novelraw Chapter 68 : The Vague Witch (3)
Chapter 68 : The Vague Witch (3)
The Vague Witch (3)
The chat window was filled with excitement at the unprecedented emergence of fusion sorcery.
However, Lee Gyeongbok didn't have the time to carefully observe those reactions. The boss, wraith Golem, had once again picked up a corpse to throw.
"I'm not falling for the same trick twice!"
Lee Gyeongbok swung both hands, lashing out with his whip. A red whirlwind wrapped around the flying whip. Twisting at the waist, he immediately sent the swelling corpse back toward the Wraith Golem.
― Kya lolol this is crazy flashy
― Is this really Elden Soul? Lol it's totally "Your son has returned!"
-lolol This is straight up God of Warfare
― Truly, just like a people who love fire games!
The bloated corpse, now aflame, rushed toward the golem's crystal. But the golem's defense was not so weak.
With thick arms, the golem smacked away the incoming corpse. With a booming crash, bone fragments scattered in all directions.
"As expected, I need to do something about those arms first."
― Yeah, that's right
― But how do you attack?
― Can't you just smack with the flame whip?
― But the opponent's a golem;;
― You'd need a greatsword or a blunt weapon
― This is probably gonna take a while
To target the weak point, the proper step was to disable the defending arms. However, the viewers couldn't think of a suitable method of attack.
"I have a plan."
At Lee Gyeongbok's words, a slew of question marks appeared in the chat window. But, no further explanation followed.
The golem once again tried to detach and throw a corpse. This time, Lee Gyeongbok was a step ahead, moving his hands first.
Three red strands shot out from one of his hands, rapidly binding the golem's hand with sorcery.
With that, the viewers realized what Lee Gyeongbok was after.
― Oh lololol
― You can use it like this too lol
― Yup~ now you can't throw things anymore~
― Hit by your own weapon, huh?
A corpse began to swell inside the golem's grasp. At this rate, there would be an explosion right in the golem's hand.
But the golem did not stand idle. Its massive frame moved swiftly, swinging its arm.
Against that strength, Lee Gyeongbok's physical strength was no match. To maintain the sorcery, his body was lifted clean off the ground.
― Ohhhhhhhh!
― Tree! Tree!
― He's about to be smashed!
The golem swung Lee Gyeongbok towards an obstacle in an effort to get rid of him.
A massive tree and rock rushed toward him. While the viewers shrieked in panic—
"Oh, this is pretty fun."
Lee Gyeongbok instead cracked a cheerful smile. He had the margin to do so.
One more remaining strand of red whip. Using it, Lee Gyeongbok repositioned himself midair.
― He dodged that?!
― I'm getting dizzy......
― Is this Spider-Man perspective?
-???: My stomach's not feeling right......
― That's not what it means, lolol
-lol, my head's spinning, wow
― Incredible reaction speed lololol
As viewers expressed their amazement, a loud boom rang out. The corpse had exploded first.
Swiftly, Lee Gyeongbok retrieved the whip and landed safely, checking the golem's status.
The golem's hand was riddled with bone fragments, and a small crack had formed in its wrist.
― Kinda disappointing, huh
― Lots of noise for nothing;;
― That golem's super tough
― Well, it's a golem after all (nod)
― Probably need to do that 4 or 5 more times?
The damage was minor for the risk he'd taken, and the viewers expressed disappointment.
But Lee Gyeongbok felt differently.
"That did it."
Before the viewers could react, Lee Gyeongbok drew the broken longsword at his waist with a flick.
Four red strands wrapped around the hilt. With a confident smile, Lee Gyeongbok swung his hand.
A bright red arc shot out fast and long as a bolt.
It hit the crack forming on the golem's wrist with precision. With a ripping sound, the crack split open.
― Insane...!
― He actually landed that shot!?
― How's his accuracy so high?!
― He's hardly been using sorcery that long!
― Sorcerer Supreme! Sorcerer Supreme! Sorcerer Supreme! Sorcerer Supreme!
― Golem: Why's this game like this!
― That's the highest praise, lol
With the widening crack, the golem's hand crumbled and fell. Most of the viewers expected Lee Gyeongbok's victory.
But those who'd played Elden Soul thought otherwise.
― Here comes phase 2!
― When I did it as a beastmaster, I rolled and fought for 30 minutes
― So fast with the strategy, really lololol
― No matter how good, phase 2 is never easy, lol
― Yeah, fighting all those mobs, it takes an hour easy
Throwing corpses as grenades was only a base tactic—Wraith Golem had other attack patterns.
But what followed defied their expectations.
The golem's dark crimson crystal began to resonate as if vibrating. With its one remaining hand, it scattered the attached corpses in a line on the ground.
"Oh..."
Lee Gyeongbok let out a small gasp.
The corpses were wrapped in a black-red aura, the same color as the crystal. Suddenly, the quickly multiplying bones of the corpses intertwined as if alive.
-?????
― Huh?
― What is this? This isn't right?
― Why aren't they reviving?
― This pattern's different?
― What's going on, what's going on!?
The viewers were flustered.
The Wraith Golem's phase 2 was completely different from how they remembered it.
In that moment, a huge bone spear formed and appeared in the golem's hand. The aura flickered like black fire.
As tearing violin sounds rang out, the music crescendoed and then abruptly stopped as the golem swung the spear wide.
A brief moment of silence.
But the vacancy of stillness was quickly filled.
With tearing noises, trees fell. Crashes thundered as the tall trees dominoed down, opening the night sky.
Pale moonlight pierced the forest shroud, illuminating the golem and Lee Gyeongbok as if the place was now a stage under a spotlight.
"Now it feels like the real fight begins."
As if in reply, the golem's crystal resonated deeply.
― That pressure is insane wow
― Wait... why did the pattern change?
― There wasn't any scene like this before, what's going on?
― Normally you whittle down its soul by killing mobs, right?
― Probably because it's a new route?
― Now that it's an optional boss, the difficulty must have changed lol
― Right! Normally you can come back later for this fight!
― How the heck are you supposed to win right now?
― Time to reset for sure
― Honestly, even if he dies, not Godple's fault lol
The chat window was filled with excitement and worry. Everyone was bracing for death.
But Lee Gyeongbok neither thought of dying nor entertained the idea of giving up.
"Time to focus."
His sharpened sixth sense took in the situation. The information flooding his mind was sorted instantly.
'I can do this.'
The solution came to him in a flash.
Meanwhile, the golem's massive spear flew at him. Lee Gyeongbok quickly lashed his whip and dodged.
― Wow, look at that power
― Getting hit once is instant death
― That's typical for sorcerer builds though
― Now that I think about it, yeah
― Bro! Let's just leave and come back after some leveling!
― Is there really a way to win this?
Where the spear struck, the area was decimated. The toppled trees fragmented into splinters.
The viewers deemed victory impossible. Yet Lee Gyeongbok continued calmly dodging the golem's attacks.
― Why's he still going?
― He's not even attacking the golem, lol
― Dragging this out doesn't fit the broadcast style...
― How long's it been for the "boring" crowd to show up lol
― Why do you care about the concept? Lol
― Non-players, be quiet please lol
― If you actually watched Godple streams, you wouldn't say that
The mood in the chat was sour, but even so, Lee Gyeongbok persisted in his evasive maneuvers.
He only paused after a little while.
― Giving up now?
― Turns out nothing happened, lol
― Kind of a disappointment, huh?
― Frankly, knowing when to give up cleanly—that's what perfect is all about
Viewers typed out their comments, thinking he had given up.
But Lee Gyeongbok was smiling.
"Now, let's turn up the firepower."
That comment filled the chat window with question marks. Lee Gyeongbok gripped the red whips over both hands.
As another massive spear attack came his way, Lee Gyeongbok displayed evasive maneuvers, using the golem's body.
So far, nothing new.
But this time, two additional flame whips streaked across the ground.
Along those trails, flames erupted.
-????
― Fire, it's fire!
― Fiiire!
― What is this? How did that happen!?
― Insane lololol
Lee Gyeongbok's movements became more dazzling. With every lash, more flames rose. The fire quickly began to spread.
Some viewers soon realized his strategy.
― Wait, did he avoid attacks all this time for this?
― The golem smashed up all the wood, so the fire spreads better
― There's a streamer who starts forest fires to clear bosses?!
― This video would get you hated by the Forestry Service
― Forestry Service, lol
The flames grew fiercer.
The corpses clinging to the golem began to drop off all at once. Simultaneously, the aura surrounding the massive spear shrank.
'Just as I thought.'
Lee Gyeongbok realized his guess was correct.
In the original pattern, killing mobs reduced the soul. Now, the devastated environment and his own sorcery combined—
Gathering all the available information, environment, and his skills, he crafted a solution.
― But wouldn't Godple get caught in the damage, too?
― With the burn damage, he'd die first
― Now that you mention it, yeah
Wouldn't Lee Gyeongbok be in danger, too? But he calmly jumped right into the flames.
More question marks appeared in the chat. Elden Soul players soon stepped in to explain.
-lololol so many newbies
― Normal fire kills you, but this is different
-lolol it's his own sorcery
― You're immune to your own spell damage lol
― Even FromSoft isn't that unfair!
All the fire engulfing the area originated from Lee Gyeongbok's sorcery. If he took damage, he'd have noticed from the moment he fused the sorcery.
But the boss fight wasn't over yet.
Encased in flames, the golem turned toward Lee Gyeongbok and slammed the spear down.
A thunderous boom rang out. The wind parted the flames. A thick cloud of ash and dust swirled up from within.
― Huh!?
― Godple didn't dodge?
― Guess he couldn't see from inside the flames, huh
― Ah... we had this one...
― Who knows! Maybe not!
― There's no death message yet lol
― Yeah, yudahee didn't show up
Just as the final chat implied, Lee Gyeongbok's voice rang out.
"It really is easier to deal with when your opponent lacks insight."
From within the dust cloud, the broken longsword wrapped in the whip shot out. The small blade spun straight at the massive spear.
With a crunching sound, another crack appeared.
-????????
― Why did that break?
― What the heck?
― Isn't that just a broken sword?
― I can hear logic shattering, lol
As the ash and dust settled, Lee Gyeongbok reappeared, retrieving the broken longsword.
"A golem doesn't care about weapon durability when it attacks, does it?"
― Oh! That's it lol
-lolol The aura vanished so the spear's durability dropped?
― Yeah, swing that dumbly and it's bound to break
-???: Whoops, my hand slipped
― Fergus reference?
The viewers immediately got it. Lee Gyeongbok smiled and released the sorcery.
At once, the once-raging flames subsided.
Blue moonlight shone down on the charred earth and the golem.
The Wraith Golem stood still, unmoving. The crystal in its torso rolled limply to the ground. Strangely, the formerly dark crimson crystal now glimmered with a green light.
The boss fight was over.
― He actually cleared it, lololol
― Wow... he calculated all that in such a short moment?
― I actually can't believe this even after seeing it, lol
― Who'd have imagined it could end like this!
― Hey, where are all those quitters from earlier? All went to hide in their holes?
― Breaking news: unprecedented surge in rats in mouse holes. Chased-out rodents say, "After much thought, we decided to follow the Pied Piper."
-lol If you follow the Piper, you die, though!
― Physical? Brain? Being perfect beats them all, lol
― We live in the age of perfection! We live in the age of perfection!
The viewers reacted instantly. Amidst the chat window's cheers, Lee Gyeongbok sensed he'd lost control.
"Ahh..."
Along with the stirring wind, a sigh was heard. This time, the dispersed ashes formed the figure of the Vague Witch.
"So this... wasn't a giant after all."
She came to the protagonist, holding the green crystal.
"What's that?"
"It's the 'Forestkeeper Golem's Crystal.' Originally, it was made by the kingdom to tend the forest. Its bone-growing powers must've been intended to help plant growth, but..."
The protagonist accepted the crystal she handed him. Like a beating heart, its green light pulsed.
"I'm sure the souls inside attracted the dead. The golem must have protected the forest and itself by dealing with them. As that cycle repeated, the vengeful memories of the dead tainted the crystal."
The witch couldn't hide her bitterness.
― Didn't this explanation not exist before?
― Yeah, you just got the crystal and that was it lol
― I thought it was something like a cannibal golem lol
― Why's the witch so kind here!
― It's all the fault of the dead!
The viewers were satisfied with this newly revealed story.
In the cutscene, the protagonist asked with a puzzled look:
"If the kingdom made it, then why did it end up like this? Wasn't someone taking care of it?"
"... You'll find out once you leave the forest."
The witch shook her head. Laying her hand on the crystal, she continued.
"O broken one. Thanks to you, I can regain my flesh, and my freedom. Since you risked death and granted me a favor, I'd like to repay you."
"Repay?"
"Yes, but before that, may I receive part of the golem's soul?"
At her question, the protagonist glanced back at the crystal but soon nodded.
"Thank you."
Wearing a smile, her form dissipated.
― Nunna, where are you going! Nunna, where are you going!
― You said you'd reward us!
― What the—; what if you just run off like that!
-lol Guess the used market reputation just crashed
― Was this a secondhand transaction lol
Before the chat's reaction could continue, the green crystal shattered, scattering a halo of light that was absorbed into the protagonist.
[Acquired 'Forestkeeper Golem's Soul.']
A message appeared. Yet a portion of the lights lingered.
Soon, mud swirled from the ground, encasing the halo. The mud compacted and took the shape of a woman.
It looked exactly like the Vague Witch from before.
"Mm, seems the sorcery worked properly."
From the tiny clay doll's lips came the witch's voice.
-?????????
― Nunna? Is that really nunna the witch?
― What now!?
― Nunna became a mini-me!?
― There's a mini nunna now!?
In answer to the viewers' comments, the clay golem-witch flashed a slight smile.
"What's this?"
"I made a golem connected to my soul. It takes time to make a real body, after all."
"You plan to travel with me?"
"I owe you my life, so I should repay that by giving you mine. Since you lost your memory, my advice should be helpful, no? Oh, and if you give me a fair amount of soul, I'll teach you sorcery."
"... You're not just going to teach me?"
"Hmm... If I cast sorcery with this body, I have to use soul. If I do that, I'll lose the connection."
The chat window erupted again at the witch golem's response.
-lololol it's a sorcery shop
― Feels like a multi-run convenience feature?
― Oh lol, looks like she'll provide commentary too
― Forget all that—traveling with nunna? Best merit ever lol
― For real, it's already bleak, but having nunna at your side? This is wild
― Mini-me version is so cute lol
― Me too, I want a mini nunna!
― Why'd the devs hide something like this!
― So jealous, damn
― If you've got brains and brawn, fair enough, but now you get nunna too!?
― Must you... have everything... to be satisfied!
― If you're jealous lol just do it yourselves lol
― No way lol time to get eliminated in the prologue~
Amused by the chat, Lee Gyeongbok couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, time to leave this forest."
"Let's work well together from now on."
In the cutscene, the protagonist lifted the witch golem onto his shoulder and walked on. His vision gradually faded out.
"Ah, I guess that's the end of Misty Forest."
As expected, the next scene was outside the forest. The protagonist spotted a road and followed it with his gaze.
"Is that the kingdom's capital?"
"Yes..."
The protagonist frowned.
The city looked strange—not a typical settlement. The inner wall was far higher than the outer wall, making the royal castle invisible.
― Why's the structure like that?
― What does this foreshadow?
― Shh! Don't say anything!
― Good Elden fans just watch
Baffled like the viewers, the protagonist hurried on.
"Guess there's nothing for it but to go check."
The scene quickly shifted to a village near the capital.
"It's almost complete ruins. Does anyone actually live here?"
"... It's come to this, after all."
The witch sounded regretful. Just as the protagonist was about to ask more—
"Gyaaaaaa!"
A sudden scream.
The protagonist stiffened and hurried towards the sound. There, a bizarre scene unfolded.
― Huh! What's this?
― Are those knights? Who's the guy in the hood?
― Why's a knight rounding up people;;
― Looks pretty monstrous
There was a heavily armored knight, a man in a black hood holding a battle axe in both hands, and an injured person collapsed with blood streaming from his leg.
But the weapon impaling the injured man's leg belonged to the black knight.
"Stop your futile resistance and obey the conscription order."
The knight spoke in a dry, indifferent voice. The wounded man trembled, weeping and groaning.
"Refusing orders?"
"S-save me..."
Before the wounded could reply, the knight turned, drawing his sword, as the black hooded figure swung the axe.
With a sickening splat, a spray of dark red blood and a head fell.
― Holy crap???????
― Definitely enemies, geez
― Sudden execution, wow
― Knights and executioners? What a combo;;
― You get killed for refusing conscription?
― Forced conscription... ugh... my head...
― Medieval brutality, damn
― Hardened medieval times, lol
The viewers' reactions were mixed. The protagonist, however, observed silently.
"I'll look around a bit more before heading back."
At the knight-conscription officer's words, the executioner simply nodded. The two strolled away, leaving the corpse.
"Why did they kill an unresisting civilian?"
The protagonist voiced his doubt. The witch on his shoulder let out a deep sigh.
"The situation's gotten even worse."
"Worse? You mean it was already like this?"
― Oh lolololol
― More cutscene?
― Is it because mini nunna joined, lol
― Nunna commentary begins!
As the cutscene continued (when it should have ended in the normal route), the viewers' curiosity grew.
"It all started because the 'Decider' Aiden fell silent."
"The Decider?"
"He's the leader of the humans. The one who bears the responsibility of 'deciding' for all... but Aiden suddenly refused to do his duty."
The witch shook her head with a bitter expression.
"Ultimately, the remaining humans lost their way. To avoid becoming the undead, they pursued their own values. But this led only to division."
"Division."
"The people split into two large factions. One is the 'Royal Knight Order' you just saw, the other is the 'Order Church.'"
"They were the kingdom's knight order?"
"Yes. The Royal Knight Order believed the only way for humans to avoid becoming undead was through strict discipline. So they tried to forcibly expel those who were already undead."
"But the Church's methods are different, then."
"The Church believes that the undead are still human. They declared they'd find a way to restore them to what they were."
The witch looked up at the protagonist and asked,
"O broken one, what do you think? Which side do you think is right?"
For a moment, the protagonist simply gazed at her. Eventually, he replied,
"I'll reserve judgment until I've seen and felt things for myself."
With that, the cutscene ended and control returned.
― That's our sorcerer, lol
― Yeah... that's the inquiring mind
― The witch's lines sound different, don't they?
― In the normal route, you just go straight to the Church, lol
― Anyone seeing that execution would want to go Church!
― But if nunna's asking which side, maybe it's a branching point?
― Yeah, could be
Lee Gyeongbok glanced at the chat's reactions.
'Those knights... they felt similar to the Gravekeeper.'
Rather than the repulsive aura of the undead, these were characters filled only with killing intent. Thinking a moment, he made his decision.
"It might really be a new route, so I'll head to the knight order first."
-??????
― Uh?
― Wait;;
― Go to the church first and farm some gear and souls!
― Nice potential for a new path, but the knights are rough!
The viewers were thrown into confusion. Normally, by the time the player reached the capital, their gear was little better than rags.
The equipment found in the graveyard was mostly worn, belonging to the undead, and traversing the Misty Forest left it in even worse shape.
That's why stopping by the church first to prepare was standard.
But Lee Gyeongbok had different standards.
"I haven't had any trouble from lack of equipment yet, have I?"
― Now I have nothing to say
― Seriously lol, he beat the Awakened Gravekeeper and the upgraded golem with basic gear
― Yeah, who's worried about who now?
― The viewers were the ones being complacent lol
― That's why empathy matters
― This is the perspective of a god?
― Just do whatever you want, godple!
With a single comment, the momentum instantly shifted. Seeing those reactions, Lee Gyeongbok flashed a bright smile.
"If I really need gear, I'll just 'borrow' it. It's the knight order, they should have an armory."
-??????
― Fits a Black Company logic, lol
― Boss, please buy us some supplies ㅠ
― It wasn't the perspective of a god but of a cutthroat boss, lol
― Even in-game, capitalist vibes, wow
― Why buy equipment at all?
― Knight Order: The perfect bandit's arrived! Report him!
-lol But who would the knight order report to?
Thanks to him, the viewers soon forgot their worries.