Chapter 9 100k
He stepped into the cool evening air. The landscape stretched out under the darkening sky, quiet and foreboding.
He knew of a better rune farming spot, but it was too risky with the Night's Cavalry patrolling it and he dosent seems to have access to site of grace like other tarnished. This area, however, had coffins containing runes that would be safer for now.
Two level-1 runes would give him 400, one level-2 another 400, and one level-3 rune 800.
Each cycle would yield 1600 runes, and he calculated it would take about 62 repetitions to reach 100,000 runes.
That would be enough to challenge most enemies, like the Soldier of Godrick, though stronger foes would still pose a problem.
Keeping low, he moved carefully toward the coffins, aware of the wolves nearby. He adjusted his steps to avoid making noise, staying out of sight.
Finally, he reached the coffins and collected the runes, their glow pulsing under his touch. Satisfied, he retreated to a safe spot.
The poison he carried would ensure a painless death; dying from the wolves or any other painful method was not an option like if he can die painlessly why would he die painfull death then?.
He uncorked the vial, drank the poison, and the world darkened.
The darkness faded, and he found himself once more at the entrance to the ruins.
The quiet night air greeted him as he steadied himself, already accustomed to the cycle.
Without hesitation, he began again, moving with practiced steps toward the coffins, keeping low and alert for any sign of the wolves nearby.
Reaching the coffins, he gathered the runes again,. He withdrew to his hidden spot, uncorked the vial of poison, and drank, letting the world fade once more.
Again and again, he repeated the process. Each time he returned to the entrance, he felt the weight of the runes accumulating, bringing him closer to his goal.
As the cycles continued, he moved faster, his steps becoming a fluid rhythm as he carefully collected the runes and returned to the quiet darkness.
"62nd death," he muttered, finding himself back at the entrance to the ruins. He exhaled, steadying himself. "Now I should have 100,000 runes. This should be enough for now. I'll find a better spot later."
He turned his gaze to the horse tied nearby. "Let's go, buddy. We've got to move," he said, untying the reins and mounting the horse. With a firm nudge, they started down the path away from the ruins.
His next destination was the merchant, Kale. For some reason, he couldn't activate the stored runes directly. If he could, he wouldn't need Kale's help to convert them or sell it to him.
...
Arriving at the church, he slowed the horse to a quiet halt. The ruined structure stood before him.
he dismounted and guided the horse to a hidden spot behind some bushes.
With careful movements, he approached the side of the church and found a section of the wall that was low enough to climb. He hoisted himself over, landing quietly inside the dim, broken sanctuary.
The merchant, Kale, sat cross-legged near a small fire, the embers casting a warm glow across his face. Kale glanced up, a slight look of surprise flickering across his eyes before settling into recognition.
"You again," Kale said, his voice carrying a note of curiosity. "What brings you here at this hour?"
He stepped forward, brushing the dust. "I have something to sell," he replied, his tone even.
Kale raised an eyebrow. "Let's see what you've got."
He handed over the collection of stored runes. For a brief moment, he thought about the price he still owed Kale from their last transaction.
An dagger worth 40 runes should be 100x now 4,000 runes due to he said he would return 100x of the orignal prize.
"I see you've been busy," he remarked, counting out the total. "This will cover your debt and leave you with plenty more to use."
"Here, a full 96 thousand runes. You're rich now," Kale said, handing over the stack of runes.
He took the runes, feeling the weight of them in his hands. It was an accomplishment, but something felt wrong. He turned to leave, sensing the shift in the air behind him.
Before he could react, a sharp pain erupted in his back. The cold steel of a blade dug deep, and he gasped as the breath was knocked from him. The runes slipped from his hands and scattered to the ground, clattering against the stone floor.
Kale stood behind him, the knife still buried between his ribs. "I'm sorry it had to be this way," he said in a tone that was oddly calm. "But you didn't think I'd let you walk away with all those runes, did you?"
He stumbled forward, his body wracked with pain. The world around him seemed to spin as the life drained from him, the runes slipping away from his grip. He couldn't move fast enough to stop Kale—he could barely think through the growing darkness.
Kale stepped back, pulling the knife free with a sickening sound. Blood soaked into his clothes, and the pain was unbearable—he couldn't even comprehend the agony.
The weapon Kale had used felt far worse than any blade he had encountered before, a pain that was a hundred times more excruciating than anything he'd endured from the demi-humans in the cave. It was as if his entire body were being torn apart from the inside.
With one final exhale, his body crumpled, and darkness claimed him.
The world around him was gone. But then... slowly, it began to return.
His eyes snapped open, and he found himself back at the entrance to the ruins. The cold air brushed against his skin, the same as it had before.
He stood up, disoriented for a moment, until he noticed something—his hands were still gripping something.
The runes.
Not the ones he had gathered before, but the ones Kale had handed him. They were still there.
It didn't make sense. He had died, yet somehow, these runes remained with him. The familiar feeling of the runese.
He didn't think much of it now. With the runes in hand, he could continue with his plans. The backstab from Kale would be remembered—Kale would pay for that—but it hadn't cost him anything of real value. He'd gained the runes, and that was all that mattered now. The betrayal had taught him a lesson: trust no one.
Without wasting any more time on thoughts of Kale, he walked into the underground chamber of sallen.
Sallen stood near the wall, her back turned, when he entered. She immediately turned at the sound of his approach, her sharp eyes narrowing as they fell on the runes in his hand.
"...You're back already?" Sallen's voice was laced with disbelief as she took in the sight of the runes. "And... what is this?" She nodded toward the large pile of runes he carried. "How did you manage to collect so many?"
He held out his hand, letting the runes fall onto the stone floor with a soft clink. "I had them stored," he replied, his tone calm and detached. "Nothing too complicated. Just... waiting for the right moment."
Sallen raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Stored, huh? You don't look like the type who just 'stores' runes. Are you sure you didn't go digging around some treasure hoard?"
He smirked slightly. "You don't need to worry about where they came from. I'm just... resourceful."
Her gaze softened for a moment, though there was still an edge of suspicion in her eyes. "You work fast. But you'd better be careful.
Not everyone is as... forgiving as I am. If you're taking shortcuts, you might end up with more enemies than you can handle."
He nodded, glancing down at the runes, his mind already moving to the next step in his plan. "I understand," he said. "But for now, these will help me get closer to what I need."
Sallen gave a slight nod, as if satisfied by his response. "Alright then. Let's wake up your maiden and turn these runes into strength. By the way, how many are these?"
He estimated the pile quickly. "I guess... a total of 96,000."
Sallen's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Huh. So many. My disciple, you truly are full of surprises." She glanced at the runes again, her tone shifting to one of quiet admiration.
"If I remember correctly, a soldier under Godrick earns about 100 runes a year. What you have here is like... a thousand years' worth of salary."
She let out a short laugh, as if marveling at the sheer amount. "Most Tarnished can't even gather 10,000 runes in their entire lives. And here you are, with nine times that amount."
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Alright, everyone, let's rally together! Your support means everything, and every power stone you give will take us one step closer to the top. We need to rank up and show the world what Elden Ring is! So don't hold back—every single stone counts! In the name of Marika!! Let's make this happen!