Chapter 16: The Hemwick Crossing

I jumped from the Cathedral's top, landing next to the rocky road overlooking the rest of the city

Having visited the Hunter's Dream, I took the chance to gear up myself there. My outfit now consists of the usual Hunter set, with the Hunter's Garb picked up at the Cathedral Ward replacing the first one for convenient purposes. The outfit wouldn't have looked out of place on a 19th century English noble man if it wasn't for my bandana

"But hey, I could totally pull off the gimp look if I want" I spoke to no one in particular "From a roleplaying standpoint, me choosing to be a Noble would have goven me some of that charisma from my refined manners and stuff"

My weapons looted from battle have been stored away after being repaired. Now I only carried with me two weapons of each set.

On my right hand is the Saw Cleaver, with Ludwig's Holy Blade resting on my back.

One is quick, simple, and efficient in cutting down beasts. The other has Righteous bonus damage against those enemies at Cainhurst castle that is guaranteed to be quite the challenge

My firearms consists of the Hunter's Pistol, holstered adjacently to the Blunderbuss on my other side

Again, the Pistol is just plain better in my opinion. But for the upcoming task I think the Blunderbuss would make things go smoother. A lot smoother if what people said about this thing's PvP potential is true

A buckshot, steampunk shotgun, wielded by a Hunter of sufficient skill, could be quite the deadly firearm after all

Sir Edgar cawed to my side, and I was reminded of my next destination.

I was going to head to Hemwick Charnel Lane again to catch the horse ride to Cainhurst castle, whose method of transportation are dubious I tell you, to get a clue on my identity. The invitation with my name, and my relationship with Annalise, who's my fiancee Maria's aunt, who may or may not be Gehrman's prized apprentice will finally be uncovered once and for all

I have lost my memories at the start of the hunt. Or was the memories not there to begin with? Regardless, I would think better not to take this chance to investigate on, seeing as it might be the only chance I get at making head or tail of my circumstances inside this game

So, with a resolute gait in my step, I made my way passed the cemetary, and into the Hemwick area of Yharnam

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I crushed the bottle of blood in my hand and sprayed it against the Saw Cleaver. The weapon hissed a deep red, the blood infusion working it's way across the metal as it's properties was strengthened. It swung down moments later, bisecting the beast heading my way in half

As the weapon was inches away from the ground I twisted it back up, bringing it to clash with a Huntsman's sword. My foot shot up from underneath and hit him by the chin.

I broke our blade lock, delivering another kick that sent him crashing into the wall. A crater lied at the point of impact, a testament as to how powerful [Martial Art] could be despite only being a damage multiplier skill

Landing on a crouch, I snapped my Saw Cleaver shut and proceed to the lane's center. A few other Huntsman noticed me and raised their rifles. However, before they could do so much as firing a single shot a black blur passed by them

Several pin-point feathers shot out, impaling deep into their flesh and eliciting cries of pain in response. The raven flew back down, gouging out their mushy eyeballs with a sharp flick of her talon. I dashed in between intervals, cutting down the few remains who got distracted with swift strikes of my weapon

Blood dripped down from my blade as I wiped them. My eyes zeroed in on the corpses of the Graveyard Hags I've taken down moments before

"Edgar, how was your first Hunt?"

One caw. A positive. They'll manage

"That's good, then" I gazed at a passing street sign. It was a faded, yellowed out milestone with the words "Hemwick's Crossing" on it.

Up in the distance, the heavy thumping of Executioner making their way toward us could be heard

My smile widened as the sleek silhouettes of Rabid Dogs appeared behind them, their erratic movements had my finger tightening down on the Saw Cleaver as they dashed at me

[Gravity Pull]

Their movement halted as the ground cracked underneath the beast. A moment later they were unanimously smashed to the pavement by gravity, a big chunk of their health taken away

While Edgar busied itself with tearing into the swarm of dogs, I avoided the Executioner's blade by a hair breadth as it crashed next to me. My boot slammed into the handle as I ran upward, Cleaver cutting deep into their face.

My other hand pulled out my firearm and fired a shot at him at point blank range

I ripped the blade out and jumped backward as he retaliated. Boots touching the ground, my senses picked out the air displacement, allowing me to dodge the second incoming blow from behind with a sidestep

I turned around, my Hunter's pistol roared once more as it ripped through the second Executioner with his blade raised, opening for a chance Visceral attack that I immediately capitalized upon. My arm tore into his soft flesh before clawing them out in the bloodiest way possible.

Instinct flaring once again, I Quickened to the side to avoid the first's returning swing, then repositioned myself to a nearby wall so that I can fully face the two of them

My hand tightened, crushing another vial

I leaped forward, blood blade creating red sparks as it clashed against the Executioner's butcher tool.

Enhanced Dexterity allowed me to twist around and deflected the gravitational axis of his weapon. My knuckles turned white as my hold on the blade tightened, the blade jammed deep into his heart

The Executioner gurgled, frames buckling underneath me as blood dripped on the ground. I kicked him away while ripping the Saw Cleaver out, spattering blood on a nearby wall

The second one proves to be more wary, opting for an attack from behind while I was still occupied with it's brethren. Its massive blade came hurling at me from my blind spot, only to hit nothing

My [Afterimage] faded away as the attack never landed. At the same time, I reappeared behind him with my weapon in full rewind.

I swung, cutting away the giant's heel. An agonized roar left his deformed mouth as he was sent to one knee in pain. The pistol was swiftly drawn and placed against the back of his skull

A loud bang echoed. The giant's frame buckled, before finally falling to the ground 

Blood Gauge: 30/120

Plumes of smoke coming out the barrel from the gun's repeated use as I blew on them. I holstered back my firearm, patting myself for my inventory

The blood vials used for Blood Reinforcement were already down to eight. I mused. Figured I could have used it a little more sparingly

I took a look at our surrounding. The Witch's abode has been cleared of any enemies we could find. Now all that's left is to get to the crossing with Cainhurst invitation in hand

If only it was that simple

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"Ah, friend. It's good to see you here"

A white robe Hunter stood in front of me.

If there's one thing I can say about him, it would be "radiant". His radiant smile and radiant blonde locks looking like they'd come out one of those fairy tales about radiantly dashing Hunters saving people from the brink of death with radiant smiles on their face

Which was not the case with most Hunters, of course. They stinks of blood and waste from killing beasts, not mentioning they have a technique for ripping intestines inside out. Not the most pleasant of people to be around, but that's beside the point

"It's good to see you alive"

Alfred's presence was unanticipated, but not completely unexpected. I should have known him to somehow find a way to Cainhurst castle, just not the same way I'd have planned

This certainly put a wrench in my plan. Annalise would end up as a pile of pulsing immortal meat by the time we got there. My answers would then have to be postponed until I reach the Altar of Despair to resurrect her

I can't allow that.

Ludwig's Holy Blade snapped shut from its sheathe as I slowly held it in front of me

"Alfred" I stated quietly "Though we are acquaintanced with each other, right now what you're planning to do is not acceptable for my plan. If you consider us to be friends, please back down"

The Executioner looked at me with something akin to amusement in his eyes

"There's a fine line between man and beasts" He stated gently "Somewhere down the line, the Hunters started to become what they hunt. That sparks of insanity in your eyes is unmistakable, friend Hunter...Please, rest assured. I will grants you salvation of your duty"

The Kirkhammer's gear clicked in place as he held it in front, mirroring my stance

There was only the silence. The silence before the storm, the silence before the eventual bloodbath between two Hunters.

By an unspoken signal, we moved at the same time

"DIE!"

I activated [Instinct] and watched as the world go into slow motion. My eyes burned every details possible in the shortest amount of time, interlaying orders between my limbs to counter his strike

Ludwig's blade shot out from my hand and impacted against the hammer, diverting it's trajectory to the side. I was upon him in the next second, fist smashing flat against Alfred's face with the speed of a bullet train

He flew back, crashing into a nearby stone house. When the dust had cleared, it reveals an empty crater in its wake

My Blunderbuss snapped up as I fired behind me, barely intercepting Alfred's charged attack from completing. He cursed and easily used the momentum to transition into a fast attack by swinging it over his shoulder

The Executioner's hammer smashed into the ground where I stood on. Having Quickened back, I took the time to recover my blade and switched to the Saw Cleaver, narrowly deflecting a swift shot from his Piercing Rifle in the process

I attacked. He block. He retaliated. I evade. Our form nothing but a blur of black and white meshing together at the speed at which we initiate combat, with the clashing of steel ringing out for every impact made

He is skilled. That's a given. Unlike the rest of Yharnam's Hunters, those of the Church are trained elites, their form perfectly balancing between physical prowess and killing techniques. They are a cut above the normal predators I faced in Yharnam

But he forgot

A Hunter always fight dirty

I whistled. Not a moment later the Executioner hissed in pain as he found his flesh being torn apart by a crow

"Good job, Sir Edgar" My Saw Cleaver clashed with the heavy stone hammer. I kicked him in the shin and brought him down to one knee before headbutting him. The man fell backward, but I caught him by the collar and delivered a punch that knocked out his teeth. Another one had his nose broken, the third one had him tetering near the edge of consciousness, and the fourth one had him crashing ungraciously unto the gravel as I released my hold on him

"Went down like a bitch, Alfred. Never change" I shook my hand, feeling the pain going away

I walked over and eyed him.

My blade neared the man's throat after a moment of thinking

"I can't just let you go" I muttered "I...after all you've raised your blade against me, there's no guarantee you won't do it a second time"

It would be easy to just stab this in between his eyes. So easy. He will be dead under my hand, but none will be the wiser save for my familiar

I can walk away with some extra Blood Echoes, a Hunter Badge, and a Rune, leaving the dead body behind for the crow to feast on. That way lies less trouble for me. It will be more convenient as well, ought to be enough to upgrade some of my skills

Do I really want to do this? To kill a man for his existence

For the loot he offered, would it be worth justifying myself with it like I did the Beggar?

What happened to "Seek Paleblood and transcend the hunt", wary Hunter?

I forcefully removed the blade as I dropped Ludwig's blade to the ground. My palm opened and closed in frustration. I took a deep sigh to calm myself

In. Out. I'm letting the blood control my actions.

Resist. Madness lies that way

Rifling through his clothe I found the badge I was looking for. Everything else on his person, including weapons and the Radiance rune were left as they were with great reluctance

I hefted Alfred up and dumped his unconscious body on another secluded area, making sure they are from the prying eyes of any stray beasts that may come here. Satisfied, I walked back to the Lane's crossing, picking up Ludwig's Blade and sheathing it on my back as I did so

After another minute of walking, I arrived at the crossing with the invitation in my hand

"Sparing him's going to to get me in trouble. I know it" I muttered

Uneasy silence greeted me. Sir Edgar cawed as he ruffled his feather, snapping his head toward the edge of the horizon as though he'd just seen something. Moments later, both our eyes sharpened at the incoming figure

The clacking of hooves rang in the distance, signifying the arrival of the carriage that will get me to Cainhurst

It was made of a wooden material. Tattered oak woods shaped in creaking metal frames, forming a decently-sized passenger box for the me to sit on.

The horse neighed. Their furs are black, their eyes a blood red, as though infested with an unholy disease. They look healthy however, so maybe it was just a trick of the light

I took a look at their hollowed gazes and decide that no, perhaps that was not a trick of the light after all

Still, there's no way I can hesitate. The door gently creaked open in front of me, seemingly inviting me in for a wild ride toward Yharnam's version of Cainhurst Dreams Wonderland. A place filled with blood-sucking abominations, pale ghosts of executed Vileblood, immortal imprisoned queen, and a martyr's corpse whose balls have been frozen over in the snow

It's looking forward to be a trip full of fun

Sparing a brief glance toward the Hemwick's cross, I exhaled and stepped inside

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With a roar, Gascoigne swung the axe at his opponent

It was a slash full of fury, tempered by the experienced hands of a Hunter who had witnessed the city of Yharnam at its lowest. A man whose hands had butchered preys numbering on the hundreds to protect his family, and thus took arm to the Hunt with a purpose

"God damn it, Gascoigne!"

The attack was perfectly evaded by a Saw Cleaver, aiming to hit just below axe's handle to divert its trajectory with minimal force. Unlike the father's strike, Henryk's was more refined in its movement, easily countering brute force with practiced ease

Sparks of fire flashed as steel ground against steel. With a grunt, the old hunter pushed his friend's weapon to the side with a twist of his body, letting it smashed into the ground with a heavy thud

Gascoigne snarled and made to grab his partner, but ended up being kicked from the back by Djura, who leveled his Stake Driver at him

"Out. That's the third time he lost control this match"

"You have to admit, man's making progress" Henryk defended his partner, panting wearily as he got up. Viola rushed in with a nervous look "It's taking him longer to do so"

Viola ran to her husband. At the sight of his wife, Gascoigne's beast form slowly retreated, leaving a very tired looking Hunter who embraced her

Together, they walked down across the dark void. As Hunters these men are trained to see in the dark so the lack of lumination hardly mattered to them. Moreover,

A light flickered in the distance. The light that had always been there ever since they've came here, a narrow strip of reality separating the realm of living from the dead

It started with an idea from Vicar Amelia

When they die, Gascoigne had been a Beast, yet he had not been pulled into the Hunter's Nightmare. They somehow found out he still possess some of that characteristics even after his death, which points out to some very interesting developments

Hunters that can transform into Beasts, thus enhancing their physical attributes for a limited amount of time can be trained. The space in which they existed in cleansed them of any wounds and acted as a pseudo-dream to them.

They don't feel thirst

They don't feel hunger

They can die. Just not permanently. Upon each death the summoned one would be returned to this place. As Hunters, they've been given the greatest gifts. The ability to hunt far more efficiently than any Yharnam scraps could ever compare

It still boggle some of them that a Hunter from outside of Yharnam is capable of creating this...whatever this is...that serves as a barrier from the madness plaguing Yharnam.

"Whatever that Hunter is, the power he possess is dangerous" Djura settled himself into a seat next to the bonfire, enjoying the warmth emitted from it "I have no doubt the Church would have strapped him to a vivisection table had he not proven to be such a terrifying predator. Half cut, filled with blood, just like the best Hunters are"

"I have spoken with him, you know? Lad may be ruthless, but he's not a monster" Henryk hefted his Saw Cleaver as he fished out a bottle of wine to enjoy"Far as I can see, he's reliable as a companion. "

"You're not the one who got taunted, then kicked down a building, then have his body riddled with holes after he'd missed every single shot on him and made fun of on the etire journey across Old Yharnam" The others chuckled at the grumbling Ashen Hunter. Djura let out a sigh "Regardless, we are stuck in this place, like puppets to be summoned at his whims. Don't you feel...I don't know...something about that?"

It was Vicar Amelia who interjected with a calm tone

"Of course we all do. However, there's nothing we could do about that. Needless agitation will lead us nowhere, and the Dark Hunter had proven the Hunt to be his only priority. In this situation it is best that we make the most out of it"

"Dark Hunter?"

"A title" Amelia's hood lowered, revealing the young woman's face beneath it "There used to be a fable amongst a smaller subsection of the Church, that one day there will be an outsider coming and lift the Nightmare's curtains, revealing the truth of the world for all to see. I had thought it was just a way for them to cope with the spreading plague and hadn't given much thought about it"

The tale only grew in intensity the more heard of it. From him slaying the Hunter's Nightmare, acquire powers over reality, learn the primal arcane of the cosmos, become a blood deity, to actually killing a Great One at the end of the hunt. They grew ever more ridiculous, at one point mentioning him to be the long lost relative of the Pthumerian queen Yharnam, the source to which all the city's ancient blood originated from

Cults have been created with the image of the "Savior of Yharnam" as their object of worship. Scholars started flocking toward them in curiosity, until Laurence the Vicar placed a ban on them due to the commotion. Not a word will be spoken about their existence, he had said, as the punishment given to them will be of the highest degree

"But now..." She bit her lips "I'm not so sure. Perhaps there has been some truth to it, after all"

"Considering the state of Yharnam, where beasts, parasitic snakes, deformed beasts, even more deformed beasts, and fucking giants roam the street, I think the idea of a destined savior for this accursed place might sound more believable"

"Yes, but how did he do it?" The Hunters turned toward Viola. 

Despite her more mundane upbringing, the woman's words perhaps pack the most common sense amongst those who are there. And now she's asking the true question

"How is he capable of such feats? How can he place Hunters inside his own reality without being a Great Ones? Miss Eileen was once a Hunter of the Dream as recounted by Mister Djura, with the same undying properties as us right now, but that is due to a deal made with the First Hunter"

"Maybe the Hunter's blood ministration was used as a medium" One of the gathered Hunters mused. Steffon, Djura's apprentice in the Powder kegs, revealed his presence for the first time "I was killed by him in Old Yharnam. Prior to that point we had never so much as talk to each other. The same can be said to everyone here"

"That won't explain Viola. She was a trained military marksman, but has never actively participated in a Hunt before"

"I think a more suitable question would be "who" instead of "what". Instead of arguing about his nature like those fellows at Byrgenworth would, getting insight into his motivation and personality would prove useful in bettering communication between us"

"Was somebody talking about me?"

Reality twitched

Shadow writhed as the formless darkness parted ways . The fabric of spacetime wavered, like ripples across the surface of the lake they spread, until a humanoid figure emerged from nothingness

With a steady, confident gait he strode over to the assorrted Hunters. Though it was slow, his footsteps were measured, calculated. Every movement made were deliberate, reasy to turn from a casual walk into a blur of motion at the smallest sign of conflict

It's the walk of a Hunter with decades of experience under his belt. Only the fact that he looked young did they understood the young man before them

"It's you..." Vicar Amelia muttered, her eyes wide

"Yes, me...." He blinked "You must be Vicar Amelia"

The next moment, his eyes widened as the Vicar was on the floor kneeling

"By the good blood, may you guide us toward the path of enlightenement," she whispered feverishly "And elevate us among the stars, shattering the frailty of men, release from our mortal shackles. We request you, oh Elder One, grant us -"  

The Hunter seemed just as shocked as the others, as they took a step back. It was only after another moment that he regained his calm

"Miss Amelia" Gentle hand placed against her shoulder, shaking the Vicar out of her stupor "I'm not a Great One"

"You're not? Impossible. I can feel it inside you, good Hunter. That unending churning. The scent of the moon marred with blood, and the underlying hint of a beast. What were you, if not the Kin of the Great Ones whose sacred blood we'd had the honor of drinking upon?"

"I can assure you I'm only an average Hunter" He said dryly

Before the conversation could develop into more a more fanatatical tone, it was Steffon who interrupted

"That's pleasant and all, but you know we had questions" 

"That I do" The Hunter nodded "Being honest, I have no idea how to access this place until now. You'd forgive me for my lack of hospitality" He bowed in apology "So please ask away, I will try to answer your questions to the best of my abilities"

"Who are you?"

"I don't know"

"What purpose do you have in Yharnam?"

"I can't recall"

"Why did you join the Hunt?"

"I forgot"

They looked at him

The Hunter looked back, nonplused

"All right, so we're dealing with a bloody amnesiac" Gascoigne groaned. Henryk shook his head

"Could you tell us how you managed to do this at least?" He gestured to the bonfire "All this stuff you're doing with reality. Summoning the dead. Separate mortality. Generally something only Oedon would do?"

A smile crossed their face beneath the bandana, indicated by the slight crinkling of their eyes. Everyone leaned in in anticipation as he nodded

"That I can answer. You see-" 

Reality descended once again

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I awoke from my sleep with a gasp. 

In an instant I was up, Saw Cleaver in hand and Pistol poised to shoot per the instinct acquired from the Hunt. There was nothing, however, aside from the stillness of the space surrounding me 

Situational awareness came first. The first thing I noted is the freezing temperature around me. The second is the wind's howling  outside. The third is the lack of movement from the front . Somewhere along my sleep, they have stopped

The carriage must have arrived in Cainhurst then

"Just when I had found a way to access the Bonfire and meet them" I grumbled, doing a mandatory check on my person to ensure nothing of value was lost "I can go to the Hunter's Dream via death or the lamp, but never had I thought another space could be entered just by sleeping"

Hm, "Bonfire"?

The word made me pause

After a moment, I shrugged and went outside, closing the carriage's door behind me

The castle of Cainhurst loomed above me, foreboding the existence of the secrets inside it

Until the next sleep, I suppose

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New Location discovered: [Hunter Bonfire]

- A separate reality from the illusions plaguing this world. It was the manifestation of a Hunter's impossible desire for a "good ending", where everyone lives to see that dawn of Yharnam. A Dream born from the good nature of Men, as supposed to the selfishness that condemned them to this fate

The Hunter's Dream may offer the guiding moonlight, but it would be the Bonfire that offers them the soothing warmth of sanity from the Hunt

+10 Insight

When inside this location, you gain: 

+500% Stamina Recovery

+Permanent HP Regeneration (25%/sec)

+Infinite Quicksilver Bullets

+Infinite Blood Vials

+Resistant to blood drunkenness

- The ability to respawn infinitely until the hunter wish otherwise