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Chapter 48: /A World of Tragedy/
🕑 Added 2022-12-13 20:40:17 +0000 UTCChaos Pyromancies.
They are quite interesting. I was currently in Ash Lake, practicing the new chaos pyromancies I got. I chose it because of its isolation and lack of enemies. I had recently learned how to erect {Undead Wards} when my rapport skill reached lv 5. Allowing me to make locations that undead will avoid and render invisible to them.
So those clams live underwater now.
Anyway, thanks to my system, chaos pyromancies worked differently for me. Instead of normal pyromancies, I can use their chaos variation. And those variations are considerably stronger than their non-chaos variations. But the trade-off was that they were harder to cast and control, even with my system.
During my time here I also practiced my other pyromancies to near completion. And I also tried something.
Creating my own pyromancies. First I started off simple; I tried making fire surge which already existed. And it worked perfectly. It was incredibly simple to make and get the skill for it. Plus it was a very effective skill, basically making me into a living flamethrower.
Next up was {Fire Blade}. A very original name I came up by myself. It allowed me to cover my sword with flames. And sustain it without conscious thought. Figuring that out took quite a while though. But now I could cast lasting spells thanks to that.
And another one was {Scorch} which allows me to superheat any object I am in contact with and slightly manipulate their shape. The shape manipulation is actually based on my {Form Shift} ability.
I also made some miscellaneous abilities that weren't significant enough for me to mention them. I spent quite a lot of time perfecting my skills here even though I didn't need to.
With how strong I am right now, I could just stroll through Sen's Fortress and up to the {Iron Golem} and bitch slap him rather easily. So why would I spend time just staying here, practicing for no reason?
I am plagued by indecisiveness.
Multiple parts of myself want to do different things and I don't know what to do with them. A part of me wanted me to just rip through everything with cruel indifference. A part of me wanted to link the flame and save Lordran. And a part of me just wanted to give up.
I know I need to link the flame but doubt clings to me.
That's why I spend my days either training or learning skills. And occasionally visiting Quelaan to give her humanity. Talking with her is one of the only things I actually look forward to. That along with hanging out at the shrine.
Saying that, I should be heading back to the shrine about now. Maybe ask for some advice from the residents.
...
But as I walked there the air seemed... heavier. It felt like there were almost ghosts wailing in anguish around me. My soul sight was unconsciously activated. Small and transparent, almost unnoticeable black sprites floated around me. The aura they aminated was...
Anxious, grieving, fear...
Pity.
What the hell was going on? I sped up my pace and arrived at the shrine. Almost no one was in sight. Not too unusual. But there was something different.
Gerald wasn't here.
He was always here.
I went around asking everyone I could find but no one knew. I would've asked the serpent but he was sleeping. His snoring made disgusting noses.
Suddenly a memory came to my mind and my eyes widened.
(''Damn, that stench... And I was really beginning to like it here! (Sigh) Maybe it's time I do something about it...'')
'No, no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no no, no, no'
Before I knew it my feet carried me with extreme speed toward the New Londo ruins. Muscles tore from how fast my legs carried me. I didn't even take the elevator, I sprinted down the side of the wall all the way down to New Londo.
Every bone and muscle hurt as I made my way over to the entrance of New Londo. Walking like a broken puppet with muscles mutilated by effort.
As I moved the hollows around me went absolutely insane. Hurting themself some even jumping off the precipice.
There stood facing the Londo Ruins was Gerald.
He was hollow.
*Plop.*
I fell to my knees, eyes wide. My body held no strength. The usually powerful and jagged armor around me that gave me confidence now felt like a coffin. The hollow, noticing the noise charged at me with its sword and shield raised but I didn't move an inch.
*Clink!*
His blade hit my neck, it hurt. It hurt so, so much. Dreadnought is activated yet why does it hurt so much? Because of my armor, the blade harmlessly bounced off my neck. I would have removed my armor if I could but my arms refused to listen.
I felt something run down my face.
A drop.
A singular tear. One I didn't know I had left. I couldn't even shed any more tears after that last drop. Not even as Geralds blows battered my armor. Gathering the last of my strength I stood up and walked toward the desecrated version of my friend.
*Hug* *Crack.*
I gave him one last hug. It was painful, more than anything I had ever experienced. And as my last apology, I snapped his neck instantly. Killing Gerald. What hurt, even more, was his soul entering my collection. I picked him up and brought him back to the shrine. For a proper burial.
...
I buried him close to the shrine. The last I could do for him. After I did so I felt... Empty. Meaningless.
For once the voices in my head were silent, yet that silence was deafening.
I just stood there for god knows how long. Erected next to the bonfire like a statue. Until I heard a disgusting voice.
"Hmm? So that crestfallen fool finally went hollow? Good, now we can finally focus on fulfilling the prophecy."
...
"/Frampt./"
My voice was cold, colder than anything in the world. It felt like the whole world was enveloped in a chill when the words left my mouth.
"/What do you do?/"
"Well, that old fool couldn't stand my presence, probably because it reminded him of his failures. But when he couldn't get rid of me I sent him away. Now it seems like he went hollow."
...
What is this feeling....? The vast emptiness inside me turned into something. A feeling of uncontrollable heat.
I know this feeling.
/Wrath/.
...
So this is it? This is the Age of Fire?
This disgusting world? A world filled with only despair, sadness, and agony.
A crestfallen man who lost his will to fight when he saw the cruelties of this world.
An unbelievably kind man who went insane trying to search for his own sun.
A saintess who got betrayed by her own follower and kicked down at the bottom of the world to be killed.
A kind mentor who went hollow searching for a higher tier of pyromancy.
A wise sage who went insane seeing the knowledge held by Seath.
An apprentice who went hollow searching for his mentor.
A girl tormended by blight and on the brink of death.
...
A man who was forcefully taken to this world and made to fulfill the role of the chosen undead.
Hah.
Hahaha.
So this is the world I am fighting for? A world that took everything from me. My life. My emotions.
My friend.
A world like this.
/Doesn't deserve to exist./
I felt /something/ inside me tremble, resonating with my emotions. The rage inside me boiled, begging to be released.
Frampt, that fucking snake. This is the age of flame he desires. Nothing more than misery and deception. Its him and this age of flame that took everything away from me.
/Burn it all down./
I felt that burning feeling inside me expand as I raised my sword.
But most of all, it is because of me and my indecisiveness. I should've killed Frampt the moment I saw him. But I won't make that mistake ever again.
/Be decisive./
I felt power within activate. Turning my vitality and life into power.
I refuse to be trampled underfoot by this disgusting age of flame
/Be ruthless./
Every pyromancy in my soul screamed. As my vitality got drained the red tearstone made me even stronger.
This world doesn't deserve a hero, nor does it want one.
Flames mixed with black started dancing across my blade. Every skill in my body getting pushed to their limits.
''W-what are doing!? Are you trying to kill me you fool!? I am immortal. A mere mortal like you cannot kill me!''
/Be unforgiving./
The blaze expanded as skills mixed together. Red tearstone boosted power within even further. Dead Man's style pushed them to their limits as Dreadnought prevented his body from feeling the effects of them. The dragon form created a vessel that could handle its full power
'This world is cruel.'
/Be Crueler./
'I will tear this accursed age of flame down. Until not even cinders remain.'
/Tear it all down./
The blade of flame expanded to over 10 meters. Everything in the vicinity of the blade was incinerated. Rocks turned to lava and grass turned to ash.
/A blade that will burn the entire world down./
<The skills [Chaos Fire Ball lv.10(max)], [Flash Sweat lv.10(max)], [Great Combustion lv.10 (max)], [Fire Whip lv.10(max)], [Chaos Firestorm lv.10(max)], [Power Within lv.10(max)], [Fire Surge lv.10(max)], [Scorch lv. 10(max)], [Fire Blade lv.10 (max)] are fusing.>
< error >
< error >
< You have created the skill... >
"/{Armageddon Blade}!!!/"
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
At that moment when the blade swung down, it was like the whole world was covered in red as the wave of destruction obliterated everything in its path. The raging inferno turned everything in its path to impartial ash.
< You have slain {Kingseeker Frampt} +1,000,000souls +Soul of the Primordial Serpent >
< A */*-/[]&%* achievement! Error: cannot calculate. >
<Reward will be delayed until the ******** ****>
All that remained was destruction. The armageddon blade had obliterated the entirety of the shrine. Along with Frampt, who couldn't even leave behind more than a few charred pieces of bone after facing the brunt of the world-ending blade's wrath.
Nothing but desolation.
< {Hellkite Cape} has evolved into {Inferno Cape} >
His cape which should have been burnt off was now instead perpetually giving off particles of cinder and in rags. And his blade which should've melted now had fire-red markings on it. His armor scorched black from the flames.
But he didn't care for any of it.
He simply turned around and headed toward Sen's Fortress.
'/I will burn this world down./'
Comments
James French
RIP Gerald, you were an asshole- but also a good friend 🥲
