Mergo's Lullaby

"Ah?"

Staring at the woman's corpse in front of him, Fan En was stunned for a moment, then suddenly sat up.

Ruby Brooch on a woman's corpse.

These factors combined gave him a bad feeling.

"No way?"

Even though I knew it was just an afterimage, the fact that it happened so suddenly was still quite astonishing.

Even playing a small Yugi on a screen and encountering some unexpected events is enough to shock people, let alone the dungeon afterimages, which are so lifelike that they seem to be happening right in front of you.

He had no interest in watching the battle between his companions and Father Gascoigne; he knew the outcome was predictable – his side would be utterly crushed.

Carefully examining the woman's body, Fan En discovered something unbelievable:

The opponent had two completely different injuries!

One type of wound is a laceration, like that of a wild animal; the other is a smooth, slashing cut.

It looks exactly like the work of a hunter's weapon; ordinary weapons don't have this kind of sharpness!

He quickly looked at the spot where the woman had fallen, and then looked around. Sure enough, he found the mutilated carcass of a wild animal not far away. It was the same animal that Father Gascoigne had been chopping up when they first entered the cemetery!

A terrible guess arose in his mind, and he gradually pieced together a complete and tragic story.

The little girl's mother went out to look for her husband and was attacked by wild beasts on the way. In her panicked escape, she encountered a crazed hunter in the cemetery. The hunter Execute the beasts and saved her. She thought things had finally taken a turn for the better, but the hunter, addicted to hunting, could not distinguish friend from foe and ended up killing her as well.

This is roughly how he guessed what happened.

"How pitiful."

Fan En sighed, relieved that he was the first to discover the situation. If it had been Yi Sha, who was more empathetic, or Bell, who had clearly been moved by emotions, they would have been at a loss for words and would probably have been fighting the graveyard hunters.

He carefully removed the Ruby Brooch from the woman's body. The red gemstone was indeed very beautiful, as if it were formed from congealed blood. On the back were engraved two names: Viola and Gascoigne.

It's truly admirable how good the relationship between this couple is.

Speaking of Gascoigne, he must be a hunter too. He went out hunting and abandoned his family. How heartbroken he must be to hear such terrible news when he gets home. I hope he doesn't lose control on the spot.

Fan En is a rare cultured person. He has read a lot of books and has an inner artistic temperament. He has seen many operas and usually plays sad and mournful music during tragic scenes. So he rummaged through his pocket and took out the Small Music Box that he kept on his person.

Placing the Small Music Box next to the woman's body could be considered fulfilling the little girl's request.

He had just considered whether to drag the woman's body back to show the little girl, but the moment the thought crossed his mind, he was terrified that he would come up with such a cruel and inhumane idea. It was so unreliable; did he want to inflict a psychological and internal trauma on the little girl?

Did I gradually lose my humanity by hunting too much?

"Kara, Kara".

The Small Music Box's spring was wound up; this ingenious mechanism seemed to allow the music to last longer the more times it was wound, so he wound it a few more times, just as he was about to release the spring and let the music start—

"Call"

A bloody and savage breath came from behind, and a strong warning of danger rang in my mind.

If you listen carefully, you'll notice that the sounds of your companions fighting Father Gascoigne have disappeared at some point.

So, it's no longer necessary to guess who this dangerous guy who appeared behind him is.

It is said that people's thinking speed is accelerated when facing life and death, and Fan En's thinking speed was like a runaway train, with many thoughts flashing through his mind in a short moment.

Then, he gritted his teeth and let out a very annoyed sound:

"Tsk!"

The little girl was so looking forward to reuniting with her family, but what happened? Her mother died here, and her father is still missing. Although her mother had wounds caused by wild animals, the fatal wound came from a weapon!

He had rescued many survivors in the past few days, but he had also heard countless tragic stories. Each survivor had a tragic past that could make listeners sad and bring tears to their eyes. He was already depressed enough, and he could only relax by teasing the Yharnam people.

Why is he even doing this to the afterimage of a little girl in the dungeon?

I've had enough, I've really had enough, I don't want to hear any more tragic stories!

"You bastard!"

With one hand tightly wound up a spring, and the other gripping Saw Cleaver, the atmosphere at that moment was like crackling lightning flashing and leaping.

"You're so engrossed in the hunt, do you even realize how much trouble you're causing others?!"

This was probably the most excited he had ever been. His heightened emotions made his vision go blank, and only his inner feelings were firmly locked onto Father Gascoigne behind him.

It seems like I've finally gotten into a serious state again after a long time.

He had never experienced anything like this since becoming a hunter, which made him think he was always in a serious state, but it turned out he was still a half-baked one.

The extreme height of his emotions brought him extreme calmness. It felt as if an electric current was coursing through Fan En's blood. He suddenly turned around and slashed at Father Gascoigne!

At that moment, the latter also cleaved down with its transformed axe, carrying the power and momentum to split mountains and shatter rocks.

If nothing unexpected happens, Fan En, whose strength is far inferior to Father Gascoigne's, will be sent flying by this blow, no, he might even be cleaved in two!

"Bang--"

The violent impact sound instantly echoed throughout the entire cemetery.

"What's that noise? What are they doing over there?"

On the other side, the hunters who had survived heard the commotion and looked over, their eyes widening in surprise.

"Am I seeing things?"

They raised their arms in disbelief and pointed in that direction.

"Fan En blocked it!?"

Fan En gripped the Saw Cleaver tightly in one hand, turned around and slashed, colliding firmly with Father Gascoigne's axe.

The two weapons were locked in a stalemate, appearing to be evenly matched!

It was unbelievable; people found it unbelievable, and that's why they exclaimed it.

Fan En was initially in high spirits, his mind blank except for Father Gascoigne, but when he heard the shouts, he suddenly snapped back to reality and looked at the weapons.

He stared in shock, his eyes widening in disbelief. His inner monologue was remarkably simple:

How did I (a plant) manage to block this guy's attack?!

When I realized this, the inexplicable power that had appeared in my body vanished instantly.

Just like Bi Gan, who was alive even after his heart and liver were ripped out, suddenly died after seeing water spinach and realizing his true condition.

With a slight exertion of his axe, Father Gascoigne sent Fan En flying with an irresistible force, tracing a perfect parabola through the air like a broken sack, his Small Music Box falling to the ground.

Fan En fell heavily to the ground, his stomach pierced by sharp fragments of a tombstone, but his eyes still flickered with deep confusion.

How did I manage to do that just now?

My left hand is empty. Damn it, I dropped the Small Music Box!

He struggled to his feet and suddenly heard music, the unique melody emanating from the Music Box, a quiet and eerie lullaby called Mergo's Lullaby.

Oh no, what if that crazed hunter destroys the Small Music Box?

"Ughhhh!"

Fan En was struggling to get up when he suddenly heard a frenzied and painful roar. It wasn't the madness of a human turning into a beast, but rather it was as if the madman had experienced a brief moment of lucidity. However, this brief lucidity made him realize something that was irreversible and painful!

The one who cried out in pain was Father Gascoigne!

Not only Fan En, but everyone else was stunned by the scene.

"You."

A glint of clarity seemed to flash in Father Gascoigne's eyes. He glanced briefly at the crowd, but his gaze was immediately drawn to the Small Music Box beside him, and naturally, he looked at the area next to the Small Music Box.

The little girl's mother's body.

Memories flooded his eyes like a tidal wave, and Father Gascoigne trembled.

Fan En's brain was also racing. What was going on? Why did this guy suddenly come to his senses after hearing the music? Didn't the little girl say that the music could wake up her father?

Wait a minute, Fan En suddenly realized something was wrong.

Oh, damn it, I get it.

Should I say something to Gascoigne to calm him down?

Fan En finally remembered the important things he needed to do, but when he looked up, it was already too late.

Father Gascoigne's eyes, which had just regained some clarity, were instantly filled with madness again when they fell upon his wife's corpse and he recalled something!

This madness is even more intense than before, and it's unlikely that the Small Music Box will be able to wake him up again.

"We're doomed."

As soon as he finished speaking, Father Gascoigne was even more frenzied than before, seemed to grow larger, and his body was undergoing some kind of transformation. Finally, he roared and pounced like a beast.

Unfortunately, before people could see clearly what strange changes had occurred in him, they were torn to shreds by his suddenly increased ferocity.

Soon after, the Hunter's Dream was once again filled with white flowers blooming everywhere.

The hunters opened their eyes and saw the familiar Doll, which always watched over them when their bodies were reviving but their consciousness was still unaware, bringing them a great sense of security.

But the moment people opened their eyes, they surrounded Fan En, their eyes gleaming with curiosity, and asked, "What exactly happened just now?"

"I"

Fan En gasped, his face contorting as if in stomach pain, and said:

"I'd rather know nothing."