Smile addiction. First encounter with arcane magic.

- I think now your hunt will sparkle with new colors. Wish you luck, good hunter.

...

The cycle has closed again. Fortunately, meetings with old and new acquaintances became a relief between deaths.

One day, while walking through the cathedral district, Crowley was attacked by a hunter in yellow clothes. Luckily, Eileen came to the rescue.

Having dealt with the threat, the woman praised her assistant and spoke about the identity of the attacker and his connection with father Gascoigne.

After which she asked to leave the hunting on hunters to her in the future, calling this activity a heavy burden.

Another time, in one of the alleys, Crowley met two new acquaintances at once.

The first was a prostitute named Arianna, the second was an annoying man who initially sent the hunter away.

After the teenager told the woman the location of the safe place, the man used provocations to try to get Crowley to do the same favor. Despite the hostility, it was decided not to take the blame for withholding information. The man achieved his goal.

Upon returning, there was only one new resident in the chapel. The man's fate remained unknown at this time.

. .....

As the days passed, training under the guidance of Gehrman bore fruit, the hunter became more and more experienced in using the Art of Quickening. When using it, Crowley disappeared into a white fog and, moving at great speed, appeared at a short distance.

It seemed that the accumulated experience had finally made it possible to truly fight the monster, which in human form bore the name Amelia. It seemed only recently that she had been vicar of the church.

Sometimes, when the monster limped from accumulated wounds, it stood in a prayerful pose.

Then a miracle happened, light enveloped the beast's body, quickly healing the accumulated damage. Whether it was divine power or a second wind brought by the power of ancient blood, there was no exact information.

The only thing that mattered was that with each prayer the effectiveness of this action decreased. So, after a battle of amazing duration, Amelia found peace.

- You know, we are so similar. The smile never leaves our faces. I hope you won't lose it the next time we meet.

At the place of the woman's death, only a gold pendant remained.

After the battle, the voices of insight in the hunter's head seemed to whisper to him about the need to touch the skull of an unknown monster lying on the altar of the cathedral.

Recalling no harm, Crowley willingly complied with their request.

...

- Master Willem. I've come to bid you farewell.

A young voice started a conversation.

Before the eyes of the speaker, an old man sat in a chair, quietly tapping his knees with a strange staff.

- Oh. I know. I know. You think now, to betray me

- No, but you will never listen.

- I tell you I will never forget our adage.

- We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open...

Fear the old blood.

*End of the vision*

. ...

{Is the old man in the chair Wilem, rector of the University of Byrgenwerht? But who's second? The books mention a group of scientists who split from the university due to disagreements. Later it was these people who founded the healing church. I think their leader's name was Laurence.}

- I don't know what this memory gave me, but I think now I should go to the village of Hemwick, also known as Hemwick Charnel Lane.

In essence, this place was a mass grave, where every resident was obsessed with initiation rites.

Coming out into the street, another surprise caught the hunter. The previously motionless sun had disappeared, and a lonely moon now hung in the sky.

{ Well, that means I'm moving forward, doesn't it? }

Putting aside unnecessary worries, the hunter hit the road. The path lay through a cave, the village itself was diligently guarded by large groups of infected and dogs strewn with thorns.

Sometimes black lanky silhouettes appeared from underground, holding sickles in their hands.

They became the main problem on the teenager's path. Fast, hardy, aggressive, all this added up to turn the battle with them into a complete nightmare. But as always, after several attempts the correct tactics were found, and the hunter's path continued.

Apart from the runes found and the monument to the old nobility, the village did not present at least some pleasant sight.

Crimatoriums and guillotines in every house, graves on every square meter, destroyed buildings.

The final destination was a hut on top of a hill. Walking into the basement, a dark silhouette again appeared in front of Crowley, whose head was hung with ribbons.

As a result of the battle, the silhouette died.

Two of them appeared at the site of his death.

Taking a defensive position, the hunter began to move to one of the corners of the room. But halfway along the way THIS appeared out of thin air in front of him.

{What kind of scum is this?!}

A hunched, small body in a black robe completely covered with torn out human eyes. There was also a lump of human eyes in his hands.

Without thinking a second longer, the whip rushed towards the creature's head, but at the last moment a strange force extinguished most of the impulse, leaving only a shallow wound on the eye collector.

{Must be arcane magic. It turns out that the theory about ascension with the help of the eyes on a brain of Rector Vilem is true. }

Having decided that the unknown enemy is more dangerous than those already studied. Crowley began to strike blow after blow at the disgusting creature. But suddenly it disappeared.

- Invisibility and teleport? What a hassle.

During the battle with the shadows, blue energy gathered on the bridge in the center of the room and shot at the hunter.

When hit, it wrapped itself around the teenager and lifted him slightly into the air, preventing him from moving and attacking.

Needless to say, the dark silhouettes did not miss this opportunity?

*Death*

After this, the hunter began a painful acquaintance with the possibility of secret magic.

Summoning, invisibility, teleport, capture, energy explosion.

But in the end the witch was defeated.

Preparing to celebrate his victory, the hunter saw lights of energy gathering in the distance.

{You're kidding me! }.

The fight continued. A few minutes later, with a loud sound of a spell, the dead body of the first witch rose from the ground.

- And resurrection. Of course!

{At least I can see Amelia smile more often. }

_________________________________________

35. In any situation, those with arcane magic are primary targets.

36.Always think positively, this is an important survival skill.

_________________________________________

*Death*

Long story short. After a lot of attempts, battle was over. The shadows that were still in the arena in a red glow sank underground.

Behind a door at the end of the basement a corpse was found tied, with a branding iron in the shape of a hunter's mark lying on its knees.

Another of the lost hunters' tools? I'll ask Gehrman and then I'll go to the gates of the forbidden woods.

.....

*Hunter's dream*

- Rune tool? I haven't seen him for a long time. With it, hunters imprint Caryll runes into their minds. A useful tool, especially when you know how to use it correctly.

- This time I will not be able to teach you, since the whole process is invisible to the mortal eye. But believe me, there is nothing complicated in this matter.

Trusting Gehrman's words, Crowley pressed an instrument to his head, on the end of which hung three runes: Beast, Lake and the Formless Oedon.

Inhaling the smoke emanating from the brand, the selected runes were imprinted inside the teenager's mind.

{This is all? Somehow suspiciously easy. I think the master would not put me in danger, despite the fact that I am immortal.}

- Gehrman, doll, I will continue on my way, thank you for your concern!

.....

After a short conversation in the chapel, the teenager went to his destination.

The journey did not last long when something heavy hit the hunter on the head.

.....

*Gypogean Gaol*

The hunter, who had lost his vigilance, woke up already in a prison cell.

-*Sigh* Boogeyman, I guess? Since I found myself here, it would be a shame not to explore this place.

Death count - 3301.

Books read - 149.

Body empowerment - 3.1x