Chapter 10: Departure
As I awoke by the bonfire, I felt a heavy weight get lifted from my chest. I had finally done it, I have killed the Asylum Demon! It took so long, it was so hard. I felt like laughing with relief as I just rested next to the bonfire enjoying my victory over my tormentor. While laying down and enjoying the frankly terrible weather I noticed a ton of unread notifications.
< You have completed the quest {A Hollow's Resolve}! >
< You have completed the challenge {The Asylum Demon}! >
< Calculating rewards...>
< You have acquired the trait {Resolved} >
< You have acquired
-3000 souls
-1x Demon's Great Hammer
-1x Twin Humanities >
< Your skill { Focus lv.3 } has leveled up! >
< { Focus lv.3 } -> { Focus lv.4 } >
< Your skill { Critical lv.4 } has leveled up! >
< { Critical lv.4 } -> { Critical lv.5 } >
< You have created the skill { Deadmans Blow lv.1 } >
Wow, that's a lot to take in, isn't it? But at the same time, it's very reassuring, that this isn't a dream. I had actually beaten him and these are my proof. It seems I was worthy enough to be the chosen undead after all. Now the thing I am most curious about is the Deadman's Blow. After all, it said created not acquired.
___
< Deadmans Blow > (Active)
A technique created by the Deranged Hollow by utilizing multiple skills at once to push his body beyond its natural limits. Using this skill is highly likely to cause a multitude of injuries after its execution. Consumes extreme amounts of stamina
By pushing your body to its very limit you can unleash a devastating blow that all but guarantees a critical blow.
___
Wow, I didn't think my last desperate attack against him would result in an actual skill. But I am satisfied regardless. Though there is a part about it bugging me. The injury part of the skill means it cant be used regularly and I also remember the unbelievable pain of forcing out every last bit of strength out of your muscles. If I wasn't high on adrenalin in that fight I probably would have passed out before landing the skill.
I probably shouldn't delay any longer and actually see whatever else the Northern Undead Asylum has to offer now that I have beaten the Asylum Demon. I got up and walked toward the former Asylum Demons arena and When I got back in there I was greeted by an unexpected sight. The Asylum Demons corpse was still there lying on the floor as unlike the game it didn't simply turn into dust.
Deciding that there is no harm in getting more rewards for my achievement I stored his body away in my inventory. Afterward, I finally, after what seemed like an eternity made progress and walked through the metal doors I had been ignoring up until now. After passing through, they shut behind me. Past the door was yet another waterlogged room alike my gym except this one had a bonfire. Seeing no harm I lit the bonfire and then carried on my way through.
Past the second waterlogged room was a hallway-like decrepit place with an archer hollow at the end. Knowing what to do I just sprinted to the closest cell near me and grabbed the plank shield from the corpse next to me and strapped it to my left arm while holding my sword in the other hand. Readying myself I sprinted out of the room and toward the hollow as he shot an arrow at me which I blocked with my shield.
After he shot his arrow he turned to run but unfortunately for him he wasn't the only one with ranged options as I willed a brick into my hand and chucked it full speed at the back of the hollow's head like a professional. Safe to say, the archer hollow's weak body wasn't stronger than the brick.
/*Thunk*/
<You have killed 1x Hollow (+20 souls)>
Having demonstrated my amazing baseball(brickball?) skills I just continued forward while picking up the club on my way to the stairs. climbing up the stairs and walking a bit I came face to face with a fog wall that I just passed through with no hesitation as I knew what was behind it. Beyond the fog wall was an intersection looking down on my not quite living quarters(get it!? it's because I'm dead!). Having arrived here I wanted to try something as I headed left and came toward a set of broken stairs and above it was the rusted iron ring if I remember correctly.
Now normally in the game that ring is inaccessible until you came back with the key to the other side as the Chosen Undead could only jump like 30cm into the air and had no grasp on the concept of climbing.
But unlike my predecessor in the game, I am unbound by the restrictions of a game engine as I just climbed up the broken stairs and pocketed the rusted ring. Well, I say pocketed but this ragged loincloth has no pockets so I just put it in my Inventory.
Now done I head to the right path and go up the stairs. And while I was climbing them, a cheeky little goblin decided to push a giant metal ball down the stairs as I was climbing them. But as I knew this plot twist would happen I anticipated the moment the ball would roll and front flipped over it like a champion.
/*Crash!!!*/
Deciding to punish the cheeky hollow up the stairs I went up face to face with the ugly goblin as he lunged at me with so much wind up I would be embarrassed if I couldn't dodge it. Deciding to him what he tried to do to me I sidestepped his telegraphed lunge and grabbed his arm then I just twisted his arm and kicked him down the stairs like a sack of flour.
/*thud*, *thud*, *thud*, *thud*, *thud*/
And roll down the stairs like a sack of flour he did. After landing down he didn't move but I knew he wasn't dead due to my system so I just chucked a brick after him to finish the job.
<You have killed 1x Hollow (+20 souls)>
After that, I went down the stairs to enter Oscar's room, which was revealed by the metal ball. Entering the room I was relieved to find out that of was still near death even after the unnaturally long time I spent on the Asylum Demon. He has been on the verge of death for like, how many weeks now? I guess time is convoluted in Lordran. Wordlessly I approached Oscar.
''...Oh, you... You're no Hollow, eh? Thank goodness... I'm done for, I'm afraid... I'll die soon, then lose my sanity... I wish to ask something of you... You and I, we're both Undead... Hear me out, will you?''
I nodded as I was really fed up with the Undead Asylum at this point and didn't want to screw up anything so I just gave him the silent Mc treatment.
''...Regrettably, I have failed in my mission... But perhaps you can keep the torch lit... There is an old saying in my family... Thou who art Undead, art chosen... In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords... When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know... Well, now you know... And I can die with hope in my heart... Oh, one more thing... Here, take this... An Estus Flask, an Undead favourite... Oh, and this...''
< You have acquired the {Estus Flask} >
< You have acquired the {Undead Asylum F2 East Key} and the {Big Pilgrim's Key} >
For the first time in what felt like forever, I spoke, to express my gratitude toward the man who freed me from my cell and gave me all this stuff. My voice was coarse, rough, and a bit unfamiliar to me after not using it for so long.
''Th...anks''
''No problem...But...Now I must bid you farewell... I would hate to harm you after death... So, go now... And thank you...''
''Fare...well''
With that, he fell silent and I left the room. Don't worry Oscar, I will honor your last wish and become the chosen undead you wished for, I swear. Shaking myself out of the melodramatic mood I head down the stairs as there is nothing useful to me upstairs that I remember other than a handful of hollows and a hollow soldier which I do not feel like dealing with.
I unlocked the shortcut and headed toward the late Asylum Demons arena and pulled on the doors... Who the fuck locked the door after me? God? The forces of nature? Whatever I guess I am going up the terrace after all. Fucking hell.
I angrily made my way up the stairs as I switched out my blade for the club for the sole reason of a club being a more effective tool for releasing your pent-up frustrations. I arrived in front of the terrace door and I entered and strode forward like I owned the place as a foolish hollow tried to jump me. Big mistake.
/*THWACK*/
I felt the satisfying feeling of smacking his face into the pavement as my club made contact with his jaw sending him to the floor. But he wasn't alone As I sidestepped the attempt to lunge at me by his companion. He missed his attack and taking advantage of that I tripped his feet and slammed my club on his head sending him to the ground along with his pal.
/*THUNK*/
Deciding to take my frustration on the hollows on the ground I beat them to death with my club while they were down. It felt very satisfying.
<You have killed 2x Hollows (+40 souls)>
Making my way past the corner I raised my sad excuse of a shield up to block the arrow then I slowly approached the hollow as it tried to nock an arrow into his bow and hit downsma- I mean I slammed the club into his head so hard he died instantly.
<You have killed 1x Hollow (+20 souls)>
I made my way over to the hollow soldier's room and was met with the rather predictable sight of a hollow soldier wearing ragged armor and holding a sword and shield approaching me. After he came close enough to me he thrust his sword toward me in a predictable manner. Unfortunately for him I just parried his blade to the side and Slammed my club over his head.
/*Bonk*/
While he was down I swung down on his head a few more times until I heard the notification
<You have killed 1x Hollow Soldier (+80 souls)>
Unfortunately, he didn't drop any of his gear. But what if I just grabbed his weapon and shield? You know what? Fuck it, I'm just grabbing the whole man.
< You have acquired 1x Hollow Soldier(Corpse) >
Nice I guess. Now that I cleared here I went up to the balcony over the Asylum Demons' former arena and jumped. Thankfully my lightweight hollow body and my acrobatic rolls prevented any actual damage from occurring from my plunge. After that, I finally pushed open the doors to freedom.
/*Creak...*/
The sight was beautiful with rays of sunshine peeking out of the clouds, Illuminating the green-ish grass ahead of me along with the overgrown remains of buildings. I slowly walked forward while enjoying the feeling of being outdoors at last as I approached the end of the cliff face.
The view was breathtaking to me after what felt like endless monotony. The vast mountain range was beautiful with the natural lighting of the sun the cold fresh air hitting my hollowed skin felt amazing after so long of getting used to the stagnant and depressing air of the Asylum. But I feel like I am forgetting someti-
Before I could finish my monologue a giant black crow snatched me from the cliff face.