"one week… It took me an entire week just to learn ancient Sanskrit. I still haven't even learned a single mystic arts spell…"
Ray closes a book and leans back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head before walking over to his bed and flopping down atop it like a dying fish.
'Even with my increased intelligence, learning is still difficult for me. I chose this route but I am beginning to regret it. Though I am not stupid enough to focus on full strength… In a real fight, speed matters far more than the might behind one's fist. Imagine I walk into that cave with the invisible assassin with only a big sword and heavy armor… I would just be walking towards my death.'
Ray slowly gets up to a seated position.
'I've been keeping an eye on events in the world but so far the only thing of note is the return of our resident playboy turned impromptu superhero, Tony Stark. After his little press conference that tanked his share prices, he has been holed up in his villa in Malibu, most likely designing the MK 2 Iron Man suit.'
'I originally wanted to purchase some Stark industries shares, but that seems to be impossible without a valid identification. Even if I got an ID somehow, I have no money to invest anyway...'
Ray fidgets with his hands, feeling restless from studying for so long. 'Why am I sitting around when I can train in the Elden ring world whenever and for however long I want? I shouldn't be lazy even with such a powerful cheat ability. Maybe I need some good old fashioned violence to cure this restless feeling in my heart… Ok, that sounds bad… I wonder if these are the kind of thoughts that psychopaths have?'
The philosophy of his mental state aside, Ray decides to return to the lands between, finding himself next to the evergoal where he defeated Darriwil with Blaidd. He looks at the now dormant prison seal in contemplation.
'Oh yea, I completely forgot about the bloodhound's fang…'
Ray opens his inventory and takes out the Bloodhound's fang, the large curved greatsword resting on his shoulder. Ray focuses his mind as the knowledge of how to best use the weapon flows through him.
With serene grace, Ray swings the blade in an arc before his body moves backwards in the blink of an eye. After a brief moment, he darts forward in a blur of speed and slashes once more, the wind whipping around him as he cuts the air with deadly precision.
Ray exhales slowly, noting the rather large drop in his stamina from just using the ash of war. Once his stamina is recovered, he begins training in earnest, performing feats of acrobatics that would astound a professional gymnast.
The sun slowly dips below the horizon, plunging the lands between into shadow by the time Ray finally stops training. He puts the sword into his inventory and sits down on the edge of the hill overlooking the weeping peninsula to the south.
"Hah… Working out really helps lower my stress, even if it doesn't help my body get any stronger."
Ray calmly looks up into the sky, looking at the stars and the moon with a blissful expression.
"This world is quite beautiful when you take the time to enjoy it. But like all things, there is a layer of darkness just beneath the surface… When did I become so philosophical? Is this an aftereffect of increasing my intelligence?..."
While Ray is contemplating to himself, the sound of hooves ascending the hill breaks him out of his stupor. Ray turns his head towards the sound, his eyes widening as a horse with a black cloth covering it and a rider in full plate armor with a menacing glaive gallops towards him at full speed.
Ray is able to react just in time as he pulls out the Erdsteel dagger and quicksteps out of the path of the horse to avoid being turned into a human pancake. He then puts the dagger back and takes out an assault rifle and aims it at the rider.
The night's calvary slowly trots towards him. "Tarnished who would pretend to be a Lord, face your end at the hand of Margit's faithful…"
Ray smirks as he flicks the safety of the rifle. "You shouldn't have messed with me. Now I have the perfect excuse to test how powerful guns are in this world!!!"
Ray pulls the trigger and fires in controlled bursts, aiming for the shoulders and neck of the night's cavalry. Most of the bullets bounce off the rider's armor while a few sneak through the gaps and sink into the flesh beneath.
A low groan escapes the rider's lips, the only sign that he even took damage from the weapon. The funeral steed charges towards Ray while the rider holds the glaive low to the ground, ready to slash towards him when he gets within range.
Ray grimaces at the lack of apparent damage from the rifle, putting it back into his inventory and taking out his knight's greatsword. He slices hand on the base of the blade, his blood dripping along the edge. With a great sweep of the greatsword, an arc of blood flies through the air and impacts both horse and rider, the rider grunting in pain while the horse is unnaturally quiet.
The rider gives a swift kick to the horse's flank, ushering it into a gallop whilst lifting his halberd up high and swinging down with full force towards Ray.
Seeing the attack coming from a mile away, Ray rolls to the side to avoid the deadly glaive and retaliates with another bloody slash, causing blood to erupt from both the rider and his horse.
Keeping up the momentum, Ray lands another bloody slash on the rider as he is turning around, causing his funeral steed to dissipate into the darkness and the rider to fall to the ground in a heap.
Ray strides forward and grabs the nightrider's glaive, frowning when even holding it two handed doesn't reach the strength requirement to wield it. He throws the weapon into his inventory before having a great idea.
Before the rider can get up, Ray runs forward and rips off his helmet, revealing a face covered in horn growths and dusty, gray skin. The rider stares at Ray with fury in his eyes before getting knocked out like a light from a 'gentle' tap to the forehead from Ray's dagger hilt.
A few minutes and a lot of effort later, the body of the night's calvary without any armor on it dissipates into runes while Ray tries to get the sight of a naked omen out of his head.
Ray shivers in disgust. "I hope I never have to see that again… At least I got a cool new set of armor. I even found the funeral steed whistle…"
Ray puts the armor and whistle into his inventory, briefly wondering if the inventory cleans his clothes before taking a slight detour to Sellen once more.
With over 40,000 runes in his possession, Ray was finally able to purchase all of the remaining spell books she has.
(A/N - I gave Ray 3,000 runes for each soldier he killed in the marvel world and 12,000 from the knight's cavalry. If you couldn't tell, I have been buffing the runes numbers to better fit the progression and increased difficulty of a 'slightly more realistic version' of Elden ring.)
The spell books include Glintstone Stars, Glintstone Arc, Crystal Barrage, Scholar's Armament, Scholar's Shield, Glintblade Phalanx, and Carian Slicer.
It will take him a while to study the books and learn each of the spells, but it was a price he was willing to pay…
Of course, Ray immediately sat down at the grace outside her room and diligently read through the spell book for Carian Slicer, knowing that it will be a staple spell in his future endeavors.
After only a few minutes of reading, he thinks better of it and increases his intelligence by another six levels, bringing it to twenty. While Melina is here, he asks her about the history of the Erdtree. While he knows most of what she says, he does find some of the information actually helpful.
For example, there are other continents beyond this one. The land of reeds lies to the east beyond the crumbling Farum Azula. To the south are the badlands, a large land of desolate deserts and harsh savanna that were eventually abandoned by the sentient races for the safer lands between.
To the north is a glacier that used to house the Kaiden, but they also left their home and traveled here, becoming well renowned sellswords. And finally the west, a land that none alive knows about other than the fact that it once was the home of the Numen's.
Ray stares at Melina in wonder. "You know Melina, It now makes sense why this place is called the lands between… All of the people of this world were drawn here. And it is here that the outer gods weaved their influence through us."
Melina nods, a slight smile on her face. "There is so much to learn, and so much to lose to the annals of time. If we forget the past, we can never reach the future."
Ray smiles, his hand still resting upon her hand. "While the past is important, don't let it shackle you to a destiny you don't desire. I don't intend to let my fate be dictated by anyone, not even the outer gods… When I become the Elden lord, I shall usher in a new age. No more will the puppet masters behind the scenes control our lives behind the veil…"
Melina looks away from Ray, her mind whirling with her champion's declaration. Without saying anything, she disappears, leaving Ray to wonder if he pushed her too hard.
'I know you plan on sacrificing yourself to open the way into the Erdtree, Melina. But I refuse to allow such a cruel fate to come to pass… Once my power is great enough, I shall show you the joy of living, in a world far from the machinations of the outer gods…'
Little did Ray know that his declaration was heard by more than he intended…
Morgott, standing next to the Elden throne that he cannot claim, looks up and peers beyond the confines of the capital towards Limgrave.
"I sense a flame of ambition growing in the south. Their path will lead them to the steps of Godrick's castle, where I shall snuff out their flame."
Meanwhile, deep beneath the golden city of Leyndell, within a tomb filled with the decrepit corpses of the nomadic people from which Kalé descends, lies a solid stone door.
Behind that door is the three fingers, the messenger of the frenzied flames will. The fingers, which had been eerily still for so long, twitch and shift until they are standing upright, receiving a message from the outer god of frenzy…
…
A flicker of yellow appears in Ray's eyes before he shakes his head and they disappear. Ray tilts his head in confusion and wonders what just happened but is interrupted when sorceress Sellen leaves her room and sits next to him.
"Do you truly believe you can usurp the gods? My apprentice is quite ambitious… I seek glintstone sorceries that open our minds, unbound by terrestrial taboos. Teacher and student are not bound to tread the same path, but here me out, my apprentice. I need your help to restore the Primeval current of glintstone sorcery. Perhaps this is a journey we could take together?"
Ray thinks for a moment, remembering her tragic fate should she follow the same path as her game self. "For my teacher? I shall help you to the best of my ability. Just keep in mind that safety is my main priority. I have seen what happens to glintstone sorcerers when they delve too greedily and too deep."
Sellen smiles beneath her mask. "Splendid… It's been far too long since I found a fellow kindred spirit. You must have a fabulous teacher…"
Ray snorts. "That I do…"
Sellen stands up and beckons Ray to follow, leading him back into her study. She walks towards a small bookshelf and pulls out a thick tome, placing it in Ray's hands.
"Here, take this spell book of Shard Spiral. It's a little difficult to understand as you are now, but I know that you shall reach the apex of glintstone sorcery in time."
Sellen grasps his hand. "I have a request, my apprentice. This is not my real body. It is merely a projection. My body lies elsewhere, but the academy's shackles prevent it from being moved. My body is on the weeping peninsula, at the southern tip of the lands between, imprisoned in the ruins just down from the church of Marika. Can you make a journey to my body? I have something that I can trust only with you…"
Ray places his other hand over hers. "Like I said before, I will help you if I can. I shall head south soon to deal with the misbegotten in castle Morne. Once I have finished clearing them out, I shall find you."
"Thank you, my apprentice. I shall be waiting…"
Ray leaves Sellen's study and sits down next to the grace, pulling out the spell book for Carian Slicer.
Even with his increased intelligence, it still takes him around two days each to learn both Carian Slicer and Glintblade Phalanx, his mind still feeling overworked from all of the studying he has been doing lately.
Having had enough of learning for an entire lifetime, Ray decides to head to the weeping peninsula and deal with castle Morne. With the journey most likely taking a few days of travel on Torrent, Ray instead decides to try out one of the armored jeeps.
He pulls it out of his inventory on the brick road leading south, the menacing, matte black vehicle completely out of place in this world of fantasy. Ray hops into the driver's seat and turns the key in the ignition, the rumbling of the engine music to his ears.
With a devious smirk on his face, Ray hits the accelerator, speeding down the road with reckless abandon. The few godrick knights patrolling the road are the first of many victims receiving the honor of becoming roadkill beneath his tires.
Ray grins wickedly as he sees the runes flow from their bodies into him, the yellow gleam returning to his eyes as a powerful bloodlust fills his mind that he doesn't even realize is unnatural. He continues running over every creature in his path, even going so far as to go off road and cleave through a field full of sheep, until he reaches the bridge of sacrifice.
Ray stops a good distance away, his mind slowly parting the fog of viciousness that was overtaking him. He takes some deep breaths and calms his mind, finally realizing that something was incredibly wrong.
"Why did I… I thought the gamer's mind skill would keep me level headed… I definitely wasn't acting like I normally would…" Ray opens his stat window and takes in a sharp gasp of breath.
*********************************
Name: Ray Winters
Level: 24 < 30
Runes: 4,613
Vigor: 15
Mind: 10
Endurance: 10
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 18
Intelligence: 14 < 20
Faith: 10
Arcane: 10
Inventory (+): lordsworn's straight sword +3 (sacred slash), lordsworn's greatsword, soldier's crossbow, lordsworn bolts, chain leggings, chain coif, Kaiden armor, Kaiden gauntlets, glintstone staff, knight's greatsword (bloody slash), Erdtree dagger (quickstep), spirit calling bell, lone wolf ashes, deathroot (1), Margit's shackle, green turtle talisman, bloodhound's fang, nightrider's glaive, night cavalry armor set, funeral steed whistle, spell books (Glintstone Stars, Glintstone Arc, Crystal Barrage, Scholar's Armament, Scholar's Shield.)
Marvel World Items (+): tactical gear/assault vest X 9, assault rifle X 9 (not gonna bother with ammo count), armored SUV X 7, armored jeep X 4,
(A/N: Separating items by world for more clarity.)
Sorceries (+): Glintstone Pebble, Carian Slicer, Glintblade Phalanx,
Incantations (+):
Unique skills: Gamer's Body, Gamer's Mind, World Traveler, Grace-bound, Frenzy-Touched (Curse)
Frenzy-Touched (Curse): the outer god of frenzy has taken an interest in you, leaving a seed of madness within you that will grow uncontrollably if left unchecked.
*********************************
"Marika's Tits..."
...
A/N: sorry for the delay readers, I've been debating whether to write an actual unique novel that I could publish or continue this one. I have a lot of stuff for that novel ready but I am very indecisive and don't want to commit to anything just yet.
I might do a little of both, seeing as I literally dream about what is going to happen next in this novel.
anyways, I would like to wish you the best. your words of encouragement are the highlight of my day and motivate me to continue truckin down the road of life.
Stay Awesome!