Vera

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Vera Cateret; original given name: 薇拉 16 23
Gender	Female 13
Occupation/Role	Essence Hunter; Gordon’s bodyguard, hunting partner, and source-substance instructor 21 26 48
Rank	Second-Tier Apprentice Hunter 13
Affiliation	Licensed through the Hunter Administration; works with Gordon 21 34
Education	Trained at the Logris Hunter School 26 45 48
Residence	9 Knights Road, shared with Gordon 26 34
Status	Alive; remains a probationary hunter. Her pumping-station shoulder injury has healed, while her source-substance condition remains under management 34 39 45 47
First Appearance	Chapter 6, returning from the flooded Montfort basement 6

Power Progression

Vera’s early advancement is described retrospectively. Later chapters establish her existing capabilities rather than showing new rank promotions.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Apprentice training → readiness for field placement	16	Arthur Gray says she became ready in roughly four months, compared with the usual minimum of six. He praises her ability to handle an adult Aberrant alone.
Second-Tier Apprentice Hunter	13	Her official rank during the Montfort incident; Gordon considers her combat performance badly undervalued by the corresponding commission rates.
Three absorbed source substances	28 39	Confirms that she possesses three pieces. Two have integrated successfully; the incompatible Burning Instinct causes serious symptoms. Their acquisition dates are not given.
Force Field capability	48	Demonstrates an outward projection of source-substance power that overrides Gordon’s surrounding perception. The chapter does not establish when she reached this stage.

Background / History

Vera studied at the Logris Hunter School, where she researched medieval hunters’ sword use, naval boarding combat, and modern soldiers’ killing techniques. She incorporated these traditions into her own Hound Swordsmanship. Sinclair recalls an older rumor that she was a top student, while Gray describes her former self as exceptionally clearheaded, calm, and intelligent 35 45 48.

Her condition deteriorated after she recklessly absorbed source substances. By the Montfort commission, she lacked a steady supply of work and a doctor who took her health seriously. Hunger and poverty pushed her toward badly paid assignments; a brokerage later deducted carpet-cleaning costs from her payment for killing a Crowman Demon, despite her having saved the household 13 16 21.

Gordon’s employment offer gave her food, medical attention, and eventually a shared home. She initially interpreted his statement that he needed her as reassurance that she would not be driven away. After the Harold mission, she explicitly asked to keep working with him beyond the completed commission 21 26 34.

Appearance

• Build: Tall, straight-backed, and muscular; she is slightly taller than the other people present at the Montfort dinner. Her physique is toned and well-proportioned 6 13 47.
• Hair: Short, dark brown 45.
• Eyes: Gray-white or gray, turning crimson when she activates Fate-Biting 6 24.
• Face: Balanced, well-defined features, a sculpted nose, and pale lips. Her original high collar concealed the lower half of her face 23.
• Hands: Long fingers and defined joints, shaped by years of sword use and climbing 39.
• Original clothing: Battered hunter’s clothes marked by claw attacks, rain, and blood 23.
• Replacement outfit: A black coat resembling riding wear or an officer’s undress uniform, burgundy waistcoat, fitted white shirt, trousers, and polished black boots, with concealed storage and space for weapons 23.

Personality

Vera is blunt, literal, and impatient with unnecessary speech. When Evans asks her to report deaths more tactfully, she applies his suggested wording to his dead hound with disastrous results. Her initial response to most threats is direct violence, but she listens closely when Gordon’s explanations offer practical ways to survive future hunts 6 7 8.

She is accustomed to neglect and reluctant to spend money on herself. She distrusts gifts, accepts exploitative commissions, and initially objects to drinking regeneration medicine because it is expensive. Her standard approach to injury is to keep moving and leave recovery to her body or fate 21 23 33 34.

Her guarded manner gradually gives way to companionship and reciprocal care. She admits wanting an adventure with Gordon, begins cooking and cleaning their home, and eventually insists that his sleep and eating habits belong in their shared health log. Her intelligence and curiosity become increasingly visible as her symptoms improve 27 35 40 45 48.

Abilities & Skills

Fate-Biting: Fated End

Vera’s primary source substance links hunter and target through phantom chains and marks the target’s weaknesses 32.

• Her eyes turn crimson during activation 24 32.
• Against Harold, she attacks the marked fissures in his skull, chest, shoulder, and legs 32.
• Its cold, deadly nature contrasts with the volatile Burning Instinct inside her 39.

Fate-Biting: Rewrite the Dead End

Her second source substance provides an escape from otherwise certain death and has completely integrated with her primary substance 32 39.

• Activates when death is certain 32.
• Reveals alternative outcomes rather than guaranteeing an unharmed escape 32.
• During Harold’s attack, she chooses a shattered shoulder over a destroyed head; no injury-free path is available 32.

Burning Instinct: Final Reserve

Burning Instinct stores large amounts of energy and converts Vera’s consumed food into combat fuel 32 39.

• Channels stored reserves into her muscles and nerves, producing a surge of strength and courage 32.
• Raises her heart rate and blood pressure; she exhales scorching white breath during activation 32.
• Lies between her stomach and diaphragm 39.
• Remains poorly integrated and incompatible with her other substances, driving compulsive hunger and energy-consuming behavior 39.

Force Field

Vera can extend her source-substance influence beyond her body, imposing a pressure that reduces the encounter to hunter and prey 48.

• Her field overrides Gordon’s external perception, preventing him from sensing her temperature and heartbeat 48.
• She explains that an opposing user must develop an outward field of their own to resist such interference 48.
• Demonstrates the effect without using Fate-Biting to lock onto Gordon 48.

Hound Swordsmanship and Combat

Her sword style combines formal training, historical research, and accumulated fighting experience 48.

• Requires concentration; fully mastered techniques become instinctive responses rather than separately named moves 48.
• Uses precise thrusts, reverse-grip attacks, sweeping cuts, and close-range bodily movement 31 47.
• Possesses exceptional strength, speed, reflexes, and close-combat judgment for a low-tier hunter 16 31.
• Can evade a hastily fired shotgun blast and kill several armed attackers before the smoke clears 31.
• Hits a distant apple three times while blindfolded at a festival knife-throwing stall 49.
• Is not invulnerable: her sword cannot penetrate Harold’s clam shell, and his transformed body inflicts severe injuries 31 32.

Tracking, Fieldcraft, and Instruction

• Scent tracking: Remembers Gordon’s scent and identifies the Wet-Foot People by sniffing their threatening letter 16 22.
• Threat awareness: Senses the growing agitation of creatures beneath the Montfort house 8.
• Reconnaissance: Tracks shipments and cult members over extended surveillance sessions to narrow down Harold’s location 27 29.
• Aberrant knowledge: Identifies Tridacna Demon shells and recognizes the “shadow of Aston Street” as a Dragon Lizard Demon 26 45.
• Training: Teaches Gordon to “know yourself,” then uses thrown coins and attacks in darkness to develop his perception. Later, she teaches integration and Force Field principles 26 27 48.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Black Piercer — A black iron longsword designed primarily for thrusting, named by Vera herself. Its source-substance fragment, the Never-Healing Wound, prevents inflicted wounds from healing 22.
• Spiritual consumables — Carries combat, regeneration, and suppression mixtures, smelling salts, restorative salts, and blade oil 22.
• Suppressant Mixture — Rapidly reduces contamination, but also affects the nervous system and suppresses humanity 33.
• Daggers and emergency supplies — Conceals spare weapons, bandages, potions, and money throughout 9 Knights Road 26.
• Hunter’s license — Bears the Hunter Administration’s dragon emblem and the words “Probationary period” 34.
• Living Water Compass — Used to check for threats, though at Lace Pumping Station it detects enemies without locating them precisely 23 30.
• Practical tailored outfit — Charlotte’s gift, selected for durability, freedom of movement, and concealed pockets; Black Piercer also receives a temporary leather sheath 23.

Health and Treatment

Issue	Evidence and management
Source-substance incompatibility	Burning Instinct conflicts with her successfully integrated pair. Gordon considers removal too dangerous and instead pursues symptom management 28 39.
Compulsive hunger and impaired clarity	Constant eating accompanies disorientation and frayed nerves. Arithmetic exercises produce an early reduction in hunger and steadier breathing and heartbeat 28 39.
Risk from overuse and suppressant	Gordon warns that abusing her abilities and relying on suppressant could damage her brain 34.
Behavioral treatment	A two-week plan tracks food intake, hunger, sleep, nightmares, ability use, and mood. Fixed meals help her distinguish impulses from actual needs 39 40.
Early improvement	Scores 17 out of 20 on arithmetic exercises; Gordon records reduced appetite, diminished disorientation, and good mood 40.
Battle injuries	Gordon administers regeneration medicine and stitches her wounds after the Harold fight. Rest and continued care lead to complete recovery of her shoulder wound 33 34 47.

Relationships

• Gordon — Employer, bodyguard client, hunting partner, patient, student, and housemate. He challenges her poor pay and treats her condition; she protects him and later supervises his health in return. Their partnership develops personal affection and domestic intimacy without an explicit relationship label 13 21 27 34 40 48.
• Charlotte Montfort — Former client and practical supporter who helps Vera obtain discreet clothing. Their cooperation coexists with tension over Gordon’s attention; Charlotte later asks when Vera intends to move out 23 48 49.
• Arthur Gray — A professional hunter who recognizes her exceptional ability but warns Gordon about her contamination and reckless absorption. He remembers her intelligence before her decline 16 35.
• Sinclair — Spiritual craftsman she has visited before, sometimes forgetting payment or the visit itself. He is struck by her improved composure when she returns with Gordon 45 46.
• Old Baz — Collaborates with her and Gordon during the Deepclaw Demon hunt. Their later dealings become tense after Vera breaks two of his gang members’ legs while seeking Harold 11 13 29.
• Harold Wade — Cultist enemy pursued with Gordon. Their combined tactics defeat him at Lace Pumping Station 29 31 32.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arc	Vera’s role
Montfort infestation	Kills five Deepclaw Demons in and around the flooded basement, demands compensation appropriate to the danger, and assists Gordon’s investigation of their abnormal behavior 6 7 8.
Blackwater River hunt	Provides the killing power for Gordon’s baiting operation while Old Fish Market workers capture and transport creatures. She recalls taking six alive; the total killed remains uncertain 11 14.
Gordon’s protection	Accepts a live-in bodyguard arrangement after threats emerge, identifies the Wet-Foot People, and begins adapting to university and ordinary social settings 21 22 23.
Harold pursuit	Conducts reconnaissance and trains Gordon before their joint expedition. At the station, she holds Harold off while Gordon drains his water supply, then strikes his exposed weaknesses 27 29 30 31 32.
Recovery and shared home	Saves Gordon from the approaching mermaid, accepts treatment, and asks for a lasting partnership. Cooking, cleaning, and mutual health supervision become part of life at Number 9 33 34 35 36 40.
Renewed study and training	Reads Aberrant anatomy, resumes sword practice after recovery, and guides Gordon toward deeper source-substance integration 45 47 48.

Notable Quotes

“I’ll follow you. No one will be able to attack you.” 21

“I really want to go on an adventure with you.” 27

“Being afraid doesn’t stop me from fighting. The more I worry about gunpowder, the more I need to practice.” 48

Trivia

• Frequently responds with hound-like sounds, including “Arf,” growls, and whines 34 39.
• Describes a recurring dream involving a hunting ground beneath a blood moon and something she can never reach 48.
• Repeatedly uses Gordon’s towel, then claims it for herself and offers to replace it when his improved perception exposes the connection 48.
• Keeps the cheap wind-up bird she wins at the Rescue Festival after Gordon suggests displaying it 49.