Chapter 4: The Girl

"Forgive...me"

The beast fell to the ground with a heavy thud, scattering clouds of dust from the tombstones in his wake.

I remained still in my crouching position, with Gascoigne's Hunter's Axe still raised and labored breathing coming out from my lower mask

Idly, I noticed my hand was trembling

This was my first time fighting a Hunter before. It was more difficult than I thought. The man is strong. Stronger than any beasts I've faced before

Quest Completed

- Kill Father Gascoign in less than 100 seconds

Reward:

+8,000 [Blood Echoes]

+ [Gascoign Set]

You have killed Father Gascoigne

+1,800 [Blood Echoes]

+ 4 [Insight]

+ [Oedon Tomb Key]

+ 1 Stat Point

The Hunter's gears laid scattered on the ground next to my ruined Saw Cleaver. I picked up the weapons and inspect each of them

They're both modified. The axe's curve is made so that they deal serrated damage against Beasts, while the Hunter's Pistol had a shift-lock mechanism that switched it's firing mode to a Blunderbuss. Both point to a heavy build suitable for the burly Priest

Trick Weapons...they make for terrible tools when fall into the wrong hands...

Since their owner is already dead, might as well make them my own

I cleaned the blood on them up and stored them on the inside of my coat. The graveyard wind blew as I stood up, fluttering my coat tail

It seems the night had progressed with the death of Father Gascoigne

+1 [Modified Hunter's Axe]

+1 [Modified Hunter Pistol]

My attention was then drawn to Gascoigne. I quietly walked over to his corpse. Clutched tightly in the man's hand is the crushed remain of his wife's music box...and a crimson red brooch stained with her blood

"Do not worry" I lowered my head "I will make sure your daughter is safe from the Hunt"

I slowly turned around and returned back the way I came. Oedon Chapel is just around the corner

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The thick smell of incense lingered in the air as I made my way through the large space. The Dweller could be seen at one side of the room, who let out a startled yelp in reaction as I made my way to him

I stopped just in front of him, allowing the man time to calm down

"Ah. A hunter are ya? The incense must've masked your scent. Good, good. I've been waiting for one of your ilk" He chuckled weakly as I gazed down at him "These hunts have everyone locked up inside, waiting for it to end. It always does...but not always nicely, not this time"

The folks had gone mad. The snarling of beasts could be heard on this side of the chapel, accompanied by the stench of blood I've gotten used to. It really is bad from what I've seen

"- Yharnam's done fer, I tell ya. But if you spot anyone with their wits about 'em... Tell 'em about this here Oedon Chapel. They'll be safe here. The incense wards off the beasts. Spread the word... tell 'em to come on over. If you wouldn't mind..."

This was followed by a creepy chuckle on his part. But having played the game, I know this man can be the most trustworthy and harmless individual you can encounter in all of Yharnam

"I will. Don't worry about it"

After lighting the lamp at the Cathedral Ward, I quickly turned back to Central Yharnam

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"I'm sorry, but both your parents are dead" I told the sobbing girl "Your mother died during the Hunt, while your Father had already gone mad when I met him. I have to cut him down as a Hunter"

"Oh mother...oh father...why?..."

Considering her muttering, it seems she is blaming me for this. I told her to remain inside the house until I return and not go anywhere, but her lack of answer is worrying

It was only after I went to the window that I've realized my blunder

The Old Hunter Bell. It was an item that allows you to summon co-operators to your aid at the cost of one Insight. If used before the Cleric Beast I could have summoned Father Gascoigne and prevent this tragedy.

But would it have changed anything?

"Shut up"

The Insights I've gained began to act up again. This time the whispers seems to be clearer than before. Less like the guttural growl of a Beasts and more like a wizened corpse's that echoed in my mind

The Blood Moon drove us all to madness eventually. Nobody is safe as long as they remain in Yharnam

It had a point. What's the purpose of trying to save everyone when they will all go mad in the end? This world I'm in is bleak. Unforgiving. There is no happy ending for everyone involved

The best choice to keep her safe would be to keep her in the house or accompany her to Oedon Chapel, but it will only prolong the girl's suffering

I'll return here and escort her there as per the Dweller's request. But first I'll have to re-equip and strengthen myself in the Hunter's Dream

I'll end this Nightmare. If not for the people here, then at least for me

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If I remember right, going to Gilbert after defeating Gascoigne give me a free weapon

"So you have returned"

"I just want to check on you since the Hunt seems bleak tonight. Are you still alright?" I hefted Gascoigne's Axe on my shoulder and gazed at the dark sky. Black-colored clouds covering the stars and the splendor of the early moon, making it hard to see on the ground

"Ahh, you needn't concern yourself with me. I'm afraid I'm of little help now. But before I... Take this..."

The window snapped open. A pale, sickly hand shakily reached through and hand me a mechanical-like weapon, before retreating in as though its afraid of making contact with the scourge outside

+1 [Flamesprayer]

"I made no use of it, but perhaps you... What inflicted me was incurable, but this town gave me hope... Their strange blood bought me time. I was most fortunate. Unharmed by the plague of beasts, I can even die human..."

A fit of coughing sounded on the other side

He will not die as human

In the end, Gilbert will only despair as he was turned into a beast under the Blood Moon. It's practically unavoidable

This man in front of me. He's already accepted his fate

I turned to the lit lamp in front of his house. Reality shifted around me as I walked through the silvery mist, once again entering the Hunter's Dream

"Welcome back, good Hunter"

I offered a greeting bow to the Doll, to which she replied with one of her own. With the formality done, I approached her. The Doll expectantly held out a hand before I could open my mouth

She certainly is more forward than I thought

Shaking my head in exasperation, I accepted the offered hand and browsed through my available skills

This time I only upgrade one ability

- 10,000 [Blood Echoes]

A new skill had been enhanced

[Terrain Traversal III] (Maxed)

- A Hunter stalks their prey through the moonless plain. +120% Movement Speed outside of combat

Remaining Blood Echoes: 2,750

"Thank you"

I cancelled the rest of the list and lowered my hand. Honestly...now I'm not sure how fast I was compared to the other Hunters. With Father Gascoigne, an experienced Hunter, I was able to take him down while dodging about 95% of his attacks, which proved my speed is somewhat decent compare to them.

Maybe after this I should start investing in other stats aside from Dexterity

Dexterity (5/10)

A new skill had been learned

[Instinct]: A Hunter who perceive the world around them with caution. Enemy's attacks travel 20% slower from your point of view

I then walked to the Bath Messengers to sell and buy some stuff. The majority of Blood Vials and Quicksilver bullets were kept, while the more useless ones were exchanged for more Blood Echoes

And then the weapons. With both [Saw Hunter Badge] and [Sword Hunter Badge] unlocked I now have a lot more options to choose than before. Of course I still choose my Saw Cleaver, so I turned around and head to the Workshop, where I met the Upper Bath Messengers who use Insight as currency instead of Blood Echoes

-1 Insight

+1 [Resonant Bell]

I shook the bell slightly, listening to the otherworldly echoes it made

With two Insights from the Madman's Knowledge I absorbed, four from the Cleric Beast and four from Gascoigne, I am now able to help other Hunters out in the dream and calling them to help me in return

Should I use it right now? I don't have any Runes equipped, but my level seems to be low so killing me won't yield any benefit to the other Hunter should they turn hostile

I thought to the time I accidentally summoned PK'er into my world, before abandoning that plan

No. It's not worth the risk. This can only be used when I absolutely have to

Putting the Bell away, I continued into the Workshop where Gehrman is still sitting at his usual spot by the fire. The [Blood Tempering Shard] used on my weapons are thankfully intact from my recent fight, which enable me to focus on other things

Namely the basic skill books in the Workshop

[Advanced Firearm Manual] had been learned

+50% Damage to firearms

The book melted to blood in my hand. I tried gulping the liquid dripping from it, only to grimace at its terrible taste

I then turned toward Gehrman. I would have ignored him under normal circumstances, but right now I need something from him

"Young Hunter. What did you just say?" From underneath his hat Gehrman stared at me. The man is confused, that I can tell

"Train me"

"Dear oh dear. Either my hearing had gone bad, or you've just asked for guidance from a weak old man like me. What spurred this on?"

If you call yourself "weak", I don't even want to know how easy you can take down the bosses I will encounter

"I have realized I lacked the experience to be a real Hunter" I replied, looking absentmindedly at my repaired Saw Cleaver "Earlier this day, I encountered a man from the Healing Church...Gascoigne, his name is. An experienced Hunter who went mad and killed his own wife...I almost died to him"

Technically that was a lie. I almost failed to complete the challenge, but not once in the fight have my health dropped below 50%. This lie, however, is for my own benefit

"Your point is?"

"It's not enough. The beasts I encountered Yharnam and the one who kills them are completely different enemies. They are more agile, stronger...deadlier" I turned around and stared at him, my eyes shone a subtle red underneath "You said when I first enter the Workshop that I need only to kill beasts...but it's clearly more than that. I need to learn how to combat the Hunters"

"That makes sense, I suppose. Unfortunately my skills in this field is not as sharp as it used to be" He chuckled "This is something you have to seek from a certain black crow. I can, however, teach you other things...vital skills to becoming a true Hunter of Old, for example..."

"Then may I seek your guidance" I fluttered my coat "Gehrman...no, master Gehrman"

Something sparked inside those eyes. Remembrance, joy, pain. The cane in his hand tightened to the point of cracking

"You really do remind me of her. Very well, what is it you wish to improve on?"

Gehrman, the First Hunter is offering you his guidance, choose a skill you want to learn from him

- [Quickening] (Unavailable)

- [Weapon Crafting]

- [Martial Art]

- [Blood Alchemy]

So this is why the Hunter bosses in the game are so much stronger than the player's hunter. They've had time learning and is thus more experienced than me, an outsider who'd been in Yharnam for only one day

"A Hunter needs not only skills, but also a steady blade on his hand and a packed gun in his waist...please train me how to craft weapons"

He grinned

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"Is that you, mister Hunter? You came back!"

"Well, I promised to, didn't I?" I replied as I absentmindedly clicked my repaired Saw Cleaver on and off. It's a habit I've developed after a few hours of the Hunt. Keep my mind occupied and ready for action

The Hunter's Axe now serve as my secondary melee weapon in case the cleaver break. It doesn't scale that well with Dexterity so I won't use it soon

"Just open your window and I will escort you to this safe place I found. The incense there will ward off whatever's lurking around these parts"

"..."

"Little girl. I know you're scared, but holing up in your house won't stop the beasts from breaking in. The Hunt won't end soon"

Locks being opened could be heard on the other side. The front door creaked open as the little girl peeked her head out. Her entire frame was trembling in the cold night, with only a white dress on her body and a few items she carried with

"Come on. Hurry up" I took her hand and closed the door behind us. The little girl clutched tight to me

"Mister Hunter, it's lonely without Mum and Dad..." She whispered as I hefted her on my shoulder "I'm...I'm scared"

"Everybody is, little one. Without fear, we are no different than Beasts themselves"

"Now hold on tight. I could feel them approaching"

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I made sure to avoid combat with the girl on my shoulder. Sticking to the shadow using [Stealth] and navigate the terrain with my other skills, we soon made it to our destination

"Ah, marvelous. You really did bring back one of them. Thank you for heeding my words" The Dweller thanked me. I could only cough and turned around

"Make sure they stay safe" is my only reply  "If I see others I'll send them here. Notify me the next time if you need something done"

With that I was gone, leaving for the next location in the game

The Cathedral Ward

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+ [Hunter Set 2]

I swiped the blood off my saw with a satisfied smile. They cut sharper than I expected

Blood Gauge: 33/40

There are the kind of Hunter that openly chase their enemies down

And then there are those who strikes when their prey least expect it

I dropped down silently behind the Rifle Huntsman and slitted his throat, instantly killing him. The smell of blood alerted the two Rabid Dogs on the side and they lunged at me. A shot of my gun took care of the first one as I vanished back into the shadow. The second dog stared around confused, not noticing the Hunter's Axe descending upon it from behind before its too late

"That's three" I sidestepped the Church Giant as it brought its weapon down on me, before sprinting up the shaft of its weapon and slicing deep into its throat with my cleaver. I landed on the other side and parried his next attack, allowing me to end it with a Visceral "That's four"

My form lurked from one place to another. In the shadow, on the ceiling, just behind the corner. Luring them out with pebbles before killing them off quietly

"Five"

I ripped out the Huntsmen's heart, his blood spattering blood over my coat

"Six"

The Carrion Crow was sliced in half with a single swing of the axe

"Seven"

I stood over the remain of the last enemy. Taking them all down no longer seems difficult like when I first arrive here. I think I'm starting to get used to it

Blood Gauge: 40/40 => Blood Gauge: 0/50

+1 Stat point