Who Designed This Underworld Dungeon?

When he heard a sound coming from the room next door, Fanen stopped in his tracks.

He didn't speak; he just listened quietly.

Fortunately, he liked reading books, which is how he knew there was something called a residual shadow in the Dungeon. Could it be that this room also contained a residual shadow?

"You're a Hunter, right? *Cough cough*, and it looks like you're from the outside."

"My name is Gilbert, and like you, I'm someone who came from outside, seeking Blood Therapy in Yarn."

"You must be having a great time, right? The Yan people... they have a rather special way of treating outsiders."

Sometimes, the way to open someone's heart is simple: just rant about something together.

Fanen initially didn't intend to say much; he only listened. However, upon hearing Gilbert's words, he nodded repeatedly, empathizing deeply:

"Yes, yes, I'm having a fantastic time."

He suddenly opened up like a floodgate, and even though the other side was a residual shadow, he started spilling out all the things he wanted to rant about during his time in the Dungeon.

Gilbert just listened with a cheerful demeanor, occasionally letting out a laugh accompanied by a cough, slightly relieving his loneliness.

"I wonder if I'll ever stand up again, well, probably not. But if you need any help, I'd be more than willing," Gilbert's friendly voice came from behind the window, sounding like a very kind person. "As fellow outsiders, we should naturally help each other, *cough cough cough*..."

Fanen had already developed a fair amount of goodwill towards him, and couldn't help but express concern when he heard the cough.

"Don't worry, I have an incurable disease... but Yarn's special Blood Therapy has given me a bit more time. I'm fortunate not to have been harmed by the Beastification plague, and I can still die as a human."

"The monsters roaming the streets were all once people?" Fanen picked up on another meaning in his words and couldn't help but ask, feeling that the beastified citizens had seemed odd for a while.

"Yes, the Yan people use peculiar blood to treat various ailments, *cough cough*, this technique was effective, but it harbors dangers."

"An inexplicable plague seems to spread among those who have undergone blood therapy, and if they cannot resist, they become what you see on the streets."

At these words, Fanen's expression immediately became interesting.

Wait a minute, what did he experience when he first entered this Dungeon?

Right, an old man with an indistinct face had performed blood therapy on him!

So his enhanced physical abilities, and obsession with blood and slaughter, were because he was sliding into the Abyss of beastification due to the effects of blood therapy!?

Gilbert appeared to notice his concern and offered comfort:

"Not everyone who receives blood therapy catches the plague, especially you Hunters. Did you see any strange visions when the blood was infused?"

Fanen thought for a moment. He remembered seeing a Wolfman emerging from blood and suddenly combusting, along with Messengers pouncing on him. He immediately recounted these, subconsciously treating Gilbert as a source of enlightenment and salvation.

Gong Qiying had arranged for a residual shadow here to provide advice.

"Exactly, that Wolfman represents the beast within your heart. Its burning signifies that you have conquered your inner beast, which is why you became a Hunter," he remarked in a weak voice. "Your willpower is very strong."

"My willpower is very strong..." Fanen repeated.

Unaware of the hidden Hypnosis Magic within the phrase, the hypnosis engraved "my willpower is very strong" into his mind.

"How do you feel when hunting?"

"It feels invigorating, almost, almost a bit addictive."

"Then you must be careful. I've seen Hunters who indulge in the thrill of the hunt transform into beasts. Hunting is a Hunter's duty, but one mustn't become addicted."

But Fanen listened, confused. They said one mustn't get addicted, but how was he supposed to avoid it?

"Maintain a sense of reverence, keep reverence in all hunting," Gilbert offered like a sincere friend giving advice.

Fanen once again became an echo, repeating the sentence.

The enveloping Hypnosis Magic gradually faded away, his vision clearing, though the prior influence had rooted deeply in his heart.

"It's fortunate that the Reid people's low threshold makes them easily influenced."

In the City Lord's room, Gong Qiying looked at Fanen, who had already been successfully influenced, and nodded in satisfaction.

According to his original plan, he did not intend to add more plot or residual shadows to Yarn until the parasitic plague in the city was completely resolved, simply focusing on efficient hunting.

Yet he underestimated the impact of Blood Therapy on Fanen.

Currently, this person performs admirably and is a promising candidate to be a Hunter. Except for mastering the Gun Counter, his skills are quite competent. However, whether due to his character or not, he starts timid, reluctant to fight, and then becomes overly reckless later, demonstrating extremes.

Gong Qiying suspected Fanen used these extremes to cover up internal cowardice, a feeling he somewhat understood. When he first played Bloodborne, Gong Qiying was extremely timid, with Yarn, the so-called Newbie Village, stuck for several days—not that it was unbeatable, but he was scared to play.

He later overcame cowardice by relentless killing, but he can't let Fanen become excessively reckless now.

Gong Qiying reduced anything in Bloodborne that could negatively impact humans. He wouldn't truly let humans beastify, but removing influence altogether would strip the game of its unique charm, so those who underwent Blood Therapy would find the monster blood somewhat enticing, be drawn to hunting monsters, and perhaps even find it a bit addictive.

However, Fanen seemed overly addicted, so it was time for Sain's big hand to regulate.

"Indeed, to master new elements I need to test and practice."

Gong Qiying was also continually summarizing experiences and making progress.

"Sincerely thank you for your advice."

On the other side, Fanen sincerely thanked Gilbert, speaking a bit formally because his previous life goal was to become a teacher or scholar.

"I'm glad to be of help, by the way, please take these things. They're of no use to me in my situation."

What Gilbert handed through the window were actually just two Blood Collection Bottles and a small handful of Mercury Bullets, but it moved Fanen greatly. He finally felt a sense of human connection in this Dungeon full of mad Beastification Men, and was extremely touched.

He thought of his companions who came out to search for supplies with him. They used to help each other like this every day, but now their fate was uncertain...

Fanen suddenly looked up, as he emerged from his hunting addiction, his initial goal once again surged from his heart. He should get out of the Dungeon and return to the shelter!

Although it felt a bit weird asking the residual shadow about how to leave the Dungeon, he couldn't find anyone else to give him advice now, so he could only ask:

"Mr. Gilbert, do you know how, uh, to leave Yarn?"

The person behind the window pondered for a moment and said:

"Go to the bridge, the bridge to the west."

...

Shortly after, Fanen returned from the Hunter's Dream, setting off towards the bridge that Gilbert mentioned.

According to him, that bridge was the road out of Yarn. It would be blocked tonight during the Night of the Hunt, but there was no harm in trying one's luck.

At this moment, Fanen finally donned the Hunter's attire he had long desired. His black trench coat fluttered in Yarn's cold wind. He glanced at the city enveloped in thick smoke, then pressed down the brim of his triangle hat with one hand, hiding his gaze in its shadow, appearing fearless of death.

"Phew, really cool, I've been wanting to do this pose for a long time."

Whether it was the Hunter's attire that gave him courage, or Gilbert's words that strengthened his spirit, at this moment he felt an uncanny calmness. Even the scent of blood in the air did not provoke his former impulse.

The location of the bridge was very conspicuous. Thinking of the people in the shelter, his inner calm was inevitably tinged with a trace of urgency, swiftly heading towards the bridge.

Along the way, he again passed by the bonfire event that once made him stubbornly persistent, but this time he simply killed the gun-wielding citizen and the biting Hound before hurriedly fleeing, not forgetting to drop a small bottle of his own blood to distract the enemies as he ran.

He had tested it; when the enemies snapped out of the blood's allure, as long as he didn't reappear in their field of vision, there was a high probability they wouldn't Chase him again.

The bonfire event felt like a test; before passing it, he was clumsy even in fighting, but after passing, it was as if he had undergone some transformation, becoming much more mature.

Yet after running some distance in the night, Fanen still encountered enemies that forced him to stop.

It was a towering figure, a small giant wielding a giant axe. Its explosive muscles appeared brimming with power, this guy was strong.

In the instant of engagement, Fanen realized this guy was indeed strong, as the opponent didn't even flinch when struck by the Saw Meat Blade!

"Screech——"

Unable to dodge in time, Fanen was squarely hit on the shoulder by the axe, cleaved diagonally in half, only realizing his defeat at the moment of death.

Until now, his success lay in the weapon's peculiarity, the Saw Meat Blade's heavy impact often broke his enemies' attacks, seizing the momentum to hack them to death in one go!

Even against a small giant wielding a brick, applying more force caused it to stagger slightly.

But this newly appeared axe-wielding giant was different, truly immovable like a mountain!

Could it be that he had to use the Gun Counter against it?

But there was no time to try.

Regrettably, on his next run to this place, Fanen chose to bypass it rather than stubbornly persist like at the bonfire event.

The small giant's cumbersome body couldn't keep up with his pace and soon disappeared from sight, likely unable to pursue further.

The bridge was within sight, and the closer he got, the more he saw Beastification citizens gathered in groups, truly confirming the rumor of the bridge being blocked.

Fanen fought his way through, and by the time he reached the bridge, he was already covered in blood, not only from the Beastification citizens but also much of his own.

"Why are there two Wolfmen blocking the entrance..."

His back and chest bore terrible large claw scars, only barely stopping the bleeding after injecting himself with a shot.

Heart still pounding, he turned back to see two dark Wolfmen prowling at the bridge entrance, baring their teeth at him.

"Why do they dare not follow?"

In the next second, a Beast Roar suddenly erupted, something heavy smashed onto the bridge, causing it to shake violently as if it might collapse at any moment.

The Wolfmen prowling at the bridgehead turned and ran like they had seen something terrifying.

Fanen looked toward the source of the tremor, his breath involuntarily held.

A beast — a gigantic one, with a presence far exceeding that of all previous Monsters he'd seen, appeared there!

This was the first Elite Monster he had encountered!

[Clergy Beast]!