Alex and Alucard found themselves on a strange street that somewhat resembled a balcony located in the backyard of a house, but at the same time served as a street along which the residents of Yharnam could walk. Alex and Alucard had arrived in this world quite recently.
But Alex had already managed to test how some things worked that he only knew from the game. And now he had to test even more things and see how they worked in reality. Alex had a multitude of ideas and assumptions. But to confirm his ideas, he needed to see everything with his own eyes.
Next to him was a woman who did not have much patience if she became bored or really wanted something. Alex raised his gaze to Alucard, who was busy lightly poking the heads of the Messengers with her finger. The Messengers themselves were surprisingly pleased that Alucard was touching their heads, even if it wasn't visible on them.
But they made a completely distinguishable sound from their usual distant whisper. And their joyful mood was expressed in a strange whisper that resembled distant joyful voices of children. Watching Alucard, Alex narrowed his eyes for a moment, and a plan began to form in his head on how to give his wife pleasure and show her many interesting things so that she wouldn't get bored and lose control.
Lighting a cigarette, Alex realized that he would have to try very hard to explore Yharnam the way he wanted, while also not letting Alucard get bored. Exhaling cigarette smoke, Alex shifted his gaze back to the Messengers.
After concluding the contract with the Messengers, Alex began to understand these beings better. Thanks to his magical vision, he was able to see what the Messengers truly were and where they came from. But after concluding the contract, he was able to learn more, especially that the Messengers did not exist in a single dimension, but connected many alternative cities of Yharnam, where the Hunter's Dream served as the core of all alternative dimensions.
And only the Messengers could travel to each of these dimensions, accompanying hunters on their hunts. And that was why Alex considered these little ones truly amazing creatures. While Alex was busy thinking, he heard a light cough coming from nearby.
Alex and Alucard raised their gazes and looked toward the house from which the cough was coming. When the cough sounded, Alex remembered what kind of person lived there and what fate awaited this man. Taking a drag on his cigarette, Alex walked over to the window where a light was burning and a man's cough could be heard.
Alex raised his hand and lightly knocked on the window. Alucard followed Alex and leaned her back against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. She sniffed the scent coming from behind the closed window. She could sense that this man was already with one foot in the grave. And she didn't care; the only thing that interested her was why Alex had decided to talk to this man.
"Cough… cough… Oh, you must be a hunter… Cough… And you must not be from these parts," a man's voice sounded from the other side of the window, accompanied by a strong cough.
"You could say that. And who are you? A local or an Outsider?" Alex asked, exhaling cigarette smoke.
"Cough… My name is Gilbert… I'm also an Outsider… Cough…" Gilbert said, starting to cough again.
"How long has this been going on? Or did we just get unlucky?" Alex asked, leaning his back against the wall and looking at the window behind which Gilbert was.
"Cough… Us? You probably didn't come alone… Cough… You two must have had a great time. Yharnam has a special way of welcoming guests," Gilbert said with a light laugh mixed with coughing.
Alex smiled slightly upon hearing Gilbert's words about how Yharnam welcomes guests. Alex exhaled cigarette smoke and looked at Alucard, who was standing nearby, leaning against the wall. Meeting Alex's gaze, Alucard slightly lowered her glasses, and a light smile appeared on her face, confirming that she also liked this kind of hospitality.
Even if they had so far only encountered two beings whom they had already killed. Continuing to smile and looking at Alex, Alucard was still wondering why Alex had started a conversation with this stranger. Leaning against the wall next to the window, Alucard decided to continue playing along with Alex. But how long this would last already depended on whether he would show her something new and more interesting.
"Gilbert… Did you try to leave the city when all this started?" Alex asked, knocking on the window again when Gilbert fell silent.
"Cough… I couldn't stand up even if I wanted to… But I would like to help you if possible. This city is cursed… Cough…" Gilbert said, not hiding his condition.
"It's clear without words that something is wrong with this city. Not in every city does a mangy werewolf and a crazy local attack you," Alex said, chuckling lightly.
"Heh… Cough… Whatever you're planning… you need to ensure yourself a quick way to retreat… Whatever you're looking for in this place… there will be more harm than good from it… Cough…" Gilbert said in a tired voice, mixed with coughing that was getting stronger.
Hearing Gilbert's words, Alucard turned to Alex and demonstratively rolled her eyes, showing that she was starting to get bored. With her gaze, she showed that they had come here to kill and have fun, and all he was doing now was talking to a coughing corpse.
Alex saw that boredom was beginning to appear in Alucard's eyes. Alex raised his palm, showing that they needed to wait a little, and he would finish soon. Seeing Alex's gesture, Alucard sighed and ran her nail along the wall, leaving a distinct mark on the stone, showing her position and boredom at that moment.
Leaving a scratch on the stone wall, Alucard brought her finger to her lips and blew the dust remnants toward Alex. She raised two fingers, showing how much longer she was willing to wait, and if he didn't fit into that time, she would kill Gilbert, and they would move on, whether he wanted it or not.
Alex slightly grimaced and nodded his head. Seeing Alex's nod, Alucard focused her attention on her nails, beginning to examine them. Alex, however, wanted to find answers to questions he couldn't get by playing the game related to this world.
"Listen, Gilbert, do you know anything about this miraculous blood? Or about the Ashen Blood disease?" Alex asked, knocking on the window again when Gilbert fell silent.
"Ashen Blood… Cough… Never heard of it. If you're interested in blood, you should go to the Healing Church. There you can find all the information about blood ministration and different types of blood," Gilbert said with a light cough between words.
Hearing the word "blood," Alucard immediately shifted her gaze to Alex, and a new interest awakened in her. Noticing the interest in Alucard's eyes, Alex almost rolled his eyes. But Alucard herself at that moment began to understand why Alex had decided to talk to the dying stranger.
Even if he knew a lot about this world, nothing stopped him from learning information from the locals. In particular, she was interested in this Ashen Blood that was being discussed, and the so-called blood ministration. She was interested in everything related to blood in this world, and especially the taste of new blood that she could experience.
Without realizing it, Alucard moved a little closer to the window to listen to the continuation of the conversation. But at that same moment, the loud sound of a bell rang throughout the area. Alex and Alucard turned their heads toward the sound of the bell, clearly hearing where it was coming from. The sound of the bell was coming from the Healing Church located in the closed Cathedral Ward.
"How do we get there?" Alucard asked, deciding to join the conversation.
"Cough… To the east of Yharnam, across the valley, lies the city of the Healing Church… Cough… Also known as the Cathedral Ward… In the center of the Cathedral Ward stands the old Grand Cathedral, whose bell you hear. Where, as they say, they prepare the special blood of the Healing Church…" Gilbert said, paying no attention to the fact that another person had spoken to him.
"I don't think they'll give us something so important if we just ask for it," Alex said, lighting a new cigarette.
"Yharnamites don't tell outsiders much… Usually they wouldn't even let the two of you get close… But tonight the Night of the Hunt begins… Perhaps by taking advantage of the chaos of this night… Cough… you'll be able to get inside… Cough…" Gilbert said with light coughing between words that was getting stronger.
After Gilbert finished speaking, he began coughing loudly. And along with his cough, the smell of blood and ash began to come from his room. Alucard's nose twitched slightly when she caught this strange scent of blood that carried the smell of ash. Sensing this smell, she shifted her gaze to Alex and slightly raised an eyebrow.
Alex, having caught this smell, understood what Gilbert was actually suffering from. Alex activated his magical vision to see the changes in Gilbert's body, since he was the first one he had met with the Ashen Blood disease. Alex saw that Gilbert's body had already begun to mutate, and his soul and the foundation of his existence were literally changing under the influence of this disease.
Alex was surprised by how this disease worked, affecting not only the body but also the soul and the foundation of existence. After such a short examination, Alex understood that without using magic, it was almost impossible to heal Gilbert. Stopping his examination of Gilbert, Alex took out his notebook from his inner pocket, where he wrote down everything.
"This blood has a disgusting smell," Alucard said, moving away from Gilbert's house window with Alex.
"He is sick with a disease called Ashen Blood. His soul, body, and essence are decomposing and taking on a different form. When the full moon comes, he will become a monster," Alex said without raising his head, continuing to make notes in his notebook.
"Hmm… I see. And if you haven't done anything yet, that means you're waiting for something," Alucard said, narrowing her eyes with a smile on her face.
"You could say that… What do you think — what Night of the Hunt is this for Gilbert? The first? The tenth? Or maybe the thousandth? How many cycles has Gilbert lived through? And everything repeats again and again… He exists only in this city. Eternally sick and suffering until he turns into a monster… And then everything repeats," Alex said, closing his notebook and putting it back in his pocket.
"As you say. I don't care… The only thing that interested me was that Healing Church. And if you're done playing the mystery researcher, my love, maybe we should move on already?" Alucard said with clear boredom in her voice.
"Of course. Before we go and start a slaughter on the streets of Yharnam, we'll drop by one place to get new toys. Or do you want to use modern weapons against some monsters?" Alex said with a light smile on his face, looking at Alucard.
"As I already told you, my love. I will play with these toys if they are worth playing with," Alucard said in a calm tone, poking Alex in the cheek with her nail.
Alex nodded and beckoned Alucard to him. Seeing Alex's gesture, Alucard walked closer to him and stopped beside him. Alex took Alucard's palm in his hand and reached toward the lantern controlled by the Messengers. At that moment, Alucard showed interest in what Alex was going to do.
Alex placed Alucard's palm on the gray lantern, and the Messengers immediately came to life, and their quiet distant whisper became more distinct. At that same moment, Alex and Alucard felt a strange feeling of drowsiness, as if they were being pulled somewhere. An ethereal puddle appeared under their feet, from which thin small hands of the Messengers emerged, beginning to pull the two of them down.
For Alex and Alucard, this was a very familiar feeling, comparable to the sensation of traveling through shadows. While the Messengers were pulling Alex and Alucard to the right place, they heard the voices of the Messengers even more clearly, which no longer sounded like a distant incomprehensible whisper.
Their voices had now become distinguishable, and one could hear some fragments of messages they were passing between themselves. But soon this feeling passed, and Alex and Alucard were delivered to the right place. In one unknown place located outside the Nightmare of Yharnam, an ethereal puddle appeared. From it emerged thin small hands of the Messengers that were lifting Alex and Alucard.
No one knew where this place was, and only the Messengers could deliver hunters here who had made a contract with them. This place was called the Hunter's Dream, and it served as the core for every cycle of the Hunt that repeated endlessly; only the hunter participating in the Night of the Great Hunt changed.
The first thing Alex and Alucard saw was a small building resembling a Victorian workshop located on a small elevation, to which stone steps led. The stone path they were standing on was made of stones and led straight to the workshop.
Beginning to look around, they saw old stone tombstones on which the names had long been erased. Moonlight Flowers grew everywhere, shining with a soft light in the bright moonlight. Everything in this place looked both real and at the same time like someone's dream.
Alucard looked around to better understand this place. Alex, however, turned back and saw an endless valley covered in fog, on which thousands of stone pillars stood in the distance.
And among all this, this small area felt like a saving island of calm and rest amid a sea of blood, madness, and eternal hunt. Alex lit a cigarette and closed his eyes to better feel this place existing on a thin line between reality and the dimension of dreams.
Alex sensed the one who maintained the existence of this place that existed on a thin line. In sensation and examination, the Hunter's Dream reminded Alex of the Dark Place he had visited in the past. The feeling of this place was almost the same, but it felt completely different.
While Alex was busy trying to understand how this place was structured, Alucard at that moment was examining it. She sensed all the unreality of this place and its ephemerality. But at the same time, this place was real. She did not have the same understanding of such places as Alex, and therefore she simply explored. Alucard touched the petal of a Moonlight Flower with her finger, feeling its texture.
Plucking one petal, she lightly blew on it, and the petal was carried somewhere into the distance. Beginning to explore this place a little, she touched the tombstones with her fingers, where the names of hunters had been erased by time that had frozen in this place in eternal full moonlight. Alucard's gaze moved to the Doll sitting with her back against a stone wall overgrown with foliage.
The Doll looked like a young girl dressed in a women's dress, but her appearance was both beautiful and mysterious, as if she was alive and at the same time not. Looking at the Doll, Alucard thought that this doll was alive and should move. And this strangeness aroused considerable interest in Alucard toward this doll.
For Alucard, everything in this place was something new, interesting, and at the same time mysterious. In her long life, she had met many beings and seen many places. But finding herself in another world that differed from everything she had ever seen aroused in her a strong feeling of childlike delight and a strong desire to learn everything.
And next to her was the one who would tell her about everything that interested her. She was sure that in this world something even more exciting than killing various beings and absorbing their blood awaited her. And she felt with her whole being that this would be a truly exciting journey for her entire long life.
A wide anticipatory smile appeared on Alucard's face once again, and she stopped looking at the Doll and turned to Alex. Seeing him standing by the fence and looking at the strange endless landscape of a plain covered in fog and stone pillars, she walked over to Alex and stood next to him.
"This place is very strange… It feels as if it's unreal. But I feel smells, wind, and everything else. But at the same time, this place feels like a very long dream," Alucard said, looking at the same endless foggy landscape as Alex.
"We are currently on a thin line between reality and dream. This entire place is a separate space with its own laws. It is real, but at the same time it is not," Alex said, opening his eyes.
"Indeed a unique place… Wonderful. I like it. It was worth waiting for," Alucard said with a wide smile, clapping her hands.
"I like this place too. It's peaceful here… But it's time to get acquainted with the one who runs this place," Alex said, turning toward the Hunter's Workshop.
A smile continued to remain on Alucard's face, and she turned her head along with Alex. Alex's gaze was fixed on the Doll, and his eyes glittered for a moment to better examine the doll. He saw something very interesting inside the doll.
The Doll was created in a very unique way, taking into account the laws of this world, using the Blood Echoes of two people and the energy of dreams that carried the power of the Great Ones. And this made her existence truly unique in Alex's eyes. Alex saw that the Doll was still in a state of sleep and was beginning to slowly awaken.
Alex stepped forward and walked along the stone path, approaching the Doll. The Doll was sitting with her back against the wall, with her eyes open, and her hands neatly folded. Looking at the Doll's beautiful doll-like face and her gray eyes, Alex saw something interesting for himself in her eyes.
Driven by curiosity, Alex touched the Doll's hand with his finger and carefully ran his finger along her arm. Alex did not stop there; he went further and touched the Doll's face with his hands. Gently feeling the Doll's face, Alex felt the same thing as when he touched the bodies of his wives Red and White, who were also born in a unique way. But the Doll's existence was even more unique; she was something more than a doll that had gained life — she had become a different being.
"I can see from your obsessed gaze that this doll is not simple," Alucard said, leaning toward Alex's ear while he touched the Doll's body.
"You're right. She is unique. Artificial life that managed to ascend," Alex said, removing his hands from the Doll's face.
"Really? I wonder what she tastes like. I can hear the blood slowly flowing through her veins. I would like to taste her blood. Is it as unique as you say?" Alucard said, lightly licking her lips and looking at the Doll.
"Don't even think about it," Alex said, putting his hand in front of Alucard.
"You want to stop me, my love?… That makes me want to taste her blood even more," Alucard said, looking at Alex with a predatory gaze.
"What was unclear in my words? Did I just say that she is unique for no reason? Or did my words about her ascending pass by your ears? She is a being of a different order. If you drink her blood, you will cease to exist. Or was it enough for you that she has blood, and you immediately thought: well, blood is blood, I'll drink it. And whatever happens, happens. Are you a child? Or is there only blood and sex in your head?" Alex said in an irritated tone, beginning to scold Alucard.
Alucard stared at Alex in surprise as he suddenly began scolding her. From such surprise, Alucard's eyes stopped glowing red, and the shadow receded from her face. And all that remained was her face filled with genuine shock. For the entire month since the first day she saw Alex, she had never seen him in such a state.
After all, he had never scolded her, but only said a couple of sarcastic phrases or joked, or in the end played along with her. But now a whole stream of lectures had been poured on her, causing her to freeze in place.
Alucard had simply forgotten one important fact related to Alex, which he had repeatedly confirmed and shown. He always protected his family, and her desire to drink the Doll's blood, and the fact that she had simply ignored his words, became the reason for his lecturing tirade.
"Alright, enough. Don't get worked up. My ears are withering from your lectures. I won't drink this doll's blood. Does that satisfy you?" Alucard said, placing her palm over Alex's mouth to make him be quiet.
"Carmilla… Listen. I'm not trying to force you not to drink blood… It's just that as always, you act first and think later. You never think about the consequences," Alex said, removing Alucard's palm from his mouth.
"And what do you want to say? If this is another portion of lectures, I'll shut you up in another way," Alucard said, looking at Alex with a predatory gaze.
"If you continue to uncontrollably drink the blood of everyone you kill, the concentration of Great One blood in your body will grow. And in the end, it will end in something lamentable. Of course, I will be able to cancel all this. But it will still be unpleasant," Alex said, looking at Alucard with a tired gaze.
"Go on. I'm listening," Alucard said, folding her arms over her chest.
"I will purify the Blood Echoes of everyone we kill. So that in the end it doesn't affect you in any way. Your essence will gradually adapt to the blood of the Great Ones. You yourself want to hunt these beings. Am I right?" Alex said, looking at Alucard with a calm gaze.
"Ho… So I can't absorb the blood of such beings yet… Well, I understand. But that makes it even more interesting… First, I can fill my stomach with a light snack before moving on to more exquisite dishes… Good. I like it. And you, my beloved, will be the one who organizes this banquet of ancient beings' blood for me," Alucard said, licking her lips with a predatory smile on her face.
"I'm glad you understand this… You do realize that I'm doing this because I love you. If I offered a faster way, you would lose all interest in this place," Alex said, placing his palm on Alucard's cheek.
"You always understand me so well, my love. Without you, my life was very boring and monotonous. And I'm already tired of this boredom. Otherwise, I would never have agreed to play your little game," Alucard said, rubbing her cheek against Alex's palm.
Alex smiled slightly and nodded his head, agreeing with Alucard's words. Alex leaned forward to quickly kiss Alucard on the lips. But Alucard herself had completely different plans. She grabbed Alex's cheeks and pulled him into a very long kiss. At that moment, Alex was glad that no one was seeing this.
While the kiss lasted, Alex was sure that Gehrman, who was sitting in his workshop, had begun to wonder why the hunter had not yet entered his workshop. And before things went further than the kiss, Alex gently pushed Alucard away from himself. He knew that she wouldn't care if they had sex in such a place, but he didn't want to do it next to the Doll, who was going through the awakening process.
And fortunately, the only witnesses to this kiss were the Messengers, who tactfully covered their eyes with their small hands. And before Alucard could protest, Alex placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. As soon as Alucard turned, her attention switched to the Messengers who were holding three weapons above their heads.
"Ho… So they are not only guides. But also couriers. How cute," Alucard said, looking at the Messengers with weapons.
"Now they are our little helpers. So, Carmilla. Choose which weapon you like. Saw, axe, or cane?" Alex said with a cheerful smile, resting his chin on Alucard's shoulder.
Looking more closely at the weapons the Messengers were holding, Alucard began thinking which one she should choose. But her gaze instantly switched to the saw-axe. And she immediately imagined how she would tear flesh with these jagged teeth and chop off the limbs of creatures. Alucard quickly decided on her choice and took the saw-axe from the Messenger's hands.
Alex was left with the choice between the Hunter Axe and the Cane-whip. Imagining himself holding the Cane, Alex shuddered and shook his head, taking the axe in his hands. Alex remembered that almost all weapons created in this world had two variations. Running his finger along the handle of the Hunter Axe, Alex found the needed activator.
Pressing the activator, the Hunter Axe made a characteristic mechanical click, and the small handle lengthened enough to be held with both hands and make sweeping strikes.
Hearing the click behind her, Alucard turned her head and saw that the weapon in Alex's hands had changed. A smile immediately appeared on her face, and she sharply swung the saw-axe, which unfolded. The Messengers who had brought the weapons had by this moment disappeared again, as unnoticed as they had appeared.
"You were right. The toys are indeed interesting… They were specially created to kill beings like me, causing them as much suffering as possible… I like it," Alucard said, swinging the saw-axe to fold it back.
"I would ask you to switch. But seeing how joyfully you're swinging this saw-axe, I understand that you won't give it up anytime soon," Alex said, returning the Hunter Axe to its compact form.
"You guessed right… It will be pleasant for me to gut everyone I see with this weapon," Alucard said, poking Alex in the nose with her finger.
Alex sighed, and the weapon gremlin inside him demanded that he collect the entire collection of weapons. Patting his chest to silence the weapon gremlin, Alex shifted his gaze to the side and saw the Messengers who had returned with new weapons in the form of two different muskets.
And at that very moment, a question arose in Alex's head: would the Messengers' baptismal font in this world work the way it did in the game? After all, this was the real world, not a game. Alex understood that he would need to research this question, but only after talking with Gehrman.
Alucard, meanwhile, walked over to the Messengers and brought her finger to her lips, looking at the weapons. She already had her own pistols, but the sight of these muskets aroused nostalgia in her. Alucard reached out and took the Hunter Blunderbuss from the Messengers' hands, leaving Alex with only the Hunter Pistol.
"This weapon brings back nostalgia. I remember people using something similar against me," Alucard said, running her finger along the barrel of the blunderbuss.
"If we translate the current era into modern times, Yharnam is in the 16th century period. So yes, they still have this kind of firearms here… Although I can improve it," Alex said, spinning the Hunter Pistol on his finger.
"I would like to see that. But later. All I want right now is to test this weapon in action… Or should I remind you that since arriving in this world we have killed only two beings? And as I recall, you promised me a slaughter, rivers of blood, and the smell of burning bodies of monsters and people," Alucard said, pointing the blunderbuss at Alex's face.
"Well, in my defense, I can say that at least we found out where we need to go. To the Cathedral Ward. And I think the one inside the Workshop will tell us where to go next or what to do," Alex said, moving the blunderbuss barrel away from his face with his finger.
"Will you have any more excuses?" Alucard asked with a cheerful smile, spinning the blunderbuss in her hand.
"Yes, I will… In short, when we talk to the one inside, we'll return to Yharnam, and you can kill as much as your heart desires. But we will explore the city in search of the right path and something interesting. You kill, I walk around. Does that plan suit you?" Alex asked with a thoughtful smile on his face, looking at Alucard.
"You forgot just one detail, my love. The blood. All the blood of those killed is mine. You do what you promised. Purify the Blood Echoes and give them to me," Alucard said, licking her lips with a predatory smile on her face.
"I didn't forget," Alex said, slightly rolling his eyes.
Alucard grinned and stopped poking Alex in the chest with her finger. Alex sighed lightly and began climbing the steps to open the doors of the workshop. Alex grabbed the door handles and pulled them toward himself. Alucard stood behind Alex and sensed the presence inside the Workshop.
This presence reminded her of Van Helsing, who had once defeated her. And now she wanted to look at the person who emanated such a strong presence. Alex also wanted to look and get acquainted with the first Hunter of this world, who ultimately ended up in the eternal trap of the Hunter's Dream, from which there was no exit for him.
To be continued...
(Well, these chapters will be a brief introduction to Yharnam. I understand perfectly well that you're all about blood, guts, and dismemberment. But everything in its time. It will all happen, it just takes time. And yes, I remember that there are those who need to be saved, especially two girls whose fate saddened me. And I'll be skipping some details so as not to describe every step Alex and Alucard take in Yharnam in detail. But I won't be doing a speedrun either. After all, there are places Alex and Alucard should visit. But I have a question: I don't remember how to get to the Old Hunter DLC. You can get there using this amygdala. Hmmm... Okay, figure it out as you go. Peace, love, and what is this? It's my cleaver stuck in the monster's face.)
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