Old Yharnam

.

.

.

—

/GASP!/

"Huff…"

Philip woke up somewhere dark and damp, gasping for air as his clothes clung tightly to his skin.

/Drip… Drip…/

He could hear water falling from the ceiling and the faint echoes of a stream nearby.

The ground was solid and grimy, like dirty bricks layered together.

He seemed to be sitting down with his back to the wall which also seemed to be made out of bricks.

There was something around him, he could hear it, the sound of breathing and something hustling… Their heat… And smell.

Right, this entire place smelled of blood and…

It was better not to describe what he was smelling as Philip had to use his entire mental power not to let go of his lunch right now.

[Mind Fort Lv0 -> Lv1]

'Urg… I need to hold it.'

'I can't see very well, it's completely dark. Where…'

Noticing his movements, a voice echoed in the darkness near him:

"You awake recruit?"

The voice was smooth but dry, a man who seemed extremely thirsty. Either that or his voice had been irreparably damaged.

"What?... Where am I?"

"Shhh…"

"!"

A large hand emerged from the darkness, covering Philip's mouth. He tried to react but he felt it was better not to.

"Don't talk too loud… You'll attract bad luck."

/Nod…/

Philip nodded in the darkness, and the voice retreated into the void.

"Last fight was pretty chaotic and you hit your head pretty badly."

"You seem fine now, looks like those old infusions weren't spoiled after all… Just enough to get you up and running again hehe..."

"Wheeeze… Cough cough…"

The man fell into a coughing spree after he laughed, but it was soon suppressed by his hand.

/Silence…/

The room was cast in silence again…

'I thought things would be more direct… But these must be the memories.'

'If I can control things rather than experience them, are these really memories?'

Philip looked around but found nothing of value, so he turned to the source of the voice again and asked:

"...What are we doing now?"

"Now? Struggling. Trying to survive."

"And before?..."

"Don't you remember?... You must've hit your head rather hard then."

"Haa… The mission was a success, but we were ambushed."

"And now… We're trapped in the sewers below the abandoned district. We either wait to be rescued or we… Carve our way through those pests."

"..."

'So we're on the sewers… At least I know where I am now.'

'I'll have to play along if I want to get more info out of him.'

'I don't even know who I am or what I'm supposed to do… Much less what we did before.'

'Last thing I want is for them to thing I was possessed or exchanged for some skin-stealing abomination.'

"… What are our options?"

"Cough… Quick to think huh?... That's a good thing to have." Someone else replied 

Contrary to the first voice, this one was old… Well, not exactly so…

… Raspy would be more appropriate, as if this man had smoked a thousand packs.

"You awake too, Reggie?"

"How can I sleep with you two assholes speaking on the side? I've had enough of this dump."

"You asked about our actions? We can wait for rescue, but that's only going to happen in what? A week? That's the time it takes for a cleanup operation to commence."

"The other option is to leave, but we broke all of our lanterns. We don't have too many bullets left, much less a Vial in case of emergencies."

"We can't move in the dark. Nor can we fight if we see an enemy. If we get hit we may die due to blood loss. We are at a total disadvantage." The other man added as he tapped his hand on the damp wall

"Kyu is right. We are fucked…" Reggie said as he coughed lightly

"Wait. "Where" are we right now?"

'Reggie seems like an old but grumpy hunter while Kyu is… An ordinary Hunter?'

'So was I supposed to be one too? He called me a recruit so maybe I was meant to participate to gather experience and become one?'

'I see, maybe this is what the System means by Military experience… I'm being thrown right into action, huh.'

'But what if I…'

"Where?... We're in a sewer channel right below the basement of an abandoned house that used to be our team's temporary base."

"After we finished our reconnaissance and were ready to leave, we were ambushed by a wave of ravenous rats."

"To survive, we retreated to the basement, locking ourselves inside, but they chewed through the doors in no time. In desperation, we jumped down, entering the sewers to live."

"No matter how sharp their teeth are, they can't dig through iron."

"But they can still dig, pfft!" Reggie added with a scoff as he cleared his throat, spitting something on the ground as he said so

"... Before our last torch went out, we scouted the place, but that's where the good news end. We're trapped in this section, the only entrance and exit being above us." He added as he used something to lightly tap on the metal entrance leading down

/SHA SHA SHA SHA SHA!/

The moment he did so, a thousand scratches were heard above, sending shivers down Philip's back.

'Y-Yeah… I don't think it's a good idea to open that.'

/Gulp…/

He calmed down, thinking about what to do next.

"What about our supplies?"

"Nothing… We ran inside with the little we could carry, and just moments before, we ate the last thing while you were sleeping… Sorry kid." Kyu said as he exhaled loudly

"It's okay. My life for dinner, I guess I owe you two that."

/Chuckle/ 

The two of them laughed lightly at his words.

Did they find him funny or were they laughing at his naivety?

'Things are tougher than I thought. With my Stats, I may be even weaker than I was back home, even with this mutated body…'

'This is meant to be a memory but I have no idea what to do next.'

'What happens if I die?'

[The memories will stop halfway and the Host will lose his opportunity to experience them]

"!!"

'You can follow me here? What is happening exactly?'

[Beginner Guide Info is directly tied to the Host's Soul, hence, it followed you here]

[As for the rest, the Host is recommended to explore everything on his own]

[Remember to use your Status and pay attention to your surroundings. This will be the last system guide until you leave the memory]

'Wait!'

[Good luck]

…

"Huff…"

/Growl…/

'My stomach… I'm hungry. And thirsty.'

'At this rate, forget the rest, I'll die of starvation.'

'... Fuck!… This darned System, it always stops during the most critical moments.'

'But complaining will lead me nowhere.'

'Open Status'

[

Name: Philip Vinten

Class: Old Hunter

Subclass: Military veteran (Incomplete)

Caryll Runes: N/A

Insight: 0

Blood echoes: 0

Level 0

Vitality: 1

Endurance: 1

Strength: 1

Skill: 1

Bloodtinge: 1

Arcane: 1

Abilities:

Hunter Ballistics Lv0 (Passive)

Art of Quickening Lv0 (Active)

Skills:

Summon messenger Shop Lv0 (Active)

Traits:

Old blood infusion

Inventory (+)

]

As he read through his Status, he noticed the new tab that had opened.

'What's this?... Inventory? Aha!'

'Maybe things aren't as bad as I thought.'

'Open inventory.'

[It has been detected that this is the first time the user has opened the inventory]

[Explanation: The inventory is a User-centered tool used to store items left behind by entities defeated by the player, the items collected will immediately be deposited in it]

[You can't store non-drop items]

[Due to some unique parameters, the Host's Inventory has been divided into two sections]

'Interesting… Two inventories. One has nothing inside, the other has a few items…'

'The one with items must be the Inventory tied to my Secondary Status. I think I got it now.'

'But there are many things missing… Where's my equipment? My weapon? My supplies are also incomplete.'

'Wait… Am I meant to gather those supplies myself? They must be nearby then. Otherwise, being in this place without a weapon…'

He didn't even want to think about it.

With that at the back of his mind, Philip secretly took the few Blood Vials, Antidotes, and Quicksilver bullets he had. Placing them below a cloth he faintly felt next to his feet. Trying his best not to tingle the Superhuman senses of the two men next to him.

To finish it all, he placed the lantern somewhere behind him, waiting for the opportune time to bring it forth.

And it soon came:

"... If only we had some light…" Kyu said in his ragged voice as he took a deep breath

/Blang/

At that moment, Philip "mistakenly" hit his elbow against the lantern, dropping it against the ground.

For a moment he felt coldness in his stomach, thinking he had broken it, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"What's this?" He asked out loud as he began touching the lantern, making clear clinging sounds

This attracted their attention, but they said nothing.

"Hey… Do any of you know what this is?" Philip asked when he realized they had yet to say anything

"Beh… Must be some junk… Give it to me, kid. Not like I have anything else to do." 

/Reach…/

They awkwardly looked for each other's arms in the dark…

And the moment he touched it…

"Hum?!... This can't be! Kyu! This is a hand lantern! The standard one!"

"What?... You gotta be shitting me…"

"So uh… Can we see in the dark now?" Philip asked as he actually had no idea how to turn it on

"Hm… That depends on the fuel…"

/Shake…/

He shook the lantern a little, and they all heard a faint sloshing sound from within…

"And here I thought my luck had run out. It's full!"

"His lantern must've survived the fall. But a recruit shouldn't have a lantern like this one…" 

"Who cares? Light it up already. I'm tired of seeing only darkness."

/Tic… Tic… Tic/

Reggie did not reply. Instead, he pulled something from inside the lantern and began turning it.

/Creak…/

The mechanisms within the lantern began to turn and metal scraped against each other.

Faint ambers flew in the dark, illuminating the outline of a hand…

Almost immediately after… God made light.

/Flash!/

"My eyes!"

The sudden burst of light almost blinded Philip who was far too ignorant to realize this would've happened.

"Buwahaha! Get used to it kid."

"Urg…"

After resisting the momentary blindness and shock, Philip looked around to see the two men he had been talking with all this time. 

Reggie looked like a cool middle aged uncle with a short beard and disheveled black hair. 

Meanwhile, Kyu looked like an old sailor with a short white beard and unkept gray hair.

Decades of experience could be seen in his eyes. Together with a hollow gaze…

That was when Philip noticed… The bodies… Bodies everywhere.

The cloth he had been touching before… It belonged to a hunter as well, his body on the ground next to him.

From the blood flowing to him and his lack of a forearm… He assumed the worst.

'Blerg… I need to hold it in…'

[Mind Fort Lv1 -> Lv2]

Once he kept his rising disgust from exploding, he turned to Reggie, saying:

"This is worse than I thought…"

"Yeah kid… But at least we have light and our lives."

"Not this… You guys are fucking ugly!" Philip said as he whipped his lips after he spat to his left

"Hohoho! He must be talking about you Reggie!"

"What!? Want to fight, old man?..."

/Chatter!/

Having successfully lifted the mood, Philip began collecting his items.

He immediately noticed his own clothes. It was what he expected it to be, the Old Hunter set. The one he received from the Beginner Hunter equipment package.

There was also an old Blunderbuss strapped to his waist, but given the rust around it, he wasn't expecting it to fire for long, much less straight.

'Looks like everything was automatically equipped.'

'Although I can't trust them fully, I have to rely on them if I want to survive.'

"Look at what I found!" Philip said as he put the items before them

"Kid… I owe you a month of dinner when we get out of here." Kyu said in a low tone as he grabbed a few bullets

"I could say the same." Reggie added as he checked the clear vials on the cloth

"... Looks like our options are increasing huh?... What do we do now?" Philip asked as he tried to push them a little

"We rest a little while we search for supplies in their… Ahem."

Kyu looked towards the bodies on the ground. Closing his eyes for a moment of silence.

But in this place, this was everything he could give them.

"We were twelve when we entered the sewers, but nine died due to injuries. We didn't have time to search for items before the light went out."

"Seven… Seven died of their injuries. I killed the other two… They lost control of themselves. It had to be done." Kyu added as he looked at the bodies next to Philip, making him sweat coldly

"... There might be some things in there. Who knows. We need everything we can find." Reggie continued without mentioning anything about Kyu's actions

It was just how things were here. One day you laugh with your friends, the other you plunge a dagger through their chest to make sure they don't succumb to their bloodlust or worse…

"... Leave this job for us, you can rest…"

"No Reggie, I… I can call you Reggie right?"

"What else are you supposed to call me?"

"Then… I need to learn how things work here if I want to survive. That's all. Let me do it."

'I don't know what I may face after here, so I need to get used to this bloody scene.'

"... Okay kid. Come with me. I will teach you some basics. Reggie, you take care of the ones on the left." Kyu said as he got up from the ground

While the latter nodded, Philip followed him.

…

As he approached the bodies in the distance, he slowly pieced together how each of them met their end.

Slashes, cuts, bites… Some had their bones showing, others… Worse.

It was sickening to watch, but he persevered, trying not to look at them too much.

Still, there was one striking detail on some of the bodies. A flying white "flame" directly above each of their chests. 

However, Kyu didn't seem to notice that. Philip was the only one who noticed them.

'This… Loot? But why? Does this even make sense? Just because this used to be a game, it doesn't...'

/Silence…/

'Unless…'

'... I think I remember hearing something regarding this before…'

…

[...]

[Your destiny changes...]

[Your class morphs your reality]

[...]

…

'Was that talking about this? Or is this something exclusive to this memory?'

'Reggie and Kyu don't seem capable of seeing this… Hm… I need more information.'

'I'll ask the Beginner System when I get out of here…'

'Until then, I have to find a way to grab them without gathering Kyu's attention, and if I do get something useful. Find a way to give it to the two of them. Unless I can use it myself, of course.'

/Shine…/

From the nine bodies lying around, he noticed five flying flames...

As he did so, they stopped by a body lying on the ground next to a metal grate separating the sections of the sewer.

There was a gate next to it, but it was locked, and from the looks of it, there was no way to open it either as it was unusually thick to be broken forcibly.

'This place was made to resist attacks even here it seems…'

"Wake up!"

"?!"

Philip was jolted awake by Kyu's loud voice.

"Here's your first lesson, kid. Be attentive to everything! You never know when something strange might jump out from within a body, be ready for everything!"

He followed his words by grabbing a stone and throwing it at the body. 

/Silence…/

Once nothing happened, he moved on to the next one…

/Clack…/

/KYYYY!/

A High pitched scream echoed in the sewers as the Hunter's body trembled before exploding into a strange creature with tentacles.

A parasite had taken residence inside the Hunter's body!

It was a scene only seen in nightmares...

[Mind Fort Lv2 -> Lv3]

"Haa haa…"

The parasite began to move, but it couldn't. 

It hadn't been long since it took the body.

'F-Fucking hell… I need to… B-Breath in and out…'

"Oh fuu…"

/BLERG!/

/SLASH!/

While Philip vomited in the corner, Kyu slashed down at the parasite, taking it down with a few decisive thrusts, cutting its body into pieces.

Once finished, he went to Philip, patting him in the back.

"You did great. Most just fall cold on the ground."

He shook his head with pity.

"This is why I threw them around. Much rather have those enter a dead carcass than your own body."

"Huff…"

"Ready to continue or…"

"Let's… Let's go… But… Do you have a weapon?..."

"Here… Take this Hunter's Axe. It's easy to use and effective. But be careful of your fingers when handling it. I was hurt by this piece of junk many times during my earlier days."

"Its craftsmanship has always been rough. They haven't done these mechanisms right ever since… Ahem."

"Okay…"

'So this is how I get my Axe… No wonder it wasn't in my inventory.'

"Get ready recruit, we still have a few more to take care of."

"..."

…

/SPLAT!/

"Darned pests."

From the six corpses they investigated, two became beasts.

[Mind Fort Lv3 -> Lv4]

"..."

'It's crazy how this is leveling up so fast…'

'Is it a really low-rank skill?'

"... We are done here. Are you okay Reggie?"

"Yup, barely anything worthwhile."

"Okay kid. Next step is to clean them up." Kyu said as he used his axe to poke around their bodies

"Be careful of hidden mechanisms. Sometimes they stay activated when the Hunter dies. Willfully or not…"

"Sometimes the Hunter may want to bring some beasts down with him in death… Even friends sometimes. Or any overly curious grave robber."

/Crouch…/

Kyu picked a rather long cane and began poking around, separating their guns from their weapons…

"... Looks like we got lucky…"

/BANG!/

A gunshot suddenly echoed behind them.

/Fwiish!/

Philip could hear and feel the air singing next to his ear as something flew by.

'I… Did I… Almost die?'

[Mind Fort Lv4 -> Lv5]

"You okay Reggie?" Kyu asked as he looked at his friend

"Almost hit my darned leg… You guys okay?"

"I… I felt the bullet pass through my head…"

"Tche! Look at him Reggie! You almost killed the kid! You owe him two months of dinner now!"

"Haa… Not two!"

/HAHAHA.../

"..."

'Fuck you Reggie!'

Philip laughed awkwardly, but the situation was still dire.

"And that Kid, is why we need to properly check everything before looting." Kyu said as he tapped his shoulders 

"Now for the third step. Let's get our hands dirty."

He went to a body and started looting. But this time nothing really happened.

And together with Reggie's haul, they got a few items:

Blood vial x4

Bullets x18

Antidotes x7

Beast Blood Pellets x2

Molotovs x3

Several throwing knives and rations as well.

This already included the items Philip collected from a few of the white flames, otherwise, the Loot would've been rather lackluster.

As they said before, if they had so many resources, instead of only two, they would've likely had a few more Hunters left alive.

Anyhow, the most crucial item was a rather simple, red bottle:

"Pungent blood cocktail… This is our ticket out of here." Philip said as he looked at the crimson substance swirling within the glass

It seemed… Quite attractive… But he knew better.

It was nothing but blood.

"Or our death… This thing can attract the vilest beasts from miles away!" Reggie added as he moved his hand in the air

Meanwhile, Philip looked at the coagulated blood pellets on the ground, reading its description before saying:

"Aren't these like… Illegal?"

"Kid… Sometimes, Hunters just want to die while bringing down the highest amount of monsters that they can."

"Are you going to deny them that?"

"..."

…

/Later…/

After gathering everything together, they got ready to enact their plan.

"Is everything ready?" Reggie asked as he finished tightening his boots

"Wait!" Philip said as he took a deep breath

"I have to say this before we start but I don't know how to fight very well…" 

They looked at each other and…

""BUWAHAHA!""

"And you thought we didn't know that? You're just a recruit after all! Probably nothing more than a peasant dragged from his home, or a dirty orphan with nowhere else to go." Kyu said out loud as he wrapped his arms around his saw

"Still…I think I need a warm-up before we go up there. How about I demonstrate some normal fighting techniques?" Reggie asked as he swung his weapon around, warming himself up

Reggie used a large saw cleaver, a classic Hunter weapon. 

But at the same time, it looked different from the one in the game, having details he couldn't quite figure out why they were there.

'It might be my memories… It has been some time since I played the game after all…'

'Or the details within a game can't quite be translated into reality. I should put that at the back of my mind.'

"Where to begin?... Beasts are terribly aggressive. So you need to make use of their stupidity if you want to keep yourself alive…"

/Chatter…/

Reggie started lecturing Philip on the many basic techniques and combat forms of the Hunters.

From how to move around the streets to what to look out for and how to react when a given situation unfurled.

Kyu would often add a few words here and there, sharing his experience with them.

Philip couldn't be more focused on it… It was rather impressive. 

And somewhere deep down, he felt something resonate with his words…

Seeing them perform these strange arts and techniques… Was electrifying. 

[You have watched a high-level display of the Old Hunter's combat techniques. Your proficiency in it creates a Skill]

[You have acquired the Old Hunter's combat techniques Lv0]

"?"

'Was this possible?… This means I can learn new skills apart from the original ones I have.'

'Although that may be self-explanatory, my case is complicated due to my strange Skill.'

The lessons went on.

…

/Around twenty minutes later…/

"...When a monster comes at you, remember to draw your blunderbuss like this…"

[Hunter Ballistics Lv0 -> Lv1]

…

/Around an hour later…/

Philip was unsure how long it had been since Reggie began showing his drawing and shooting skills, but after he was done it was Kyu's turn.

"Kid, strength is only one side of the coin. Out there, you'll often find beasts that can pull down houses with them, when that happens, you'll need a little more than just a strong arm."

"Hit where it hurts. Rip them apart… Before they do the same to you."

He showed him in the deep knowledge that only an extremely old veteran would understand.

…

/One more hour later…/

[You have listened to the lecturer of two High-Level users of...]

[Hunter Ballistics Lv2 -> Lv4]

[Old Hunter's combat techniques Lv0 -> Lv2]

Once they finished sharing what they felt was necessary. It was time to spar.

Aaand… It was obvious Philip was beaten up.

Still, they pointed out all of Philip's flaws and good points, making him progress immensely. 

Surprisingly enough, he almost forgot where he was, enjoying their lessons, finding it all rather enjoyable.

And he wasn't half bad at all. Some may even say… He was talented.

These were the results…

…

[An opportunity! You received a full lecture in basic Hunter activities from two High ranking Hunters!]

[Hunter Ballistics Lv4 -> Lv5]

[Old Hunter's combat techniques Lv2 -> Lv4]

[Disclaimer! Hidden quest complete! Hunter's basics.]

[You have gained the Skill, Hunter's combat sense Lv0]

[Your Vitality increases by 1, your Endurance increases by 1, your...]

"Phew…"

'It's over.'

'Show me my Status.'

[

Name: Philip Vinten

Class: Old Hunter

Subclass: Military veteran (Incomplete)

Caryll Runes: None

Insight: 0

Blood echoes: 0

Level 0

Vitality: 2

Endurance: 2

Strength: 2

Skill: 2

Bloodtinge: 2

Arcane: 2

Abilities:

Hunter Ballistics Lv5 (Passive)

Art of Quickening Lv0 (Active)

Old Hunter's combat techniques Lv4 (Passive)

Hunter's combat sense Lv0 (Passive)

Skills:

Summon messenger Shop Lv0 (Active)

Traits:

Old blood infusion (Passive)

]

As for their info…

[Hunter Ballistics Lv5 (Passive)

Description: Your skills in handling and aiming with unusual trick weapons.

*Allows for the "Parrying" of any creature's attacks. Its efficacy is dependent on your skill proficiency, the power of the gun, and your overall stats. Not counting outside effects.*

...]

[Art of Quickening Lv0 (Active)

Description: An ancient and difficult art used by the Old Hunters. Allows for extreme and fast instantaneous movement on the battlefield. But it's pretty draining for those unfamiliar with it.

...]

[Old Hunter's combat techniques Lv4 (Passive)

Description: The combat arts of the Old Hunters. It focuses on efficiency to compensate for their weak bodies.

...]

[Hunter's combat sense Lv0 (Passive)

Description: A Hunter needs keen senses to survive in the wild.

Hunters naturally develop animalistic senses due to the harsh conditions of the battlefield. Harnessing these senses is what differs them from prey.

...]

[Summon messenger Shop Lv0 (Active)

Description: Summons a messenger shop where you can exchange Blood echoes for Items. The higher the Level, the greater and rarer the items available inside are. 

You can increase their stock and item quality by "investing" blood echoes.

…

]

Lastly but not least, his Trait:

[Old blood infusion

Description: The "cure" for the ashen blood disease. Grants the Hunters superhuman regeneration and strength, but curses their blood.

Allows the consumption of Hunter-related items and gives resistance to all sorts of poisons and parasites.

Slowly corrupts the mind of the Hunter, turning them feral. Only those of immense will may last longer. But their fate remains the same.

…

]

"You learn fast… Really fast. Are you sure you never used a weapon before?" Reggie asked as he touched his chin

"Well, I'm here at the end of the day…"

"... Indeed…"

After finishing their spar, they sat down at the bonfire Kyu made moments before.

/Crackle…/

/Sizzle…/

/Sniff…/

"Urg…"

'What an awful smell…'

He was roasting some extremely disgusting rations… But they were all we had.

/Chomp!/

Without hesitation, the two of them began eating, leaving Philip alone with the disgusting piece of dried… Something, on his lap.

Kyu looked at him and said:

"I know how you feel. Start slowly. bit by bit… Until you can take it down all at once."

"You'll need this energy later. Just make sure to not vomit it. That would be far worse."

"We don't have much, nor do we know if this will be our last meal in a while. Better make it worth it."

"... Urg…"

'To think yesterday I was eating at a fancy restaurant… What did I do to deserve this?...'

He looked at the piece of what he could only assume was scorched rotten meat and grimaced.

He took a bite… It tasted like the very definition of shit…

"...Bler…"

"Go on boy. You can do it."

"...Gulp. This is… Horrible. I… I just want to go home…" He said deeply as he remembered his family and the food on his fridge

"Me to kid… me too."

…

Philip ended up eating everything without vomiting a single time.

Although he wondered if this would do anything to him, they attested it would serve him well.

He could do little but believe them.

[Mind Fort Lv5 -> Mind Fort Lv6]

"Huff…"

After he finished eating, Kyu gave him another piece of the disgusting ration.

Philip cringed, but his eyes were resolute.

'I can do this. It tastes like poop, but I need to survive.'

/Grab… Crunch!/

"Good! You're doing well, kid." 

"Huff… Can I ask you two something?"

"Be free to ask whatever."

"What do you know about the art of Quickening?"

"... Where did you hear that from, recruit?" Reggie asked suspiciously as he eyed Philip up and down

"Stop Reggie. It's not really a secret, most know about it already."

Kyu got up, dusting his jacket.

"It's better to show you, kid. And since this may be our last training session before going to the surface, pay attention."

"This is a high-ranking technique very difficult to pull off. But if you want to be a powerful Hunter, it'll do more than serve you well, it's a necessity."

/Inhale… Exhale…/

/Shaa…/

Kyu stayed still for a few seconds before vanishing like smoke!

/Fwush!/

He reappeared behind Reggie, clad in gray smoke before disappearing again.

It was as if his body was made of smoke, moving around like water.

"I'll try to slow down a bit so pay attention…"

…

/Around a few minutes later…/

[You have witnessed an almost perfect execution of the Quickening art performed by a High ranking Hunter!]

[Art of Quickening Lv0 -> Lv1]

"Phew… This is enough, let's move…"

"I think I got it." Philip said out loud as he closed his eyes

"Don't say shit to me, kid…"

/Fwush!/

Just like that, Philip vanished. It was slower and sloppier than his execution, but it was undeniable.

As he reappeared a few meters away looking at his hands in confusion, he smiled excitedly.

'I could feel something inside me, guiding me… So this is how it feels to activate a Skill?'

'What a strange feeling… But I feel like I can do it on my own.'

'Is this how magic's supposed to feel like?'

'I feel fine overall but my legs… It feels as if I just ran a marathon… Yet. I just moved three Meters…'

""...""

On the side, Reggie and Kyu were left with their mouths wide open due to shock.

"You… Are you sure you never did this before?" Reggie asked as he looked at Philip

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, and to some degree, neither was Philip.

"Unless I lost my memory, I have not."

'I've done it in game though…'

""...""

They looked at each other for a moment before letting out a sigh…

[Disclaimer!]

[Hidden quest complete! Prodigy]

[Art of Quickening Lv1 -> Lv3]

[All of your Hunter Skills have gained a decent amount of proficiency!]

[Hunter Ballistics Lv5 -> Lv6]

[Old Hunter's combat techniques Lv4 -> Lv5]

[Hunter's combat sense Lv0 -> Lv2]

[Your Discovery increases by 5]

[You've gained a title! Hunter prodigy!]

[Would you like to equip it?]

Philip was momentarily overwhelmed by this.

'So much stuff… And a Title as well?...'

'Equip it and open the updated Status.'

[Opening Secondary Status]

[

Name: Philip Vinten

Class: Old Hunter

Subclass: Military veteran (Incomplete)

Caryll Runes: None

Insight: 0

Blood echoes: 0

Level 0

Vitality: 2

Endurance: 2

Strength: 2

Skill: 2

Bloodtinge: 2

Arcane: 2

Abilities:

Hunter Ballistics Lv6 (7) (Passive)

Art of Quickening Lv3 (4)(Active)

Old Hunter's combat techniques Lv5 (6)(Passive)

Hunter's combat sense Lv2 (3)(Passive)

Skills:

Summon messenger Shop Lv0 (Active)

Traits:

Old blood infusion (Passive)

]

As he read the Status, he was a little confused, only to remember a crucial detail:

'Oh yeah. The Secondary Status doesn't show the Title.'

'Show me the Title info.'

[Title: Hunter prodigy

Description: You are a prodigy recognized by others

Effects: Increases the Level of all of your Hunter's Abilities by 1.

This can surpass the skill cap.

Increases learning speed when learning a Hunter Ability.

]

'Holy moly… Hunter Ballistics is already Level 7!'

'At this rate… Can I reach Level 10 before even finishing this memory? I'm sure Skills have limits but I wonder where they'll stop.'

'Unfortunately, there's no one here to help me.'

"We can talk about this later, we had enough rest, its time to act."

"Reggie and kid… What's your name again?" Kyu asked as he turned to Philip

"Philip."

"So, Reggie and Philip. Stack up the bodies of the deceased on the side, right there." He said as he pointed at the corner, the furthest point from the entrance.

"What are we doing with the corpses?" Philip asked with a frown

"... We are using them as a distraction… It's brutal and savage, but it's the only solution if we want to live."

"..."

'To use the bodies of your companions as food for rats… Sigh.'

'I hope this doesn't build up any Karma…'

With his already bloodied hands, Philip moved the corpses into a pile on the corner.

He used this opportunity to collect the loot from the remaining bodies. The ones Reggie cleaned fully:

[Blood vial x4

Quicksilver Bullet x6

Coldblood dew x3

Oil urn x1

Fire paper x1

]

"!"

'Fire paper!...'

"Hey, look what I found!"

He turned around and showed them a small clumped up paper roll. It looked inconspicuous, but hunters would recognize it anywhere.

"Fire paper! Good work kid! You truly are our shining light." Reggie said with a chuckle as he grabbed the roll, checking its condition 

Reggie was truly happy. Many beasts had an abnormal fear of fire.

A small lantern would do little but push a few cowardly beasts away, but a raging fire may be enough to buy them some time.

"Here kid, you proved to be capable so far, so take these. They were yours to begin with."

"I hope you don't mind we've kept a few, we also need to fight if we want to live."

"Leave the heavy work to us, you just need to keep yourself alive."

Kyu approached Philip, handing him a small bag of items:

[Blood vial x2

Quicksilver Bullet x12

Antidote x2

Molotov x1

]

"Here, take the lantern as well. It isn't much, but some monsters fear the light. In desperation, you can even use it as a makeshift Molotov."

"But why don't any of you two use it?"

"Running around the place with a lantern strapped to your belt can be… Uncomfortable."

"That was because Reggie once had the lantern hit him on the nuts. But you won't need to care about this since this is a newer model that doesn't have the previous defects, but it left its mark on him."

"I particularly don't like them, lights can fend off beasts but it also attracts others. The bigger kind."

"..."

'I feel worse now.'

"This should be all then?... Everyone ready?"

"One last thing! How do we imbue our blood into bullets and uh…"

Before Philip could even finish, Kyu interrupted him:

"Ohhh. That thing. Do you see the syringe kit on your belt? You normally only use it to apply the Vials. But in reality, it can be used for many, many more things."

"You can use the second Syringe whose main purpose is to extract, to drain your blood and pour it into the special chamber of your gun, enhancing the next shot's power… To make a blood bullet… That's complicated, we don't have time to teach you how to do it anymore."

/Nod/

Philip nodded, proceeding with the plan.

Reggie and Philip hid on the side, waiting for Kyu to open the hatch leading to the surface.

/Shaa…/

Philip extinguished the lantern flame and waited.

/Creek!/

Kyu pushed the trapdoor upwards, causing small bits of light to shine from the surface.

/Dash/

After fully opening the trapdoor Kyu ran back towards them, holding his saw tightly.

/Silence…/

They waited for whatever was outside to make their way inside. If they didn't come, then that meant the bar was cleared.

Beasts tend to be rather dumb. Lusting after blood. So even a tiny whiff of blood coming from outside would've been enough to draw them somewhere else.

/SCREEECH!/

Their voices echoed in the distance…

They were coming!

/Fush Fush Fush Fush Fush.../

The rattling of dozens if not hundreds of feets moving in their direction reverberated in their ears.

What a horrific sound it was.

"!"

Philip almost exclaimed, but he covered his own mouth, suffocating himself if necessary.

/THROW!/

Before it was too late, Reggie threw the cocktail on the pile of corpses, and not a second too soon…

/Ploft ploft ploft ploft/

Dozens of giant rats fell from the hole like a waterfall, running into the corpse pile with red eyes and fangs.

/RAVAGE!/

Soon enough, a hundred rats bit the corpses, unable to think or do anything else, crazed by the bloodlust. Drunk at the sight of fresh food.

To the point they even bit one another…

/Gulp…/

'What a terrible way to have your body be disposed of…'

…

/Chomp chomp chomp!/

After half a minute, no more rats fell from the hole. 

Only a giant pile of rats had formed in the corner.

/Grab…/

/Nod/

Everyone nodded to one another.

Without hesitation, Reggie ignited the molotov and threw it at the rats!

/CRACK! SWUSH!/

/BURN!!/

A big flame consumed the rats in an instant.

/KYYYYYY/

The rats nightmarish cries assaulted Philip's eardrums immediately after and for many minutes as they slowly burned to death.

Even then, as they burned to cinders, the rats kept eating and drinking the blood before them. Completely entranced by their bloodlust.

[Ding]

[You have received 23 Blood echoes, you have received 19 Blood echoes, you have...]

"?!"

'URG!'

The echoes of a million messages exploded by his ears just as he heard their cries, almost driving him mad and deaf.

'Stop for the love of God!'

The messages immediately stopped.

'Huff… From now on, when too many creatures die at the same time, fuse it down to one big window after they all die.'

/Silence…/

Philip received no reply. So he could hope it worked.

'Sheese, I need to look at its configurations later…'

…

After a minute, he received a single message:

[Ding]

[You have received 6920 Blood echoes]

'I guess it worked... Not an impressive amount but it will do for a freebie.'

Once that was done, he noticed the multiple white flames floating above the corpses…

'The loot…'

Once he felt the situation was safe, he approached the fire, but alas, he couldn't approach the white fire because of the flames's high heat.

'Can I collect these items from a distance?'

'Uh… Collect items?'

/Silence…/

'Collect loot?'

/Silence…/

'Perhaps not, no matter. It's just rats, I already gained a decent amount of Blood Echos.'

'Well… Perhaps this will work.'

He extended his hand forward and uttered a single command:

'Collect drop items.'

[Ding!]

[You have received, Blood vial x17, Quicksilver bullets x15, Coldblood dew x9, Pebble x300]

"!"

'This was definitely worth it. But look at these rates… Pebbles? Wait… These aren't pebbles… Ewwww…'

Each small pebble was actually a small petrified eye, who knew where those rats had gotten them… He didn't want to think about it.

'I guess only rats would drop those. Blood vials and bullets were expected since every enemy dropped them. But the dew was a surprise. Extra money is always welcomed.'

'Dew is like a clump of Blood Echoes, I should be able to consume it or exchange it for more Blood Echoes.'

'Once I have the chance, I should summon the Messenger Shop.'

/Tap…/

As he observed the flames, the two Hunters approached him, tapping his shoulders.

"Let's go kid, we can only mourn the dead by living."

"Hum?... Alright."

'I think there was a misunderstanding here. But it's better to not say anything.'

They climbed out of the sewers, taking in the 'fresh' air of the outside.

…

/Creek/

With a resolute kick, Reggie closed the hatch and locked it just in case something made its way to them from the sewers.

They had used a flask after all, it would be no wonder if a thousand more rats made their way to them.

"This wretched place…" Kyu said as he looked around

"Can I turn on the lantern? I can't see very well." 

The only light they had was the faint light coming from upstairs.

'There's blood and bones everywhere… They must be the other Hunters who failed to retreat in time.'

'The monsters sure had a feast…'

"Wait a minute."

"... Who are these people?" Philip asked just to be sure

"Sigh... This place was where our injured and dead were placed…"

"We didn't have the time to drag them with us... We were ambushed out of nowhere. Some of these people used to be good and capable Hunters, they stayed behind to protect the others but…"

"..."

'It's way worse than I thought.'

"Alright, Philip, you look for any valuable items. I will go upstairs and see if there is an enemy. Reggie, you protect the stairs and the kid. If something happens I am counting on you to get to me."

"Understood."

"Yes, sir."

'Looks like Kyu took charge… Not that I mind. If he's an old hunter, it means he knows what he's doing.'

'I don't like separating, but there must be a reason for it. Who am I to give them ideas?...'

/Tic tic tic/

With the light of the lantern, Philip began scouting around.

The first thing he noticed were the many broken weapons and ripped pieces of cloth on the ground.

But his target has and always will be the white flames floating around.

[You have received, Blood vial x7, Quicksilver bullets x24…]

[Bloodied Mission report x1]

"Hum?"

"Hey. Come here…"

Just as Kyu was about to leave, Philip called for him.

"... This is? The mission report?" He said as he noticed the item almost instantly

"Pass it here, let me take a look." Reggie said as he was right beside Philip

/Grab…/

Reggie started to read, but mid way through his already pale face was completely drained of blood.

"Fuck… This isn't the mission report."

[Ding]

[Bloodied Mission report x1 -> Emergency evacuation notice x1]

"..."

'This doesn't sound good…'

"What does it say, Reggie? Another beast let loose?"

But before he replied, he turned to Philip, saying:

"...As you know, we were part of the Middle Division right? Between the three divisions, we were responsible for cleaning the "risky" places."

"The Light Division was responsible for cleaning the streets and open areas, the "Slight risky" places."

"But the problem comes from the final division, the Heavy Division. They were tasked with eliminating all dangerous beasts spread around the nooks and crannies of this district."

"Excuse me, but what does that have to do with anything? Why were we even here?"

"What an odd question, kid. Hunters must hunt… It's what we do."

"Long ago, this District was closed down due to rampant monsters, and recently, we've been working to reclaim it."

"We received orders from the top that we could now "free" this district since the monster routes to it had been closed down. With that done, we could begin exterminating them all."

"In other words, other Hunters managed to close down the District from the outside, trapping all beasts inside. What's left is self explanatory." Kyu added as he shook his head

"So… If this letter is correct… One of the Heavy Division's team members let one of those beasts escape. And not just any beast."

"It rampaged through several outposts in the span of a few hours and to minimize damages, the operation's been called off."

"No way…"

Kyu shook his head from one side to the other, understanding the severity of the situation.

"I'm afraid… It may be close to us."

"We were ambushed by a pack of monsters, most probably the ones a nearby team was supposed to clear... But they clearly didn't. So what happened to them?"

"We were scouting, this place was meant to be safe. We're at the backlines where the injured and other teams gather to exchange information…"

"Fuck… Change of plans. We'll walk together from now on. We can't let the beasts get to one of us when we are alone." Kyu said as he held his nose bridge

"That would only matter if the creature is around. It could've moved elsewhere or even been taken down by other teams by now." Philip said as a bead of sweat fell from his forehead 

"I hope you are right, recruit…"

…

/Half an hour later…/

[... You have received, Oil urn x1]

"... Phew."

They looted the entire house, opening every box, drawer, and overturning every body they found.

Philip kept some items for his own use but shared most of what he found.

He couldn't enforce this enough, but with every step he took, he understood how valuable Kyu's and Reggie's presence was for his survival.

"Did you find anything, Kid?"

"Yup. Another oil urn. These are quite heavy, are they even practical?"

"They're enough for what they're meant to do. I've had enough of Hunter's trying to overcomplicate things over the years." Kyu said as he held the urn

"But this is quite good. With the amount we have, we could set a house on fire quite easily."

"..."

Philip didn't say much, merely sitting down to rest as they finished organizing their supplies.

'One thing that I noticed about the white flame drops is that they don't stray too much from the original "Gamy drop style" too much.'

'Meaning that, so far, I haven't had instances of rations or such items dropping. But I did find a few bags of cookies that recovered Hp over time.'

'I already ate them though… Not because I needed the regeneration, but because I was starving and needed to eat something decent.'

'They were dry and hard, but they felt divine… It's only when you're in a situation like this that you understand how many things we take for granted back in the real world.'

'I pray no one has to go through this to realize it though…'

'Anyhow, I'm not limited to just that, I can also collect items from the ground like any normal Human would.'

'It's just a pain in the ass to do so.'

'What I also found out was that items lying around were usually of a lower quality but their numbers were higher. And the System items were also… Standardized.'

'I know what to expect when grabbing a blood vial from the System, but I have no idea what to expect when fetching one from a shelf full of cobwebs…'

'Still, the defining feature that differentiates real items from their System counterparts is my total inability to store them in my inventory.'

'There could be real items that can be stored in the Inventory, but so far, I have found none. Still, there were items that I collected through the System that seemingly existed in the world, given how Reggie and Kyu reacted to the Evacuation notice.'

"... This was the last room right?" Philip asked as he walked behind Reggie

"I think so."

/Push…/

…

After cleaning up all of the supplies in the house. This is everything Philip managed to gather, not counting the items he gave away:

[Consumables:

Blood vial x18

Quicksilver Bullet x43

Antidote x6

Oil urn x3

Beast blood pellet x2

Coldblood dew x10

]

[Throwables:

Molotov x4

Pebble x300

]

[Special:

Syringe Set

Hand lantern x1

]

[Armor and Weapons:

Hunter's Axe +2 x1

Hunter Blunderbuss +1 x1

Old Hunter Set armor x1

]

'There weren't any armor sets for me to grab, and even if there were, they were either unusable or complete trash.'

'I did find a single +2 Hunter Axe and a +1 Hunter Blunderbuss stashed in a corner of the house. I thought about giving it to Reggie and Kyu but upon taking a closer glance at their weapons, I actually think theirs is actually better.'

'Although this is amount is low, its way better then I thought.'

'Since I can't store the Items I find in the world in my inventory, sharing them became the norm, so I just kept most of what I looted to myself.'

'So we were left with a few boxes of items.'

"Great… This should be enough to make those beasts itch a little."

"..."

'Don't say that… You'll raise a flag.'

Reggie picked a map and placed it on the table.

"We are here, so, we need to cross this street and arrive at this gate, passing through it will lead us out of this District. From there is just a safe straightway path back home."

"This path... Kyu, do you plan on passing by the Headquarters?"

"Of course. It's the safest option."

There was about a Km of street between them and the gate, passing through the Headquarters would add another three to their journey.

"Me and Kyu will be the vanguard. Recruit you will carry our supplies, but your life is more important, if your life is in danger, make sure to use whatever you deem necessary to survive and keep those supplies safe."

"Any questions?"

"Nope."

"Lets stash the items into a backpack and move."

…

/Later…/

The night was quite beautiful. The moon was shining brightly in the sky with little to no clouds to block its elegance.

But the city wasn't so beautiful. Carcasses littered the streets, the once elegant and formal houses were now splattered with dried blood. Houses had been broken, gates had been crushed, footsteps had been carved on the ground by horrific beasts…

A once peaceful land, defiled by curses.

/Step…/

Philip followed behind Kyu and Reggie as they made their way around the streets.

He looked everywhere, making sure to stay far away from any dark holes and alleys, you never know when a beast might pull you into one of those shitholes…

From time to time, something would block them…

/CUT!/

/SPLATTER!/

But before it could even make a sound, the two Hunters made short work of it.

/Splash…/

Step onto the fresh red blood, leaving crimson footsteps in their wake, they crossed through the dark streets of Yharnam. Killing and collecting whatever they could find.

(Image)

/KAW!/

The crows cried above, watching their every footstep.

…

/An hour or so later…/

They stopped by a large church, a gathering point. A temporary base for this mission.

A place of reverence and acceptance… Had been clearly abandoned long ago, before this place fell to the scourge.

"The front gates are broken… Could it be… Shit! Did it get the others?! Just what is this beast to take down an entire outpost?!" Reggie exclaimed in frustration as he stepped back from the wall

"Something we should definitely avoid. Let's go look for survivors." Kyu said in a calmer tone as he turned away from the wall

"..."

But someone else was having second thoughts…

Bruh what? You just said it was something we should avoid and you are now entering that damned place?!'

'Just to look for survivors?'

"Focus recruit. We're Hunters, we pay for our debts as we Hunt… But the safety of other Hunters is also of immense importance to us."

"..."

'I thought Hunters were selfish and were used to losing comrades… Is this something from this world? No… I remember, there were mentions of Hunters who fought for their friends and family…'

'To the point of insanity.'

"Erm uh… Before we enter, at the very least, How about we set some traps around the place just in case we need to make a quick escape?"

"... It's worth a shot, recruit."

Philip rejoiced, happy to have a plan B.

It wasn't anything great, just several Oil urns set up in multiple piles. If the beast ended up coming, they could run to these places and burst everything with a Molotov.

'I also placed several bullets and Blood vials around the area in case one of them is close and needs a quick heal.'

'Lastly, I placed the bag on the ground close to the entrance so we can get to it easily.'

'I've memorized the map as well, at least… Memorized the path I need to take to reach safety.'

'If this doesn't work, I know where to run.'

"Let's go." Kyu said as he entered the church

"..."

'It's quiet… Too quiet. What happened to the crows? Something's off…'

/Pun~...Kun~.../

Faint music began echoing in the room.

A string instrument, like a harp.

"..."

'Why do I hear Boss music?'

…

.

.

.

Notes

How has the rewrite been so far? (8K words)