Adan's logic was eccentric, but the world never lacked for strange minds. In the silent, oppressive space of the Evergaol, Adan gripped his flail, his eyes fixed on the man who had intruded into his sanctuary.
(How is this possible? No one should be able to enter an Evergaol uninvited...) Adan was bewildered. The man approaching him radiated an aura so overwhelming that even Adan, who now harbored the spark of a god, felt a primal shiver of dread.
"Who are you... and why have you come?" Adan demanded. The man simply traced a swaying flame pattern in the air. Adan wasn't a fool; he knew immediately this man was after the power he had stolen.
"Tarnished... you wish to hoard the flame for yourself? Dream on!" Adan lunged, his bulbous armor turning him into a heavy iron sphere as he crashed toward the intruder. But the Tarnished merely delivered a swift whip-kick, sending Adan flying.
"What!?" Adan gasped, clutching his stomach. He looked down to see a deep indentation in his reinforced plate. Faced with such raw physical power, Adan broke into a cold sweat. If the flesh was no match, he would use the fire.
Adan formed a seal with his left hand, and a torrent of fire erupted from his palm. The blaze was so immense it nearly filled the entire Gaol. Yet, through the crimson inferno, a flash of ice-blue blade-light sliced the air. The Tarnished's slash cut through the flames, heading straight for Adan's throat.
Adan rolled desperately. He hadn't stolen that power from Arghanthy with luck alone; he was a battle-hardened veteran. As his hand touched the ground, he unleashed another incantation. Pillars of fire erupted from the earth, converging at the ceiling of the Gaol before lashing down like a giant's tongue.
This time, the Tarnished did not dodge. He stood firm, bathing in the familiar heat.
"You fool, resisting the Giants' Fire with your bare body... W-Wait, how is this possible!?" Adan's voice cracked as the Tarnished spoke from within the flames.
"Seven parts the heat of the old Giants. Not bad." The Tarnished stomped the ground, and a rootless wind rose, swirling the flames back toward Adan.
"Who are you!?" Adan cried out in disbelief. No one should be able to brush off his attacks so casually.
"Just a traveling Tarnished. You needn't remember." In a blur, the Tarnished appeared before him, the Crescent Blade swinging down. It should have been the end, but the blade stopped mid-air—not because the Tarnished chose to, but because it was physically repelled.
With a roar from Adan, a heat unlike anything before surged from his body. The sheer pressure of the fire acted as a physical shield, forcing the Tarnished back.
"Oh...? This fire..." The Tarnished's expression sharpened. He felt the unmistakable presence of a deity. The Fire God had never truly left; as long as a single believer breathed, the god endured.
Then, Adan spoke. But it was not Adan's voice. It was a booming, ancient resonance that echoed from the void.
"Brave warrior... Warrior who lost his Grace. Your courage is great. It has been a long time..."
"The Fell God of the Flame... or perhaps, the Sun-Flame God suits you better?" the Tarnished replied coolly.
"Names are but mist. I am a God; remember that, and it is enough." As the God spoke through Adan, a massive, lidless eye began to manifest on the stomach of the heavy armor.
"So, what now? Seeking revenge for your giant worshippers?" The Tarnished stood his ground. He wasn't afraid of a god residing in a mortal shell.
"...My worshippers fell in a fair contest of strength. You were simply superior. However..." The possessed Adan gripped his flail, and endless flames crawled up the chain like a burning whip. "You crave power. Then take the trial, Tarnished warrior. Overcome this vessel, and the first trial shall be complete. Only then will you master this strength."
"You're willing to give me your power?" the Tarnished asked, suspicious.
"Power belongs to the strong. Your internal 'vortex'... is vast enough to contain it!" The God didn't waste another word. The fire-whip lashed out like a solar flare, the force so great the Evergaol's space began to crack and shudder.
Battle-lust ignited, the Tarnished clashed with "Adan." Steel met flame; light met shadow. For a moment, even the Tarnished was suppressed. "Heh, the power of a God... interesting!" He thrust the Crescent Blade into his own shadow, his blood boiling as he transformed into a War-Ghost once more.
Dragon claws and the Aspects of the Crucible poured out in a relentless assault. Finally, under the weight of the Tarnished's full might, "Adan" was sent crashing into the stone wall.
"Your strength... is well-proven. But if I do this... how will you respond?" The God opened Adan's arms, and his entire body was engulfed in a massive, slow-moving sun-ball of fire. The air hissed and crackled as space itself was scorched.
"Experience it—the flame the Erdtree called 'Evil,' the eternal, unquenchable Wildfire!" The sphere moved slowly, but everything it touched turned to fine ash. It burned a literal hole in the fabric of the Evergaol, and its divine pressure locked the Tarnished in place.
"Bring it on!" The Tarnished's battle-spirit peaked. He raised the Crescent Blade.
"Star-Track...!" This was his strongest strike—a fusion of raw blood-essence and glintstone energy.
The two forces collided, shattering the Evergaol completely. When the world returned to reality, the prison was gone, replaced by the quiet hills of Liurnia. Aenophe's anxious voice broke the silence.
"My Lord! Are you alright?"
The Tarnished's armor was warped and scorched thin. "Adan" lay unconscious on the ground. It was a mutual devastation. The Tarnished was severely drained, and Adan's body had collapsed under the strain of being a divine vessel.
"The God-Flame... lives up to the name," the Tarnished coughed, a puff of black smoke escaping his lips. Luckily, it was used by a mortal. Had the Giants unleashed this in the old war, he and Godfrey might not have walked away so easily.
Aenophe quickly produced a Flask of Crimson Tears, lifting his scorched mask to help him drink.
"You're a lifesaver..." He sat down heavily. His armor was ruined, his favorite cloak burnt to ash. He felt a bit dejected.
"Did you gain what you sought?" Aenophe asked.
"I can use it now. Just a spark, for now." The Tarnished snapped his fingers. A tiny, dancing flame appeared at his fingertip. The trial was complete, but the God had left a final message before departing: the next trial awaited at the Mountaintops of the Giants, the Forge of the Giants... the Last Giant.
As they sat, a small figure came running toward them. It was Boc.
"Master! Boc is here!" The little demi-human tailor skidded to a halt, his eyes wide at the sight of the Tarnished's charred rags. "Oh... it seems it's my turn to work again!"
"Boc? How did you find me? Melina?"
Boc nodded. He had run all the way from the Gravesite after hearing the Tarnished had entered Liurnia.
"I have something for you," the Tarnished said, taking a set of Gold Sewing Tools from Aenophe. He had found them at the Church of Vows—tools said to have belonged to Radagon himself.
"Is... is this for me?" Boc's hands trembled. He looked like he might burst into tears of joy. "Master, I will use these well! I will make you the most magnificent garments in all the Lands Between!"
"Start with a new cloak then," the Tarnished chuckled. Boc headed back toward the tunnels near Edgar and Irina to begin his work, while the Tarnished rested.
He spoke briefly with Irina and Edgar. They planned to head to the Altus Plateau, though they were searching for the missing Dectus Medallion halves to operate the Great Lift.
"Whatever you do, stay away from the small village to the northeast of Liurnia," the Tarnished warned, thinking of the madness that plagued that place. "Especially you, Irina."
"I understand, My Lord. I won't make you worry," Irina promised.
"I'll protect her," Edgar added firmly. "Her mother's tragedy will not be repeated."
The Tarnished mounted Torrent and began to ride north, moving slowly so Aenophe could keep pace without overexerting herself. Ahead, a new challenge awaited: an honorable knight sealed away by a coward...
•
And, that's for today! I have translated around 100chs of this series, and among it was few extras and interlude. However I won't post those additional chapter here. You can found more on my Patreon here—↓
patreon.com/EBBYRITH.
—feel free to visit it!↑