10,773
Returning to the Hunter's Dream, I waved at the Doll before going back to the Lantern of the Forbidden Woods.
From there, I made my way back to a bit further than where I got the Tonsil Stone- the place where there were dogs in cages, not far beyond the village full of madmen I killed with their own trap- and, instead of going right this time... I took left.
Going down that path took me into a vast cave with poisonous waters, but while there were a few enemies, they weren't that hard to kill with appropriate use of Fire Magics.
There were a couple of Blood Gems in the area too, and once I finished looting the place (it's hardly like I was bothered by the poison all around me at this point) I went up a ladder, then another, and then I found myself in a courtyard in Yharnam.
I opened up the until now closed steel gates (shortcut get!) and then took the path on the left from the ladder.
A thoroughly dead brainsucker later ("Burn, monster! BURN!" I cackled) and (+1) Insight from a madman's knowledge (now 66!) and I went up yet another ladder, got on a rooftop, killed some crows...
And, finally, there I stood in Iosefka's clinic!
Immediately gaining yet another (1) Insight for it!
... Which had interesting implications, needless to say...
In any case, I went left, noticing the lack of any enemies (considering I didn't send anyone to the clinic, that is only natural- The Impostor didn't have any "test subjects" to use, after all) and quickly found yet another Communion Rune in a chest.
Then I went up the stairs... And quickly found the impostor Iosefka, on all four on an operating table.
Oh, and she was muttering to herself. Because of course she was.
Ah well.
I stepped forward.
"God I'm nauseous... Have you ever felt this? It's progressing. I can see things... I knew it, I'm different. I'm no beast... I... Oh... God, it feels awful... but, it proves that I'm chosen. Don't you see? How they writhe, writhe inside my head... It's... rather... rapturous..."
I stared at her, right hand clenched tightly on my sword.
And then, with a swift strike, I decapitated her.
Her headless corpse slumped, and I looked at it coldly. One less mad scientist in the world- for all that she looked human, she was no better than the beasts outside in my eyes. Her, and all too many of the Healing Church...
I shook my head, and then stared at the rewards for killing her.
First, (21000) Blood Echoes.
And then the second (One Third of) Umbilical Cord.
I smiled widely... And then clicked "Yes" on whether or not I wanted to use this item.
The Cord dissolved, flowing into me-
-my EYES blinked OPEN-
-The COSMOS flashed into my MIND-
-a LINK is strengthened, ONE left for GREATNESS-
-a CHILD born in BLOOD, born FROM blood-
-Beneath a Sea of Stars, a Dreamer turned in it's sleep, rumbling contently as it's strength grew-
I blinked, then blinked again.
I waved away the message about gaining (+3) Insights (now 70!) and looked at my others gains.
Second Step to Greatness: You have found and consumed a second Third Umbilical Cord. Your Eyes are yet to fully open, but the secrets of the Cosmos are opening themselves to you... Gain (100) in Wis and Int.
I smiled. And with that...
Int (500): You now have an enormous affinity to Mana/Arcane! Furthermore, you have now gained Mage Sight! 75% Increase in Mana Recovery Rate. 75% Increase in total MP. 75% Increase to Magic/Arcane Attack damages. 100% learning speed increase to MP related skills.
Mage Sight: Mage Sight is the ability of mages to detect Mysteries and other supernatural phenomena. Despite the name, it does not necessarily manifest visually, or not exclusively visually. It is both a (Passive) and (Active) skill, with the (Active) skill granting more information. Mage Sight can help you find that which is hidden by mystical means, or pick apart a spell so that you can learn it yourself, or any numbers of uses. Current level: (1)
My smile widened.
Well, that was very useful indeed! Though I had to admit, having a second Cord inside me was... Something.
I could feel my mind... Expanding? It was the best word I could think of to describe what I felt.
And I could vaguely feel... something in my very soul growing. Again, that was the best way to describe things.
It felt slightly painful- like something trying to fit in somewhere it definitely shouldn't be able to- but also... Satisfying.
Immensely so.
I shook my head- I had more work to do, it wasn't time to focus on what Metamorphosis my very being was undergoing right now.
Though, now that I thought about it, I didn't check the notifications of my gains for finding Vanessa, so excited I was at finally taking yet another step towards godhood...
I brought them up.
First, Violetta was now at (100/100) Rep, the sight of which make me smile happily- Not just for essentially finishing her "Rep" questline, but also because I was genuinely happy that I was able to give her some good news for once.
... Huh. I gained a reward Trait for it, too apparently!
Approval of the Innocents: You gain an immediate (+10) towards those best described as "Innocents" and with "Pure souls" as they will instinctively recognize you as a Good, Trustworthy individual.
Heh. Well, that was rather fitting, indeed.
Though the fact even the Gamer recognized Violetta as such made all the tragedies of her life even worse...
I took and then released a deep breath. I did, and will continue doing, my best to protect her.
I may be a killer, but at least I'll be one who put his "talents" to good use.
The next notifications were for Vanessa.
I blinked. I was already at (60/100) Rep with her? Really?
... Ah. Yes, stuff like "Saved her little sister" and "Was here for her sister/Herself" would explain it.
Between all that I did for Violetta and going out of my way to comfort both over the death of their loved ones, I did gain quite a bit of Rep with both.
In fact, it could be even higher, but...
(-10) Rep for killing her Father/Grandfather. Yeah, that was... Fair.
Honestly, the fact that it was only (-10) was already shocking by itself...
Though then again, Violetta -did- tell me before that they knew that both her father and grandfather were losing it, so they probably expected their deaths sooner or later.
The fact that Violetta didn't hold any resentment in her heart towards me for the parts I played in their death was the real surprise, honestly... Though once again, perhaps the fact that she saw me try to talk her grandfather down helped?
I sighed. Whatever the case, they were both safe now, and that's what mattered.
With my work here done, I walked back, passing by the back entrance to this place until I opened the doors which opened to the very first room I woke up in.
The first thing I did was take the Cainhurst Summon (with my name on it. Because fuck you, logic/sanity) and then...
I stared sadly at the Small Celestial Emissary that once -was- the real Iosefka.
"I'll help you. Once I'm a god, I promise- I'll turn you back into a human. I swear it."
And then I walked away.
There was nothing more to do here.
Not for a long, long time.
I returned to the Hunter's Dream, smiling at the Doll.
She smiled back.
"Hello, Good Hunter. Is the Hunt going well?"
"It is!" I declared, the last vestige of my bad mood over Iosefka's fate vanishing in the face of the Doll's smile. "Come, let us sit- I've got a few things to catch you up on..."
Once we were both sitting on the rocks of the small wall where the Doll always awaited me by, I began telling her of my latest work- including, of course, bringing Vanessa to the Chapel.
That part made the Doll smile brightly- happy as I was that some good finally happened to Violetta- though my tale about what happened in Iosefka's clinic made her frown sadly.
"I did hear tales of the Church and the experiments they conducted... The Hunters I met told me not to worry about them, or that they were done for the Good of all Mankind, but..." She paused, pursing her lips.
"But you couldn't help but worry- rightfully so, unfortunately." I finished, sighing. "The Church... I don't argue that it could have been a force of immense Good for the world- for Humanity. Alas, the one at the origin of the Church was corrupt- a greedy, selfish individual who cared only for himself, for his desire of Ascension- no matter the cost involved. In the end, with the head rotten, the body could only follow... And look at what happened! Beasts everywhere, madmen prowling the streets, the remaining humans scared for their lives... It is only chaos and madness, and all because the ones in power were the most corrupt themselves. It disgust me, honestly"
I shook my head. "So much pain and suffering... With so little gain to show for it. What a waste."
The Doll looked at me, tilting her head. "Do you hate the Church, Good Hunter?"
I pursed my lips. "No. Not the Church as a whole; Merely the individuals members of it who proved themselves the greatest beasts of them all. As I said, the Church- could- have done great good... They had a literal Panacea to all diseases, for goodness sake! And yet..."
I sighed. "Their own greed caused the downfall of so many..." I finished softly, thinking of the sheer numbers of beasts and madmen I had already killed during my stay in Bloodborne.
And as someone who originally died to a disease, needless to say, the thought of a Panacea for Humanity was certainly an attractive idea. But considering the side-effects... The abuse of it all...
I sighed again. As always, Humanity proved itself as its own worse enemy...
I got up, presenting my right hand to the Doll. "In any case. Blood Echoes?" I asked, smiling.
She smiled back, getting up herself. "Of course, Good Hunters."
I closed my eyes, feeling the Doll take my right hand... And then she inhaled sharply, making my eyes open at the sound- a slight glint of mischief in them.
I had expected that reaction, after all.
The Doll stared at my hand with wide eyes, before her green eyes (were they glowing?) found mine... And she smiled brightly, something flashing in her gaze.
"Please, close your eyes, Good Hunter. I was just... surprised at how strong you had become lately- I guess I simply haven't truly noticed before..."
I smiled, even when I knew she was lying- we both knew exactly what made her react this way.
I could see it in her eyes, after all- the joy, the anticipation...
Her pride and love for me.
I gave her a quick smirk, my own eyes shining with joy- and burning ambition, the kind that I usually hide the existence of since coming here.
The Doll's eyes narrowed, a subtle grin on her face, and for but a moment, we exchanged clearly, without any word required, the fact that we both knew what I was up to- and that we both looked forward to that day.
A more perfect picture of two people conspiring together towards the same goal, you would be hard-pressed to find.
Then the moment was gone, and I closed my eyes as requested, the Doll's usual kind smile returning to her lips.
I had (35000) Blood Echoes, and various skills in need of levels up, so...
First, for (7720) Blood Echoes, I finished leveling up my (Detect Danger/Bloodlust) skill to MAX.
And then, with the rest of my Blood Echoes I finished leveling up the (Art of Quickening) Skill to MAX too.
I opened my eyes, smiling at the Doll, who smiled back-
And then my eyes widened, as she kissed me- pretty passionately, too!
I naturally kissed back at once, and for a while we kept going, before eventually breaking the kiss, both of us panting and looking quite satisfied.
"Go, Good Hunter. The Hunt awaits. May you find your worth in the Waking World." She whispered, her gaze staring intensely into my own eyes.
I grinned, not having missed the emphasis she put into the last words- I had a good idea of what exactly she meant by "worth", in this case...
Only One left for Greatness...
"I will." I swore, and the look the Doll had made it hard for me to turn away and go towards the tombstone- there was a lot of love mixing with desire in her eyes...
I took note that the (+?) bonus of Rep with her had gotten yet another upgrade. If I was correct about what they were about, there were only two such left.
One for the next Cord... And one for after my Ascension.
And then, it would be the Doll's Rep I would have maxed.
Needless to say... I was looking forward to it.
I returned to the Lantern for Yahar'gul, killing a few madmen- though with the mutations on their faces and limbs ever since the Blood Moon rose, they hardly looked humans anymore- before making my way down the stairs.
Though I did take note of the skeleton with the Mensis cage on his head- something told me the sight of those cages were going to piss me off on sight later on...
I quickly found some Bloodstone chunks on my way though, so I was looking forward to upgrading some of my weapons.
Then later it was the Yahar'gul helmet next to a (now dead) madman in his wheelchair.
Going back on up, I took the other path.
And stared at the Amygdala.
The Amygdala stared back.
My eyes narrowed.
"I remember what happens in the game, buddy... NO is NO." I declared, trying to make my intentions VERY clear though my, admittedly, not all that high-leveled "Empathy" skill.
It blinked innocently.
I snorted, not fooled at all.
It pouted.
I snorted again. "NO." I replied firmly.
It slumped, looking pleading.
I rolled my eyes.
"Later, okay? I'll go there, but LATER."
Its eyes narrowed.
I raised my hands. "I promise." I said firmly.
It stared at me for a moment, before I felt a feeling of APPROVAL/SATISFACTION/AGREEMENT coming from it.
I staggered slightly at the sheer strength of those feelings, before smiling at it.
"Thanks."
Then I casually killed those madmen waiting at the bottom of the stairs, whistling softly to myself while throwing fireballs at them all.
I did take note that my Empathy skill was now level (35), which was impressive considering that it was twenty levels less than that seconds ago...
I guess actual communication with Great Ones WOULD level up that skill pretty quickly...
I also did wonder if me claiming the second Umbilical Cord was what allowed me to feel its emotions...
Possible, though I had no way to prove it.
In any case, I kept going, killing anything that stood in my way. I did find a message that basically told me "Stop the ritual of Mensis, lest all turn into beasts" which... YES, thank you, but that was for later.
Much later.
Then there was a room which served as prison, in which I found another Heir rune, before continuing up to the corpse with the Upper Cathedral Key, followed up by the treasure chest with the Tiny Tonitrus.
It won't exactly be all that useful to me, what with my own Lightnings skills, but more weapons was always welcome!
Then I kept going... And came across that one area where an Amygdala kept shooting lasers at the entrance of the room ahead.
I stared at the Great One.
The Great One stared back.
...
...
... Huh. No laser? Well, all the better for me!
I quickly made my way through, entering the next building and activating the Lantern there, before looking back.
That was... Nice of it. Surprisingly so.
Then again, this was reality, not the game, so... Great Ones were eldritch gods. Why would an Amygdala keep firing at the same spot over and over again?
Well, it was either that, or my few interactions with it caused it to not try to kill me.
Again, that was certainly a surprise, to be sure, but a welcomed one.
In any case, I quickly killed the small beast which dropped Bloodstone chunks, and then made my way back to the Dream.
I had Blood Echoes to spend- and weapons to upgrade!
I smiled, waving to the Doll, but first went to upgrade my weapons- that way I could focus on her afterwards.
My Luck stats allowed me to gain more Bloodstone chunks that the game usually give, so I was able to upgrade the Hunter's Axe, Ludwig's Holy blade and my Hunter's Pistol to (+7).
I nodded, satisfied, before going to the Doll.
I had (53000) Blood Echoes, so I decided to upgrade one of my new Trump-card: The (Multi-strikes) skill.
I quickly found out that the skill required ten times the usual amount of Blood Echoes to level up, which... Well, it -was- the equivalent of a Legendary ability we were talking about.
So I was "only" capable of leveling up to level (33) with all those Blood Echoes.
Which still meant I could strike four times however, so it was pretty good. (The first ten levels upgraded the damage done by the second simultaneous strike, so at level 33 I was upgrading the damage of the fourth strike.)
I thanked the Doll, passing some more time with her, before making my way to the Tombstone- and to Yahar'gul.
A relatively short visit, perhaps, but not all talks with the Doll were important ones- sometime, it was nice to just... pass time together, too.
That, and there were going to Bosses all but back to back coming up, the second one being a God, and after the last time...
Well. I fully expected things to get interesting, in the Chinese meaning of the word.
Meaning I was going to die. Probably a lot.
And potentially in new and fascinating ways.
Honestly, I was starting to consider if I should keep a separate part of my notebook JUST for the many ways a man can die while on the Hunt...
I snorted. I probably would actually fill out the whole damn thing in no time if I did...
I shook my head, returning back to Yahar'gul and it's dangers.
Newly improved sword and gun in hand, I stepped forward.
Back to the Hunt I go...
After killing more madmen, Bell ringers and others monsters, I made my way into a rather large room, where I remembered- and could see- several Hunters awaiting in the middle of said room.
I frowned thoughtfully, quickly taking a lore note about "A Nightmarish ritual who could only be stopped by killing a newborn."
... More or less.
Well, there certainly were a whole bunch of rituals who could only be stopped by killing something around Bloodborne.
Either way, I needed to kill those hunters, the quickest the better...
I hummed... And then decided to go big or go home.
That is to say, I called on my old "Volcano" spell.
And turned the ground of the entire room into Lava.
I grunted, stumbling to one knee, feeling the massive drain on my reserves of mana, but also smiling grimly as I heard the death cries of all the hunters as they burned to death.
Yeah, Elementals Mages on my levels really was on OOC problem for Bloodborne to deal with.
Though to be fair, even I will have to wait a while after a stunt like that before my reserves of mana were full again...
Ah well. Well worth it to spare me the trouble of having to deal with several Hunters at the same time. That was almost a Boss worthy level fight!
... Okay, no, because I don't remember those hunters being that strong, but- lesson one of the Hunt: If you can kill something quickly and easily, DO IT. It doesn't matter the tactic required- as long as it works, it works.
So with all that being said, I finally went down, picking up some quicksilver bullets, (+1) Insight (now 71!) and another "Clawmark" Rune from the three dead Hunters.
And then I found another rune that made me freeze, staring at it with a complicated expression on my face.
The Moon Rune.
I sighed, pursing my lips and frowning hard.
... I was going to use it. It was too useful (since it granted more Blood Echoes) and besides, if I was to fight my Moonlit benefactor...
Then maybe the fact that I would have both it's Rune and it's Blood Echoes might grant ME dominion over the Moon when I will Ascend.
I could only hope.
In any case, I went down the stairs, finding myself down into the area where you wake up if you get kidnapped before the Blood Moon, once again killing everything on my path and finding some loot for upgrading my weapons- and one message.
"Madmen toil surreptitiously in rituals to beckon the moon. Uncover their secrets."
I scowled at it. Considering it was all but spelling out the fact that the locals were kidnappers who took people off the streets to experiments on, it wasn't surprising.
I was going to enjoy killing their leader... Though that was for later.
For now, once I finished checking out the lower levels for loot, and avoided the middle one for now (since the nearest boss was at the end of that path), I returned to where the hunters were, took the entrance at the end of the room, and found myself into a new area!
With lots and lots of undead abominations!
Yay!
I did take the time to go through the right path and to open up the shortcut, before doing the same to the one on the left, and then I went back to where the entrance I took was...
And then, well, there were many, MANY undead Abominations everywhere.
I... had Fire Magics.
So, while careful to not exhaust my MP reserves, I began applying judicious amounts of Fire to the local Area.
Cackling may or may not have been involved.
I did also took the Shortcut/Elevator, including the "secret" path midway in it, in order to get all the loot there and kill some more Bell Ringers.
I didn't want RESPAWNING enemies, after all. I was the Good Hunter, I was the only one allowed respawning bullshit, thank you very much.
Anyway, at the end of the path, after killing several undead Abominations, I found the actual Tonitrus!
New weapon, get!
Then I backtracked all the way back to the entrance I first came from to enter this area, found a Note mentioning the "Paleblood sky" (which was reference to the Blood Red Moon) and then kept going, quickly finding both the Yahar'gul clothes set and no less than three Madmen's knowledge!
My Insight now at (74), I looked beyond, pursed my lips... And then used a Bold Hunter's Mark to return to the Dream.
I had no less than TWO Bosses to kill, one after another, so I wanted to use my Blood Echoes now.
True, I had only (41000), which wasn't that much, but every little bits help.
I arrived to the Dream, blinking when I saw that the Doll wasn't at her usual place.
Then a faint whisper caught my superhuman senses, and I looked up, seeing her kneeling before a tombstone, praying.
"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..."
I silently walked up to her, before placing my right hand on her shoulder.
She turned to look at me, and I smiled softly.
"Fear not, dear Doll... I am safe, and as ever, I find comfort whenever I am by your side."
She stood up, smiling at me.
"And your safety, presence and words just now all bring me great joy myself, dear Aeon. By your return and words, I take it that the Hunt goes well?"
I smiled. "Indeed. Speaking of which, I won't stay here long- I have found not one, but TWO worthy preys to Hunt, so I'll be focusing on them for the time being."
She nodded, smiling slightly. "I see. In that case, let me strengthen you, Good Hunter- so that you may come back to me triumphant as quickly as possible."
I extended my hand for her to take, grinning. "Well then, I shall do my best to finish this quickly- I, too, wish to return to your side as quickly as possible, my love."
She smiled, a hint of a blush at my words, taking my hand and I focused.
I had (40000) Blood Echoes, which I decided to put into my (Multi-strikes) skill again.
The fight against Darkbeast Paarl, I wasn't too worried about, but the fight against the One Reborn, on the other hand...
(38500) Blood Echoes later, and my skill was now at Level (43).
I nodded. Fully leveling up that skill was going to require a lot of Blood Echoes, but It'll be well-worth it, in the end.
Thanking the Doll (and kissing her, of course), I went into the Workshop, nodding at Gerhman.
He nodded back. "Good Hunter. I overheard that you were going hunting some strong beasts?"
I smirked. "You could say that. I'm here to upgrade some of my weapons- and then, well, we shall see how long it'll take me to kill my preys."
He grinned sharply, nodding. "Then by all means. This Workshop, and it's tools, are yours to use, as ever..."
I got to work, upgrading the Saw Spear to (+8).
I smiled- it would work quite well against Darkbeast Paarl.
I hummed... And then upgraded the cannon to (+7) for good measure, too.
Then, I looked at the Runes tool. I did acquired a few Runes I haven't learned yet...
I sighed, before making my way to it.
First: The Arcane Lake Rune:
I saw a Lake, and like every body of waters before it, it's surface was calm and peaceful.
This aura of peacefulness felt stronger, however, and I as watched, a great storm gathered above unnatural, and I could feel the immense Arcane powers directing it- but the Lake remained placid.
The Arcane-empowered storm raged on and on, yet the Lake remained as ever peaceful.
Eventually, Arcane attacks fell from the storm unto the Lake below, but the Lake would not bow to the anything;
And thus were the Arcane strikes reflected upwards into the storm, the surface of the Lake rippling but a fraction as it did, stubbornly refusing to be anything but placid.
At last, the Great Storm broke, it's power spent accomplishing nothing.
And so, the Lake remained, as ever, peaceful, it's serene beauty forever untainted by the World beyond it.
I blinked, then blinked again.
Yeah, that was yet another Lake Rune; there wasn't much difference with the other ones.
The second new rune, however... was the Eye:
My Eyes blinked;
For but a moment, I SAW.
Saw the Truth of the old, weary Hunter filled with naught but regrets and long-since dead Dreams, a bitter twist of fate indeed considering his current home;
Saw the Truth of the Hunter's Dream, of how it was created, how it existed, how it linked together the Waking World- and the Dream.
Saw the Truth of the Doll, that was both a Doll and so, so much more; It left me desiring Blood, for she was Blood; it left me warm, for she was warmth; It left me loved, for she loved me greatly- more than any other before.
Saw the Truth of that which was connected to the Dream, to the old, weary Hunter- of a Moon, shining bright... Shining red, for it sought Blood. Ever, more Blood...
And Saw, in all of it, a glimpse of the T̳͓͙͛̂͂̓̇̽̚͝ͅR̫̋ͬ̇ͥͮÛ̻ͪ̌ͩ̎T̵̤̳̮̩͖̥̙̓ͯ̈́H̢̜̜ͤ̃ͤ͑ which lied in all those things and so much more.
And then my Eyes closed, and I forgot much... But remembered this:
I needed more Eyes on the inside.
I blinked, then blinked again.
... Well, that had been... Something.
More eyes, huh? Well, I -was- getting closer to 99 Insights...
I shook my head. I had one last Rune to learn, and I took a deep breath before doing so.
The Moon Rune:
I saw a ritual used, a call for aid, a deal struck;
I saw a hunter, who wished to make things right, and to get back what was lost;
I saw another deal struck, a meeting of Greatness, the lifeless made alive, and the joy of a hunter turned to bitter disappointment and regrets;
I saw a Moon Red like Blood, for such was the deal struck- that the Hunt would go on, that Blood would be shed, that new hunters would be called to answer the Hunt- and the Dream.
I saw the single-mindedness behind that desire- a deal was struck, a bargain accepted, a caretaker chosen, a purpose given; nothing would, could deviate IT from it all.
And I saw that the Dream became a Nightmare- one which would not end, neither for those of the Dream or those of the Waking World.
A circle unbroken, as decided by Divine Will.
I blinked, then blinked again.
I released a deep breath, frowning.
So that was it, huh? The single-mindedness of a Great One given Purpose, but lacking Understanding...
Wishing only to keep the Hunt going- no matter the cost, no matter the consequences...
My Moonlight Benefactor had no desire to end the Hunt- the opposite, in fact.
It wanted to keep it going- and nothing would, could convince it otherwise.
Because that was the Purpose given to it by Gerhman- and Great Ones are sympathetic in Spirits.
But that does not mean they necessarily understood the full intentions behind a request made.
They did not have the perspective to comprehend why their actions might do more harm than good.
I wondered: Was the Doll like she was, because her unique existence allowed her to actually understand? To actually gain a mortal's perspective on things, allowing her to notice the things that my Moonlight benefactor was blind to?
It was very much possible. I wondered too, then, if it was part of the reason she had no problems with helping me, even if that meant fighting my Moonlight benefactor, which by all indications she was in good terms with in the past- because her own nature, indeed the very deal she agreed to, pushed her to help mortals- and she had noticed that mortal kind wanted to be free of the plague of beasts, and thus of the Hunt?
If so, then I was truly perfect from her point of view- strong, kind, desiring to both end the Hunt and become a Great One...
And her own kindness, support- indeed, love- was exactly what I needed to truly give it my all in the Hunt.
I chuckled. If I was right, then it really was no surprise that we got along so well, so quickly...
I shook my head- there would be time to Meditate on all of this later.
Satisfied, I made my way back to the Tombstone.
I had bosses to kill- and once Paarl was dead, an old hunter to talk to...
I stared at where I could see Darkbeast Paarl was.
Darkbeast Parl.
Level 75.
First, I did my little pre-boss battle ritual with the Flower. After that, well...
I... had an idea.
I wasn't sure it would work, but... Well, I was in the sort of... cave entrance which opened down to a small dirt road which led to the boss fighting area.
The thing was... I had no actual reason to go fight him face to face, did I?
I had Magic. I had a cannon.
And long-range shelling sounded like a great plan to me, right about now.
Thus, I focused... And unleashed my "Volcano" spell right on top of where the bastard was "resting" in.
I whistled, impressed, when I saw the sheer damage that did to it; A good fifty, fifty-five percent of it's health was just GONE.
It ROARED, an agony-filled sound clearly indicating the wounds I dealt to it. Not surprising- that boss was weak to Fire, being Undead and all, with only Arcane being an even greater weakness for it.
In any case, I pointed my Fire-infused canon at it from the safety of the cave entrance I was in... And fired.
I smirked at the massive damages that did to him, and then reloaded quickly.
The beast finally turned towards me, growling... And then threw an impressive-looking Lightning Nova at me, since the dirt road was far too small for it to walk on- and the other side of it was a cliff drop.
I snorted, calmly pointing the cannon back at him.
The Nova exploded, doing exactly fuck-all to my Lightning-immune self, and I fired my MUCH more effective cannon ball at it.
It hit, and Paarl crumbled, groaning in pain.
I calmly reloaded yet again, then pointed at him.
I fired.
Darkbeast Paarl died.
PREY SLAUGHTERED
For a moment, I just... stared.
Like, really? The fuck?
Just like that?
Then I shrugged. I mean, I was immune to Lightning, was up in the air over a narrow road of dirt Paarl couldn't hope to get to, hiding in a cave with a cannon in hands, and I alpha strike'd the bastard to boot.
Still, though.
Damn.
I passed a moment wondering if the fight against Vicar Amelia would have been as simple if I had had the Volcano spell and the cannon at the time.
Honestly? Very probably. Beasts REALLY didn't like fire.
Or, for that matter, Fire-infused cannon balls to the face.
Well, far from me to complain about a GOOD thing! Especially when I had a feeling the fight against the One Reborn was going to be much harder...
At least it, too, was weak to Fire?
In any case, time to look at my gains!
First, for killing a boss on my first try (heh), I got (+25/5) for my Stats!
And I was now level (69)!
I put (5) stats points in Str, Dex and Cha, nodding in satisfaction.
I also got (+4) Insights for finding/Killing the Boss!
Meaning I was now at (78) Insights!
Yay-
I stumbled.
I blinked, closed my eyes closed my eyes, blinked blinked, and then softly cursed.
I stared at the message before me.
Congratulation! For reaching (75) Insights, you have gained the Trait: Eyes lining your brain!
Eyes lining your brain: Gives you a 360° vision, and furthermore allows you to have different visions, such as thermal vision, and more! You also no longer have any difficulty seeing in the dark and can see Arcane Energy, much like Active Mage Sight allow one to see Magical energy! Never again will you need to fear being stabbed in the back or by an invisible enemy!
... Seriously?
Well, I certainly was happy by such an useful trait, but damn did it felt WEIRD!
Mostly because it DIDN'T!
I now had a 360° vision, and yet it felt perfectly natural!
Except I mentally knew that it wasn't, so the disconnect was weird, needless to say.
I took a few moments getting used to my new vision, marveling at now being able to see directly behind me even when I was "staring" ahead, before taking a deep breath and switching into the different visions I now had access to.
Again, it took some getting used to- but I couldn't deny it was all fascinating.
Eventually I shook my head, looking back at the messages I had left.
Wis (500): Extreme W̨̅̉̆̐̚o̟̱̫̠̹̼ͭ͐̇̕r͐ͩ̽ͤ̅̑̒͏ĺ̶̪̘͙̝͙̞ḍ̷͓̪͎̞̄̍ Affinity. You are wiser than the extreme majority of people in the way of the W̨̅̉̆̐̚o̟̱̫̠̹̼ͭ͐̇̕r͐ͩ̽ͤ̅̑̒͏ĺ̶̪̘͙̝͙̞ḍ̷͓̪͎̞̄̍. Allow for the immediate understanding of any Elemental abilities observed. 75% Increase in Mana Recovery Rate. 75% Increase in total MP. 100% Increase to Elemental Attack. 100% Increase to Elemental damage resistance. 100% Increase to learning speed for (Science) and (Mystical) related subjects.
I smiled. If I was right, that now meant I would be able to get access to any new Elemental-based magics I see used.
So for example, if I saw someone use an Earth magic spell, I would be able unlock Earth magic as a skill instantly.
Even beyond that, I would also understand any elementals powers used, effectively allowing me to copy elemental abilities after having watched them only once!
... Of course, there wasn't exactly any Elemental magic users around, beside myself at least, so... Well, it certainly had some limitations in Bloodborne.
At least it was a nice Trait?
I also gained (25000) Blood Echoes, the Spark Hunter Badge, and a Vermin.
I swiftly crushed the later, a dark sneer on my face at the mere sight of this abomination, before nodding in satisfaction.
No skill book(s), as expected- I had already maxed my Lightning skills.
Honestly, that boss was just really not capable of fighting me- with my skills, my weapons and a positioning which protected me from physical attacks, it was more of an Execution than anything.
I wasn't going to complain about free Levels and Blood Echoes, though.
In any case, I opened the doors which would grant me a shortcut into Old Yharnam, before making my way to Djura at last.
Going up the ladder to his tower, I got up the rooftop, Djura staring at me with curiosity.
"Well, well... How did you get in here? ... Ah, it's no matter. What brings you to Old Yharnam? I've no interest in matters further up, but you must not disturb this place. The beasts do not venture above, and mean no harm to anyone. If you still insist on hunting them, then I will hunt you first. You understand me?"
I nodded. I was done with the place, anyway. "Very well. There's nothing for me there anyway, don't worry- My own interests lies elsewhere."
He smiled. "Yes, very good. I no longer dream, but I was once a hunter, too. There's nothing more horrific than a hunt. In case you've failed to realise... The things you hunt, they're not beasts. They're people. One day, you will see... Hmm, it's time you got going... But first, a farewell gift. I have no use for it anyway..."
He gave me the Powder Keg Hunter Badge (and Brush Off Dust gesture, not that he knew that), and I gave him my thanks.
He laughed. "Well, as I said- I have no use for it myself. So if it can help you, all the better. Go, then. As you said, there's nothing there for you- leave me and the beasts there, will you? As long as you do, we won't have any quarrel..."
I gave him a Hunter's bow, which made him laugh again- though he -did- swiftly returned it.
Then I turned around and went back to the lantern which appeared at the death of Darkbeast Paarl.
I had Blood Echoes to spend, after all...
I returned into the Dream, waving at the Doll, but first going to the Messengers bath.
Once there, I bought the Stake Driver for (8000) Blood Echoes, and then upgraded my (Multi-Strikes) skill yet again to Level (47) thanks to the Doll.
Then I passed some time writing in my Notebook about the latest events, before meditating, mentally preparing myself for the incoming Boss fight against the One Reborn (and getting said skill up to level (55)).
When I was ready, I took a deep breath, exhaled... And then walked with determination towards the Tombstone.
The Doll, no doubt noticing that I was more tense than usual, smiled at me on the way, before bowing.
I gave her a smile back and a respectful bow of the head...
And then back at Yahar'gul I went.
Time to kill a god.
Again.
I went back at the very first lantern of Yahar'gul, in order to go kill the Bell Ringers again by the shortcut I unlocked.
Then, when that was done, I killed the others Bell ringers, before finally returning to where I had backed off last time.
Besides some new enemies- Acidic blood spitter undead Abominations, because why not?- It was pretty easy to kill my way through everything in my path.
I did find yet another Arcane Lake Rune, though, with two more Insights- now at (80)!- so that was good.
And then...
Well.
After doing my little ritual with the Lunar Tear flower, I entered the Boss area, where this shit happened.
BOSS BATTLE
THE ONE REBORN
For a moment, I just stared at the Abomination before me.
The One Reborn
Level ?
From what I knew, this... thing was a (failed) Great One- a failed attempt at making humans Ascend by the local cult of Yahar'gul.
And it was composed of the corpses of all the people who were kidnapped and... fed to this thing to give it "birth".
And that was without even talking of what my [Eldritch teachings] trait told me would be necessary to summon this crime against sanity.
*Sacrifice of numerous infantile humans boiled alive in blood*? Fucking REALLY?!
This was the kind of shit I remember reading about when in my old life I read up the lore of Warhammer's Chaos Gods.
Well, now I had an example of such things RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!
[Hatred of Beasts] and (Calm Hatred) have been activated!
My hands clenched on my weapons.
I hated this abomination. But even worse, I utterly DESPISED the ones who created it!
I would kill them. ALL of them.
Whether here and now, during this long Night of the Hunt... Or afterwards, when I'll return as a God, I would kill them all.
And I'll enjoy it greatly.
I took a deep breath. Then, focusing on the monster before me, I began Quickening towards the nearest stairs.
Swiftly going up said stairs, I mercilessly cut the heads off all the Bell Ringers on my path.
When I was done killing them all, I turned back, looking at the Abomination (capital letter fully deserved) in the courtyard.
It stared back... And then send blasts of boiling, acidic Blood and Novas of Darkness at me.
*Ding!*
You have gained the (Darkness Magics) and (Darkness Infusion) skills!
I dodged, waving the message off, idly noting that I was right- my latest perk did unlock new skills in elemental magics whenever I first came across them.
Except for the Blood Arts. Those, if I remembered right, were kind of a Vileblood specific magic, because they were essentially gained from the Pthumerians.
Ah well. I'll get to Cainhurst castle eventually.
The greatest part of my mind, meanwhile, had noted it's great weakness to Fire and Lightning, and so immediately I began sending back spells of boths at it.
Which were countered by blasts of Blood and Darkness.
My eyes narrowed. Something told me this fight was going to become a slugfest of Elemental magics...
I kept running, elementals spells exchanged like bullets between us and stone flying everywhere as the buildings and the road kept suffering explosions after explosions all over the place.
Then it apparently decided to up its game, by summoning several lesser undead abominations- the Blood spitting ones.
I snarled, and replied by unleashing a massive Lightning storm that fried all the lesser undead and made the undead god collapse, twitching.
I grinned darkly, Quickening up to its "head" and unleashing a visceral attack on the abomination.
And then my eyes went wide, and it was only through sheer dumb luck (Thank you, Luck perk!) that I avoided dying by the MASSIVE explosion of Blood and Darkness coming from it.
I swiftly Quickened away and back upstairs, narrowing my eyes at it.
It stared back... And then my eyes went wide yet again when the ENTIRE fucking area suddenly was covered in Darkness!
What the Fuck?!
I successfully survived the first spell send my way through, again, sheer dumb luck.
I did not, however, survive the next ones.
My Luck perk had limits, unfortunately.
Right then: note to self, switch vision mode to night vision quicker, next time...
I woke up.
Stared upward at the night sky of the Hunter's Dream.
Then I sighed deeply.
"Here we go again..." I whispered, grumbling.
Then I got up, noticing the new messages.
*Ding!*
You have gained (Darkness Resistance) and (Blood Arts Resistance)!
Well, that was certainly useful...
I hummed, frowning in thought.
Right, during the last fight against a god, I was much like in this situation- in that it possessed skills I had no resistances against.
So, first thing first: Gaining Blood Echoes, leveling up my new skills, and then come back for round 2.
At least this time, I had the appropriate magics to really hurt it...
Now I just had to make sure it couldn't hurt ME.
... Not as easily, at least.
I sighed, then walked towards the Tombstone.
Back to grinding it was for me...
Heh. At least I could grind up skills to get immunity against certain types of attacks. If I couldn't, winning these kind of battles would have been even harder...
I went back at the start of Yahar'gul, before slaughtering my way through it.
I was still very much pissed off about the very existence of the One Reborn, after all, so killing members of the local cult was certainly cathartic.
Therapy by mass murder. Truly, I was a Gamer alright...
It took me some time, but eventually I was able to get my new (Darkness magics), (Darkness Infusion), (Darkness Resistance) and (Blood Arts Resistance) to level MAX.
Which also meant I got a new trait out of it!
Child of Darkness: Darkness likes you, and you like Darkness . You are now immune to Darkness magics, and if you weren't already capable of seeing in the dark perfectly, now you can! Furthermore, you are now capable of creating, manipulating and commanding Darkness on a level thought impossible by mortals to reach. On top of this, you can now create and control Void Magics! Oh, and you have a natural affinity with beings associated with Darkness (EX: Darkness Elementals, Gods, etc...)
Useful! Especially that Void Magics part.
In any case, with me now properly prepared...
It was time for round two!
I went back to the One Reborn, going up the stairs again.
(Quickening) at level max allowed me to literally turn into fog for a time, among other things, which really came in handy.
And then, well, it was back to throwing spells at the ugly bastard.
At least this time, when he pulled off its "And then, there was DARKNESS!" bullshit, I was immune to it.
Honestly, it must had been a hell of a sight if anyone sane could see our fight: an entire area covered in darkness, flashes of light from various spells that could be seen like lightning bolts in a storm, with shockwaves and the sounds of explosions ringing seemingly without end...
... The occasional bellows of agony of the Undead God as one- or more- of my spells hit...
Well, either way, I was right in the middle of it all. And unfortunately for me, the damn thing caught on surprisingly fast that I was now immune to its old tricks, so it brought new ones to bear against me.
Which explain why I'm no longer on the balconies surrounding the street right now, since those balconies no longer existed.
The One Reborn brutally breaking and shattering them in an attempt to kill me, you see.
Which almost worked, to the point my two "get out of death" cards from my Luck perk were used up.
So now here I was at the same level as him, boots splashing in acidic blood (because of course he tried drowning the entire area in acidic Blood) and a whole bunch of lesser undead abominations (HUNDREDS of them. I had flashbacks from Rom and its spiders, except these guys were even more ugly!) trying to jump on me while their god tried very hard to crush me into a bloody pulp.
And eventually succeeded.
Ow.
I woke up.
Grumbled about Fat Gods who definitely needed to lose some weight.
Went back.
And then got crushed. Again.
I woke up.
Went back.
Got dragged down and messily eaten by lesser undead abominations.
News flash: Being eaten by zombies hurt.
Oh, and their breaths stinks. That too.
Funny the kinds of things you notice while being eaten alive...
I woke up.
Swore most holy (and burning) vengeance against undead kind.
Went back.
Good news! I burned lot of lesser undead!
Bad news! Their god crushed me. Yet again.
Asshole.
... Or is it assholes? How many asses did it have, anyway?
As it turns out, the answer is "More than enough to be an absolute ass".
... Yes, I was reduced to making ass jokes.
Fuck you too, universe.
In the ass, preferably!
I woke up.
Remembered the sensation of being crushed by a thrown stone bigger that I was.
Decided that, honestly, the worse part was not dying immediately.
Seeing one's guts around one's self isn't a good thing for one's mental state, I thought drily.
... I think. I was starting to get pretty apathetic about the whole "dying" thing myself.
I've been there, done that over, what, a hundred times by now?
... I should get a T-shirt.
"Dying? I've been there, done that, got this lousy T-Shirt as rewards!"
Sounded great! Let's see, where's my notebook, I need to write this down...
I woke up.
I hummed, before taking my notebook and adding "At some point, create a company with a bunch of friendly death gods which will sell T-shirts with many bad GREAT jokes about death and dying on them."
I nodded, putting back my notebook in Inventory.
Truly, dying was great at clearing the mind to come up with the BEST of plans!
I woke up.
Stared at the stars in the night sky.
"You better be fucking BEAUTIFUL, you hear me? I didn't go through all this shit just to find a bunch of ugly stars when I finally get up there. You better be capable of outshining the most skilled of pole dancers in the world or so HELP ME I'll bring about the Heat Death of this universe countless years sooner than it should be!"
The stars twinkled in the night sky.
I nodded. "So long as we understand one another."
Then I sighed, got up, and mentally pictured the Doll as a pole dancer.
... Fuck it, I could damn well take on a thousand Undead Gods to make that mental image reality.
I went back.
I snarled, using my (Multi-strikes) skill and seeing it once again countered by this ugly abomination by him literally tearing off some of its own limbs and sending them in the path of the strikes.
I casually cut in half a lesser undead who tried to sneak up on me- I had literal eyes in the back of my head, like THAT was going to work!- before scowling at the undead god before me.
It was really badly wounded, but so was I, and while I had my regeneration, this asshole had started to EAT lesser undead to heal itself!
Somehow it worked. Because of course it did.
To say nothing of the occasionally summoned group of Bell Ringers who could heal it...
Needless to say, I hadn't been amused by him pulling off that bullshit, but trying to stop all of its limbs from grabbing any undead around it was... Hard work, to say the least.
There really was way too many arms on that thing...
I glanced at its health, then at my MP reserves and scowled harder.
The problem was, one of my weaknesses was that I had nothing to really get my MP reserves back up. HP yes, Blood Vials worked well for emergencies, but MP reserves? I had some good ones, but when fighting a god...
Well.
GOD.
'nuff said.
I absentmindedly killed three more undead in a single swing... And then stiffened, an idea coming to mind.
I had Void Magics. I had used some void spells in this fight, but they costed more MP than other magic spells, and with this asshole throwing its own limbs (or lesser undead) as shields, they usually got intercepted before actually hitting it.
Still, a big enough spell should work at finishing it off. I, however, didn't have the mana required anymore to pull off the spell I had in mind.
But Void Magics might help me with that.
I focused... And then used Void Magic to drain the very arcane powers giving "life" to the lesser undead.
A form of "Drain Life" spell... Though focused on Mana/Arcane instead of Life-force.
It worked.
I smiled widely, VERY pleased at both finding a way to win this fight... And finally getting a solution to recovering any spent MP faster.
Now, any minions a boss summoned would only strengthen ME, in the end!
Mhahahahaha!
... Right. Killing this thing first, glorious cackling can come after.
With that pleasing thought firmly in mind, I focused... And in an ironic twist of fate, the fight which began by the apparition of a Dark hole in Reality ended pretty much the same way, as a Black Hole appeared above the One Reborn... Before eating the bastard up almost entirely.
Then it destabilized, exploding violently.
And THAT certainly finished it off.
PREY SLAUGHTERED
I smiled widely.
Then I fell face first on the ground, panting like a dog and magically exhausted.
Fucking worth it! I thought gleefully, still face-first on the ground.
That... had been a hell of a fight, in more way than one.
Also, I would never again be able to watch a zombie movie the same way after this.
It would be kind of hard after experiencing what it is like to be messily eaten alive by them yourself.
Because obviously, I totally needed THOSE memories for the rest of my, hopefully immortal, life.
NOT.
I sighed, before slowly getting up and focusing on the messages before me. I could always go kiss the Doll after this. That'll work better than any therapy at making me happy, anyway.
First, I was now level (74)! And my [Insight] was now at (84)!
Go me!
I also gained (3) Yellow Backbones and (40000) Blood Echoes, though no Vermin.
I was... mildly surprised by that, needless to say, but oh well.
Beyond that, my (Physical Damage Resistance) skill was now level (75), my (Magic/Arcane Damage Resistance) skill was now level (75) too, my (Multi-strikes) skill was level (54), and finally my (Charged Attacks) skill was level (17).
There were no skills books, since I had already gotten its magics skills by the power of my latest perk at the start of the boss fight...
But I -did- get (+75) and (+15) Stats for once again killing a god!
In fact, my (Godslayer) Trait had changed a little:
Godslayer: You have successfully slain gods in battle. Gain (+75) and (+15) to all Stats/Bloodtinge and Arcane by god killed. From now on, gain 30% bonus damage against any divine beings and 20% reduction to damage received by such foes.
So that was pretty good, especially since there were more gods to kill tonight...
No new Traits for now, though- I still needed around (100) Stats for the others to get to (500).
Speaking of, I put (5) Stats points in Str, Dex, Cha and (10) in Luck.
With that being said, I went ahead and activated the nearby lantern, before walking up to the end of the street and into a room chockfull of skeletons sitting on chairs with Mensis cages on their heads.
As far as I could tell, a meeting took place there- and most likely, everyone involved sent their consciousness into the Nightmare of Mensis, thus leaving their physical forms to die.
I stepped forwards, putting an hand on the shoulder of the skeleton who was obviously in charge- by the fact he was the only one sitting on an elevated chair.
I closed my eyes... And then I was elsewhere.
In an hidden Lecture Building.
I looked around, before shaking my head.
I had the key to the Upper Cathedral Wards- I could go there and take a look first.
Maybe gain some more levels by killing the Celestial Emissary of Ebrietas? It would be a -reasonably- hard fight, considering it would be like fighting a weaker version of the actual goddess...
Either way- I activated the Lantern there, and then returned to the Dream.
I had news of my success to give to the Doll- and Blood Echoes to spend, too
I arrived back at the Dream, smiling proudly at my second victory against a god.
The Doll smiled back, bowing.
"Welcome home, Good Hunter. Did your latest hunt go well?"
I nodded, grinning. "It did! It wasn't an easy fight by any means, but here I stood before you victorious anyway! Come, let us sit- and I shall tell you of my latest adventures..."
We sat, and I began regaling her with the tale of my "journey" in Yahar'gul, before eventually killing Darkbeast Paarl- and meeting Djura.
The Doll nodded, lost in thought.
"Yes, I remember him... He was a kind hunter, but... That very kindness ill-suited him for the realities of the Hunt."
She sighed. "I remember that he always was troubled by the ideas of killing the beasts- for he saw them not as monsters to be purged, but as people in need of help, of healing. A point of view that was... not shared by other hunters, to say the least."
I nodded. "I can see where he came from- the plague of beasts create said beasts out of actual people, whether they may have been good or evil ones in life- and thus, the question arise: is there a way to heal these people? To bring them back? And if so, what about those currently lost to beasthood-should they be spared, for the day a cure would be found?"
It was my turn to sigh. "Unfortunately, there is no such easy cure, no easy solution- only a good, honest death will cure them now, of the beast within that has become the beast without. And so, I must keep hunting- until such times where an actual solution present itself."
The Doll looked at me, smiling. "Yes, so you have already sworn- to find a way to save humanity from the plague of beasts, no matter the difficulty of your path."
I nodded. "And I will." I declared firmly. I was making good progress, all told- Rom, and now the One Reborn were dead.
There were more gods to kill... But I was growing stronger. MUCH stronger.
My level might not reach 80, and my Stats, for the most part, not yet reached (500), but I had a rather impressive list of skills- skills enough to make future battles easier.
I had struggled less, I felt, against the One Reborn than against Rom.
Then again, Rom had that bullshit braindead skill of hers, while The One Reborn only had flooding the area in Darkness as a trump card.
Well, that and a whole lot of undead minions, but Rom had her spiders.
Once I was higher levels, and had better stats, I would have all that I could need to win my fights, possibly without even dying anymore!
The... ""Boss"" fight against Darkbeast Paarl showed me quite well that, with all my advantages, what truly held me back right now were literally divine-levels opponents.
... Though I had some worries still about really high-levels hunters. I couldn't shoot those with the cannon- they would be way too fast for that.
Same with a lot of my magics- most spells still took a bit of time, a second or two, to hit their targets... Which, against high-levels opponents, was all that was needed to either dodge or counter said magics.
Even my (Multi-strikes) skill could be countered, as was shown by the latest fight, where that undead god kept sending undead minions- or discarded entire limbs- to block the strikes from actually hitting anything important.
I could-and did- still get some lucky hits in from time to time, but...
I mentally sighed. Sooner or later, I would need to come up with an even better Ultimate Martial skill for using as a trump card...
At least I could create Black Holes now! How cool was that?!
I shook my head, focusing back on the present.
The Doll looked at me with amusement.
"Lost in thoughts, Good Hunter? You muttered something about *Black Holes* and *being badass*, I believe..." She teased, green eyes twinkling.
I coughed in my fist, blushing slightly. Right- Think about ultimate power later, for now, focus on the waifu.
Even if I needed the first to actually get the second.
"Well, it's a bit of a long story..." I kept going, mentioning the One Reborn- and my fight against it.
The Doll listened attentively, before actually applauding at the end, smiling proudly.
"Well, Good Hunter, I have heard the tales of a great many hunters, but none have ever achieved as much as you did. This is the second Great One you have slain this night, Good Hunter. Be proud of yourself- few, if any other Hunter could have done what you did by yourself."
I smiled at the praise, letting myself, if for but a moment, enjoy the fact that me, who was once a complete nobody, was now a proud Godslayer!
And then I remembered just how much work still needed to be done- and how truly small this achievement was compared to my true end goal(s)- and ruthlessly crushed that pride.
I could relax when I had the level of power I desired- not before.
"So tell me, Good Hunter- where will you go now?" the Doll wondered.
I hummed. "I think that I will check out the Upper Cathedral Wards- I know of a foe there that I intend to fight against. After that, a new area has opened itself to me, this Lecture Building that was hidden in a Nightmare. I shall see what secrets it hold- and what preys hides there..."
She smiled. "Then I look forwards to hearing all about it. For now, I presume that you have Blood Echoes you wish to use?"
I chuckled. "Indeed."
I had (50000) Blood Echoes to spend, from the boss and and some enemies, so I was able to level up my (Multi-strikes) skill to level (62).
I nodded. Leveling it up even further was going to require quite a bit of Blood Echoes... But then again, it was hardly like I was going to run out of acceptable targets to find them from.
I thanked the Doll, went to (Meditate) up to level (60), kept writing in my notebook about everything that had happened to me and more (Seriously, that thing might legitimately become worthy of becoming known as a second Necronomicon, in due time, considering the kind of things I wrote about in it... And where I wrote them, this being an Eldritch God's Realm... And with what, considering my suspicion that the ink was made of Old Blood...
Well, as long as the damn thing didn't start writing back, it should be good).
That being said, I had one last thing to do before going back in Yharnam.
I walked back to the Doll, smiling.
She smiled back. "Anything I can help you with, Good Hunter-Mmph?!"
I kissed her hard, her green eyes widening... Before closing in bliss, her arms coming up and around my neck while mine went around her lower back.
We eventually broke the kiss, and she grinned, panting slightly. "THAT kind of help is what you seek, dear Aeon? Well then, come here, and let me soothe your sickly spirit..."
We kissed again.