C54: Chalice Dungeon Climb PT1
Thank you Zakuto Yuki for joining me here on Patreon. They shall be a fine addition to the Celestial Library as one of it's keepers ... .of course. Even if only Temporary
Since the dungeons are quite expansive and even afford some randomness throughout it. I will not be going into great deal about them except the loot, strange situations or fun circumstances. Enjoy.
...idk what happened but this chapter disappeared from wn. so im just gonna post it again and proceed on with the next chapter too that was supposed to be released today...weird.
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Within the hunters dream. Along the set of slowly rising tombstones, one amongst them glows as a ripple appears before it releasing a tall figure dressed in three layers of clothing.
The first layer being foreign garb which were acquired from Iosefka's clinic oh so long ago. The second being the white church hunter robe which was found in the village just outside forbidden woods. The third being the Yahar'gul black garb as a spiffy finishing touch. Real edgy-like.
With two pairs of gloves on making the hands quite thick yet the individual does not seem to mind the heat from all these layers of clothing as even if they provide no practical benefit such as stacking defense points. They do assist in the beings handling of weapons and environments.
Specifically though, that being, Is me.
I had initially underestimated the results I had undergone from when I was last here.
For starters, my beautiful 850m echoes were reduced to naught but 10 million echoes. Not because the Doll stole them from me though that is the case. But because she had believed that my body was not strong enough to resist the curse when I had passed out. Mistaking my apotheosis for backlash from the curse. She had channeled more of my echoes into my stats, kicking my stats into overdrive.
Granted it did work as her actions helped me pass through the ordeal comfortably, even getting a compensatory lap pillow too. Though I am sad that the leftover 469,736,367 echoes from my initial level up to the level of 544 give or take a few stolen points and the 5 I got for free from a quest.
Nevertheless, the echoes were reduced to dust that is just 10 million blood echoes. I could have leveled up my physique a hundred times over, gotten every legendary perk possible until I either ran out of points or reached a max level, easily reaching a divine physique with that many echoes. . Especially since the echo cost for levels jumped up greatly after going past the level cap.
What my stats looked like when I confirmed them was this:
Vit- 99 (+4 drained) + 36 (physique) + 10 (runic mage) + 4.1(collagen) = 149.1
End- 99 +30+ (physique) (+2 drained) +4.7(collagen) = >133.7 (239 base stamina ->650 stam)
Str- 99 (+4 drained) + 36(physique) + 10(runic mage) + 4.2 (collagen)= 140.2
Skill-99 (+2 drained) + 36 (physique) + 1.9(collagen) = 136.9
Bloodtinge - 99 + 36(physique) + 3.6(collagen)= 138.6
Arcane-99 + 30(physique) +1.5(collagen) = 130.5
A lovely average of 130 to 150 for my totals which is very respectable due to all my bonuses and the few points I had lost in my early days.
Yet instead my stats turned out like this due to Dolls actions which was the real reason she had been apologizing to me before. Granted I don't really have a reason to be made when my stats look this good.
Vit- 140 (+4 drained) + 36 (physique) + 10 (runic mage) + 4.1(collagen) = 190.1
End- 135 +30+ (physique) (+2 drained) +4.7(collagen) = >169.7 (270 base stamina ->680 stam)
Str- 145 (+4 drained) + 36(physique) + 10(runic mage) + 4.2 (collagen)= 195.2
Skill-140 (+2 drained) + 36 (physique) + 1.9(collagen) = 177.9
Bloodtinge - 130 + 36(physique) + 3.6(collagen)= 169.6
Arcane-160 + 30(physique) +1.5(collagen) = 191.5
A range of 169 to 190 for my total stats now.
She had added roughly 30-60 levels into each of my stats to comprehensively boost my body and various resistances to hopefully fight off the 'curse'. My own confusion is why she had chosen arcane as the primary stat to dump most of my echoes into and she told me that by doing so, I could resist corruptive forces better or simply understand it whilst retaining my mind.
She wasn't wrong but this certainly explains my newly enhanced sensitivity which has forced me to redo my specialized outfit that was already a hodgepodge of various other outfits. This led me to include the church hunters robes. No, I am not prejudiced against the clothes, only the church's people.
I've also had some trouble controlling my new found strength and speed with all manner of things which is why I had taken to exploring the chalice dungeons to retrain myself. As I had no other chalices on me. I started from the default Pthumeru chalice which I had gotten from Gerald's arena after I tamed him.
Having already obtained the ritual blood from old Yharnam's chapels. I simply paid the 1k echoes to enter and came out not too long after having cleared all three floors with my main gains being a bit more than 10k echoes.
Now the system had other plans for me and the dungeons. Of course there were a whole slew of other notifications regarding my transformation. Said notification informed me that I was actually left with nothing.
[Physical Apotheosis successful. Host has officially ascended beyond Humanity. As very few others have survived to even reach this point, it remains nameless, would you like to suggest a name for the system?]
"Care to share with the class what changes i've undergone? I'll think of a better name once I do." I ask the system in response.
[Due to further ascension caused by the Doll, along with the new random skills acquired via the Main Quest 2 reward, the host had unexpectedly mutated.]
"The fuck you mean mutated?" I question harder, unrealizing that the air around me actually tightens in response.
[Hunters Will (NEW): The mind of a hunter is naught more than a paradigm of madness but also of great focus. Whilst active, the user's mind gains greater resistance against outside influences as well as enhancing the user's focus and reflexes.]
"Alright, that's very nice. Anti a.d.d. skill, love it. Though I don't think I was ever officially diagnosed by it but whatever." I compliment the new skill, not realizing that it was what helped get me through my mental apotheosis.
[Cosmologist: A seer of the stars, you have gazed upon great wonders and these wonders responded to you.] [{Warning: this skill is unique to those who born under the great starlight of Ebrietas}]
"I see. I assume this is also the problem that caused the mutation too?" I confirm with the system and it confirms it along with a new surprise.
[Correct, due to the profound knowledge the host has witnessed, combined with the newly ascension of insight. Users may enter a unified state with the world around you, channeling its properties through your body. A Mind stat has been added to your status page along with a newly born mana bar to conjure the worldly anomalies you wish.]
"Hold the fuck up. You mean I have magic? Oh ho ho ho. FUCK YES. LEZ GOOOOO" I originally pause but as I speak, my excitement conjured by my newfound heightened emotions causes me to roar in excitement as I finalize what name I want for my new 'race'.
"I dub myself a magician. A modest professor of the arcane arts yet I hunt for the ever high status of Magus that lies beyond. The new race shall be referred to as, Seeker."
[Acknowledged]
"Now back to the previous matter, what did you do with my echoes?"
[Whilst in contact with the individual known as The Doll. The system had spent the echoes to help ensure that the hosts' newly transformed race didn't immediately die of mana deprivation due to a lack of control that the Cosmologist skill barely affords to grant to the host.]
"So I got mana and use of magic but my body simply emits too much passively and thus I would have just immediately died if the remaining 10 million blood echoes was not spent on the new stat?" I ask as I eye my status and find my level is at 904 due to the Doll's actions but also the extra 42 levels I got for the new Mind Stat which had an original base of 8 which was not added to my levels but those extra levels were.
[Correct]
"Im a bit pissed, I'll have you know. But I accept this blessing nonetheless because it's fucking MAGIC" I wave my finger in the air, seemingly at nothing to the Doll but my mood swings at least reveal to her that I hold an untold secret which is seemingly a blessing or curse in her eyes.
[Due to new stat, new skills and items are available in the system store]
I initially grow excited as if finding a piece of candy I like but I soon flop over in misery as I realize something grave.
"Im completely broke"
"Got nothing but a few blood dews to my name. I need to get more, I also need to hone my strength again as I can barely move properly without seemingly dashing across the entire dream space."
I huff and crush the smallest dew that I have which was a thick cold blood 6 as long ago, most of my dews had been funneled into upgrading my body when I first began this mixed physique situation in Yahargul.
I get 1.8k before heading over 'slowly' to the tombstones on the side and beginning the ritual for the Pthumeru Chalice dungeon. This costs me 1k and a handful of ritual blood which I had initially gotten from Old Yharnams chapels during my journey towards blood starved beast, aka Gerald.
As I waved the Doll bye, I had entered the first floor of the first available chalice dungeon. Upon doing so, I got lambasted by new system notifications.
[Severance Challenge Activated: Host has entered the chalice dungeons. To assist the Host in not needing to back track nor All creatures had been granted a single life but are twice as strong yet drop 10x more blood echoes in return. Standard modifiers apply except the soul shattering]
"Why not the soul shattering?"
[Beings' trapped within the dungeons bear no souls to shatter. No more than illusionary husks maintained through a great One's power. ]
"Totally not ominous but it's whatever, sure." I say as I get to work on slaying the various creatures within as well as collecting various pieces of loot. Some are useful to me, others not so much immediately.
Various gemstones such as adept and tempering all at the third 'grade' along with a few more ritual materials such as tomb mold. It was frankly a boring place as it's just an underground tomb with various pale men akin to The Rake from old creepypastas' but also summoner witches which give more enemies but with reduced values. Since these could be summoned constantly. I honestly just left them alone with Gerald who got free xp and I got small bundles of 20 to 29 echoes as they did not fall under the severance challenge. Only when the lady summoner herself was slain did it apply.
For the first floor, I fought the boss but he was too easy. The Undead Giant. Essentially a tall zombie Frankenstein's monster-like creature with giant blades for hands rather than actual hands. I easily tore off the blades and bludgeoned the beast to death with ease as even if I just punched it a few times, it would have died from its body exploding under the force of my fists.
The second floor was slightly more interesting as the boss was three overweight men, two with lanterns, one of which had a gun while the other a cleaver and the last only had a basic saw that it used like a cleaver or to actually saw me but they were all so slow that I nearly fell asleep. Roughly 4 strikes took down the first one with no skills too. I then used the 'chieftain' amongst them as a club against the last one. The duo died a gruesome death by being turned into paste. Though they became one in the end, i can say that it's not a fate desired by anyone. I also got the root chalice for this level from here.
The third floor boss was slightly more interesting. A giant dog. With a Rom style head that makes it resistant to damage. At least default Rom not the one I fought which was in human form. I only needed one hit to break the front legs, making it stagger about while two for the back ones yet even then I could probably have just pistol whipped it for the second hit and it would have been enough as it was likely on the verge of breaking.
Upon beating the watchdog, I got the central Pthumeru chalice along with a gemstone and a note of some sorts. I open my inventory and look at the note. It has a code on it.
"What the heil. Gz9mmj7y. Lower Loran root chalice required. Fetid & Rotted"
"Why are multiplayer instances here? Why? how. And finally, why give me a code for a dungeon that I don't have access to? " I ranted a fair bit as I then returned to the dream before setting up the second dungeon ritual, specifically for Central Pthumeru chalice.
Paying 1.8k echoes and a bundle of ritual blood 2 I had obtained from the first chalice dungeon. I entered it easily.
Now in the first dungeon, I was able to kill the great majority of rats and creepypasta 'Rakes' in one hit. The only exceptions being the weakened kidnappers and the bosses alone. Kidnappers took two or three if I had a low roll on my hit or simply was too lazy to properly hit them, while the bosses were a few more but mostly because they either had a bit of toughness to them, or numbers. This changes immediately in this central dungeon as the echo gain shoots up majorly.
In the first dungeon, I would have barely made 10k blood echoes there but with the severance challenge which prevents me from grinding the dungeon further. I actually ended up with ten times more, aka 100k echoes for the first dungeon. From what I can tell, I would just have to re-establish the dungeon ritual again to allow them to respawn and since I got the necessary ritual blood from it.
I could technically keep spamming it and get about 100k echoes every few minutes with my dashing skills helping me traverse the long hallways and various traps. Jumping up to higher levels too and inversely the negated fall damage to help level various skills.
Though in the end, I chose not to as I just moved onto the second dungeon. Same enemies as before with the exception of the rats, they also sometimes survive at least one hit but more often than not they don't. The loot is also relatively the same with tempering blood gemstones, twin bloodstone shards. It's primarily the echoes gained that is explosively higher as the first floor of the basic chalice had only given me about 2 thousand while the first floor of the central gave me 12k though at the end of the floor, I got the 10x bonus which means just the first floor was worth the entirety of the whole first dungeon. SWEEET.
The first floor had a boss called Beast Possessed Soul which was a bipedal werewolf that could summon fire. I originally toyed around with him as I played around with my new cosmologist skill which I learned I could take control of his fireballs, enhance them with my mana and then return them to create the equivalent of 20 molotov cocktails. It had taken me a few tries to succeed but I feel my mind has been greatly enhanced due to recent changes and my actual mood from even getting magic.
"Very nice" I say as I stand over the beasts burnt corpse before finishing it off with a clean decapitation. I got around 163k echoes after completing the first floor (originally ~16.3k).
The second floor was quite interesting because I got a new type of blood gem called 'Dirty blood gemstones'. Got it from some scorpion bitches that took a lot less damage from my saw cleaver but immediately exploded once I poked them with the rounded edge of my tontritus. The explosion was a poison mist that it releases after death but it still exploded.
Along the same side path I found, I got the hintertomb chalice so that's nice. A whole new main path of dungeons. Of course there was also the ritual blood (3) that started dropping this dungeon.
The boss was a hunter called the Keeper of the Old Lords. A dominatrix style woman with a whip and spewing out fire. I gave her the same treatment as the first floor boss but instead of simply stealing the fire, I inverted its path. Making her breathe in her own flames rather than spewing them out.
Naturally I stole her clothes which shortly after the system informed me that the Bone Ash set was available for purchase with insight only. After looking at it. I realize it's the same thing that tore off the boss. Though the store one has a bone wood style mask that looks super creepy and cool. Like one of those skull masks but made of actual bone and smolten wood. Giving it a fiery look. I also obtained a few other things from the boss, Specifically the central Pthumeru root chalice, as well as another new gem, Sharp blood gem (3). The echoes gained was also around 300k give or take me using up some to purchase a few items from the store in preparation of the third floor.
In the third floor there was another pre area side room which netted me ~90k along with a few ritual materials like tomb mold (2) and more ritual blood 3 and sage's wrists.
The boss on the third floor was a weird one for me, Pthumerian Descendent. What comes very close to what I consider a Transylvania-style vampire. Tall, pale, wearing black and red. Fast (but not fast enough) with a curved blade that splits into two during it's second phase.
The reason I say it was weird is because upon entering the room. I had felt something wrong with my own body, specifically my blood. As if it was calling out to family. Through my magic senses, I could even see a sort of blood red mist being emitted from my body which had flowed towards the 'resting vampire' before it had blown into a rage upon smelling me. I promptly stomped his face in as it wasn't even capable of coherent thought at this point. Or it just didn't think I was worthy of a conversation, even when I initiated.
Well that or it just enjoyed me stepping on it so much that it was rendered mute. I could not tell as it just released consistent screeches as I kicked and stepped on it.
I chose to give it a gory death with a combination of all my skills for good measure and even heating up my saw cleaver with fire that I was able to get a feel for due to past experiences.
With the vampire dead and my blood calming down. I got the Lower Pthumeru chalice, a cold blood gemstone (3) and a big heaping of echoes bringing me to a total of 35k for the whole third floor. Meaning I got 120k from the first, 300k in the second and another heaping of 360k in the third for a net profit of 580k echoes from the whole dungeon. It's truly wonderful.
It was at this point that I finally chose to return to the Doll and rest upon her embrace and tell her the whole series of events of the two dungeons before I got up and prepared the next dungeon challenge, the Lower Pthumeru chalice which cost 3.2k and nine of my 13 ritual blood (3)'s that I had collected from the central chalice.
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Word Count =3526
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