C5: Cursed Hunter's Set
Happy Halloween everyone. if you wish, share funny events from your past halloweens or if your dressing up, tell us about it. so we can all have fun about it. Im dressed up as a Force user from Star Wars (technically ep 1 of prequels outfit but my lightsabers can change color or even be stuck together so i can go either way.)
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After spotting the great clearing, I turned back around and I took down the coachman who was lying down in wait by a knocked over carriage, and claimed his rifle. I then prepare for the next major challenge of my no hit run.
I somehow know how to use the rifle even though neither of my lives had ever used one like this before.
Holding it in my left hand, I shoot the gun into the huntsman hiding in wait within a lesser alleyway that just holds a bloodstone shard. As I took down the stunned hunter. I took up the loose shard on the ground before like a fog covering my eyes, it just disappeared.
"Huh, Thanos? You're here too?" I looked around in confusion as it really did just disappear like an illusion and that it was never there. Akin to turning into pieces of sand, the crystal had vanished from sight and touch
"So can I not even upgrade my gear once I properly return?" I ask the dead body of the huntsman, visibly confused over the disappearing shard.
Shaking my head of confusion, I turn back to the high road I'm currently on which is just a short staircase up from where the previously mentioned bonfire of bodies was.
I juked the one guy who was hiding in the corner of the small stone steps leading to the various houses. After he missed his pitchfork, I easily circled around him and took him down with my axe.
I reloaded my gun in the meantime as it seems simply putting the barrel of the gun near a bullet or vice versa would automatically reload it. Though it seems to take 2 extra seconds before it can actually be used again.
Not sure how that works but I carry on. Resuming my previous Oscar-Winning performance, I begin my trek past these huntsmen as they are unaware I am not one of them.
Tall, lanky, bad smelling and wearing the same type of hat and jacket as them, they have no reason to suspect. The dog, though, can smell the fresh blood on me and my weapons.
It charges at me as I get up the stairs on the other side and I'm forced to dodge before smacking it down with my axe. The sudden violence attracts the remaining 17 or so huntsmen of this area, including the duos that patrol as they either take aim at me or begin to give chase.
Naturally, I quickly collect the cold blood dew (1) and then run as best I can as I seemingly enter the next minor region which forces the chasing huntsman to seemingly stop and de-agro me or something because they stop chasing me after I pass the small tunnel.
Mentally praising my own good luck I take a rest near some wooden coffins where I can hear a bunch of female voices from a nearby shack laughing amongst each other.
I slowly approach before knocking three times on the door, I hear a voice from within. "Oh my, aren't you an unlucky one to be out on the night of the hunt. You don't look to be an outsider, so here, a token of our goodwill to you so that you may hunt the good hunt. But please take a step back from the door."
I see no reason not to as I step back once and then twice before the door nudges open and a small box is pushed out before the door closes again.
Approaching the box, I find that there are a few bottles of alcohol inside. Taking them and bringing out a few more pieces of torn cloth from my pocket, I quickly fashion them into new molotov cocktails.
"I appreciate the sentiment m'ladies'. Though I must warn you to use your incense sparingly and to hopefully reduce the noise lest the mad men just down the road don't notice you and attempt to add you to the pile of bodies burning just yonder" I reign in my normal speaking tone and adopt a mixed phrasing to get my words across and warn them of the danger. I bid them farewell and make my way just down the stairs to a large fountain. There are 3 crows there which I quickly take down with my axe and gain 3 new pebbles that soon vanish.
"Okay" I say resigned as I am just not worthy of getting these few things. Not that I've ever used pebbles before, not knowing that they can attract the attention of beasts and other creatures.
On the other side of the fountain is the door which lead to that previous opening that holds the multitude of huntsmen. A brute as I call them pounding at the door.
In reality, this is a huntsman Minion. A half transformed abomination that resembles an ogre in terms of build, wielding a brick in its hand with bandages over its face and a tattered cape over it's hunched bank. I slowly sneak up to it but just as I get to it's back. It seems to notice me as it slowly turns around but I quickly slash at it before retreating as it forcefully swings his left hand to try smacking me.
I take out my new firebomb (molotov) and throw it at the beast. It explodes in flames which seems to ravage it so quickly that it immediately falls over and dead. A larger wisp flows into me this time around.
I pick up the 2 molotov cocktails on the ground, adding them to my current 3 as well as the torch. But the torch seems to vanish before i turn my head to look behind me and find that it is just floating at my back, like a stored weapon.
"Whew, glad to see that not just disappearing. Does that mean I actually have some sort of inventory where all my extra bullets and vials are being stored?" I ask as it gets confirmed when I pick up the two vials on the brute's dead body that just vanish soon after I grab them.
I make my way further in, on the other side of the fountain from where I had first come down from is two sets of stairs. After the first, I find a coldblood dew (1) by the gate from which I had noticed earlier on the other side when i was still one level above the previous fire pit area.
It is up the second staircase that I spot a few more huntsmen and three dogs. Two of the dogs are roaming around while the third is huddled up with the huntsmen near the next set of stairs.
I take care of the first dog near me and my set of stairs before throwing a rock at the further dog to take care of it as well. Leaving just the hunter group.
Timing my throw, I toss a molotov so it ends up in the middle of the huddled up group. That gets all 3 huntsmen and the one dog walking with them. They all collapse, dropping a few more blood vials and bullets that all vanish (except the 1 bullet I used to reload my gun earlier).
"That was a lot more effective than when I dropped it on the previous group back on the overpass. Hmm, it seems the bottles I find are slightly more effective than the ones I make." I analyze the effect of the bottles as I really did pull out one of the two molotovs I found just next to the brute earlier.
Carrying on, I do pick up one more set of 6 vials on a nearby bench, that all vanish before i assess my current situation and body and find I need to rest a bit from the latent stress and pain flowing across my body.
Resting on the bench a few seconds, the pain in my body dulls again before I get up and head up the stairs that connects to the great Bridge but spotting two more roaming scourge beasts, I contemplate if I should really fight them since it might exhaust all my cocktails to do so.
I do not get a chance to contemplate it as the scent of blood on me gets their attention soon enough. I panic and light a molotov lands just in front of the beast, it catches fire but is not injured as much compared to a direct hit. This glass shattering also attracts its other buddy.
I am forced to backstep as the beast swipes at me but I rush in to deliver a quick one two before dodging twice to avoid the counterattack as well as the second beast charging in at me.
With them huddled together, I bring another bottle but not light it yet as I dodge once more when the first beast tries to jump me.
Side stepping a few times, I get the beasts huddled again before throwing my fire bomb at them which gets them both. The first beast which was already wounded falls over dead while the second is stunned from the shock of burning where I rush in and finish it off. Two clumps flow into me once more and I finally rest once more, letting the ache in my waist simmer down before going down the bridge to where a carriage and a bunch of praying statues rest. I find my second blood stone shard here before going back to where I started. From the stairs leading down across from where I had just walked up from. There i find a sack of pebbles as well as another coldblood dew(1)
I initially find nothing else until i spot a slight shimmer in the corner of my eyes which leads me to break a few boxes to find my third shard before breaking a few more boxes to find a hidden area that seems to lead down.
Looking around, I find two ladders. I break a few more boxes to access the first short ladder which gives me access to the second which is much longer.
"What is this place? I don't remember this being here in my playthrough of bloodborne" I comment as I prepare to climb down the second set of ladders. I remain unaware that I had initially missed this entire location during said playthrough.
Now knowing I can store my weapons on my back. I drop my gun down below whilst storing my axe on my back. Climbing down much easier, I pick up my gun again, finding it's not damaged and re-equip my axe as I spot my next beastly enemy.
The large huntsmen (official name). A few of them. They wield similar weapons to regular huntsmen but have begun to transform into beasts as they grow taller by one to two feet and grow hair all over like half transformed werewolves.
I spot two on the other side and one on the side I'm on. There is a lack of railings here and down below is a swarm of oversized rats that would likely eat me up if I fell down at all.
I slowly make my way forward and preemptively toss a molotov at the roaming beastly huntsman. He blows up in flames like usual but it fades soon after as he charges at me with a cleaver raised. I back step to dodge the cleaver but even as I step back in and swipe a few times. It's only after the 5th swing and I'm horribly tired that he finally goes down.
"Hah hah hah" I slowly stabilize my breathing as I collect three vials on him that disappear before finding a ladder that leads down again. I look around until the end of the path where I spot a small section from the other side that is missing its bottom area. There I spot a red white glow and beside this glow is another of the beastial huntsman.
Yet this huntsman looks different, his black hair tainted blue and mixed with scaled with fish-like beady eyes.
"What in the hell is that thing? Looks like something from the hamlet…like that thing that did me in" I clench my fist as I make that comparison. My knuckles are cracking from the force and my fingers are digging into my palms but my nails aren't long nor sharp so it's not causing any bleeding, just pressure.
I take a pot shot with my rifle. It doesnt land but it gets the beast's attention. It begins to rush in my direction, heading to the ladder I passed by earlier.
I push a bullet into the gun to reload it automatically as I change positions. Standing over the ladder, I throw a molotov at the climbing huntsman, it groans from the pain and fire but remains strong as it quickly climbs up. I shoot it once more and feed it another bullet so it can reload as I take up my axe.
"Ow fucker" This beast wields a long staff, about as long as me from my foot to my chest. Which means it has a far longer reach than me as I try to backstep its little staff twirl but it hits my knee and I curse it in response to the blow but adrenaline quickly begins to pump through me which slows the sensation of pain. Not enough to let me walk normally again but enough that I won't care if I have to still walk on it either.
I lift my rifle to shoot him but the pain delays me which somehow worked to my favor as the beast is poised for another blow but the bullet strikes him, stunning him as he falls to his knees.
I hobble over to him and jam my fist into the beast's chest. A burst of blood seeps out of the wound as i pull out a chunk of flesh. It falls on it's back but I see it's not dead yet. It begins to get up but not before I slash at it with my axe once more.
The axe strike stuns is for a moment where I can land two more but neither take it down.
It sweeps it's staff horizontally which smacks me in the gut and sends me flying down into the nasty waters below.
"OOH, that fucking hurts." I say as I cant help but worry about both my waist which was hit and my head which struck the ground.
The beast quickly begins to climb down the ladder while I get up and take up my axe again. I back step to keep a distance before taking out my next molotov. I'm surprised they didn't shatter in my pockets but have no time to worry about that as I light it.
The beast climbs down and begins a mad charge at me with glowing red eyes. I throw the bottle and it explodes on the beast but his charge doesnt stop as he grabs me into a tight hug to crush me as his hands wrap around my back but I'm able to get my hands above his own arms and begin to wail on his mutated face.
My strikes do little as he hopes to crush my spine, it's only the lingering fire that does anything, especially as that flame gets onto my own clothes and begins to burn me as well do my punches have more meaning.
It's one thing to punch with force but not im jamming hot flames into its face over and over again. Weakening it over time until it finally collapses, still hugging me.
I wrestle out of its grasp but the fires still linger on me, I sense the great pressure building up inside me but I can't do anything about it. I just feel like something is calling to me.
I stumble step by step until the fire sticking to me seems to burst out for some reason. I am slammed forward, knocked over to find a giant rat on top of me, clawing and trying to tear me apart. I attempt to kick it off but am losing strength quickly. I reach out for the glowing orb to find a neat pile of clothes. They vanish into smoke before my eyes as I too am forced to close them. The pain flowing through me extraordinary
My consciousness fades as a smokey cloud rises around my body, pulling me down.
[Ding, System Emergency activation initiated]
[Cursed Hunter Set acquired]
[You Died]
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Word count is peak average again, Whether you like the chapter or not, drop a comment. I can't be letting myself get complacent in my writing. I still have plenty of growth in all forms.
Usual reminder (take out hyphen): patr-eon.com/Xanok
discord channel still has the next chapter preview like usual: https://discord.gg/rE6gtg28XH