Upon Tobi and Noel carrying Skadi entered the house, Nameless was sitting in a rocking chair in the hallway, next to her was a table filled with empty plates and a mug. The two paused as Nameless stands then called Gladiia and approached them, Gladiia appeared following her elder sister as she moved next to her now standing a meter from them. Gladiia extends her arms as she asks for the sleeping Skadi so Noel gives Skadi to her.
Tobi: So be it, don't let her fall or regret knowing what a hunter really is and be bound to the nightmare, that unending dream. Nameless didn't reply as she and Gladiia vanished with a dark smoke of shadow melting to the ground.
Noel: I can feel sis presence in your basement brother? You know bro I feel like Nameless already the head of the family a while ago, she smiles like she loves it if it will happen.
Tobi knitted his eyebrows he didn't mind as he walked to the basement and Noel followed. He knows that Ame Warashi, Liliana and the others are in the dining area, he didn't want to disturb them so he really wanted to see what Alice is doing to those eggs, to his children.
...…
They appeared in a western gothic city, a pale moon hung in the night as it shone over the place like there is no dawn in this land. The three faced a two story house like it was a guard house for a border separating a cemetery and the huge city.
Nameless: Put her down on the stone bench, as she pointed at it then she looked at the window of the house seeing the retreating silhouette.
Gladiia: That is very rare for our ancestor's essence of will to see us? she had met it even though it was a tiny pale flame back then not comparable to a soul essence.
She didn't get a reply from Nameless who just walked in the gate of the cemetery to go to the main house standing in a small slope mountain designated for Nameless as the owner of the dream.
Gladiia looked at the sleeping Skadi then shrugged, following her sister that slowly changed to a young lady made her pause, she ran and followed asking her how to achieve that.
Nameless: Insight and endlighten in multiple simulations I did while I take rest in my adventures. One of me did it so if I can unlock this blessing and curse maybe you can do it too.
Gladiia smiles then ask her again if she can help her today but Nameless said she don't need to because the work she was doing was for hers only as a pickaxe and a shovel appeared in her hands telling Gladiia to monitor Skadi in the observation room as both arrive in the main house the doll maid greeted them. Gladiia rush on the observation room that filled of monitors reflecting every corner of the huge city as for Nameless walks out of the house from the back door descending down the slope mountain filled of tombs, flowers, lit candles and so on as she arrived in a plane land with dig graves that can't be count, she was the one who dug up for those she will kill inside that door this will be their graveyard.
...…
Skadi awoken bewildered, alone a she fix herself to sat properly in the stone bench looking at the old buildings in front of her but within inside something telling her to explore every corner of the city lies in front of her and as she looks back her gaze stop at the house like she knows she will enter it after her exploration.
Skadi jumps down in the stone bench as she looks from her left to right like there will be some carriage that will suddenly appear and accidentally crash at her but with a brave heart she makes her step walking straight to this unknown city. She didn't question why she appeared here but how her dad always says to them never question a thing that always ends up confusing yourself to reality.
She follows her instinct as she ignores the house in front of her as she walks in the dark alley leading her way to a new street directing to the middle plaza of the city yet she did not take it as she found the 1st house that she wanted to enter. As she walks in she appears in a memory, she pauses as she already deduces this was not a will of a soul but a memory essence left around by the one who stays in this house.
A woman's voice entered her ears…. This dream again? What else can this empty house and city do for me? As the woman asked, soon a wisp appeared piercing her mind, sending every information about this place and what would happen to her. This woman was born to a farmer family in another world, a setting where monsters, demons and entities are naturally born to mess up her world. The load of information makes the woman awake to her old hut scattered and traces of blood of hers like she was butchered by something as the woman feels that the enemies raided the town was gone, the woman rest a little to grasp some breathing. Skadi watch everything foretold, the next thing the woman do was to sleep to appear again to that dream, the house she was in have a workshop as the woman tailor a outfit drip, a cool one then her trick weapon according to the information she acquire from the small pale of flame. The new life of the woman started, hunting monsters, demons and entities with a mortal body. Every kill, every parts that can be salvage turned to anything that can be used as weapons against her enemies as for those knights, adventures, paladins, priests, heroes and so on looks at this woman like she nothing but curse, a woman that cannot level up…. a civilian, yes this world that Skadi watching have this thing. Why? damn why did she question it? Skadi needs to hold back clenching her small fist as she watch experience the woman's life, her movements, her crude way of hunting but so perfectly on how this woman uses her trick weapon more than to herself swinging her sword to kill entities. Now she knows she was in the dream, a nightmare, a curse and everything a hunter will have the moment you sleep your conscious or either your whole body and soul will dragged then enters this place, she will not dream those happy gourmet thing anymore yet there was smiles painted at her face like she slowly realize the thing her dad always said follow the way how your existence depicts on what kind of entity you are or you wanted to be.
She started to do it, watching every move that the woman did. Every fight she picks up something and soon the woman that she was observing notices that she was not the only hunter in this dream. Yes it was time she matched those hunters from different worlds, a gathering as the woman learns that a hunter can travel worlds as long as the dream or this nightmare notices that you fulfill a certain criteria. The woman's life has now a turning point, traveling the worlds yet hunting entities, Skadi again and again matches her movements in every weapon the woman uses, replicating everything until the woman's last moment of her hunt.
The memory faded, she appeared in an empty hallway of the house she had entered. As she blinked like everything was pasted in her mind, ah it was an inheritance the life experience of that hunter. She walked out of the house just a few steps and she had found her goal: it was the neighboring house. She clenched her small fist as she entered the door on how clueless she was on what kind of hunter owns this house.
Gladiia watching the observation screen noticed a little change of air around Skadi with her Nen-Qi Gyo, as she nodded because she also experienced everything this dream can offer. This nightmare is the only hunter have, a resting place against a chaotic reality.
Skadi froze as she watched a dying soldier in a war who became a hunter, she watched his tactics hit and run. Die, returning again and again until he killed the entity he set as target then she sees the man walks out his house in the dream and the house she came from a while ago was now barricaded it mean the owner of that quarters is already dead, the man walks to a certain mansion as he meet a 30 or 40 years old man but when she heard this man voice she realize this was that person in that wheelchair greeted her sister before she entered that door.
The two men talk, the young man asks the older man why did you hide from all hunters that are still alive about the slowly corrupted mother tree of the realms as the older man replies ah you had seen it? the younger one said I killed something then trace where it come from and saw it that tree with half of it body slowly eaten by corruption from negative emotions from all livings or anything alive in the realms and I saw a saw cleaver embed to it, its holding it on bay then he ask who is the owner of that trick weapon the older man gave a feedback from a dead colleague yet Skadi known from the inside that saw cleaver is from her ancestor, her big sister had shown it to her and Specter calling it our family treasure.
After that meeting soon Skadi vision shifted in a cosmic stand off, that man on his hunter outfit wielding his gun and bowblade as he look a the corrupted mother tree that slowly execrated some things above any distortion, Skadi knows this being those who devourer the race she came from, origin abyss devourers. Why is the man fighting alone yet he heard the man monologue, this will be my perfect hunt. I don't care if the realms and those who live it curse and hunt me if I win this fight as he ready himself to charge without any hesitation he said to himself, I live long. Long enough that I become tired of living so if I die here maybe that's my wake up call as he looks at his weapon then continue someday you guys will find a good owner, a good hunter. The dream, that nightmare, will retrieve the main weapon of dead hunters, not their body the moment they really wanted to die in their designated last hunt.
She watched and every detail of the fight was being digested by her mind. Dodge and hit, hit and roll, step right and left then keep hitting on how huge are his enemies, on how wounds pile in his body he keeps fighting. Blood vials poured again and again to his mouth, as he killed one he moved to aim at another. A miss step he didn't notice the movement of the corrupted mother tree, a root coated of corruption in his blind spot he was pierced from his back yet he was able to maneuver in millisecond for it not to damage his heart yet still able to move to cut with his bowblade but the corruption slowly spreads as he drinks a blood vial he smile as he return his gun to his inventory ignoring the rushing origin abyss devourers, he steps back transforming his bowblade to bow form, pouring every strength he had as he aim and shoot it to a certain area of the tree. Skadi sees it even the arrow left the bow the man still struggle to fight back yet he was feasted by one of the origin abyss devourer from his body and soul but a sound of cracking echoes as those being turned to dust, Skadi shifted her vision the arrow arrive to late hitting the sawblade that should be loosing it hold to the tree embedding it again deeper to its position as she hear a female voice cries then the vision ended she appeared in the living room of that house sitting on a couch.
She hopped down the couch as she didn't check the house workshop. She slowly walks out of it, she gathers her breath as she slowly adapts to everything she had seen. She moves like she was copying the man's movement, a unique footsteps as she continues to check every house and experience every hunter's life. From a normal person with a family, a sick one, a helpless beggar, a human with a dreadful past, a dying man/woman wanting revenge and so on they all appear here as they all become hunters to carry the word hunt.
She had seen the war leading that man using his body and soul to trap all the hunters that had fallen from their grace in fighting an endless army of origin abyss devourers.
Only a few houses or buildings remain, something already changing inside of her. This time she was standing in front of a clocktower with her small hands as she slowly pushed the double door to open it. She explores every corner of the clocktower yet no vision or anything left behind until she reaches the top floor upon entering she notices a single chair in the end placed in the middle like it was a king's throne. Still there is nothing but as she steps up slowly to check it she hears the door she had opened in her back open up again nope its an illusion of a man, a hunter enters the stage. A white projection walks by passing her as soon as her gaze follows this hunter slowly approaches the throne that there was now a projection of a female hunter slumbering.
As the man touches the female hunter, it moves, grabbing the man's arm then she said. A corpse should be left well alone.
The man steps back as the woman continues her words. Oh, I know very well. How the secrets beckon so sweetly. Only an honest death will cure you now.
The woman stands from her seat as she holds her trick weapon, a sword and a dagger that combine, she continues her words. Liberate you, from your wild curiosity as she detaches it dual wielding both in her hands then the fight starts.
The two clash as the man uses his gun to stagger then stab the woman yet the woman stands as if she was a machine, confrontation to confrontation. The man parries the attacks with his trick weapon and gunshots redirecting a wave of slashes created from blood. The woman entered her 2nd phase battle form as she stabbed herself with her weapons and soon it changed to two long swords.
Skadi: Is that a blood base battle technique? but she was still focused on every detail the two made in their fight.
The female undead fallen hunter attacks intensify as the fight goes on then it happen a mistake in his footstep, a deep cut in his right leg made the man kneeled and the final attack arrived a clean cut upward cutting him in half with blood splattered around landing in the floor vanishing in black smoke yet before the being returned to her throne a footstep behind the door echoes then the door open with a bang the one who entered was of course it was the same hunter full of energy and stocks of blood vials, gripping a different trick weapon, it was now a saw cleaver.
The man charges straight without any hesitation, the two clash again and soon the man wins, he slowly pulls out his weapon in the body of this hunter ignoring the grotesque nature of the scene. Everything returns to normal as Skadi tries to copy the movement of the two, mimicking everything yet something still missing. She turns back and walks out of that place, she doesn't have a plan to enter the man house that will soon be in the one becoming that seal of those fallen hunters. She walks as she felt its time for her to go to the main house, to street then alley for some reason she notice it a single dilapidated bungalow house, confuse or maybe she didn't notice it when she pass by this area but something inside saying not to go in but still she move forward stoping in front of its door as she touched it, everything inside of her screaming. She swallows her saliva hard as she pushes the door showing only darkness soon she enters it.
Gladiia saw it on her screen, squeezing her fist as she lay her back on the chair muttering words. You will now see something that will make you sad or cry my little sister.
Skadi watches a young man's life from birth till he appears in this nightmare with his body and soul? A house compound, its front was the main road, its back and side by side it was surrounded by tall buildings. A home yet a shop, Skadi knows this place, it was his fathers home, the main house but the owner was different.
A couple with black hair. The female was sometimes called the witch of dimensions and the male was a powerful creator but also a powerful mage, eastern people and a family of four yet she was watching the story of their son not his little sister.
The young man appeared in the dream, clueless and no one like the pale flame greeted him in the only wrecked place as everything was illuminated by light of the moon above as if it's really a moon, the sound of encroaching echoes everywhere like there was construction happening around him. When he looks up above he saw it countless of eyes was looking at him the same way, the moon have a face and everything was like a wall of appendages those eyes are like the stars but it was not then slowly mouths materialized at it, they grind at him with their white teeth and a heavy pressure pour down at him, he kneeled yet something or a warm feeling protected him as he looked down not to look up soon a huge footstep enters his ears, sound of approaching to his location as he look at that direction a huge 2 story grotesque blackies entity walks, it breaks everything that blocks its path. The young man stands as he runs yet he doesn't know if there is a safe place in this land. Streets, alleys and wreck buildings there are some entities everywhere, he sees something linked to them above he realizes they are being controlled and he was their new toy in this abandoned city.
He tried to look for a weapon yet only found a tattered swordcane, he doesn't know anything about this place nor he receive any memory to become a hunter, using his knowledge about magic and creation to make talismans, etc. to protect himself as he was being chased like a prey, every confrontation he was able to make his escape, battered as scratches and swollen wounds piled up in his body. The only covered against those eyes above was those wrecked building that still have roof, having a moment of breathing looking for an actual safe zone as he move sneakily against those who entities still looking for him soon he saw it, a house in a small slope mountain, tombs and flowers with a single huge tree, its compound was being surrounded by metallic fence. As he looked at it with a smile on his face he saw something an attack coming from above a massive grotesque flesh but it wasn't able to make it, a barrier defected it as it cried in pain reverberating around the whole city. After it subsided he made his move looking for its gate even knowing it was covered by a barrier.
Skadi was silent this is the only thing she can do, the current dream in this vision was still holding back those entities and the things they controlled to a certain level as she continue to watch the man struggle to survive bit by bit a bitter aftertaste that hard to swallow in her mouth, a feeling she needed to control.
He moved sneakily as soon he spotted the gate afar as he froze it was an open area more devastated, blackies grotesque entities lying down killed by something, he felt gazes. He doesn't look up as he tries to run but a pressure more powerful than the last time makes him stumble. A crashing down not far from his back echoes, something descends as he looks back a taller being stood locked on him then an alarm echoes in the whole land.
Attention, this is not a drill, a being above a certain degree that can violate the law of this dream detected, from this moment all the defensive mechanisms that are still active will try to eliminate it. Please stay at home and wait for a new notice if the target is eliminated.
A mechanical voice, he crawls then stands and runs to that cemetery. In his vision tombs aligned, suddenly vibrated and opened, unmanned gatling guns rallies. It fire rain of bullets to the being behind him, he runs and use his handmade talisman creating a Kekkai to shield himself yet a few meters his barrier broke it cannot withstand the constant hit of stray bullets from the gatling guns as his right leg was shot that almost destroyed or detached it from his body, he crashed like a rag as he turned himself to look up only meeting those gazes with their grind smile at him, a heavy footstep slowly approaching him and he moved his gaze at look at the massive being withstanding the barrage of bullets like it was nothing, he still tries. he crawls as the barrage of gun shoots intensify, he was almost there yet the moment he was 8 meters from the gate an invisible wall stop him, he choked and tears slowly drips in his eyes as he tries look for away out but he notice the wrecked house next to the gate where a female human figure sat devastatedly, no this was the doll that Skadi heard on those vision. A ghost-like entity that roams this dream yet the hunters don't know this was the caretaker of this nightmare.
He swallows hard as he decides to accept his fate, he moves and uses the invisible wall for his back to rest, sitting watching the abomination approach his location yet far away a rally of dark beings slowly unfold or gathered like an army to charge to this place.
The tide of entities rush slamming themselves like a tsunami in the barrier yet his spot was not being affected nor any of these entities rush to him as his eyes lock the grotesque giant that was a few meters far away now to him.
The being knelt as it uses its point finger to press his whole body, sound of bones cracked as he throws blood from his mouth screaming of pain then the being picks him up grabbing his right arm like a toy that is already beyond repair in a wrong move it will snap. The giant turned around soon, the other entities from ground to flying units stopped and gathered, piling their bodies like they were making a stair for it. The cemetery that was protected by a barrier was now turned to a black dome on how these entities covered it with their dead bodies.
In a certain degree of height of the stair, being carried with a little consciousness left he remembered something, his father's words. You link to our house, to this shop, I created it and it already has sentience with a little power to grant wishes to come true even without my connection to it, use it when in times you need to, wish but of course it will have a payment. His thoughts gathered the moment he appeared here he felt a connection to it, it means even if he wishes to get out of here alive, he or his descendants will still have a chance to appear here so he decided in every step the entity did he started to make his wish praying for the shop to hear it.
I wish for my sister not to appear here, her descendants and so on as long they will not look for it, as long no one of her descendants have the capability to fight whose eyes are those above its horizon, show them that someone will appear here and he/she will be their end as for the payment, you can have it, my body…. the moment he almost completed it he was thrown up.
"Author's note: Gomen Amanai MeMe"
His body hovered, it floated upward slowly ascending above yet his mouth muttered everything to complete it. and soul, everything I had my whole existence then a golden light enveloped his body and dissolved in air, soon a projection of his parents separation because of this event, his sister's descendants life playing one by one, Skadi watched everything until the end of it as it showed three children signing something in a dim storage area, a book. She knows them it was her dad and aunties, the projection darken then it divided to three showing 3 pair of eyes looking at above that make everything freeze yet the projection disappeared but before the scene subsided a female child voice echoes that makes the dream and those who watches above tremble, it shakes everything and erase those entities below, her words "F*ck Off". Those peering eyes close, every single of them and the face on the moon vanishes turning everything back to a dark midnight.
Everything is finished Skadi was now standing outside of the house she entered yet she looked back but that house was no longer there, it was replaced by an empty plot.
Skadi looks up, vision blurred no moisten, she said to herself I'm not crying yet a warm tears leaks out of her eyes, she knows there is still missing. The man who owns that saw cleaver, the man with the last name Bloodborne, their ancestor, she didn't know where to look for his house. Soon she heard a barking when she looked at it, it was a canning cub. Gladiia froze as she saw Gladius in there? you want to guide her so be it.
9 cute wolf cub heads look at her as Gladius again barks trying to be a dog then turns.
Skadi: You want me to follow you?
One of the heads turned and nodded, then the two moved and soon they arrived in front of the place Skadi considered the guard house.
Gladius sat and again looked at her yet the cub's tail pointed at the door.
Skadi makes her step then stands in front of it, she doesn't know what experience she will receive inside of this house as she looks at her right palm then makes a fist, she pushes the door and enters it.