Addled with Blood

Francis was absorbed in devouring the books he found in the castle. After he disposed of a few servants and ghosts, he sat down next to a large oak table. Books piled up next to him as he absorbed its content. From time to time, he'd take a break and walk around the vast library. He felt at home, surrounded by the smell of paper.

The servants in the castle were easy to deal with. If Francis had encountered them before receiving blood ministration, his body would be filled with new holes. Being a hunter increased one's reflexes and perception. The attacks of their rapiers were easy to dodge. Francis was even faster than their counters.

He had watched fencing competition back in his native city. As a young aspiring entrepreneur, he hosted some competitions himself. That was the best way to meet people of high society. It was a sport nobles loved watching. They'd hire their own sword hands and have them compete in their names.

In peaceful times large kingdoms, such as the one Francis lived in, would organize sword fighting tournaments to keep their warriors sharp and ready for battle. Nobles fancied fencing the most. It was an elegant sport, based on one's dexterity. Francis loved the skill required to perform counter attacks. An experienced fencer would always attack relentlessly, pushing his opponent to reveal an opening. One wrong move, a well-timed riposte, and the fight would be over.

Francis observed the same posture when the servants approached him. His Chikage was faster and deadlier though. He easily slashed the servant's throats and advanced. His biggest worries were the gargoyles and the mosquitos. Fortunately, he hadn't encountered any inside the castle.

On his way towards the library, he encountered some gargoyles on the bridges that connected one pavilion to another. He managed to spot them easily thanks to the first ambush he suffered. The enemies he encountered later on were either women ghosts or castle servants. They were no match for the katana Francis learned to wield so effectively.

He had become pretty skillful at using the Chikage. On the back of his mind, he'd always compare his fighting ability to his previous impostor master. He still felt that he had ways to go before considering himself a match for that old monster. Francis suspected that Gavril couldn't enter the castle. His suspicion was confirmed after he observed the state of the carriage that led him to Cainhurst.

'Only the chosen could be summoned to Cainhurst. A summon letter is required, like the one I had. If that monster used the letter with my name on it, the carriage wouldn't show up.' Francis didn't understand how the selection process worked however. 'I was chosen to roam this castle for a reason unknown to me.' Francis hated being in the dark.

He decided to explore and read about Cainhurst thoroughly before looking for the queen. He had a gut feeling, the kind to make one shiver for no reason. The old man always trusted his instinct. "In business there is no right or wrong, just profit," he stated matter-of-factly. "The nobles of Cainhurst ruled over Yharnam for centuries. They didn't reach this position by offering charity."

Francis had stood up to take a break from his extensive reading. The language in the books of Cainhurst was foreign to him. He had been using his third eye to translate the language into something he could comprehend. Excessive active use of insight induced terrible headaches. Insight was a hunter's most loyal companion. It would translate texts, give extra information on items they pick up now and then, and allegedly reveal secrets that would remain unseen otherwise.

"The texts don't reveal anything of what happened to cause the fall of the castle though. I must keep searching for the castellan's study or quarters. There has to be some information on the incoming attack that decimated them all." Francis paced back and forth in the large library. This helped him organize his thoughts better.

"All I learned was a bit about the history of Cainhurst. They're apparently related to the Pthumerians who inhabited the place before them. It could either be a rumor to strengthen the family's hold on the place, or a true fact. It is unfortunate that no one is around to converse with.

"The castle has tolerated the existence of the Healing Church for political reasons. They kept a close eye on the leaders of the church nonetheless. From the scriptures, I can safely assume that the fallout had something to do with the church. After all, Cainhurst acquired some type of blood deemed forbidden by the Healing Church. The beloved royal family became the church's main enemy after that.

"Neither could launch an all-out attack on the other. They both had immense strength and countless capable hunters and knights at their disposal. What happened in the castle was a surprise attack. The aggressors had carefully planned their invasion." Francis frowned. He couldn't understand why nobody stayed behind from the assailants that stormed the castle.

The place was a well preserved fort. With enough planning, the castle could become impenetrable. The ones who have planned the attack must know that best. Thus using the castle as a new base seemed the most logical action in Francis' mind.

"The castle started organizing pompous feasts after they received the forbidden blood by a Byrgenwerth scholar. The scriptures I read are clear on that point. However, the nature of the feasts is unknown to me or at least purposefully hidden away. Cainhurst, what dark secrets are you hiding?" Francis's headache didn't subside. He couldn't read or fight anymore. "I think it's high time I went back to the dream. I have enough echoes to use. A rest would be of great help as well."

He left the books where he left them then moved towards a closed barred gate. He had discovered this shortcut after a strenuous fight. The female ghosts in the library had some new abilities. Some of them were decapitated. They'd hold their detached heads high above their shoulders. The head would then open its eyes and let out a deafening scream.

The first time Francis had seen this, his blood went cold. The scream enraged the other ghosts. They all turned towards him and attacked in unison. The scream also had an additional effect. An ethereal ring appeared around Francis and bound him in place. He couldn't move his arms or jump backwards. It felt like invisible giant hands caught and glued him. Fortunately, the effect of the spell was only a few seconds long.

One second later and he would have lost his life to all the ghosts rushing at him. One hit from his Chikage was enough to dispose of the decapitated ghost. To Francis' dismay, there were others like her. His hunt almost turned into a nightmare. He had to evade the ghost mob while chasing after the spell casters.

If that was the only hindrance, Francis would still find it easy to come out on top. There was a well hidden servant shooting darts at him from a safe distance. Every time the dart connected, his movement would slow down and the ghost's attacks would become deadlier. Fifteen blood vials later, Francis bashed the servant's skull using his sword pommel. The dart was the most frustrating attack he'd ever experienced, no pain but a lot of loss.

Francis reached the barred door and activated the contraption. The intricate machinery of Cainhurst showed the might of the ruling family. They had enough wealth to invest on the latest technologies. 'When wealth is abundant, one would spend it on things to show the extent of their might.' The elevator quickly reached the library.

Francis reached the main gate of the castle in no time. The elevator led to the tower next to the entrance. He used the lantern then faded from existence.

"Welcome home good hunter. What is it you desire?" the melodious voice of the doll welcomed Francis. "I'd like you to channel my echoes into strength," the old man replied. "Very well, shut your eyes. Let the echoes become your strength." Francis knew what to expect. He closed his eyes and told the doll what attributes to upgrade.

The doll touched Francis' hand and a cold sensation swept through his body. Every time he increased his attributes, Francis would feel invigorated. It felt like a new life had been pumped into him. After a short while, the doll stood up. Francis opened his eyes and looked at the porcelain face in front of him. The doll's face looked familiar. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

'Let's see how strong I've become.' Francis closed his eyes again then used his third eye to check his status. To his delight, he had finally broken through a new rank in Bloodtinge.

Name: Francis

Insight level: Eye Can See

Strength: Waste of Skin (3)

Skill: Skillful (4)

Bloodtinge: Addled With Blood (1)

Arcane: Blind (1)

'I can confidently slaughter my way through Cainhurst now!' he thought with confidence. No matter what I encounter there, I'll clear the castle and make it my own base of operations. Francis had forgotten about the queen and the vision he had after the blood ministration. His excitement made him forget that queen still lived, hidden somewhere within the castle.