Consequences of the Beast rune. The imposter.

*Gypogean Gaol*

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

The old prison cell in which the hunter found himself seemed to be falling apart. Rods are rusty and bent in several places.

The most surprising thing is that the lone teenager was the only prisoner. Remaining cells were empty. In principle, it is not surprising; something with amazing force made holes in them, sufficient for a person of any height to escape.

A prayer sounded from somewhere.

- Oh, merciful gods, help me...

In the name of the Healing Church, cleanse us of this horrible dream… In the name of the Healing Church....

{Did anyone manage to escape? I think if I try I can make a hole big enough to get out, but I'll have to pick a spot first.}

Walking along the perimeter of the cell, Crowley periodically grabbed the bars and tried to loosen them, reaching the door and grabbing it, he pushed hard in an attempt to test the strength of the hinges. Door opened.

- Why kidnap someone, put them in the only intact cell, but leave the door open?

Deciding to leave questions for later, Crowley followed the sound of prayer.

Going down to the floor below, the teenager found himself in front of a dark-haired woman in black church clothes, sitting among the jugs.

- Excuse me, do you need help? I know a safe place where you can wait out until the end of a night of hunting.

Taking a short glance at the newcomer's clothes, the woman muttered in fear.

- Oh! Please, Leave me be... Don't Take me... Please... Oh, please, dear gods.

{Strange... Considering her clothes and non-stop prayers, she is from church, maybe try to convince her? }

- Listen, Vicar Amelia sent me, she asked me to help the church servants on my way.

The novice's gaze filled with suspicion. But before she could express them, the young hunter took from his pocket a gold pendant that had once belonged to Amelia.

- You've come to save me...

Ahh! Thank you, dear saint! I have no words to express my relief...

You could take this, at least.

{ Another madman's knowledge...}

- Thank you so much. I was seized on the street by a hulking brute in the Cathedral Ward and locked up here. There were many others, but they've been taken away...

And I've heard moans, echoing in the distance, ever since...

So, the hunt is on tonight? Then the streets are perilous...

And every door will be shut tight...

- Like I said, I know a safe place, - the woman's long monologue was interrupted.

- Oedon chapel is safe now, I think you should go there.

After the conversation was finished, the hunter went up the stairs, ready to explore the area.

This place became a little hell for Crowley, giant pigs, packs of a dozen dogs, whole groups of boogeymen and finally..... old women with a spoon for removing eyes.

Luckily this time they didn't have the means to use arcane magic. Most likely due to the lack of eyeballs on their clothing.

After a couple of dozen trips in the sack, the teenager's reward was: a large amount of resources for improvement, a new set of clothes and a mace, which, when shaken, surrounded itself with lightning.

Having given the found equipment to the messengers, the hunter's path lay to a hole in the wall, located in another building of a prison.

Walking along a mountain path, Crowley came out into a large square, on the right side of which there was a gate, and in front of it... A massive sleeping skeleton that reassemble a cat, strangely enough, covered with black and blue wool.

By running up to him and launching a swift attack, the hunter hoped to quickly finish off the creature before it came to its senses. Unfortunately, without success. With the monster's cry, a strong discharge of electricity came out of his chest, almost instantly frying the teenager.

{ If only he were a physically strong monster with no special abilities.. Everything would be so simple... }

*Death*

Long days began, during which the stubborn hunter rode in the Boogeyman's bag over and over again. Taking a break to socialize, read books and practice technique with Gehrman.

As before, under the furious pressure of the hunter, the monster fell. After him, all that was left was a round hunter's badge, in the middle of which there was a piece of glass containing a constantly jumping lightning bolt.

- Fascinating! - the teenager's narrowed, cat-like pupils appeared in the reflection.

- What the hell?!

There was a frightened exclamation, the badge fell from the hunter's hands. Taking it from the ground again, Crowley carefully tried to examine his reflection.

The eyes looked normal, almost; an unnoticeable bright green tint was added to the usually brown color.

- I'll have to ask Gehrman, maybe I'm turning into a monster. But right now I need to move on.

Beyond the open gate was the path to the back of old Yharnam. Having remembered the location of the passage, Crowley went into the hunter's dream.

....

*Hunter's Dream*

- Cat pupils, you say? I have one guess... Among the runes introduced into your mind, was there one that depicts a claw with 6 fingers?

After leafing through the dusty book, the old man opened the image he had just described.

- Beast rune. With the intensity of the battle your strength grows, but your mind loses clarity.

Normally I would advise against using this rune. There is a monster hidden inside each of us, and the longer you contain it, the stronger it becomes.

But you belong to pale blood, people like you have almost complete immunity to the plague of the beast. You have nothing to worry about.

________________________________________

37. There is a monster inside each of us, and the longer we contain it, the stronger it grows. P.S. Pale blood are immune to the plague of the beast.

_________________________________________

- If I'm okay, then I should continue on my way. Thank you again for everything.

...

*Cathedral Ward*

On the way to the gates of Forbidden woods, Crowley met Alfred, hunter of vilebloods, who was looking for a way to Cainhurst castle.

His goal was to save the commander of his squad, Master Logarius, and finish off the leader of the Vilebloods.

Promising that he would help if possible, the teenager continued on his way.

*In front of the gate*

- Password....

{How was it exactly....}

- Fear the old blood?

The gates opened, the gatekeeper sitting behind them died, it seemed only a sense of duty kept him in this world.

Forbidden woods consist of a small network of country roads, strewn with traps. The infected residents seemed to be divided into 2 groups: those throwing oil and those ready to set fire to that same oil, usually with Molotov cocktails and torches.

The most interesting thing in the first half of the forest village was a poisonous lake hidden underground, the entrance to which was a cave hidden on the edge of village.

{ There must always be a poisonous swamp.... }

The inhabitants of the lake were poisoned giants and parasitic worms hidden under the thickness of the slurry.

To overcome it, the hunter had to die a couple of times and eat a fair amount of antidotes.

Climbing the stairs, Crowley found himself in the cemetery adjacent to Iosefka's clinic. It seemed that by climbing to the roof, you would have the opportunity to get inside the building.

Although the owner of the clinic asked to leave her alone, the hunter's curiosity and dull sanity overpowered his decency.

Having made his way across the roofs inside the clinic, the teenager discovered a pair of small blue creatures, outwardly it seemed that they consisted of water balloons.

For all their strangeness, they did not show aggression. What seemed suspicious was that one of these creatures was sitting in the place where the owner of the clinic usually was.

Having decided that one should not draw hasty conclusions, the hunter continued his research. Having reached the stairs leading upstairs, the teenager heard a voice.

- Ah, moonlit scents....How did you worm your way in here? Well, I won't make any excuses. Would you mind leaving us alone? Things need not change...You'll do the rescuing, and I'll do the saving. But, if you refuse to leave...

Ah, well...I always wanted to try my hand on a hunter..." *sinister laughter*

- Where is the owner of the clinic?!

The teenager felt growing anxiety.

- Alive and healthy. You can say she "changed her style"

- So you turned her into this creature?!

- Hey! I am one of these "creatures" too. And as you can see, I am quite reasonable. *sinister laughter*

- *Awkward Silence* Okay, then I'm leaving.

Turning around, the hunter went to the exit from the hospital, to the place where each of his new lives begins.

*Voices in hunter's head asked him to look around the room more carefully*

On one of the tables lay a letter sealed with the emblem of Cainhurst Castle.

Death count - 4602.

Books read - 251.

Body empowerment - 3.97x.