Goki was a Hunter, a skilled Old Hunter.
Perhaps he had engaged in other professions as well—an Ash seeking fire? A ninja who lost his hand? A Warboss? The Fourth Calamity?
Or perhaps... the Doctor?
In a much earlier time, Goki remembered, he was just an office worker who would add games to his library during sales but never had time to play them.
And the game Bloodborne was the one he remembered most vividly—for a casual player, the process was too agonizing.
So, whenever Goki was bludgeoned to death by the Orphan of Kos's placenta, falling into self-questioning like, "Did I get greedy with my attacks?" "Should I try again tomorrow?" "Should I just use a trainer?"
Goki would pick up his phone from the table and play some mobile games, utilizing his precious fragmented time.
So, the question is, is there a mobile game with exquisite artwork, excellent character design, complex mechanics, yet capable of full auto-play, only requiring occasional taps to complete daily tasks and farm all sorts of events?
Of course there is! It's Goki's favorite mobile game, Azur Lane—ahem, I mean Arknights!
But just like the dream of Yharnam mixed with reality, Goki knew that what he experienced was not a game, but indeed, one real world after another.
Now, the Hunter who left Yharnam arrived on a continent named Terra.
The white-haired Nona in front of him was also somewhat familiar to Goki; in a sense, they were colleagues.
Hunters, Hunters who exist to hunt.
Clang—
Accompanied by a rough grinding sound, a huge, rusty Saw Cleaver appeared in the Hunter's hand, with a few strips of cloth wrapped around it fluttering in the sea breeze.
[Saw Cleaver, a workshop's strange weapon, typically used for hunting.
This saw can transform into a cleaver that utilizes centrifugal force, causing monsters to bleed profusely.
Its bloodthirsty serrations symbolize the hunt itself.
The more beastly a monster's mutation, the greater its power.]
Looking at the Saw Cleaver in his hand and the strange beasts surrounding him, Goki was ecstatic.
Low stamina consumption during attacks, bonus damage against beast-type enemies, swift transformation attacks, and infinite possibilities when paired with Beast Blood Pellets and Fire Paper—it could be said to be the best companion for a new Hunter!
Of course, the most important thing was that it looked cool, and the metallic clanking sound during transformation was also very satisfying!
Coolness is for life!
Back on the game cover, Goki had already set his sights on this weapon!
Gripping the Saw Cleaver in his hand, Goki took a deep breath.
The air was mixed with the salty smell of the sea breeze and a faint scent of blood.
Around them, many sea anemone-like enemies—Terrorfish—were already brandishing their tough arm-like appendages, rushing towards the living beings in front of them.
"You're good at fighting? Alright, these are Terrorfish that crawled ashore. Although they come in many forms, their essence is the same. Be careful not to get injured by them, and don't let wounds come into contact with their bodily fluids, otherwise I can't heal you—and also, don't get too close to me."
Seeing the strange-looking "saw" in the hand of the black-clad man, who was a head taller than herself, Skadi nodded, tightening her grip on her gigantic mechanical sword.
It's a bit like Ludwig's Holy Blade; I wonder if it can transform.
Hearing Skadi's warning, Goki just smiled and nodded.
"No damage? I'm good at that—"
"GAAAH!!!"
Accompanied by a terrifying roar, the surrounding "sea anemones," "flowers," and "dogs" surged up and down, exhaled, and retracted, seemingly mimicking the creatures they embodied, densely packed.
And Goki, without hesitation, swung his Saw Cleaver and charged towards the enemies—Hunters are not good at dealing with multiple enemies? That's a joke!
Bang—
Accompanied by the slash of the greatsword, or more accurately, the impact of the greatsword, a "sea anemone" as tall as a person suddenly exploded in mid-air.
Contaminated bodily fluids burst forth, and after being struck by immense force, scattered away from the wielder of the sword, like splashing waves.
Instead of attacking with the inertia and weight of the sword like typical greatsword techniques, Skadi held the massive hilt with one hand, effortlessly swinging the black greatsword, shattering one Terrorfish after another, as agile as if she were using a light one-handed sword.
The entire process was fluid and graceful, the sharp sword tip tracing one undulating arc after another in the air, as if dancing, like the ebb and flow of tides.
For this most common enemy, Skadi was already adept at dealing with them.
Skadi was a Hunter, an Abyssal Hunter.
Since she could remember, she and her companions had been hunting these monsters—the Seaborn—that infringed upon the homes of the Aegir people in the vast deep sea.
Of course, enemies of this level could no longer harm her, unless... they were much, much larger.
Not long ago, no, just last night, she had fought such an enemy.
The price... was all her companions.
Skadi was the last Abyssal Hunter.
As for this land dweller, although the Aegir typically looked down on them, Skadi no longer wanted to see anyone die.
"Land dweller, can you handle this—Alright, it seems you can."
During a lull in the battle, Skadi glanced in the outsider's direction, her swinging greatsword momentarily paused in mid-air, her eyes widening slightly.
She saw... a Hunter.
No, it wasn't because of the drowning man's self-introduction; even if he hadn't said anything just now, Skadi could tell he was a Hunter.
Holding a large, strangely curved weapon, the land dweller who called himself a Hunter was silently hunting the Terrorfish in front of him, unfazed by the soul-shaking sounds.
"Gah—"
Accompanied by a mournful roar, a "flower" suddenly leaped up, aimed its "pistil" at Goki, and opened its mouthparts filled with sharp teeth.
The half-person-tall deformed creature brandished its powerful wrist-like appendages, intending to knock down its "prey" first, then tear and devour their flesh directly.
These creatures, called Bottom Sea Sliders, looked like sea anemones, but their actual hardness surpassed the fur of beasts.
However, even the hardest beast fur could be torn open with a saw.
The rough, saw-toothed great blade easily cut into the "Terrorfish's" body, slicing and tearing.
Splat.
With a powerful rip, the Terrorfish's pale blue-green skin was torn open by the Saw Cleaver, gushing out a large amount of greenish-blue bodily fluid.
[It can break through defenses, then it's easy to deal with—just a bit stronger than the big rats in Yharnam.]
Goki sidestepped to the left, dodging the splashing bodily fluid, and did not stop his offensive. He horizontally swung the Saw Cleaver, easily slicing the Terrorfish into two.
Hiss—
Soon, the twisted creature rapidly shriveled, like a deflated ball, completely losing its vitality.
The mimicry of other life forms instantly dissipated, turning into a twisted lump of flesh.
And in Goki's mind, a certain number suddenly jumped up.
+48
[blood echoes, huh? This is the same price as the hospitable citizens of Yharnam.]
blood echoes, this was the currency in Bloodborne; even in that real dream, Goki needed this power to strengthen himself.
But these gains did not make Goki stop his movements.
He suddenly rolled forward, dodging an attack from behind, a sticky tentacle grazing his back.
Reality is not a game; Hunters don't get winded after swinging their weapon three or four times, lacking the strength to even roll.
But enemies are not fools either; they don't bleed no matter where they're cut. Only by hitting a vital spot can one strike them down.
[And the vital spot is... ASS!]
Gracefully rolling to his feet, using the momentum of the roll, Goki flung his right hand behind him, pulling his entire body into a longbow shape.
Clang—Dong!
The folded curved hilt and serrated blade sprang open like a switchblade. The weapon, originally as short as a hand saw, suddenly transformed into a half-long weapon, with a crisp and pleasant metallic clash.
The next second, the charged transformation attack was swung out, striking the Terrorfish, which hadn't had time to turn, in the crucial muscle-controlling point of its body structure.
"Gah!!!"
Accompanied by another scream, the Terrorfish, which had just been exceptionally lively, suddenly completely lost its ability to move and fell into a paralyzed state.
The righteous Hunter's fighting style.
And the next second, under Skadi's slightly surprised gaze, Goki suddenly transferred the massive weapon to his left hand and plunged his right hand into the Terrorfish's body.
After killing several Seaborn just now, Goki had already identified the enemy's weakest organ.
Visceral attack!
Puff!
Accompanied by splashing bodily fluid, the Terrorfish lost its vitality with just one blow.
[Continue—by the way, Nona Doll, shouldn't you give me a sniper rifle?]
[Basic left-hand weapon, exchange price: 1000 blood echoes.]
[That's too much, too much! The starter pistol is free! I want a shotgun!]
[Kind Hunter, you are not a novice.]
Muttering incessantly in his mind, Goki maintained his silence outwardly, starting the next round of hunting without a word.
Skadi, meanwhile, felt a little joy.
It was a familiar fighting style, efficient, elegant, exciting and joyful, like a dance at an Aegir feast.
Clearly, this man might be somewhat weaker compared to an Abyssal Hunter.
But without a doubt, he was not prey, but a true Hunter, just like Skadi.
"Be careful of the bodily fluids... No, just survive first..."
Watching the man darting among several Seaborn, rhythmically slaying one after another with that strange weapon, Skadi nodded.
She continued to swing her greatsword, turning into a whirlwind of slaughter.
Loneliness and confusion dissipated a little.