Conversation with the Great Ones. the Old Hunters hell.

{ Is it possible? ... Iosefka's child.... }

Apparently the curse affects even non-true Great Ones.

- I don't want to do this, but I'll have to kill you. And as far as I know, creatures like you do not die just from the loss of their physical body.

Ebrietas' previously motionless body reacted by turning its supposed face towards Crowley. A calm voice rang out in the hunter's head

- I feel my energy from you, it seems you took what does not belong to you.

But it doesn't matter, the child is already dead.

There are a few more marks on you... Kos, Oedon...Flora. This means the cycle will repeat again.

Suddenly she stopped.

- But wait... This energy... It was a long time ago... So the situation can still be saved. Listen, child, in this case, I can't give up so easily. I hope you're ready.

- Wait, what do you mean? Who is Flora? And this last energy, who does it belong to?

- You will understand when the time comes.

A clot of energy created by the Great One pierced the teenager's chest - I'll be here as long as you need it, come again.

*Death*

During subsequent attempts, Ebrietas did not utter a single word. It seemed that the clam-like creature was familiar with the battle tactics of hunters. This is why the already difficult battle turned into a living hell for the hunter.

In addition to mastery of arcane magic and enormous physical strength, Daughter of the Cosmos had another unpleasant feature in its arsenal.

Like lesser members of her species, she is capable of spitting out red mist. This time causing madness and brain explosion.

....

*Later, much later.*

- You have good friends, hunter, take care of them. Perhaps at some point one of them will get hurt. The Altar of Despair behind me is capable of bringing primitive creatures back to life.

In search of answers, you can turn to the Amygdala hanging above the Oedon chapel. If I'm not mistaken, it is this incarnation that is most closely related to the issues that interest you.

Now I will disappear, but as you said, it is only a matter of time before my physical shell appears in this world again.

At the site of the monster's disappearance, there was a chalice made of a material resembling moss.

The thoughtful teenager, whose eyes had already permanently changed color from brown to green, was faced with a choice: go back to the invisible village and continue research, or listen to the thousand-year-old monster and once again contact Amygdala in search of answers.

{I think I will never forgive myself if I don't find out how it all started and how to end it.}

...

*Oedon chapel*

- Amygdala, I need to know the truth! Please help me.

The hand of the monster hanging from the chapel reached out and gently lifted the hunter into the air. Energy began to gather around Crowley.

-Curse the fiends, their children too. And their children forever, true.

Before disappearing, an unfamiliar voice was heard in the teenager's head.

...

*Hunter's nightmare*

The hunter woke up in Oedon chapel. The sun was shining outside.

{ Sun? In Yharnam? }

Crowley ran out into the street. Despite the sunlight, the city did not look alive. The influence of the nightmare formed mountains of flesh, trees of petrified bodies, and bloody swamps throughout the area. Unlike the real world, the main opponents on the streets were aggressive hunters.

The first thing Crowley decided to do was check out the local version of the Church Hall. Having reached his destination, a monster covered in fire, looking reminiscent of the Cliric beast from the bridge, lounged imposingly on a throne at the end of the hall.

In his right hand was a stone in the shape of an eye.

{ Should I try to kill him now? Or just take stone from his hands? }

- The fight can wait, I need to inspect the surroundings.

It seemed that the teenager was back in time, when most hunters used larger weapons in conjunction with the Art of quickening.

Creatures walking on 4 legs and having an abdomen filled with red liquid moved along ditches filled with blood. If something happens, they are capable of releasing a stream of liquid into the face of the offenders.

The result of the investigation was a passage under the crypt leading to a spacious room filled with corpses. Among these there was a disgusting abomination.

His lower body is thin, apparently flayed, and sports four asymmetrical, but strong, hoofed legs, while his upper torso is a portrait of pure madness: between two long arms with large sharp talons, protrudes a disproportionate hunch that shows a circular maw lined inside with irregular teeth and clusters of eyes, and his face, apparently blind from the right eye, is a melted visage of wrinkled skin and crooked teeth, stretched over an elongated head vaguely resembling that of a horse.

- Ahh, ahh, please... help us... Ah...

An unsightly beast...

A great terror looms!

Ahh... Ludwig the Accursed is coming.

Have mercy... Have mercy upon us...

A voice sounded from one of the bodies located here.

{ Ludwig? The first of the church's public hunters to become a monster due to an obsession with a living sword?}

- I'm probably wrong, but if it's true...

Teenager moved towards the monster with lightning speed.

Despite the monster's overall strength, the battle was too easy. Just a couple of minutes later the beast fell to the ground.

{ And that's all? }

Suddenly, a glowing sword appeared next to the creature with an explosion of energy. And surprisingly, Ludwig spoke.

- Aah, you were at my side, all along.

My true mentor...

My guiding moonlight.

- So it's you, Holy blade Ludwig....

And only after this moment the battle began in earnest. Each blow from a sentient weapon was accompanied by huge bursts of energy, destroying everything in its path. Driven by its own will, the sword did not hesitate to wound the limbs of its owner in attempts to destroy the intruder.

*Death*

Fight with weapon that control their owner. It turned out to be a fascinating experience to say the least. But in the end, water defeats stone.

The headless corpse of the monster fell and disappeared in a stream of blood echoes. A unique case was the head, which temporarily regained its sanity.

- Tell me, Good Hunter of the Church.

Have you seen the light?

Are my Church Hunters the honourable Spartans I hoped they would be?

- No... They became those from whom you once tried to protect the inhabitants of the city. Monsters that give birth to other monsters.

Ludwig's eyes lost their last hope.

- Oh, my.

Just as I feared.

Then a beast-possessed degenerate was I, as my detractors made eminently clear.

Does the nightmare never end?!

Having said the last words, the head of the first church hunter disappeared into thin air.

In its place remained a blade, shining with moonlight.

{ What a disgrace. }

With unprecedented fury, Crowley began to trample on the glowing sword. At a certain moment, the sword cracked with a pitiful squeal.

- *Sigh* I must continue on my way, at the moment I don't like what I've found.

Death count - 20433.

Books read - 4500.

Body empowerment - 9.1x.