After freeing Adeline from the nightmares of this world, Alex continued doing what he had started — exploring the Research Hall. Once again on the first floor, Alex's gaze shifted to the closed door that led to the balcony overlooking the flower garden.
Taking out the balcony key that had remained after Adeline's death, Alex paused for a moment in thought. Looking at the key again, he decided that he shouldn't go there just yet. Putting the balcony key back in his pocket, Alex continued searching for interesting items he could find in the Research Hall.
Lighting a cigarette, Alex climbed the spiral staircase once more. Following his memories, he visited every floor of the Research Hall, finding more and more interesting things. Wandering through this labyrinth of floors and stairs, Alex was in no hurry, not wanting to miss anything.
Floor by floor, he discovered more curious objects, which he stored in the pouch on his back to examine more carefully later. Despite the Research Hall being a true labyrinth, it didn't bother Alex at all.
He calmly jumped to the next floor after finishing his inspection of the previous one. While Alex was busy searching for interesting things, the Black Cat that had been sleeping on his shoulder grew tired of the shaking and hid in his shadow.
During his search for the secrets of the Research Hall, Alex found something that was definitely not mentioned in the game. He discovered several diaries written by patients before they turned into something strange and insane. But Alex still couldn't find what he was truly looking for. He wanted to discover at least something that indicated Laurence had also conducted experiments in this place.
Alex knew perfectly well that Laurence had first and foremost been a researcher, and only later the founder of the Healing Church. After all, it was for the sake of his research that Laurence had left Byrgenwerth together with those who shared his beliefs and founded the Healing Church to continue his studies. Some of the diaries Alex found belonged precisely to those who had followed Laurence and also left Byrgenwerth.
But all Alex found were indirect mentions of Laurence's presence in the patients' diaries or the doctors' records. He searched every cabinet and desk on every floor of the Research Hall but couldn't find anything that directly indicated Laurence had participated in the experiments conducted in this place.
In the end, Alex reached the very top, where the mechanism controlling the spiral staircase was located. Almost at the very ceiling of the Research Hall was the mechanism that raised and lowered the spiral staircase when needed. The circular platform with the mechanism was in the center, surrounded by beams that allowed one to reach it.
At the very top there was also a balcony with stained-glass windows, through which one could see the Lumenwood Garden. In the center of this garden grew a huge sunflower that resembled a tree, with branches extending from it, ending in sunflower blossoms that had long since withered. After looking at this flower for a couple of moments, Alex turned his gaze away. Sitting on the edge of the balcony, he let his legs dangle down and looked below at the Research Hall.
Alex had seen enough similar places where horrific experiments were performed on people. Lighting a cigarette, he decided to start reading the diaries he had managed to find during his search. Reading diary after diary, Alex continued sitting on the edge of the balcony, slowly swinging his leg. After finishing another patient's diary, Alex set it aside and took a small bite of the apple he was holding in his other hand.
"Ugh… Still just as sour… Alright, who's next… Victor Morwen… Research on genetic and physical modifications… Interesting," Alex said, picking up the next diary.
Beginning to read Victor Morwen's research diary, Alex took another bite of the apple and continued reading. The first pages of the diary were unremarkable and filled only with Victor's own thoughts. Turning page after page, Alex nodded slightly, noticing interesting conclusions that Victor had reached in his research.
Despite the world Alex was currently in resembling the Victorian era — which meant scientists didn't have sufficiently advanced technology for their research — the blood of the Great Ones opened many doors for these researchers. In particular, the blood of the Great Ones had opened one of those doors for Victor and his studies.
Victor had been researching manipulations of the body and genes to create superhuman hunters or beings. Alex still denied the fact that the blood of beings like the Great Ones could help advance to the next stage of evolution. After reading to the middle of the diary, Alex began to notice that Victor mentioned one particular woman far too often — a woman he frequently saw in the clinic.
"Oh, who is this poor woman who was so unlucky that you became so obsessed with her, Victor?" Alex said, unable to hold back the mockery in his voice.
Alex genuinely became curious about who this unlucky woman was that Victor was obsessed with. Holding the apple between his teeth, Alex began turning page after page. Continuing to read Victor's diary, he realized that this man was far too fixated on some woman. And very soon Alex got the answer to his question. Victor was obsessed with Maria.
He saw her as the perfect candidate for his experiments to create a new generation of hunters. And the reason for this was that Maria was from Cainhurst and related to Annalise, the Queen of the Vilebloods. Therefore, Victor considered Maria the ideal candidate for his research. In his notes, Victor repeatedly mentioned that Maria's blood was special and that she was the perfect candidate to give birth to this new generation of hunters.
On one of the pages, Alex saw a full-body drawing of Maria. The drawing of Maria that Victor had made was very beautiful. Alex tore the drawing out of the diary and carefully folded it. Putting the drawing of Maria into the pouch on his back, Alex continued reading Victor's diary. But all the subsequent entries after the drawing were devoted to Victor's thoughts about his observations of Maria.
"What a disgusting man you are, Victor," Alex said after finishing the last page of Victor's diary.
After reading Victor Morwen's diary, Alex couldn't help but shake his head at the foolishness of this man. All his theories about creating a new generation of hunters using the blood of the Great Ones had ultimately boiled down to him desiring Maria and wanting her to give birth to this new generation. This diary only evoked disgust in Alex and nothing more.
Not wanting to keep such filth with him, Alex simply burned Victor's diary. But he had no intention of burning the drawing of Maria. Taking the drawing of Maria out of his pocket, he couldn't deny that Maria was truly beautiful. And the Doll, who had been created in Maria's image, had fully inherited the beauty of Maria's appearance.
But even though Maria and the Doll were identical in appearance, Alex saw subtle differences that were not difficult to notice. The Doll looked like a gentle girl, while in the drawing Maria was depicted as a cold aristocrat. Alex understood that it was difficult to determine what Maria had truly been like from just a drawing.
"Even though you were disgusting, Victor, the drawing turned out excellent. Especially the eyes," Alex said, examining the drawing of Maria.
Looking at the drawing of Maria, Alex turned his head back and looked at the stained-glass windows that offered a view of the Lumenwood Garden. On the other side of this garden was the Clock Tower, where Maria herself was located. And Alex wanted to go to that place.
What Alex truly hoped for was that Maria would not attack him the way she did in the game. Standing up from the edge of the balcony, Alex walked over to the stained-glass window and looked at the entrance to the Clock Tower, which was located behind the creepy sunflower tree. Looking at the doors of the Clock Tower, Alex lightly stroked his chin.
He knew that the creatures living in this garden were called the Living Failures — failed products of experiments with the blood of the Great Ones. Even without using magical vision, Alex could sense the presence of these beings in the garden below. Stroking his chin, Alex was certain that the blood of these creatures would give Alucard a significant power boost after she absorbed it.
"I wonder if Carmilla will be able to kill these creatures after her third absorption of Blood Echoes?" Alex asked, looking down at the Lumenwood Garden.
Stopping stroking his chin, Alex figured that Alucard would handle such creatures without any problems. Stopping his gaze on the garden below, Alex decided to finish his remaining business in the Research Hall before moving on. The last place he needed to visit was the balcony that overlooked the flower garden. Approaching the edge of the balcony, Alex stepped forward and began to fall downward.
Alex landed softly on the first floor and headed toward the only closed doors in the place. Approaching the closed door, Alex opened it with the key instead of kicking it down. Opening the door, Alex saw an old stone balcony that offered a view of the garden below. Stepping onto the balcony, Alex leaned on the railing and lit a cigarette.
From the balcony, there was a rather gloomy view of the garden below: old, almost ruined stone columns wrapped in dried vines. And instead of a beautiful sunflower garden, there were only withered sunflowers that had long since dried up and turned gray.
In a place like this, there was only an atmosphere of desolation and nothing more. Alex had read about this place in the diaries of the patients who had been experimented on. And all the patients in the diaries Alex had found mentioned that this place brought them a small sense of calm. The scent of blooming sunflowers helped them calm their minds and not focus on the persistent sound in their heads that appeared after the experiments.
"I wonder if Maria liked sunflowers? Those she cared for often wrote that she frequently visited this place," Alex said, exhaling smoke and looking at the gloomy garden below.
Continuing to smoke his cigarette, Alex simply couldn't enjoy the view of this gloomy garden after everything he had read in the diaries about this place. Especially because of the diaries written by the patients of this place. Flicking the ash downward, Alex took another drag of cigarette smoke and exhaled it. Perhaps he really shouldn't have explored this place and should have just moved on.
Extinguishing the cigarette on the balcony railing, Alex understood that this sunflower garden also existed in Yharnam, and it could be found in the Upper Cathedral Ward, where he would also have to visit. Leaving the balcony, Alex returned to the first floor of the Research Hall. Raising his gaze to the only iron gates in this place, Alex realized there was nothing left for him to search for here. He had already found everything he could. All that remained was to move forward, toward the core of this Hunter's Nightmare.
"I hope I didn't forget anything," Alex muttered, approaching the spiral staircase.
Climbing the spiral staircase, Alex looked at the iron gates. Approaching the gates, Alex mentally called out to Alucard. A moment later, Alucard slowly emerged from his shadow, looking at him with a faint smile on her face. Alucard stepped toward Alex, gently wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned in closer for a kiss.
Alucard kissed Alex on the lips, pressing her body against his. Alex was momentarily taken aback by such a display of tenderness from Alucard. His eyes sparkled slightly as he activated his magical vision to see the changes inside Alucard's body and soul. Alex noticed that no drastic changes had occurred with Alucard, but she had become significantly stronger than she had been before.
And this increase in power was related to the absorption of the Blood Echoes from the beastly half of Vicar Amelia. Inside Amelia's body had been the highest concentration of the blood of the Great Ones compared to all those Alucard had absorbed before. And seeing this, Alex was now certain that Alucard would definitely be able to kill the Living Failures.
"As I can see, you slept very well," Alex said with a gentle smile on his face.
"You could say that. And did you manage to play researcher to your heart's content, my love?" Alucard asked, stroking Alex's cheek.
"I can say I'm satisfied. I found a couple of interesting things, as well as a drawing of Maria. So yes, I'm satisfied," Alex said, nodding with a smile on his face.
"And since you woke me up, that means those creatures you mentioned before I went to sleep are behind this door," Alucard said, looking at the iron gates behind Alex.
"Yes, they're there. They're just a little unpleasant and might cause you a few problems," Alex said, nodding and wrapping his arm around Alucard's waist.
"Really? And what kind of problems could these creatures cause?" Alucard asked with a slight smile, narrowing her eyes.
Alex released Alucard's waist and decided to tell her what the Living Failures were and why they might cause problems. Alex raised a finger and began to explain. But before he could say anything, Alucard stepped toward the iron gates and flung them open.
When Alucard opened the iron gates, the view of the garden appeared before her eyes, with a tree made of intertwined sunflowers growing in the center. And around it grew small sunflower flowers.
But Alucard's gaze was fixed on something else entirely. Her eyes focused on a tall blue creature with long limbs and a head that looked as if it had melted or been crushed into the body. Seeing the creature that Alex had called a Living Failure, Alucard stepped forward toward it.
"Let's see what you're made of. And whether you're as strong as my husband said," Alucard said, taking out her weapon from under her cloak.
After finishing speaking, Alucard stepped forward and instantly appeared in front of the first Living Failure. Alucard raised her saw-cleaver and immediately plunged its serrated blade into the Living Failure's body. The teeth on the saw-cleaver sank into the Living Failure's body, and Alucard felt as if her weapon had plunged into something jelly-like. Pulling the weapon back sharply, Alucard sliced the first Living Failure in half.
But instead of blood, the Living Failure's body simply crumbled into small particles. Alucard looked at the spot where the Living Failure's body should have fallen. Her eyelid twitched slightly when she realized she had killed such a creature so easily. Alucard slowly turned her gaze to Alex, who was lazily leaning against the wall by the iron gates.
"My love, turn around," Alex said, pointing his finger behind Alucard.
Alucard turned her head back and saw two more Living Failures slowly rising from the ground. Seeing that there were now two of these creatures, Alucard thought for a moment. While Alucard was thoughtfully looking at the two Living Failures, these creatures raised their hands above their heads.
Above the hands of the Living Failures, a strange black cloud began to form, resembling a night sky with stars. Alucard watched all this, wondering what these creatures were about to do. And in that same moment, energy projectiles began flying out of the black mist above the Living Failures' hands.
These projectiles slowly flew toward Alucard, who narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully observing the energy projectiles flying in her direction. When the energy spheres were almost upon Alucard, she simply stepped aside, easily dodging them without any trouble. Alucard instantly closed the distance to the nearest Living Failure and simply tore it in half with her bare hands.
After killing the second Living Failure, Alucard swung her palm and plunged it into the chest of the next one. After killing two more Living Failures, Alucard watched as they turned into strange dust that scattered in all directions. Observing this, Alucard frowned because she was beginning to understand very quickly what kind of problems Alex had been talking about.
And as confirmation, three more Living Failures rose from the ground. Alucard thought about how many times she would need to kill the Living Failures before they stopped appearing. Deciding to test her theory, Alucard quickly dealt with three more Living Failures.
And once again, everything repeated: death, dust, and the appearance of one additional Living Failure. Looking at the now four Living Failures, Alucard was neither nervous nor panicked. She was more curious about how many times she would need to kill the Living Failures before they stopped appearing.
"I wonder how long you will keep multiplying… Or if you have a limit," Alucard said, smiling mockingly as she looked at the Living Failures.
Alucard immediately lunged at the Living Failures, beginning to tear them apart with her bare hands. Alex, standing by the iron gates, watched what his wife was doing. Lighting a cigarette, Alex wondered how long it would take his wife to understand how to properly kill these creatures.
Alex used his magical vision and saw everything. The Living Failures were people who had failed to ascend to the level of the Great Ones and become Celestial Messengers during the experiments. But even though the Living Failures were failed products of the experiments, these beings had become something that was difficult to kill by ordinary means.
Alex continued watching and saw that the number of Living Failures had reached ten creatures. Alucard stopped killing the Living Failures after there were ten of them and carefully observed these beings. Instead of attacking Alucard, the Living Failures began raising their hands to the sky.
"My love, you should stop them. Otherwise it will be bad," Alex shouted, noticing the Living Failures' actions.
"And what are these creatures doing?" Alucard asked, turning her head back.
"Opening a portal," Alex said, pointing at the changes that had begun to occur.
Alucard shifted her gaze back to the Living Failures and saw how the very space above them began to darken, like a night sky. Above the heads of the Living Failures, a black mist began to gather, which in the next moment turned into a night sky filled with stars. Alucard and Alex watched this spectacle.
Alucard was seeing something like this for the first time. But that didn't mean she was going to do nothing. The pentagram on Alucard's gloves began to glow with red light. And in that same moment, a massive beastly hand with long claws emerged from the shadow beneath one of the Living Failures' feet.
The beastly hand grabbed the Living Failure and immediately crushed it. Following the hand, the owner of that hand emerged from the shadow. It was Amelia's beast form, which was now Alucard's familiar. The previously white werewolf with deer antlers now looked like a true embodiment of a nightmare. When the beast killed the first Living Failure, the portal did not close. The beast swung its massive paw, grabbed several Living Failures, and immediately crushed them in its paw.
After killing three Living Failures, the portal closed. And the Living Failures did not manage to summon what they had opened the portal for. Alucard and her familiar quickly killed the remaining Living Failures. But once again, the Living Failures simply turned into dust, and new Living Failures rose in their place.
"This is starting to get annoying," Alucard said, looking at the even greater number of Living Failures.
"Carmilla, you need to destroy their basis of existence so they don't come back," Alex shouted, explaining how to kill the Living Failures.
"And how do I do that, my love?" Alucard asked, turning her head toward Alex.
"You need to destroy not what's on the outside, but what's on the inside. Watch," Alex said, tossing aside his smoldering cigarette.
Alex took a step and disappeared from his spot. Alex instantly appeared beside one of the Living Failures and plunged his hand into its chest. Alucard carefully watched what Alex was doing to understand his actions. Plunging his hand into the Living Failure's chest, Alex grabbed the basis of the creature's existence and clenched his palm.
Alucard heard a sound like cracking glass, and in that same moment the Living Failure whose chest Alex had pierced simply fell to the floor among the sunflowers. After killing the Living Failure, Alex turned to Alucard and gave her a thumbs-up, pointing at his head and mentally explaining the entire process to her. Alex was certain that with her current strength, Alucard would have no problem doing the same.
Hearing the almost step-by-step instructions, Alucard looked at Alex with an empty gaze. Deciding to test how it worked, Alucard ordered her familiars to restrain the remaining Living Failures but not kill them. After giving the order to her familiars, Alucard instantly appeared beside a Living Failure.
The Living Failure swung its arm toward Alucard to grab her. Catching the Living Failure's arm, Alucard effortlessly tore it off. The pentagram on Alucard's hand began to glow, and she immediately plunged her palm into the Living Failure's chest. Plunging her palm into the Living Failure's chest, Alucard felt her hand touch something round and smooth.
"This must be the basis of existence he was talking about," Alucard said, grabbing the basis of the Living Failure's existence.
Gripping the orb with her hand, Alucard began to squeeze it. Alucard squeezed her palm and felt that breaking the basis of existence wasn't so simple. Applying more force, Alucard felt the Living Failure's basis of existence cracking in her grip. Squeezing her palm harder, Alucard destroyed the basis of the Living Failure's existence, and it simply died.
Alucard pulled her palm out of the Living Failure's chest, and it fell limply at her feet, showing no signs of revival. After finally killing the first Living Failure, Alucard shifted her gaze to the others, which her familiars were holding back, preventing them from doing anything. Alex saw how Alucard had killed the first Living Failure, and this was only possible because he had severed these creatures' connection to the Hunter's Nightmare.
The Living Failures were part of this dimension and could not die in the physical sense of the word. And after the Living Failures lost their connection to this dimension, Alucard was able to touch something like the basis of their existence. But Alex had no intention of telling her that his actions had literally exposed the basis of the Living Failures' existence so that Alucard could touch it.
"I told you these creatures would cause you problems, Carmilla," Alex said, appearing beside Alucard and holding a cigarette between his fingers.
"Indeed. The most problematic creatures I've had to deal with," Alucard said, turning her head slightly toward Alex.
"This will be very useful training for you. After all, these creatures are just a failed product of an experiment. They are neither humans nor Great Ones," Alex said, pointing at the Living Failures.
"As I understand it, there is also a successful experiment?" Alucard asked, smiling slightly.
"Yes. One in Byrgenwerth, another in the Upper Cathedral Ward. But we'll go there after we finish here," Alex said, nodding and explaining his plans.
Alucard smiled slightly and shrugged, seeing no reason to hurry at the moment. After finishing his conversation with Alucard, Alex returned to his spot. When Alex left, Alucard decided to finish off the remaining Living Failures so as not to waste any more time on these creatures.
Having learned that they were just defective products, Alucard expressed her contempt for these beings. Even if these creatures had caused her a bit of trouble, in her eyes a defective product remained a defective product. Alucard appeared beside one of the Living Failures and plunged her palm into its chest. Crushing the basis of the Living Failure's existence, Alucard immediately attacked the next one.
Alucard didn't need much time to kill every Living Failure. And after she destroyed the basis of existence of the last Living Failure, Alucard looked at the corpses of the Living Failures that had turned to dust. Seeing this, Alucard thought that the Living Failures would now revive again. But after a couple of moments, nothing happened.
"Don't worry, you killed them all. After you killed the last one, they all ceased to exist," Alex said, approaching Alucard and holding a cigarette between his fingers.
"So I wasn't imagining that they were connected to each other," Alucard said, looking at Alex with a calm gaze.
"You even sensed that. It seems the third absorption of Blood Echoes had a greater effect on you," Alex said with slight surprise in his voice, looking at Alucard.
"You tell me, my love. This is your crazy plan — to stuff me with the blood of these creatures," Alucard said, running her nail along Alex's neck with a gentle smile on her face.
Alex looked at Alucard and nodded thoughtfully. Alucard knew her own body best. Smiling slightly, Alex quickly kissed Alucard on the lips to change the subject. Snapping his fingers, Alex gathered the Blood Echoes of the Living Failures to give them to Alucard later. The next target was the Clock Tower, whose doors were right in front of them.
Looking at the doors, Alex thought for a moment. Alucard watched Alex's gaze with an amused smile, sensing his emotions. Stopping his thoughts, Alex decided not to go to the Clock Tower just yet. Alex wrapped his arm around Alucard's waist and took a step. In the next instant, Alex and Alucard appeared in the Grand Cathedral, a few meters from the altar where the beast engulfed in flames lay. Alucard looked at Alex and narrowed her eyes.
"And why did you suddenly change your mind about going to your princess, who is waiting for you to save her from the tower she built for herself," Alucard said, looking at Alex with an amused gaze.
"I need the final fragment. Namely, Laurence's memories," Alex said, taking out Laurence's skull from his inventory.
"I see. Then handle it yourself. I'm already tired of these identical monsters," Alucard said, waving her hand and walking to the other end of the main hall.
"I thought you'd want to fight the fiery monster," Alex said in a surprised tone.
Alucard only waved her hand, walking away. Looking at the departing Alucard, Alex simply shrugged and approached the altar where the beast lay. Placing the human skull on the beast's paw, Alex took a few steps back. The skull served as a catalyst for awakening Laurence in his beast form.
When the skull was placed on the beast's paw, it immediately turned to ash, merging with the beast's body. After the ash completely merged with the beast's body, its arm twitched slightly. And along with the intensifying flames around the beast, the beast itself began to awaken.
Slowly, the beast rose from the altar it had been lying on, holding its clawed paw to its muzzle as if suffering from a headache. The beast literally fell off the altar and slowly rose, supporting itself with its large hand. Once standing, the beast let out a loud howl directly at Alex. From the beast's howl, a very hot gust of air spread out, scorching the cigarette Alex was holding between his fingers.
"Don't howl in my direction. Your breath stinks," Alex said, covering his nose and waving his hand.
In response to Alex's words, the beast immediately lunged at him, swinging its huge paw. Alex raised his gaze to the beast that had jumped toward him and clenched his fist. As soon as the beast got close, Alex lightly swung his fist forward. At that same moment, a loud bang echoed through the main hall, and a huge hole appeared in the beast's chest while the altar behind it was completely destroyed.
The beast froze in place with a hole in its chest, then fell flat onto the floor. Instead of blood, liquid lava began flowing from the hole in the beast's chest, slowly spreading in all directions. Alex lowered his fist and reached into his pocket for a new cigarette.
Holding the cigarette between his teeth, Alex approached the beast and leaned forward, lighting the cigarette from the burning antlers of the beast. Exhaling cigarette smoke, Alex grabbed the deer antlers on the beast's head with both hands and effortlessly tore the head off.
"Here is the end of your story, Laurence. Quite a sad one, but exactly what you deserved," Alex said, holding the beast's head in his hands.
"As I can see, you have quite a strong dislike for this piece of trash," Alucard said, approaching Alex and keeping her hands in the pockets of her red coat.
"I wouldn't say that. For the most part, I feel contempt for people like Laurence. People like him always try to bite off more than they can chew. And you can see with your own eyes where that led," Alex said, lifting the beast's head and shaking it slightly.
"You're right, my love. Some people are too ambitious. But that is the nature of human greed," Alucard said in a calm tone with a gentle smile on her face.
"It's not for you to talk about greed, Carmilla," Alex said, rolling his eyes at his wife.
"And certainly not for you, my love. You are the greediest one here," Alucard said, wrapping her arms around Alex's neck.
Alex and Alucard looked into each other's eyes, and a moment later they both chuckled lightly. After all, they were both right about each other's greed. Stopping their laughter, Alex wanted to sit in silence for a bit, and Alucard was also fine with that. Alex walked over to the Messenger lamp and lit it. Sitting down on the floor next to the burning Messenger lamp, Alex leaned back, supporting himself with his hands.
Raising his gaze to the ceiling of the Grand Cathedral, Alex felt Alucard rest her head on his lap. Alex looked at his wife with a gentle smile and ran his hand through her black hair, enjoying the brief moment of silence. To reach the end of the Hunter's Nightmare, there wasn't much left, and Alex understood this, so he could afford to sit quietly for a few minutes in the company of his wife.
To be continued...
(Today wasn't a day, it was a complete mess. I had to rewrite a chapter twice because Word decided it didn't give a shit and closed whenever it wanted. I just get up for a smoke and come back, and Word is closed. The funny thing is, I really rarely save a chapter when I'm writing. So, I ended up having to rewrite the chapter from scratch, and then rewrite the second half. It all gave me such a headache, and my neighbor, the dog's son, decided that 6 o'clock in the evening is a very good time for repairs. Fuck him. So, it wasn't a day, it was a complete mess. I'm going to go rest. Peace, love, and your neighbor is definitely an asshole.)
Early access to chapters on my patreon: p*treon.com/GreedHunter