Author's note: Short ass chapter
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My Chikage sliced open the slime scholar's belly.
"oh-Oooohhhhhh"
A ghastly moan escaped the two meat flabs that used to be a lip on their face. The sounds resembles a Dark Soul fan waiting for the release of Elden Ring on TGA 2020, only for his hope to dwindle out at the last second as it only won the most anticipated game of the year award
The scholar let out a disgusting breath breath of vapor, before it vomitted all over the floor, much like the same fan when they decided to type out all their frustration on their Bloodborne fanfic and force people to read through it
Gooey liquid poured out from within as the smell of acid filled the room, permeating in the air. With a sigh, I snapped my Chikage shut and opened fire on the creature
As its corpse hit the ground I noted that there are no blood surrounding it. Only the echoes remained, which I collected for further upgrades of my skills
I've finally managed to collect enough of them
900/900
It's been such a long time since it first started. An assignment where i needed to colect blood and extract the iron from them to forge myself a Relic class weapon capable of rivalling the best Hunter tools
Borrowing other's work is not something I particularly mind. Indeed, I can wield them with the same mastery as their original wielder
Thus, right now I'm visually formulating the designs in my head as i walked along the halls of the lecture building. The weapon I prioritize is something practical, first and foremost, and deals damage based on strength and skills. No arcane becasue Wisdom is enough to take care of that
A sword? Likely. It is the most basic and most versatile forms of weaponry possible used by inexperienced fighter. People can stab, slash, slice and dice all they want with no prior training, but they are hard to master, which makes them perfect for the range of specifications in my mind
A scythe that turns into a sniper rifle? A shotgun gauntglet? A cleaver/chokuto?
They were all bizarre combination. I didn't know why they'd even bother design those
I backstepped as more Slime Scholar rose up from the lecture seats. They opened their mouth and all at once, a wave of disgusting vomit surged forwatd to my position
[Gravitational Push]
The wave's trajectory reversed mid-flow and was thown back at them. It slammed into the deformed scholars, sending crashing into the seats. Using this chance I bolted forward, using the steps as foothold from the vomit on the floor and cast [Razor's Edge] to send out wind bursts that sliced through them
Gale explodes from the tip of my blade, crashing into them. Instead of being cut up like normal, the scholars were all decimated from the force of the blow to my surprise
Is this due to the amount I've just invested in my Strength stat?
Most of them went out with one strike. One of them cracked their neck and launched it like a sling at me. Twisting myself I drew my Chikage to slice their neck off as I dashed to the side
A flick of the blade sent the remaining abominations to the ground with their bodies severed. I sheathed the Chikage, looking around for the next path
I frowned as the torch's light extended forward, revealing yet another deep end. A pile of neatly folded clothe was set on one of the nearby chairs, to which I did not hesitate to take to myself
+ [Student Uniform]
Sighing, I made my way out of the room as I retraced my step back to where I first began.The three routes were already
Despite it's complexity Bloodborne's maps are linear. No matter how much you have to explore, there area only include certain paths you can go and most of the areas are wholly separated instead of being interconnected to an open world
However, the sizes of the maps are all dependent on digital space and the amount of information one can fit in a programmed game.
Bloodborne is almost flawless as a game, the intricacy behind which would have amazed anyone with the barest knowledge of archietecture. But there can be no denying the limited storage space would make it run out of content after a while
There is no such things in here
You think the Lecture Hall's first floor is an easy place? That it's just a minute or two away from the door to the Nightmare Frontier? Well think again
I've been wandering inside this place for an hour or so
In retrospect, it was the same with Yharnam. At first glance the city seems to be the same but the expansion from decades of the Healing Church's presence made it less the burning town you see in game and more like...well..an actual city
There were no ends in sight. The narrow valley. The endless hoard of beasts. The corpses of people littering the street, waiting to be burnt down by those madmen lurking behind the corners
The madness of Yharnam lies in the repetitive twist and turns of paranoia-filled encounters, each time with a different scenarios that could have possibly sent me to the Hunter's dream in my early playthrough
I walked forward. For regardless of thier layouts, there is only one path to move to.
In time, I'll find the right one to travel. Then it's just a matter of killing whatever there is that resides here
The dusty floor board creaked beneath my feet. I carefully swatted the cobwebs out of the way as I advanced through the multitudes of halls that lies inside. I glanced down, catching sight of several books lying on the ground. Curiosity soon took hold and I found myself reaching for them
Studies on biology, astronomy, and surprisingly, quantum physics. Guess those Insights gained were actually not for nothing outside of combat, huh?
[Byrgenwerth Physics - 1st grade] learned
+1 Insight
[Byrgenwerth Astronomy - 3rd grade] learned
+1 Insight
[Byrgenwerth Studies of Human Anatomy - 2nd grade] learned
+1 Insight
As the knowledge was absorbed the books themselves glowed. A moment later they burst into glowing particles and dispersed into the air.
I stood there, waiting impatiently for the knowledge to finish processing. Once it did, I continued onward toward the second segment of the hall.
Books. More books filled my vision
Once again, I found myself being stopped by the temptation of knowledge. With a finger raised I browsed through the lined up rows to see their content. What I found surprised me
"Books regarding different branches of cosmology, astrology and intricate anatomical studies. Books on the workings of the universes and the physics surrounding them. Books on cosmology, craniology, ophthalmology...for a supposedly 18th-century Victorian style civilization the stuffs they've got are quite advanced"
The most important thing for me is that they're knowledge
Free knowledge
University-level knowledge and beyond
With the bonus of instant-learning the system gave me, and supposedly I did not forget when I wake up from the dream, I could use this to become a genius in the real world
I did not hesitate on binging each of them like a hungry bookworm
+1 Insight
+1 Insight
I reached out and grab the few remaining books, repeatedly absorbing them until all that remains are motes of light floating in my vision. Once that was done, I turned my head to assess the rest of the room
Still no proper passage
This is going to take a while to navigate
Sighing, I walked forward.
I moved across the corridor. However, my gait was broken when a nearby sound caught my ear. I turned around to be greeted with the sight of a scurrying frenzied rat. A spark of ignition glinted from my pistol - The bullet inside turning the animal to fine red paste on the ground soon after
The animal's red vital juice seeped into the ground. I took notice of it, frowning as I made my way toward the rat's corpse. Half of the body had seemingly faded into nothingness, as if it wasn't there
Which could only mean-
I reached out my hand toward the wall. It passed right through without much obstacle
"Aha, an illusory wall" The surrounding space shimmered as I placed my boot over it. My surrounding changed as I finally walked through, revealing a long hallway before me. I looked around me "Haven't seen one of these for a long time. So that's why I can't seem to find the exit"
You normally found these in Dark Souls. It wasn't as frequent in Bloodborne aside from those in the Chalice Dungeons, so I was surprised to see one myself
I walked around the corner to be greeted with a wide open corridor. Two row of sturdy oak doors stood on either side of me, but my eyes are only concentrated on the one with a purple light eminating from it, its soft glow illuminating the dark space that was only supported by the torch held in my left hand
I resisted the temptation of opening it in favor of going to the opposite side of the spectrum, where a worn out chest laid. As Mimics does not exists in Bloodborne, I simply kicked open the chest and take the item inside
+ [Augur of Ebrietas]
Returning to the door, I gazed at it. Under the measly light provided a set of engravings etched on the door caught my eyes
[Entrance, Nightmare Frontier]
- Abandon all Hope. Ye who enter here
WIth a push of my hand the door creaked open. Heavy twin mechanism unlocked to reveal a portal in front of me. I blinked wearily as the neon-colored light entered my eyes, causing my iris to expand in order to adjust to the sudden brightness
The thing in front of me is unexplainable. Yes, that would be the best word to describe it. Just gazing at the spatial distortion in front of me is enough to induce a migraine at the forefront of my brain
Unpertubed, I walked forward, entering that portal of myriad colors, swirling and spiralling toward infinite insanity. The world around me closed off, all sound and sensation on all senses ceased to be as I experienced nothingness
Then as if reality had jolted off from a dream, I was suddenly pulled back down to earth with the sudden rush of information invading my awareness. Blinking my eyes wearily I groaned
The first thing I did upon standing up was to survey my surrounding. WIth one hand hovering just above the sheathe of my weapon I gazed at the numerous tombs around me
'Not tombs, just regular stones protruding out of the ground'
Drawing open my Chikage and pistol, I descended upon the valley of stone
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I retract my earlier statement about the commplexity of the Lecture Hall
The flow of time in this place is queer. I carefuly navigated my way down the different rocky parts growing out the side of mountains, looking at the mark I've just made upon the boulder jut mere minutes ago
In that amount of time I've been looped back here for a total of five occasions, despite having went on separate directions each time I returned
It was as though...there's something here that controls the flow of time. A being with enough power to alter space around me, warping my destination to its pleasure
[Gravitational Push]
The push quickly made me ascend to the top, where I peered down at the environment around me. With a vantage point I could finally pinpoint my position among the owering rocks
The wind blew, making my Hunter's coat flutter in the air. I opened a portal to the [New Workshop] to extract the monoglass from the other side.
Strapping it to my ear I, raised the gun to eye level and started observing things on the other end
[Sniping] is useful skill. It was fortunate I remembered it when necessary.
I narrowed my eyes as I peered at the mountains in the distance. Up upon here, the various level of the terrains are fully displayed in front of me. With my high level of Insight it will not be easy to pull this trick again
My gun soon raised to match the target. With a press of the trigger, I fired, piercing the Silverbeast by the back. With another shot I killed him. The gun broke open as I load another round into the smoking cartridge
"Damn beast" I mutter
I see it now. They're waiting for me to go insane from the lopping terrain before ambushing and killing me. Their forms perfectly blend in with the environment to ensure they did not get found, standard practice from a bunch of wolves
Thus the sniping session begins, with me taking them down several of the beasts before pushing myself to more vantage point that overlook different areas, repeating the same process over a period of time
I shot about several dozens of them down. Eventually their number thin out - enough for me to advance without drawing in too much of them. I rolled out from my position, surveying the area with caution one last time
I then descended and slashed my way through the rest. By the time I was done, my Chikage has been stained a blood red not dissimilar to it's transformed mode
Sheathing the weapon I strutted forward. The Silverbeast was taken out earlier along with the Wandering Madness before it, allowing me to jump down to obtain the loot under
I peered beyond the edge
Below that is a steep ravine. Jumping down net me up a Madman's knowledge along with a branching path that led in two directions, one to the right and the other to the left. Litting the lantern, I resort to return at a later time after I've cleared out this place
Now, the two path. Just like the Forbidden Woods each lead to different area, one of them is a swamp with the Chime Maidens guarding them. In conventional online multiplayer, it would be where I can match up against Hunters who us the Sinister Bell to invade my world, often time in a gank
Not wanting to fight against hostile Hunters yet, I head to the right
My footstep echoed across the stone tunnel, the light of my torch illuminating their surroundings, revealing the hunched figure of a Silverbeast in front of me. Unlike the previous ones it was crouching on all four.
This one has lost the ability to stand on its two feet. A sign of weakness, or a testament to its bestial nature. Either way, it is no more than a beast with a mindless body
I used [Stealth] to get up behind it and take the critter's mood out with a well placed Visceral, guts and blood sticking to my glove like a violent testament of the deed
The beast screamed as blood spattered on the cave's wall. Pain filled its body, it whipped to me with its eyes lit up with unbridled rage. A snarl left its mouth, the thing's claw descended and swiped at me with speed imperceptible for a normal man
Without hesitation I severed its arm with a quick slash from my Chikage, causing it to quickly retreat. I cut off that option with a shot from my pistol, accompanied by a curved throwing knife that arced behind its back
The two projectiles zoomed in, piercing through hardened flesh like melted butter. Another screech almost pierced my ears as I moved forward and dodged it's frenzied strike. A well-placed Chikage to the heart made beast collapsed, leaving me to strut past it and continue on with my path
The road ahead is quite long
If I get past here, I should be able to meet the two Hunters-
Shadows blurred behind me. Without waiting I dashed forward as a Hunter's Axe slammed down from behind me. Dust and rubble shot up, creating a smoke screen that allows me to close in and slashed at him with the Chikage's transformed mode
My [Instinct] flared out, and I dodged to the side to avoid the bullet sent my way before the cut connect. I used my weapon's sheathe to deflext the second bullet and block the first hunter's blow at the same time
"Get out of here while you still can" Steel ground against steel. The burly axe-user pushed me back, causing me to stumble
"Get out"
"Get out"
Their madened whisper reached me. The two Hunters advanced with weapons readied in hand, meeting my gait head on
"This is not a place you'd want to get lost in. You'll go mad, like the rest of us..."
Well now
This just got a lot more interesting
I snapped my Chikage into the sheathe and drew blood from it. Potent power rushed through my vein and escaped into the blade, marking it a tainted red in the Nightmare's yellowed glow as I pulled it out.
I raised the blade at them, openly inviting the madness they have in store
Like moth to a flame, the Hunters lunged in with reckless abandon. The sound of our clash soon reverbated through the terrain amidst the growling of curious beasts and uncanny silence of the valley. The steady wooshing of the Cane and the intermittent, but thunderous crash of the axe combined into a melody of death when pitched against my Chikage and Hunter's pistol
I Quickened out off the axe's way and parried the cane, ignoring the bunderbuss pellets passing through me as I leveled the gun and shot the burly one on the chest. My foot shifted as I twisted out of the pistol bullet's way at the last second. The second one quickly staggered back to regain distance, but I already Quickened behind him again and visceral the hunter
[Gravitational Pull] soon pulled them down to the ground where both Hunters lost their grip on their weapons. Before they could regain their balance I moved, kicking out their weapons from under them
Pulling out the Blunderbuss, I leveled the two guns at each of their heads respectively. A cold look emanate from my eyes
"Alright, speak"
"...."
"Are you deaf?" My eyes narrowed, the grip on my weapon tightening
There was subtle shaking as the silence stretched on. The maddened men did not responded, too lose in their insanity to notice. I, however, had my own method of dealing with madmen, however crude it may be
I pulled the trigger. Two respective flash of gunpowder exploded forward, tearing through the Hunter's brain and immediately kiling them in one shot
Looking coldly at the two dead corpses infront of me, I pulled upon the power Wisdom skill tree and activated [Moonless Echoes], feeling the hunter's bonfire coming to life
It did not matter if they do not cooperate
"Follow my words. Arise"
Those who have the blood of hunters are bound to follow me, sooner or later