C47: New Toys
once again, I inform you that the official artist for this work is Sara Mark. Instagram is sara_mark767. if you liked her art then you can likely reach out to her for your own reasonable art commissions.
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[Evolve Level 11 (hollow) Visceral attack?]
"Wait what, how did it get to level 11?" I look through my notifications again and I realize that with Soul Slayer leveling up, I got an extra level in Visceral attack which helped it surpass the cap.
"Yes"
[As Visceral attack has gone above the standard level cap would you like to convert the experience for after evolution or have the experience act as fuel for a higher class modifier?] The system introduces a completely new concept to me.
"Sooooo, what you're telling me is that I've only been getting basic modifiers thus far?"
[There is a listing of possible modifiers that any skill can have and those that are specific to certain skills. Your luck has been balanced thus far. Achieving Hollow with visceral attack but Junkie with Physical Pain Resistance.] The system responds once more with a thorough explanation and even examples based on my own few evolved skills.
"So you do recognize that it's a dumb of ass modifier." I lampoon towards the system until I realize something a minute later.
"This is just GACHA!" I fall to my knees, palms on the floor as true horror envelopes me. "Even in bloodborne im not safe from it" I nearly cry but then casually re-enter my regular apathetic state as I get up and brush the dust and dirt off my hands and clothes.
"Is there a level limit or other benefits from raising the skill to higher levels?" I ask one last question before I make my decision.
[At level 15, it becomes guaranteed for a 'rare' modifier with better chances for higher grades as well. At level 20, this guarantee is delivered for 'epic' and 30 for 'legendary'. Skill specific modifiers appear at epic grade like the Hollow of Visceral Attack.]
"Hmmm, alright. I've made my decision. Evolve the skill by fusing the extra level into the modifier"
[Processing]
I feel a tide of energy flow through me and focus primarily on my hands and head. I can't see my own head so im not sure if it's the same there but patterns begin to grow along the front of my hand starting from my palm and going to the pit of my elbow.
It has a norse runic impression but since that is the only thing I can possibly relate it to even though it's only from other games like God of War which means it might not even be accurate.
[Skill evolution completed. Congrats on obtaining an epic modifier: {Tremor}. New skill name {Hollow--Tremor} Visceral Attack level 1]
"99% of people quit before they hit it big. I assume I've used up all my saved up luck with that one so im gonna go fight a certain big bitch now and get curb stomped" I speak the old gambling locution[1] before activating the lamp in the boss arena and opening the giant doors that lead to Old Yharnam. I could check up on my beast bud and brother but I have more pressing matters to attend to and thus return to the dream.
I greet the Doll and try to turn my echoes into power by empowering my physique. It's currently at level 2 and I find out that for one point, I can use 30k for one level in Vitality and Skill. 25k for Strength and Arcane. 20k for Bloodtinge and endurance and it only rises in price by 2.5k every level. The growth is insane but it's still currently cheaper than getting actual levels since these growths are exclusive to the specific stats rather than overall.
I first paid 42.5k each for bloodtinge and endurance. Letting them rise to 26 points as well like Strength and Arcane before spending the 52.5k for all 4 and raise them to 28 points like vitality and skill. Then with this, I spend 62.5 for all 6 stats to make them all an even 30.
"Ugh" I tremble all over as I feel my flesh wiggling all over as my physique levels up but since im not done yet, I don't pay much attention until I get a warning.
[error: Nox-Hunter Physique imbalance detected. Please fix this error unless Host wishes to blow up in 1 hour. Vitality and Skill must remain 6 points above bloodtinge and Endurance]
"Oh ho, Interesting" Up to this point, I've spent 670k on 24 levels which would have given me less than 10 levels if I did it normally. I still have 2.9m left but in this brief time I feel a great pain which I hurriedly direct the doll to push for the 6 point increase in both those stats.
It's another 841k down to increase the two stats to keep a social distance of 6 ft between them and endurance and arcane. Im left with just a bit more than 2m echoes and it's costing 76k for any more subsequent levels in these two stats.
The squirming and shaking of my body was quite painful and with my essentially vibrating on the spot, it kept disrupting the dolls work which extended my misery for quite a while but at least my pain resistance skill finally got some work.
[Physical Pain Resistance has leveled up twice. Level 3->level 5] This certainly helped me to withstand the trembling better to finally allow the changes to flow through and 'fix' me.
Heaving a sigh of relief and thanking the Doll for her hard work. I return to my menu to think more.
Though this has been a valuable exploration of stats as I realize what two stats are considered 'bottoms' and the two that are considered tops. Which means I can do whatever I want with Strength and Bloodtinge.
For now, I will increase both by four points and I don't feel 'wrong' or unstable like before. I tentatively increase by one more point and still nothing. I then allow it to reach 36 points just like Vitality and Skill and still nothing other than the usual comfort.
Since this is another 841k, I stop for now as im left with only 1.22m echoes. I rest for now and look through the system messages.
[Nox-Hunter Physique has stabilized. Nox-Hunter has reached physical perfection, the Golden Ratio. +2 to weapon damage that scales with both strength and skill. Maintain this balance to retain bonus]
'Holy shit. My saw cleaver is essentially a +8 now thanks to this. Same with my Tontritus and hunters axe. Oh my Goly-gee-oh-gilicers. My personal axe which I don't want to touch is technically +12 because of this buff.'
I eye my axe in the inventory but im still not sure im ready for whatever would happen should I touch it. For now ill finish up matters here by using up the rest of my echoes on something from the system store that i've been eyeing up but didn't feel it was worth it before.
[Echoing Shatter strike: 1m. By sacrificing stamina on hit, it creates a replica of that attack in the same spot up to a limit of 10 times via a mirage of the user.] hmm, it gives a similar impression as the weapon clone rune I got from an achievement long ago but didn't really bother to use.
I buy it, leaving me with just 220k and then I teleport to Oedon chapel. I greet everyone there, Gilbert looks better and Iosefka somehow got some tools set up from the previous astrology items in the lower sanctuary. She set up in the chapel itself across from granny. The nun I rescued is there next to Iosefka, seemingly chatting away with her to the point that the doctor seems a bit fed up with her. I overheard a bit of their conversation and will help them resolve it once I finish my work.
For now, I head outside where I stun a church servant and visceral him. I immediately grab at the soul and find practically no resistance this time around as upon contact, the soul itself is trembling causing a look of anguish on its owners face before I tear it out and shatter it.
"Damn that was easy. I guess the tremor works the same as what I was doing against bosses but to everyone? Some sort of disstabilizing vibration like those weapons in the dc and marvel universes that cut through molecules or something but for souls." I
[+1 soul shattered requirements]
[Target has had his soul shattered and thus shall not return ever again. Original echoes 343. T1 Heir Rune, t1 Moon rune, level 8 harvest. Final result 396,541 echoes.]
"Nice" I say as I realize that I can probably fulfill my word to my brother by purging all the beasts in old Yharnam but I still have a few more things I want to do.
With the next servant, I try out the new skill and the old one for good measure. I set up one weapon echo before activating the shatter strike since it seems I can not set up how many of the strikes it would be.
The result is awe-inspiring as I slash my saw cleaver across the chest of the servant where I see a dot in the center and that begins to pulse as I see the enemy's health just chip away as if I had struck it time after time until it died. Yet then the weapon echo follows up, gives a similar cut and then it pulses.
[Achievement acquired: Blood Sport-cause an target to explode in a rain of blood for any reason. Reward: Epic blood Rune]
"Holy shit" I curse as blood splatters all over my body and surroundings as I learn the hard way that it is possible to make an enemy explode if you hit it enough after dying. The downside is I am out of stamina, completely.
With one weapon echo, I am able to get off around 4 shatter strikes and the weapon echo also does the shattering echo too. I guess there was synergy in the fact that they both have the title of echo in their names.
I go about and explore the limits of the two skills and their synergy. The end results speak for themselves as I am absolutely dry due to learning that three weapon echoes combined with 3 shatter echoes ensures I have the optimal amount of stamina to dash out of the way of the encroaching blood rain that I've grown slowly used to.
"Now let's see this runestone" I take out the new rune I got from the achievement. Hadn't gotten anything new since I beat the alternate priestess in Cathedral Ward and merged my runes and skills long ago.
[Blood Blade Rune: Coat your weapon in your blood to apply bleed to all strikes for 30 seconds. ] I raise an eyebrow in response to the text as I realize that it does not use stamina unlike so many other skills but actually requires me to cover the weapon in my blood by cutting myself.
It doesnt really fit my style and with the Caryll rune debuff on me. It's very much possible that I just die when I try this. So might as well experiment.
[Runic mage II requirements: 4/6 now]
"Oh right, sure" I wave the message away and approach my next target which is one of the church giant. Cutting the palm of my hand on my cleaver, I smear the blood on it's multiple blades before I feel the skill activate and I stop to let my wound heal before I rush forward and cut away at the giants leg a few times before it just explodes in a rain of blood without me making him explode from over damage.
"Oh it's like a bleed proc from dark souls. That's cool." I then experiment a bit more with my new skills but feel there is not much I can actually test out as they are not nearly bulky enough to survive long enough from my attacks. One thing I was able to verify is that the bleed status does work with the weapon echo which means it might also the shatter strike echo.
If that is indeed the case then a single strike from me should be enough to make my enemies explode into blood which certainly gives me far more confidence.
I return to the chapel and then teleport over to Central Yharnam where im finally ready to do it. Im gonna slay the Cleric Beast.
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Word Count = 2238
[1] Locution is a synonym for Idiom.
ive transfered the rest of the info here into the author notes for all your sakes and keep the reading experience ...pure (i got annoyed at a TL doing an entire 50 page paper in the authors note which kept breaking my own train of thought.)