Old Yharnam. Power of insight.

- Let's go, I guess.

Thus began another cycle. This time consisting of hunting, strengthening, a duel with a priest, death and rebirth.

Of course, not everything went smoothly; sometimes the life ended when Crowley made mistakes in a fight with a monster on the bridge. But over time, the failure rate became less and less.

In a process of killing ordinary infected people, Crowley learned to guess the moment for a successful paralyzing shot, after which he tried to transfer his gained experience in the battle with a mad hunter.

Sometimes he was able to hit and strike an defenseless man. Sometimes the distance between them was too great. Sometimes the bullet hit at the wrong moment and then left a shallow hole in the monster's body.

Sometimes the man turned his axe into some kind of halberd and the pace of the battle changed to a slower one.

As time passed, the old hunter increasingly began to take on his final form. Outwardly, he became similar to those infected in the second stage, only much stronger and more dangerous. It looked like although the illness had driven him crazy, the instincts and experience of the elderly fighter had not gone away.

*Reality*

- Forgive me... The hunter's dying screams echoed from the walls of the cemetery.

{Forgive you? I have nothing to forgive you for. I'm sure all this is not happening by your will.}

After the monster's body disappeared, the voice of insight sounded in the winner's head.

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32. Meeting and defeating powerful enemies leads to an increase in the level of insight.

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And a lone key with a carving on the back remained lying on the ground.

Collapsed to the ground from fatigue, Crowley looked around the battlefield. On the roof of one of the outbuildings lay the corpse of a woman. A brooch with a red stone hung on her neck.

{Girl's mother...}.

Deciding to leave this matter for later, after a long break, the hunter continued on his way.

With the help of the key received, the gate on the other side of the cemetery was opened.

At the end of the passage was a sunken room with stairs to the upper floors, leading to a room with bookshelves and a chest containing a strange-looking instrument.

On the opposite side of the room was a rise with a closed door at its end.

When door was opened, one could see a view of a small chapel, with white smoke swirling throughout its entire area. Among the jars of candelabra and strange statues, a mummy-like creature was discovered wrapped in red cloth.

And during the creature's long monologue, it turned out that two facts were revealed.

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32. Incense drives away creatures affected by infection.

33. The chapel is a safe place.

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After informing the mischievous old woman and the little girl about a safe place. (Tactfully keeping silent about the deaths of her mother and father.) Apparently in vain, once again walking through the sewers of Yharnam, the hunter found the corpse of a little girl with a bloody ribbon next to her.

{ It's all my fault.. I should have told her the truth, maybe then she wouldn't have decided to go on the journey alone. }

When Crowley returned to the chapel in addition to the strange creature, he was met by an old woman sitting in a chair, showing her displeasure with her entire appearance.

While exploring the cathedral district, Crowley died few times from "church giants" and church servants.

The strangest thing about this place was the clot of energy that suddenly grabbed Crowley and lifted him into the air. After which a transparent silhouette appeared, followed by darkness. Another death, the most mysterious of all.

But otherwise the time spent here seemed much calmer than in the places before.

{I think it's because of the incense.}

The result of the bypass was blood stone shards and the knowledge of a madman, a little later sent to the hunter's dream.

While exploring, Crowley encountered Alfred, a monster hunter. He told the hunter about the Executioners, the Healing church and Byrgenwerth. After which, handing the hunter a fire paper, he proposed to cooperation to achieve common goals.

Having agreed to help, a lever was soon discovered that opened a secret passage in the crypt.

Going down, killing all the beasts along the way, burning buildings appeared before the teenager's eyes. Monsters wrapped in cloth walked everywhere, it seemed their intelligence fell even lower than that of ordinary infected people, they did not carry weapons in their hands.

Taking a couple of steps forward, a voice was heard from one of the buildings in the distance.

- You there, Hunter! Didn't you see the warning? Turn back at once, Old Yharnam, burned and abandoned by men, is now home only to beasts. They are of no harm to those above. Turn back, or the hunter will face the hunt.

- I'm sorry, but this is the only way available to me, - the intruder continued walking, killing monsters along the way.

In the distance an old man could be seen standing behind a threatening-looking weapon. He has long, laid-back gray hair and sports an old Dutch gray beard. He is dressed in tattered, silver clothes, and wears a tricorn.

- You are a skilled hunter, adept, merciless... half-cut with blood, as the best hunters are. Which is why I must stop you... I should think you still have dreams, well the next time you dream... give some thought, to the hunt.

The terrifying machine roared and bullets rained down on Crowley from the roof of the building.

*Death*

{ Although I doubt his sanity, shooting the hunter he just met with a machine gun. This is too much. }

Dying again and again, from a machine gun or the poisonous claws of creatures, the teenager found more and more new places and passages among the destroyed city.

Some of them contained valuables, such as a rifle spear. In others, let's just say they are not particularly useful.

Despite the confusion of the city, all paths eventually led to the central building. On the tower in front of which an elderly hunter and his assistant took a position.

The result of multiple confrontations was two dead hunters and Powder Keg Hunter Badge. Even before his death, one of them never stopped protecting the monstrous inhabitants of Old Yharnam.

- But remember one thing, you're not hunting beasts, it's you - you're the beast, just think about what you're doing - it's utter madness.

- Hunters are beasts?

Remembering all those killed with his own hands and the information received from books, Crowley sighed. - Maybe he's right.

Having thrown unnecessary thoughts out of his head, Crowley resumed clearing the city.

.....

*The Depths of Old Yharnam *

Standing surrounded by a huge group of crucified and then burned people, the hunter saw a rectangular hall with columns located on both sides. On the opposite side was an emaciated monster walking on 4 limbs with partially torn skin hanging from its back.

{ It is almost completely identical to the creature that I found in the city warehouse. Right next to the bowls of blood. Perhaps this is their blood?}

Running the fire paper along the blade, Crowley walked with careful steps towards the monster.

The first minutes of the battle were surprisingly easy for the hunter, but everything changed when the effect of the fire paper dissipated. Instead of blood, a thick purple liquid flowed from the monster's recently received wounds, from which fog emanated with a hiss.

Due to prolonged proximity with the beast, the hunter inhaled part of the fog. Within seconds, Crowley's body weakened and blood began to flow from his eyes and nose.

{ Poison. Very strong poison, I think next time I should keep a distance. Maybe Gehrman knows where to get the antidote? }

The hunter's body, strengthened by about 2 times by that time, in theory, would be able to maintain the necessary distance from the target.

After a visit to the Hunter's Dream, where Crowley took the antidote from the little ones, everything was ready for new attempts to hunt the beast.

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33.During each attempt, you need to collect as much information as possible.

34. Before the battle you should prepare thoroughly.

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The weapon is ready, the paper is too, the antidote is thrown into the mouth, all that remains is to swallow.

*Death*

After almost half a hundred attempts, the beast fell, leaving behind a rich-looking chalice. Over all the battles he has experienced, Crowley's movement skills have greatly improved.

Having examined the wall opposite the entrance, disappointing conclusions were drawn.

- There is no further road.

Suddenly voices in the hunter's head called him back to the chapel.

Death count - 1579. Books read - 55.