The Rune Arc shattered, transforming into golden shards that burrowed into his soul and toward his Great Rune.
([Godwyn's Great Rune (Inactive) -> (Active): Increases all stats by 100%])
Godrick's breath hitched, tears running down his cheeks as he experienced bliss for the very first time. The Great Rune in his soul whirred to life, its dull lines gaining a blinding gold glow, which seeped out, enveloping his body and transforming it into a vessel worthy of its power.
Earnan watched in equal parts horror and fascination as golden lines travelled and burrowed into Godrick's body. Loud cracks of bones breaking echoed in the cave as his liege's body began to both melt and grow, his armour breaking under the strain. But unlike the Blessing of Lansseax, it did not pain nor hurt. It was bliss—euphoria that he had never known.
Flesh was burnt, melted, and reforged; bones were shattered, ground, and remade; while organs were ripped, reinforced, and gilded.
In the dark crevices of a forgotten mine, in the depths of a death-blighted forest once cursed, in a soup of Primordial Gold, rose a new Demigod who laid his claim on a shard of the Elden Ring.
A Demigod with no fate writ in the stars, nor destiny to follow, for He would make His own.
Godrick the Golden, Blessed of the Ancient Dragons.
***
(Character Sheet:
Godrick the Golden (Level 2)
Age: Twenty-three and three months old
EXP: 300/200 (+)
HP: 200 { Healthy }
FP: 122
Strength: 8.5 -> 17
Dexterity: 5.8 -> 11.6
Endurance: 10.7 -> 21.4
Vigor: 10 -> 20
Mind: 6.1 -> 12.2
Intelligence: 6.1 -> 12.2
Faith: 15 -> 30
Skills:
[Golden Lineage -> Demigod Constitution (Passive): You possess the constitution of a Demigod and Divine Blood. You are extremely hard to kill, with true death in both spirit and body solely granted by Destined Death. Faith +10.]
[Gained Godrick's Glory (Active) Level 1/8: Grant your followers your blessing, allowing them to break free of their bodily shackles. Increases recipient's racial stat limit by 5. The number and strength of the blessing increases with more Great Runes collected. (0/10)]
Great Runes (1/8):
[Godwyn's Great Rune (Active): This Great Rune is known as the anchor ring, found in the centre of the Elden Ring. Increases all stats by 100%])
Eyes housing golden suns. Gilded locks flowing down a perfect face. A body carved from the purest marble, fashioned and sculpted with the most faultless features and flawless muscles. Strength, power, and beauty.
Godrick rose, truly reborn. He felt like he was relearning physical sensations that he had memories of as he opened his eyes, noticing that everything seemed smaller and felt more fragile, while his mind seemed to process his thoughts nearly instantly. Cracking sounds ensued as he rose to his full height of nine feet, his head nearly scraping the ceiling of the tiny cave.
"My...Lord...G-Godwyn?" a small voice sounded from his right, and he looked over to find Earnan on his knees, looking at him like he'd seen a ghost.
"It's Godrick, my Knight Commander."
Even his voice had changed. It was deeper, more commanding, yet melodious and otherworldly. A reminder that he was mortal no longer but a Demigod.
He reached down with a hand, lifting Earnan to his feet like a child.
[Godrick's Glory]
Liquid gold flowed down his arm and into Earnan, burning a beautiful pattern on the top of his palm akin to a tattoo. His Knight Commander's eyes, which were dull gold, now burned bright, as he finally could gain strength beyond what his race dictated.
(0/10 -> 1/10)
He saluted Godrick with fanaticism evident in his eyes.
"To Glory and Eternal Dominion!"
Godrick nodded, a complicated look in his eyes. Earnan was someone who didn't mind making his opinions known—something that he appreciated, as so many abstained after learning of his Golden Lineage. Yet, for some reason, when he now looked at his zealous eyes, he doubted he would hear that anymore.
While he may have gained a devout follower, he may have also lost a friend.
Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, he looked at the remains of his armour, both scattered on the floor and as a few strips of metal and leather that acted as a loincloth. Nothing particularly flattering. At least the talisman pouch had survived.
He bent, picking up the tent, fashioned it into a long skirt that reached from his waist to his ankles, and ripped off the extra fabric. He bent the metal poles with ease around his torso, which acted as makeshift belts. The dark fabric was a stark contrast to his marble-white skin, while its girth prevented it from getting caught in the wind.
"There we go," he said, tightening the pole as his golden hair splayed out on his shoulders. Its silky texture felt quite nice.
"Wait here," he told Earnan, who snapped to attention and bowed, while he ducked out of the room. It was time to check what he was capable of.
***
The first thing he saw as he walked out was a hunched-over miner clutching a glintstone staff, leaning on the cave wall.
[Observe]
(Character Sheet:
Glintstone Miner
Age: Ninety-three and two months old
HP: 30 { Frail }
FP: 80
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 5
Endurance: 11
Vigor: 3
Mind: 8
Intelligence: 10
Faith: 5
Skills:
[Corrupted Anatomy (Passive): Glintstone, the residual life of the stars, grows on your body. Grants you a rigid body and an elevated consciousness at an unknown cost.]
Sorceries:
[Basic Glintstone Sorcery: Level 1
Denotes control over the life energy within glintstone as well as the speed of the calculations required.])
The miner jerked awake and struggled to its feet before swinging its fist at Godrick, but with a swipe of his palm, the miner's head exploded into bits of brain matter, glintstone, and gore, coating Godrick in red blood tinted with blue.
[Glintstone Miner Killed. +20 EXP]
(EXP 320/200 (+))
He sighed before looking at the description of his Great Rune. It was an incredible boost, worthy of the anchor piece of the Elden Ring, but it built off the stats that he already had. He was powerful now, no doubt, but compared to the true elites of the Lands Between? The he of then and now would've made no difference to them. But with time and enough levels, he'd be able to crush them all, given that 1 stat now counted as 2.
He walked past the slumped-over body and ducked into the main part of the mine. A giant ceiling with numerous Glintstone miners using drilling sorceries to chip away at the natural growths of blue stone and a few Avionette soldiers who instantly shot toward him with the intent to kill.
It was futile. He grabbed one out of the air and slammed it down with enough force to make the ground crack, as the other two swung their blades, failing to cut past the first layer of skin. His muscles moved with immense power as two more swats turned the Avionettes into pieces of wood and metal.
[Avionette Soldier*3 Killed. +120 EXP]
'I feel a little top-heavy,' he thought as every other miner turned toward him with madness in their eyes. His Strength, Endurance, and Vigor were almost twice his Dexterity, making him feel more like a bruiser than anyone with any finesse.
(EXP 220/400 -> Gained 1 stat point and 1 skill point)
(Dexterity: 11.6 -> 13.6)
With an invigorating flash of dark gold, Godrick felt his muscles loosen before tightening. It wasn't perfect, but he no longer felt like a slab of stone with legs.
'Now, where was I?' he opened his eyes to find a miner charging at him with a magical drill at the end of his staff, his eyes mindless—instinctively attacking anything unfamiliar.
BOOM!
Godrick became a whirlwind of death as he decimated the Glintstone miners who dared to try to attack him. A few of them managed to land a few Glintstone pebbles on him, but it merely stung—a small victory before their bodies were surgically pulled in half. His palms were hammers, his fingers swords, and his flesh his shield. Heads were ripped, bodies broken, and staffs snapped.
[Glintstone Miner*7 killed. +280 EXP]
(EXP 100/800 -> Gained 1 stat point and 1 skill point)
(Dexterity: 13.6 -> 15.6)
"Ahh, that's better..." He cracked his neck as he finally felt fully in control of his body. Bluish-red blood covered his torso and parts of his skirt as he stood among corpses. Glintstone staffs and memory stones lay among some, but he would save looting for later. Jumping down a wooden platform, he jogged toward a large set of wooden doors that crumpled with a solid kick revealing two large humanoids that seemed to be carved from crystal.
Hovering cross-legged in the air, they each held a different weapon, a Ringblade and a spear. Spotting him at the entrance of their lair, they descended, their legs touching the ground and standing to a height that was merely a foot short of his own.
[Observe]
(Character Sheet
Crystalian Adept
Age: Nine hundred years, seven months old
HP: 60
FP: ????
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 12
Endurance: 30
Vigor: 6
Mind: ???
Intelligence: ???
Faith: ---
Skills:
[Wisdom of Stone (Passive): The Crystalians are inorganic beings, yet they live. They cleave close to the ideals of the primaeval current. +50 Intelligence. +50 Mind]
Sorceries: ???)
"Greetings," Godrick nodded at them, looking more like Hoarah Loux given the baptism of blood. "Wouldst thou care to spare a few moments of thy time?"
The Crystalians tilted their heads in unison, crystalline faces devoid of emotion, yet their body language spoke volumes. They were prepared for battle.
***
Only two more chapters are possible this week, three if you peeps get it to 800 stones. Travel sucks.