Chapter 21: The Revelation

After the fight, Eileen reluctantly went to the Oedon Chapel to nurse her wound

She is not mortally wounded, however the injuries sustained fighting the Crow would put her out of hunter duty for a while, and therefore her death has temporarily prevented

That revelation pleases me. It was killing two beasts with one quicksilver bullet. The chapel would get itself a capable fighter should anything go wrong, and the old woman herself would not actively try to hurt herself outside

"Come on Edgar, let's get you treated" I carried the unconscious pet crow on my arm toward the lantern.

The crow has been injected with a Blood Vial to heal all his surface wound. I will send him back to the dream to recover for some while. The Doll willl treat him there, so there is no fear of his condition

Though now there's the regret of not properly training him. Edgar's a smart crow, but maybe I shouldn't have took a rush to throw him into mortal combat with one of the stronger enemeis in the game

If only the system allow me a way to strengthen my familiar and give them new skills through experience, it would have been quite useful

The night air chilled my skin as I walked down the lonely road. Dirt, grimes, and blood stained every corner of the street with almost a decade of neglect, creating the examplery oppressive atmosphere of an abandoned city

Perhaps it would have been a better alternative to what horrors had transpired here

A soft murmur reached my ears, causing me to look to side. The crow of Cainhurst hung limply on my shoulder, her unconscious form swaying with my every movement. It was surprising how light she was compared to the hardships she put me through in that fight

While it was no problem keeping up with her speed and predicting her movement with the Chikage, her blood bullet's damage scale absurdly high - so much so that I was pushed to rely on evasion tactics for most of the fight until I disarm her

'Eileen mentioned she consumed a lot of Hunter's echoes. I wonder why' I looked at the Crow's face

One glance would not reveal this attractive young woman as a potential blood-addled Hunter. Her pale face, resting in a peaceful sleep, does not reflect any signs of beasthood.

Does Vileblood hunters had immunity to the scourge or something? I thought with annoyance.

Annalise is not affected. Maria is not affected. And this particular crow, even after deliberately cutting others of her kin down, still maintain that graceful cautiousness of a Hunter. The Tainted Blood may just be the thing keeping them from succumbing to it

Then the question is, why didn't the church use them?

Just like making a vaccine, careful anatomical analysis of a noble could yield a cure to the ashen plague or the current ailment clinging to this place. Wouldn't the administration of their blood prevents them from being afflicted with it? Almost like something, or...someone was preventing them from so

Visage of the corpse of Alfred appeared in my mind, lying motionless at the crow's feet with his eyes widened in a frenzied bloodlust. I let out a sigh

Of course. It's the church and their fanatical belief in the pure blood that led them to drive the idea away. Such a shame too. Vicar Laurence doesn't look like the type to condone such illogical action

I felt stirring underneath me. It does not take a high level of attentiveness to know th Crow's about to wake form her slumber.

Grunting, I stopped by a still standing building and entered. The inside was old and dusted with dangling cobwebs, but thankfully no madman waiting for a chance at an ambush. I set the woman against the floor, with her head facing me

From my pocket I produced a leather strap, I then proceed to tie her hands with it, binding it against a nearby pillar so as to ensure there will be no initial mishaps between us. I was just done when crimson eyes fluttered open and the woman stared straight at me

"...."

"...."

"So, Catherine if I'm not mistaken?" I coughed, feeling the intensity of her gaze on me. Unconsciously I felt the need to wipe away some speck of blood on my clothe if oly for appearance's sake. "I believe we kind of got off on a bad start"

"You broke my neck after having suplexed me from the top of the Grand Cathedral"

I was expecting her to forget about that. Very well, it could not be avoided for long anyway

"As I said, I think we got off on a bad start. I do hope you'd forgive me for that" I stared at the Crow. There were no injuries because I didn't want to go all out and accidentally killing her. She should know that

Right?

"What's your name?" She asked. I sat on the opposite beam facing her

"I was hoping you'd remind me"

The Crow's eyes narrowed at my answer, before they widened. A shocked gasp escaped her lips as the passive expression on her face broke into surprise

"I received the invitation that direct me to Cainhurst. There I hunt down the martyr and rescue queen Annalise and join her covenant" I pulled out what remains of the letter I've managed to scorunge up and toss it to her "Is this yours, by any chance"

On the antique yellowed out page there lay a single seal. The seal in the form of the Corruption rune glowed an ominous dark red

"You"

Catherine's hand snapped open the leather binding her with ease. She slowly stood up and towered over me, a scowl marring her pretty face

"Who the hell are you?"

"Just an average Hunter doing the job of hunti- Of course I don't know! Why would I be asking you otherwise?!" I asked her in agitation. This dance is getting us nowhere, and right now I'm half tempted to just draw it out and force it against her

My gun, I mean

The crow took a deep breath. Steely red eyes observing me slowly behind her fingers. Those were eyes of a hunter assessing an unknown variable. She was wondering if she could reach to the Chikage behind her before I could shoot her with the gun in my hand

Those odds were one-sided. The difference in speed between us cannot be deceived by any measure of agility, be it the trickster's sleight of hand or the single-mindedness focus of an assassin

She eventually relented 

"Quit bullshitting me. The person whom this was meant to address died a long time ago"

So it is simply a case of mistaken identity, then? But Annalise won't recognize me in the first place if such is the case. The chance of there being another Vileblood with the same name as me is quite non-existent

"Are you sure about that? Would you not care to look at my face before making such a bold statement?"

"I've had enough of unsightly beasts and repulsive hunters for tonight, thank you very much"

Holy shit...that hurts

Still, the fact she did not outright refuse indicates her hesitation in accepting it. The Crow looks to be in denial rather than being convinced of this person's death

There's only one way to find out

Hesitantly, I reached toward my bandana. The cloth dropped to the ground, revealing my face in front of the Crow. A few scars remained from previous encounters, but

I closely watched her reaction, but that turns out to be unnecessary

Said woman's face appeared to have seen a ghost. Tears gathered at the edge of her eyes as she took a step toward me. I did not respond, merely blinking owlishly at her action as I have not comprehend why would do it yet

Her hands ghosted over my form for a brief moment,  I reached out and grasp it with mine. I had thuoght she might simply be shocked, that is, before she collapsed on one knee in front of me

"I-It's you" She squeezed my face, pinching it tightly seemingly to make sure I'm not a fantasy "I-I can't believe it. After all these years I thought you passed away" The Crow whispered, eyes still widening in shock. As for my part-

-Well. Fuck

I still can't remember a thing

"You know me" I said "But I don't. The thing is, I lost my memories"

The Crow ceased breathing. She stopped just shy of drawing her blade. But eventually the question comes out through gritted teeth "How?"

"I was contracted to the Hunter's dream, do you know what that is?" At her negative response I continued "Doesn't matter. The fact is that I awaken by the clinic in Central Yharnam with no remembrance of who i am or why I am here. All prior memories are hazy from my head, and I cannot recall anything other than my name"

"A strange case of amnesia. I see you are not telling any lies" Through narrowed eyes she inspected me with scrutiny. The crow nodded "That's strange. Even when it's blood ministration the memory loss are usually kept to a minimal degree. How much blood were injjected into you?"

"I do not remember"

"But at this moment, I know you're one of the only people who may have known me before this. You're my hope to discovering this" I began, staring straight at her "You, Catherine, has sent an invitation to Cainhurst castle with my name on it. Why? And how did we came to know each other in the first place?"

The sooner I can find out who I am, the sooner I can put out this feeling of unease and continue on with my hunt

I miss the early periods where the only thing I have to worry is a few beasts and eventually defeating a Great One

"Hm. I know the answer, but you will find it out for yourself"

I pulled out my gun

"Please. I don't want to fight you for relationship's sake, but you're testing my patience here"

"Listen to what I say. Amnesia cannot be cured just by telling them what they had missed. The best way to regain those loss would be to experiencce them yourself" She stared at me seriously

"If I were to tell you who you are, what you used to do, who you used to be familiar with, would that have changed anything? Would you be yourself, the ones whom those memories shaped to be...or would you remain satisfied with the answer and stop searching for your true self"

"There is no such thing as a true self, and why would you care anyway?" I growled "I am a hunter. I hunt beasts and that's all I should be caring about. I don't have time to be hindered by something my past self did"

"You...idiot. Why wouldn't I care for my belov- friend?" She raised an eyebrow and looked away, hiding the subtle bite of her lips "Assuming the night passed, what will you do when the hunt end and all the dead bodies collected? Would you have anywhere to go? Would you even remember what you were supposed to be doing?"

I was silent

"Memory loss is the foresign that one had succumbed to beasthood. The resident of yharnam, suspicious as they are, would not hesitate hunting down a foreigner like you if that will keep them safe"

"Alright, you have a point" I concede "You say I have to experience everything to myself. So what, you're going to be my tour guide?"

"Something of the sort. I'm going to make it an exception since you are someone I used to know"

[Having a fancy lady with a katana by your side in a stroll underneath the moonlit night] sounds like something I have seen in Gehrman's porn book.

I did not voice that thought out loud

"We reach an agreement, then?"

There was a pause. We stared at each other in wonder. Each of us weighing the pros and cons in this situation. Finally, the Crow came to a conclusion

"Yes"

She silently accepted my hand as we stood up and dusted our clothes.

There was nothing more to be said. To her I was not the one she used to know, and to me she was a stranger that as never supposed to appear in the game. She hurts one of my fellow Hunters, mocked her during one of our bouts, and I in turn almost killed her with a suplex

I don't need to know why Catherine would hunt down other Hunters. It may be due to personal reason, or it may be something she herself felt she must do. Either way, we clashed, we made peace with each other, but that does not mean we can put up with the other's presence yet

We're as unfamiliar to each other as one can get

"I'll meet you at Byrgenwerth. Try not to die first before getting there"

There was the ruffle of feathers. I glanced to the side.

Only darkness greeted me back, the Hunter herself was nowhere to be found

Silently snapping my weapon open, I stalked forward into the shadow-çrept street of the Cathedral Ward, ready to continue my hunt. As I looked toward the Chapel lying in the distance, I made my way toward them

Right now there is one path, and that is to continue forward

<><><><><><>

"You look like shit"

"To be honest it's been a long night"

Eileen leaned back on the stone pillar behind her. The Blade of mercy resting on her lap as the woman took a deep breath, hand placed against the remaining wound on her stomach from which a bloodstain ws fformed.

Opposite of her I took a seat and let iosefka inspecting my arm. The doctor frowned as she poked against my flesh

"How's the wound, doctor?"

"Nothing. Despite your claim of having half your hearts blow out by bullets and several other small wounds, I had not not found a single sign of injury on you"

"Oh no, I'm talking about Eileen here. Is the old woman alright?"

"Old woman? I'll have you know I'm still in my 40's..." The haggard crow turned away at my stare "...Maybe 49?"

"Even when you're the hunter of hunters, somebody's still going to be sensitive about their age" I sighed "I think it is a good choice to rest here. Oedon Chapel could use a protector of some sort"

The incense's about to run out. Honestly, having a level-headed Hunter who could hold her own against beasts would be a big help. However, I still don't know if the case remains when I defeat Rom

For that is when the Blood Moon is revealed. And any Bloodborne players worth their salt knows what happen when the Blood Moon comes up

A tap from Iosefka signalled that she's done her medical inspection of me. There were no signs of blood infection as I'd changed into new clothes when I got here. Eileen's outfit is designed to keep off the blood so that's no problem

I stood up and flexed myself. Turning around I made my way down the entrance. The narrow-minded man was playing with Gascoigne's little girl as she stood there telling him of her father.

Said hunter and his wife was sulking as they could only watch his precious little daughter entertain herself in such a precarious location. Both Viola and Gascoigne requested for me to let them stay here whenever possible to stay near their daughter, and I allowed them

it's not like I have any use for them in the Martyr Logarius fight anyway

Seeing me approach the two phantoms stood up from their position. I nodded at them as they readied their weapon. Gascoigne held the Hunter Axe in his hand while Viola sports a standard Yharnamite rifle I've seen some of the folks around Central Yharnam do

"Both of you are Hunters?"

"No, just my husband sir hunter. I did serve some time in the army but my experience hunting beasts were limited" Viola said as she raised her rifle up

Just as confirmed, they are the standard model rifle and not specialized by Hunters for the killing of hungry beasts. The relatively small barrel indicates of light firepower. At most, it would be able to dig through Yharnam beast's thick hide, but not enough to injure them

"Do you want to join in the hunt with your husband?"

"That would be appreciated"

I watched her husband's eyes widened in shock. The man's big frame shook as he raised his voice

"Viola! You can't possibly-"

"Yes I can, Gascoigne" The woman replied in an irritated manner "For what reasons are you stopping me from becoming a Hunter?"

"W-well, you are a woman for starter"

"And so is miss Eileen and old Henriet. You're just looking for an excuse to keep me from following after you" She shot back "You'd always say it's for my own good. As if seeing you home so late soaked in the blood of beasts would be any better"

"I..."

"How many times have I let you go out on the night to hunt those beasts with father, hoping that you'd return in one piece? Too many to count, Gascoigne. That final night when you disappeared for real our child has been worrried for you, and you so consumed in the blood to give a damn about us"

With every words his wife said the old Hunter flinched. He twiddled with his thumb and muttered out excuses in a small voice. But once again the woman wasn't having enough of it

Some part of me felt sympathy toward him for suffering under a woman's righteous wrath. The other felt it was only right he receive this much-needed scolding considering all I've been through because of him

After all, he's not the one who have to face the little girl and tell her of her father's death

"You don't have to burden yourself with this anymore. The Bonfire this Hunter provided has rendered us unkillable and unaffected by the scourge" Viola whispered 

"Gascoigne, I finally have the chance to be by your side and see what droves you to this madness. I can finally be there to support you. Did you think I would give up on that for being a damsel in distress? I love you. It's cruel to let me wait every hunt for your return. It's just...unfair"

At the end of her rant her husband was rendered speechless. I chuckled in amusement. While the hunter was still busy recovering out of shock I turned to her

"What a speech you've made, madame. " I congratulated her "Sir Gascoigne is lucky to have someone like you as his significant other"

The night air greeted us as we walked outside. Having paid a visit to the Chapel to check on the inhabitant there, I once again stepped out to do my duty as a Hunter

Hunters, hm. While I don't know what made them officially one, such as the necessary paperwork or documented license of the sort in Yharnam, it can be inferred that those who are specialized to join in the Hunt must have the initial training to it - evident form the fact that they're all seemingly superhuman who can move at

Someone like Gascoigne I can tell has already had decades of combat experience under his belt. Some time spents inside the Bonfire must have been him training his skill to the limit. And Viola...since she is already dead, that means she have as much time as she wants to reach the same level as her husband

"The first thing you have to remember about hunting is to be always on the move" I explain "A Hunter must be quick on their feet, as well as being used to arduous exercising of their bodies. That means you'll need training with your stamina to get used to the pressure while out hunting, but that is the old way"

"Instead, if you're new you can always use a blood transfusion" I pulled out a Blood Vial and tossed it to her, despite Gascoigne's weak protest, who's starting to wonder if he has any say to this conversation

And the answer is no

"Simply inject it into your veins. You've done this before, but never in this quantity, right? " At her nod I smiled "Sadly, I canot guarantee the exact safe amount so be sure but after the initial shock have worn off, you'll notice a shift in focus. The transfusion's going to last for a few hours, so do be sure to notify me when you're finished"

She presented her hand, eagerly accepting the Vial. I dispelled Viola's phantom and let her return to the Hunter bonfire to practice with this new development

....

I could feel Gascoigne staring at me

"Do you need some time with your wife?"

"Yes, please. I need to tell her something"

With a second wave of my hand I sent him back to the Bonfire. Let the couple argue or make love all they want, I'm not a man interested in other's business. Beside, love is not something that can fester in Yharnam as of right now

Several growls caught my attention. Beasts lying in wait for the last few seconds caugh their prey offguard as they lunged up from their hiding spot toward me

I swung the Chikage down. The first one was bisected in half as the second one followed soon after. With a twirl of my sword, the third one's head severed from its shoulder

Indeed, it is still too soon for the seed of love to grow in these kind of places

Sheathing my sword, I walked toward the Grand Cathedral. Now a pile of rubble from my previous fight with the Crow, it serves no interest to me. However, I'm not here to simply admire the view.

<><><><><><><>

Running past the few Church Servants guarding the gate, I swung my Saw Cleaver forward and hooked it against a metal overhang. The momentum allowed me to jump across the gap and reduced the time eneded to get across the two cliffs

I Quickened forward. The church is just right in the front. The blade on one hand slicing through a couple beasts as I jumped forward, avoiding the stray gunshot and landing perfectly inside

Getting up, I inhale to recover my stamina. I looked around to evaluate my surrounding, noting that the church has a higher verticality than most I've seen, with the overarchway at least a few hundred meters tall, as if a higher presence was standing guard of its holy territory

My footsteps echoed as I neared the center of the room. Surrounding from all sides were eight tall walls made of obelisk stone. Any sounds made in this area would turn into an echo, reverbating through the building until every corner has been passed through

This is a church. Canonically and historically, it is supposed to be a holy ground upon which one can engage in ritualistic communions with beings higher than themselves

How fitting it is, that crawling in the middle of this room would be an Amygdala staring down at me with its multitude of eyes

I don't know why I can see it.

Clearly, there should not be enough Insight for me to perceive things of such nature, and more so for me not to go insane. How is it that I am standing here and yet still able to see them?

I tried waving  a hand. The Amygdala tilted down its head to regard me. For a moment I could sense...curiosity from its gaze.

The feeling was brief, but it was evident, as if actually looking at a human with human expressions and and able to determine their mood just by gazing at their displayed body language

"Can you hear me?"

That was ridiculous. I mentally thought

If anyone from Yharnam were to see me they'd be laughing right now. A man trying his best to communicate with a being so much higher than him, a being almost on par with Great Ones in term of cosmic vastness

You are a hunter are you not?

I shook my head slightly as the garbled static came into my head. It was undecipherable, but I can make out several key syllables that indicates curiosity in it

No Insight, yet still able to perceive them...

Of course, the Wisdom stat. Their description is "to indicate one's connection witht the Great Ones of the cosmos, and using the powers borrowed from them". I did get the ability to use many supernatural powers, but in exchange my perception of the world was changed greatly

Key fact: I'm speaking with a goddamn Amygdala right now

"Lecture Building, please" I held out the Tonsil Tongue. The creature made an odd motion that could have been a nod of the head, before bringing it's massive limb down and grab me

Whatever the case, I now know there are certain side-effects when it comes to upgrading one's stats. I need to be sure to take that into account the next time I level up

With that say, what should I do with the spare 6 points in reserve?

A headache formed, soon followed by a slowly increasing frenzy as eyes focused on me. The eyes that usually serves as the window for the soul, now opens the entrance to a world so far beyond human understanding I cannot comprehend it

Blood rushed to my brain as they eagerly took in the knowledge behind those eyes. Just a glimpse to the world behind them

+1 Insight

There was the feeling weightlessness as I was crushed between it's palm

...

"Heh heh heh heh...Oh Amygdala, oh Amygdala..."

A malicious chuckle echoed inside the church

It turned into full blown laughter moments later. The laughter of a deranged madman, or in this case, a trusty spider who watch as yet another Hunter walk to his scheme

"Have mercy on the poor bastard...Hah hah hah!"

<><><><><><><>

When I awoken, it was to the sight of a dark, dusty hall. Darkness converged upon me from all sides

I breathed in and took out the torch. The light illuminated my surrounding, showing the hall's antique interior

Wood lies everywhere. From the worn out floor board to the pillars which was carved with intricate patterns, to even the ceiling that stared down at me, all made from wood. The hall itself was nothing special, with long winding corridors and no window in sight - typical of a 19th century university

So this is the lecture building. Certainly different from the oppressive atmosphere of the Cathedral Ward, the atmosphere here is eerily silent

The floor board creaked beneath my feet as I took my first step forward

I took some time to get a feel of my surrounding. There were nothing in sight. If I remember right in the game there's only slime scholar and a single NPC inhabiting this place, along with the entracne to the Nightmare Frontier where I will end up fight the Amygdala boss

I checked my stats. Dexterity is already maxed out, maybe it's time to start investing more stats into another one?

There's Endurance that makes me more durable. Intelligence that makes me...more inteligent? Wisdom that grants me hax ability at the cost of becoming less human. Luck that grants me the ability of staying away from misfortune. But they all depend on certain factors and how I use them

Something more basic would be appreciated. Something that is not unnecessarily fancy and can be reliable in my times of need

And thus I dumped all of them into Strength

(Author's Note: Prepare for text dump)

Strength: 4/10

[Carrier]: It's not bad for a Hunter to be prepared when it comes to their equipment. Increase maximum load carried for certain items

- Maximum weapons carried increase by 2

Strength: 5/10

[Herculean Might]: The Hunter gains a substantial increase in vigor. Building muscles often time help with the handling of weapon

- Charged attacks takes 15% less time to wind up. Applied to all weapons

Strength: 6/10

[Light Weapon Mastery]: Those that hunt in the shadows favors the agility small blades offered, but some takes joy in the suffering of their prey. These Hunters opt to slice and dice their foe until it is done

- Light weapon type (Blade of Mercy, Saw Cleaver, Rifle Spear...) deals bleeding damage, restricting enemy's movement speed by 10% for 0.4 seconds

- Enemy inflicted with bleeding lose 0.5% of their health for 3 seconds. Hitting them a second time refresh the duration

Strength: 7/10

[Dual Wield]: Certain Hunters with greater physique has adopted this rather bizarre style of combat. If you can hit hard with one weapon, you can certainly hit twice as hard with two of them

- Unlock dual wielding option for melee weapons

Strength: 8/10

[Twisted Wind]: The hunter's knife was thrown with increased velocity and rapidity. Improve upon their ranged armaments

- Throwing knives deals knockback damage and pierce through enemies. Performing charged attacks with a throwing knife cause them to explode upon impact

Strength: 9/10

[Jaws of the Wolf]: Being immersed in the hunt grants the Hunter insight to the nature of its root. To kill the beasts...it is necessary to become one yourself

- Stamina costs from attacks are reduced by 40%

(You cannot die to a Bloodborne boss when you are the Bloodborne boss lmao - Thienlibra probably)

"That's better" I said to no one in particular.

Flexing my limb, I found that my body has become more toned than before. If possible, a noticeable amount of muscles also seem to be present underneath the fabric of my shirt. I made a note to make some measurements with the Doll later to have my outfit adjusted, as it's always not a pleasant thing to have a Hunter's clothe not fitting their size

Since this time both Skill and Dex had almost reached their limit, I would not be able to increase them further. That means I'll have to rely more on skills to get through the rest of the nightmare, or the other stats will have to be invested in to close the gap between me and them

For now I'm satisfied. I'm prepared to tackle on the Nightmare Frontier at least

My footstep echoed in the empty hall, sometime accompanied by the creaking of floorboard as the old wood bend under pressure. Inside this silent space, the sounds created were unnecessarily loud

I activated [Stealth] and was pleased to see the noises reduced to an almost non-existent level

Opening the door to the left, I was greeted with nothing. Nonplussed, I walked forward toward the opposite door and raise my pistol, placing it against the wooden board.

There was only one bastard here I want dealt with

"What a joy it is, to behold the-"

I pulled the trigger

BANG

Patches the spider screamed from inside

I pulled the trigger a second time, and a third, and a fourth, and the screaming turned to choked whimpers

In the end, there was only silence and the smell of gunpowder haunting the corridor. The spider lies dead on the other side of the room,.

Blowing off the smoke from its barrel, I calmly strapped the gun to my back

Alright. That's dealt with. Let's move on

A thousand eyes. All closed in fright

Such a shame, lament the formless one

The gift of knowledge that grants insight

Wasted, upon this moonlit night