Chapter 22: The Invasion Gambit
Liurnia's wetlands shimmered under skies painted red as arterial bleeding, the color seeping from clouds that moved with purpose that suggested divine intervention rather than meteorological phenomenon. Gara prepared for invasion encounters with methodical precision, checking equipment that had carried him through one hundred nineteen previous deaths.
But Nepheli's presence reminded him that preparation had limits when facing opponents designed specifically for killing Tarnished.
"You're walking into PvP with a hundred deaths as handicap," she pointed out, her voice carrying pragmatic assessment rather than emotional appeal. "Your base stats are crippled compared to what they should be for your level. You need backup."
"The invasions are supposed to be solo encounters," Gara protested weakly. "Traditional format, honor duels between warriors seeking to prove—"
"Honor is luxury people with infinite lives can afford. Smart tactics trump tradition when consequences are permanent for one side and educational for the other."
She was right, of course. His accumulated stat losses had crippled his potential below what normal Tarnished possessed at equivalent rune levels. But his powers compensated—resurrection provided unlimited attempts, stat manipulation allowed tactical adaptation, rune absorption ensured growth through victory.
The question was whether compensation would suffice against opponents who specialized in killing people exactly like him.
Gara activated the Festering Bloody Finger, expecting the familiar sensation of dimensional transition that marked successful invasion. Instead, the world turned crimson around him, reality bleeding at the edges while ethereal voice proclaimed his mistake with malicious enthusiasm:
"Bloody Finger Okina has invaded!"
"They're coming to me. The Finger tracks its holders, calls hunters to my location rather than sending me to theirs."
The realization crystallized as figures materialized from dimensional space—professional killers armed with weapons that gleamed with enhancement only blood magic could provide. Okina stepped from shadows like nightmare given form, twin katanas reflecting light that came from sources other than normal illumination.
"The Deathless Lamb," Okina said, his voice carrying harmonics that made Gara's bones vibrate with recognition. "Mohg has spoken of you in blood-dreams. The Tarnished who treats death as education rather than consequence."
Combat was joined before negotiations could complicate tactical clarity.
Okina moved with fluid grace that spoke to centuries of practice, his dual-wielding style creating patterns that defied conventional defense. Each katana traced independent arcs while working in harmony with its partner, creating attack sequences that required superhuman reflexes to avoid and inhuman precision to counter.
Bleed procs shredded through Gara's enhanced Constitution like it was paper, each successful strike opening wounds that deepened with supernatural persistence. His health dropped in chunks that spoke to status effects designed specifically for extended torture rather than quick execution.
Death #120: Bloody Finger Okina. Hemorrhage. 6/10 - educational but humiliating.
He respawned at nearby Grace with perfect knowledge of what he'd faced and equally perfect understanding of how inadequate his current capabilities were against opponents who specialized in anti-Tarnished combat. But knowledge was power, and power could be leveraged through creative application of resurrection mechanics.
The second attempt lasted longer through applied statistical superiority. Gara shifted all available points into Vigor, turning his body into tank optimized for absorbing punishment rather than dealing damage. The strategy bought him three additional seconds of survival before Okina's coordination broke through enhanced defenses.
Death #121: Bloody Finger Okina. Dual-sword combination. Marginally better performance.
Nepheli joined the third attempt with enthusiasm that spoke to professional frustration with watching fights she couldn't participate in directly. Together, their coordination proved superior to individual excellence—her axes complementing his tactical adaptations, their combined strength finally bringing down opponent designed to kill Tarnished operating alone.
"That's one," Gara panted as Okina dissolved into runes that tasted of professional satisfaction. "This was supposed to be easier."
But Okina's final words before dissolution painted picture of situation more complex than simple invasion mechanics: "You're the one. The Deathless Lamb. Mohg has seen you in the blood-dreams, dying and returning, dying and returning. He wants to know if your blood is truly infinite."
The implications iced Gara's spine with clarity that transcended normal fear. His exploit wasn't clever—it was bait. Mohg didn't want servants who could kill effectively; he wanted resources that could be harvested repeatedly without depletion. Someone whose blood regenerated infinitely, whose death could be studied systematically, whose resurrection could be weaponized for purposes that normal mortality couldn't sustain.
"We leave. Now." Nepheli's command carried authority that brooked no negotiation. "This isn't recruitment—it's specimen collection."
But two more invasion signs ignited across the wetlands before retreat became viable option. Reality bled crimson as dimensional barriers weakened, allowing additional hunters to manifest from whatever realm housed Mohg's professional staff.
The second wave approached with coordination that spoke to tactical training rather than individual prowess. One sorcerer maintaining distance while unleashing spells that turned landscape into hazardous terrain. One greatshield tank advancing behind protection that could deflect siege weapons, closing distance while his partner softened defenses through magical attrition.
"They're designed to kill Tarnished. Specifically, exclusively designed to counter everything that makes us dangerous."
Deaths #122-125 taught Gara the futility of conventional approaches against opponents who'd spent centuries perfecting anti-Tarnished tactics. Each resurrection brought new understanding of their capabilities, new appreciation for why Mohg's servants were feared across multiple realms.
But on death #125, desperation inspired innovation.
As the sorcerer's spell consumed him in flames that burned soul as well as flesh, Gara shifted all stats into magical resistance while dying. The redistribution completed as consciousness faded, his respawn occurring behind enemy lines with perfect positioning and perfect opportunity for devastating surprise attack.
He materialized directly behind the sorcerer, stats already flowing from magical defense to maximum Strength, mace "Trusty Stapler" descending with force that rewrote local physics. The kill was instant, absolute, completely unfair in ways that made exploitation feel like legitimate tactical innovation.
"Resurrection as teleportation. Death as positioning tool. It works once—they'll adapt for next time."
The tank fell to coordinated assault from Gara and Nepheli, their teamwork overcoming individual excellence through applied persistence and creative interpretation of engagement rules.
Three invasion requirements met through defense rather than offense. Three demonstrations of capability that satisfied letter of Varré's demands while violating spirit through systematic subversion.
Returning to Rose Church felt like walking into judgment disguised as celebration. Varré waited with applause that carried notes of satisfaction rather than surprise, his approval suggesting everything had proceeded according to plans Gara hadn't been informed about.
"You survived," Varré observed, his voice carrying harmonics that made the blood-red roses seem to pulse in rhythm with his words. "Most don't. The Pureblood Knight's Medal is yours."
He produced an item that radiated power beyond normal enchantment—the key to Mohgwyn Palace, access to Lord Mohg's domain and all the resources it contained. But his presentation carried warnings disguised as courtesy.
"My lord awaits your arrival. Eventually. When you're strong enough to matter as more than blood bag, when your capabilities exceed your curiosity about what lies beneath his domain."
The threat was elegant, practical, absolutely clear in its implications: enter too early, become experimental material rather than honored guest. Wait until strength matched ambition, or discover that immortality had limitations that weren't immediately apparent.
Gara pocketed the medal with gratitude that felt increasingly hollow. Access achieved through systematic exploitation of resurrection mechanics, power gained through creative interpretation of requirements that had been designed as tests of commitment rather than cleverness.
But as they departed Rose Church, one truth crystallized with uncomfortable clarity: he'd gotten exactly what he'd wanted, exactly as he'd planned to get it. The question was whether achieving goals through systematic subversion was wisdom or just elaborate preparation for becoming someone else's resource.
Famous last words: "Planning to never use it."
But planning and necessity were different currencies, and necessity had ways of making impossible choices feel inevitable.
The wetlands stretched ahead, promising fresh challenges that would test whether his accumulated power was sufficient for threats that couldn't be subverted through creative interpretation.
Either way, there was only one direction left: forward, toward whatever education awaited in the blood ahead.
Author's Note / Promotion:
Your Reviews and Power Stones are the best way to show support. They help me know what you're enjoying and bring in new readers!
Can't wait for the next chapter of [ Elden Ring: The Player's Curse ]?
You don't have to. Get instant access to more content by supporting me on Patreon. I have three options so you can pick how far ahead you want to be:
🪙 Silver Tier ($6): Read 10 chapters ahead of the public site.
👑 Gold Tier ($9): Get 15-20 chapters ahead of the public site.
💎 Platinum Tier ($15): The ultimate experience. Get new chapters the second I finish them (20+ chapters ahead!). No waiting for weekly drops, just pure, instant access.
Your support helps me write more .
👉 Find it all at patreon.com/fanficwriter1