"Hm?"
Lucian blinked, still lingering in the strange warmth that had just enveloped him.
"I… just touched a Grace" he murmured aloud.
It was then that he realized sothing was off.
He didn't even fully trust Hakkan yet—so why had he reached out to the Grace without hesitation, completely ignoring the potential threat at his side? It was as if sothing had pulled him in, bypassing his rational mind entirely. An invisible force, compelling and serene.
Like a moth drawn to fla.
No wonder, he thought, that back in his past life, so players had co up with conspiracy theories about the Erdtree's influence—its light was simply too... alluring.
Hakkan's eyes widened.
"You can still see Grace?"
"Yeah… I think that's what it was."
Seeing no point in hiding it, Lucian confessed honestly.
"You really aren't an ordinary Tarnished," Hakkan said slowly.
Lucian shrugged. "I don't feel particularly special."
"No," Hakan shook his head, his tone suddenly serious. "You've just returned to the Lands Between, so you wouldn't know… Being able to see Grace in this age is nearly unheard of."
He stepped forward.
"Most Tarnished lost the blessing when they were cast out of the Lands Between. Their ties to the Grace were severed."
"To see it now ans you're sothing else. Every Tarnished who still sees the path of Grace is soone marked for greatness. A hero, at the very least."
"If Godrick the Grafted finds out about you… he'll send troops to have you killed before you can even draw breath."
Hakkan's words poured out like a flood, intense and breathless. Lucian blinked. He hadn't expected the normally composed warrior to react like this.
"Really? Well, if it cos to that, I'm good at running," Lucian replied with a grin.
"Phew— Lucian, I…" Hakkan began, then stopped himself. "No… forget it."
Lucian frowned. "You're being cryptic again."
"It's nothing," Hakkan said, but his tone had shifted. Firr, resolute. "I just wanted to say—I'm glad I t soone like you."
There was a pause.
"Let's keep moving. We need to get back to the surface. I'll get you there, no matter what."
Lucian stared at him, baffled. Hakkan's entire deanor had changed since discovering he could see Grace—suddenly respectful, almost reverent.
"…Right. Shall we rest for a bit first?" he asked.
"No need. I feel like I could take on a dragon right now," Hakkan said energetically as he slung the massive curved blade over his shoulder and resud scouting ahead.
Lucian followed, muttering under his breath, "I don't get this guy."
The two continued on through narrow passageways cluttered with ancient coffins and clay urns, until they ca across a strange sight—a skeletal corpse slumped against a wall, its limbs marked with dark red brands, like the charred remains of firewood.
Hakkan knelt down and searched the body carefully. From it, he retrieved two items: a Tarnished's Furled Finger and a Duelist's Furled Finger—cooperative and competitive multiplayer items from his previous life as a player.
He handed both items to Lucian without hesitation.
Lucian took them, unsure if they still had any function in this world or if the chanics of his past life still held aning here. Regardless, collecting them felt like the right thing to do.
They moved on.
Within minutes, they arrived at a massive circular chamber. Faint candlelight flickered in scattered pools across the room, illuminating its details.
A towering dod ceiling stretched overhead. The hall was in disarray, filled with broken furniture and half-buried relics. At the center stood six thick stone pillars, arranged in a circle on a wide, engraved platform. The pillars were connected at the top, forming sothing like a pavilion, and each one bore a single burning candle.
Lucian stepped forward, passing Hakkan, and examined the floor beneath the structure. Rings of intricate design encircled a raised disc at its center, each pattern woven with roots—roots shaped like those of the Erdtree.
He recognized it imdiately.
A lift. Just like in the ga.
"We've found a way out," he said, turning back to Hakkan.
The warrior nodded, stepping forward. "Do I need to do anything?"
"Just bring your companions and stand in the circle," Lucian replied.
With complete trust now, Hakkan obeyed. He ushered his warhorse and white wolf into the center, while Lucian walked to the core and stepped down hard on the chanism.
A deep rumble echoed through the room as ancient gears screeched back to life after untold centuries. The platform beneath them began to rise, slowly lifting them toward the surface.
Neither Hakkan nor his beasts had ever experienced such a contraption. The wolf whined and flattened itself to the ground, claws digging in nervously. The warhorse fared no better, its hooves bracing tightly as it snorted in alarm.
Even Hakkan, despite his stoic face, had a visible tremble in his legs.
The lift continued to rise, slowly spinning as it ascended.
When they finally reached the upper level, a staircase unfolded before them, leading to a heavy door.
"I never imagined sothing like this existed" Hakkan muttered, pale-faced. The white wolf gave a soft howl, almost in agreent.
Lucian chuckled. "It's fun, isn't it? What's there to be afraid of?"
Hakkan flushed, defensive. "I wasn't afraid!"
With a smirk, Lucian didn't argue. He simply turned and made his way up the steps.
There weren't many. Before long, they stood before a massive stone door.
Lucian took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gripped the bottom edge. With a grunt, he pushed upward.
A blinding shaft of golden light pierced through the gap, forcing him to squint—but he didn't stop. With one final push, the door lifted fully open.
As his eyes adjusted, the world ca into view—and it took his breath away.
The Erdtree stood before him.
A towering colossus of golden brilliance, it reached from the earth to the heavens, its massive limbs blotting out half the sky, its light pouring endlessly onto the land below.
Far in the distance, other massive structures pierced the sky—pillars rising into the clouds, so close enough to feel oppressive, others little more than shadows in the mist.
To the north, atop a cliff wrapped in howling winds, a fortress lood—a cold and ancient stronghold that watched over the land like a slumbering beast.
Below, the shattered remains of cities and ruins littered the ground, silent witnesses to glories long lost.
This was the Lands Between.
Forged in blood and fire.
And it was Lucian's battlefield now.
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