C32: Soliloquy of Power and Chaos
1/16/26
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[Holy Knight Priestess-Sasha. Challenge mode successfully completed.
1: +79k shades essence
2: +1 rejuvenated Great Shades heart
3: +2 skill shards
4: + 1 level to Curious George Title
5: + Seeing Doubles achievement]
As I lie there, I see bits of flesh which I had previously ripped out of the boss all gathering together and forming a crystallized heart which then comes into my inventory.
With the rest of the rewards either flowing into me or my inventory, I feel a bit stronger as my current 85% debuff is further decreased to 80% by the level up to my title. The title actually says it's level three now and considers the other achievement power from mirror man separate.
"Interesting, but kinda sucky rewards for such a high level fight. I'm literally debuffed here bro. Give me moar" My greed knows no bounds as I soon straighten myself but keep lying down as I'm still mentally exhausted even if my body is completely fine.
'Though, I am curious to fight another boss here to see if each one gives an improvement to my achievement level until I reach the last boss and simply no longer get debuffed, that'd be cool' I muse to myself before I finally realize something strange. I got another new achievement.
[Seeing Doubles (Achievement): Kill a clone multiple times during a boss fight. Reward: Power rune]
"Oh, that's nice. I wonder what the runestone gives me." I comment with satisfaction before my brain does its job properly as I sit up and say, "Wait, if I combine this second runestone with the one its processed heart should give me. That will be three and my title will upgrade again. Noice" happiness is tangible from my voice as I finally get up and begin my trek back to the church.
It's quite peaceful as I already killed all the enemies here. Returning to the church, I seek out Father Norbert who guides me back to the lab in the secret passage. There I reveal that the knight priestess has been laid to rest.
"Is it truly so?" The father alchemist mutters, his eyes glaze over as he seems to think of something, too distracted to notice me moving towards the previous alchemy station. I refined my shades essence. I pull out that potion and drink it down. My curse which had risen to 33% during the fight because of berserker and taking the blood vial had dropped back down to 9%.
While not crazy better than the first potion I got from the system which dropped me 20%, this one is only a 4% increase which is nice but not worth 8k shades essence. Not when I can buy them for just a few hundred worth of essence.
'Better to just buy from the system, I guess.' I think to myself as it takes a few minutes for the father to regain himself, he gives a wry smile as he takes a few steps to approach me.
"As promised, you may collect a second item as payment for taking down a greater shade, treat that rune you got before as a token of good faith and my gratitude for releasing Sasha." Father Norbert expresses his thanks as he guides me back to the archive room with all the goodies as I take up an item inside.
It's another potion but closer in style to the Collagen potion which increases my stats. This one increases my stats a whole three points but only to my body, which means vitality, strength and endurance. There is a second negative point is that this level of potion can only be taken a total of three times.
Still, nine points is nine points. I'm not sure about this though so if I can get them now somehow then I will but if not then it's not a big deal. I still ask the resident alchemist and he explains that it's made from substrate of Greater shade hearts and very complicated to make too so it takes a long time to make.
"Speaking of greater shade hearts" I bring up as I take out Sasha's heart which I got as a boss reward.
"This. such purity. I…no, not yet. My people and my equipment must first be moved to the upper chapel. Refining the heart will attract other shades and since we are so close to another greater shade, they might also move." I can see the greed in the fathers eyes before he calms down and remembers his responsibilities.
I watch as he gathers the other priests and announces to the townsfolk that they are moving to the upper cathedral as their new residence. Many cheer and begin gathering their things while Father Norbert directs the others to move the alchemy items into prearranged boxes with cardboard slots inside said boxes to ensure nothing is damaged during transportation.
I accompany the people as they make their trek up, even getting a few snacks from the townsfolk as they express their gratitude to me. I appreciate the sentiment as I drink down the collagen and feel my body pulse with newfound power. At least before that too is suppressed but hey, one point in three stats inside the debuff zone is still a lot.
The greatest benefit of this potion was me, being able to walk a single step more before getting tired out. Truly mesmerizing, I know. Jokes aside, I stock up on mutagen potions and collagen ones too. Drinking the system based collagen as they keep giving me .1 in random stats until i reach a full point, aka ten 'pastes'.
I'm surprised it all went into my mental stats like arcane, bloodtinge and skill. I'm kind of saddened by that but it's whatever. I still have plenty of essence left to easily buy more but i want to save the remaining 60k i got for mutagen potions if i need them. Better to have and not need than need and not have. Also who knows if I won't find another use for them later down the line.
With the escort mission complete, Father Norbert gets to work on processing the heart into a runestone and later ill collect the collagen potion he makes from the leftover materials.
For now though, I stand guard and kill a few more shades that were attracted by the alchemical process before collecting said runestone and taking my leave. Father Norbert was sad to see me go but he certainly looked satisfied at seeing the giant workshop that the cathedral has as well as the product of his hard work. My third runestone.
I begin making my return to my side of Yharnam, while I do. I crush the next two runestones. I choose to do the achievements runestone first
[Power rune obtained: Echo blade]
[Echo blade level 1: create a spectral weapon that follows the trajectory of your swings and shots. Each level allows extra copies to be formed in exchange for stamina]
I swing my saw cleaver as I'm walking and activate the echo blade. I see that similar to Sasha's clone, I can now double my own attacks. But wait, there's more. With the runic title, that increases the skill to level 6 and subsequently, six echoes, meaning a total of 7 strikes in exchange for stamina.
The greatest loss here is that every extra echo costs more stamina. Just the second one forces me to completely stop and rest for a minute as my stamina of 62.8 points is bottomed out entirely. If this pattern continues with every subsequent echo then I'm likely to only be able to do 4 echoes and only have a bit of energy left to dodge if need be with my current unsuppressed stamina.
"Hmm, maybe the stamina cost will be nicer as it levels up and I just can't tell yet with how little I have" I theorize to myself as I make my way across the bridge, a sense of anticipation befalls me as I finally step into the crypt room with the chest and long restored vases here.
'It's finally gone' I offer a prayer to any god willing in thanks for regaining my strength as I now test out the skill.
Swish swish swish swish swish.
"Oh god, it's even worse, only four echoes before im tired out. How the hell is anyone else supposed to use this skill to it's full potential when max endurance only gives a bit more than half my current stamina. That makes no sense….unless, the guardians on the other side which become greater shades…are just built different." I make up a new theory as I bitch and moan about my perfectly overpowered skill before taking out the third runestone.
I avoided using this immediately as supposedly this skill and the other two would merge into a new one, hopefully I get the option to choose but from how it was phrased, it's unlikely. So here goes.
I pray once more as I crush the third runestone of power and the three runes takes up a triangle position in the palm of my hand.
[Power Rune: Light Step acquired]
"Wait a second, I got shadow step and now light step?" I inquire in confusion as i bring up the status of this skill before deflating and expanding multiple times over the course of the next few minutes. My enthusiasm rising and falling with each piece of news.
[Light step: Channel the power of light to dampen your appearance, achieving greater speed while eliminating sound.]
"Oh yea"
[New runestones detected, increase bonus from Rookie Runic mage
[Rookie Runic Mage I (title) : +2.5 to vitality and strength with every rune branded on you. Current Runes: Hunters mark, Lesser Sprint (power rune), Light Step (power rune), Echo Blade. Active: +5 levels to all runic skills. Evolution conditions: Runes 4/5]
"Oh yea" I nearly moan out as my body grows stronger due to the new runes.
[Three runestones detected, Merging skills into new skills. The effects of new skills may change. Included in merger is: (Shadow) Silent steps and Scent Negation]
"Oh no, I regret, plez do not." I beg the system to not alter the skills at all as they are wonderful as is.
[Rune obtained: Soliloquy of Power]
"oh, that sounds cool" I bring up the new runic skill. Yet I get another popup as I do.
[Antagonistic synergy detected between (shadow) Silent Steps and Light Steps rune. Searching records, new rune found. Chaos Steps obtained]
"Unga bunga?" My brain deflates upon seeing the new skill as I hesitantly bring up it's status as well.
[Soliloquy of Power: Be enveloped in the power of the echo, enhancing your speed based on the number of echoes overlaid upon the user. Enhances power of attacks based on echoes as well.]
"Okay, so i kept the dash but more as a sprint and the echos but less echo and more speed based attack to increase my own power rather than mimic it….i think" My brain has officially turned off in regards to how this is supposed to work but no better place than a random crypt to test it out."
WOOSH bang
I collide with the nearby wall, what was to be expected of testing out a speed boost in a cramped space. Though it felt different than what I expected.
'It's like I saw myself reflected around myself. Kind of like Professor Paradox's assistant who became a time anomaly monster (Hugo).' I can only make a comparison based on appearances which would likely become more accurate the more echoes I summon on myself.
That just leaves me with testing out how strong the power boost is as well as the chaos steps.
[Chaos steps: The opposing nature of dark and light yet absent of both gives rise to it's creator. The origin of both as they link to all else. Walking shrouds the user in chaotic energy which distorts the surrounding for random effects]
"Random effects?" I question before immediately activating it with no preparation or hesitation. Immediately, all the surrounding urns that werent broken again during my speed boost tumble shatter like miniature bombs.
Bang x 15.
I stop in place before I take another step and blow something else up. "I didn't expect stone to thermite to be an option of 'random'. I see how all the space under the pots previous locations are now simply black ash with the entire stands/benches that they were on being razed to the ground, snapping apart from just a simple gust of wind breaks them apart into a multitude of chunks.
I slowly deactivate the skill before skin to shit [1] is the next event to occur. I make my way back to the Oedon chapel and then finally return to the dream to properly rest up.
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Word Count = 2302
A slightly shorter chapter as I clear up some new power boosts and make my return to being a 'normal' hunter.
Enjoy
[1] Ref to the barbarian animated series on YT, specifically the group of adventurers who entered the wizard king's vault.
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