After deciding on their next move, Gawain waited for Melina to finish processing the Golden Seeds. Once the task was complete, he traveled with her back to the Site of Grace near the Ailing Village. Even though it felt as if he had spent quite a while at the Roundtable Hold, very little time had passed in the physical world. Perhaps it was because the Hold did not exist within reality?
Temporarily stepping away from the state of Grace, he took some Rowa Fruit he had scavenged along the road and dried them into Rowa Raisins, preparing them for Torrent the next day. He then sat quietly, waiting for dawn.
Melina sat opposite the Grace, masking her presence as she watched him lost in thought. After recent events, the bond between them had grown subtly tighter. She felt that a mere "thank you" was insufficient to express her gratitude.
For her, the most important task was to recall her lost purpose, but fostering a better relationship with her traveling companion was certainly no bad thing. Looking back, she realized that while she had been observing Gawain's every move, she didn't truly understand who he was.
What felt most discordant with the current Lands Between wasn't just his mysterious power, but his almost saint-like morality and the mindset of a martyr—a conclusion she'd drawn after hearing his words before the Morne Moangrave.
In her travels with Torrent, she had assumed such people had all died out during the long Shattering War. If a man like him were to truly become Elden Lord, what kind of change would he bring to this land? If possible, she wanted to see that sight with her own eyes.
Melina recalled how other Tarnished and their maidens interacted; by comparison, she felt she was indeed somewhat distant. Perhaps it was time for a change.
But how should she go about it? She felt a pang of distress; her memories held no experience in "getting along" with others. Even Torrent frequently bickered with her.
After some thought, she devised a plan. From their time in Castle Morne, Gawain seemed deeply interested in history. From now on, she would take the initiative to communicate more. When they encountered churches of her mother, Marika, she would recite the ancient proverbs—one of her few remaining memories of her mother. He would surely find that a pleasant surprise.
Early the next morning, Gawain summoned Torrent. After being fed a handful of Rowa Raisins, the spectral steed was clearly full of energy.
Gawain produced his map, pointed to the Minor Erdtree icon, and then physically nudged Torrent's head toward the massive tree visible on the horizon. After this bit of "cross-platform communication," he was confident the horse understood his intent. He settled onto Torrent's back, content to let the auto-navigation take over.
Without Gawain's blind meddling, Torrent moved at top speed, bypassing every danger the wilderness had to offer—from the poisonous Miranda Sprouts to the wandering Misbegotten and demi-humans. Leaping through spiritsprings, they arrived near the Minor Erdtree before the sun had even begun to set.
Pulling out the binoculars he had scavenged from the High Wall of Lothric, Gawain spotted a massive creature wandering near the base of the tree. Its skin was composed entirely of wood: the Erdtree Avatar of this region.
A direct confrontation was possible, but as a "Knight of Justice," Gawain preferred more efficient methods. After some thought, he took the branches he had collected in the woods and wove them into a makeshift harness around his waist.
Sneaking around the back, he climbed high into the canopy of the Minor Erdtree while the Avatar was looking away. He then manifested a large pile of Black Firebombs.
Crouching on a thick branch, he patiently tied the bombs to the twigs, aiming directly above the hollow, sunken cavity of the Avatar's head. With a spark from his Pyromancy Flame, he ignited the fuse and dropped the entire cluster of Black Firebombs at once.
The Erdtree Avatar didn't seem to realize what was happening. It merely patted its non-existent head and continued its mindless patrol.
Then came a violent explosion. The wooden body, extremely weak to fire, was almost entirely incinerated by the erupting black flames. The charred remains emitted a brief pulse of holy light before falling still.
"Hah, too easy," Gawain said, clapping his hands as he slid smoothly down from the tree. "At least a Pus of Man would occasionally smack me in the face while struggling. These Avatars really can't cut it."
Rummaging through the pile of charred wood, he found two crystalline objects: one red and one grey.
"Melina, are you there? These look special. How do I use them?"
Melina's figure slowly manifested beside him. She took the two Crystal Tears and studied them to identify their properties.
"These are Crystal Tears—a special manifestation of the Erdtree's grace. They contain unique powers. Because the faint will of the Minor Erdtree does not wish for them to be taken easily, it creates an Erdtree Avatar to guard them."
She held a tear in each hand. "If I recall correctly, the red one can heal your wounds rapidly, much like the Flask of Crimson Tears. The grey one temporarily generates a protective barrier around you to reduce incoming damage. I can use these to concoct a 'Physick.' Drinking it will grant both effects simultaneously. Shall I prepare it now?"
Gawain waved a hand, walking toward the cliff's edge. "Not just yet. Since these tears have such specific effects, I'll let you keep all the ones I collect. I'll ask you to brew them when I need a specific buff."
"Understood. That is my duty."
Melina stowed the tears and followed him. In the distant plains, a massive figure could be seen wandering.
"No wonder the map calls the cemetery down there the 'Tombsward Catacombs.' Is that thing the 'Mausoleum'?"
Melina knew exactly what it was. Wandering Mausoleums were scattered across the Lands Between, and regardless of how the war raged, all factions tacitly left them alone.
"Yes. Those are the Wandering Mausoleums that have existed since the Night of the Black Knives. They house the corpses of soulless demigods who perished that night. Do you see the headless spectral soldiers guarding them? They severed their own heads to follow their lords in death. Now, as spirits, they guard the soulless remains, hoping for the day their lords might return to life as heroes and return to the Erdtree."
Gawain remembered that in the game, Godwyn was called the "First of the Dead," but the exact number of casualties wasn't specified. It seemed the demigods who died that night were now interred in these mausoleums, each guarded by headless spectral knights.
"Soulless demigods... if they don't even have souls, can they really return to life one day?"
"At least those knights who died willingly believe so," Melina replied. "It is said the Eclipsed Sun is the guardian star of the soulless demigods. Perhaps they believe that when the Eclipse descends, the situation will change."
Melina's expression turned slightly odd for a moment as she glanced at Gawain. Could they really be so similar? She eventually dismissed the thought. It couldn't be such a coincidence.
Seeing that it was still early, Gawain ignored the distant mausoleum. Without a Remembrance, the mausoleum was useless to him anyway. He turned his attention to the catacombs.
Following the map, he found a well-hidden entrance to a tomb. This should be the place where the spirit of Lhutel the Headless was interred.
Catacombs were inevitably filled with skeletons. He drew the greatsword Galvin had given him and used a talisman to cast the Blessed Weapon miracle. The divine light should at least be effective against these foes.
The holy radiance illuminated the dim tomb. Numerous skeletons hiding in the corners began to rattle and stir, pulling themselves together to eliminate the intruder.
Looking at the skeletons crawling everywhere, Gawain couldn't help but feel that compared to the invisible grave wardens in the Catacombs of Carthus, these guys were almost cute. He decided to give them a swift end.
His Blessed Weapon glowed intensely. Even though it wasn't a strike-type weapon, it dealt massive damage to the undead. A single strike was enough to obliterate them, preventing them from reanimating.
Clearing the waves of skeletons, Gawain followed his memory toward the heart of the tomb. To be honest, the layout here was infinitely simpler than the "mind-screw" mazes found in the snowy mountain catacombs; it was basically a straight shot to the end.
Soon, he arrived at a set of heavy, closed doors. A small Statue of Marika stood nearby—the clear sign of a boss room. He gave the doors a firm push, only to find them locked by a mechanism.
Gawain didn't bother looking for a lever. In a game, you have no choice; in reality, was he really going to let a mere door stop him?
Sheathing his greatsword, he pulled out two straight swords and jammed them into the seams of the door. Fire surged along the blades, melting the steel and the hinges alike. With a heavy kick, the doors collapsed inward.
Gawain walked in slowly. Before him were countless roots shaped like distorted human faces—the sign of a corrupted Greattree Root system.
Just a few steps into the arena, a humanoid monster shrouded in black mist manifested. It possessed distinct moth-like features, and the mist surrounding it carried the stench of poison. It was the boss of this tomb: the Cemetery Shade.
Just as Gawain reapplied the Blessed Weapon buff to his greatsword, the Cemetery Shade raised its dual blades. Shrouded in mist, its form flickered, and in the blink of an eye, it was right in front of him.
Its frantic slashing only looked intimidating. Gawain parried the strikes with ease, countered with an elbow to the chest to knock it back, and then conjured a halo of light in his left hand, which he hurled forward.
The piercing ring of light tore through the Shade's body and split into three. Under his control, the rings zipped back to his hand, neatly "shaving" the shadow-hair right off the Shade's head. In such a confined space, the Way of White Corona was nearly impossible to dodge.
As the Cemetery Shade wailed in pain, Gawain prepared to deliver the finishing blow. However, the monster's body convulsed, releasing a massive cloud of black mist. The environment instantly turned pitch-black; even his Blessed Weapon couldn't illuminate more than a few feet.
The Shade's angry howls echoed from all sides, making it impossible to pin down its location. Caught off guard for a split second, Gawain felt a swarm of green, poisonous silk threads erupt from the darkness, binding his legs tight. The Cemetery Shade lunged forward with its maw wide open, intent on devouring the intruder.
Gawain didn't even try to dodge. He simply crossed his arms in front of his forehead. A massive surge of holy power condensed within his talisman and exploded outward the moment the Shade touched him.
In that instant, the Cemetery Shade became the light.
"Sigh. I was going to use Force, but since you want to play like that, I guess I have to gift you a Wrath of the Gods."
The Cemetery Shade lay on the ground, unable to rise, its body covered in scorching burns. Gawain figured that last blast was a bit "over-spec" for the poor thing—he had nearly turned the Cemetery Shade into a "Light Shade." With a casual follow-up strike, the monster dissolved into mist, leaving behind an ashen jar containing a spirit.
He leaned down and picked up the Spirit Ash. He could feel an ancient, silent soul within: Lhutel the Headless, the legendary knight.
She might have been a knight loyal to Godwyn, but since her soul was now in his hands, her opinion mattered little. He had been wanting to experiment on the souls of the Lands Between for a while, and she was the perfect candidate.
Besides, he didn't think this was a bad deal for Lhutel. She was already in this "brainless" state; even if he failed, he'd just be giving her peace. If he succeeded, all the better.
He pulled a blackened lump from his pack—the Transposing Kiln left behind after Ludleth of Courland was burned to ash. In Ludleth's hands, this tool could mold the power of souls into any shape desired, from weapons to rings.
Thinking about it from a different angle, it meant that with enough skill, he could use it to achieve something very interesting—something similar to the state of the Twin Princes, but without the tragic, malformed entanglement.
"Well then, let's begin the soul-fusion experiment. Let's see if I can help you grow your head back."
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (40 chapter - Ongoing)
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