87 Chapter 87: Oedon Chapel

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Side-Quest complete!

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< Side-Quest/Challenge: Father Gascoigne >

Description: You have stumbled upon a wild and feral British priest chopping up a corpse and it seems like he has decided that you do not deserve the privilege to live anymore. Time to prove him wrong.

Requirements: Defeat Father Gascoigne.

Reward: 2+ to all physical stats, 2+ insight, 1x Random Low-rank skill recovery.

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Immediately I felt power spread throughout my entire body, muscle, and bones were reinforced, the mystery in my blood became more potent, and my body became more attuned to the world around myself.

With the insight, it felt like my perception of the world had been heightened. My understanding had been refined and raised.

Before the system rolled the lotto on my new skill recovery I got on my knees and started praying.

Now obviously I wasn't really a religious man. After all, I have literally humiliated and murdered the god I used to pray to. And I didn't really remember the gods from Earth either other than Jesus or something. But there was still a god that I could genuinely pray to in these trying times.

'Please, RNGesus bless this poor hollow with at least acceptable luck.'

<Processing... >

Ehhh, it's... alright I guess. I could've recovered that manually but I guess having it around will help a lot. Especially when using inventory effectively. And maybe I will be able to actually evolve it here since I wasn't able to do so in Lordran.

Anyways, now that I had survived being mugged by a British priest I should start my annual looting. Starting with that juicy white light indicating an item on one of the corpses close to the area.

I parkoured my way up there and interacted with the corpse of a blonde woman in a red dress. Normally I would feel bad about looting corpses but I couldn't care less now. They are dead and it is free estate now.

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1+ Red Jeweled Brooch

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A woman's bright red brooch, engraved with the name Viola.

Perhaps the jewel is a gift from a hunter. Use to change into a droplet

blood gem that fortifies any weapon.

With the proper workshop tool, various weapons can be fortified.

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'My m-mum wears a red jeweled brooch.'

...

...Fuck...

This stung, it really did.

I may be able to kill thousands and put madmen to eternal sleep, wade through the shadow of death countless times but things like this truly hurt.

Thanks to my insight and intelligence I could tell for certain that this brooch was the one that the little girl was looking for.

Fuck, how do I tell her?

I know very well how horrible and crushing it feels to lose your parents. Not to mention losing both of them on the same night. I really, REALLY did not want to tell a little girl that both parents had passed away and left her all alone.

Taking a deep breath I calmed myself down from my agitated state and pulled out the key that was inserted into my inventory after Gascoigne died. I would think about what to tell the little girl when the time comes.

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Key to the gate that blocks the Tomb of Oedon.

Beyond the tomb, Oedon Chapel can be found in the center of the Cathedral Ward.

Only today the church is abandoned, and some say that the residents of Oedon have all gone mad.

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'I'm going to go out on a limb and say that that is probably that gate over there.' I walked up to the gate and instead of inserting the key, I climbed over it. Before climbing back over it and opening it with the key for convenience.

Along the way, there was a dubious amount of coffins. I swear the people who make coffins in Yharmam are probably swimming in cash. After going past the coffins I entered the first open door I found.

SEWERS, WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It really wouldn't be Yharman if you didn't accidentally step into the sewer system by just entering a random building in the streets.

MAN, I JUST LOVE SEWERS!

My only complaint about Yharmam besides the rampant violence and knife crime is the fact that there is too much city in this sewer system.

I climbed up the ladder I found and arrived at a... library? Study room?

...Why the fuck does a study room have a big ass ladder going down into a lower floor which is sewers?

You know perhaps I judged the architects of Lordran too harshly.

Looking around the room I looted every bookshelf here before looking at the chest and kicking it open. Never say no to loot.

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1+ Blood Gem Workshop Tool

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A misplaced workshop tool from the Hunter's Dream.

The hunter who retrieves this can fortify weapons by kneading blood gems into them.

Blood gems add properties to weapons when used to fortify them, as blood defines an organism.

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Now isn't that curious? Enchanting weapons through blood to give them special properties. I remember doing the same thing through a different method when forging my dragonslayer. But the laws of this world are different, on the other hand, that single line gives me a lot of insight into what really is the meaning of "blood" in this world.

Blood defines an organism.

Their life source. Their most basic building material. The foundation on which their bodies are built upon and on which their abilities are developed. Their essence.

For example, when you put the essence of a dragon, its blood into a sword it would likely inherit the properties that the dragon had. But if the sword is inferior then the inheritance will be lesser and/or the sword will be damaged.

...What if you do the same with humans?

'I am starting to get a clearer image of what has happened here by the second.'

I walked up the stairs and opened the door. And upon opening it I was greeted by a grand gothic chapel. In front of me was a circular engraved platform surrounded by urns and pots as well as lots of incense lit on fire. In the middle was a lantern which I lit. Before noticing the presence near me.

Surprisingly I had missed his presence initially due to the lack of presence or murderous intent. Turning around I saw a malformed and sickly-looking man with pale skin and elongated arms, he could easily have been mistaken for a monster if not for his lack of any ill intent. He was dressed in red rags.

Curious I tried to recall soul sight. But the laws of the world are too different for me to simply use soul sight. Replicating concentration I felt the world around me slow down as I focused on how I used soul sight, how it came to be, and how it worked.

'{Soul Sight}'

'My innate ability to see souls and use them to gauge the person's personality and whether they are lying or not. I could do that by observing the fluctuations in their soul. It is like a more expressive face they can't hide. A normal person wouldn't be able to read them so clearly but due to my innate affinity I could which I may or may not have abused to make up for my abysmal social skills.'

'The question was, how do I replicate that effect in this world? Hmm, I don't really have anything in my arsenal that can do that so I will shelve that thought for now.'

I walked over to the man and as I reached he raised his head to look at me before speaking, completely disregarding my bloodied appearance.

"...Hmm? Oh... you must be... a hunter. Very sorry, the incense must've masked your scent. Good, good. I've been waiting for one of your ilk. These hunts have everyone all locked up inside. Waiting for it to end... It always does, always has, y'know. Since forever. But it won't end very nicely, not this time. Even some folks hiding inside are going'bad.

The screams of womenfolk, the stench of blood, the snarls of beasts... none of em's too uncommon now. Yharnam's done fer. I tell ya. But if you spot anyone with their wits about 'em... Tell'em about this here Oedon Chapel. They'll be safe here. The incense wards off the beasts. Spread the word... tell 'em to come on over. If you wouldn't mind... Hee hee..."

How... Strange. This feels like a trap, a falsehood, yet I can't sense even the slightest trace of malice in his voice. Could what he is saying be truthful? It should be, I am very, very good at detecting ill will.

"Alright then, I will try my best to at least tell the people who are sane enough about this place." Hearing my words a grateful expression graced his face.

"Thank ya, good hunter. If you happen upon someone while hunting, tell'em about this here Oedon Chapel. I would be glad to have you find any sane survivors and tell'em to seek shelter here. I would love to welcome them here!"

It is never bad to save someone. If it won't badly inconvenience me then I don't mind doing good deeds. I may not be an altruist but I am also not a complete piece of garbage.

"I'll be off then."

"A-all right then, be safe out there! You can always return to rest here and stay as long as you want."

Waving my hand I used the lantern to warp back to the dream. I would first do some maintenance on my weapons and then do a quick search for survivors as well as grinding for some echoes.

!If you liked this chapter powerstones would be appreciated!

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