The Tarnished's declaration carried a powerful force, instilling a profound sense of security.
"Thank you..." Millicent was heartened, though she immediately lowered her head in embarrassment. "In my current state... I might only hold you back." Millicent was currently missing an arm—a limb she had severed herself to prevent her rot from harming others.
Now the rot was suppressed, but her right arm would not grow back.
"Your dominant hand was the right... can you use the left?" The Tarnished stroked his chin; this was indeed a tricky problem to solve.
"I can use my left hand somewhat... but compared to my right, it is still..." Millicent gave an awkward smile.
"Ever used a blade?" The Tarnished asked to confirm. Millicent nodded slightly, indicating she had dabbled in swordsmanship. He then drew a blade from his waist; it reflected the azure light of the stars, appearing deep and mysterious, with an exceptionally sharp and compact frame.
"This is yours now." Though the blade was imbued with sorcery, even those not proficient in magic could harness its power to an extent, provided they were agile enough.
"For me? Thank you..." Millicent accepted the Moonveil. "I don't know how well I can use it... but I will work hard so I don't hold you back." The sword was not heavy, manageable even for an ordinary woman.
"Huu..." Millicent closed her eyes, resting the scabbard against her right hip before sheathed the blade. "Ha!" She drew the sword instantly; the movement was fluid and seamless. It was hard to imagine the left arm was not her dominant one.
"This..." The Tarnished wasn't focused on her dexterity, but rather something else—her stance. It resembled a curved sword style... and more importantly, it felt familiar.
"Forgive me... I may be showing off my meager skills before a master." Millicent sheathed the blade and walked toward him.
"No, it was a very good, fluid attack." The Tarnished gave her a thumb-up in encouragement, then gestured for her to climb onto Torrent's back.
(I hope Millicent doesn't end up lifting me by the neck like a kitten again...) Feeling the softness behind him, such was the stray thought in the Tarnished's mind.
Millicent, unaware, remained quiet along the way, simply following the Tarnished toward their destination.
The tower was majestic and towering, far more grand in appearance than Godrick's. Perhaps these towers were built according to the temperament of their owners? Radahn's Divine Tower was built into a cliffside, its base vanishing into a bottomless abyss where a single slip meant being crushed to pieces.
"I really have to hand it to these architects." It was always like this—either treacherous terrain or endless traps.
"It is indeed dangerous. How shall we..."
"Sit tight. I'm going to sprint."
"Eh? Wait—?!" Before Millicent could grasp the situation, the Tarnished urged Torrent into a full gallop and leaped high, landing onto the thick, gnarled roots surrounding the tower's exterior.
The sudden sprint nearly blew Millicent's hair-tie off. "That was... certainly decisive... I have much to learn." She stepped carefully onto the branches.
"No need for such caution."
"Eh? Please wai—" The Tarnished swept Millicent up into his arms and leaped down to the platform below.
"Er... um... I'm fine, please put me down." The Tarnished's movements were far too aggressive; Millicent would need time to adjust. She looked up to see him stretching his limbs.
"Are you alright? Are you injured?" Millicent was worried, but the Tarnished told her not to fret; he had simply been through a fierce battle and hadn't fully recovered yet.
"Careful, there are enemies..." Millicent silenced her footsteps and circled around, encountering a Redmane soldier kneeling on the ground. She could hear him murmuring words of mourning.
"General... you are finally liberated. Rest easy, we shall inherit your will." The soldier stood up and glanced at the two behind him. "Are you the one who granted the General his rest?" The soldier spoke with dignity; though his clothes were filthy, his bright, beast-like eyes reflected a steadfast resolve.
"The Redmanes... truly a band of heroes. Indeed, it was I." The Tarnished couldn't help but praise him.
"Then please, enter... inherit the General's Great Rune. The possessions of the strong belong only to the strong... However, be careful not to approach the lowest level of this Divine Tower... a group of dangerous fellows resides there." Having spoken, the soldier stepped aside to make room for them to climb the ladders.
The two did not hesitate, climbing until they reached the middle section of the tower. A Site of Grace flickered there, offering a moment of rest. Millicent had expended a fair amount of energy during the climb.
"Huu... it is so refreshing to be without the erosion of the rot..." Millicent placed her hand near the Grace as if warming herself, feeling her strength gradually return.
"To the right... I can feel Radahn's Great Rune is there." Melina appeared, pointing to the side, but then her brow furrowed.
(This aura is...)
Deep within the Divine Tower of Caelid, a tall, slender figure slowly opened his eyes, staring in shock at a trembling sword.
"Impossible... why would the blade react now...? Could it be the Lord...?! No, no... the Lord vanished long ago, that's impossible." Sure enough, the greatsword enshrined in the depths merely shuddered slightly before falling silent once more.
After a short rest, the Tarnished, Millicent, and Melina ascended to the very top. Because the Divine Tower held the blessing of a Great Rune, Melina's range of movement was broader than usual.
"This..." Reaching the summit, Millicent saw the fallen corpse of the Two Fingers. Within the corpse, a massive, burning ring resembling a Great Rune gradually emerged. "This is the Great Rune of the hero who resisted the rot... Radahn."
The Rune burned fiercely, mirroring Radahn's unyielding will. Even in death, that spirit could still inspire others.
"Radahn, I accept your Great Rune." The Tarnished bowed slightly, stepped forward, and absorbed the Rune. Instantly, a violent power coursed through his limbs. His fatigue vanished in a flash, and the Rune Arc within him glowed brightly, welcoming the new addition.
The current Tarnished... felt confident enough to win even if he fought a group of Crucible Knights at once. This was the Great Rune of the strongest demigod... the compatibility was perfect. Had Radahn still been alive, he and the Tarnished would have surely gotten along.
"Such powerful energy. Congratulations." Millicent gave a genuine smile. Melina did the same... though her expression remained as stoic as ever, making it hard for most to tell.
The group intended to leave, but Melina spoke up, saying there was an aura in the depths of the tower that concerned her, and she wanted the Tarnished to investigate. There were few things that piqued Melina's curiosity, which naturally ignited the Tarnished's interest as well.
Walking in the opposite direction from the Grace, they followed a meticulously constructed path into the tower's interior. Before them was a tightly closed wooden door, and to their right was the tower's internal structure—a death-defying abyss.
"You... you carry the General's Great Rune... I see, I see." A Redmane soldier leaning against the wall smiled at them. "But since you have the Rune, why go deeper? Go back." The soldier tried to dissuade them.
"What exactly is at the bottom?" Millicent asked curiously.
"Black flame... the black flame that can slay gods... If you truly wish to enter, we won't stop you. Now that you have the General's power, the dangers ahead shouldn't trouble you... but as a kindness to one recognized by the General, I must warn you."
"Provoke them once, and the pursuit will be endless. If that doesn't matter to you, then move forward." With that, the Redmane soldier said no more.
The Tarnished and Millicent looked at each other and decided to investigate. Anyone who knew the history of the Lands Between knew what the black flame represented—the power used by the faction led by the Gloam-Eyed Queen, who once struck terror into the hearts of gods.
(Why are they in Radahn's tower... could it be because Radahn is related to Ranni?) Setting the question aside for now, the Tarnished smashed the locked door to splinters right in front of the soldier.
"This... isn't this against the rules?" Millicent was still hesitant, but the soldier chuckled. "Hehe, as expected of the one who won the festival. Not bound by common sense."
"Millicent, this is the direct path. Don't waste time on detours. Just smash everything in your way."
"...Understood." Millicent's expression became serious; she understood the underlying meaning.
The structure of the tower was bizarre, filled with crumbling stone pillars. The soldiers here were mostly volunteers who stayed to guard the tower that symbolized their General.
"What a dangerous building... is this really alright? But..." Millicent was light, but even so, she had to be extremely careful, as some structures couldn't even support the weight of a slender girl.
"Perhaps... this too is part of the journey." Millicent was about to jump when the Tarnished stopped her. Looking at the surrounding area, he smirked.
"Eh? Are we doing it again...?" After the previous scares, Millicent had learned her lesson. She leaned into the Tarnished voluntarily, then watched as a massive golden tail sprouted from his back.
"???" She was mentally prepared, but she didn't expect him to grow a tail. Like he did in Sellia, the Tarnished swung from the top down to the bottom, ignoring the lifts entirely.
"You truly are incredible..." The girl was in a state of shock.
But before they could rest at the bottom, a burly man suddenly appeared and hacked at them.
"Despicable...!" Millicent, being the closest, reacted first and forced the man back.
"A Fire Monk... no, a Blackflame Monk? One who defected to the Gloam-Eyed camp?" Looking at the tall, pitch-black man, his attire was similar to a Fire Monk, but his primary color was black.
"The Sun God will eventually fall before the God-Slaying Flame! Die!" The Blackflame Monk attacked without a word, terrifying black fire surging along his blade.
"Do not stand in our way...!" Millicent was faster. Before his black flame could even leave his hand, she severed his right arm, and the Tarnished slammed him into the wall.
"How is this possible!?" The monk couldn't believe it. Two so powerful... After a few final struggles, his life faded.
"Why do they attack us without a single word...?" Millicent was kind-hearted, but not foolish. She would not naively spare an enemy who tried to kill her without provocation.
"Get ready. There's a formidable presence ahead."
The elite of an ancient faction, the champion of the Gloam-Eyed Queen, the master of the Black Flame—they were just ahead!
•
Actually yesterday updates as I'm literally fell asleep working on my Patreon—↓
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