Theodore stepped inside Castle Dimitrescu.
He looked around the opulent foyer, noticing the shimmering chandeliers, priceless antique furniture, and polished marble floors.
Everything screamed expensive.
In the game, he was only allowed to pick up items the developers designated, but this was real.
He could take everything and sell it all to Duke.
"Alright, Ethan, come and help me loot this place clean,"
Theodore ordered, pulling a small silver candlestick off a side table.
Ethan stopped abruptly, his anxiety spiking.
"What about my daughter? Didn't you just say she was in danger? We need to go faster!"
He wanted to save Rose as quickly as humanly possible.
"Do you think I'm invincible?"
Theodore shot back, holding up the candlestick.
"You and I need to upgrade our weapons and gear first. And to do that, we need money. Lots of it."
It sounded like a reasonable explanation, even if Theodore was secretly thrilled to finally be able to grab the untouchable high-value loot.
Hearing the practical reason, Ethan's tension eased.
He began to help Theodore, working with surprising efficiency.
Theodore was impressed when Ethan instinctively started combining items—like fitting loose gems into jewelry sockets—to maximize their resale value.
What a pro!
Theodore did the killing, using his skills to dispatch enemies with minimal effort, while Ethan focused on the looting and organization.
Their dynamic was perfect.
Their smooth operation was interrupted when Bela, the eldest of Alcina Dimitrescu's daughters, phased through a wall of buzzing insects and materialized before them.
Ethan shot her with his gun but it did nothing to her.
"She's weak against cold. I'll deal with her. You go first,"
Theodore said, his eyes glittering with manic excitement.
He ran a fingertip across his bottom lip.
Ethan felt a strong wave of discomfort.
He didn't know what Theodore was planning to do with the scary woman, and a strong inner voice warned him:
'Something tells me I shouldn't ask... I can't imagine him losing to anyone.'
Trusting his bizarre ally, Ethan ran as instructed.
Theodore smirked at Bela.
"Well, well, well, let's enjoy our time!"
Bela shrieked, enraged that this tiny, inferior human dared to look at her with such confidence.
"You will pay for your insolence!"
She attacked, but Theodore was too fast and too cunning for her.
He dodged, weaved, and slowly, surely, led her into a waiting trap. With a sudden movement, he pulled out a thick, clay jar and threw it.
It was a Hefty Freezing Pot, an item he had grinded and kept from his time in the world of Elden Ring.
Theodore could retain all of his belongings from every game world he conquered.
The only unfortunate thing was that his level didn't rise as quickly as his collection of magical items did.
The jar shattered, and Bela was instantly encased in a thick layer of ice, frozen solid.
The ice would melt quickly, but Theodore knew exactly what to do.
"Alright, let's cure her of her parasite,"
He said, pulling out a glowing, golden flask.
This was the Blessing of Marika, another artifact from the Elden Ring.
This potent potion could heal her body, destroy the fungal Megamycete parasite controlling her, and hopefully return her to the woman she was before the terrible experiments began.