C22: Back on the Streets and then not
Apologies, I got my title numbers confused. what I previously posted was c23 so im sure everyone was quite confused by the change but ive fixed it now.
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Finally reaching the bottom, I find nothing much here except rubble, sand bags and the typically chained up coffins, though there are wooden ones as well.
The only thing of note is a beast that is standing on it's hind legs leaning against a wall where a door is. It's appearance is practically the same as a Scourge Beast, though they don't typically stand on their hind legs except to jump and grab someone.
So, activating my stealth skills, I just walk up to the beast and begin smacking it before it can even turn around. After actually depleting my stamina bar for the first time in a long time and getting a nice chunk of echoes as well as the Beast Caryll rune.
I push open the door to find myself exposed to the old fashioned Yharnam streets. A faint scene of movement in the corner of my eye takes my attention as I spotted the tail end of a dog. Nodding in understandment. I step forward to find a lit lantern immediately to my right.
"Oh what a wonderful night that has been bestowed upon us. Isn't it. Beasts roam around and hunters take the plunge. Who can say what secrets lie around these streets, yes?" I knocked on the door and the person inside seemed to already be near it as they portray onto me their obituary.
"Oh, thats nice and all" I am notably perturbed by what I heard as I feel a faint nagging at the back of my head in regards to their voice. Their voice feels so familiar but i've always been hard of hearing so I could realistically be having some sort of Deja Vu or something.
Carrying on, I take down two crows in an alleyway where a set of sweaty clothes and a town folk hat sat in the corner. Pocketing them, I then walk back out the alleyway and down the streets only to be met face to face with some towering giant with a sack on his shoulder.
"Whomst the fuck are you?" i eloquently ask and their response is to grab their sack and smack me across the face with it. It had to be noted that I did dodge…yet I didn't. I call hacks as I finally die after so long. Sure I was only at half health due to the long fall down during the descent inside the tower but that shouldnt be the reason for something like this.
Yet the familiar scene of the messengers taking me away is not there as instead the bitch that beat me up is now picking me and stuffing me into their sack before beginning a loooong walk away. I'm in the middle of unconsciousness during the whole procedure before we get 'somewhere' and I'm released.
Even then it takes me a few moments longer to finally regain consciousness as if I was just healed back to full after a typical resurrection.
"My echoes. My 3k echoes." I cry to myself as im back to zero and my echoes gained from killing all those huntsmen and the one brute on the tower is gone, back at the bottom of that tower.
I eventually get up and find that the door to my very rusty cage is not locked, so I open it and find an item to my right. Heading over, I find it's thick coldblood (6). Looking at my system, I realize I just got 1.8k just from picking this thing up. I am no longer sad about my lost echoes. Butt hurt, yes, sad, no.
I also find a random note on the floor talking about madmen conducting rituals with a drawing of a red circle on it. Shrugging I toss it and go down this side of my prison. I begin to hear a feminine voice as I reach the stairs.
"Please, Leave me be... Don't Take me... Please... Oh, please, dear gods."
"Oh, merciful gods, help me...In the name of the Healing Church, cleanse us of this horrible dream..."
I look around and while I find a variety of objects here, I don't spot anyone until I look in the corner just below me to find a random women huddled behind a few breakable vases
"Ya know lady, if your gonna try to hide then probably whisper, there is a giant echo in this room and it's making your voice bounce around." I talk out loud as I collect a Frenzied Coldblood (7) near what looks like a horribly dirty and dusty mirror thingy.
I get no response from the lady even when I get close to her and poke her shoulder. She acts as if she didn't even notice me at all.
"Well that answers the age old question. 'The worse she can say is no'. Nah, she can just ignore your very existence, treating you like a ghost that doesnt exist.
Heading back up, I cross past my former cage and arrive at a dual circular staircase. Both paths lead up and taking it,I go up one layer and now the path splits in three ways. One leads up, the other leads down and the third leads to a suspicious hallway. Though both have the option of going up or down. I slightly remember this location and decide to go UP the right side which reveals to me another scurrying beast that was initially moving towards me but then changed its mind once it spotted me.
Granted I was already only 5 feet away, the blind tentable monster got wacked. Dropping a hefty three twin blood stone shards. Heyaaa. I can upgrade my weapon again. Walking up the stairs completely, I find two of the bastards that beat me up just 'moments' ago, standing in the center of the room where I do see a glowing item.
I go up another set of stairs which leads me to a lamp. I activate it and find both sets of doors up here are locked. This time, they are proper doors with no visible keyholes. Granted that doesnt stop me at all as I use my collected weapons to try breaking the handles off so that I just pull it open but I struggle against this for some reason.
I suddenly hear a voice behind me and turning around reveals that my noise making had attracted both individuals previously in the center of the room. Ill call them kidnappers (snatchers) for short. One of them elegantly raises an twig like ashen hand with long ass dirty nails and slaps me directly on my face with it's palm. The last thing I felt was the sensation of my skull cracking open on the door I was trying to smack open before.
[You Died]
"Ha" I shake away near the lamp I just activated. I collect my echoes here, which is a flat zero as I have surely lost the echoes in the tower…wait.
"Damn it, I lost my 2k from the bridge as well. HAA, guess my only reason to come back there would be to fight the mutated cleric beast myself now. Nothing else of importance is in that area anymore. Sigh.
I choose to wait a bit until the kidnapper that spawns near the top of the stairs I respawned at joins it's buddy in the center before I go the reverse way and go down one layer to the middle area I was suspicious of earlier.
Going down these steps, I find a hunchbacked creature attempting to scurry down from the right to the left when it spots me. It stops and walks towards me before trying to lunge at me. I slap it away with my cleaver before getting a hefty 300+ echoes from it. My memory feels a bit stronger in this area but im not sure why yet as I spot another hunchback creature on the right. I take it down and collect the 10 qs bullets at the center area as the left and right side are cages.
Though they arent very well made as it's full of holes and no doors even. I procedurally take down all the huntsmen here with massive echoes from them all, nearly 600 each before the next room reveals two more of the kidnappers standing around a table.
I get a small plan and choose to put it into motion as Ill have to kill these guys eventually since all the other creatures give so many echoes, they must give even more.
As such, I activate my stealth skills and toss a pebble at the end of the room, this luckily attracts only one of the kidnappers who trudges forward very slowly. I have no clue how they snuck up on me earlier if they are like this.
I then begin to walk behind the other one who still doesnt notice as I smack his back with a heavy hit, causing him to drop as I stab my hand into it's back.
[Visceral Attack has gained the necessary experience, level 4 -> level 5]
'Oh, thats nice and all but i've only done HALF of this bitches health.' I try to do another heavy strike but it lands on it's arm as it gets up, turning towards me.
"Ugh, hi" I quickly am able to say before he kicks me in the stomach. While Im not dead, I do find myself nearly halfway across the room. Not because of the kick but because i've backstepped like five times whilst holding my gut. The pain overwhelming my senses as I'm now the hunch back here, holding my stomach the whole time.
I cough up blood and vomit from damaged organs and possibly broken bones. My supposed gamer body did not account for nearly getting one tapped by a random tall person who could totally play BasketBall. Like that giant idiot from Kuroko.
The kidnapper begins to walk towards me, very slowly, some might say, menacingly. I am barely able to move in my current state. So I must commit to something i've been avoiding.
I take out a blood vial and stab it into my gut. I immediately feel my health replenishing but what follows is a twitching sensation, like my entire body fell asleep and im obviously in motion. It's like pins and needles as the static claims my body.
[CoK has risen to 11%]
"Oh joy" I mutter as I finally get to stand up straight and eye the approaching giant.
"Gerald" I call as I summon him behind the giant. I try to shoot him first but miss the repose but Gerald smacks him to the side so the kidnappers strike misses me by an inch or two.
Im still semi helpless as just shooting my gun made my entire body lock up which is why I summoned my pet.
The vampire pet gives my abuser a proper hunter sanctioned beatdown. My illness finally calms down as I step over and kick the already dead body but that also gives me another two twin bloodstone shards which I accept as we take down the second kidnapper from that room (he had finally returned to table he was at previously).
I was able to successfully get the visceral that time from a repose as I finally understood that you had to shoot the exact moment their arm was coming towards me. It sucks since there is a chance of still being hit since I don't know what the condition is for when they kick or use their sack like the one who knocked me out.
Best to be careful. I actually don't find anything down here except another set of two twin shards from the second giant. I instead find a path that leads outside. Yet it requires me to drop down. I don't feel like doing that just yet so I analyze my surroundings.
"I remember now, this is fucking Paarl. And beyond that gate is Old Yharnam again." I talk to myself as I remember doing all this in game but I had completely forgotten about the kidnappers who brought me here in the first place.
I do not drop down just yet as I don't feel im ready for that boss just yet. Another thing I remember is the pigs outside on the other end which drop juicy echoes like a dump truck. So I make my way back to the lamp upstairs and then use a pebble to lure in one of the kidnappers in the center. With a successful repose as they used the same palm technique as the one I understood before.
I got more experience for visceral but not enough for levels as I try to manually take this one out by myself only for it to ignore my subsequent hits and knock me down when I still have around 70% of my health left.
[You Died]
Dying and reviving, I collect my echoes and then retry.
Step one: Throw a pebble to attract one kidnapper.
Step two: Get a repose on it as I get the movement of the kick down next. Visceral
Step three: Summon Gerald behind the tall mofo and jump the bitch until it dies. Repeat with the second kidnapper.
1,369 echoes. Nice. and this is for each of them. I then collect the Moon rune from the center before finding another witch of hemwick standing hidden past some pillars but they made a noise which attracted my attention so I dodged just in time to take her down.
Finally I step outside. Looking around, I examine my location and find there is a path to the right but it looks shifty so ill visit it a bit later so I go to the left and find an alleyway where I barely spot a scurrying beast.
Rushing after the little tentacle creature, I take it down for another three twin blood stones. Along with the four I got in that main room. I now had 11 at this point. I ran down the alleyway, taking note of a small staircase to my right.
I open the side door leading to the lamp. I back track once again and take those steps up where I find frenzied coldblood (8) which is supposed to give me 3k on that alone. Quite happy I explored the rest of this slightly elevated area.
Crossing a bridge reveals a pig guarding a glowing item in this random corner. It shuffles around as if spotting me but doesnt do anything. Another side path leading up gives me nothing except the ability to get onto a carriage in the streets that is currently filled with dogs.
Walking back to the other side path, I get an elevator that has it's switch locked in place…somehow.
Paying it no mind, I walk back to the entrance of the hypogean goal chapel where a certain Swinular bastard has finally climbed up the stairs. It immediately senses me and after a roar, begins to charge at me.
I try to side step it but my arm gets clipped by the beast's fat god damned snout which knocks me over in its direct charging path. Having me be crushed under its stupid hooves as I return to the lamp.
[You Died]
At least this time I have the 'shortcut' on my left side which I take. Reclaim my echoes and then rechallenge the pig on the long steps as it's climbing up. Running down these steps, I get around the pig and heavy smack it's ass.
It flops over, I commit to the fruit by the foot bit as i shove my hand up it's ass and extract it's juicy insides. It doesn't go down just yet but that is nothing another visceral or just three normal attacks from me don't solve.
As it fades away, i take in the much larger than normal chunk of echoes and other good news.
[Hunter Blade weapon Proficiency has gained required experience. level 5->level 6]
HORY SHEET, three thousand echoes. I'm rich. Also that took so long to level up. But I should be able to do more damage now with my regular attacks. I wonder what the difference is in the actual numbers.
I buy some regular water and wash off my hand that had been inside the pigs bunghole. I then sit down on the steps and I consider my path forward.
'Naturally im gonna kill the rest of the beasts here and collect the items. If these dogs give the same amount of increased echoes then it makes sense to clear them. But do I even bother with the ones down here?' I contemplate a plan but it won't be complete until I know for sure. As such, I get up and get down the stairs, using my skills once more to sneak up on the dogs here and take them out with three hits each with my trusty +3 weapon. They both go down and drop nearly 600 echoes each. This solidifies my idea of what I'm gonna do next.
[Minor Stealth steps has gained the required experience. Level 2->level 3]
I nod my head in acceptance of this gift as I go about collecting the items on the floor here. Firstly, I collect the three madmans' knowledge here by the gates that the two dogs were next to. There is also a carriage driver that was carrying the yahar'gul Black Set. I put it on as it's far better than my bandages and peasant clothing i've been using up till now.
I then head back up the stairs to where the second pig is. My very presence unsettles the beast as it roars and then charges at me. I initially thought I was safe behind a light pole but somehow this fat tub of lard was able to slide right through it and into me. Crushing me just like it's brother did just minutes ago.
[You Died]
I huff as I go back down the side path I unlocked and take care of the steps pig first before finding that my previous echoes are infused into the other pigs body, it's eyes glowing blue as a reminder of my lost echoes. I keep my distance as I look around.
Spotting the carriage behind me, I lure the pig over so it's charge lands on the said carriage as I hide behind it before running up and smacking it's ass. This time I am willingly participating in shoving my fist up it's rectum.
Another 3 hits and it's down and I reclaim my lost echoes. I collect the bolt paper this pig was guarding for some reason before slowly and steadily hunting down the multitude of dogs scattered across the street here.
Sometimes I use my stealth skills to sneak up on one and then just bash it dead with three hits while other times I get spotted and they rush me. As they are fairly spread out, I only ever once got spotted by two dogs but they seem to be partially blind in their left eye because taking a few steps to the right ensures they always missed me by an inch when they jump to bite at me.
Taking down these five dogs with a sixth hidden behind a lamp post near the end of this street, I spot another two dogs and another kidnapper by a brick wall, just standing there, facing it.
They seem to be watching over a shining item by that wall and not just randomly standing there. I use the pebbles i've collected from the hemwick witches to attract both dogs one by one before sneaking up on the kidnapper and doing him dirty by jumping him with Gerald.
From this giants body, I get bolt paper and not another set of twin blood stone shards
As for the mystery item, it's the Tontritus. 'What is this thing.' I question as i take it up and swing it a few times, getting unbalanced quickly as I realize it's just a shiny mace, no matter than a hunk of steel club with balance that is a bit awkward but not too much really. I then try out it's trick form and find that it just adds bolt to it.
Seeing the sparkling weapon, I decide to have this as my secondary.
To finish up my current run. I look around everywhere once more and remember that there is still the path to the right that I haven't explored yet. Running back to the cathedral. I examine the right side path (when originally exiting it).
Lines of pillars on the left side with a squad of two dogs and a kidnapper. I step into their view and the dogs rush me. I clean them all up soon enough with Geralds help. He seems to like the dogs. I got another two twin bss (blood-stone-shards) from the kidnapper before going further down. I don't immediately find any items along the way but stairs leading very far down takes me to a shortcut near where the two hemwick witches are. Since I had died since I last killed them, they have respawned and naturally rush me in an attempt to scoop my eyes out but I reverse it on them and shred them to chunks with my saw cleaver and Tontritus combo.
As the metal stick is not yet upgraded, it's not that useful in this region but a quick change back helped me slay them. I collect nine more pebbles from their bodies and then a twin bss behind me, hidden behind a piece of wall.
I go inside and clear up the captured huntsmen and the remaining two kidnappers before finally returning to the dream of my own accord.
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Word Count = 3783
Enjoy
Getting kidnapped, dying a few times and then clearing the whole available Hypogean Goal.
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.
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