Surgit and Karla went through the entire dungeon again, killing everything that crossed their path. They collected blood and refilled their vials. They stocked up on silver bullets as well and headed deeper into the dungeon.
They deviated from their course and delved into small tunnels they didn't venture into as they hunted the guardians. They met a Keeper and its ferocious dogs, but two hunters were more than enough to make short work of them.
The Keeper dropped some fire paper, and Surgit's heart leaped at the discovery. He showed them to Karla.
"These are the beasts' bane! Rub it against your blade -"
"I know what a fire paper is, Surgit," she cut him off. "I'm more interested in that."
She pointed at a wall at the end of the tunnel they took. A symbol was drawn on top of it, very similar to the hunter's mark.
Surgit frowned at it. "That shouldn't be there," he said.
"Do you think there's something around here?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Only one way to find out!"
He rushed to the wall and smashed his large hammer against it. The momentum carried him forward as he hit an illusion. The perfect image of the wall dissipated, and he burst into a wide secret chamber.
The room wasn't big, but it was wide enough for beasts to lurk about. Pillars split the room in three, a large central part and two wings. Candles shone bright orange light in the corners, and next to a tomb right at the end of the room.
A silver beast sat before the tomb. It sprawled to its feet and faced the hunter. It growled at him, then ran forward.
Karla appeared next to him like a fleeting shadow. She ran past Surgit and cut the beast's leg off in a flash. The beast whined as it fell face-first on the floor.
Surgit held his hammer high and slammed it on the beast's face. Its brains splattered on the pillars and walls.
Karla rushed to the tomb and placed a hand on it. "This is a mausoleum of some sort," she said.
Surgit swept the brain matter off his clothes. "And this thing was guarding it. Who said these beasts didn't have brains?"
She snorted. "That's dark, too dark, even for you."
He shrugged. "Anything interesting in there?"
She pushed the tomb open and leaned forward as she picked something up. Surgit joined her and she handed him the item.
Surgit's nose scrunched up. "By all the Gods! This is disgusting!"
She nodded. "Why would anyone bury themselves with this?"
Surgit gagged. He handed her the item and turned the other way. Karla had handed him a fetus, bloodied and perfectly preserved in a jar.
He clenched his fist. "That's a ritual material. I inspected it with insight."
Karla let out a digusted grunt. "Damned savages! This is the true face of the church!"
He chuckled. "Or the ones that came before them. This is the tomb of the old Gods, remember?"
He knelt beside the silver beast and picked up two bolt papers.
"We have what we need to face that thing. Let's go," he said, his back still to the tomb.
"Gladly!" she said and stormed out of the secret room.
They reached their destination in no time, as they had already cleared the area of every living beast. The doors were still open, but a veil of fog blocked them from going in.
Surgit turned to Karla. "I'll go in first, and draw it out. Use the fire paper to hit it hard after that."
She nodded, and Surgit disappeared behind the fog.
His alter beast burst out laughing. 'It's not tactics you need, but more firepower.'
Surgit clenched his fingers around his sword and focused on the Bloodletting beast before him. The creature turned its eyes toward him then immediately lunged, its finger outstretched.
Surgit jumped aside and got away from the beast's range. He attached his sword to the hammer then slammed it on the beast's foot. It wailed then turned, slamming its fists toward him as it did.
Surgit focused his arcane energy into the hammer then swung upward. Monstrous fists and enhanced hammer clashed. Surgit's feet departed the ground as he was flung backward by the impact.
The beast roared and made to jump at him, but took a step back and whined instead.
Surgit jumped to his feet and injected himself with a vial. The beast wailed and thrashed with its arms, trying to pummel Karla, who nimbly danced around the enraged creature. Flames charred the beast's fur every time Karla struck.
Surgit rubbed the bolt paper against his hammer and joined the fight. Every hit would send an electric blast around the beast's feet, staggering it, and giving Karla more chances to strike.
They synchronized their moves, staggering the beast, not allowing it any room to use its monstrous speed.
Then the fire paper's effect waned. Karla's hits scratched the beast's hide, but didn't deal the damage necessary to cripple it. Surgit slammed his hammer on the beast's leg, electrifying it in the process.
Karla swung, turning the beast's hide into shredded stripes.
Then Surgit's bolt paper ran out as well.
The beast roared, creating a visible sound wave around it.
The hunter got propelled away from the creature, each falling on opposite sides, the beast between them.
It turned toward Surgit and pointed its finger at him.
Karla ran and climbed on top of the beast's hunched back. She slammed her Saif in its open injuries, and the latter wailed.
It roared again, plastering Karla against a pillar.
It collapsed on all fours, panting heavily. Surgit rushed it, but the beast quickly jabbed him with its sharp claws, pushing him away.
'I told you, tactics are not enough,' his alter beast said.
Surgit smirked. 'I can do everything you do. What's the point of letting you out?'
His alter beast chuckled. 'You're not nearly as fast or deadly as I am. You still use these primitive tools while you can use your own claws! I'll tear my enemies apart limb from limb. I'll drink their blood and bask in my victory. That is real power! That is what I can do better than you, hunter.'
Surgit snorted. 'Good thing I got you well under control.'
'We'll see about that!'
He rushed the Bloodletting beast, who had just recovered. Karla was just out of her haze as well. She roared and ran for the beast, holding her saif tightly beside her.
Karla swung at the monster's leg, but the latter quickly raised it high, avoiding Karla's swing easily.
She stumbled forward, and the beast stomped on her, crushing her under its soles.
"No!" Surgit screamed. He reached the beast and slammed his hammer on its gigantic toes.
They broke, and the beast wailed.
Wind whooshed beside Surgit, and he felt a strong hand squeeze his body. The beast held him to its eye level and smirked. Blood trickled down the wide gash that traveled from its skull down to its back.
Its muzzle creased and its eyes landed on Karla. It twisted its foot, squeezing Karla further under its weight.
His alter beast laughed. 'Your stubbornness may finally lead to your true death, or hers!'
Surgit fought against the beast's grip. His muscles bulged and he pushed with all his might. The beast responded by squeezing its hand harder. Surgit screamed as his ribs broke and pierced through his flesh.
'Last chance, hunter,' his alter beast said.
Surgit cursed. 'We'll just die and come back.'
'Until when?'
'Until we kill it.'
'Or it kills you!'
'What's it to you anyway?'
'I haven't lived enough. I want more blood, more hunts. I can't let you throw your life away,' his alter beast said.
The beast twisted its leg once more.
Karla howled, an inhuman, otherworldly wail.
The beast whimpered as its body veered aside.
Surgit frowned. 'What's happening?'
The beast growled as it lost balance. It let go of Surgit and roared, but its body had already departed the ground. It crashed against pillars and brought them down with it.
Surgit fell and wailed as more bones broke inside his body.
"Surgit, you alright in there?" a distorted voice asked.
He struggled to open his eyes. He felt a sharp end plunge into his neck then clarity slowly came back to him.
His eyes widened. A beast with silver fur stood before him. It looked like the silver beasts they previously encountered, but with a much more defined torso, and strong limbs.
It looked at him with intelligent eyes. "Feeling better?" the beast asked.
Surgit squinted. "Karla?"
The beast nodded. "I couldn't let that thing do as it pleases." Her snake-like eyes landed on her wide arms and sharp claws. "I never thought I'd let this happen."
His alter beast guffawed. 'Even your idol has realized the importance of accepting oneself, hunter.'
Surgit got to his feet as the beast emerged from the rubble.
"Will you go down already?" Karla complained.
'So, what will it be, hunter? Let me out, let me help bring this thing down.'