Hello to all. New chapter of Hunt Beyond the dream.
Usual reminder: I only take constructed comments into account and do not read gratuitous and unnecessary insults.
I am not of English origin and therefore not very good at this language, I accept any corrections that can be made to make it more understandable.
If anyone is interested in becoming a Beta Reader, I am interested.
Sorry for the inconvenience and good chapter.
Chapter 4: Strange City.
Ashton was walking up the hallways on each floor toward the exit.
Outwardly, he might look the same as before he even got down, but inside, he was cursing himself for his moment of loss of control.
"Why didn't I stay calm? "
He knew the fight would have been easy if he had remained focused. He was sure he wouldn't have had any problem accomplishing anything if he hadn't let himself go into the savagery.
"The hunt is over for me."
He had left the dream and Yharnam. He shouldn't be affected by all of this anymore. Old blood was flowing through his veins, but he shouldn't have gotten lost like this.
"Has my mind been destroyed by the city?" "
Among the hunters, he was far from mad. But wasn't Yharnam's alleged insanity different from that of Orario? He sighed and went up another staircase.
He couldn't figure out how it all came to be, but he knew that he would never ever have to fall into this psychotic state again. Ashton sighed, he was far from perfect, he had blood on his hands and was making mistakes that could cost him big, but he wouldn't make that mistake.
The mistake of blood and flesh…
He finally reached the staircase leading up to the exterior of the Tower of Babel. The blinding light of the sun surprised him for a few moments and a feeling of peace invaded him as he looked out over the city.
He was no longer in Yharnam, he was in Orario. It might have been a short time, but he had to let go of Yharnam's horrors to move forward and not get stuck in a traumatic past.
"We are the ones who took the hunter-hunter oath. We are the sentries berating those who are muddled in blood. Whether it is humans or animals, we will give them rest who have lost sight of the goal of the hunt. And when death arrives, we will finally find in our turn the peace that we have given…"
He was dead. He had been released. This must be the moment when he finally found the peace he had given to the lost hunters.
"Peace…" he mumbled. "It can't be that bad. "
"HEEEE ?! "
A collective of cries of surprise and shock echoed through the building as a certain half-elf again lost his nerves alongside everyone else who worked in that building. Even the adventurers present were unable to say anything.
" What is happening? Ashton asked calmly looking at Eina.
The young woman looked at the boy in amazement.
"What floor are you going to ?! "
"Thirteenth." He replied.
" Woof ..."
She collapsed in her chair, shocked.
"You don't have a Familia, or a Falna, and you were able to descend to the thirteenth floor on your own and defeat an Infant Dragon without the slightest injury? If I tell this to anyone, they will never believe me…"
Ashton would have liked to deny the parts without injury but felt he was better off not disclosing the use of the blood vials hiding in his coat. This city cannot accept this discover.
"Crazy…" said one of the receptionists.
"I didn't expect to see something like this in my lifetime…"
The half-elf got up and went to get the money coming back after a few minutes with a huge wallet full of Vallis.
" Thank you." He replied respectfully, grabbing his prize.
Eina couldn't think of anything to say for an answer and watched the boy walk away.
"Seriously… how far could he go with a Familia?" She wondered aloud.
"I don't know" replied a receptionist. "But I think we can expect great things from him. He's not like other reckless young adventurers. "
" You are right. There is something in his eyes."
After he got his money, people started asking questions and things got even stronger with each answer. After about ten minutes the atmosphere was no longer so tense, and people had resumed their activities leaving Ashton out of the guild. The hunter was more than satisfied with his winnings and felt a strange victory at the idea of being rewarded for the hunt.
It was the first time he had been paid for his work. He looked at the full pouch, not sure what to do with it.
"I could try to go see the alchemists and blacksmiths so that I can remake bullets. I might run out of it quickly if I can't find supplies. I'm pretty good with my weapons but buying a knife specializing in cutting and a real bag would not be refused either. "
He had certainly used his weapons to remove stones from monsters, but Ashton wanted to avoid dirtying his precious secondary blades with blood. And his satchel, although partially emptied of its contents which had to remain in his hostel room, was not ideal for carrying the equipment he could get and needed.
"Conclusion, I will take a few days to find a place to provide me with materials. It would be interesting to learn more about magic and the Familias. There must be a library all over this town. "
The goals give Ashton walked over to the inn. He had spent the last nine hours in the dungeon and was pretty hungry.
"Next time I will go down to the lower floors faster. "
The fertility hostess had appeared in his line of sight.
The night and evening passed without a hitch and Ashton was able to get a good night's rest. As planned the next morning, he stepped out into Orario after breakfast and a wrap-up conversation with Ryuu and Mai .
His visit was limited to finding a library and learning as much as possible about the norms of this world and then finding a way to get supplies by composing weapons.
"Knowledge is power. " say lot of old Hunters.
He knew that his lack of knowledge could be detrimental to him. Money was no longer an immediate problem, so he could concentrate on other tasks.
It was not very difficult because he quickly found a sort of public library in one of the main streets. The place looked desolate but suited the hunter perfectly. The lady at the reception looked at him entering with a slight astonishment.
" Hello sir." She said kindly. "Are you here to register?" "
Ashtons nodded and handed his guild card, which she checked before letting him in. The library was large. Not as much as the Byrgenwerth archives but enough to find what he was looking for.
The first surprise was to discover that the written language was largely the same as the one he knew. Although there were a few differences, they weren't big enough that he couldn't understand a full text. He had already noted during his registration with the guild that he could read but he had assumed that the turns of phrase would be different, but he was not.
The hunter had focused his attention on the subject of the different races that this world contained as well as the story in general.
Elves, dwarves, amazons. Most interesting was the subject of Beastmen which he had at first mistakenly compared to those of Yharnam. Although the two are vague bestial resemblances, he was not the same species at all and shared almost nothing in common. He still had a hard time understanding how humans could trust what looked like beasts. But ... Everything was new to him and maybe there was a deeper explanation? He hoped. All are strange in this city...
He then moved on to history and also found himself amazed at the richness of this world. The legends of the first heroes, the descent of the gods. It reminded him of some of the legends and tales of his childhood.
It all had a melancholy side that he appreciated, reminding him of certain prophecies said by the Remedy Church.
"And they will come down from heaven bringing with them the Ultimate Remedy and the Eternal Message."
He recited in a low voice.
Like many, he had believed in their sermons for a time. Then he had grown up and turned away from the faith realizing that the eyes could not be opened by fanaticism for no reason.
The only thing he could safely admit being true was daily prayer.
"Our thirst for blood fills us with, allays our fears. Look for old blood but beware of the fragility of men. "
Once again, his fragility had pushed him much closer to the abyss than he liked to recognize.
Where did the madness start? Where did the reason end? Questions he had asked himself too many times.
He went back to his reading occupying his mind and dismissing an answer he ultimately didn't want to know.
Ashton spent a good part of his morning in the library looking with interest at every book he found. He had to admit it, the tranquillity of this world was starting to rub off on him.
Being able to sit and read without worrying about a beast was refreshing. Even in the hours when he had been able to gain access to Byrgenwerth, he had had to stay alert in their archives so as not to experience the terrible fate of some of the students who had gone mad.
Finally, around noon, he decided to go back to town to accomplish his second task. Find an alchemy store.
The hunter returned to the main street and asked local vendors as well as people for any place that would sell alchemical ingredients, after a bit of research a meat vendor told him about an old witch who sold alchemical ingredients in below the street.
Ashton stopped at the entrance of the place that had indicated to him. It was a grey staircase descending into the ground. For a moment he hesitated to wonder if he was in the right place before deciding to go downstairs.
" I have nothing to lose. He said to himself simply.
After descending the stairs, he found himself in front of a sign for Witch Hut. The hunter knocked on the door.
" Come in! "
A hoarse, aged voice answered him from inside.
The hunter opened the door and came across a particular room. The shop, if you could call it that, was filled with various items of unknown use. Small displays contained plants while jars placed on the shelves contained liquids of different colors.
"Come in, don't be a stranger, I'm sure I've got what you're looking for. "
Ashton turned her head to see an old woman with a large, wrinkled face wearing black dresses and a pointy hat. She was seated in front of a cauldron filled with bubbling liquid of a red color checking at times the heat of the fire which fed it.
Looking at his side, he could see two other people standing in a corner in front of a window. She seemed busy checking out any alchemicals the hunter couldn't recognize.
"How can I help you, good sir?" The woman asked in a strange voice.
Ashton closed the door and walked over to the old woman before removing a small container from his pocket.
"I'm looking for powder." He said while pointing to the black dust he had taken out of his pocket.
The witch stared at the mixture for a few moments before looking up. Ashton had a moment of doubt. Didn't he have powder in this world?
"Powder of flame!" " she says. "Few uses this to go down into the dungeon because of its dangerousness. I must have some in the back of my shop, but it will be quite expensive. "
The old woman just watched him nod indifferently then stood up and walked to the back of the store.
"I'll be back in a moment. "
The witch returned to the counter and placed six small boxes containing a fair amount of the precious black dust. He examined her carefully concluding that she was pure and had not been mixed with something unknown.
He remembered the time he made the mistake of not checking the quality of a crate mixed with sawdust that ended up exploding in his hand, almost taking his fingers off.
The boy nodded before looking at the old woman.
" How? "
"A Thousand Vallis the box." She announced.
Ashton shrugged and put the money on the counter. Fortunately, he had collected a certain amount while going down in the dungeon seen how much he was spending on his material.
The old woman put the money in her hand and counted it.
" Do you want something else? Ashton shook his head. " I see. Thanks for doing business and come back soon! "
"Definitely." The boy replied. "Our partnership will be regular. "
Ashton rose to the surface satisfied with his purchase. He noticed a small forge on the corner of the street where he headed. After a few minutes he came out with a butchering knife. While the new blade isn't as good as his sword he's been using until now, it would do its job of cutting well.
After leaving the forge, Ashton felt his stomach growl and since he hadn't eaten anything since last night, he headed for a tavern.
After a walk in the street of Orario, he finally found a pleasant looking tavern and entered it. He settled down at one of the tables in the corner of the room before a waitress approached.
"What would you like to eat? She asked in a soft voice.
Ashton looked at the menu, his face obscured by the scarf he wore. If he had not worn it, it would have been possible to see the calm face of the hunter take shape in a certain happiness.
"Steak with vegetables." He said.
" Of course. The woman announced, taking the menu and turning to the kitchen.
Relaxing his back against the chair Ashton carefully ran his fingers along the lining of his jacket. No matter how many times he ate it, he would never get tired of the meat. The predatory nature of his creed was ironically reflected well in his daily practices.
The hunter took advantage of this moment of pause to listen to the local gossip.
"In three weeks, it's the Monster Feria and the Ganesha Familia has had a very good shot this year. A man said enthusiastically.
"Yup, it's gonna be interesting, I'm gonna have to take the kids to the show, they are dying to see the monsters, and I can't disappoint them." Another said, raising his hand asking for another mug of beer.
" Monster Feria …" he mumbled. "The party where he brings monsters to the surface." "
Ashton remembered reading a passage about this tradition where high-ranking adventurers would raise beasts to fight in an arena. The memories were rather blurry seen that he had little interest in finding it insane. The beasts were to remain monsters in the dungeon and not come out for games. She had to be hunted and killed to protect the greatest number.
The hunter didn't know why, but he had a very bad feeling about what was to come.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." "
The waitress appeared and placed the food and drink on the table depositing the meal and water. Ashton thanked her and began to eat.
The day ends without too much trouble, leaving the hunter time to find suitable storage and return to the library to read about this Monsterphilia .
In truth, the next six days were in the same routine. Ashton got up in the morning, ate in the first light of day. He had gotten into the habit of exchanging a few words with waitress Ryuu before heading to the library where he spent the day before returning to the hostel at night and restarting the cycle.
The more time he spent reading, the more he found this world strange. The monsters, the gods, the dungeon. Everything was for him an unknown concept to discover.
Trouble arose when the evening of the sixth day arrived. The Loki Familia had visited the bar.
It was obviously not the first time he had come here, and it seemed to be their meeting place. If Ashton had known, he would have chosen another place to sleep. So, he had to take extra precautions not to be seen and stay in a corner to eat while waiting for the group to leave.
They were a loud bunch, and today their werewolf member was regaling the whole bar with the story of a minotaur he had unwittingly let escape to the upper floors, and how they must have saved one particular adventurer.
"He was so pathetic! He chuckled.
The other tables laughed, and Ashton found himself sympathizing with the boy who had been the victim. It was not uncommon for beasts to get out of hand and for hunters barely preparing to find themselves falling prey to a beast they weren't prepared for. Although this has been rarer in recent years given the few hunters remaining in Yharnam.
"Garbage should just stay garbage!" Repeated the werewolf.
Ashton found himself reluctant to draw his sword to silence the idiot, but he held back. He pulled his hand out from inside his coat and began to eat the meat that was on his plate again. If he did get involved, he would get unwanted attention.
Ever since learning that the Beastmen were just a race like any other and weren't affected by blood, he had found it rather pleasant to talk to the hostel's cat waitress. He had to thank the book he could find in the library on the different races of this world.
He smirked slightly under his scarf as he remembered the shocked faces of the waitresses present when he had returned to a period of ditch, and she had asked him how far he had gone on his first descent. He had met Anya and Lunoire two waitresses and had once again had the opportunity to chat with the green haired elf. They were quite nice and greeted him with a kindness that was surprising to say the least.
Another series of laughs.
" Oh? Are you not that loser who was rescued? Are you trying to run away again? "
There was a white-haired boy lying on the floor in front of the Loki table. He looked thin and weak, and Ashton recognized him as Bell Cranel, a new adventurer who Lunoire had compared him to when he spoke with her two days ago.
The werewolf was approaching him, and Bell found it difficult to get up. Even from a distance, Ashton could see the tears streaming down her cheeks.
" You cry? And her want to become an adventurer? Aiz! He's just a big baby! "
With one hand, the werewolf lifted Bell by his collar.
"You didn't thank Aiz earlier, kid. "
"Bete ". Aiz said in a cold voice not seeming to appreciate his mate's mockery. "Stop it right now. "
"Tch. "
Bete let go of Bell and the boy collapsed to the ground like a cut-off puppet. Ashton felt relieved, happy that no one else had to intervene and that it all ended on a positive note. Aiz walked over to Bell, but suddenly stopped, looking up at the table where the hunter was standing.
"Ashton Warden." She said softly, ignoring Bell even as she stood up and watched the scene in shock.
It was bad.
"Hey? "
Sitting at the bar, Loki turned to face him. Her eyes widened briefly, and she patted her hand on the counter before raising a finger in his direction.
"You! She cried.
It was very bad. Ashton didn't move, continuing to eat pretending not to have heard anything.
"Ignore them they will forget you. I don't exist… I'm just a wall for them so I avoid fighting. "
Quote from the owner of a bar Ashton had frequented when Yharnam was more active. Before the said keeper was found devoured by animals ...
Loki trotted over to the table where Ashton was sitting.
"And! I'm talking to you! "
The hunter looked up from his meal and looked at the red-haired young woman.
"Hmm? Yes? "
"It was you who ran away! Half the gods are looking for you to recruit you!" She said shocking the tavern who turned to the boy who royally ignored them.
" Exact. I went. Why this question exactly? "
" Awesome!" She applauds. "Now Ashton Warden! Loki put his arms to his sides and puffed out his chest. She held out her arm to him. "Join my Familia. "
Ashton put his head to the side not quite understanding the request that had been put to him.
"I already thought I answered that I wasn't interested in joining your Familia. "
Maybe in the past, when he was completely ignorant and dependent on everyone, he could have considered the offer. But since he had learned the particularities of the Familias he could only refuse. As a hunter he would never submit to someone, much less a deity.
The inn fell silent. Had he really just turned down a place in one of the most powerful Familias?!
"I have no reason to join a Familia. I am already affiliated with an order without God." He said indicating the hunter's mark to the hunter on his coat.
Hunter Rest can be considered without God? He doesn't know…
"Oh," Loki said silently. "So ... is that a no on the Familia thing?" "
Loki visibly deflated, and she let her head rest on the table defeated by the boy's refusal. It was Bete's voice that broke all calm.
"Did you just refuse a place in our Familia?! You are an imbecile. "
The werewolf had approached. He seemed very clearly annoyed that someone cut him off in his bravado but also refused his goddess. He walked over to Ashton just ready enough for him to look him in the eye. Ashton could feel a slight tinge of alcohol behind the man's mocking voice. He was no longer very sane ...
"What can your order have better than us?! Loki offers you a seat! A weakling like you should accept and follow us! "
Aiz froze, remembering what had happened when she was watching him. She knew he was not weak. Bete just close enough grabbed the hanging badge and yanked it snatching it from Ashton's cloak before throwing it to the ground causing the typical metallic clink of the Serenite .
The inn had remained silent. To tear off the symbol of a god or any organization was considered an insult. A victorious smile had drawn on the face of the wolf.
"Dumb ! I. "
It was cut off when Ashton stood up pushing Bete away and cracking his fingers one by one. The wish of a madman. Each person who believed himself powerful was in truth a madman dancing on a mountain of lies. The powerful didn't need to show it.
"Oi . You don't really think you can beat me, do you? " The wolf asked, taking the hunter's implicit challenge to heart.
"Bell is that it?" I advise you to get away from behind him, this risk of hurting." Ashton said darkly.
The hunter could see the boy's arms shaking. His legs were about to let go. Sweat was running down his forehead. It was an Amazon who pulled him.
" Yeah, that's it. I'm level 6 and you think you can attack me? Bete mocked. "I was there that day when you got out of the dungeon. I know you are special in one way or another. Lady Loki wouldn't ask us to pick you up if you weren't! "
A resigned sigh escaped Ashton's lips.
"I hate having to bring people like you back to reality… But for the insult to the pledge I took, I'm going to make an exception."
He said in a weary voice that matched the lack of emotion in his face.
Bete tried to throw his fist forward. He was fast. Probably faster than most of the beasts he had faced. But nowhere near as fast as Amygdala or even many other beasts that Yharnam and the Nightmare understood.
Ashton ducked, tilting his body to the right, and passed him safely. Then he grabbed Bete by the shoulders and put one knee in the gut. A mixture of drool and blood gushed out of the werewolf's mouth as his body bent forward. Ashton grabbed him by the temples and raised his knee a second time directly into his jaw. A horrible sound of broken bones echoed throughout the inn followed by Bete's cry of pain. Before he could even try to act, Ashtons had moved behind his back and slapped the back of his leg causing him to fall to the floor on his knees holding his mouth painfully.
Raising his foot, he thrust it into his victim's back, causing him to fly full length across the ground. As the wolf tried to get up, the hunter's boot slammed into him, holding him to the ground. He struggled, trying to get up to feel too much weight on his back.
Ashton's voice had turned cold.
"First lesson, never underestimate an opponent. "
He pressed causing a cry of Bete.
"Second lesson, a weak will always have room for improvement. "
Proof of that was him. A kid from the lower quarters had succeeded in reaching the top of the hunters simply by constant sacrifice and painful training.
He moved his second foot towards the man's shoulder joint causing the arm of the werewolf to crunch in pain trying to escape.
"Finally ... Last lesson, more personal I agree ..."
He removed his foot and lifted it above Bete's face.
"Never touch or disrespect a hunter's pledge. "
He slammed his boot three times violently on his skull knocking out the werewolf. The room was silent in the face of the improbable scene that had unfolded. A level 6 adventurer had been beaten like a child who hadn't even had a chance to land a single strike.
Ashton pulled back from the fighter's back and walked over to where his badge had gone. Calmly, he picked up the mark and wiped it away with his sleeve brushing away the small traces of dirt that had deposited before reattaching the symbol to his heart.
The moment it regained its place, the mark let out a slight sickly green glow before extinguishing itself.
"And," Ashton said towards Bell who hadn't moved his eyes wide in shock. "Don't listen to what the idiot says. We all start out weak. The important thing is whether you are really ready to improve or stay the way you are. "
With that, the hunter turned and walked over to his table grabbing his new bag leaving his half-finished meal before heading to the counter under the dumbfounded eyes of the customers.
" Sorry for the inconvenience. He said to Mama Mia who had looked at the whole thing with amusement.
" Thanks for the meal." He added to Ryuu with respect.
He deposits more money than necessary and walking up the stairs to the bedrooms.
"I warned you" he grumbled.
The reception hall was filled with shocked whispers. The worst came from the Loki Familia whose members surrounded their wounded comrade.
"He should be fine. The group healer declared, releasing the unconscious body of her comrade. "He had a jaw and two broken ribs as well as his dislocated arm. Nothing I can't heal. He will need rest to fully recover. "
"All this with bare hands ?! Tia exclaims. "He's really strong! At least level 5 maybe even 6! "
"Dumb… why did you have to do that ?! Loki cried angrily, looking at where the boy had disappeared. "It's going to be difficult to recruit him now that he's threatened him!" "
"Bete looked for him. Who is normal threatening someone we have to recruit ?! Tione exclaimed.
"The kid is damn powerful! Said an adventurer from the tavern.
"He's really strong… More than he showed when he ran away. "
Aiz's voice was just a whisper but Loki heard it.
" What do you mean ? Did you confront him when he ran away? She asked in a more venomous voice than before.
Aiz seemed to regain consciousness and looked up at his goddess before nodding.
"Yes… He disarmed me and managed to escape when I tried to stop him. She whispered. "He made no effort and didn't even draw his gun. "
"Really ?! How strong is he ?! Loki wondered.
A moan from Bete forced people to stare at the injured man. Aiz looked at the staircase Ashton had left on.
"I could learn several things from him. She thought, replaying in her mind the sharp and precise movements of the fight that had taken place.
Well. So, Ashton gradually learns the differences with Yharnam and begins to take hold of this new reality. Questions about his own mind and the reasons for his insanity.
This is only the beginning of Ashton's story and development as individuals still deeply tied to his past wrongs and deeds. It still haunts him and will be for quite some time to come.
Further information. I soon reach my vacation period (in two weaks) allowing me to write more. At first, I thought to increase the number of chapters of Hunt Beyond the Dream, but I am afraid I will tire of always writing about the same universe. So, I risk posting another fanfiction that I have in store.
I'm still hesitating between my Kantai Collection / Kaiserreich crossover and an Arknight OC fanfiction.
Its publication will be less orderly and more at my good will. It's supposed to be a vacation fiction. There might be a three-week period when I don't post anything to take the time to rest.
Until then, take care of yourself and pay attention to your family and loved ones!