Quite some time had passed since his encounter with Trina in the dream, and the Tarnished's journey continued. During that time, he found another wandering merchant and traded with him. He also discovered ruins inhabited by Demi-Humans, where he found the true leader of the Demi-Humans on the Weeping Peninsula: the Demi-Human Queen.
The Demi-Human Queen was far larger than ordinary Demi-Humans. She also carried a magic staff, a gift from some unknown benefactor, which allowed even a dim-witted creature like her to cast simple spells. Savage as she was, however, she preferred using the staff as a club.
After he dealt with the Demi-Human Queen, who had insisted on blocking his way, the Demi-Humans of the Weeping Peninsula fell into a state of utter panic. They crouched in fear, covering their heads. For creatures with such a clearly defined hierarchy, their leader was both supreme and strongest, and those beneath her submitted absolutely.
This gave them a powerful sense of unity. As long as their leader lived, their savagery made them fearless. Instinct told them that anything remained possible while their boss was alive, but once their leader died, they lost all ability to resist.
Many creatures in the Lands Between shared this trait. When facing a large group of enemies, taking out their leader first was the easiest way to break them. This applied equally to people who retained their humanity, Misbegotten, and other similar creatures.
Looking at the Demi-Human Queen, who had used magic, the Tarnished sank into thought. If even Demi-Humans could cast spells, could he do the same through some simple medium?
To be honest, magic interested him, but he knew little about it. The sorcerers in his former company had been rather condescending. Despite his illustrious reputation, some sorcerers seemed arrogant to their very bones and constantly undermined his confidence in learning magic. At one point, the Tarnished had even wondered whether he was actually talented and they were merely jealous.
Besides, some of the sorcerers he knew were not only conceited but eccentric. A few spouted utter nonsense and could not be trusted at all, while others had peculiar habits. All this had left him with little affection for sorcerers. He hoped he would not meet anyone like that on this journey.
"Ah, if only I had a good magic teacher," the Tarnished sighed. To achieve his goal, the more power he acquired, the better. He could not limit himself to blades. He needed to master magic and even incantations, his former weakness, and make himself the strongest. Only then could he stand against the Greater Will and the other Outer Gods.
He opened the map and checked it again. He had already explored more than half of the Weeping Peninsula. In truth, the peninsula was small, and its local powers were relatively weak, so there had naturally been few items worth mentioning.
There was, however, one thing of note: the Minor Erdtree, an offshoot of the Erdtree standing in the center of the Weeping Peninsula. From his current position, the Tarnished could see the towering tree without consulting his map.
Though smaller than the original, its presence still dwarfed every other tree around it. As symbols of the Erdtree scattered throughout the Lands Between, Minor Erdtrees not only drew local residents to worship them, but also formed part of the system for returning to the Erdtree. Those buried in graveyards beneath them could return to the Erdtree as well.
Large as the Erdtree itself was, spreading its roots throughout the entire Lands Between was troublesome. Thus, it had chosen another method: sending out offshoots across the Lands Between and linking itself to them.
In other words, seeing a Minor Erdtree was as good as seeing the Erdtree itself.
"There should be something good around there."
He headed south on the map. After walking for a while, he reached the Minor Erdtree towering over the Weeping Peninsula. Broken jars littered its surroundings.
"I can understand jars used for offerings, but what are these red-lidded ones?" The Tarnished did not recognize the jars with red lids. Chunks of flesh had spilled from the shattered vessels, making for a strange sight.
"Is this a custom on the Weeping Peninsula? Human sacrifices to the Erdtree? You really do demand quite the tribute." The Tarnished shot a sidelong glance at the Erdtree behind him. As though sensing his disrespect, its branches and leaves shook, scattering flecks of golden light into the air.
The light gathered overhead into an enormous ring, and a huge, tree-like monster wielding a golden hammer dropped from within it.
"Nearly forgot about you, Erdtree Avatar."
As its name suggested, an Erdtree Avatar was an embodiment of a Minor Erdtree, a natural guardian born to protect the Erdtree. Unlike Tree Sentinels, Erdtree Avatars drew their power from the Erdtree itself. They could therefore use the purest golden incantations, and their enormous size put their overall strength above that of Tree Sentinels. Still, they were rare, and their numbers came nowhere close to those of the Tree Sentinels selected from the vast population.
The moment the Erdtree Avatar appeared, it swung its enormous hammer, unleashing a wave of golden energy. Taking that blow head-on would certainly have been too much for him in his current state. Fortunately, the Erdtree Avatar was extremely slow.
"I love big, dumb brutes like you." The Tarnished lowered himself close to the ground once more. It was a stance he often used when fighting giants, keeping his body low and using his speed to toy with sluggish enemies.
Thus, it could be called Hunt the Giant, though hunting enormous creatures would have been just as fitting a name.
He darted aside to evade the hammer and swiftly closed in on the Avatar. Planting a foot against its body, he leaped high like a wolf, driving the straight swords in both hands deep into its aged bark like sharp fangs.
"The Elden Ring's shattering hasn't done you any favors either. So dry and brittle. Reminds me of the days when I had to eat bark. I wonder if you taste better than ordinary trees." He slashed again and again, stripping away chunks of the Avatar's bark with every stroke.
Sensing danger, the Erdtree Avatar pointed its great hammer straight down and smashed it into the earth. Golden power erupted outward from its body, blasting the Tarnished away.
"What's this? You really are frail." The longer he fought the Avatar, the more clearly he could feel the Erdtree's decline.
As though enraged, the Avatar hammered the ground three times in succession. Countless points of light appeared behind it, then shot forth in a rain of arrows formed from holy golden energy.
"They even track me..." The Tarnished dodged swiftly, but the rain of arrows behind him kept pursuing him. He changed direction and ran toward the Erdtree Avatar, gathering speed as he circled it.
In the end, every last bewildered arrow struck the Avatar's huge, cumbersome body. Being a creation of the same holy power, however, the Erdtree Avatar naturally had nothing to fear from its own attacks.
But the Tarnished had never expected the arrows to do any damage. "You're finished." With a cold laugh, he plunged straight into the Erdtree Avatar's hollow neck.
"Rotten wood should stay put, unless it wants to get infested." From inside the Avatar, the Tarnished unleashed a sudden burst of force and shattered its energy core. As the golden, teardrop-like core broke apart, the Erdtree Avatar's body gradually grew insubstantial, then dissolved into white motes that vanished into the air.
The shattered Crystal Tear then split in two and flew into the Tarnished's hands.
"So these are the Crystal Tears used to mix wondrous physick." Beneath their crystal-clear surfaces lay some of the Erdtree's purest power. They were treasures rarely found.
"I didn't expect to get them this way. What a pleasant surprise. Once I've finished exploring the Weeping Peninsula, it'll be time to return to Limgrave and find that Flask of Wondrous Physick."
Looking at the Minor Erdtree before him, the Tarnished wanted to cut it down completely, but he lacked the strength for now. For one thing, doing it with his current weapons would take far too much effort. For another, truly enraging the Greater Will would not be wise.
It had to be done, but he needed to find the right moment.
"I'll leave you for now." The Tarnished headed north on the map again. From there, it would be easier to travel northwest.
"Is this... a Church of Marika?" Having reached the northwestern Weeping Peninsula, the Tarnished studied the long-ruined church before him. The statue within was, of course, Queen Marika.
"How times have changed. A church dedicated to Marika the Eternal, once revered by everyone, has fallen into this state."
No one maintained it, and no one visited. Time was left to ravage the statue of Marika, who had once enjoyed boundless glory.
"Tell me, if that barbarian saw you like this, would he cut down the Erdtree on the spot?" He walked to the center of the church, awakened the Site of Grace there, and sat cross-legged on the ground, facing Marika's statue.
"Never mind the barbarian. Even I'm unhappy seeing you like this. You're my sworn elder sister, after all. That gives me reason enough to save you." The Tarnished raised his left hand and clenched it sharply. Runes scattered through the air, and an emblem appeared in his hand.
It depicted a hammer, a double-bladed axe, and a long blade crossed together. This was proof of the sworn bond he had once formed with Marika and Godfrey. The hammer and axe naturally represented Marika and Godfrey.
The long blade represented the strongest weapon the Tarnished had wielded in his former life, but it had now vanished without a trace.
"I don't know whether you're still alive, but whatever happens, I'm going to deal with the Erdtree and the Greater Will."
"As for those children of yours and Godfrey's-my nephews-if they insist on standing in my way, I'll have no choice but to cut them down. Don't blame me for being ruthless."
Many of Marika's children were loyal supporters of the Erdtree. They would undoubtedly obstruct his path. Those who could recognize the situation would be fine, but the stubborn ones, and those who had lost their humanity, would not meet a pleasant end.
"..."
"What's that?" His attention had been entirely on Marika's statue, so he had missed the glittering object beneath it. As he approached, he saw a small chalice filled with thick golden liquid. The liquid within was-
"Oh... a tear. A fragment of the Erdtree's blessing enshrined in churches everywhere. I thought there wouldn't be anything like this left here." This sacred substance, known as a Sacred Tear, could increase the rate of physical recovery. Used with the Flask of Crimson Tears, it could heal injuries instantly.
"Marika, I'll be taking this blessing of the Erdtree." The Tarnished picked up the chalice and poured its contents into his mouth without another word. A long-forgotten sense of fullness welled up within him. He felt that the lingering injuries inside his body had completely healed. Even if he were injured again, he would likely recover quickly on his own. Such were the benefits of Grace.
"The power's good. It's the one in charge that's the problem." He was clearly referring to the Greater Will. Nor could one blame the Tarnished for using the Erdtree's power while opposing it. Who would want to rebel if they had not been forced and oppressed? Everyone wanted to live in peace, but the Erdtree denied them that chance.
The Erdtree's many unreasonable acts of tyranny had long bred resentment in countless people, to say nothing of the factions it had actively suppressed.
"All right, Marika, I'm leaving. I hope you'll still be alive when I find you inside the Erdtree..." The Tarnished gave Marika's statue one last glance, then turned and left the church, continuing northwest.
Before you continue