The monsters pouring from the darkness came in endless waves, as though they would never run dry.
By the time the battle finally subsided, the Dragonkin Soldiers' souls were already grievously wounded. Lucian had recalled them back into their Spirit Ashes. After that, different Ashes rotated into the fray one after another, until at last every monster within the hidden chamber had been eradicated.
Asimi drove her imitation of the Sword of Night and Flame through the final creature's body, bringing the battle to its conclusion.
The darkness that had churned endlessly, spawning monsters without cease, gradually stilled. It lay quiet now, flat and without a ripple.
Asimi planted her sword into the ground and sat down, then simply fell back onto the floor, staring upward.
Lucian and Aesthra approached to check on her condition.
During that battle, there had been little Lucian himself could do. Against such a swarm, if he had tried to grind them down soul against soul, even if each one only scraped off a sliver of him, he would have been worn to nothing.
So he had remained in the rear, layering buff after buff upon the Spirit Ashes.
Looking at Asimi lying there without moving, Lucian asked,
"That was your first real large-scale battle. How did it feel?"
Asimi remained sprawled on the floor. That single fight had already exceeded the total amount of physical activity in her entire prior existence.
"So~ tired~!"
"It's way more comfortable staying inside my lord and not moving."
"If possible… I'd really prefer not to move at all…"
Lucian chuckled.
"You'll still have to rely on yourself for a while."
"Once I find a proper method to attack, you should be able to relax again."
In the previous battle, Asimi had contributed at least half of the total damage output.
Though she couldn't unleash her full strength, the power system she shared with Lucian allowed her to perform impressively in combat.
Still, the enemies had been numerous, and powerful foes had appeared intermittently. Asimi inevitably sustained injuries.
Large and small wounds from various attacks covered her body.
These injuries would not heal naturally. They required Humanity to mend.
Now that the fighting had ended, there was finally time to treat her.
Aesthra approached and ignited Humanity, handing it to Asimi.
After absorbing it, the previously dimmed soul-body began radiating a soft gray glow once more.
Lucian then handed over the other Spirit Ashes who had fought and been injured, asking Aesthra to heal them as well.
The battle had slain an uncountable number of monsters.
The rewards were naturally immense.
If one were to quantify Humanity such that the amount consumed to maintain illumination for one minute equaled one unit, then before the battle, Lucian and Aesthra had carried roughly two to three hundred units.
After the fight—
They now possessed over five thousand units of Humanity.
There was no longer any need to worry about trivial conservation. There was enough to fully repair every Spirit Ash.
Aside from Humanity, the monsters had also dropped a large number of Dark Souls—blackened spiritual fragments.
Compared to the Humanity gain, they were fewer, but still considerable.
Once purified by Aesthra, these Dark Souls could be used to strengthen Lucian's soul and those of the Ashes.
As for Asimi, she had her own unique enhancement path via the Sacred Tear Chalice. She had no need for these.
After this battle, Lucian's group could be said to have become wealthy overnight.
Of course, healing all those souls consumed no small amount of Humanity, roughly two to three thousand units.
Among the Ashes, the two Dragonkin Soldiers had suffered the most severe damage.
They were enormous in size and had plunged directly into the densest part of the enemy formation during the first wave. Now they were practically in tatters.
Since neither had a name, Lucian casually named them:
Caelvyr [Heaven's Bane] and Vaelthar [Earth's Scar].
Fittingly, one could fly but lacked the power of frozen lightning.
The other's wings were incomplete and incapable of true flight, but it wielded frozen lightning.
Lucian intended to use the Dark Souls to strengthen the two Dragonkin Soldiers, as well as Banished Knight Oleg.
As a recognized Storm King, Lucian already shared a master-servant relationship with the Banished Knights. The mutual recognition was high.
Thus, Oleg could manifest nearly the full extent of his former strength, approaching that of a top-tier hero.
The Dragonkin Soldiers were no weaklings either. Within the hero tier, they ranked mid-to-upper class, and were especially effective against large-scale enemy groups.
Within the spirit world, aside from Asimi, these three were the most reliable and trustworthy combatants.
And they had worked tirelessly thus far. Strengthening them was non-negotiable.
While Aesthra healed the remaining Ashes, Lucian approached the altar.
The mysterious white sphere still hovered there quietly.
Earlier, it was their approach to this very sphere that had triggered the ambush.
Now that the battle was over, it was time to see what treasure so many monsters had guarded.
Standing before the altar, Lucian reached out and touched the white sphere.
The moment his finger made contact, the sphere split apart and dissolved into countless drifting motes of light.
The motes hovered briefly—
Then rushed into his body from all directions.
Lucian closed his eyes and felt carefully.
Something new had formed upon his soul.
In his perception, a pair of thin, pure-white wings sprouted from his back.
They hung like a cloak, draping over his soul.
Beyond that, the white motes extended outward, fusing into his physical cloak as well, covering it with a faint white radiance.
Understanding instinctively how to use this power, Lucian's expression shifted in surprise.
He immediately activated it.
His body transformed into a pure white soul-form and shot forward in a violent burst.
In an instant, he crossed dozens of meters.
Only after the dash ended did he revert to physical form.
Lucian stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"What is this? Hollow Knight's Shade Dash?"
The speed was absurd, almost indistinguishable from teleportation.
Was this the true speed of the soul?
The dash had consumed a portion of his soul's energy.
But even so, its power was undeniable.
Unfortunately, the transformation made it impossible to carry others during the dash.
He also wasn't sure whether it could be used offensively.
He would need to test whether it could pass through walls, and whether it would function upon returning to the Lands Between.
If every Helphen's Steeple preserved something similar, perhaps other towers might contain offensive abilities.
Even a pair of bone spikes would suffice.
If only he had any tool capable of damaging souls, even a simple dagger—
He would be able to carve through the spirit world.
Sadly, this tower had granted mobility, not attack.
So for now, he remained like a Pokémon Trainer; buffing his Ashes and directing combat.
Lucian stopped experimenting with the new ability and exited the hidden chamber with Aesthra and the fully healed Ashes.
Now flush with Humanity, he instructed Aesthra to burn it brighter.
When Humanity had been scarce, the oppressive darkness had been unbearable.
Fail to watch one's footing for even a moment, and one might plunge straight into the abyss.
Aesthra nodded obediently.
She intensified the burn, and the path ahead became clear.
This time, they didn't walk long before reaching the end of the descent.
Stepping down from the stone slope, Lucian and Aesthra arrived upon a wide platform.
They had reached what could only be called the "top" of the tower.
There was only one path ahead.
They walked forward.
At the end of the path, a massive beast lurked in darkness. Aesthra's light revealed only part of its form.
Her heart tightened. She increased the brightness.
The full shape came into view.
She exhaled in relief.
"Oh. It's just a statue."
Lucian stared at the beast's form and teased,
"A statue? We already had animated hollow armor earlier."
"Who's to say this one won't move?"
Aesthra tensed up again.
The beast resembled a lion, but bore additional traits Lucian couldn't quite identify.
He stepped closer, circling the base of the statue.
This object was certainly not placed here without reason. Perhaps the secret to conquering Helphen's Steeple lay hidden within it.
For the moment, however, Lucian could not discern anything unusual about the statue.
He placed his hand upon it. There was no burning reaction from his soul, proof that it truly was nothing more than a statue.
Standing before the sculpture, Aesthra tried to make out what kind of creature it depicted. Then she noticed something unexpected.
She hurriedly called out to Lucian.
"Hm?"
"Lucian, there seems to be something in its mouth."
At her reminder, Lucian looked up.
Sure enough, clenched between the beast statue's jaws was an object reflecting the glow of their spiritflame.
With a light leap, Lucian sprang onto the beast's head and stood before its open maw.
What it held was a metallic ring. The light Aesthra had seen was its surface catching the flame.
A sudden intuition struck Lucian—
This ring was the secret hidden within Helphen's Steeple.
He reached in, attempting to remove it from the statue's mouth.
But it would not budge.
For a moment, it felt as though a familiar in-game message had appeared before his eyes:
"Contraption does not move."
So brute force would not work. There must be a proper method.
This object concerned whether he could return to the Lands Between. Lucian did not dare damage it recklessly. Instead, he studied the ring carefully.
Then he realized—
Its size seemed almost identical to that of a bracelet.
He extended his hand to compare.
It would fit.
Without hesitation, Lucian slid his right hand into the beast's mouth.
Sure enough, the ring slipped neatly onto his wrist. At the same time, the statue's teeth—previously locking the ring in place, shifted slightly, as though loosening.
He began to withdraw his arm and the beast statue's jaws snapped shut instantly.
But Lucian's body was no fragile thing.
How could a mere statue compare to a physique honed through countless battles?
The stone teeth clamped down, leaving nothing more than a thin line of blood across his hand.
He pulled his arm free. The metallic ring now sat firmly around his wrist.
Looking at it, Lucian felt a sudden clarity.
This was a key.
Though not yet activated, he already understood much of its function.
Lucian snapped his fingers.
Spiritflames ignited instantly along the walls of the steeple, illuminating the surroundings with steady white light.
Seeing the sudden brightness, Aesthra extinguished the Humanity burning in her hand.
Lucian leapt down from the statue's shoulder and said to her,
"All right. I know how to conquer Helphen's Steeple now."
Aesthra looked at his confident smile and nodded.
"Then I'll leave the wayfinding to you."
Lucian led her back toward the sloped passage and pointed upward, toward a staircase suspended some distance above them.
"That's where we're headed next."
Aesthra looked at the staircase hanging overhead, then back at Lucian, puzzled.
Lucian gave a light jump.
As he approached the staircase, he immediately felt gravity shift direction.
Midair, he adjusted his posture, rotating half a turn before landing smoothly upon the steps.
Now, when he looked up, Aesthra—still standing where she had been, appeared inverted above him.
From his current position, this was the true orientation of the staircase.
Looking up at her, he said,
"I'll come get you."
Aesthra recalled the previous time she had been suddenly scooped up. Her face flushed red, and she quickly refused.
"No need. I've wandered the spirit world for quite some time. This little distance is nothing."
Since she insisted, Lucian remained where he was, watching.
Aesthra took a deep breath...
and leapt.
Her first attempt fell just short of the boundary where the two gravitational fields intersected.
Landing back where she started, she looked slightly embarrassed.
Unwilling to give up, she tried again.
This time, she successfully crossed the dividing threshold. Joy flashed across her face, but the sudden reversal of gravity caught her off guard.
She had no time to adjust her posture midair.
Headfirst, she fell straight down.
"Kyaahh—!"
Flustered and scrambling, she would have crashed, but Lucian caught her effortlessly.
He shrugged slightly and said to the girl in his arms,
"Looks like you still need more training."
After setting her down, Aesthra turned her back to him and crouched, covering her face.
'Too embarrassing!'
Her whole body trembled.
Had she known it would turn out like this, she would have simply let Lucian carry her across.
After a while, she stood up again, pretending as though nothing had happened.
Now that the steeple was fully illuminated, there was no longer any need to burn Humanity for light.
Lucian and Aesthra followed the staircase in its proper orientation and began running.
Before long, Lucian decided their pace was too slow. After a brief discussion, he lifted Aesthra onto his back.
With light restored and all obstacles previously cleared, his speed was astonishing. Only in the sections that required careful jumping did they lose a little time.
Soon enough, Lucian arrived at the final destination of this journey, with Aesthra still on his back.
Before them stood a massive stone slab.
Its surface was engraved with intricate runes, intersecting straight lines and sweeping curves forming complex sigils.
Lucian could not decipher the meaning of the runes.
But in the center of the slab was a circular recess, perfectly sized for the ring on his wrist.
What needed to be done was obvious.
He gently set Aesthra down and stepped forward.
As Lucian inserted the ring-bearing hand into the recess, the runes across the slab began to light up one by one, starting from the center.
A soft, pure white glow spread outward.
When the illumination reached its peak, the metallic ring on his wrist dissolved completely.
In its place, a pale white mark appeared around his wrist.
The mark resembled thorns, coiling in a ring.
Then, one by one, the lights upon the slab receded, flowing into the thorn-shaped mark.
When the activation ritual concluded, the full function of Helphen's Steeple surfaced in Lucian's mind.
Just as Aesthra had speculated—
Helphen's Steeple could indeed connect to the Lands Between.
Lucian glanced at her.
"Wait for me a moment."
"I promise I'll be right back."
Aesthra nodded quietly.
Lucian activated the mark.
A milky white radiance enveloped his body, and his figure gradually faded.
The next instant, Lucian stood upon a hillside in the Weeping Peninsula.
He assessed himself carefully.
His body showed no abnormalities.
His soul, however—having undergone reinforcement, felt noticeably strengthened.
Now that he had confirmed he could freely travel between the Lands Between and the spirit world, he felt at ease.
He activated the mark again, and returned to the spirit world.
When Aesthra saw him reappear, she let out a faint sigh.
Part of her wished Lucian would not involve himself in the affairs of the spirit realm.
It would be better if he left and never returned.
In the Lands Between, he is a great king—one who should be striving to become Elden Lord.
He should not have to face the dangers of this place.
Yet...
Deep in her heart, she had also hoped he would return as promised.
She wanted to stay with him. To explore together like this. To overcome hardships side by side.
Even knowing it was a selfish wish, she could not help but feel it.
Watching Lucian walk toward her, Aesthra pushed aside her wandering thoughts and smiled.
Lucian took her hand.
With his newfound control over the steeple, he led her away from it.
In his mind, the locations of several other steeples had already appeared.
But for now, he had no intention of visiting them.
First, he intended to seek out Godwyn's followers, and disrupt part of their death rituals.
—
[T/N: Shade Dash is a core ability in Hollow Knight that allows the player to dash through enemies, projectiles, and Shade Gates without taking damage. It grants invincibility frames during the dash, enabling safe traversal through dangerous areas and boss fights.]