(Enjoy. I have to go find a way to pay for my tuition for trade school. So enjoy this chapter that I've done)
Percy sat in the hunter's dream reading the books that littered the Library. The books were a variety of things, and never the same one.
But while he read, he noticed that the words were automatically inserted into his brain. While he didn't understand the language it was written in, he could read it.
How Percy hated reading those damn books, however this was his duty. He couldn't just go out on a hunt unprepared after all.
"What are great ones," Percy tried asking the old hunter, but he didn't look up from his book.
"That answer is a difficult one, and not one you're prepared for. Your mind goes insane and lose your mind. Instead, start here" Gehrman said as he wheeled over to Percy.
As if he knew what he was looking for, he pulled a book out of the stack.
{You have acquired "the art of the duel"
Description: fighting is second nature to you, but a duel is sacred. If you enter a duel, solely you and your prey will be allowed to fight. No other person shall interfere with your hunt}
Percy skimmed the book, and learned the meaning of a duel. A duel between two hunters... a battle to the death.
"You finished so quickly?" Gehrman said with a raised eyebrow, surprised clear in his old face.
"Yes sir," Percy said as he put the book back.
With a nod Gehrman went over to the bench and pulled out a weird stone.
"Then come, I'll show you how to enhance your weapon. As it stands right now, you are weak. Gaining strength yes, but strength is useless if your weapon isn't up to par," gehrman said, allowing percy to place his dagger and saw cleaver on the table.
Gehrman eyes looked at the knife with a look of clear fascination, but not enough to look further.
"There's two ways this can be done. Manually or spiritually. To start you off, we will begin with the easier option. Place your hands on the blade," he told Percy.
With a nod Percy listened and placed his hand on the blade. The book he read about blacksmithing (chapter 4) allowed his body to instinctively draw the blood echos into the weapon.
The blood stone shards that were in Percy's pocket floated onto the table and into the blade. The blood echos melting them into the blade.
However not without a cost.
Percy got a splitting headache as unknown memories flooded his brain, causing him to lean against the table for support.
"And that is why we don't rush," Gehrman scoffed at Percy, but inwardly Gehrman was concerned for the young boy.
While bound by the dream he wouldn't die, but that doesn't mean his mind won't decay, or worse. His memories were already fading, but not as much as it should, thanks to his old student.
"Those were...," Percy said, clasping a hand over his mouth in horror.
[+1 insight (11 total)]
Gehrman nodded his head.
"What do you think blood echos were? Memories. In case you failed to realize it, those aren't beasts you are hunting. Their people," he said.
Percy was visibly pale, and after a moment he regained his thoughts.
"They... were already a beast when I killed them right?" He asked. He had no problem killing humans.
But the thought of massacring thousands of humans didn't sit well for him. At all. Thankfully gehrman confirmed it for him.
"Yes. Human they are not. Once you fall to beasthood, there is no return. Remember that. What you hunt are beasts. Never forget," he said as he put a finger to his chest.
"And never. Ever. Forget who you are," he said.
....
"Did you know," Percy said as soon as he entered the chapel where Eileen waited for him.
"About?" She cocked her head.
"They were humans," Percy hissed.
Eileen nodded.
"What did you think beasthood was? They were all once people. Hunters, fathers, sons, daughters, and even children. But once they lose their sanity all that is left is beasthood. There is no salvation for them," Eileen said before sighing softly.
"You are young. And as an outsider, I won't claim to understand what this new york is. Nor do I want to, from the sounds of it, your daily life and life in yharnam are both filled with battle.
What I can do is prepare you for your journey but even I can do so much. Now this is your hunt. Your battle. This hunt ends when you are finished with your hunt," she said before taking off the mask she loved.
"And you are not ready," she continued.
"But I was able to kill Gascoi-" Eileen stopped him mid sentence with a glare.
"You survived. There is a difference between surviving and living. Tell me Percy, if you didn't know you could resurrect, would you have fought him as you did?" She said,
The answer was no. He knew that deep down, and that... was a bit scary.
"... and there are stronger people than that?" Percy gulped.
"Dont think of unnecessary things. Go out, this area isn't too crowded, nor is it too difficult since you can come back. Just try not to. I may not know when you die, but I feel it. And it's a sickening feeling having time being rewound multiple times," she said with a shudder.
....
Percy woke up in the middle of class with a start. Chiron's eyes went to him immediately.
"Why dont you take a trip to the nurses office percy," he said looking at the pale, and clearly afraid percy.
Percy didn't even make it to the door as he went to the nearest trash and barfed. The contents in his stomach resurfacing once more.
"The damn giants," Percy said, having just been on the receiving end of his femur bone up the bum.
"Ewwwww," people pointed towards Percy as he had a vulnerable moment.
His mind cracked for a split second, and his green eyes glowed lightly, as if he was about to kill them, but stopped.
That look however wasn't missed by grover nor chiron. Grover who pushed Percy out the room, not at all eager to have a raging demigod being pushed too far.
"I *bleep" this school," percy cursed. However as he tried to say *bleep* it was automatically censored.
"*bleep* damnit," percy cursed the book "how to pick up fair maidens.
(End of chapter)