The sounds and sights that broke Kenji's conversation with the other woman made him take yet another step away from the door. Partly, he hadn't really been looking, so maybe that was why he couldn't see it. Or could the pale woman truly be that fast? [i]And those fangs aren't normal either. None of this is normal. It's not a dream; the pain in my joints from those ropes, and the feeling of kicking that creature, and this fetid smell...It's all real. But it isn't...it isn't supposed to be like this. Things like that aren't supposed to be[/i] possible. That pale woman was a monster. Whether because she was distracted by the bloody events of before or because she didn't know what he was saying, the other girl didn't respond to Kenji's question at all. There was no other reason, in Kenji's mind, to speak to the others right now. They were all in the same place he was--confused and more than a little scared. All that was left for them was to follow this pale, fanged, blood stained woman. Kenji did so at a distance, keeping close to the walls for a reason he wasn't quite sure of. Maybe just a psychological placebo, a foundation of sorts that could support his shaking legs. And finally he got some information about this place. If Maria or the old man were paying any attention to their "new recruits," they might notice that Kenji stood back from the others, at a place where he could see all of them. His eyes and ears were attentive, but his gaze kept flickering here and there, especially when either of them moved or pointed at something during their lecture. When the old man brought out weapons and it was Kenji's turn to take his pick, he looked over several of them, testing their edges with his thumb, or checking their balance and weight by picking them up and turning them over in his hands. [i]Hunters hunt "beasts," eh? Obviously not the normal kind. Rather than boars or wolves, something...monstrous. Some of these weapons seem to be made from the remains of such creatures. These guns are far from modern. These types take too long to reload, are too finicky with their accuracy, and probably jam easily. Overall less reliable than a blade, their only saving grace being ease of use and explosive power in a small package. Hm. A knife is always good as a backup, I'll go ahead and have that. Why does it make my stomach hurt...? And this...[/i] Kenji hefted the spear, noting its cross blades, and stepped back from the group. He had found the weapons he was comfortable with for now. He gave the spear a practice spin, and found that while he had enough dexterity and strength to manipulate the weapon fairly easily, he didn't have any muscle memory or reflexes related to the use of it. [i]I must not have been a martial artist or any kind of fighter when I was...alive. If that spiel about the afterlife was true. But the Chinese had a saying, I believe, that went something along the lines of "the spear is the king of all weapons." Historically I'm almost certain it was the most used weapon of infantry precisely because it was simple to learn, yet efficient and deadly. These two side blades will stop a creature from simply pushing its way up the shaft of the spear to get at me, once I've impaled it. Hopefully. With any luck, I'll be able to stab and kill something from outside its arm's reach...then again, if these monsters are giant-sized, no humanly-usable spear might be long enough.[/i] Kenji grimaced. Here he was talking about killing monsters as if he were playing a game of some sort, rather than living a wretched nightmare. Was this place affecting his sanity, as well as his memory? Maybe that was easier for him to believe than the truth. Maybe it was easier to just make excuses, rather than acknowledge the fact... Rather than acknowledge the fact... [i]I killed that man. I killed that old blind man. I was ready to beat him, while he lay dying, if it would have gotten me more information. I'm honestly considering going out and killing some kind of creature, becoming some kind of monster hunter, because I've been told it might get me my memories back.[/i] Kenji barely had time to run behind one of the pillars lining the grand chambers of the church, before the sound of heaving and retching could be heard. [i]What the hell have I done? Where the fuck am I!? I want to go home, but I don't even know where it is! I don't like this! I HATE this![/i] He kept throwing up until there was nothing in his stomach, and even then he heaved and coughed. His throat felt like it was on fire, and hot, salty tears ran down his face. He let it all out, all his self disgust, all his fear, all his despair...He poured it all out until he was completely empty inside, and with that emptiness, there came a kind of clarity. "Think, Kenji. You don't know shit about what happened...before. But you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, in your heart, that you're a thinker." He thought aloud. "So put your brain to work, and let's make sense of this bullshit." [i]I, Nakamura Kenji, have entered the World of Wasted Dreams, and a town called Iredele, according to an old man and a pale woman. According to the woman, this is some form of afterlife--there may be a way, if I follow their orders, to recover my memories, maybe even my life. Both of them seem to follow this church of a being called the Absolute, and are recruiting Hunters to fight monsters and beasts. Somehow, fighting these creatures plays into making donations to the church. I'm not sure if that means bringing back proof of a kill, or some kind of currency. I've been supplied weapons, and there are other new Hunters I can work with. I do not know if I can trust anyone, thus far, whether it be the people who arrived here with me or the two natives of this world. I still need more info. I have weapons to defend myself with, and though the pale woman has displayed supernatural strength and speed, she doesn't seem hostile to us as long as we keep to ourselves. Right now it looks like the old man has actually left, heading...downstairs? To what, a basement or cellar? The pale woman is still near the altar. Donny's talking to her. Other than him, one other guy, and a woman who didn't respond when I spoke to her, no one has taken any notice of me. I can probably leave without any problems. If this Iredele is a real town, there have to be other people living here. I can cross reference what I have so far with whatever they can provide in terms of information. So, that will be my first course of action: Exit the church, and speak to the townspeople.[/i] Wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his uniform--his own clothes would probably work for now, he didn't really think he needed to take any from the pile--Kenji stepped away from the pillar and headed towards the entrance of the church, walking much more steadily. The butt of his spear tapped the cobblestones like a walking stick, and the knife in his pocket was a reassuring weight. He took his first steps into the World of Wasted Dreams proper, and went out into the town of Iredele...