Surveying the black silhouettes closing in from all sides, Gawain rapidly chambered a fresh set of bolts. The Gael's Crossbow in his hand erupted in a storm-like barrage. He didn't need to manually reload; he ensured that every bolt pulled from his pack was perfectly fed into the weapon's chamber.
To test the weaknesses of these shadows, every bolt fired carried a different affinity: poison, fire, holy, storm—he cycled through them all.
Once the testing was complete, his gaze swept toward the figure in the golden mask. He gripped the hilt of the Greatsword beside him and heaved, throwing the massive blade like a falling star toward the nearest shadow!
With a dull, heavy thud, the Greatsword slammed into the ground with thunderous force, pinning the shadow to the spot. A localized gale erupted from the impact, tossing the surrounding enemies backward.
Without giving them a chance to regroup, Gawain performed a fluid roll, closing the distance to the embedded sword. As he stood, he smeared Fire Pine Resin across the steel. With a sharp friction, flames surged along the blade, further empowered by a dash of the First Flame as a "seasoning."
Just as he had predicted, when the roaring flames caught the eyes of the shadows, even their blurred features betrayed a look of terror. Several of them turned without hesitation, scrambling to flee the dangerous area.
However, he wasn't about to let them escape so easily. Moving with the speed of a gale, he pursued them, his movements natural and practiced as he transitioned from rolls into a series of dizzying vertical slashes.
The flaming Greatsword traced brilliant arcs through the air, tearing through the black forms with unstoppable momentum.
Black flesh sprayed into the air, but strangely, the reaction of the shadows to such grievous wounds was entirely unexpected. They didn't survive as a pile of living meat like the Golden People, nor did they die instantly like the nomadic merchants. Instead, they attempted to dissolve into a distorted form and merge with the earth, as if trying to become part of the plain itself.
"I see..."
Just as he was about to follow up, he sensed a movement from the Hornsent behind him—the one who clearly functioned as an elite unit. With a twisted, bizarre motion, the creature lunged at him from his blind spot.
Its speed was even greater than that of Elsa, whose entire style revolved around agility. If it wasn't that every elite in the Land of Shadow was on par with or superior to Godrick, then there had to be another reason.
Gawain swung the flaming Greatsword in a horizontal sweep, aiming to cleave the creature in two. However, the Hornsent's body contorted at a grotesque angle in mid-air, spinning past the strike. The ripples of its movement seemed to interact with the shadows permeating the air.
Taking advantage of the opening, the Curseblade lunged onto Gawain's back. Its face, already hideous, was made even more terrifying by a wicked, lethal grin.
Its glowing eyes were fixed on the opponent it believed it had pinned down, as if savoring a pathetic prey that had walked into a snare.
The Curseblade's twisted, trunk-thick limbs shot forward, locking onto Gawain with the strength of iron clamps. For a heartbeat, time seemed to freeze, the silence of the space broken only by the creature's ragged breathing.
Based on years of combat experience, the Curseblade knew the duel was decided the moment it closed in. It had rendered its foe immobile. All it needed was a single burst of strength to swing its dual circular blades and take the man's head. Then, it would deal with the woman who radiated that sickening aura.
With that thought, the Curseblade slammed its dual blades toward Gawain's neck—and then froze. Why wouldn't they bite?
No matter how much force it applied, the blades stopped at the surface of the man's skin, unable to penetrate a fraction further. It felt as if it were striking hardened steel.
"I see. I was wondering how an elite mob could be this strong. If I let you out, you'd probably give Godrick a run for his money. So you're being buffed by the shadows, huh?"
Gawain had intentionally left an opening to let the creature close in for observation. Now he had his confirmation: the creature's body was merged with the shadows. Like Melina, a former local, it wasn't being rejected by the realm.
Furthermore, it was being empowered far beyond its natural limits. But what exactly were these "shadows"? Weren't the Hornsent Marika's enemies? Why was the realm's power aiding them?
He suspected this anomaly only functioned here; once outside, they would likely return to normal. As he realized this, he couldn't help but imagine the state of the game's balance if these shadow realm stats were a permanent fixture.
Gawain cracked his neck. While his offensive power was being suppressed, that only applied to his active output. His well-tempered physical body remained as resilient as it was in the Lands Between; this Hornsent couldn't even break through his Iron Flesh.
"You're the one who decided to get close. Now, don't go anywhere."
He reached back and locked the Curseblade's arm, ensuring it couldn't break free. His pupils flared with the light of a miracle, and a violent storm of lightning enveloped them both. In a flash, the massive body collapsed into a charred, smoking heap, unable to leap back up as it had before.
Sensing a movement, Gawain turned to see something drifting out of the charred corpse, attempting to merge with the ground.
"Hmph. Trying to run? Get back here!"
He snatched the soul attempting to sink into the plain and crushed it with a single squeeze, absorbing it into himself. Go talk to the Embers, he thought.
Melina led Torrent over from the rear. She looked at the forest of tombstones across the Gravesite Plain and spoke with a complex expression.
"The enemy you just defeated is known in the Land of Shadow as a Curseblade. As you can see, for the Hornsent, the status and strength of an individual are tied to the number and length of the horns on their body. The Land of Shadow was once the center of the Lands Between, the place where all souls and deaths converged. But now, death no longer falls equally upon all beings. Souls cannot receive their final rites, and thus, they become like this."
"The convergence of all death, eh? I see. No wonder the war is still going on. With the Rune of Death sealed, there's no point in fighting, no matter how long it lasts."
Gawain finally understood why the weak shadows had dared to surround him; he was effectively standing on their respawn point. For anyone else, even if they repelled these spirits, they would simply sink back into the plain to be awakened again later.
Unfortunately for them, they had run into a "Darkwraith" like him. The flames on his Greatsword had been infused with the power of the Dark Soul; there would be no respawning for them.
Gawain climbed back onto Torrent, staring at the Furnace Golem still wandering in the distance. Are these shadows caught in an infinite loop? Dying and being reborn, only to be burned again and again? Is that why they've become so wretched?
When Queen Marika severed the Land of Shadow, she must have known the Hornsent couldn't be truly killed here. Yet she didn't use Maliketh and the Rune of Death; instead, she sent a crusade to repeat the slaughter endlessly. He wondered just how deep her hatred for these people went to warrant such a fate.
He looked at Melina behind him. Since entering this realm, her mood had been low, fluctuating between melancholy and flashes of anger. Clearly, being here was bringing back many memories. Since she didn't want to talk about it, he didn't pry. The answers were here; he would find them eventually.
Gawain decided not to provoke the Furnace Golem for now. While waiting for it to finish its patrol and turn back, he began to study the map.
Though crude, he found an interesting detail: a location marked with a golden cross. It looked like a marker Leda had left for him. However, he wanted to explore the local area before heading there.
He set his sights on the ruins to the west of the Scorched Ruins. The map labeled it as the Western Nameless Mausoleum. Looking in that direction, the ruins were denser; he might find something useful there.
He directed Torrent toward the Scorched Ruins first, as the path was easier. After setting the "auto-navigation" and leaving the tombstone-crowded area, he and Melina rode along the main road. The sight of the translucent tombstones stretching into the distance was a hauntingly beautiful scene.
As they neared the Scorched Ruins, a white spirit appeared before them. These were common in the Lands Between, and he had seen many. These mindless spirits simply repeated their final obsessions over and over.
Before giving it a final rest, he dismounted to listen.
"Burned... all of it burned... by Messmer and his lackeys. What did we do? We only wanted to live in peace..."
The spirit's tone was thick with rage and sorrow, reciting the classic lines of the "innocent victim." Gawain didn't buy it; this was only one side of the story. Fia had claimed the Those Who Live in Death didn't harm anyone, either.
He remembered a certain group from his past life who claimed a history of "thousands of years of suffering," always playing the innocent victim while their actual deeds made one want to raise their left hand at a 45-degree angle.
(Messmer: I specifically left some Hornsent alive so that those who come after will know why I did what I did.)
During his brief pause, a swarm of shadows emerged from the Scorched Ruins. Gawain whistled and leaped back onto Torrent, having no desire to waste time on these mindless, charred Hornsent. He wreathed Torrent in pyromancy flames, incinerating any shadow that dared to approach.
As they sped through the ruins, Gawain could feel eyes watching them from the darkness. There was likely another elite like the Curseblade lurking within.
The resilience of these Hornsent was remarkable. From his earlier encounter, he knew the Curseblade was a Hornsent whose physical body still existed. It was likely a "lucky" one who hadn't been burned, possessing enough sanity to observe and strike at the best moment. This meant there were probably many Hornsent elites still resisting Messmer's crusade.
Strangely, the Hornsent in these ruins seemed easy enough to deal with; Messmer could have just sent a Furnace Golem to stomp them into the dirt. Why leave them alive?
Passing through the ruins and losing the shadows, Gawain saw another white spirit, facing the tombstones as if in prayer.
"I can feel it... your resentment remains. You will curse them forever... Messmer, and the children of Marika."
Melina turned her head away, unwilling to face the spirit's accusation. She didn't know how to judge this endless war or her brother's actions. In her view, her mother could have simply annihilated these souls rather than subjecting them to this eternal, vengeful war. The ones suffering weren't just the Hornsent, but the crusaders loyal to her mother as well.
Melina pondered these contradictions throughout the ride. As the path grew bumpy, she instinctively wrapped her arms around Gawain's waist to steady herself. The contact gave her a sense of security, so she let her head rest against his back.
After some time, Torrent slowed to a halt. Melina snapped out of her daze at the sound of a familiar voice.
"We've reached our destination. If you need a shoulder to lean on, I'm always here. But we have work to do—unless you want me to carry you on my back like before?"
"My apologies... I was lost in thought." Melina's face flushed as she realized how much she had been clinging to him. Since the defeat of Mohg, her inner feelings had undergone a subtle shift. She quickly slid off Torrent and used her hood to hide her face.
Gawain offered a private smile and dismounted. Before them stood a tattered stone tablet. Though worn, the inscription was legible: it seemed the mausoleum held a knight who had "lost his heart" in battle.
Passing the tablet, he unsummoned Torrent and led Melina into the ruins of the mausoleum. A well-trodden path—not marked on the map—led toward the heart of the structure.
After passing several carvings of Gravebirds, they encountered a group of translucent blue spirits. They were worm-like, with "ugly-cute" faces and tiny hands on their long bodies. For a "Souls" player, they were the quintessential mascot.
Gawain didn't know what they were, so he kept his distance. Melina, however, recalled them and stepped forward, waving a hand gently. The "worms" swayed in response, showing no aggression.
"I remember these. They are a special form taken by the souls of the dead in the Land of Shadow. I believe they are called Glowworms."
"Glowworms? There are many jellyfish souls outside Stormveil. Roderika even gave me a jellyfish spirit. Are they similar?"
"You could say that. As long as you don't attack them, they are friendly. In this realm where souls converge, we will likely see them in great numbers."
Since they weren't hostile, Gawain ignored them. Ahead, he could see the entrance to the mausoleum's basement.
At the entrance, he found one of Marika's Stakes. This indicated that the soul within the mausoleum was tied to the Golden Order. Combined with the tablet's text, it was likely a crusader who had lost his mind and been interred here.
Melina cast an illumination incantation to light the dark basement. With Gawain in the lead, Greatsword ready, they reached the inner chamber.
Sensing an intruder, a spirit clad in heavy armor looked up, assuming a combat stance. It clearly wasn't the first time someone had tried to breach this tomb.
Gawain didn't charge in immediately. He kept his distance, admiring the thick, solid armor. The simple patterns and the disciplined stance made it clear: This guy is a true knight! He looked forward to a magnificent duel.
He was about to offer a formal salute when the knight reached for something. A second later, a repeating crossbow appeared in his hand, and a hail of flaming bolts erupted toward the intruders.
Gawain's face went dark. Fighting with a repeating crossbow in the left hand? Who taught you that? You look like such a noble knight, but you're just another victory-obsessed 'Souls' sweat? No wonder he lost his heart and became a hollow.
Since the knight wasn't playing fair, Gawain would reciprocate. He gathered a storm art on his Greatsword and slammed a vertical slash down, the resulting gale interrupting the knight's barrage.
The Blackgaol Knight rolled away from the strike and leveled his Greatsword, circling slowly to find an opening.
Gawain's frown smoothed out, replaced by a meaningful grin. He raised his own Greatsword into a defensive guard in front of his face and began to wiggle his shield-hand mockingly.
Provoked, the knight launched an attack. He closed the distance and leaped into a heavy jump attack.
"Giant Hunt! Get airborne!"
With a brutal upward thrust, Gawain sent the knight flying. The armored figure slammed into the ceiling before crashing back to the floor.
This art was a "NPC-killer," which he had learned from Elsa. He wasn't sure how it would work on a Fire Giant, but it was incredibly effective against human-sized foes.
If he timed his follow-ups, Gawain could keep the knight in the air indefinitely. But the man's desire for victory had been fully displayed; Gawain was happy to show him what "winning at all costs" really looked like.
The knight struggled to his feet and performed several rolls to create distance. He pulled out a flask and began to chug, only to have a poison pot smashed into his face.
Gawain pointed down and spun in a circle before throwing another pot. "No 'Sunny D' in class. If you don't know how to parry, don't come to PvP. I'm going to make sure you're full of snacks today."
After a barrage of poison pots, the knight was visibly dazed. Even if the status effect didn't do much to a spirit, being interrupted like that was infuriating.
Having had his fun, Gawain put away the crossbow and drew his Dragonslayer Greatbow. He drew the string to its limit, infusing the shot with storm power. Even through heavy armor, the shot pierced the knight's guard, pinning him to the wall behind him.
The knight's Greatsword clattered to the floor. He tried to elbow the massive arrow pinning him, but he was at his limit.
Gawain was impressed the knight could still move. Everyone in the Land of Shadow is a health-sponge, he thought. He blurred toward the knight and delivered a brutal elbow strike, smashing the armor and spirit into a deep indentation in the wall.
Finally, the Blackgaol Knight could take no more. His arms slumped to his sides.
Gawain decided not to destroy the spirit. He captured it within a spirit ash box; he saw no need to burn bridges with the crusade forces just yet. It would be awkward when he finally met Messmer.
On the altar at the back of the chamber lay the gear the knight had used in life. Gawain picked up the Greatsword. The item description revealed its name, and his lip twitched.
"Greatsword of Solitude..."
Recalling how many times he'd interrupted the knight's jump attacks and sent him crashing, he felt the sword was a worthy souvenir. He tucked it into his pack. Alongside the blade was the Solitude Armor set—it looked quite stylish, so he took that as well.
With the mausoleum cleared, he turned to leave, but Melina noticed something else.
She walked to the emptied altar and moved a stone. After a bit of searching, she pulled out a small fragment that shared the color of the Scadutree and handed it to Gawain.
"What is this?"
"You can call it a Scadutree Fragment. Like its name suggests, it is a piece shed from the Scadutree that has scattered across this land. Much like the Golden Runes you find in the Lands Between, I suspect we will find many of these on our journey."
Gawain took the fragment. As he inspected it, he felt a thick, potent shadow energy within, seemingly identical to the veils in the sky.
Melina took his hand—the one holding the fragment.
"This will help you merge with the Land of Shadow. Like the knight you just defeated... if I am not mistaken, he was originally from outside this realm. As a member of the crusade, he used these to restore his strength. But after becoming a spirit, he left this one unused.
"I believe you can handle it. Crush it to release the power within, then feel it. Absorb the shadow energy from the fragment as you would a rune. I will help you transform this energy into a part of your own body. Then, you will be able to use your original strength more easily."
Following Melina's instructions, Gawain crushed the fragment. Under her guidance, a surge of shadow merged with him. The sensation was similar to absorbing a rune, but it was uniquely tied to the Land of Shadow.
Melina fulfilled her duty as a Maiden, guiding the shadow power to become part of Gawain. As the process finished, the suppression from the veil across the realm felt significantly less severe.
Gawain flexed his fist. The shadows around him no longer felt as hostile, and the uncomfortable weakness in his body had lessened.
If he collected enough of these, he should be able to restore his full strength. His current state was a hassle; he felt like a Great Daemon struggling to manifest through a reality veil. The more force he exerted, the more the shadows converged to hinder him—and the hindrance grew exponentially. Past a certain point, every bit of power required massive effort just to fight the veil's interference.
Against a mob like the Curseblade, it was fine, but against a Demigod, it would be a struggle.
"Well then. Let's head toward the cross-marker on the map. That should be where Miquella passed through."
At the entrance to Belurat, Tower Settlement, Ansbach swung his scythe, decapitating the final scorpion chasing him. Outside, Freyja pulled a lever to seal the massive gates.
"Old Man Ansbach, have you finished investigating the situation inside?"
"Mmm. I have a general idea. The structure of the Tower Settlement is more complex than I imagined. The enemies are too numerous for an old veteran like me to handle alone."
Freyja nodded. She wanted to try her hand inside, but she still hadn't adjusted to the shadow suppression. She looked out across the Gravesite Plain.
"Let's wait a bit longer. Leda and the others should be here soon."
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash
Join the journey and become part of the story!