Chapter 17: Right, but difficult thing to do. Sharpening skills.
-* Sigh* I must continue on my way, at the moment I don't like what I've found.
The hunter continued through the underground tunnels of the church ward. However, his wanderings did not last long.
Another spacious hall came into view. In the middle there were two rows of comfortable beds with IVs filled with old blood.
{ Is this the place where the miracle of blood healing took place? It is not surprising that people came here for any reason. The unsurpassed healing power of blood and convenient pastel... What a pity that the blood contained the beast plague. }
At the far wall stood an altar with an covered body lying on it. Chains led to the altar; locals usually used them to build elevators.
After the death of the hunters guarding the altar, Crowley ascended to the platform. It seemed that the body was missing its right eye. Stone taken from the Cleric beast fit perfectly into the hole. The altar began to rise.
*secret under the elevator*
Hearing voices, the teenager jumped off the platform. Under the first altar there was a second one, this time on it lay a human skull, wrapped in the robes of a church vicar.
{ Considering time period in this nightmare and the fact that outside of it the church only had two vicars. The skull belongs to Laurence.
I don't know if it's irony or maybe mockery, but the only remaining human part of the vicar was skull, locked in the nightmare.
Does this mean that the monster engulfed in fire is Laurence? }
- I think it's worth returning to him.
...
There were two standing in the room. As soon as the hunter entered the main hall, the lying monster began to awaken with a wild roar. Petrified limbs literally cracked from the effort.
Having freed his body, the first thing Laurence did was grab his head. It seemed that the realization of something was causing him considerable pain.
After a few seconds, the beast's goal changed, hunter who brought his skull into the room must die.
It might seem that a battle with an enemy whose likeness had been killed by the hunter's cane more than thousands times should be easy.
This would be the case if blood flowed in the monster's body, and not hot lava. Even a hunter's nine-times-hardened weapon could hardly hold up during a duel, let alone the flesh of a living creature or the walls and floors of the hall.
Heavy fights began, the main theme of which was control of the enemy's position. The task became much more complicated when the lower half of Laurence's body exploded, and lava began pouring out of the upper half in a crazy stream.
Once again, having honed his tactics through too many deaths, Crowley was able to complete the hunt.
The price was once again damaged psyche of the hunter. Reward for winner was the Beast embrace rune.
A little later, Crowley returned to Hunter's Dream and engraved a set of 3 runes in his mind: Beast, clawmark and beast's embrace.
This led to the hunter's pupils permanently taking on a constricted appearance, and the iris and an almost imperceptible part of the sclera turning bright green. The teeth also underwent changes, becoming sharper at the ends.
Combined with the hunter's eternal, slightly crazy smile, he really began to strongly resemble the Cheshire Cat.
Having told Gehrman about Laurence's death, the hunter received only a quietly said response - Thank you.
After which the teenager left Hunter's Dream.
...
Having climbed up with the help of the altar, a stunning picture opened before the teenager. A multi-story laboratory- clocktower connected to itself through a complex network of stairs.
On each floor there were doors leading to rooms on the sides. Humanoids with a swollen, disfigured tumor instead of a head walked throughout laboratory. As it turned out a little later, sometimes the tumor remains alive even after the loss of the rest of the body.
In this case, such a creature receives an amazing level of survival; it seemed that they were able to restart their own body after death.
During the cleanup, some of the monsters kept repeating the name, which greatly bothered Crowley.
{ Lady Maria...Gehrman's student, what have they done that now the mind of all these people is locked in a nightmare. I don't think experimenting on people is a good enough reason; after all, most of The Chore's members were in the real world.}
After completing his exploration of the tower, Crowley stood in front of Lumenwood field.
The hunter's arsenal now includes a shield that reflects any arcane attack and a new arcane tool in the form of an eye, which, when activated, releases a small asteroid that follows the enemy.
{ Deals with Adeline will disgust me for a long time}
Crowley stepped onto the field. In front of him, from flowers reminiscent of sunflowers, a Blue Giant appeared, fused with head and body.
After death of the first, two appeared from the flowers. One of them used arcane magic to attack the hunter from afar. At these moments a brand new shield came in handy. The second blindly tried to hit a hunter in close combat.
Despite the increasing number of monsters. In the end, when they receive a certain amount of damage, they all died, whether they were connected by one mind.
They left behind a key that opened the gate on the other side of the field.
Uninterested in staying in this place for a long time, Crowley opened the gate and went inside.
In a huge hall, a blood-covered girl dressed as a hunter was sitting on a chair, her wounds indicated a suicide attempt. As he got closer, a teenager discovered something amazing; the girl's face exactly repeated the Doll's face..
- Lady Maria? Reaching out to the huntress's neck, Crowley was about to check for a pulse.
The suddenly awakened girl grabbed the approaching limb.
- A corpse, should be left well alone. Oh, I know very well how the secrets beckon so sweetly. Only an honest death will cure you now. Liberate you from your wild curiosity.
- Lady Maria! I am also a student of Gehrman, they told me a lot about you. Sorry for my lack of manners. My name is Cheshire Crowley, nice to meet you.
The girl's face did not change, only one phrase left her mouth.
- Please, save me...
A moment later, the huntress, who had disappeared in a bloody fog, appeared in front of Crowley, piercing his heart.
{I heard she has amazing skills, but to that extent... }
*Death*
Maria was not very strong physically, and she did not possess secret magic. The hunter's real weapon was her skills. Each new duel with a girl gradually improved the teenager's own mastery.
And although Crowley was dying faster than ever, it seemed that he could go his long way again and again.
......
At the top of the clocktower, bloody and light green fog collided several times per second. Maria with blades charged with her own blood that hit targets at three times the distance and Crowley, whose arcane-charged cane-whip seemed to be in hot pursuit of his opponent.
The beautiful dance of blows and pistol shots lasted for several hours. But all good things come to an end, the whip finally overtook Maria's heart.
With a wheeze, the huntress sank to the ground. There was gratitude in her eyes.
- Thank you. And tell Gehrman my apologies. I simply could not continue to live after the actions we committed.
Tears appeared in the teenager's eyes, which were completely filled with green.
- Even though I know that now you will be free... You have been my friend for a long time. I will convey your words to the master. Rest in peace Maria of Cainhurst.
......
*Hunter's Dream*
- Good hunter. This may sound strange, but... Have I somehow changed? Moments ago, from some place, perhaps deep within, I sensed a liberation from heavy shackles. Not that I would know... How passing strange...
- Is it true? You may not realize it, but your words mean a lot to me. Forgive me, but now I have to go to Gehrman, I have important news.
After exchanging bows, the hunter went to the workshop.
- Master Gehrman, in a hunter's nightmare I met Maria.... I had to put her out of her misery. Before she disappeared, she asked me to convey her apologies to you. She said that she couldn't live knowing what she had done.
Hearing Crowley, the old man almost jumped out of his wheelchair.
- Maria?! So the whole time I was here she was suffering? I.....
Tears flowed from the old man's eyes.
- Thank you, Cheshire Crowley..- The old man bowed.
-Despite our sins, you freed everyone I know from a nightmare. I will never forget this.
Serious eyes with sclera almost completely colored green looked at the old man
- Master, I want to know what happened in those days. Why did Maria commit suicide?
- Want to know? Okay, now it's the least I can do, sit down and listen...
*Few minutes later*
- Did you cut out the still living child from the mother's womb?!
- Yes.....
- *Furious sigh* Master, perhaps it should be you in that nightmare. But now it can't be changed. We need to move on. I'll be back again, I promise.
The teenager left the Hunter's Dream.
......
A doll entered the workshop.
- The secret is becoming clear, we are getting closer to the end.
- I know when the time comes, I will free him.
- You can't. He won't agree to this.
-Then I will use force.
- No. When the moment comes, the choice will be his. We both know this.
- Do you think he understood?
- If not, he will soon understand.
Death count - 35433.
Books read - 6000.
Body empowerment - 12.7x.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone