The Weapon of the Dead

Tarnished stood before Godrick.

Like a child standing before a giant.

Godrick swung the Golden Axe at him. It slammed into the Brass Shield with a deafening crash. Tarnished gritted his teeth and weathered the impact, forgetting the pain of the shock, forgetting his body's constant groans. He remembered only one thing: he was going to kill that bastard Godrick!

The Great Epee struck like a viper's tongue, swift and sure. Godrick took hit after hit. Such minor wounds should have meant nothing to him, but after the repeated attacks, his expression suddenly changed. The wounds on his body burst open, spraying boiling blood in an instant.

"Blood Loss Curse?!" Godrick cried in alarm. "You're a follower of the Mother of Truth?!"

Tarnished did not answer. He just kept shield poking.

Blood Exchange was no empty boast. Each instance of blood loss drained 15% of the target's vitality, so seven would kill even a god. But inflicting it required continuous attacks to apply the Blood Loss Curse. In most cases, the target died under the sheer volume of ordinary attacks instead. Accumulating seven instances of blood loss was exceedingly rare.

Godrick happened to fit the bill.

He already possessed a fragment of the Elden Ring, had grafted countless people onto himself, and now had the Grafted Blade Greatsword to strengthen him further. Perhaps the current Godrick really could hold his own against Starscourge Radahn and the Valkyrie. With Tarnished's current strength, even ten thousand thrusts of the Great Epee probably would not kill him.

Blood loss was his only path to victory.

And to cause blood loss, he had to land as many attacks as possible.

So Tarnished had no time to answer Godrick's questions. Right now, he was a merciless Shield Poking machine. All he had to do was push this godlike technique, with all its demanding execution and finesse, to its absolute limit.

Thud, thud, thud! While Godrick talked, Tarnished landed another three thrusts.

Judging by what had happened earlier, four hits were enough to trigger blood loss. But that number was not fixed. Each instance of blood loss increased resistance to it. Just as someone who was beaten often became better at taking a beating, repeated exposure to the Blood Loss Curse made it harder to inflict.

Based on experience, if the first instance took four attacks, the second would take six, and the third nine-an increase of roughly 50% each time. By that calculation, the hits needed to inflict blood loss on Godrick seven times were 4, 6, 9, 13, 19, 29, and 34, for a total of 114.

That three-digit number was enough to make anyone despair. If Tarnished could really hit Godrick that many times, he would not need to resort to this suicidal damage-trading strategy. The good news was that resistance increases had a limit: three at most. Taking beatings might improve one's ability to endure them, but no amount of beating would produce an indestructible body that could tank a nuclear bomb with its face. Everything had its limits, even gods, let alone a mere Demigod.

So the actual number of hits needed to inflict blood loss six times was 4, 6, 9, 13, 13, 13, and 13, for a total of 71.

A full 43 fewer hits, making victory possible.

Thud, thud, thud! Another three thrusts landed, making Godrick's blood boil and burst out again. He screamed.

Tarnished wanted to keep attacking, but although Godrick had escaped Leyndell disguised as a woman, he was not actually one. He was not going to spread his legs like some foolish little girl and wait to be poked. Swinging the Grafted Blade Greatsword in his left hand, he forced the shield aside with brute strength, then whipped the axe in his right hand into Tarnished's chest.

Splurt!

Tarnished spat blood and flew like a cannonball, crashing through countless gravestones before being buried beneath the rubble.

"You bastard!" Godrick raged at the fresh wound on his arm. Even as Tarnished was sent flying, he had seized the chance to stab him once more.

Stone clattered as Tarnished rose from the rubble.

But he soon fell to his knees again.

The scale armor Irina had sewn by hand was in tatters, and several of his ribs were broken. Pain stabbed into his brain like a knife, leaving him in agony.

But it did not matter.

He had long since grown used to pain like this. He had experienced worse.

Stand up. Make your mind rise above your flesh!

Stand up. As long as you get up one more time than you fall, you've won!

Tarnished stood again, drank his fourth Flask of Crimson Tears, tightened the straps of his Brass Shield, and advanced toward Godrick, one unwavering step at a time.

"I'll kill you!" Godrick roared.

"Do whatever the fuck you want," Tarnished replied indifferently.

He was nothing more than a merciless Shield Poking warrior. Whatever the enemy did was none of his concern. No interaction was the strongest interaction!

The Golden Axe swung at him. Tarnished raised his shield to block and thrust his sword.

The Grafted Blade Greatsword came down. Tarnished raised his shield to block and thrust his sword.

Eight rapid thrusts inflicted Godrick's third instance of blood loss. Godrick also knocked his shield aside with a swing of his axe.

As the enemy's sword slashed viciously toward him, Tarnished's left hand streamed blood and had gone numb. He could no longer raise his shield, so he simply thrust his sword instead.

Thud, thud, thud! Tarnished landed three thrusts on Godrick, while Godrick sent him flying with a single slash.

Another swath of gravestones shattered with a crash. Even some rotting corpses were unearthed.

These corpses had no hands, feet, or heads, yet wore the equipment of Godrick's Soldiers. Rusted longswords and shields lay scattered around them. They must have been warriors who had served Godrick loyally, only to become material for his grafting and end up buried here.

Betrayal, betrayal. In every age, little people betrayed by the mighty were everywhere.

He had one more reason he had to win.

Tarnished pushed the dry bones off himself and drank his fifth Flask of Crimson Tears. Only one bottle of that lifesaving miracle medicine remained.

He had inflicted blood loss on Godrick three times, plus three more thrusts. That meant another 49 hits.

Can I do it?

Tarnished asked himself.

"You can't win!" Godrick shouted. "Through grafting, I've gained everyone's strength. You can never defeat us!"

"Is that so?"

Tarnished took the Demi-Human Queen's Staff from his waist and cast Scholar's Shield on the Brass Shield in his left hand, then gripped his Great Epee with Blood Affinity again.

"The Demi-Human Queen's Staff was a gift from the Demi-Humans. Scholar's Shield is a spell my teacher Sellen taught me. The Blood Affinity ash of war is a legacy of Fort Haight." Tarnished drew a deep breath and shouted, "I have everyone's strength too!"

"Nonsense!" Godrick snapped. "How can that cobbled-together trash compare to the power of grafting?!"

"Then let's put it to the test! Let's see whose strength is greater!"

Tarnished advanced again, and Godrick met him without flinching. He swung his axe and greatsword relentlessly, dense as rainfall and forceful as drumbeats. But with Scholar's Shield greatly enhancing the Brass Shield's defenses, Tarnished could hold out longer and land more thrusts. After several wet impacts, Godrick suffered his fourth instance of blood loss. The agony of his blood bursting out made him scream, and the savage, brutal battle shook his resolve.

For a moment, Godrick actually panicked and stopped attacking. Tarnished seized the chance to unleash another string of thrusts, successfully inflicting Godrick's fifth instance of blood loss.

Two more!

Tarnished counted silently.

But this bout of pain drove Godrick completely mad. Feeling how little vitality he had left, he sensed the shadow of death for the third time in his life.

The first was when Starscourge Radahn attacked Leyndell.

The second was when he lost to Malenia, the Valkyrie.

The third was now.

The first two were understandable. His opponents had been renowned Demigods, after all. Sometimes Godrick even took pride in having escaped them alive. Not everyone could manage that.

But this time?

The one standing before him was just an ordinary Tarnished, an obscure nobody. If even an opponent like this could push him so far, was he truly a talentless mediocrity?

No, I'm not!

I belong to the great Golden Lineage! I am the most rightful king of the Lands Between! I am the Golden Lord!

One day, I, Godrick, will lead everyone home and reclaim the glory stolen from us!

"I won't lose!" Godrick roared. "With everyone's strength, I will never lose!"

With that, Godrick swung his great axe and greatsword into the Brass Shield together.

The first blow instantly shattered the Scholar's Shield effect on the Brass Shield.

The second warped the Brass Shield out of shape.

The third shattered the Brass Shield with a bang. Tarnished was hurled away too, smashing through a row of gravestones and crashing into a grave.

"Ha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha!" Godrick laughed wildly. "Do you see? This is my strength! Everyone has lent me their power! One day, I will lead them home, back to our homeland beneath the Erdtree!"

Tarnished lay among corpses without hands, feet, or heads. Blood seeped steadily from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. He had internal injuries-terrible internal injuries. He wanted nothing more than to stay there, but he still had a reason he had to stand.

Watching from the side, Nepheli shouted, "Tarnished, run! Come back for revenge when you're stronger!"

"If I run, what happens to you?" Tarnished struggled to rise. "I said... I'd protect everyone. I've already broken that promise. I don't want... to break it again."

Looking at his battered body, Nepheli was deeply shocked, and just as deeply moved.

Tarnished drank his final Flask of Crimson Tears, but his injuries were too severe for one flask to heal completely. After only a few steps, his legs gave out, and he fell heavily to his knees again.

"Haha! You can't even stand, and you've lost your shield. How do you expect to beat me?" Godrick gave an ugly laugh. "Since you've walked into a grave yourself, I'll be merciful and turn you into a corpse just like them!"

With that, Godrick swung his axe at Tarnished's head.

Nepheli's eyes widened in horror. "Tarnished, dodge!" she screamed.

But Tarnished did not dodge. The massive axe fell with a thunderous crash, shaking the earth. Countless cocoons were pulverized, and broken limbs and rusted weapons flew into the air before clattering back down, like a rain of blood and iron.

"What?!"

Godrick cried out in shock.

Nepheli hurriedly looked into the grave and saw Tarnished bracing a massive iron shield, firmly blocking the blade of the Golden Axe.

"Thank goodness!"

"Hmph, don't celebrate too soon!" Godrick was about to attack again when Tarnished suddenly drew a throwing knife from his waist and hurled it hard, striking Godrick squarely in his left eye.

"Aaaah!!!" Godrick screamed, covering his eye as he staggered back.

[Kukri]: A large throwing knife. Its curved blade is extremely sharp and causes blood loss buildup.

Since he intended to inflict blood loss, how could a former Elden Lord, seasoned by countless battles, fail to carry a few throwing knives?

A throwing knife could not do much damage, however. The worst part of this attack should have been the panic caused by suddenly losing his vision. An experienced warrior ought to regain his composure quickly. Godrick's utter panic showed that he was no warrior at all.

Tarnished and Godrick both retreated, putting distance between them.

Covering his injured eye, Godrick demanded viciously, "Where did you get that shield?"

"It was buried beneath the corpses, and your attack shook it loose. Perhaps the people who died as material for your grafting wanted revenge through my hands, so they sent me this weapon!" Tarnished glanced at the shield in his hand, a little moved.

[Manor Towershield]: A black iron greatshield large enough to cover the entire body. Its face bears an image of the Roundtable Hold, where heroes gather. It is said that the Roundtable Hold lies within the Royal Capital of Leyndell. I believe in Lord Godrick. He will surely lead us back to our homeland beneath the Erdtree!

"What?!" Godrick cried, looking around as though every shadow concealed a threat. "No, impossible! They were merely my subjects! Giving their strength to their sovereign was their glory!"

"No one wanted that kind of glory. They just wanted to live!" Tarnished raised his shield and advanced, only to stagger unexpectedly and nearly fall.

"Haha!" Godrick laughed again. "You can't even bear that shield's weight! If you can't lift it, how can you use it?!"

Indeed, although the Manor Towershield offered greater protection than the Brass Shield, its weight and requirements were also far higher.

Using this shield properly required at least 30 strength, while Tarnished had only 27.

"Out of options, Tarnished?"

Faced with Godrick's mockery, Tarnished began removing his armor piece by piece, until only a loincloth remained.

Nepheli admired Tarnished's body as though she were looking at the finest delicacy. Godrick, meanwhile, felt ashamed of his own appearance before that powerful physique. He took half a step back and asked, "Y-you, what are you doing?"

It was simple. If his equip load was insufficient, he would discard the unnecessary defenses. As for those three missing points of strength...

Tarnished took a golden eyeball from the pouch at his waist.

[Radagon's Soreseal]: An eyeball engraved by the Elden Ring, said to be the soreseal of Radagon, the royal consort. Raises vigor, endurance, strength, and dexterity, but increases damage taken. The seal is proof of being chosen by a deity, and thus brings both blessings and trials.

This item increased its user's vigor, endurance, strength, and dexterity by three points each, just enough to meet the minimum requirement for the Manor Towershield.

Though it increased the damage he took, as a Shield Poking warrior, Tarnished would let his shield take all the damage for him.

Everything was within Tarnished's calculations. Such flawless preparation was the measure of an Elden Lord!

He drew the Demi-Human Queen's Staff and cast Scholar's Shield. A greatshield in one hand, a Great Epee with Blood Affinity in the other—this was the Shield Poking warrior's complete form.

"Come on." Tarnished walked toward Godrick. "Let's see who everyone truly chooses!"