Seeker of Truths

"Lord of the Undying Night?" Claude muttered, trailing through the now familiar amethyst forest. His mind buzzed with questions.

Who exactly is that? Was he a god? Did he have something to do with the strange situation of this world?

During his years in the city, Claude hadn't just holed up researching the various books and articles he uncovered in the cathedral.

He also managed to gain a clearer understanding of the history of this world. He learned how the world once actually had sunlight, which was lost on a day everyone simply called 'The Fall.'

The fall of what?

It was a question he asked many times, a question to which he had tried finding answers, yet all had come for nought. No one seemed keen on answering his doubts.

Nevertheless, his attention was soon diverted to the scene that lay before him. In the forest clearing ahead rested an ocean of red.

The purple foliage that once shimmered under the soft scarlet rays of the moon above was now doused in an ungodly amount of blood. Within the gruesome scene, numerous heads of animals were strewn about, forming a spiral pattern.

Years ago, Claude would have found himself nauseous when confronted with such a scene, yet his hectic life when he was thrown into this world had dulled his reactions.

'So this is it…' he thought, recalling what he had been told by those who scouted the region following the attack: traces of Bloodborne activity were found in the east of the city.

The sight before him, from his understanding, was some sort of ritual performed by the Bloodborne after hunting for prey.

Agnes believed this was something they did to appease their god. Karl thought it had something to do with their inherent bloodlust, viewing it as their form of art. Peter, ever the combatant, believed this was a rite before the war.

Whatever the reason, for Claude, this meant one thing: he could find a Bloodborne camp. It was something he had wanted to do for years. All his current understanding of this world revolved around what he had learned from Karl and the others.

Now he wanted to sate his own curiosity. He wanted to learn more about this strange world before he left, especially considering he now had the power to defend himself.

He wanted to learn about the true nature of this 'God.' He wanted to learn how this world ended up like this. After surveying the scene and trying to remember what he had been told by the scouts, he trekked eastward.

Trudging through the lavender expanse, he was brought to a halt by the megalith before him—a city. The city was rather large; if it hadn't been dwarfed by the ruined stronghold he had inhabited for the past few years, he might have been in awe.

Ravaged by the passage of time and the onslaught of the elements, the city was similar to the ruins. However, the echoes that reverberated from the city seemed to be warning him of life present despite its tattered state.

'At least these aren't ruins…' Claude mused. From what he had been told, this was a former metropolis of the Khorshid Empire under Ardeshir, known as Solaris.

It was renowned for being home to the greatest shrine to Solhart, visited by many affluent folks in hopes of seeing a miracle.

Climbing up a nearby tree, he used the Air Telescope spell to garner a closer look at the city, taking in a deep breath as he did so. Hundreds of crimson titans swarmed the land, shouting, brawling, and spreading chaos throughout the city.

Claude's eyebrows creased. He seemed to have underestimated the number of Bloodborne present here. It now seemed likely what he had seen earlier was either a mere group of rogues from afar or a small contingent from here.

'How exactly do I get in…?' Normally, sneaking in wasn't a bad idea, but Claude didn't want to accidentally get caught up in the chaos of the Bloodborne's unpredictable behaviour.

Nor did he trust the infrastructure of the city to support him sneaking in from above, hopping between rooftops. However, he remembered what Karl once mentioned. 'They're prone to infighting…?'

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At the south gate of the city, a group of Bloodborne gathered around a corpse. This one was not of any animal; instead, it was a person. The scarlet-skinned giants prodded and toyed with the corpse, feeding their limited amusement.

Whoosh!

A projectile from seemingly nowhere shot toward them, piercing the abdomen of one. Blood seeped out of the wound, yet the face of the afflicted was momentarily that of bewilderment, confused about what was happening.

Nevertheless, its limited intelligence made it give up pondering, and it soon took on an appearance of rage as it glanced at those around it.

"Wah!?" Confused, angry howling soon sounded from each of them as they began to distance themselves from one another.

Whoosh!

The tense situation wasn't helped by a second shot being fired at another one of them.

"Raaaargh!" This wounded Bloodborne could no longer process what was happening. His scarlet eyes burned with fury as he tightly grasped his solid mace made of blood and smashed it against the nearest Bloodborne.

The impact sent the unsuspecting giant crashing to the ground, its cries mingling with the enraged howls that erupted from all sides.

The brawl escalated swiftly. Bloodborne warriors, each a towering figure of raw muscle and blood-red skin, turned on one another with savage brutality.

Maces, claws, and fists struck out in every direction. Crimson blood spattered the already-stained ground, creating a macabre tapestry of violence. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and the guttural roars of the combatants.

One Bloodborne, a hulking beast with jagged scars crisscrossing its chest, swung a massive, blood-forged axe in wide arcs. The blade cleaved through the air, finding purchase in the flesh of another giant, who responded with a bone-crunching blow from its spiked club.

Around them, others grappled and wrestled, their immense strength causing the very ground beneath them to tremble.

The random firing of projectiles, which had initially sown confusion, continued to exacerbate the situation. Each shot, striking a different Bloodborne, incites further violence.

The giants, already on edge, were driven into a frenzy by the mysterious attacks. Accusations flew, and alliances crumbled as each assumed betrayal by their comrades.

One Bloodborne, larger than most and adorned with a crude, makeshift crown, roared commands in a guttural tongue, attempting to bring some semblance of order to the chaos.

But his efforts were in vain. He was soon overwhelmed by a trio of frenzied giants who tore at him with their bare hands, reducing their would-be leader to a bloodied heap.

The brawl expanded, drawing in more and more Bloodborne from the surrounding areas. The city, already a relic of a bygone era, groaned under the weight of the conflict.

Ancient walls crumbled as giants were thrown against them, and the cobblestone streets cracked under the force of their battle. The once-great metropolis of Solaris was now a war zone, its grandeur reduced to rubble and carnage.

Amidst the chaos, a particularly fierce Bloodborne, distinguished by the intricate tattoos that covered its body, fought with brutal efficiency. It moved through the fray like a whirlwind, its twin swords flashing as they cut down foe after foe.

But even this warrior could not escape the indiscriminate fury of the brawl. A thrown mace caught it off guard, crushing its ribcage and sending it sprawling to the ground.

Time passed, though it seemed not with the eternal night covering the world. The moon hung high, casting its scarlet light over the battlefield, highlighting the devastation wrought by the Bloodborne's fury.

The once proud city of Solaris, already aged and crumbling, was now in complete ruins after the fighting. Buildings lay in shattered heaps, and the streets were littered with the broken bodies of giants.

"Raaaargh!" With a tired roar, a single Bloodborne emerged from a pile of corpses, panting in exhaustion. Its skin, once a vibrant scarlet, was now marred by countless wounds and streaked with the blood of its kin.

Surprisingly, this was the individual who started the mess, being the one who was shot second by the unknown projectile. It stumbled forward, eyes glazed with fatigue and confusion, its victory cry a hollow echo in the silent aftermath of the battle.

Yet its triumphant moment was fleeting. A strange mist began to form around it, swirling and thickening until it enveloped the giant completely. The Bloodborne's eyes widened in panic as it realized what was happening.

Its scarlet skin turned an even deeper shade of crimson as the mist boiled it alive. The giant's roars of pain grew weaker and weaker until they ceased altogether. Soon, the mist dissipated, leaving behind nothing but an emaciated, lifeless corpse.

Patter. Footsteps echoed in the destruction. Arriving before his latest victim, Claude raised a brow. "You actually survived for that long…?" He was genuinely impressed by the fighting spirit shown by the Bloodborne, yet it wasn't like they could sit down and have a calm chat.

Shaking his head, he remembered the one human corpse he had seen when he first initiated the cascade of violence. He cringed, thinking about the condition of the corpse; it probably wasn't even in one piece after what had just happened.

'Here's a moment of silence for you, from a stranger from a foreign world.'

Nevertheless, he was confused by the presence of humans in the heart of a Bloodborne camp. Raising his head from his contemplations, he saw a massive building in the distance, untouched by the chaos that had ensued. "A temple…?" he muttered.