Blood Drunk Hunter (Shadow Slave/Bloodborne Fic)

[Prepare for appraisal…]

A glamorous sight assaulted Gehrman's senses as he opened his eyes. It took him several moments to adjust to his new surroundings. It was hard to put into words, but the most similar sight he had seen to it was the void he had traveled to before coming to this world. However, while chaos ruled that incomprehensible place, there was an intricate order to the place he was in currently. 

Countless numbers of strings attached to star-like lights floating in the air. The sheer scale of it was beyond anything he could fathom. 

Then, a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]

[A lost and despicable creature fell into a strange nightmare. After slaying familiar foes, the abomination met an even worse fiend and was pushed to the brink of death. Facing its pitiful demise, it experienced rebirth under the pale moon. In an act of pure bloodlust the lost creature engaged in a fearsome duel against the horrific beast that would devour a city…and it slaughtered its prey.]

[You have defeated eleven Dormant Monsters: Ashen Blood Dog.]

[You have defeated nine Dormant Demons: Ashen Blood Beast Patient.]

[You have defeated an Awakened Beast: Scourge Beast.]

[You have defeated five Awakened Monsters: Ashen Blood Scourge Beast.]

[You have defeated a Fallen Monster: Blood Starved Beast.]

Gehrman considered the number of prey slaughtered. It was by no means a small amount, especially for a single night of hunting. In total, he had killed 27. He made sure to keep this number in mind as the [Bloody Seal] would likely change the form of his memories once he reached 100 foes defeated. This would no doubt be a great boon. However, it was nowhere near the level of the boon he was about to receive.

[You have achieved the impossible!]

[Final appraisal: Glorious. Your ruthless bloodlust truly knows no bounds.]

Gehrman's eye couldn't help but twitch at that last line. It was a bit disconcerting how much the Nightmare Spell seemed to hate him. Despite this, it still seemed to abide by a set of predetermined rules. Though it did not appreciate his existence, it wouldn't treat him any worse than any other Awakened. True to this fact, the Spell continued.

[Dreamer Gehrman, receive your boon!]

[You have been bestowed a True Name: Paleblood.]

This caught him off guard. True Names were exceptionally rare, even for the higher tier of Awakened. To receive one after the first nightmare was nearly unprecedented. This was followed up with something even more impressive.

[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]

After confirming, the true boon became apparent.

[New Aspect acquired.]

[Aspect Rank: Divine.]

[Aspect Name: The Last Hunter.]

"…"

Gehrman stared blankly at the runes, unable to process the information. Of course, he could read them, he knew what they meant, but he was having trouble believing it. Such a reward was far beyond his expectations. In truth, he couldn't fathom what this meant. He had expected an increase in strength or speed, but this seemed entirely different. 

He numbly prompted the runes for further explanation.

Aspect Description: [You are an impossible being whose creation is divine and corrupt in nature. The only thing binding your memories and being together is the purity of your desire to hunt. As the sole surviving hunter of Yharnam you exist in an endless crusade of blood and beasts. Your unique nature allows for bizarre and deadly powers to take root in your soul. As long as you live, you teeter on the edge of absolute madness.]

Innate Ability: [Predator]

Ability Description: [Every time you consume the flesh or blood of the Corrupted you will absorb some of its strength, the stronger the madness in a beast the stronger the absorption.]

This description filled Gehrman with intense disgust and dread. The Spell likely took this route in order to mock his use of the Old Blood. If its goal was to enrage him, it had worked. Though he couldn't deny his reliance on the Blood, he never took pleasure in its use. In fact, he had always felt a feeling of wrongness when consuming it. There was no doubt that it was not meant for man. 

Now, the Spell was forcing him to continue down this path. He was under no illusions about his ability. If he did not use it to its full potential he would likely be killed quite quickly.

He was about to enter a world wholly different from Yharnam, he wouldn't be able to rely on experience. It was likely that any random beast of the Awakened rank could prove deadly if he was not careful. He needed every advantage he could get, so not using this powerful innate ability was not an option. 

It was for this reason that he was nervous when hearing the next announcement from the Spell.

[The First Seal is broken.]

[Awakening dormant powers…]

Instantly a new sensation permeated throughout his body. The only thing comparable was when taking a large amount of the Old Blood and subsequently being heavily strengthened. Even then, this felt entirely different. This wasn't mere augmentation, it was a complete overhaul of his body. 

"Wait a minute…" It was only at this point that Gehrman reflected on his body. He was no longer in the form of an old yet powerful man, but instead the form of a boy. Indeed the boy who was the carrier of the Nightmare spell was now the host of Gehrman's soul.

He was far skinnier and weaker than his previous self. After all, both the old Gehrman's and the nameless hunter's bodies had pushed against the peak of human capability, and later beyond it. The boy, meanwhile, was underwhelming even among his peers.

However, this would not be the case for long.

Muscles and bones broke down and were rebuilt stronger than before. The very essence of his being was brimming with new power. Funnily enough, the boy's body almost reached the level of the seasoned Yharnam hunters after undergoing rebirth. 

He knew that he still fell short of his strength within the nightmare, which was greatly distressing, but the miracle of the spell's boon did much to alleviate his fear. After all, this was only the first stage, if Gehrman could become Awakened, he would likely regain his old physicality. 

Suddenly, his perception was dramatically altered. No sound was made, but his surroundings were overtaken by a new reality. 

"Is this…my Soul Sea?" The relevant memory came easily, and with it came a much stronger confusion. The Soul Sea was supposed to be the reflection of his very being. His soul visualized. This was not a physical realm, but rather a shift in perspective. A vast and endless sea that would be illuminated by a bright star that signified one's soul. Circling around the soul would be smaller orbs of light that represented one's Memories and Echoes. 

In front of Gehrman's eyes was no star. Instead, a blood-red moon hung low, its presence emanating an ethereal power. Instead of lighting up the Soul Sea, it seemed to warp it. The sky was pale, like a body drained of blood. Meanwhile Gehrman himself stood upon an ocean of blood. The theme was evident. 

Looking around with more scrutiny he discovered there were indeed orbs of light circling around the moon, indicating that this was indeed his soul. What caused more alarm was the fact that the sea was not flat, a small number of lumps of varying sizes were on both sides of him. 

Curious, he walked over and felt one. It was not a uniform bump, but a complex object. Grasping a thicker piece he pulled up. 

Gehrman flinched back as the visage of a familiar beast took up his vision. It was a Scourge Beast, a ghastly wound in its skull. The corpse of his first victim in the Nightmare, he realized. 

This was another unprecedented event, but at this point Gehrman was desensitized to all of the strangeness of his existence. He had long accepted that his experience with the spell would be different than any other.

As if to emphasize this, the moment he dropped the corpse the Spell spoke once more. 

[Awakening Aspect Ability…]

[Aspect Ability acquired.]

[Aspect Ability Name: Blood Manipulation.]

Aspect Ability Description: [You are one with the blood. The very essence of life runs hot. While it does, it will heed your call.]

The term "Vileblood" came to mind. The manipulation of blood was one of their key traits. It was what made them so deadly. Many Executioners of the Church fell to the clever application of this ability. 

Gehrman was unsure how difficult it would be to master, but he knew that if he could, then it would be an invaluable tool. 

The rollercoaster of emotions continued as the Spell quickly crushed his elation.

[All power has a price.]

[You have received a Flaw.]

Flaw: [Fear The Old Blood]

Flaw Description: [The more you consume the flesh and blood of the Corrupted, the deeper you descend into madness.]

Gehrman didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Consuming beasts was already synonymous with the accumulation of madness in his old world. He hadn't even considered being free of that curse, it wasn't as bad as it could have been in terms of flaws…

However, that did not mean it was not incredibly sinister. The aspect that he would have to rely on forced him to feed his flaw. It would seem he was fated to endure madness on a scale much greater than he had seen before. 

Gehrman considered his state prior to taking Ludwigs sedatives. If he were to continue to consume the flesh and blood to gain strength, he would likely deteriorate to that bumbling mess. Even after that, he was still not in his right mind. Not even considering making the necessary preparations to hunt. If he was unable to retain clarity he would certainly die, perhaps to even weaker fiends than the Blood Starved Beast. That thing was a mere Fallen Monster and it had entirely outclassed him. In the future, he would likely have to fight creatures far more powerful. On top of that his body was weaker than in Old Gehrman's in the nightmare. In his current state, though he was now a Dreamer, he wouldn't be able to defeat the Blood Starved Beast even if he was in the best mental state. 

"Damn it…" Gehrman cursed. "I might've gotten weaker from this boon."

As if in response, the Spell's voice resounded. However, it did not deliver the message he had expected.

[Your tether and avatar in the physical world has been destroyed. You are being redirected.]

"Wait wh-"

[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Gehrman.]