The hunter and the prey.

{It's not even pleasant to remember *Brrrrr*}

Remembering his recent dream of becoming an adventurer, Crowley decided to venture into the underground sewers.

Walking into one of the nooks and crannies that were once littered with barrels and boxes, at the end of which a hole appeared, through which a two-tiered sewer infrastructure could be seen. Surprisingly, even a place with such a vile purpose was made in a beautiful style, in harmony with the remaining architecture of the city.

On the top floor walked a group of ugly humanoid creatures, thickly covered with fur. It seemed that after some time, wild animals affected by the plague took on this appearance as the disease progressed.

The lower level was hidden by fog, but if you look at it for a long time somewhere at the edge of your field of vision, the fog moved, showing that there was something living in it.

Carefully descending along the wooden cornices in the sewer, Crowley fell on one of the infected from above, piercing his head with one well-aimed blow.

Without calculating the depth of the puncture, the cane got stuck in the monster's skull. With an awkward fall and a strong grip on the weapon, the hunter's arm was dislocated. Not lasting long in the battle with the enhanced infected, Crowley was torn to pieces with an increased level of cruelty.

*Death*

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21. When landing, try to redirect the energy from the collision, for example by rolling forward on the ground.

22. When attacking from above, strike tangentially, trying to cut off any limb of the target.

23. As the stage of infection increases, the strength and speed of the patient grows as well, but the mind suffers.

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After another death, not without problems, Crowley was able to defeat the monsters.

A few minutes later, the decision was made to go down into the fog. For this task, the ladder, so kindly left by the maintenance staff, were chosen. Having almost reached the ground, an unknown force grabbed the teenager by the clothes on his back and jerked him off the stairs.

Without even realizing his situation, the hunter jumped up from the ground.

Taking a quick glance to the side, a shiver ran down Crowley's spine.

{Fuck. }

Dozens of mutilated human-sized rats looked at today's dinner with predatory eyes.

An instant and now the body, which had already drowned under a mountain of animals, was dismantled into small pieces.

*Death*

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24. When going down the ladders, look down and behind your back more often.

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Some time later, having died more than once. All rats were killed using a whip. Further along the path there was a ledge. Below you could see dirty water accumulated in the sewer. On the left side of the cliff above the hunter's corpse was a now deceased stage 2 infected.

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25. Beast Plague reduces or even completely disables interspecies aggression between those infected.

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Taking a closer look, Crowley realized that the hunter's clothes were in perfect condition, unlike his old set.

- What if... No. I can't do this.

The hunter turned his head uncertainly, "or can I?"

Five minutes later, on the right side of the ledge was a teenager dressed in a new set of clothes.

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26. The dead have no use for things, let their property help those still alive.

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Using an improvised descent to the lower level of the sewer, consisting of beams piled into a corner Crowley went lower.

The hunter's legs sank into the water up to his shins.

- I have a bad feeling, the water is hindering my movements. And even these corpses lying in the water...

Heading forward, finding himself surrounded by corpses, something grabbed the hunter by the leg and dragged him under the water. Lacking the strength to free himself, the teenager suffocated.

*Death*

From that moment on, attempts began to clean out the sewers.

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24. Look at your way, especially when you can't see the surface you're walking on.

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The crows swooped down on Crowley's face.

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P.S Check the surface above your head for monsters.

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A truly enormous pig crushed him in a narrow passage.

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27. When faced with a large enemy, lure him out into the open.

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During one of his attempts, Crowley used a ladder behind a group of "malingerers."

Climbing to the top, he found a mysterious skull emitting mysterious energy and a lever that opened a shortcut to Central Yharnam.

Just about to continue on their way, a thin voice was heard from the window.

- Who… are you? I don't know your voice, but I know that smell… Are you a hunter? Then please, will you look for my mum? Daddy never came back from the hunt and she went to find him, but now she's gone too I'm afraid. I'm all alone, and scared.

{Is her father a hunter? Maybe we can help each other.}

Pity flashed through the atmosphere.

- *Sigh* Okay, I'll help you. What does your mom look like?

- Really? Oh, thank you! My m-mum wears a red jeweled brooch. It's so big and.. and beautiful. You won't miss it. Oh, I mustn't forget... If you find my mum, give her this musicbox. It plays one of daddy's favorite songs. And when daddy forgets us, we play it for him so he remembers. Mum's so silly, running off without it!

{Forgets his relatives? What a strange man. Perhaps he is sick?}

Taking the music box, the immortal hunter decided to clarify one detail.

-What is your father's name?

- Gascoigne!

- I'll try to find your parents, I promise.

*End of flashback*

...

The outcome of the hunt was: 3 strange skulls, a saw-spear, several coldbloody dews and blood stone shards, saw hunter badge and a few more shortcuts to Central Yharnam.

{This place must have been very popular in its time.}

Returning to the laughing woman, the young hunter went inside the huge building that lay on the other side of the bridge. Along the way, he met a rude old woman who asked about a safe place.

{ Safe place? I don't think anything like this can be found on the streets of this crazy city}

The interior of the building was a multi-story structure, with the familiar sewer landscape at the bottom. So, having finished here, I'll make a circle, I need to inspect the rooms.

And the diligence was rewarded, in addition to another handful of resources at the end of one of the passages leading to the street. Crowley for the first time discovered another sane, active hunter.

Keeping a distance between them, he tried to start a conversation.

- Good night! My name is Crowley. What's yours?

- Oh, a hunter, are ya? And an outsider? What a mess you've been caught up in. And tonight, of all nights. Here, to welcome the new hunter.

My name is Eileen.

Prepare yourself for the worst. There are no humans left. They're all flesh-hungry beasts, now.

Realizing that the huntress in front of him did not pose a threat, the teenager closed the distance between them.

- Since we are so lucky to meet, I think it's worth uniting.

Seeing the hunter unsure of himself, Eileen handed him 4 pieces of paper with runes.

- Still lingering about? What's wrong? A hunter, unnerved by a few beasts? Heh heh...

No matter, without fear in our hearts, we're little different from the beasts themselves.

What are you still doing here? Enough trembling in your boots. A hunter must hunt.

{ Hunter must hunt, heh? Sounds too stupid... Apparently I just don't understand.}

Having finished his business in the warehouse building, Crowley decided to climb higher.

After walking to the second floor of the house with an old man in a wheelchair, he found himself on a giant bridge. He observed it at the beginning of each of his lives.

The passage to the right looked like a dead end and was guarded by two lycanthropes. To the left - a lonely troll and the path forward was dree from monsters. The choice is obvious.

After the troll and the crows hiding behind the carriage were defeated, Crowley continued on his way.

Having passed through the arch, the young hunter heard a roar that was already familiar to him, the very owner of which he did not want to meet.

Huge creature with hideous, twisted horns, matted fur and a malnourished figure

Just looking at the monster seemed to evoke otherworldly voices in my head, but soon this feeling disappeared.

{Am I really so scared that I'm going crazy? }

Leaving no room for thought, the first large "prey" rushed forward and with a quick blow threw the hunter off the bridge.

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28. Don't let fear stop you.

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{Should have chosen lycanthropes.}

*Death*

After weighing his chances, Crowley went to his mentor for advice.

...

*Hunter's Dream*

For already 5 minutes the young hunter has been standing still in a daze.

The reason for this was the doll. What seemed to be a slightly strange toy now stood steadily on its feet in front of the hunter.

- Hello, good hunter.

Death count - 180.