against his shoulder. "You wanna see what executioners are really capable of?!" he screamed. He put his free hand on the wheel and turned it. With a whirring noise, the weapon turned, and a sinister crimson aura enveloped it. "Get ready to taste fear!" Quip said then dashed toward Francis. This time around, the executioner didn''t leave Francis any openings. Despite the heavy weapon he carried, he was as fast as the old man. All of Francis''s swings and stabs cut through the air without reaching his foe. On the other hand, the executioner timed his counter-attacks perfectly. He managed to land a hit on Francis after a long exchange. The old man winced in pain and jumped backward, only to be surprised with his body falling on the ground. Searing pain shot through his right foot. When he looked down, he''d realized that the wheel had crushed it to a bloody pulp. He took a blood vial and injected his injured leg. No results... Blood kept on rushing out of the battered foot, but the tissue didn''t reconnect. "We''ve been fighting your lot for as long as time itself existed," Quip said. "Use all the blood vials in your inventory, there''s no escaping me now." He rolled the wheel once more, and the red aura enveloped it. Then he rolled it once more, then another turn. The wheel had turned dark crimson. The aura that enveloped it slithered outward, like snakes hissing at the air. If one hit had turned his foot into mush... Francis hated to think what the next hit would do. Quip gave the old man a condescending smile. Then he produced his own firearm from his belt. He aimed it at Francis then pulled the trigger. The bullet split into different particles, which hit the old man on different spots. The strength of the shot had driven Francis back onto the ground. He was panting heavily. Lead penetrated his body and seemed to sink even further inside. "Stay down for a while, will ya?" Quip said. "It''ll be over in a minute." 189 Sinister Encounters Karla and Surgit were standing near a cliff. Below them, and as far as their eyes could see, a vast sea of clouds extended. Wherever they''d landed after traversing the darkness, it wasn''t Yharnam. For starters, there were no buildings in the place save for a tower at the bottom of the cliff. Secondly, it was day outside. Karla and Surgit were both surprised to see the sun shining above their heads. It took them a while to adjust to the sunlight before they decided to explore the place. As they stood by the cliff, Surgit kept glancing at the cave from which they just arrived. "What''s on your mind?" Karla asked. "The deeper we delve into Yharnam''s secrets, the stranger things get around us," he replied. "I mean, where did that door vanish to?" Karla shrugged. As soon as they emerged into the cave, the door from which they got in disappeared. "Some things happen here without a clear explanation," she said. "As long as we have the link to the dream, I don''t think we''re in trouble." Surgit sighed. "I guess you''re right," he said. "How about we head back to the dream now? I want to know this place''s name." "Don''t you think it''s more fun if we explored the place first?" she asked. "Well, fun isn''t the exact word I''m looking for, but exploring uncharted territory and slaying beasts is our only form of fun these days." Surgit looked down at the tower way below the cliff. "You''re right on that one," he said. "Speaking of hunts and beats, have you ever tried a visceral attack?" Karla''s thin eyebrows moved closer to each other. "What''s that?" she asked. "It''s easier if I showed you," he said. "Do you trust me?" "I don''t know about trust," Karla said, "but I believe that whatever you next do will be for a good reason." "Hit me," he said. "Use that strange weapon of your and come at me with all you''ve got!" "Are you sure?" Karla asked with raised eyebrows. ???We''re both hunters, what''s the worst that could happen?" he asked with nervous smile. "Just hit me, I''m much faster and stronger than I used to be." "Whatever you say," Karla said. She drew her Saif from behind her back then took an attacking stance. Surgit jumped a few feet away from her and got ready. As soon as Karla made her first step, Surgit whipped his pistol out and waited for her attack. It was easy to read through her swing. He pulled the trigger right before she could land her hit, and Karla staggered on one knee on the floor. "Watch this," Surgit said. "I''ll let you try it on me when you come back." He transformed his right arm into its beastly form. Karla, horrified, helplessly watched as Surgit plunged his claws deeps within her stomach. She felt him rummage through her insides. The last thing she remembered was her screams filling the air. When she came to, shock and anger filled her to the brim. Surgit was waiting for her inside the cave, near the lantern hunters usually resuscitate from. He had that stupid grin on his face. Karla wanted nothing but wipe that smirk off his face. "Before you do anything," he said, extending his arms forward as if to ward her off. "You can either attack me now, or pay me back with the same attack." Confusion added itself to the anger and shock Karla was experiencing. "What do you mean?" she asked, frowning. Surgit explained how Visceral Attacks worked. After a few repetitions, twenty one by Surgit''s count, Karla''s anger was quelled. "That''s enough," she said, panting. "I think I know how to use my beastly arm now." Surgit sighed in relief. He didn''t know if he could take more of Karla''s visceral attacks. She''d actually got the hang of it from the first try, but she kept demanding retries. Surgit suspected it was payback for killing her when they met, then killing her again with a visceral attack and without warning. "Shall we explore the place now?" Karla asked. ???I''m pretty sure both of us can take on anything." "Unless it''s a giant beast like the one who sent us here in the first place," Surgit said. "You may have gone to the past, but you haven''t experienced the present time like I have. The moment you think you got the hang of things, something new, more terrible happens to be waiting at the corner." "I didn''t say we''ll waltz around without any care in the world," Karla retorted. "Relax man. We''ve got things under control. Let''s get out there and see where we''ve landed." They soon reached a clearing west of the cliff. A strange beast sat, cross legged and with its back to them at the edge of the clearing. It was holding a torch, which struck the hunters as odd since the sun provided ample light. "Watch this," Surgit whispered to Karla. He silently approached the beast then struck it with all its might. The beast fell on all fours, panting heavily. Surgit willed his arm to transform once more then eviscerated the monster. When he was done, he looked back at Karla, grinning like a child. "You can also do that," he announced, "provided you manage to hit''em while they''re not looking." "Do you hear that?" Karla asked. "It sounds like a..." "A bell..." Surgit said. His face turned dark. "Keep your eyes peeled, we''re not alone." As on cue, a whooshing sound came from between the hunters. A rift opened in the ground and a red phantom emerged. "What the fuck is that?" Karla asked. "An invader," Surgit replied. "Much like that man who killed us all back then. They hunt hunters and take pleasure in it." Another whooshing sound announced the arrival of another hunter. This one emerged from Surgit''s right. Then a third whooshing sound was heard, right behind Karla. The two hunters watched as each phantom appeared. "They''re not here to talk," Surgit said. "As soon as they fully emerge from the rifts, you attack. Don''t hold back, they can''t die anyway. They can steal your echoes though, and you''ve got a whole bunch of them." Karla and Surgit took a fighting stance then got together. The three red phantoms had fully emerged then. One of them the hunters instantly recognized, mainly due to his infamous crow feather cape. He seemed to have recognized them as well as his lips pursed into an evil smile. "Well, well, well... Look who''s back," Gavril said as his eyes rested on Karla. "Did you bring me my summons?" 190 Eye Seeker Karla answered the hunter with her sword, and chaos ensued. The two foreign invaders circled around Surgit while Karla and crow feather cape duked it out. One of the hunters wore a long white robe. It reminded him of Alfred, the executioner. Instead of wielding the Kirkhammer like Alfred, this one had a peculiar weapon on him. It looked like a serrated club, for lack of a better description. He laid its blunt side on his shoulder. The weapon was clearly heavier than it looked. Its serrated ends glistened against the blazing sunlight above. The other hunter wore a student outfit, similar to the one those milky bulbs wore in the Lecture hall. He was holding a sword, much like his, on his right hand, a device that looked like a flame thrower on his left. Surgit tightened his grip around the pommel of his sword. Karla and Gavril were already exchanging blows, while the other hunters watched him and sniggered silently. He carefully followed them with his eyes as they circled around him. ???I didn''t know I was taking part in a staring contest," he hissed at them. "Come and get me now!" The hunter''s didn''t have to be asked twice. The one with the student garb was the first to move. He dashed toward Surgit, made to attack him then stopped midway through his swing. He immediately jumped back, tense. Fat creases formed on his abnormally large forehead. "You scared of a puny little hunter now?" Surgit tried to provoke them to attack, to give him an opening. They wouldn''t budge, however. They knew he''d covered all his blind spots. He wouldn''t let them land a hit without paying them back tenfold. The student dashed once more. This time, before he reached Surgit, he pulled the trigger on his device and white mist came out. Surgit suddenly felt dizzy. His throat closed in on itself, barring all air from entering or leaving his lungs. He had to jump back or risk suffocating. He heard the click before the attack landed on his back. He felt sharp teeth plunge deep inside his back. Blood rushed out and the uncomfortable, painful feeling of having one''s flesh cut open overwhelmed him. He gasped for air, but the mist wouldn''t allow for any. The two hunters were laughing then, mocking Surgit as he writhed on the ground, helpless. He also heard swords clashing in the distance. Karla hadn''t given up, why should he? He closed his eyes and focused on his aura. After defeating Rom, Surgit had earned a red cluster. Clusters of blood echoes were divided into three. Depending on the strength they allowed their owners, clusters would have different colors. Green was the weakest, blue was neither weak nor strong. Red, on the other hand, was the strongest. It only belonged to the mightiest of beasts. Thanks to the red cluster, Surgit managed to upgrade his Arcane from Blind to Eye Seeker. His grasp over Arcane was still imperfect, but he could now do what he hoped to achieve against Rom. He stood, eyes closed. He had activated his insight. He could see the two hunter''s red auras clearer with his third eye. He could also feel his own. It had changed from when he fought the vacuous spider. Against Rom, his aura felt like a sliver of light trying to worm its way out of the vast sea of darkness it was drowning in. This time around, his aura had taken a shape. It felt like his entire body was coated in it. If looked at from afar, Surgit would look like a clear blue blob, humanoid in shape, but with no defining feature. He willed his strong aura to concentrate around his sword, and it willingly obeyed. He held it down at an angle, as though he was planning to sweep the floor with it. Then he swung it upward, at the student''s direction. A faint blue aura left the sword and travelled toward the hunter like lightning. The hunter let go of his strange device. His sword clattered against the stones that littered the battlefield. He fell, face down. He didn''t utter a sound. Death came to him swift and merciful. A rift opened on the ground once more, then swallowed the defeated hunter. Karla wailed in pain, wrenching Surgit from his trance. He looked around. Gavril had stabbed her in the leg. He was looking right back at Surgit then. His eyes narrowed until they became but thin slits. He twisted his sword and Karla groaned. "Someone''s learned a new trick," he said. Karla tried to attack while Gavril had his eyes occupied elsewhere. The hunter had anticipated her move, however. He kicked her in the stomach and wrenched his katana away. Karla toppled backwards, unable to find a sure footing. "I guess I''ll have some fun with you," Gavril said. He turned to look at the executioner. "Go finish her off," he said in a sharp tone. "I''ll dance with this one. Let''s see how long you can keep me entertained." Surgit squeezed his sword''s handle. He didn''t wait for Gavril to make the first move. He dashed forward. His eyes were glued on Gavril''s right flank, his only opening. As he made to attack, Gavril took out his pistol. With astounding speed and precision, Surgit snatched the pistol from Gavril''s hand and whipped him with its barrel. Gavril stumbled backwards. Blood trickled down his right nostril. He wiped the blood and smiled at Surgit. The next second, his smile had vanished. Surgit wasn''t done with his offensive. While Gavril stumbled backwards, Surgit had willed his aura to form around his arm. He punched the hunter on the nose so hard it cracked into tiny pieces. Gavril fell to the ground then rolled backwards. He kept on rolling until he came close to the edge of the cliff. He decelerated however, until he stopped near the edge. His nose had already begun swelling when he injected himself with a blood vial. "Do you think you''ve stopped me when you took away my gun?" he asked. "I too have a special power, you know. Watch this!" He groaned as he stabbed himself with his blade. "Go ahead, use your insight now!" he told Surgit. The latter used his third eye just in time to watch Gavril''s sword leave his body. There was a strong crimson aura coating it. It felt devastating, ominous to say the least. Gavril spread his legs and took a crouching, eastern stance. He held his sword next to his hips, as though sheathing it. "Let''s see how you dodge this!" he said. He swung the Chikage. Surgit only saw a brief movement of his sword arm. A crescent moon, made entirely of corrupted blood, traveled toward Surgit at breakneck speed. He didn''t know how he managed to will his aura to form so fast, but he did it just in time to cut through the bloody crescent moon. To Surgit''s great dismay, his sword broke as soon as it made contact with Gavril''s blood attack. The crescent moon cut through him. It felt like millions of miniscule needles had invaded his body. They softly tingled at first. Then they started raging inside him like a storm. It felt as though his body was deteriorating from the inside. "Us Vileblood have venom in our veins," Gavril told him as the world vanished from sight. "You''d do well to remember that. Find me in the Cathedral if you''d like a rematch." He waved Surgit goodbye as the latter drifted into nothingness. 191 Did He Say Friends? Francis was crawling back as Quip approached him, wheel held in the air. The old man rolled away just as the wheel crashed on the hard ground. The silence that long reined in the Hunter''s Dream was replaced with grunts and thuds that day. Francis''s leg hadn''t regenerated no matter how many times he stabbed himself with a blood vial. Quip, on the other hand, wouldn''t give him any time to catch his breath. His relentless pursuit of Francis drained the old man of energy. He could only dodge the man''s attacks. If it weren''t for Quip''s obsession with reducing Francis to mush, the fight would have ended long ago. Francis had lost his gun during one of his many attempts to escape the crushing executioner''s wheel. His sword wouldn''t be able to withstand the weight of his opponent''s weapon. Quip approached him once more. Instead of trying to crush him for the umpteenth time however, he kicked the old man in the guts. His boots felt like a hard rock, crushing his ribs and smashing his intestines. He groaned, and Quip smiled, revealing his few remaining crooked teeth. "You can''t keep running old man," he said. "Just accept your fate. No one will come to your rescue." Francis''s hand tightened around the grip of his sword. He knew what he had to do. He just couldn''t bring himself to do it. Quip must have seen the defiance in Francis''s eyes, so he kicked him once more. Francis rolled to the side, blood splattered on the floor, on the spot his leg was smashed to pieces. "I''ll get you for this," Francis said through gritted teeth. "What''s that old man?" Quip asked in a mocking tone. "I can barely hear you from up here." He walked toward Francis as the latter prepared himself for the inevitable. He fought his aching bones and stood to face the executioner. "I said I''ll get you for this," he hissed. He took his sword and plunged it deep within his stomach. It hurt, but it was necessary. He had to rest the fight if he was to ever stand a chance. "You''re ruining the fun old man," Quip groaned. "I never took you for a quitter." Francis pulled the sword, dripping with his own blood. "Somebody told me once that vilebloods had venom in their blood," he said. "Let''s put it to the test." Quip''s lips pursed into a mocking smirk. "New hunters always take death for granted," he said. "Let''s see how you feel after I''m done with you." Quip charged. He was holding the wheel before him, using it as a shield as he advanced. Francis hopped on one foot. He knew he had no chance of escaping this upcoming attack. In fact, he put all his hopes on this final confrontation. The executioner''s wheel, although it was a peculiar weapon, resembled all wheels. It had many spokes, straight sticks, connecting the central hub to the outer wheel. When the executioner turned the wheel, you could barely see the spokes moving. It looked as though they formed one, uniform, disk. Francis knew better though. There were gaps... gaps that could lead straight into his opponent''s chest. He had one shot at this and he knew it. It was either that or stab himself to death. He''d never bring dishonor to himself in such a way. As Quip got closer, Francis readied his sword. It wouldn''t take the weight of the entire wheel, but it could easily penetrate the holes and stop the spokes in their tracks. At least that''s what he hoped would happen. Quip charged and Francis brought his sword forward, in a stabbing motion. The executioner fell over the vileblood, grunting as he slammed him on the floor. Francis felt the weight of the weapon against his chest, and its strange aura melting his flesh. He screamed, as Quip''s limp body added more weight on top of the wheel. "You... sly... fucker!" Quip whispered in between loud wheezes. "Don''t... think... this the last..." Quip slowly vanished into tiny dust particles, and so did his weapon. Francis lay on the ground, suffering. He couldn''t move or speak, yet he wouldn''t die. It felt as though somebody had poured molten gold over his chest. His body felt heavy, and every breath cost him. Silence reigned over the hunter''s dream again, save for Francis''s occasional wheezes. He wished he could kill himself now. Who cared about honor if he had to lie down on the cold floor, agonizing for all eternity? It felt like he was turning into human goo. He still felt all the pain though, and that fact almost drove him mad. He wished he could at least scream the pain away, but his body wouldn''t respond. It was as though he was prisoner in his own, suffering body. Some time went by, and Francis started drifting off. He closed his eyes for a while, and when he opened them, he was unpleasantly surprised. He was still in the same spot, suffering the same fate. He wished that Surgit would brace him with his presence in the dream. At least he could end his suffering. Surgit never came though. In fact, the dream felt deserted. He couldn''t even hear the doll moving around, doing whatever dolls did in dream worlds. More time passed and Francis drifted off once more. He was back in Oedon Chapel, fighting against his master. He saw him shoot Surgit once more before turning toward him. He was holding Karla, the only woman to ever stand by him through thick and thin. He heard another shot, and his eyes popped wide open. Gavril was standing above him. He was holding a pistol, a wide grin plastered on his hateful face. "Looks like your fight ended already," he said, assessing Francis with his sharp eyes. "Quip is cruel. He loves torturing his prey in this manner." Gavril chuckled. "I bet you''d love to stand and fight me now. I met your friends earlier. You guys are getting stronger. I want to see how you''d fight when you''re all well trained and powerful." Francis wanted to speak, to scream at the man and fill him with new holes. Instead, he stared at him in silence, like a crippled mute. "I''ll relieve you of your suffering," he said. "You and your friends should come find me when you''re ready. For now, try to have fun in Yharnam. It''s not like the hunt will last forever... Heh...Heh...Heh..." He aimed at Francis''s head then pulled the trigger. Francis felt the burning lead fracture his skull and get deep inside. He felt the searing pain... Then there was nothing. He loudly gasped for air as he came back to life. He was back in the dream, with no one in sight or within earshot. "Did he say friends?" 192 Bless Us With Blood! Francis searched all over the Cathedral Ward for Surgit. He even asked the people he''d rescued about him, but nobody''s seen him since. He''d noticed many changes in the city, however. When he went to Cainhurst, the moon was draping the city in milky white lights. Now, the moon and the sky had changed. People had also changed as did the moon. The rude old lady in the chapel had become friendly. The blonde prostitute Surgit had brought in was now folded in half. She was obviously in pain, and no matter how much Francis tried to speak with her, she wouldn''t respond. The only ones remaining were the good nun who said she didn''t see the good hunter, but missed him greatly, the stingy man with narrow minded views who said he didn''t care where Surgit''s disappeared to, and the creepy beggar. He told him the hunter went to the Forbidden Woods but never came back. The next, and most significant change, Francis had noticed was when he left the chapel. He saw a gigantic, arachnid-like creature hanging from one side. It had a gigantic head that resembled a potato with hexagonal heads all over. It also had tentacles protruding from where its mouth should have been. They moved and swirled in the air as though they had their own will. Then there were its thin, very long limbs. It had hands and legs, as though some part of it was human. Francis had the eerie feeling that the creature was observing him. The more he looked at it, the more tingling he felt at the back of his neck. His hair stood, and he shuddered. From then on, Francis avoided looking at the creature for too long. He''d also noticed some change in the enemies patrolling the Cathedral Ward. The lanterns the Pale Doctors used as they roamed the streets had eyes on them now. Once, a pale doctor spotted him from afar. He pointed his lantern at Francis and growled. Soon after, beams of light shot out of the eyes and slithered toward Francis at frightening speed. Francis didn''t have time to assess what happened. The beams collided with him, and the old man felt them explode against his chest. When the next beam came his way, he was prepared to quickly dodge and eliminate the threat from its source. He roamed around the Cathedral Ward, thinking about what Gavril had told him. ''What did he mean by friends?'' he thought as he walked toward the Great Cathedral. He was expecting to see a giant by the stairs leading to the Cathedral, but he was surprised to find the place empty. He heard some grunts at the top of the stairs and he hurried, tiptoeing. As he got closer, the distinct smell of two hunters reached his nostrils. One of them he instantly recognized. It was Phil, the executioner who ambushed him in the dream. He didn''t recognize the second one. ''I''d rather stay here and prick my ears,'' he thought. ''If I could smell them from here, they should probably be able to do the same.'' As a vileblood, Francis had even more heightened senses. He pricked his ears, and soon words floated toward him. He heard ''die,'' then there was ''eternal,'' then he heard the word ''draw.'' That last word was spoken by a woman. He thought he''d heard it somewhere before. Then he heard a shot, loud and clear through the empty streets of the Cathedral Ward. Francis hurried over. He saw the crow lady standing above Phil. He was on his knees, while she had both daggers in hand. She drew an arc as she swung the daggers, and the executioner''s head rolled down the stairs until it collided with Francis. Eileen turned around, and her mask found Francis. "A hunter, are we?" she asked. She descended the stairs and reached the old man with surprising agility and speed. "What are you doing here? Aren''t you supposed to be hunting beasts?" she asked as soon as she reached him. "I''m looking for my friends," Francis said. He didn''t believe the word when he said it, but he hoped it were true. Eileen scoffed. "Huh! Friends... That''s a sad tale if I''ve ever seen one," she said. "I haven??t seen your friends, but if I were you, I''d be busy hunting. A hunter must hunt." "What about you?" Francis asked. "Why aren''t you out hunting beasts?" Eileen chuckled. "You''ve grown bold old man," she said. "Last time I saw you, you were trembling in your boots. Look at you now. You''re strong, fast, and a vileblood to boot. This old nose never fails me, no matter how much I stuff this bloody mask..." "What are you, really?" he asked. "A few hunters can resist the temptation of the hunt," Eileen said. "Sadly, most are turned by the blood. Some of them are as old as time itself, yet the blood gets to them." "So you''re a hunter too, but of hunters?" Francis asked. "How many times have you met a friendly hunter?" Eileen asked. Francis could count them on the fingers of one hand. "You understand now, that the line between man and beast is very thin," Eileen went on. "Don''t dally now, a hunter must hunt." She took the stairs, heading toward the Great Cathedral. "You watch out in there," Francis warned. "There''s a hunter in there. He''s been chasing me ever since I got here." "What did I just say?" Eileen turned around. Her tone was strict, dry. "Don''t you worry about other hunters now... Leave the hunting of hunters to me." She turned on her heels and got inside the Cathedral. Francis shrugged. If that meant she''d get rid of Gavril for him, who was he to object? From the foot of the Great Cathedral, Francis took a turn he''d never taken before. He went right, toward a small church that lay down a hill. Serpentine stairs led him to a small settlement with a fountain square in the middle. Francis found two dead hunters on the floor, cut open from shoulder to mid-section. ''Someone''s been here,'' he thought as his guard instinctively went up. He started hearing whispers, all around him. It sounded as though the voices came from inside his head and outside at the same time. ''Bless us with blood! Bless us with blood! Bless us with Blood!'' they''d whisper at him. ''Bless us with blood! Bless us with blood! Bless us with blood!'' Francis looked around. There was no sign of people around him. The houses that surrounded the plaza were empty. No light emanated from them. He approached them nevertheless and knocked at a door. "Hello?!" he called out. "Anybody there?!" "Euuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!" an ear-piercing shriek made Francis jump back in terror. Whoever was in there didn''t want to be disturbed. He heard heavy panting behind the closed door then approaching footsteps. Francis slowly walked toward the door and stood beside it so as not to show his shadow to the person inside. He heard weak pounding at the door, coupled with heavy panting. "Huh! Huh! Huh! Euuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgh!" Another shriek, followed by loud banging at the door... Whoever was in there was either being tortured or out of their mind. Francis was about to call out for them when he heard a hoarse, unearthly voice from behind the door. It was so loud Francis had to cover his ears, and even when he did so, he still heard the voice loudly inside his head. "BLESS US WITH BLOOD! BLESS US WITH BLOOD! BLESS US WITH BLOOD!" 193 Nightmare Frontier Surgit and Karla woke in the cave. No other hunter was in sight. They exchanged worried looks, then looked at the cave''s entrance. "Do you think they''re still there?" Karla asked. "No," Surgit replied. "Their mission''s accomplished. They already went back to their hiding holes." "What hiding holes?" Karla asked. "I''ll show you later," Surgit replied. "How about we truly explore the place this time?" Karla nodded. "That hunter left me with the taste of ash in my mouth," she said clutching her hand into a tight fist. "I''m craving some action." They left the cave and soon wound up in the vast clearing. Surgit still had difficulty dealing with daylight. After spending so much time in the darkness of Yharnam, daylight felt unnatural. They dealt with the first beast that sat in the clearing then looked ahead. Two road led down from the clearing and toward two different directions. Karla pointed ahead, at a marble stone. "What''s that?" She squinted. "That''s a tombstone," Surgit said. "I''ve seen them back in the Forbidden Woods." "It''s the size of a building," she said. "What do you think''s buried underneath it?" Surgit shrugged. "Giants?" he said with a weak smile. "I wouldn''t be surprised if it was the case." "Neither would I," Karla said. "The roads converge by the tomb. I''ll take the right, you take the left one. We''ll meet by the tomb." Surgit nodded. He drew his sword and advanced. Karla jumped down the road and drew her Saif. It was a much better weapon compared to her sword. Hunters were truly beasts in human form. She was sure that she wouldn''t lift the Saif hadn''t she received blood ministration. Ever since Surgit told her they could become even stronger, she couldn''t stop thinking about the voices inside her head. Then there was that doll in the dream. How did Gehrman accomplish such a thing? The sound of growling snatched her out of her reveries. She looked up, and spotted the most disgusting creature she''d ever laid eyes upon. It was more like a mishmash of bodies, tangled together in black, sinewy goo; a grotesque, living and breathing meat stew. One giant hand protruded from its back, while tiny faces occupied its front. They growled and complained as though their mere existence hurt. She slowly approached it, testing the waters. The blob''s gigantic hand lashed at her, but Karla''s reaction was faster. She dashed forward as the unnatural hand brushed her hair. She reached the beast before its hand could retract. One swing from her Saif, then she retracted it. The momentum carried her backwards as the beast''s hand retracted. Her sword hand shot upward just in time to intercept the extended limb. She cut it clean, and a deformed hand wiggled beside her feet. It tried to catch her from the foot, but Karla stomped on it so hard black sinew splattered everywhere. She jumped at the beast once more, and cut it to tiny pieces. When she was done, tiny whispers in her mind told her she''d earned ten Blood Stone Shards. She did as Surgit had taught her and activated her insight. She saw the shining item at reach and collected it. When she reached the tombstone, she found Surgit standing at its foot. Another beast with a silver coat lay on the ground, lifeless. "These ones can send jolts of electricity through their bodies," Surgit warned as soon as she came into his field of vision. "You gotta finish them quick, lest they become a real nuisance." He stood and showed her his torn trousers. His entire left leg was exposed. "Almost fried me, the son of a bitch," he said. "It freaked the hell out of me." "I guess you can still be surprised," Karla said with a light chuckle. "Where to next?" Surgit raised a finger to the air. "Do you smell that?" he asked. Karla raised her nose and sniffed the air. Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Hunters," she hissed. "There was no bell this time.?? "This only means they live here," Surgit said. "We''re invading their territory." "What?" Karla asked, confused. "I''ll explain later," he replied. "You stand back. I want to show you something." "It''s two against one," Karla warned. "Are you sure?" "What''s the worst that could happen, die?" he asked with a sly smile. Karla chuckled. "Go on, champ," she said jerking her head at the hunters'' direction. Surgit threw his sword behind his back and attached it to the Kirkhammer. "Watch and learn," he said. "You''ll understand why the doll''s so important." Beyond the marble tomb stone lay a wide bridge. There was a deep trench that ran underneath the hunters and led toward the depths of the Nightmare Frontier. Surgit took a quick glance at the trench below as he crossed the bridge. A purple stream led toward the darkness in the depths. Falling from the bridge looked fatal. Two hunters were heading toward him. By their pace they''d reach him by the time he crossed the bridge. Surgit threw the Kirkhammer over his shoulder and walked toward his foes. He closed his eyes and activated his insight. "Beast are you here?" he internally asked. "What do you want?" the beast asked. It sounded grumpy. "Watch this," Surgit said. "It''s thanks to you that I learned this new trick after all." "Humph!" the beast spat. "Show me what you''ve got!" Surgit had crossed the bridge by then. The two hunters approached from different angles. Surgit spread his legs and held his ground. With his third eye active, he could sense threats a hundred feet around him. The hunters slowly circled around him. One of them held a Tonitrus, while the other had a Saw Cleaver. The first one swung his Tonitrus in the air and sparks ensued. Bolts of electricity swam around the sphere of the Tonitrus. Surgit suppressed a grin. The hunters had given him ample time to prepare. As they dashed forward, Surgit brought his hammer down. It hit the ground in a loud boom. Then a shockwave, ten feet wide, exploded out of the hammer. The hunters were blown away, each landing in a different position. Surgit was disappointed nobody flew down the trench. He ran toward the closest hunter. In this case it was the one to his right. He imbued his Kirkhammer with more of his Arcane energy than brought down on him. The hunter didn''t have time to dodge. The hammer broke his bones and smashed his insides. It sounded as though somebody had just squashed a giant fly. The other hunter had recovered by then. He stood and ran toward Surgit. The latter detached his sword, imbued it with some more energy, then hurled it at his opponent. The sword traveled at astonishing speed. It pierced the hunter then propelled him backwards until sword and hunter collided with a solid rock. Surgit turned to look at Karla, who was watching from the other side. Her jaw had dropped. Her eyes were open wide. She blinked, rubbed her eyes then looked again. "How about that?!" Surgit said. He was panting heavily, but he looked like the happiest man on earth. 194 The Gift Of The Godhead Cometh! Karla approached the smiling Surgit. Her face was struck with disbelief. Her eyes darted from one dead hunter to the other. Surgit swayed then fell on one knee. Karla hurried toward him and the latter raised a hand. "I''m alright," he said. "Just dizzy, is all." "How did you do that?" she asked, still amazed and confused. "The echoes," Surgit said, panting. "I told you. You can get much stronger." Karla turned away. She looked at the result of Surgit''s carnage and sighed. "Can you move?" she asked. Surgit frowned at how she quickly changed the subject, but he didn''t pursue the matter. He nodded and got to his feet. "I shouldn''t overdo it," he said. "I''m still new to these Arcane powers." "I''ve seen someone use it before, although what he used was different," she said. They walked through the area. Tombstones of all sizes littered the place. The soft ringing of a bell in the distance caught Surgit and Karla''s attention. ??That must be the bell lady," Surgit said in a venomous tone. "We have to find her, or more hunters will keep showing up." "Like those?" Karla pointed at the way forward. Two hunters appeared from below the ground. A red aura enveloped them as they emerged. They spotted their foes, drew their weapons and immediately ran their way. The first one to reach them was holding a strange hammer. He ran over a boulder then propelled himself high in the air. Surgit and Karla jumped aside on time to avoid the hunter''s plunge attack. As soon as he landed, the hammer exploded, and fire shot out in a wide radius. If Karla and Surgit hadn''t jumped far enough, the explosion would have roasted them alive. Surgit felt something pierce his left leg. His knee gave way and he fell. Pain soared through him. He turned to look at the second hunter. He was holding a rifle with a long barrel. He was aiming at him once more. He summoned all his strength and rolled backwards just in time to avoid a second bullet. He injected himself with a vial, whilst keeping an eye on the sniper. "I fucking hate snipers!" he screamed as he watched his wound close and reject the bullet. Karla was engaged in a fierce exchange with the other hunter. She dodged and danced around his attacks, but the hammer had a longer reach than her Saif. She tried to get closer, only to be blocked by one of the sniper''s bullets. "Do something about that fucker!" Karla screamed at Surgit as she dodged another hammer swing. Fire whooshed above her head, and she smelled her hair burning. She jumped back and frantically put the fire out. The other hunter approached her with a wide grin on his face. He struck a match against the hammer''s head and fire ignited once more. Karla cursed as she heard another shot. She jumped aside, dodging the bullet by the skin of her teeth. She looked up, and the other hunter had already jumped toward her. He was holding his hammer upwards, grinning as he quickly descended on her. Karla saw a gray flash, then the hunter was no more. She heard a loud crash beyond the bridge. When she looked back, she saw the hunter sliding down the giant marble obelisk. Surgit had thrown his Kirkhammer at the hunter using his Arcane. He looked exhausted when Karla turned his way. He smiled, however, then screamed. "Let''s make that fucker pay!" The sniper immediately discarded his rifle and drew a dented club. "If that thing transforms..." she warned Surgit. "Beware its reach." Sure enough, the hunter transformed his club. Surgit was in awe as he witnessed the transformation. From a serrated club, the weapon transformed into a long chain. Chunks of the serrated club were attached to each other using heavy chains. They rattled as the hunter swung it toward Surgit. He heard a loud "Whoosh!" as the weapon grazed his head. With the corner of his eyes, Surgit saw Karla jump over the extended weapon then kept running forward. The hunter brought the weapon back to him and slammed its head against the floor. Karla was two steps away from him then. The hunter immediately changed stances and swung his club with all his might. Surgit whipped his gun and shot the hunter, staggering him right before his attack connected. "Go on, liberate the beast inside you," Surgit urged Karla. The woman stared at the staggered hunter. She looked troubled, but the voices inside her head only intensified. She tried to shut them off, but they wouldn''t obey her anymore. Before them stood a weak hunter, begging for a visceral. "Bless us with blood! Bless us with blood! Bless us with blood!" Karla felt her arm twitch, and her mouth watered. Her pupils dilated, and she could no longer resist the urge. She could smell fear in the hunter. She could taste his blood already. She didn''t notice when her arm had taken that grotesque shape. Nor did she notice when she plunged her claws deep within the hunter''s chest. Blood showered her, and the voices in her mind rejoiced. The hunter''s blood fell into her mouth, and she felt exhilarated. She threw her head backwards and howled at the air, at the moon and at the stars. Surgit roared in laughter and started howling in turn. When they were done, both hunters were on their backs, laughing hysterically. "What have we become?" Karla asked after the hysteria subsided. "We''ve become stronger," Surgit replied. "Isn''t it why we came here? Why we braved the seas and defied all logic?" Karla looked thoughtful. "I still get the feeling there is more to this than meets the eye," she said. "Or the eyes," Surgit suggested. "Willem, Laurence''s master, I saw him in a vision." Karla jumped at the hunter and held him by the collar. "Where?" she asked, frantic. "A-a skull," Surgit answered, confused. "In the Great Cathedral, what''s wrong with you all of a sudden?" Karla let go of Surgit. "It''s that name," she said, crestfallen. "Laurence and Gehrman... They''re bad, awful men, both of them." "Look at this place," Surgit said. "Do you think we''d end up here if we were good people?" Karla chuckled. She looked away and gave Surgit a warm smile. She''d never looked at him that way. She was grateful, wholeheartedly grateful. "Maybe we''re not," she said. "Let''s get that bell lady, shall we?" Surgit shrugged. "I saw something down there first," he pointed at a spot behind a large boulder. "My insight told me there''s an item there." They reached the boulder and peeked behind. The ground curved near the cliff. It was steep slope, and Surgit would have to go down if he needed to get the item. "Look at this," Karla pointed at the slope. Coins of different sizes and colors shone against the sun light. "What do you think this means?" Surgit shrugged. "Maybe a hunter fell down here," he said. "Some love to collect coins. They must have fell through his pocket." He went down and Karla followed. They had to tread carefully as the ground was slippery. One misstep and they''d fall toward the stream below. Surgit didn''t favor their survival odds. As they reached the item, they heard something approaching. It sounded as though it had many legs. Surgit and Karla turned just in time to see a spider, standing on its hind legs. It had a face; the face of the man behind the door in lecture room; the face of the man who''d given Surgit the Tonsil Stone. He laughed like a maniac as he pushed them down the cliff. As Surgit and Karla fell, the spider spoke. "Don''t dally you lucky scamps! The gift of the godhead cometh!" 195 Haunting Lullaby Surgit landed on his feet. His knees shook and his brain wobbled inside his head. He looked down, expecting to see his intestines beside his feet. That''s the kind of pain he felt upon falling anyways. Karla fell right beside him, on her back. She groaned as her bones cracked and a purple liquid seeped through her nostrils. Surgit fought the pain in his joints and pulled the unconscious woman atop a rock. Monsters splashed in the purple stream as they slowly approached them. Surgit quickly drew a blood vial and injected Karla. He drew another one and injected himself. Karla gasped as air penetrated her lungs. She rapidly blinked then got to her feet. Surgit looked at her and chuckled. He took a pill from his pocket and handed it to her. "This never happened to you, has it?" he asked. "What?" she asked, confused. "What''s that?" she asked once more. She looked at the pill Surgit handed to her. "That''s an antidote," he said. "You''ll soon suffocate if you don''t take it." He drew his sword and stuck it to his hammer. "Stay here until you recover. I''ll deal with these." He swallowed a pill of his own then walked into the purple stream. It felt as though he walked through flowing mud. Every step made him feel sicker. He looked at the monstrosities before him and winced. They were horrible to look at, and their breathˇ­ Their breath was so putrid Surgit almost lost consciousness when he first inhaled it. The creature had ivory skin. They looked like squids, with long, dangerous tentacles. Instead of a wobbly head, they had an opening with countless sharp teeth. Their gaping mouths always followed Surgit no matter where he dodged. It took a while for Surgit to clear the area. By the time he was done, he had consumed three antidote pills. He came back to Karla, walking like a drunk. "I think I should take a rest too," he said as he let himself fall beside her. "You don''t seem troubled by the ambush," Karla noted. Surgit shrugged. ??We''ve been had," he said. "What''s the point in mulling over things we can''t change?" Karla chuckled. "That''s not your first time, is it?" Surgit smiled. "What''s the worst that could happen?" he asked. "I''ll die then come back for revenge." He looked around. "We didn''t die. We''re in an area we wanted to explore. Let''s do it." Karla got to her feet and inhaled sharply. "I always took you for a fool, Surgit," she said. "Yet you were the first to become a hunter. You''ve faced worse odds than all of us, and survived." Her eyes found his. "Why do you keep fighting?" Surgit shrugged once more. "What else is there?" he asked in a sullen tone. "We''re stuck in this life. We can''t die, might as well make the most of it." She extended her hand toward him. "Let''s get exploring then," she said with a wide smile. They walked through the murky waters, keeping an eye out for the squid like creatures. Surgit had enough antidotes, but they were not enough for the two of them. They would soon run out, and they''d rely on the blood vials, Surgit knew it. He just hoped they''d find the exit before they ran out of blood too. They soon reached a cave. Dark paths intertwined before them. The place was a labyrinth. Surgit took out a lantern he''d bought from the messengers earlier then strapped it to his belt. "Do you hear that?" Karla said. Her voice echoed through the hollow caves. Surgit pricked his ears. There was definitely a sound coming from deep inside the caves. "It sounds like singing," he said, frowning. "Yeah, some kind of lullabyˇ­" Karla nodded. She took a few steps forward. "Sounds like it''s coming from there," she said, pointing at a cave to her left. They walked forward, pricking their ears in case the faint singing sound reached them. Soon enough, they heard it, clearer this time. It came to them as a soft, soothing sound, like a mother singing for her newborn. The sound intensified as they approached. Then they heard the sound of splashing water. By then, both of them were dizzy enough from the poison that seeped through their veins. The murky waters they traversed could easily infect them just from contact with the skin. Surgit took his last two antidotes, handed one to Karla and swallowed the other. "Just in case it''s some ugly beast," he whispered. "We don''t want to lose a limb then die of blood poisoning." She nodded and swallowed the pill. The splashing ahead of them intensified. They soon heard the heavy footsteps approaching them. The song''s reached them clearly now. It wasn''t much like a song, but a humming of a song. "Lalalaaaaˇ­" the voice reached their ears. Surgit''s heart began racing. He felt as though all the voices inside his head resurfaced once more. Old and young, male and female, they all spoke at once. They started humming the song too, albeit not in perfect harmony. "Lala ¨C" "Lalalalaaaaa ¨C" "Laaaaaaaaaa ¨C" "Lalaaaaˇ­ Laaaaaaaaaaaˇ­" Surgit held his head. He saw Karla do the same. Her face contorted in a grimace of confusion and pain. The splashing got louder, and a creature appeared before them. The dark caves suddenly lit up, revealing the monstrosity in all its glory. She had the appearance of a woman, or at least a body of one. Instead of a head, she had a big brain the size of a full grown dog. Eyes popped out of the brain. They frantically moved, emitting disgusting squishing sounds as they looked for the hunters. When they finally fell upon them, Surgit and Karla felt as though something burst inside their bodies. Blood gushed out of every orifice. The creature turned its human torso toward them. Then it slowly walked in their direction. Thin, sinewy hands sprouted from the big, disgusting brain. They extended toward Surgit. Then the creature began running. In his state, Surgit couldn''t move. He heard Karla scream, then blood gushed out of her in continuous streams. She fell to her knees, before her face hit the murky stream. Surgit didn''t have it any better. The creature held him with its sinewy hands then brought it toward its head. Sharp teeth revealed themselves as Surgit was forcefully pulled toward the big brain. He felt them pierce his flesh and shatter his bones. He couldn''t scream or resist what was happening to him. He could feel his agonizing death coming, however, one bite at a time. 196 Yahargul, The Hidden Village Francis was standing inside a church near the Cathedral Ward. He was looking above him. His eyes quivered as he fixated the creature stuck to the ceiling. He''d noticed a similar being near Oedon Chapel, but the latter was peaceful, unlike this one. A door lay open before Francis. He''d never reached this place before, but seeing this open door gave him an idea. Perhaps Surgit had went through this place and never came back. Perhaps he could find his friend and ask him about Gavril. His ex-master''s words still echoed through his mind. "What did he mean by friends?" he found himself asking on more than one occasion. The first time he reached the church, he hurried toward the door without looking up. A vein throbbed in the side of his head at that time. He had just had the strangest encounter. Voices had screamed inside his head, almost driving him crazy. He managed to subdue them into silence, albeit with great difficulty. The price to pay was a head splitting headache. So when he reached the church and saw the open door, he strode toward it without even looking around him. After all, the place was deserted. Somebody had already dealt with all the monsters that roamed about. He''d found snipers and trolls with their insides sprawled onto the dirt. That only encouraged him to push on and look for Surgit behind the open door. His advance, however, was brought short as he heard a strange noise to his right. It sounded as though wind had suddenly burst into the church and blasted his clothes. His cape fluttered, and his left ear picked up this incessant strident noise. He turned to inspect its source, only to find himself staring at the deep space. The next thing he knew, he was in the creature''s gigantic hand, completely at its mercy. He felt its bony fingers wrap around him. It felt as though it wanted to squeeze all the blood out of him. Francis struggled to free himself at first, only to be met with even stronger resistance. That beast, no matter how strong he was, surpassed him in every aspect. Francis came back to the church after the beast had actually squeezed all blood out of his system. It was a painful death, but it taught him to avoid the damned thing. He ran through the door before the portal to deep space showed up near him once more. As he crossed to the other side, Francis looked back to see the portal floating midair, then followed by the beast''s hand. He shuddered as memories of the squeeze came rushing back to his mind. After making sure he was out of danger, he headed deeper inside the tunnel he was in. The tunnel opened into some stairs that led to a square in the distance. As soon as Francis emerged from the tunnel, he heard a faint ringing noise inside his head. He cursed, thinking Gavril would invade him once more. He saw the bodies emerge from beneath the ground, but to his great surprise, it wasn''t who he expected. Instead of a hunter, Huntsmen, half beasts half men, had appeared. Francis had spent most of his earlier days as a hunter using the Huntsmen as training dummies. He scoffed, drew his Chikage and awaited the Huntsmen''s approach. As they slowly walked toward him, Francis noticed that something had changed in the beasts. They were coated in a red aura, or was it blood? He couldn''t really tell. The first huntsman that reached him was wielding a Falchion. Francis knew what to expect. The beast would always swing or trust, putting all its weight behind the attack. Either way, the beast''s attacking pattern was predictable. After the huntsman got in range, he broadly swung and missed. All Francis had to do was to move aside and let the huntsman cut the air. Francis swung in turn, and opened the beast''s back. To his surprise, that one cut wasn''t enough to bring him down. Francis''s surprise almost cost him another death. The huntsman turned around and thrust his falchion, missing Francis by a hair''s width. The old man punched the creature in the nose then stabbed it. His sword cut through the beast like knife through butter. This time, he managed to bring it down. The huntsman didn''t fall on the ground as were their custom, however. It exploded into blood and sinew. Only a puddle remained by Francis''s foot to remind him a monster existed there before. Another huntsman approached Francis next. This one was holding a sickle. His arms had grown to reach his knees. In terms of reach, he definitely had more than Francis. The old man noticed that this one too had this red aura around him. He had to swiftly deal with this one. He couldn''t allow it to surprise him, as did the one before him. Once the man-beast tried to attack Francis, he shot him straight in the chest. The huntsman fell to his knees, and Francis immediately eviscerated him. The huntsman, however, didn''t turn into a pool of blood and sinew. It stood, fixed Francis with its red eyes then let out a faint growl. Francis was dumbfounded. He''d always managed to finish lesser beasts off with his pistol and visceral attack. The most ordinary beasts had suddenly become deadlier than ever. It took him another visceral attack to finish the monster once and for all. As he reached the square, Francis noticed the dream lantern in the middle. His eyes quickly veered from the lantern however. There was a chair in the middle of the square. A skeleton sat on top of it, while a cage was strapped to his skull. As if this wasn''t enough to shake the old man to his core, inspecting the place he''d arrived in filled his soul with dread. Tall towers with conical roofs sprawled in every corner. Atop each tower, a creature, much like the one who had squeezed him, stood. They seemed to watch every passerby with eyes that were yet to appear on their strange heads. Francis heard the ringing of the bell then squishing sound below the square. He snuck a peek, only to see a mob of huntsmen materializing from the ground. They roamed the square, looking around for the intruder who braved their forbidden land. They soon met Francis''s eyes, and they all rushed toward him at once. Francis danced around them, slashing and decapitating whenever he could find an opening. The creatures fell down, but every time he cut one of them the bell would ring again. He''d notice, from the corner of his eyes, that another huntsmen appeared from below the ground. If things went on as they were, he''d soon be exhausted and they''d make short work of him. He couldn''t waste time fighting a never ending horde. He skipped past the first enemies then jumped over the ones who''d just appeared. He was aiming for the stairs that led to a building, far away from the horde. As he reached the stairs however, he noticed half a dozen huntsmen awaiting him at the end. One of the beasts lurked above the building. Its gigantic head was facing the old man. He looked into the spherical cage he took for its head. What he saw next made his heart jump to his throat. From each hexagon on the beast''s head, eyes of different shapes and sizes popped. They all frantically looked around, as though they were looking for Francis. Sure enough the biggest eye landed on the old man. Then a laser shot out, drawing irregular blue lines on the stairs. The laser brushed Francis''s cheek. The old man, dazed and confused, didn''t see the explosion coming. Fire shot out of the floor, and Francis flew in the air, bloodyˇ­ Dead. 197 Flying Rocks and Poison It took Surgit and Karla a while to regain their composure. Surgit was sitting on a rock near the dream lantern. He has his face buried in his hands. Karla stared at the cave walls without uttering a word. They had been in the cave for about an hour. Neither of them had spoken a single word. Surgit finally raised his head. "I thought nothing could surprise me anymore," he said in a defeated tone. Karla turned to look at him. Dark rings appeared below his eyes. He was fidgeting with his fingers, twisting his cape and releasing it at different intervals. "Just thinking about that thing makes me shudder..." Karla said with a faint voice, almost a whisper. "And that lullaby..." Surgit shook his head. "We can''t leave that thing destroy our morale. We can defeat it. We just have to reach it before it sees us." "I was about to lose my mind Surgit. How do we defeat something that damages you before you reach it?" Karla asked. "The spider threw us down there. All we have to do is avoid to do is avoid the caves. No good will come out of killing that beast," Surgit replied. "What about my echoes, and yours?" Karla asked. "I lost quite a bit down there." "You can always get more," Surgit retorted. He stood then inhaled sharply. "We won''t achieve anything by dwelling on the past. If we die again trying to reach your echoes, we''ll lose them indefinitely. What''s the point of chasing after them?" "Unlike you, I have never used echoes to upgrade my attributes," Karla said. She approached the hunter and met his eyes. "I''ve been through a lot. I''ve even killed a Cleric beast and slaughtered a village full of monsters. Do you believe I could replace all the echoes I lost?" Surgit shrugged. "I''m positive. We can always go back to the cave and die before reaching them, or after..." Karla let out a frustrated "Tsk!" "Don''t think too much about it. After we''re done with this place, I''ll take you to the Chalice Dungeons. We will find strong monsters inside, strong enough to earn all the lost echoes back." Surgit gave Karla his most comforting smile. "Cheer up! There are always beasts to hunt." Both hunters left the cave and restarted their exploration. Although they could hear the sinister bell ringing in the distance, no invaders had come to fight them. As they crossed the bridge, they noticed the spider lurking above the hill on the opposite side. They couldn''t reach him though. He crawled up steep cliffs as soon as he caught a glimpse of them, cackling as he went. They kept going, and soon reach a vast expanse. Murky waters spread as far as the eye could see. It looked like a dried up lake. Small isles consisting of boulders and tiny pieces of land scattered inside and around it. Squid like creatures roamed the murky waters, splashing with their tentacles as they moved. "That''s new," Karla said as she pointed at the largest isle. On a tall boulder, the size of a regular chapel, stood a furry creature. It spotted the hunters even though they were far away. It picked up a rock then threw it at them. The rock''s size kept expanding as it approached the hunters. Surgit and Karla, realizing it was just a boulder approaching, jumped aside right before it crashed. The resulting debris almost hit Karla square in the face. Surgit had to use his Kirkhammer as a shield since a big chunk of the broken boulder flew at him with breakneck speed. "That''s also new," Surgit commented after he avoided the worst. "We''re out of antidotes. We can''t reach that thing on time." Karla swore under her breath. "Let''s not forget those weird squids in the water. We''ll be busy fighting them while that guy is raining boulders over our heads," Surgit added then sighed. "I think we should get back to the dream, but some antidotes from the messengers." "With what echoes?" Karla asked. "Well fuck me sideways..." Surgit swore. They avoided another boulder the giant had sent next. Surgit shot a dark look at the furry creature in the distance. "I''ll use my blood vials to stay in the poisonous water. You head straight for that giant and deal with him." Karla nodded. "And watch out for anything we can''t see. There are too many blind spots. More of them could be lying in ambush." Surgit put his hammer back on his back then advanced toward the squids. As soon as he began engaging the squids, Karla dashed toward the giant. Surgit danced around the long tentacles, cutting them off when he could, finishing off the opponents closest to him. He was surrounded, but his speed allowed him to avoid the worst. He had kept ten vials in a belt he strapped around his torso. Every time he felt close to collapsing, he''d inject himself and keep fighting. When he had but three more squids to face, Karla had reached the isle of the giant. Surgit had to dodge the tentacles as well as the flying boulders. Dodging the rocks was easy enough. He''d hear the giant grunting as he threw the boulder. That was his cue to get the hell out of dodge. However, as soon as he dodged the first boulder, he heard another grunt, coming from the opposite side. He saw a shadow above his head. It kept expanding as the object that was thrown his way approached. Surgit, fighting the poison that ran through his veins, threw himself aside. He landed on all fours, and toxic water filled his mouth. He coughed and wheezed as he fumbled in his belt. He could still hear the squids splashing as they approached him. With the corner of his eye, he saw the giant Karla was hunting hurl another boulder above his head. His hands trembled as he attempted to pull a blood vial out. His fingers were shaking, and his vision was getting blurrier by the second. He finally managed to inject himself with a vial as the squids reached him. The boulder he expected, however, never came. He shot a quick glance at the isle and saw Karla waving to him. Then he heard another grunt. He looked behind him and saw another giant hurling a boulder his way. He jumped away just in time. He was running out of vials and the squids didn''t offer any blood that was fit for consumption. He had to retreat and catch his breath. Dodging the boulder and fighting off countless tentacles wasn''t going to end well for him. By the time he went back to the starting point, Karla had disappeared from the isle. Surgit was out breath. The squids were still chasing after him. They crawled like snails however. He had ample time to catch his breath. He saw Karla running through the murky waters then. She was heading toward him. She dodged two boulders and finished two squids off before reaching him. Her face was devoid of color when she stopped beside him. She folded over her stomach and retched. The third squid reached them by then. Surgit flung his Kirkhammer at the beast, flattening it. Then he wobbled toward it and finished it. He injected himself with another blood vial then took a deep breath. "That was tougher than I expected," he said, wiping sweat from his forehead. 198 Partnership "There''s still a giant up there," Karla said, pointing at a spot behind the rocks to their right. They couldn''t see him from where they stood. That was the blind spot Surgit had spoken about. Surgit looked around. He noticed a hole in the middle of a hill that preceded the lake. "Perhaps we could jump over there and surprise the fucker," he said. Karla wiped her mouth and looked at the spot where the giant stood, now hidden from them. "It''s definitely better than the poison." Her face turned green and she started vomiting again. "This poison alone will kill me..." "We should get back to the dream. I''ve picked up some runes in the Forbidden Woods. They might help us counter poison effects," Surgit said. He was squinting at the hole he''d noticed. "We could also explore Yharnam and fill our vials. We''ll need all the help we could get if we are to navigate these treacherous lands." Karla nodded. "I can''t look at these waters without getting the urge to..." she folded on herself once more and retched. Surgit winced at the sounds Karla made. She was obviously in pain, no matter how many blood vials she injected. She only calmed down after they came back to the dream. She inhaled the clean air and let out a sigh of satisfaction. Surgit approached the altar on which he could inscribe runes. He checked the ones he had until he found the right one. "Here," he pointed at the parchment he held. "We''ll inscribe our minds with this symbol, using this." He produced a tool that strangely resembled a corkscrew. Surgit showed Karla how to inscribe runes in her mind using the tool. After they were done, Karla inspected the garb they''d taken from the student in the lecture hall. She''d found out it had strong resistance to poison, and decided to wear it. Surgit opted for Father Gascoigne''s set. Its resistance to poison was high enough. They were ready to head to Yharnam when they heard a sound near the doll. Upon closer inspection, they saw Francis. He was walking toward the workshop with his head bowed down. "What''s on your mind old man?" Surgit asked. Francis jumped backwards and drew his sword. When he''d realized it was Surgit, he relaxed. Then Karla walked from behind the hunter, and Francis''s jaw dropped to his knees. He rubbed his eyes, shook his head, rubbed his eyes once more then looked at Karla. She was still standing beside Surgit. Her lips parted into a weak smile. "Long time no see Francis," she said in a low tone. "I''ve seen you die, right before my eyes..." Francis said with trembling lips. Karla gave the old man a full account of her adventure back in time. When she was done, Francis''s eyes were fixating her with great interest. "You''ve witnessed history in the making," he said in a fascinated tone. He rested his head on his hands and averted his gaze from Karla to the fireplace. "Did you see or hear anything about Cainhurst?" Karla''s face darkened upon hearing the name. "Why do you ask?" she asked with a heavy frown. "I''ve been there recently. The carnage in the castle and the amount of ghosts that roam the place..." Francis shuddered. "I took Surgit there too." Surgit nodded. "It felt like I''ve lived through all the scary stories my grandma used to tell when I was a child." "This entire place exceeds all horror stories folk spread back home," Francis noted. "The man who executed us all, we met him in the Nightmare Frontier..." Karla said, thoughtful. Francis''s eyes widened. "This is what he meant by friends!" he enthusiastically said. "Did you meet him too?" Surgit asked. Francis frowned. He was still staring at the fireplace. Fire crackled as it licked the stacked logs. "He was here, in the dream. He shot me in the head right after I killed two hunters. They called themselves executioners." "Was one of them Alfred?" Surgit blurted out. "Those are the ones who attacked Cainhurst!" Karla said next. Francis looked at Surgit and shook his head. "One of them was Quip, almost killed me." Francis shuddered at the thought. "The other was called Hal or Phil or something. I quickly dealt with him, don''t remember his face." He turned to Karla next. "When you say attacked, you''re speaking about the past you traveled to, is that right?" Karla nodded. "Gehrman didn''t know about their plans until it was too late. What do you know of them?" "They use some strange wheels as weapons. It glows a sinister red when they turn it. One hit and your limbs become goo. You can''t heal it no matter how many blood vials you inject. I feared I''d spend the remainder of my days as shapeless goo..." Francis shuddered as a chill run down his spine. "Where were you before we met?" Surgit asked. Francis''s face darkened even more. "There''s a red moon hovering above Yharnam''s sky. Some strange beasts, spider like and as big as a house, watch from atop tall towers." "I''ve seen one of them," Surgit said. "It was back in the chapel near the Great Cathedral," Karla added. "Did you go beyond the door?" Francis asked. Both hunters shook their heads. Francis let out a heavy, frustrated sigh. "Things are bad beyond the door. I wound up in a place called Yahar''gul. Huntsmen roam in great numbers. What''s worse, every time you kill one of them, another appears right behind you." "Is this why you came back to the dream? Are you here to upgrade your attributes?" Surgit asked. "Those giant spider like creatures..." Francis said then fell silent. "They''re apparently called Amygdala," Surgit said. "Scary things..." Karla commented. "Did you see their eyes?" Francis asked. "Those things have eyes?" both Surgit and Karla asked simultaneously. Francis nodded. "They shoot light beams at you. They seem harmless at first, but whatever they touch explodes. I was surprised when fire shot out below my legs. I was blown to smithereens. I suppose I''ve experienced all kinds of deaths..." Karla and Surgit exchanged puzzled looks. "I''ve been to Yahar''gul before. I didn''t see any Amygdalas..." Karla said. "Me neither..." Surgit replied. "How about you two help me explore the hidden village?" Francis asked. He was back to the enthusiastic philanthropist. "I can help you later with your exploration." "We do need to fill our blood vials," Surgit said, thoughtful. "We also need some echoes..." Karla added. "It''s settled then," Francis said with a wide smile. He stood and extended his hand toward the hunters. "Let''s make a pact. We help each other in time of need and split the spoils." Karla stood and rested her hand atop Francis''s. "I don''t see why not," she said. Surgit stood and joined them. "Let us cleanse these tarnished streets." He said as he joined hands with the others. 199 A Hunter Must Hun Francis led the trio to the square in Yhar''gul. Surgit had tried to teleport them to the chapel the kidnapper had led him to, but the messenger refused to for reasons they couldn''t explain. The little creatures were dumb mutes after all. They took the lantern toward the Cathedral Ward and escalated the stairs toward the Great Cathedral. In his haste to explore Yahar''gul, Francis had forgotten to light the dream lantern in the square. They had to walk all the way back to the chapel and into the tunnel the Amygdala guarded. As they escalated the stairs, Surgit remembered something he heard in the Nightmare Frontier. "Didn''t Gavril tell us to meet him in the Cathedral?" he asked Karla. "Are you sure you''re ready to face that crazed killer?" Karla retorted. "There are three of us, and only one of him," Francis put in. "The last time we fought him all together, we suffered a humiliating defeat," Karla said. "I didn''t say we should fight him," Surgit cut in before Francis said anything. "All I''m saying is that we should be on our guard. He could be lurking in the streets for all we know." The beasts that roamed the Cathedral Ward didn''t pose much of a threat to the three hunters. They dealt with them with extreme ease. Even the sleeping giants weren''t spared. They slaughtered them, as a hunter ought, then moved up the steps leading the Great Cathedral. They heard loud grunts and swords clashing in the distance. The three hunters'' immediately became tense. Swords clashing meant hunters fighting each other. Gavril had to be one of them. As they climbed the stairs, they kept all their senses on high alert. "It definitely smells like two hunters. I don''t recognize Gavril''s scent, however," Francis noted. "I recognize one of them," Surgit said. "It''s the man with the club, isn''t it?" Karla asked, to which Surgit nodded. "I don''t know who you''re talking about, but I recognize the other scent. It belongs to that woman in crow feather garb," Francis said. Surgit sniffed the air then his eyes widened. "You''re right. We should hurry. She could be in trouble." Francis snorted. "Have you ever seen the woman fight? She''s a shadow in human form." "Be that as it may, we all have our weaknesses," Surgit replied. He quickened his pace and Karla followed on his heels. Francis shook his head then sighed. "Why is he so obsessed with helping others that are not in need?" They hurried up the steps until they reached the Great Cathedral''s main door. Eileen was dancing around the man''s elongated weapon. The Beast Cutter, originally made as a serrated club, could be elongated to become a heavy bludgeoning weapon. It whooshed as it cut through the air. Eileen had managed to dodge all of the hunter''s attacks, but she could never reach him. The Beast Cutter had the advantage of reach, while Eileen''s Blades of Mercy relied solely on close quarter combat. Surgit and the others had reached the foot of the stairs just in time to witness the end of the battle. The hunter retracted his Beast Cutter and tried to hurl it at Eileen. The latter whipped her gun and shot the hunter, stopping him in his tracks. The shot hadn''t staggered him, but it offered Eileen the opening she desperately needed. She threw her gun aside and dashed forward, splitting her blades as she did. The hunter tried transform the heavy chain into a club. One hit from the serrated club and Eileen would be reduced into minced meat. She didn''t give him time to succeed in his plans though. She slashed at his chest. The hunter retreated one step and gasped. Blood gushed out of the open wound and showered Eileen. She struck for the second time, then the third, then the fourth... The three hunters watching the scene had lost count after five slashes. Eileen was moving so fast her arms had become a blur. The hunter''s body jerked with each strike. Surgit never knew a human body could contain so much blood. By the time Eileen was done with him, the hunter resembled shredded paper. He lay on his back, in a pool of his own blood. Eileen was panting heavily. She abruptly lifted her head and sniffed the air. She sharply turned toward the hunters, ready to attack. When she noticed Francis and his company, however, he shoulders dropped. "I thought you were one of his friends," she said, out of breath. "We come in peace," Surgit announced then climbed the stairs. "Have you met a man in a crow feather garb in here?" he asked as he reached hunter of hunters. Eileen shook her head. "That hunter is my mark. Don''t go near him," she said in a firm, asserting tone. "He''s been but a thorn in our sides. We want to see him fall as much as you do," Surgit said. "A hunter must hunt beasts. You leave the hunting of hunters to me," Eileen said. Behind her plague doctor mask, Surgit could see the woman''s eyes glaring at him. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Something else had caught his attention. He looked at the dead hunter with arched eyebrows. "Why hasn''t he disappeared?" he asked. Eileen followed Surgit''s eyes. She seemed as baffled as the young hunter was. "This can''t be..." she whispered. Karla and Francis joined them then. They were all looking at the hunter whose body was cut to thin shreds. "He should have revived by now. Is he dead?" Francis asked. "No more dreams for the wicked I suppose," Eileen said. No more dreams... Surgit had the feeling he''d heard this before, but he couldn''t remember no matter how hard he tried. "So he''s dead, like dead, dead? Is that even possible?" Karla asked. "We don''t know how it happens or when," Eileen replied. She sighed heavily. "If you''ve been dreaming for as long as I have, the end seems... like a heavy weight lifted off your shoulders." The three hunters fell silent. Each of them pondered at Eileen''s words in their own way. Francis looked shaken. Color had deserted his face. He was clenching and unclenching his fists. His eyes fixated his feet, as though he''d just suffered a devastating loss. "So hunters evade death, only to die in the end," he finally said in a defeated tone. "Let these thoughts worm their way into your brain, and you''ll become as crazed as the very hunters you despise," Eileen replied. "Maybe they were right to lose their minds," Francis said, not really noticing whom he was speaking to. "Then maybe I''ll be right to cut your head off when the time comes," Eileen retorted. She was still holding her blades in both hands. She looked at Francis from head to toe and the latter shuddered. "A hunter must hunt. There is no way around it." 200 Yahar’gul, The Hidden Village 2 The red moon loomed over Yahar''gul, casting a crimson light over the tall towers and reflecting off their windows. Atop tall buildings, creatures roughly the size of three elephants stacked on top of each other crawled on their eight limbs. They observed every passerby with their tonsil shaped heads, and their numerous eyes. Bell ringing ladies littered the place. With every ring, huntsmen would emerge from the ground, blood dripping from their clothes, hair and fur. They roamed the streets, looking for any intruder to cut down. No matter how many times one would strike them down, the beasts would always re-emerge, blood dripping and eyes shining a crimson color. Surgit, Karla and Francis were standing near the dream lantern. They had remembered to activate it before delving deeper inside the hidden village. They heard beasts groaning in the distance, and bells ringing nonstop. "It feels like we landed in the worst nightmare," Karla said. She was looking at the vast expanse displayed before them. Hundreds of houses, plus towers and big churches stretched as far as the eye could see. Atop each large building, an Amygala sat, waiting for any unsuspecting visitor. Surgit snorted, and the two hunters looked at him inquisitively. "We''ve been repeating the same words ever since we landed here," he replied. He took a look at the closest Amygdala and shuddered. "The first time I saw a statue of this thing, I felt chills run down my spine. Now..." he shrugged. "They''re beasts like everyone else." "What do you mean everyone?" Francis asked with narrowed eyes. "You know exactly what I mean," Surgit retorted. He looked below the square and spotted two dozen huntsmen patrolling the streets. "Are we hunting, or are we bickering?" Francis inhaled sharply. "Careful, those beasts don''t really die." "Just like us," Surgit retorted with a wry smile. He jumped over the railing and ran toward the huntsmen. He moved like a shadow, slithering between their weapons and cutting their bellies open or beheading the ones he could. Before Karla or Francis could reach him, Surgit had already taken care of the horde. "Do you hear that?" he asked. The bell tinkered somewhere in the distance, then more huntsmen appeared. "Sounds like it''s coming from that building over there," Karla pointed at a church on the opposite side. Surgit dashed forward, leaving the two hunters behind. He immediately reached the huntsmen that had just resuscitated, and killed them once more before reaching the stairs leading down to the building Karla pointed at. He saw at least six huntsmen with two snipers at the foot of the stairs. Atop the building, an Amygdala was watching him. Tentacles dangled out its head. They moved about as though they had their own will. Surgit ran down the stairs and the Amygdala''s eyes popped open. It shot a laser that drew an irregular line on the stairs. Surgit kept pushing. He didn''t bother killing the huntsmen on the stairs. He just zigzagged between them, making sure he avoided the laser and the line it left behind. He reached the foot of the stairs right as the Amygdala finished shooting its laser. Karla and Francis reached the stairs. Karla was about to follow Surgit when the old man pulled her from her shoulders. "Wait until this is over," he told her. She looked puzzled, but Francis urged her to look forward. She turned to see a blue line drawn on the descending stairs. One heartbeat later, fire shot through the thin lines, taking down the unlucky huntsmen that stood above it. Once the coast was clear, Karla and Francis hurried down the stairs before the Amygdala attacked once more. As soon as they reached the bottom, they saw Surgit emerging from the dark building. He was covered in blood. "I took care of the bell ringing lady," he told them. "None of the beasts around here shall come back." Indeed, the place seemed to have quieted down. No huntsmen groaned. No sound of splashing blood as the huntsmen resuscitated was heard. Francis looked around him, sighed in relief then smiled. "What''s up with you? Why did you run off like that?" Karla asked, frowning. "I''m just tired of making sense of all this. Eileen was right. A hunter must hunt, there is no other way around it." Surgit looked at the door leading outside the building then at his friends. "Will you join me in this hunt?" The three hunters reached yet another square. This one looked like the center of the village. Large pillars surrounded the circular plaza. As soon as the trio left the backdoor of the building, the sound of wailing welcomed them. They were one floor above the square. When they looked down, their hair stood on end. "What the fuck is wrong with this place?" Karla asked in a stentorian voice. Below them, women gathered in a circle. They wailed as they prostrated and hit the ground with their palms. Some of them held sickles, others held cleavers. Their disheveled hair and dusty robes made them look even more harrowing. With each collective wail, the hunters would wince. "You should have seen Hemwick," Francis muttered. "Leave them be," Surgit said then turned toward a hole in a wall beside them. "We can jump down and take care of them, but they''re dripping in blood. This only means another bell lady is lurking in the shadows." They got inside the building. Darkness hindered their sight, but not their sense of smell or their incredible hearing. They heard a troll heading toward them. They were in a long hall that led toward more darkness. Beside them, there were metallic bars through which they saw a bell ringing lady. She was wearing a long gray robe. Her head was hidden underneath a pointed cape. She turned to look at the hunters then rung her bell. Two more trolls emerged from the floor in front of them, groaning, dripping in blood. Surgit and the others made short work of them, however. When they reached the bell ringing lady, or crone to be precise, Surgit left the honor of disposing of her to Francis. "You''ve suffered most from these pests," Surgit said. Once they were outside, they found themselves near the round plaza. Women still wailed in the distance. They could hear another bell ringing lady somewhere, but they couldn''t pinpoint her exact location. "Let''s split up," Surgit suggested. Ahead of them, there were stairs leading to another plaza with a tree in the middle. More women roamed the place. They had their arms outstretched and danced around while wailing. They looked confused, crazed. Some of them laughed hysterically, while others cried and wailed. Just hearing them was enough to send chills down one''s spine. "I''ll go down. Perhaps the bell ringing crone is there," Karla said. Surgit nodded. "Be careful. No matter what you do, make sure you don''t die!" 201 Tinker Bell... Tinker Bell... Surgit jumped down the stair as Molotov Cocktails flew behind him. Francis had long fallen to the crazed women and was probably making his way back to them. They thought that exploring Yahar''gul in numbers was going to make their task easier. They thought they''d be strolling down the hidden village''s streets as though they owned the place. How wrong they were... One could only imagine the hunters'' great dismay after Francis''s death. The bell ringing crones they had disposed of came back to life, and with them, more huntsmen had arose. They were surrounded from every front. Crazed women swarmed the plaza they had to cross. The moment Surgit and Francis climbed the stairs, the women ran toward them while others rained Molotovs over their heads. They couldn''t evade the fire bottles without falling into the other women''s range. Francis was the first one to make the horrible mistake. He jumped toward the women, confident in his ability to quickly dispose of them. Surgit watched them cover the old man and cut him to pieces. He managed to kill two before they caught him from the arms and legs. Surgit tried to help but more Molotovs came flying his way. He watched them cut the man limb by limb then proceeded to slowly cut his throat open. He heard him scream, unable to get close enough to help. He quickly forgot about Francis when he heard more bells tinkering in the distance. He turned around just in time to see two trolls running toward him. He shot the first one to approach him, staggering him. He couldn''t eviscerate him however, as fire bottles came raining over his head. He evaded those, only to find the crazed women, who were done with Francis, running after him. He immediately jumped over a railing and ran along its thin line until he reached the opposite side of the plaza. Then he saw the Amygdala. Then he saw the laser moving like lightning. He saw the line being drawn below his legs and jumped just in time to avoid the explosion. A Molotov Cocktail landed on his head just then. He wailed and hastily searched for a blood vial in his pockets. By the time he had healed himself, he was surrounded. Three trolls, a dozen huntsmen and about double that amount in crazed women stood with their teeth and fangs bared. The Amygdala shot its laser once more. Surgit jumped on a troll''s shoulder and got away from the horde just in time. The explosion that ensued took a troll and two women with it, but the rest immediately turned and chased after the hunter. He jumped over the stairs just as two molotov cocktails exploded behind him. He met a livid Francis at the foot of the stairs. He was drenched in blood, and his eyes fixated the horde in the plaza above. "Leave them to me!" he said in a dead voice. He grunted as he pierced his flesh with his sword then ran up the stairs. Surgit saw blood splatter on the railings as Francis danced in the middle of the horde. He saw him swing his sword, then blood would flow out of it, as though it was the source. Whenever it landed on one of the beasts, it would sizzle, burning their skin like acid. "Bloodtinge..." Surgit said as he scratched his stubble. "I may join in with my arcane, see who has the better powers..." Surgit heard the bell tinker behind him. He turned to see three trolls heading his way. He drew his sword and projected his energy toward it. As soon as he swung, a shockwave left the weapon and hit the troll closest to him in its fat stomach. The hit propelled the troll backward and into the bell ringing crone. He hit her and both of them flew until they crashed against the metallic bars on the other side. Surgit heard bones crack and the bell fell to the floor. He faced the other trolls, projected his energy to his sword then thrust it forward. A transparent shockwave, shaped like a spear, flew toward the trolls. It pierced the first one''s fat stomach, left through its back then hit the second one, staggering him in the process. Surgit used the falling troll''s shoulder as a jumping point. He leapt over the troll with his hand outstretched toward his back. He drew his Kirkhammer and projected the last drops of energy he had on it. He brought the hammer down as he landed behind the troll. The latter''s head exploded, causing a blood bath with scattered brain pieces floating all over. When Surgit came back out into the plaza, he found out that Francis had cleared the plaza. Karla came back up the stairs then. They both approached her. She was panting heavily. "Fucking old man..." she said in between deep inhales. "Scared the shit out of me..." "Did you find the bell ringing woman?" Surgit asked. Karla bent over her knees to take a breath and shook her head. They heard the bell tinkering again, and the crazed women appeared all around them. "There''s a cage down there. It''s closed, but I think we can reach from the mezzanine on top," Karla said as the crazed women approached them, blood dripping from their clothes and disheveled hair. They gave their backs to each other and observed the approaching crazed women. Huntsmen were running out of the chapel above them. "We can''t keep fighting like this. We can''t even get away from here. The moment you get close to the stairs on the other side, the Amygdala looks at you with its creepy eyes," Surgit said then shuddered. "Why didn''t you kill the bell ringing lady in the chapel?" he asked Francis. "Why dwell on things we can''t change? I think I know how to get to that mezzanine Karla spoke of," Francis replied. "I''m all ears," Karla said through gritted teeth. The crazed woman let out a deafening wail then charged the hunters. Huntsmen had reached the round plaza then. They were completely surrounded once more. The hunters worked as one unit in disposing of the beasts. As soon as they cleared the plaza, however, they heard bells ringing again. Francis pointed at a balcony that was conveniently placed near the plaza. "That''s our way to the mezzanine, and to that annoying bitch!" 202 Divided Once More... Reaching the mezzanine was harder than the hunters anticipated. Due to Francis dying and not dealing with the first bell ringing crone, the hunters were always surrounded by enemies. No matter how much they sliced and countered, their enemies would keep coming. Their numbers increased every time; and every time, the hunters would find themselves getting weaker, more tired. Francis decided to split from the group and reach the mezzanine on his own. As soon as he made two steps toward the large plaza, he was surrounded by crazed women and trolls and forced to retreat. "I can get you up there, but you won''t like how," Surgit suggested after they dealt with yet another horde. "At this point, I''ll take any suggestion," the old man retorted. Another horde of crazed women and trolls were approaching them. Surgit looked at the mezzanine. It was one floor above them. Then there was the gap between the round plaza and the building they were trying to reach. If Francis fell, he''d certainly die and invite another horde to join the party. "I''ll throw you up there," Surgit said after carefully considering all their options. "I don''t have much energy left, not enough to deal with another horde anyway. I can use it to throw you over to the balcony. The rest is up to you." Francis gave Surgit a concerned look. He looked at the gap between them and the balcony above. "You need to be as strong as a troll to send me flying over there," he said. Surgit let out a nervous chuckle. "I''m definitely stronger than the trolls. Unless you have a better idea, it seems we''ve run out of options." Francis shot a look behind him. Karla was dealing with the crazed women, providing cover for the hunters. "Desperate times, right?" he asked with a wry smile. Surgit smiled in return. "We''re running out of time here, what''ll it be?" Francis heaved a sigh then nodded. "Let''s do it!" He hopped on Surgit''s clenched hands and the latter propelled him into the air. He''d focused all his remaining energy into the throw. Francis shot through the air and easily crossed the gap between the plaza and the building. In fact, Surgit had thrown him so hard the old man collided with the building''s gray walls before falling back on the balcony. He jumped to his feet and waved to the other hunters. Surgit joined Karla while Francis disappeared inside the mezzanine. They heard some shots then all the crazed women surrounded them screamed in agony. Blood splattered out of their bodies. The hunters made short work of them, and the plaza grew quieter. Karla turned to Surgit then. She was frowning. Sweat trickled down her brows. "I''ll deal with the bell ringing crone upstairs. You wait for me!" She didn''t wait for Surgit''s answer. She dashed forward and disappeared inside the building that led to the chapel above them. A minute later, Francis joined the hunter. He was holding a bell in his hand, grinning as he walked toward Surgit. "Finally! Some peace and quiet!" he said then let out a sigh of relief. "Where''s Karla?" "Dealing with the crone you forgot about," Surgit replied. He looked at the old man whose lips had curved downwards. He was frowning, as though the young hunter''s words offended him. "Did you find anything in there?" Surgit asked. The old man shrugged. "Bones strapped to a chair," Francis replied. Karla joined them at that moment. She looked around then smiled. "Listen!" she urged them. Surgit pricked his ears. Silence reigned around them. He smiled in turn then let out a long "Ah!" of satisfaction. No bells rang in the distance. No crazed women wailed and laughed. No trolls moaned or cursed them before charging. "Bliss!" Francis said. "We shouldn''t stay her for long. My weapon is losing its sharpness, and we haven''t found a dream lantern yet. Our progress would be for naught if we happened to lose our lives or return to the dream," Surgit said. Karla nodded. She looked at the Amygdala in the distance with great apprehension. "We''ll have to go past that thing once again," she said in a defeated tone. "Let''s hope there''s a lantern in the building it''s guarding. My weapon''s getting dull too. I need to sharpen and upgrade it," Francis said. They reached the stairs the Amygdala was guarding and took turn running down. Surgit was the first one to go. He avoided the lasers and quickly reached the bottom of the stairs. As soon as the explosions ensued, Francis and Karla followed. The Amygdala''s laser was harmless. It was the resulting explosion that worried them most. Once they reached the next building, the hunters were relieved to find a lantern awaiting them. They were in some sort of balcony. Surgit approached the railings and looked down. "I recognize this place," he whispered. Karla joined him then gasped. "This is the chapel I ended up in after I was kidnapped," she said in a faint voice. "How come I''ve never been here?" Francis asked after joining them. Below them, they could see the church above the jail they were led to the first time. The Kidnappers had disappeared, however. Francis smelled the air then his brows furrowed. "I can smell hunters down there," he hissed. Surgit sniffed the air. "Three of them," he whispered. "There''s no way to get down to them from here. Maybe we can go around from the door back here," Karla said. "We should probably head back to the dream. We''ll come back here, away from the crazed women and the hordes. We need to tend to our weapons first," Surgit retorted. Francis nodded. "We can''t keep going if there are any more hordes like the ones we faced. Our weapons will break." The hunters went back to the dream and reinforced their weapons. Surgit''s Kirkhammer scaled with his strength once upgraded. Karla''s Saif scaled with her skill, while Francis''s Chikage scaled with Bloodtinge. Each weapon, when upgraded, would deal more damage and clear areas faster than before. After the hunters were satisfied with the results, they let Karla upgrade her attributes. She had accumulated enough echo clusters to upgrade her Skill. *** The three hunters'' stats looked as follows. *Karla: Insight level: Sagacious Strength: Hunter (1) Skill: Professional (1) Bloodtinge: Blood Hungry (1) Arcane: Blind (1) *Surgit: Insight level: Eye Can See Strength: Hunter (3) Skill: Skillful (4) Bloodtinge: Blood Hungry (1) Arcane: Eye Seeker (1) *Francis: Insight level: Eye Can See Strength: Waste of Skin (3) Skill: Skillful (4) Bloodtinge: Addled With Blood (1) Arcane: Blind (1) *** By the time the hunters were ready to get back to the hidden village, Francis cleared his throat. "I won''t be going back with you," he announced. Karla and Surgit observed him in silence. "I realized that the Hidden Village is far more dangerous than I anticipated. Besides, I have some business to take care of in Cainhurst," he said before addressing the little messengers and teleporting away. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 203 Sinister Blood Moon After Francis left, Surgit and Karla eyed each other is silence. They didn''t understand the reason behind the old man''s sudden change in behavior. "Do you think he got cold feet?" Surgit asked. "I bet he''s hiding something. That old man is always full of surprises," Karla replied. "What do we do now? We only went to Yahar''gul because Francis asked us to," Surgit said. Karla took her time ruminating. She tilted her head to the right and scratched her head. "I think I know where he went. At least some notion of it," she finally said. "He said he was going to Cainhurst," Surgit retorted. "And you believed him?" Karla asked with a cynical smile. Surgit chuckled nervously. "I don''t know. Half the things he says are lies. The other half are truths disguised in lies. Come to think of it, he''s never been frank with me." Karla''s lips parted into an amiable smile. "I saw a corpse in a cage in Yahar''gul. From its garb, I think it belonged to a member of the Church." Surgit raised an eyebrow. "Did you use your insight on the corpse?" Karla nodded. "It definitely had something on it. Francis came back to us from the entrance downstairs. Whatever he''s picked, it must be important." "If it''s the Church, then we should get back to Oedon Chapel," Surgit suggested. "My thoughts exactly," Karla replied with a wide grin. Both hunters teleported to Oedon Chapel then. After everything that happened, Surgit had forgotten to check on the people he rescued. He found the prostitute folded in half, moaning in pain. Karla noticed her, and a cold sweat ran down her spine. Surgit hurried toward the ailing woman. She wouldn''t speak to him no matter how many times he called out to her. She only clutched her stomach and groaned as though it was about to burst. When he asked the suspicious beggar about it, the latter only shrugged. He was still content that everybody had gathered in the chapel, despite the clear change in atmosphere. Everything gradually changed in Yharnam, save for the beggar. He was always happy to help, always friendly when spoken to. The nun sat in her comer, muttering to herself. When Surgit approached her, she only giggled and stared at the floor. Surgit got a bad feeling about the woman. In fact, only women seemed to have been affected. The narrow minded man sat in his corner, silent and staring at an invisible point only he seemed to see. The biggest change was the rude old lady. She had turned completely docile, even took to calling him "dearie". She was a completely different person. Intrigued, Surgit asked Karla to step out in order to discuss this whole mess. "Something wrong happened here," Surgit whispered to Karla after they went out. Karla seemed to share his opinion. She nodded. Her sight was set on the corner of Oedon Chapel. "We walked through here before but... Why didn''t we notice that thing?" She pointed at the Church''s roof. Surgit looked up. As soon as he caught sight of what Karla was pointing to, he jumped backwards. His hand instinctively went for his sword. "I don''t think it can attack us," Karla said. "Oh yes it can," Surgit replied. He turned to look at his friend and gave her a wry smile. "It grabbed me once, back when I fought Father Gascoigne. It was right after we parted ways. I experienced the same feeling we got from the Amygdala near Yahar''gul..." Sugit shuddered. "Do you think it can take us somewhere? Is this what Francis found?" Karla asked. "I highly doubt it. The first time it grabbed me, I ended up lying on the cold cobble stones. I was at the verge of death," Surgit said. "And the second time it caught us, you had the Tonsil Stone," Karla retorted. Surgit''s eyes widened. "I sure hope he didn''t get the key to that realm..." They went back into the Church and asked the suspicious beggar about Francis. He''d told them he was indeed in the Chapel right before they arrived. He also told them the old man headed toward the Upper Cathedral Ward. The suspicious beggar handed Sugit a sealed enveloppe. He said the old man had left it behind for them. Surgit inspected it while Karla looked over his shoulder. "This is a letter of summons, to the Castle of Cainhurst," Surgit observed. Karla snatched the envelope from Surgit and ogled at it for a long while. "That old senile bastard..." She hissed. "What? What is it?" Surgit asked. "Gavril, the crow feather hunter, he sent me to the past to get him these summons..." she said in an undertone. Her hands shook heavily. Surgit looked concerned. "Francis has access to Cainhurst, he must have found it there. Do you want to hand it over to Gavril?" Karla glared at the hunter, and the latter unintentionally backed away. "I want to make him suffer..." she hissed. "We will, rest assured," Surgit said in a comforting tone. "How about you hand that envelope back to me? The sight of it clearly upsets you." Karla reluctantly handed the letter back to Surgit. He pocketed it then looked back at the elevator that took toward the Upper Cathedral Ward. "According to the beggar, Francis went up there. I saw a locked door in there before. He must have gone through it," Sugit said. They took the elevator upstairs to find corpses littering the place. Francis had definitely been through there. Once they reached the top of the tower, they were disappointed to find the door still locked. Karla pounded at the door, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Why''s Francis''s disappearance so upsetting to you?" Surgit asked, bewildered. "This is where the leaders of the Church used to reside," Karla said after she vented out her anger on the clay pots that surrounded the door. She had smashed them all to pieces, but that was still not enough. She looked depressed, almost defeated. "What did you see back then that upsets you so?" Surgit asked. "I saw the church and their bloody ways. If Francis has access to the Upper Cathedral Ward, this only means he wants to delve into their experiments. I''ve been his body guard for too long. I know when he''s plotting something sinister..." Karla''s shoulders shook heavily. "It''s all happening again... The ailing woman, the red moon... It all connects to this place right here!" she kicked the door then immediately regretted it. She held her foot and winced in pain. "We can wait for him here, or we can find another way inside, if you''re so adamant on following him," Surgit suggested. "No," Karla dryly replied. "Francis may be in there for a while. I need to get stronger. As long as Gavril lives, we will never be safe." "Let''s just hope we manage to kill him before he does us," Surgit said with a cynical smile. He extended his hand toward Karla. "Get up, grumpy. We won''t get stronger by moping near a closed door." Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 204 Franciss Resolution The Upper Cathedral Ward was as eerie as Francis remembered it. This time, however, he didn''t have the blue elixir to slip past the enemies. Mist covered the area, hiding the bridge that linked toward the mansion Francis headed to. He saw two tall shapes heading toward him. They were twice Francis''s size, but the hunter didn''t feel threatened by their presence. He met them halfway. One of the pale Church Doctors extended a hand toward him and growled. This one was holding a lamp from which eyes protruded. Francis knew what to do against him, for he met a similar enemy back in the Cathedral Ward. Another Church Doctor stood behind the lamp wielding one. He held a long, thick cane Francis was all too familiar with. One hit would make his head turn and cause blood to flow from whichever spot the cane managed to pierce. Francis took a deep breath and dashed forward. The can wielding doctor was first to reach him. He swung his cane and Francis retaliated with a well-place shot. The doctor fell to his knees, and Francis proceeded to eviscerate him. However, Francis spotted bright, miniscule spheres heading his way. They looked like harmless fireflies, but Francis knew better. Nothing in Yharnam was harmless, especially when they left a bunch of eyes glued to a lamp. He jumped away just in time to avoid the luminescent orbs. They collided with the bridge''s railings and exploded. Debris and large chunks of solid rock flew in all directions, adding dust to the already heavy mist. Francis''s eyes widened as he saw the shadow of a church doctor emerge from the dust. The long cane whistled as it slashed the air, heading at breakneck speed toward the hunter. He ducked underneath the cane and shoulder bashed the church doctor. Francis felt as though he hit a wall. He toppled backwards as the church doctor brought the cane downwards with full force. It hit Francis''s chest, sending him rolling backward on the cold cobble stones. He quickly searched for a blood vial and injected himself, right before more luminescent orbs flew his way. The orbs hit the floor on which Francis stood seconds ago, causing more debris to fly around. Francis grunted as he inserted his sword on his side. As it came out, thick blood dripped down the Chikage. Each drop would cause the cobble stones to sizzle. Francis ran toward the two church doctors. He dodged the luminescent orbs and slashed at the cane wielding hulk. The doctor growled and tried to retaliate, but his arm wobbled, instead of shooting at lightning speed toward the old man. Francis shot toward the other doctor and kicked his lamp away. Then he thrust the Chikage inside the doctor''s stomach. Milky white liquid came pouring out as the hulk fell to his knees, growling as he did. The bridge on which the old man stood was reduced to a sorry state. Two doctors lay near Francis''s feat, wheezing. Their eyes changed from clear white to blood red. Their growls became faint whimpers, until they succumbed to the poison that spread through their veins. Francis knelt beside them and inspected their wounds. Milky white liquid still poured out. The old man frowned. "Paleblood... Could this be?" He stood and looked ahead toward the mansion. Many small creatures crawled toward him. They looked like oversized slugs. They had strange body parts on their slimy bodies that looked like suctions cups. They emitted squishy sounds as they slowly made their way toward Francis. "What terrible secrets had the church been hiding here all along?" Francis said out loud. He decided to split from the group and search for the truth. After witnessing the dying hunter before, the old man''s fear of death surged out again. There was no other way around this nightmare but transcendence. He could hunt beasts and become as strong as the crow feathered hunters. Hell, he could even become stronger, but to what end? He''d be reduced to hunting beasts for hundreds, or even thousands of years, only to meet his end at the hands of a hunter. They were all beasts, reduced to primal state where only the strong prevailed. "I''ve run from a fucked up world only to end up in another..." He tittered. His nervous laughter soon changed into a crazed one. He laughed to his heart''s content. His voice echoed through the empty Upper Cathedral Ward while the slugs slowly made their way toward him. "I will not let this world turn me! I will find my way out of this nightmare, no matter the cost." He shot a cold look toward the slugs. "You little shits are the link between our world and the other. Where''s your mother I wonder?" He thrust his sword inside him once more, coating it with his venomous blood. He danced around the slugs like a shadow. The Chikage hissed every time it cut the little creatures. Their flesh would sizzle and they''d start squirming and screeching. Soon, their slimy flesh withered until it cracked and turned to dust. "If I hadn''t gone to Cainhurst, I wouldn''t have known about the Church and their dark experiments. I thought I had more time to research this world and its beasts, slowly grow stronger..." He shrugged. "I guess I''ll just have to risk it, as I always have." He turned toward the mansion and hurried across the bridge. The main gate was closed, even though he''d kept it open the last time he was here. "It all comes back to the beginning, eh?" he said with a sardonic smile. He looked for the back entrance until he found himself facing a Church Doctor carrying a flaming scythe. After he disposed of him, Francis proceeded to cutting the creature open and inspecting its organs. "Transparent intestines and an inflated heart... Their blood has changed from red to a milky white color and thick texture," Francis said as he inspected the open corpse. "What could have caused all these changes? Blood corrupts the body, causes the drunken consumer to turn into a hideous beast. These ones, however..." He looked at the mansion. "No matter the secrets you think you''re hiding, I will find them. Mark my words, I will not let this world destroy me." Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 205 Karlas Revelation Karla and Surgit were back in the Hunter''s Dream. Karla had asked Surgit to find a place where both hunters could speak privately. They were both sitting in the hunter''s workshop. Karla took the seat closest to the fireplace. She looked tense, absorbed in dark thoughts. "What''s on your mind?" Surgit asked. Karla looked up, her eyes unfocused. "What?" she absentmindedly asked. Surgit''s lips parted into a wry smile. "You''ve been out of it since Francis left for the Upper Cathedral Ward. What''s worrying you so?" Karla shrugged. "I don''t know where to start," she said in an undertone. Surgit let his back fall on the sofa. "Start from the beginning then," he said. Karla inhaled sharply. "You know how I got the blood ministration after I went to the past?" Surgit nodded. "Then I came back here, and you killed me," she said with a dark tone. "That was to show you this place," Surgit said with a nervous smile. Karla shifted in her seat. She looked at the fire licking the logs. She smacked her lips then shot a fleeting look at Surgit. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She just stared at the hunter, blankly. "What''s up with you?" Surgit asked. His eyes narrowed and his forehead creased. "I don''t know how to tell you this, nor do I think you''d believe me," Karla said then nervously giggled. Surgit leaned in toward her. "Ever since I killed you and you came to the hunter''s dream, your mind hadn''t been present with us, not really. It clearly tortures you. So let it out your chest. Yharnam has challenged my beliefs at every turn, nothing you say can surprise me." Karla snorted. "Remember the last time you said that?" she asked with a wry smile. Surgit let out a heavy sigh. "Just out with it, will you? You''ll just hurt yourself by bottling things inside." Karla looked around her, as though looking for a way out of this. She sighed then locked eyes with the hunter. "I asked you to listen to me after all. So here goes..." She took a deep breath then loudly exhaled. "When Francis and I woke up in this city of horrors and nightmares, I felt terrified. The more beasts I slew, however, the more relaxed I felt about this hunting thing. After a while, I felt as powerful as a hunter. I didn''t need the blood, I was already strong," Karla said in an undertone. "You saved my skin against the Cleric Beast back then. Come to think of it, I was always amazed by your prowess in battle, even against beasts," Surgit said, thoughtful. "Here''s the thing," Karla said then abruptly stood. She started pacing around the workshop. "When you first became a hunter, how long did it take you to get used to blood consumption?" Surgit shrugged. "I never really thought of it. I had hideous monsters after me. I just used them to mend my wounds." "I always had a special aversion toward the blood," Karla said in a dark tone. She stopped then looked at the hunter, across from her. "I never understood why until you killed me." Surgit frowned. "I don''t follow," he said. Karla chuckled. "That''s why I hesitated to tell you, still hesitating in fact." Surgit''s creases grew deeper in his forehead. "Karla, you either tell me what it is in your mind, or we just go train. Francis has disappeared to do gods know what. We have a red moon above our heads that''s corrupting the dream as well. There are too many mysteries surrounding us. No offense, but I don''t think I can take another one." Karla scoffed. She crossed her arms and shot Surgit a venomous look. "Here''s your mystery then," she hissed at him. "When you killed me, I felt this surge of memories flooding my brain. I saw myself, some other version of myself I just never remembered until then..." Karla slowly walked toward the couch and collapsed on it. When she spoke next, it was in a faint, almost inaudible tone. "I saw myself running through the streets of Yharnam, in company of some other hunters. We fought beasts and slew giant monsters. I saw them all die, one by one. Then I saw myself kneeling to that old man..." "Do you mean Gehrman?" Surgit asked. Karla nodded. "I don''t know what to make of it," she said in a trembling voice. "The worst part of it is, I remember the doll and all the times I spoke to her, well the other version of me anyway." She looked up at the hunter, a look of utter despair plastered on her face. "Have you seen such memories when you first landed here, in the dream?" Surgit opened his mouth to speak but he couldn''t find the words to express what he was feeling. He shook his head, dumbfounded. Karla cursed under her breath. "I''ve given it a lot of thought but came up with nothing. What does it all mean?" she spurted out. Her face was turning red. Fat creases took shape in her forehead and around her nose. "Have I lived through this nightmare before? Have I escaped, only to come back to it once more? Am I doomed to remain here forever?" Karla asked nobody in particular. Surgit held his head in both hands. He began rocking back and forth, trying to make sense of this whole affair. Then he burst into uncontrollable laughter. Karla raised her head toward him, frowning. When she saw his crazed face, laughing as though he couldn''t control it, she began laughing too. It was only after a long while that they finally fell quiet. Surgit wiped tears from his eyes then looked at Karla. "You''ve travelled to the past and came back. You survived despite all the odds conspiring against you. Now, you''re telling me you''ve been here before? I really don''t know what to think. Do you believe the memories are true?" Karla shrugged. "I can''t tell. When I relived the memories, I could smell the beasts a mile off. I could taste the blood in my mouth as I decapitated every monster that stood in my way. I still remember how much I enjoyed it. Then how I began to dread it..." Karla shuddered. "That explains why I always hated the blood when I first landed here." "And I thought I was the complicated one..." Surgit said, thoughtful. His eyes suddenly lit up, as though he remembered something crucial. He leaned in toward Karla, a wide grin on his face. "Do you remember how you left this nightmare?" Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 206 Haunting Memories "I only remember kneeling before that old conniving bastard..." Karla hissed. Surgit frowned heavily. "You really don''t like the old man. What gave birth to such hatred?" Karla shook her head. "Even if I were to tell you, it would all seem farfetched. I''m still trying to get a grasp on my situation. I don''t even know if those memories are true..." Surgit took a deep breath. "How did you become so skilled at wielding the sword?" "I trained, like everyone else," Karla dryly replied. She looked at Surgit with narrowed eyes. "Do you think I''ve become this skilled because I''ve been to Yharnam before?" Surgit shrugged. "I can''t really say. All I know is, you used to scare the crap out of me. You had this presence about you that pushed everyone to think twice before approaching you." Karla chuckled nervously. "That didn''t stop many men from challenging me. But enough about my past. I don''t think I can find an answer by thinking about this." Surgit nodded. "The more you think in this world, the closer you get to madness. We get answers by exploring the ruins of Yharnam. We also get answers by slaying the larger beasts, our natural prey." Karla tittered. "Did we come here to drink rotten blood and kill beasts? I thought we came looking for the miracle cure." "The ''miracle cure'' as it stands, is blood ministration. I''ve been imbibing enough of it to know it distorts our minds, bends the reality we all thought made sense..." Surgit replied in a thoughtful tone. Karla abruptly stood. "The more we stay here, the closer we get to madness. I don''t remember how I got out of this nightmare, but it has to do with Gehrman." "Gehrman appears from time to time here," Surgit said. "I haven''t seen him in a long time, however. I don''t know where he hides." "In his own workshop, perhaps?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Noticing Surgit''s confusion, she clarified. "Under the tower we followed Francis to, there''s the hunters'' workshop. That''s where I was trained after I received blood ministration." Surgit''s eyes widened. "That place is as decrepit as the rest of Yharnam. I can take you there if you''d like, but you won''t find anything more than this replica, here in this realm." Karla shook her head. "That old man knows how to stay out of sight. What about Laurence? Have you ever met him?" "I''ve only seen him in a vision in the Great Cathedral," Surgit replied. His eyes lit up, as though some bright idea had just come to his mind. "That crow feathered hunter, the one who''s sent you to the past. He must know things!" Karla crossed her arms. "As if we could make him talk," she said through pursed lips. "He loves trash talking us. All we need to do is fight him, make the fight last and provoke him," Surgit said with a wide grin. He approached Karla and put both hands on her shoulders. "What''s the worst that could happen? We''re now beasts in human form. If we can''t escape this nightmare, I might as well die so many times to that hunter that I stop dreaming." "If we escape at all..." Karla replied, crestfallen. "Oh come on!" Surgit snapped. "Karla does not mope around. That''s my job, and Francis''s. Don''t you dare fall to our level." Karla burst into laughter. Surgit had never seen her smile that way before. Her brown eyes shone and laugh lines appeared beside her nose. She looked at him, grinning widely, and Surgit couldn''t help but return her smile. "You''re one weird son of a bitch, you know that?" she said. Surgit shrugged. "I''ve been called worse." Karla chuckled. "We still won''t be able to fight Gavril for long. We need to get stronger." "We have two locations that still need exploring," Surgit replied. He still had his hands on Karla''s shoulders, and she hadn''t brushed them off. "We could also check the Chalice Dungeons. I have enough materials to go deeper into the tombs of the old gods." Karla''s eyes widened. "The same gods that brought calamity to Yharnam?" she asked. "The curse of Yharnam... A beast told me this once, yes. There are powerful beasts down there, and the payout is incredible. We''ll come out stronger than we''ve ever been," Surgit replied. Karla nodded then finally stepped away from Surgit''s outstretched hands. "All right, I''ll follow you to the tombs. I have a clear idea on which attributes I must upgrade." Surgit''s face lit up. "Then it''s settled. We''ll explore the tombs then get back to the Nightmare Frontier. I just cannot forgive that spider for what he''s done to us." "Then we find Gavril, and make him pay for the hell he put me through," Karla said, determined. They left for the sacrificial altars and Surgit performed the ritual. He needed some Ritual Blood that he''d found exploring Cainhurst with Francis and the Forbidden Woods later on. Soon both hunters found themselves in moldy tunnels. The smell of blood and rotten flesh invaded their nostrils as soon as they arrived. Karla looked around, astonished yet disgusted at the same time. "This is where the old blood was found..." she whispered. She didn''t know why she was whispering. Perhaps because of how eerie the place felt, or because of the feeling that danger surrounded them. "I don''t know where they''d found the blood, but this is not it," Surgit replied. He was staring at a marble wall before him. Traces of dried blood covered most of the engravings on the wall. Ash gray flowers grew at the foot of the marble wall. Surgit wondered how plants, even those grim looking ones, could grow in such dark places. "We''d better get moving. There isn''t much we can learn from this engraving here," he said then headed for the only door available to them. "What about the one above the door?" Karla asked. Surgit looked up, and his heart skipped a beat. The engraving above the door resembled his hunter''s mark, the one he could use to revive at the cost of forfeiting all his blood echoes. "Do you think hunters did that?" he whispered. "I can''t really say," she replied. "All I can think of now is how I remember being in places like these before." Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 207 Blood And Fire Surgit and Karla walked through narrow, dark tunnels. Gray walls surrounded them, and if it weren''t for the torch Surgit was holding, they wouldn''t have been able to see a single thing. The smell of mould and rotten flesh invaded their nostrils with every step. And the sound of moaning creatures in the distance haunted their advance. They expected beasts to jump at them at every corner. Despite their excellent sense of smell, it was impossible for the hunters to pinpoint the exact location of the beasts that surrounded them, mainly due to the putrid smell that infested the chalice dungeons. Surgit and Karla made a great team however. They''d each cover one side of the tunnel, dealing with every beast that tried to ambush them. The dungeons they were exploring were teeming with scrawny men with pale skin. Most of them were naked, save for the loincloth that covered their private parts. Others wore tattered clothes with deep hoods that covered their heads. Those were the dangerous ones. They held scythes and could reach the hunters from afar. Once, they almost cut Karla''s head. She had heard the sharp whistle of a blade then a grunt. She ducked right on time to avoid the extended scythe, which still managed to cut some of her hair. Surgit was upon the hooded creature immediately after. He swiftly dealt with it then let out a relieved sigh. "These bastards will be the end of me," he said in a crazed tone. He kicked the inanimate body by his feet and then spat on it. "Fucking... GAH!" he kicked the corpse again. Karla burst into uncontrollable laughter. Surgit turned to her, his eyebrows arched. "What''s so funny?!" he asked, almost hysteric. "You''ve been fighting more dangerous beasts than these puny little ones. Yet, they still manage to get under your skin. Pffft..." she went on with her laughter. Surgit''s knitted eyebrows slowly loosened. The confused look he gave Karla pushed her to laugh even harder. She clutched her stomach and guffawed while tears trickled down the corners of her eyes. Surgit crossed his arms and observed her in sullen silence. After Karla finally calmed down, she wiped the tears away then looked at the hunter, her eyes twinkling. "I generally burst into uncontrollable laughter when I''m nervous. That thing scared the hell out of me too. I apologize if I caused you any offense," she said in a modulated voice. Surgit gave her a warm smile. "No worries," he said in a flat tone. He looked toward the end of the tunnel they were walking. "Shall we keep going?" Karla nodded. They left the tunnel shortly afterwards, to find themselves standing in a spacious room. Pillars rose on each corner, which old wooden coffins leaning on each of them. On each side of the room, the hunters spied doors that led deeper into the dungeons. Karla was about to head to the door on her right when Surgit stopped her. "Do you hear that?" he asked, frowning. Karla pricked her ears. "It sounds like... wheezing?" Surgit nodded. He motioned his chin toward the coffins that leaned against the pillars. One of them in particular was dangerously close to the door Karla was attempting to reach. Karla brought her finger to her lips then slowly approached the coffin, stalking like a feline. Using her Saif, she smashed the coffin and cut the beast that hid inside it with extreme ease. Surgit watched, amazed at how powerful Karla had become. After defeating the pale creature that tried to ambush them, Karla proceeded to smashing all the scattered coffins in the room. Once done, she gave Surgit an encouraging nod and headed for the door she initially eyed. Just as she approached the entrance, however, Karla stiffened. Surgit had sensed something was amiss too. He heard faint footsteps approaching them. Then the smell reached his nostrils. It smelled like sweat and sticky fur. He smelled blood mixed with putrid saliva. There was also a whiff of burnt hair on skin. Then he heard the faint grunts in the distance. He motioned to Karla to hide on one side of the door while he hid on the opposite side. Soon after, a werewolf rushed inside the room. Its large, lean hind legs carried it faster than any of the hunters could run. Surgit spied the horns protruding from its head and cursed under his breath. "Watch out, this one spews fire," he said then rushed toward the beast. The monster immediately turned to face Surgit and, as the latter predicted, it opened its mouth and fire shot toward him in a furious combustion. Surgit jumped aside then, with a quick swing, cut the beast''s leg. The beast grunted then turned its sharp fangs toward Surgit. It bit the air, missing the hunter''s exposed neck by a hair''s width. Surgit didn''t lose any time. He thrust his sword toward the beast chest, only to be surprised by the monster''s reaction. It jumped backwards at lightning speed, leaving a trail of fire behind him that almost caught on Surgit. He ducked underneath the deflagration while flames licked at his cape. He saw a shadow run behind the beast. Then he heard the beast howl in pain. He jumped to his feet, tearing his cape away as he did. Then he dashed toward the beast that was already engaged in a fierce exchange with Karla. The last time he''d fought one of these, he had finished it fairly quickly. This time around, however, the beast wasn''t going to give up easily. No matter how many times the hunters tried to surround it, the flaming werewolf would retreat and shoot fireballs at them. "You stay behind. I''ll draw it toward me and get it to attack. You''re a better shot than I am. Shoot it before it attacks, and I''ll do the rest," Surgit told Karla after a while. Karla didn''t protest. She nodded and waited for Surgit to lay his bait. As soon as he approached the beast however, it did something neither of them expected. It jumped over the hunter and headed for Karla, snarling and grunting. Karla cursed under her breath as the beast aimed a sharp claw toward her chest. She quickstepped aside then shot the beast twice. One bullet landed on its leg, while the other landed on its forehead. The beast turned to face her, showing its canines and growling. Gray fumes exuded from its nostrils while it eyes the two hunters with extreme disdain. It howled. Then two fireballs, bright like two miniature stars, materialized before the werewolf. It flung them at each hunter then dashed after Karla. As soon as Karla dodged the fireball, it found the beast facing her, sharp claws aiming at her head and chest, a gaping maw ready to devour her whole. She didn''t have any time to avoid the attack. She knew this was her fatal mistake, and she awaited the beast''s punishment. But the punishment never came. As the werewolf made to slice Karla in half, she heard a distant shot then the beast fell on its knees. "Give it hell!" She heard Surgit scream in a guttural voice. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 208 Sage Karla turned toward Surgit. Her hair had changed color. It was wet and slick from the beast''s blood. Her face was smeared too. A fat chunk of meat was stuck beneath her eye. She wiped it away then smiled at the hunter. Her pearly white teeth were a great contrast to the thick blood that covered her from head to toe. "I owe you one," she said, breathing heavily. Surgit didn''t return her smile. He was looking at her arm, frowning heavily. Karla noticed his troubled look then looked at her own arm. It was still furry. Sharp claws extended all the way to her knees. It looked as though it was retracting, but the transformation was slow. "What''s happening to me?" Karla whispered. Her eyes fixated her beastly arm. Her chest heaved, panting as she struggled to keep her composure. "Don''t panic. I''ve had this issue before. Only I''d slain many beasts before reaching your stage," Surgit replied. He tried to sound comforting, but his words only amplified Karla''s distress. "What do you mean it happened before?" she asked in a hysteric voice. "Later," Surgit dryly cut in. He sniffed the air then turned to the door behind him. "There''s more trouble beyond this door." Karla opened her mouth to speak, but only a cry of pain came out. She shot a sharp look at her arm and saw it retracting. Soon enough, she was back to normal. After she finally calmed down, Karla looked at the door Surgit was observing. "It smells worse than ever in there," she complained, holding her fingers to her nose. Surgit pricked his ears. "I hear splashing in the distance. I think I know what lies ahead." They went through the door, Surgit holding his sword on one hand, and a torch on the other. Karla followed closely after him. She was holding her Saif and a pistol. The door led them to a narrow tunnel, which branched off left and right. Surgit, using his nose as a compass, pointed to the left. "Through here," he said in a confident tone. Karla raised an eyebrow at him. "How can you be so sure?" she asked. "The strongest beasts have the foulest scent," he explained then rushed through the narrow tunnel. Karla let out a frustrated sigh then hurried after the hunter. "Why are we looking for the strongest beast again?" Surgit grunted. "They guard the lever to the door. If we don''t open the door, we can''t go deeper into the dungeons." The tunnel led them to some kind of sewers. A wide river of blood welcomed them. The putrid smell of blood and rotten flesh made Karla dizzy. It was difficult to breathe in there. Surgit brought the cloth he kept by his neck to his mouth and nose. Karla, not enjoying this advantage, had to fight to breathe clean air. Inhaling deeply, she almost fainted. The smell had invaded her entire being, making her head turn and her eyes roll to the back of her head. She had to slap herself to stay focused. Oversized rats, twice the size of the hunters, roamed the bloody river. Their heads tilted from one side to the other as they rubbed their front paws, much like a fly before departing. Karla winced at the sight. The rats were also emitting eerie clicking sounds that made her hair stand on end. They turned to look at the hunters and screeched. Surgit was upon them in no time. He cut the first rat open and, without bothering to check if it were dead, turned to face the next one. He cut them all to pieces as Karla watched from a fair distance, too astonished to come to his aid. Surgit was moving so fast the rats couldn''t keep up. All Karla could see was Surgit''s torch, dancing between the rats. He''d cut those closest to him and burn the others that tried to blindside him. In fact, Surgit didn''t need her help. He quickly dealt with the rats then turned to Karla. He brought his finger to his mouth, urging her to stay quiet. He beckoned her forward, and Karla obeyed. Surgit led her to an old, rotten cart. Barrels and boxes were stacked above, thick blood dripping from the cracked planks. Only after they hid behind it did Surgit point out the lever at the other end of the room. "I''ve never seen something like thisˇ­" Surgit whispered. Karla frowned. She looked at the lever once more. This time she paid more attention to the beast guarding it. It looked like a man, only twice the height of the people she was used to. It had long disheveled hair that extended to its hips, covering the entirety of its upper body. "What''s that thing it''s holding?" Karla whispered. Surgit shrugged. "It''s too dark to know for sure. By the looks of it, I''d say it''s a corpse." "Why cradle it like a child?" she asked. "Only one way to know... " Surgit handed the torch to Karla. "I''ll try to sneak up on it. If it detects me, I''ll be relying on your support." Karla shook her head. "I''m better and sneaking around. You stay put." She handed the torch back to Surgit. Perhaps it was because of the torch''s flickering light. Perhaps it was because of their loud hissing, but they caught the beast''s attention. They heard a deafening screech that sounded like a fox being flayed alive. Then they heard rapid splashing sounds. By the time they turned around, they saw the beast standing before them. It wailed at them then began thrashing. The corpse it was holding flailed at lightning speed. Karla got hit in the chest and rolled on the bloody river, away from the beast''s dangerous weapon. Surgit slammed against the old cart. Barrels filled with blood and sinew fell over his head, drowning him in filth. He stood with extreme difficulty. The room spun before his eyes and his knees shook. He couldn''t even hold the sword straight, let alone figure out where the beast stood. Surgit closed his eyes and tried to rely on his other senses. He heard rapid splashing noises heading his way, then a low grunt. He ducked just in time to avoid the corpse the beast had swung at him. He dashed forward, but his knees faltered. He fell, face first into the blood and mud. Then he felt a heavy object slam on his back. He bounced like a ball. As his body flew upwards, the beast hit him once more with the cadaver. Surgit''s back slammed against a wall, air bursting through his mouth and nostrils. He slowly slumped down as though he was a sticky dummy falling to the floor. At that stage, he could only see fog and blurs before him. He saw a shadow run toward the beast. The monster fell on its knees, wailing. Then its head flew in the air, blood trailing behind it. He heard rapid footsteps approaching him. Then Karla came into view. She fumbled in her pockets and injected him with a blood vial. Surgit, regaining his strength and wits, saw the huntress grinning at him. "For once, it''s my turn to save your life," she said with a happy tone. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 209 Guardians Karla stood and headed toward the hairy creepy thing she had just slain. Surgit tried to get on his feet, but the world whirled around him as soon as he did. He slumped back against the wall and took an antidote Karla had handed him. As it turned out, the creepy thing they''d just fought actually fought with a venomous corpse. They didn''t know how it worked, but Surgit''s rapidly deteriorating state proved their suspicions. Karla grunted as she knelt and picked something off the thing''s corpse. Her eyebrows furrowed as she inspected the item in her hands. She turned toward Surgit, her frown hadn''t subsided. She threw the item toward him and he caught it midair. His reflexes were getting better. That meant the poison effect was wearing off. He inspected the item with his third eye. ''Sage''s Hair: Special material used in a Holy Chalice ritual. A body part of a saint, sacrificed by the Healing Church in their search for Truth. The additional rite Fetid Offering invigorates the Watchers, making them more treacherous than normal, but also making them worthy prey for a special hunt.'' Surgit''s jaw dropped. He looked at Karla, then at the item in his hands. "That crazy thing was a sage?" he asked. Karla shrugged. "Was, precisely," she replied with a dejected voice. She looked at Surgit, fat creases forming above her thin eyebrows. "Why did we come here in the first place?" Surgit got to his feet. He no longer felt dizzy or nauseous. "I''ll show you." He led her to the end of the room they were in. A lever was lodged inside a half circle, imitating a half moon. A violet light shone on the lever and all around the engraved half moon. Surgit clutched the lever. He grunted and spread his legs apart. Then he pulled the lever toward him. Slowly, the lever complained and obeyed the hunter''s will. By the time he finally pulled the lever to the other side, Surgit''s face had grown red. "Those who designed this were definitely not human," he said, breathless. Karla''s ears perked up. She turned toward the door they came from. "I heard some clicking noise, coming from there." Surgit nodded. "There''s a door in this labyrinth that leads to the first guardian. All we have to do is find these levers and remove all the locks on the door." Karla turned toward the hunter. "Why do we want to meet this guardian?" she asked. Surgit scratched his head. "You learn stuff, about the scourge and how to grow stronger. I wouldn''t have gotten this far if I didn''t explore the first dungeons. In fact, the first time you and Francis summoned me to fight Gavril, I was exploring the dungeons for the first time." "What did you learn?" Karla asked, crossing her arms. "But you didn''t learn anything about leaving this nightmare," Karla retorted. Surgit shook his head. "That''s not an easy task. I suspect it''s hidden in the depths of these dungeons. Tell you what, let''s face the first guardian in this labyrinth, see what we can learn." Karla didn''t look convinced, but action was better than over thinking. She agreed, and they both headed to the area from which the click emanated. They met some pale creatures on their way, but they quickly dealt with them and moved on. They soon found a barred metallic door that Surgit lifted open. They got inside and pushed another door, only to find themselves in a small round room. It looked like the inside of a dome. Pillars rose all around them, connecting the floor to a mezzanine on top. A horned werewolf lay on all fours in the middle of the room. It lifted its head as the two hunters got in. It snarled, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth and long, pointy fangs. It jumped then stood on its hind legs. Surgit and Karla recognized it as a similar beast to the one they''d fought earlier. Then Surgit heard the murmurs inside his head, informing him of the monster''s nature. "Beast Possessed Soul." Surgit and Karla exchanged a nod then they both ran on opposite directions. The beast flicked its fingers, no easy feat considering its long sharp claws. A flame appeared immediately afterwards then shot toward Karla. She avoided it with ease, while Surgit snuck behind the beast and brought his hammer on its shoulders with all his might. The beast staggered and fell to its knees. Surgit felt his arm transform. Just as he thrust his transformed hand at the beast''s back, he saw Karla standing in front of the werewolf. Her arm had also transformed, and she pierced the beast''s chest at the same time as Surgit attacked its back. They tore the thing apart. Blood and sinew showered them as the beast exploded into tiny pieces. Each of them received a blood gem after that, and a dream lantern appeared right next to them. Surgit approached it, activated his third eye then snapped his fingers near the lamp. A blue light ignited inside, but the hunters weren''t transported back to the dream. "We can go back to the dream, but we''ll forfeit all the echoes we''ve earned so far," he explained to Karla. "That''s the knowledge you promised?" she asked, wiping blood from her face and spitting the pieces of meat that found their way inside her mouth. Surgit chuckled. "Of course not, come take a look at this." He led her to a marble slab at the western part of the dome. Somebody had engraved something on it in a foreign language. Karla frowned at it, unable to read what was written. "Activate your insight and read through these engravings," Surgit urged her. She did as she was told. She saw the engravings spring to life. The lines slithered around, as though they were little snakes. They changed form until they were of a language Karla could understand. "Herein lay the tombs of the Great Ones. Do not delve too deep into the tombs of the Old Gods, Oh unwary wanderer. The guardians are merciless. Any and all that try to unveil our secrets shall be met with unrelenting resistance. "Heed our warning, leave this place and do not come back, for the guardians do not forgive trespassers. Only pain and suffering shall welcome you here. Leave at once, and don''t look back." Karla turned toward Surgit. "Well, that was very useful," she said in a sarcastic tone. Surgit, on the other hand, had a wide stupid grin plastered on his face. "Guardians... This means stronger foes and much more blood echoes." Noticing Karla''s heavy frown, he went on. "Don''t try to find answers to difficult questions now. These tombs and their guardians, they''re part of a big puzzle we haven''t even begun to understand. Be patient, all we have is time anyway." Karla scoffed. "If you say so," she replied, dejected. "Look at it from this perspective," Surgit said then got closer to her. "The guardians are fierce opponents. I''ve fought one in the previous dungeon, a scary flaming dog..." He shuddered. "They''re tough to beat, but the reward is well worth the risk. We might finally be able to beat Gavril!" 210 Beware The Frailty Of Men In the vast labyrinth that is the Central Pthumeru Chalice Dungeon, Surgit and Karla walked through narrow, damp tunnels. They soon found themselves standing before a large gate that towered above them. The hunters had to lift their heads up until their necks could no longer stretch in order to see the end of the gate. "This is the main gate to the last guardian of these tombs," Surgit explained. He pointed at the bars that sealed the heavy gate from the other side. "We''ve already unlocked two locks. We have to find the last lever now in order to get this gate to open." Karla nodded. "Where do you think we''ll find this last lever?" she asked. Surgit tapped his nose with his forefinger. "Follow the strongest scent," he said with a wide grin. Because of his elevated lips, Karla saw Surgit''s canines, protruding a bit longer than humanly possible. She shook her head, detaching her eyes from the disconcerting sight. "The last message we read clearly warned us against the guardians. Why pursue them?" Surgit sighed. "When I first got inside the Great Cathedral, I met this Vicar," he said in a quiet tone. "You met a sane priest of the Church in Yharnam?" she asked, incredulous. Surgit chuckled. "Don''t act so surprised. She wasn''t sane, not really. Have you seen a hunter transform into a beast before?" Karla nodded. "Back in the past, I fought a cleric beast, much like the one we fought when we first arrived to Yharnam." "Vicar Amelia had the same features, but she was much stronger," Surgit replied. He took a deep breath and looked at the large metallic gate. "She was repeating some kind of prayer before I approached her. Remain wary of the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young..." Karla frowned. "What does that mean?" she asked. "The blood that seeps through our veins, you''re right to fear it," Surgit said in a quiet tone. He turned to look at her. "We both know that beasthood hides in a deep corner of our minds. The more we fight it, the harder it retaliates. It wants to manifest, turn us into hideous monsters." Karla nodded. "I know as much. How does this relate to this smelly, damp labyrinth?" "Laurence founded the Healing Church, is that right?" Surgit asked. Karla nodded once more. "After I defeated Vicar Amelia, I found a beast''s skull in the Great Cathedral''s altar. When I touched it, I saw Laurence, standing behind his master, telling him he''s about to leave," Surgit replied. "You mean Master Willem? The famous scholar?" Karla asked. "Yes. I''ve found him in Byrgenwerth too, right before we met. I don''t know how he''s still alive..." Surgit replied. "There are many things we can''t understand yet," Karla replied in an affirming tone. "Willem, Laurence, and Gehrman, they all had one point in common," Surgit said, nodding. "The foul beast will dangle nectar and lure the meek into the depths," Surgit said. "This is a prayer the vicar repeated over and over. I believe the nectar is the blood, and the depths... Well, it''s our beasthood..." Karla''s eyes widened. "What are you getting at?" she asked. "We''re all doomed to transform, unless we find a way out of this. We can''t find answers by contemplating the consequences of the Church and the Hunters'' follies. We have to find the source of the scourge, and halt it," Surgit replied with a confident tone. "By source, I bet you mean these tombs," Karla said in an undertone. Surgit nodded. "Willem and his students found something in these tombs. If we can''t figure out what it is, we''ll soon turn into the beasts we''re hunting." "And you seriously believe we''ll find answers in these foul labyrinths?" Karla asked. She obviously had trouble following Surgit''s logic. "I believe so, yes," Surgit replied. He sniffed at the air then, turning in all directions. "The more I discover about Yharnam, the more I believe they caused their own demise. They shouldn''t have delved into these tombs. They shouldn''t have unearthed the terrible secrets that were buried within." He turned toward Karla and gave her a wry smile. "But what other choice do we have? We''re already cursed. The only way is forward." Karla''s lips pursed into an agreeable smile. She looked at Surgit with a strange expression on her face. Surgit frowned, and Karla''s smile grew wider. Her eyes shone a bright, happy light. "What''s up with you?" he asked, on the defensive. "Nothing," Karla retorted. "I''m just beginning to notice how much Yharnam changed you." "For better or worse?" he asked, intrigued. "I can''t really say," Karla said in a playful tone. Her smile hadn''t faded. Surgit could see the deep dimples on her cheeks. He''d never looked at Karla that way, and it troubled him. He looked at the direction from which he sensed a guardian. "I think our last opponent is that way." Surgit pointed at a tunnel south of the big gate. He could feel heat building up at the tip of his ears. "It''s best if we dealt with it at the earliest." "Are you in a hurry to leave?" Karla asked. "Aren''t you?" Surgit retorted. He turned to look at her and found her eyeing him with a calculating gaze. Her charming smile had vanished. "I was beginning to enjoy the time we''re spending together, bonding over blood and beasts," she replied in a playful tone. Sugit''s lips twitched. "It''s damp and dark in here. I don''t know about you, but this place starts weighing on you after a while." Karla nodded. Her ears perked up, and she began sniffing the air in turn. "I think you''re right. The strongest smell comes from south of here." The two hunters headed through the tunnels. They dealt with all manners of pale and skinny beasts that came their way. They soon found themselves in brightly lit room. A chandelier hung atop their heads. More than fifty candles adorned the large candelabrum. They saw one door leading out of the room. It was open, and more than a dozen skinny creatures were running their way. They were all draped in blood. Then they heard the faint chime of a bell in the distance. Karla and Surgit cursed inwardly at the same time. They turned to look at each other, and simultaneously, they said with narrowed eyes: "Bell ringing crones!" 211 Keeper Of The Old Lords Surgit and Karla danced around the bloody thin creatures the bell ringing crone summoned. Surgit slashed and kicked, while Karla skipped past the enemies, only slaying the ones that stood in her way. She quickly reached the old crone, and with two well placed swings, she cut her down. Surgit was surrounded by then. Three bloody creatures with long scythes were about to cut him to pieces when they wailed and fell to the ground. They exploded, showering the hunter in blood. Surgit wiped the blood from his face and looked at Karla, who was panting and smiling. "Next time, you''ll take care of them," he said, pointing at the spot where the bloody creatures exploded. "You''re just mad because I saved your ass once more," she said, still smiling. Surgit got inside the room Karla had rushed in. He found himself in a spacious place that reminded him of Francis''s mansion hall. Stairs from either side of the walls led to a floor above them. They saw light shining above, but they couldn''t hear or smell any creatures in the distance, save for the guardian they targeted. "Shall we get this over with?" Surgit asked. Karla nodded. Her eyes hardened as she looked above. "I can sense something in the air, beside the usual tension in these tombs." "I can feel it too," Surgit said then shuddered. "Our next fight''s going to be a challenge..." "How do you know?" Karla asked with a raised eyebrow. "I''ve felt like this every time I was about to face a dangerous foe," Surgit replied. His eyes were still glued on the light above. "It''s like the hair at the back of my neck stands. I can feel tension in the air, electric, deadly." "I couldn''t have described it better," Karla said. "Is this what they call a hunter''s sense?" Surgit shrugged. "Call it what you will, what matters is that it warns us of danger." "I have a suggestion," Karla said with an upbeat voice. Surgit turned to her, eyebrows arched. "We came here to find answers, and to get stronger, right?" she asked. A devious smirk began forming on her face. Surgit frowned. "What do you have in mind?" he asked. "That guardian is strong, how about we take turns fighting it?" She said in a confident tone. Surgit''s eyes widened. He chuckled lightly. "You already assume we''ll die against the guardian," he said in a mocking tone. "If it''s weak, then by all means, let''s get rid of it and move on," Karla retorted. She raised a finger in front of Surgit''s face. "If it''s strong, however, I suggest we take it as an opportunity to grow." Surgit scratched his chin. His stubble had transformed into a full grown beard. "If we''re fighting Gavril, then facing whatever Francis is preparing for us..." He shrugged. "Yes, let''s do that. If it''s strong and fast, it will be a good way to prepare for the fight against Gavril." They climbed the stairs and soon found themselves facing a small marble gate. Time and dust had stripped it of all its previous glory. The engravings that were previously well depicted and colorful had now become bland, eroded. The hunters activated their insight and saw the engravings dance and whirl. Soon a text appeared before their eyes in a language they could understand. "Turn around, unwary traveler. Do not disturb the Old Gods, or suffer the guardian''s wrath!" Karla read out loud. "Why read warnings if we''re just not going to listen to them?" Surgit asked then pushed the door open. The door complained. Its hinges, lacking oil, creaked and complained. Surgit put all his strength behind his next push. The door creaked open while dust fell over their shoulders. They soon found themselves in a long hall. Pillars stood on each side, limiting their manoeuvrability. They had but a limited space to move around. They saw a tall humanoid shape in the distance. By its garb, it looked like a woman. "Keeper Of The Old Lords." The name came to Karla and Surgit''s minds in form of faint whispers. "What was that?" Karla asked. "That''s the name given to this thing," Surgit said through gritted teeth. "It sure looks, and feels, strong," Karla replied. The keeper was slowly walking toward them. Its head was homed in on the hunters. They couldn''t see its eyes, but they could see the helmet it was wearing. It had six cavities, each one stacked above the other in pairs. "Does this thing have six eyes?" Karla whispered. The keeper kept on walking toward them, slowly cutting the distance between it and the hunters. It held a curved sword on one hand, loosely slumped against its legs. The keeper also wore a large, pointy hat. "It sure looks like we''re about to face a wizard. Are you still certain we should fight it one at a time?" Surgit asked. Karla nodded. "I''ll go first. If I die, you go after me. I''ll wait for you by the lantern." "I really don''t want to lose all the echoes we''ve gathered so far. They''ll help us evolve, especially after we defeat this one and the last guardian," Surgit replied with a hesitant tone. "We can always get more echoes, but you can''t get fighting experience unless you face strong opponents and survive." Karla turned to look at Surgit then. "We have something most people don''t. We can come back from the dead, stronger, fiercer. Let''s take advantage of that!" She smiled then dashed toward the keeper. The tall armored keeper didn''t change its pace to meet Karla. It kept walking ever so slowly, its head directed at the hunter that approached it. Karla reached it a little while after. Karla swung at it, and the keeper jumped backwards, slashing its weapon at the air as it did. Karla whipped her gun out and shot the keeper as it swung its saber for the second time. The keeper fell to its knees, and Karla jumped at the occasion. One visceral attack later, the keeper was lying on its back, blood pouring out its chest. Karla beamed. She was about to turn toward Surgit when it saw the keeper''s fingers twitch. It slowly got to its feet and rested its head on Karla. Karla dashed forward. The keeper was a fair distance away from her, but if she could incite it to attack once more, she could finish it with another visceral attack. The swing she expected, however, never came. She saw the keeper throw its free hand forward. Then a fiery jet exploded toward Karla. She jumped backward to avoid it, but her dodge wasn''t well timed. Surgit heard her howl as fire caught on her. He ran for her rescue, but by the time he arrived, Karla had turned into charred meat. Surgit squeezed his hand around his sword''s hilt. The keeper was slowly approaching him, but his eyes were glued on Karla, who hadn''t disappeared yet.