Elden Ring: My Ending

The sorcerer's staff—something once loathsome and heretical—remained just as vile, just as heretical. But now, it felt far more familiar and appealing. To Kosta, it was repulsive and blasphemous in the best way possible; to every other heretic, it was pure horror.

Konstantin still couldn't bring himself to wear the sorcerers' robes—they got in the way. But the staff, the tool of the vilest heretics, fit in his hand as if it had always belonged there. Something long forgotten, it initially recoiled from him, but eventually, it nestled gently in his grip.

The ding that haunted the nightmares of countless Soulslike players had permanently changed sides.

Konstantin couldn't resist a challenge. Without one, using magic might have made the conquest too dull. So, as the most fearsome of heretics, a hardcore player who had embraced casuality in every roll, he decided to defeat the sorcerers with their own spells. Truthfully, it wasn't even a real challenge, but…

Let's just say he was still getting into the swing of things.

Both Sellen and Ranni had expressed a desire to see the Tarnished perform the spells of their Academy. A sort of academic curiosity the witches were eager to satisfy.

In the end, they regretted it.

When Konstantin saw glowing arcs flying toward him, he dodged and sent arcs back in return.

When sparkling stones were hurled at him, he retaliated with identical ones.

When small comets streaked his way, he remembered what a real casual "comet" looked like and sent massive bursts of energy in response, reducing the hapless Academy further into rubble.

It was a true humiliation for the sorcerers. A half-naked lunatic running across their rooftops wielded their own spells better than they did. Despair gripped the sorcerers more and more. They couldn't catch the madman; their spells seemed to pass through him. The Academy halls echoed with their panicked cries: "I hit him! I swear I hit him!"

The more Kosta visited the sorcerers, the louder and more frequent these cries became.

The Lands Between was yet to fully grasp the power of invincibility frames.

It was hardly surprising that at some point, the sorcerers of the Raya Lucaria Academy decided to put everything on the line, determined to take down the half-naked nightmare—no matter the cost.

Either they would finally acknowledge his casual superiority, bow their heads, and—whether they liked it or not—praise the Sun.

"They've unleashed the Red Wolf of Radagon and Carian Knight Moongrum," Melina muttered thoughtfully.

"The Carian Knight shouldn't pose a problem," Ranni noted quietly. "Please, don't take his life, Konstantin. He is still loyal to my mother. Make him bow instead."

Konstantin's terrifying mastery of glintstone sorcery subtly improved the way Ranni and Sellen regarded him. Sellen, in particular, was deeply intrigued. Though she was an incredibly talented sorceress, she was still "mortal" and far more willing to bow her head without any "ifs" before the skill of this mad warrior, who had proven himself a true sorcerer as well.

She would happily take a few lessons from him as a student. Sellen was greedy for knowledge, respecting those who possessed it, just as she respected those with power.

The man shrugged, having no objections to the demigoddess's words.

Ranni cared little for those who had betrayed her mother. In a way, she even found satisfaction in the terror her loyal madman inflicted upon them. Vengefulness and resentment were integral parts of the Lands Between. Those who lacked them rarely remained sane for long, let alone victorious.

After all, Ranni had seen firsthand what blind faith and love had done to her family. She couldn't afford to grow attached so easily—let alone forgive so readily.

'Though, of course, celestial dew was always an option'(1).

Sellen and Melina exchanged strange glances at Ranni. She had become more passive in recent days, her voice softer, almost drowsy.

"Is the lady unwell?" the illusion of the exiled Academy sorceress asked sweetly.

The fact that a spiritual being controlling an inanimate doll couldn't possibly fall ill made Sellen's question especially mocking.

Though she had bowed her head to the Academy head's daughter and Queen of the Full Moon, it was clear Sellen had no intention of being truly loyal. It simply wasn't in her nature.

Naturally, Ranni understood Sellen's mockery. Her spiritual form almost puffed up to chastise the brazen sorceress, but…

"Life in the form of a doll is not without its burdens(2)."

Konstantin's words made Ranni pause for a moment. She stared at the unflappable man in surprise before giving him a restrained nod.

For some reason, she didn't feel more vulnerable knowing her new servant was aware of her weakness—not critical but significant enough to weigh on her existence.

"I will soon enter a slumber. It will be some time before I awaken again."

Melina narrowed her eyes, the warrior spirit in her single visible eye igniting. Or perhaps it was the hidden flame within her—it was hard to say.

"I will take care of everything."

The lunar demigoddess and the false Finger Maiden exchanged a glance, then nodded briefly in unison. In this harsh world, where suspicious women increasingly surrounded their Tarnished, they could only trust each other.

All their past conflicts seemed meaningless as more dubious women continued to flock to their Tarnished. One of them, by the way, was currently sitting nearby in an illusory form, casting very suspicious looks at Konstantin!

Melina couldn't believe Ranni had made such a grave mistake by involving this sorceress in their shared cause!

Kosta, having leveled up his perception, somehow managed to sense the strange atmosphere with the back of his head, but he chose to ignore it.

He figured the social aspect could wait until closer to the endgame. There were plenty of things to do, particularly issues with his waifus.

There was nothing worse than a tragic ending steeped in sorrow and emptiness. Well, except not understanding what the hell had just happened. On the other hand, confusion was an integral part of the gameplay.

The man kept leaving and returning to the Academy for a simple reason: his casual energy would run out. It took noticeably longer to recover than his physical body, and even a Site of Grace couldn't restore it instantly. His body only required attention to stamina levels, while magic simply ran out and needed time to regenerate.

His latest visit to the Academy greeted him not only with the gothic and somber architecture—partially destroyed by a half-naked madman armed with bombs and annihilating spells—but also with silence. An oppressive silence.

The previously cacophonous Academy, filled with the malicious chiming of spells, now stood empty.

"They wouldn't have gone far. They're watching us," remarked the diminutive projection of Sellen.

Konstantin paid no mind to her comment, sinking deep into his thoughts.

The emptiness of the Academy weighed heavily on Kosta, evoking the memory of the endgame: when he sat alone on the king's throne after the standard ending, realizing that he had left behind almost nothing and no one. It felt as though he was walking again through the destroyed capital, trudging toward the inevitable end…

And again. And again. And again. The endgame—a masterpiece of despair and magnificence.

The Tarnished strode forward, heading toward the queen's palace. Thanks to spoilers from his waifus, he already knew what to expect. And he was not disappointed.

Truth be told, Kosta had somewhat over-leveled for this area. The open-world design had allowed him to farm more safely in simpler zones and complete side quests (while, of course, not forgetting to farm). As a result, progress became markedly easy. Coupled with the mechanics of this world, which didn't care about assigning specific enemies to specific areas but operated solely based on their strength, this meant one thing:

Kosta simply couldn't not over-level.

So, when he saw Radagon's giant red wolf being petted by a knight in armor—the last line of defense for the queen—Konstantin felt an unexpected thrill.

He had grown tired of simply walking around and obliterating everything in his path. While he had embraced and enjoyed casualness, now he longed for a challenge.

"My name is Moongrum, one of the last loyal knights of the Carian House. Have you come for the Great Rune?"

The knight's unexpected attempt at conversation caught Konstantin slightly off guard. Sellen's projection, anticipating a battle, quickly leaped off Kosta's shoulder, hiding discreetly nearby. She'd learned her lesson from previous encounters: staying on the Tarnished during one of his somersaults led to dizziness and nausea—not an experience she wished to repeat.

"Konstantin. Or just Kosta. I don't really need the Rune."

The knight, still stroking the affectionate giant red wolf, raised an intrigued eyebrow beneath his helmet.

"Then why are you here?"

"Advancing quests," the man shrugged. "There's an important ring lying around here."

Both Melina and Ranni watched the exchange intently. The false Finger Maiden furrowed her brow thoughtfully.

"A ring? Do you know what ring he's talking about?"

Melina turned to the frozen demigoddess.

"I'm not sure."

And indeed, Ranni's tone betrayed her uncertainty. It was clear she was unsure of her assumptions.

"I've been awake too long lately…" she muttered softly, her words barely reaching Melina's ears.

"Madman," Moongrum chuckled, his voice lacking malice. "You must have driven the sorcerers mad with all the blood you've spilled. They've granted us temporary freedom, hiding in their dens and watching, awaiting the battle's outcome. How pitiful. We owe you thanks."

The red wolf let out a disgruntled huff, starting to growl softly. Clearly, it was barely restraining itself from attacking Konstantin right then and there.

Kosta scratched his head in confusion.

"Why don't you just leave?"

Now it was Moongrum's turn to scratch… his helmet.

"Loyalty to the Carian house, Tarnished soul. Few Carian knights remain, but we are still here. Does that surprise you?"

Konstantin hadn't expected this depth of lore.

Oh, right. There wasn't actually any depth—unless there was some random trinket lying around, crammed with two sentences of profound exposition that would later fuel three- or four-hour analysis videos. (3)

"Got it."

Assessing the gravity of the situation, Konstantin bowed deeply with all the respect he could muster, startling both the knight and the wolf. They were even more taken aback when...

The sorcerer's staff disappeared from the Tarnished's hand, replaced by a full set of heavy armor. In his left hand appeared a shield; in his right, a club. A brand-new club.

Melina barely restrained herself from squealing in delight.

Her champion had dressed for battle on his own! No one had forced him or dressed him against his will! He looked so amazing!!!

…Well, the club somewhat ruined the noble warrior image, but…

The armor made everything else irrelevant!

This silent gesture marked the start of the fight.

The giant red wolf howled, conjuring a massive scarlet blade of energy in its maw as glowing blue swords formed in the air behind it.

Moongrum charged at Konstantin, with the wolf leaping after him and the blue blades streaking through the air.

The Tarnished was entirely unfazed by their combined assault. He was, to put it mildly, accustomed to duo bosses.

What followed unfolded as if choreographed to perfection.

Konstantin deflected Lunogrum's thrust with his shield, landing a club strike to the knight's face so forceful that he likely saw stars more closely than the most skilled astrologers.

Then came the flying blades.

Dodge roll.

The fiery blade swept twice in horizontal arcs.

Dodge roll, dodge roll.

The wolf snapped its jaws.

Dodge roll.

Strike!

Despite the weight of his equipment, Konstantin's rolls were as light and effortless as if he wore nothing at all. True Soulslike players knew clothing only got in the way, but proper stat investment allowed for optimal rolling even in heavy armor.

After a series of rolls, another club strike followed.

The wolf yelped as the inhumanly powerful blow struck its snout, leaping away to conjure another set of flying blades mid-air. Meanwhile, the recovering knight made another attempt to flank the skilled madman.

Unfortunately, not even the Waterfowl Dance had been able to stop Konstantin's rolls back in the day, so what hope did this pitiable chain of combined attacks have?

Perfection. That was the only way to describe the Tarnished's movements. No mistakes, no misses, no hesitation—let alone fear. It was as if he danced through every attack, every flying dagger. Around them, destruction mounted: daggers clipped buildings, toppling them; the wolf's enormous leaps created craters; and soon, the fiery red blade's swings set the ground ablaze.

Konstantin seemed oblivious to the burning ground beneath him. He had entered the flow state of rolling and sporadic strikes, and he had no intention of leaving it until the very end.

Let the world crumble—it wouldn't shake the focus of a man counting each and every strike. This was a skill every seasoned tryhard possessed.

And it bore fruit.

Another blow to the wolf's face proved to be the last. Staggering, the red wolf—already seeing double images of the Tarnished in its blurry vision—collapsed, unable to maintain control. While Radagon's wolf wasn't dead, it was certainly out of commission for a while.

Now it was the knight's turn. Though, as it turned out, he had one last thing up his sleeve.

"I haven't participated in such a battle in a long time, Tarnished!" Moongrum exclaimed. "You are a true warrior. I'm proud to have faced you!"

Kosta shrugged.

He, too, was pleasantly surprised. Finally, something had managed to truly challenge him. A single mistake could have been fatal despite his body's overwhelming strength, and that thought was somewhat thrilling.

But this wasn't the end.

Moongrum removed his helmet and tossed aside his shield, gripping his sword with both hands. The knight's weapon radiated blue, casual energy, growing two or three times its normal size. Normally, this sight would terrify foes, particularly sorcerers used to maintaining their distance from knights. But this wasn't a typical case.

Konstantin, with frosty composure, stashed his shield away in some manner known only to him and gripped his club.

The club began to radiate the Sun's light, similarly growing in size. The golden glow was far more intense and blinding than the knight's energy.

Moongrum let out a warrior's roar, raising his blade high.

"I'm a casual too," Kosta said firmly.

And with that, he answered the blow with his radiant club.

Flash! Explosion!

The strike was so powerful that the shockwave kicked up dust all around them. Time itself seemed to freeze for a long, unnerving moment in the Lands Between.

Though not for the victor.

Konstantin remained standing, gazing impassively at the kneeling knight. Moongrum's sword lay off to the side—the battle's outcome was clear.

The Tarnished's armor disappeared, leaving him clad in his familiar loincloth. Somewhere in the distance, a tired groan could be heard. Let's call it the wind.

"You've won, Tarnished. Finish it."

The defeated Carian knight's voice was quiet, tinged with despair.

The queen's situation was already humiliating. What would it become after the madman reached her? Would she even survive? What could possibly be on this Tarnished's mind?

And why in the name of the Greater Will had he stripped down?!

At least one small comfort remained for Moongrum—the astrologers had entirely lost the will to fight back. At least someone, for the first time in a long while, had shown them they weren't as safe as they'd believed.

Though the cost of this lesson had been fatal for many. What did it matter that death didn't exist in this world when they lost their minds all the same?

Konstantin stood silently over the defeated mini-boss for a while, then turned and walked toward the palace. The knight stayed still, his surprised gaze following the Tarnished's departure.

For a moment, Kosta paused, staring thoughtfully at the massive staircase leading to the palace.

"They don't, like, roll a giant ball down this staircase, do they?" (4)

Moongrum gaped, slack-jawed.

"Uhh… I don't think so…"

"Great."

Kosta visibly relaxed, as if a giant ball could somehow pose a greater threat than a boss-and-mini-boss duo.

The Carian knight watched the Tarnished until he disappeared entirely. Then, a diminutive Sellen approached, drawing Moongrum's attention.

By now, it seemed nothing could surprise him. The exiled sorceress smiled knowingly.

"First time?"

The final obstacles to the queen were officially cleared. However, one unresolved matter lingered—Konstantin chose not to think about it.

The lunar demigoddess's reaction to the mention of the ring.

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(1) Celestial Dew allows players to carry out an Absolution at the Church of Vows, reversing all antagonizations.

(2) After giving the player the task, Ranni goes to sleep, citing an inconvenient form of existence.

(3) In the vast majority of cases, the lore of the game is presented through item descriptions. Usually short and vague, they give sparse and unclear bits of information. Relying on a bare few sentences from those descriptions and copious amounts of guessing, the lore experts try their best to build out the history of the Lands Between. On one hand, such vague and unclear basis gives a huge scope for theories, on the other hand, it forces unfortunate lore experts to build an entire house on a bare foundation.

(4) On the way to the queen, the player will have to climb the stairs, from which at some point a huge stone ball begins to roll towards them, ready to smash them to bits