After cutting through everything in the way, the player finally reached a great door in the deepest part of the prison.
The player had actually been here before, but had given up out of concern that something might go wrong during the boss fight.
After all, with the first playthrough as a cautionary example, it was best to be careful on the second.
The player pushed open the door and froze at the sight inside.
It was a vast underground space, piled high with all sorts of documents and scrolls, looking like a makeshift office.
A simple bed stood in the corner, with a small mountain of empty coffee cups beside it... no, empty Focus Potion bottles.
And in the center of the room, a familiar figure was hunched over a desk, frantically reviewing documents.
That disheveled dark red hair, those heavy bags under his eyes, that expression of having nothing left to live for...
Rykard, the former lord of Stormveil Castle, the demigod who had fled halfway through their fight, was now being watched by a towering Troll.
The Troll held a hammer in one hand and a book in the other, reading as he supervised. Occasionally, he raised his head and tapped the desk with his hammer, signaling Rykard not to slack off.
Hearing the door open, Rykard looked up.
At the sight of the Tarnished, his eyes instantly lit up: it was the look of someone who had spotted his savior!
Suddenly, there was light in his empty world.
But Rykard quickly concealed his expression, straightened his face, and put on an air of authority.
"An escaped prisoner? Hmph, let me deal with you."
He stood up, stretched his limbs, and charged at the Tarnished.
The player reluctantly engaged him, taking the opportunity to summon Blaidd through