Elden Ring: My Ending

They initially had no intention of staying in the Castle for long. The plan was to return with the priest to help his waifu, but the situation had taken an unexpected turn.

Konstantin was somewhat disheartened that he couldn't yet help Irina with her eyes. The fact that her eyes were physically healthy pointed to a different nature of blindness—casual one. The man had tried to help her himself but didn't push too far, openly afraid of doing harm. Konstantin felt that he could heal and remove such effects from himself, but others?

Let's just say that Kosta wasn't a fan of going online. So he simply didn't know how to help others.

He knew an ultimate casual skill that could potentially help Irina, but for now, he couldn't use it. All that was left was to wait.

And farm.

It didn't need to be said how happy Irina was to receive so much care from the Tarnished. Even if he couldn't restore her sight yet, the sheer fact of all the help he had provided made her heart beat faster.

As for the ring he had given her, imbued with a fragment of warmth from a waifu enthusiast…

It was more valuable than any other, even the most expensive of adornments.

"I will await your return, Konstantin of the Tarnished."

Edgar coughed into his fist, seeing how broadly his daughter was smiling, clutching the ring in her hands. Such unwavering determination from the Tarnished was something Edgar had not expected at all. The man didn't entirely know what to do in this situation. Simply watch? Or try to offer some advice? But what advice could he give? Or perhaps try to speak with this caring but still… ahem, unusual Tarnished?

In the end, the commander opted to simply observe for now.

"We were glad to see you, sir. Feel free to visit… more often, yeah…"

Kosta shrugged nonchalantly.

He would, whenever the quests allow.

"I'll try to s-sew the best garments for you, m-my lord!"

The last person Kosta expected to meet in the Castle was Boc. Since he was mostly thinking about his waifu, it was hard to remember all the other side quests.

From the first day in the Lands Between, the man had known about the "dynamic" nature of quests. And yet, to realize that waifus themselves could progress quests as they wished…

Quite unusual.

Reflecting on the fleetingness of quests and perhaps existence itself, Konstantin simply nodded in response to Boc's declaration of settling in the Castle.

"I will also set out on a journey," Corhyn said with a sheepish smile. "I have much to rethink. I'm considering leaving the Roundtable Hold. Do you perhaps know of the noble hero, Goldmask?"

Konstantin, a little surprised at the unexpected advancement of one of the dullest questlines in the game, shrugged.

"Yes."

Corhyn sighed, gathering his thoughts. The last few days had been overly stressful for him. The priest felt that he himself was in need of help.

"Once, he was a Tarnished soul living near the Lands Between and, at the same time, a great scholar who foresaw the phenomenon of grace visions. I've heard he now roams the Lands Between alone, hoping to uncover the Golden Order… I would give much to receive his guidance and perhaps even assist him in his studies."

"Good luck."

Tarnished's overall composure and nonchalance made it hard to tell whether he genuinely wished Corhyn luck or not. But at the very least, he made an effort.

The follower of the Golden Order smirked crookedly.

Faith meant a lot. It would be strange if faith meant nothing in a world where the influence of objects of worship could be seen with the naked eye. Konstantin followed some unknown, incomprehensible Outer God, which should have been frightening and alarming, but for some reason, Corhyn instead felt calm and a strange inner warmth.

And, as a proper priest, indignation: he could do better. Just give him time, and he…

Corhyn groaned inwardly.

Perhaps the astonishing simplicity of the Tarnished's faith had managed to hook him slightly. Or not slightly… And that was precisely why the follower of the Golden Order needed help in understanding himself.

The hero Goldmask must know the answer!..

When the priest departed, Konstantin was about to set out on his journey himself, but the quests, apparently, had their own opinion on the matter: unexpectedly, an irate Gatekeeper appeared, accompanied by another questline—this one was furtively looking around, and always left the man feeling duped. (1)

Kenneth Haight.

The fair-haired man, middle-aged with golden eyes and hair, immediately drew attention, as did the fine details of his attire—something the common folk certainly couldn't boast. However, his overall bedraggled and skittish appearance didn't inspire confidence.

He had evidently been through a tough journey to reach Stormveil Castle.

"This is bad…"

Ranni's whisper made Melina glance at her. The lunar demigoddess no longer even yawned. While the physical doll body didn't show fatigue, her spectral face conveyed the full spectrum of weariness the demigoddess was experiencing.

She had been avoiding conversations with the Tarnished lately, but now she had to give him a mission. The preparations were complete, and all that remained was to wait. Konstantin, after all, was still her servant, even if he had allowed himself to act unforgivably boldly!

On the other hand, the man had proven that, in some ways, he had earned the right to his boldness. Just a little.

Perhaps, had they lived in a peaceful Era, Konstantin's actions might have been considered merely barbaric, but in the current age, they could be called, in a sense, the pinnacle of nobility and honor. With some exceptions.

It didn't take Kenneth long to pull himself together. Compared to the rest of the Lands Between, Stormveil Castle now resembled the pinnacle of civilization.

"So, you declared yourself lord of Stormveil Castle," Kenneth hissed, eyeing the stoic Konstantin. "Well, I must admit, I'm exceedingly glad: anything is better than that wretched Godrick. Even a Tarnished soul like you."

Gostoc, casting a thoughtful glance at Kenneth, nonchalantly asked:

"May I use him for grafting, my lord?"

Kenneth flinched.

Honestly, for a moment, Kosta actually considered Gostoc's suggestion.

"No."

The gatekeeper wasn't too disappointed by Konstantin's reply, somewhat expecting as much. Sighing sadly and slumping (even further), Gostoc was already thinking of leaving, but decided to try his luck one last time:

"If you grow tired of him…"

"I'll be sure to let you know."

The sheer composure with which Kosta said it made Haight realize that now was not the time to get too cheeky.

Gostoc, grinning widely, cheerfully went off to handle his own affairs.

Konstantin turned his gaze to Kenneth.

"You want me to reclaim your fort?"

Already opening his mouth, the heir to Limgrave's sovereignty widened his eyes at Kosta. However, the man quickly regained his composure.

"You're quick to catch on, Tarnished!"

"Konstantin."

"Yes, yes, I've heard of you, Konstantin of the Tarnished!" Kenneth said with an awkward smile.

Due to the Tarnished's rather ordinary appearance, showing no signs of his strength, for a moment Haight forgot that standing before him was a monster in human form. Thankfully he remembered that in time.

"Th-the help is very much appreciated. Even from a Tarnished. Despite appearances, nobility is no prerequisite to serving the true Order."

Kenneth was slightly unsettled by the decor of some of the knights, but whether it was due to his exhaustion or simply his assumption that the Sun depicted on their armor was another manifestation of the Golden Order, he chose to ignore it.

"Alright, since you know who I am and have heard about my fort, then…"

"Got it. The fort to the south, beyond the Mistwood, occupied by one of Godrick's casual knights."

Kosta had no intention of delaying this quest. He couldn't skip it—there was a valuable item in the fort, along with the legend tied to it—but he wasn't exactly thrilled about completing it either.

Kenneth nearly choked.

He didn't expect news of the captured fort to spread so quickly. Even though Godrick had fallen, there were still some crazed loyalists clinging to his legacy.

Did that crazed knight even know his lord was dead? After all, if he wasn't trying to gather any information, how could he possibly hear anything?

Sellen knew this better than anyone.

"Exactly!" Kenneth clapped his hands, his spirits lifted as he regained his composure. He cast a calculating glance around. "Perhaps if you enlist the support of your…"

Kenneth never finished his sentence. Kosta, unwilling to let side quests drag him away from the main story for too long, especially since he was already falling behind, summoned Torrent.

"You can try returning to your fort in about a week," Kosta estimated.

He wasn't entirely sure how long the journey would take, so he decided to give himself a buffer.

At least he could unlock a few new Sites of Grace along the way.

Kenneth froze in astonishment.

Torrent, still bitter about missing out on the chase for Shabriri, snorted indignantly but refrained from bucking Kosta off.

Kosta, sensing the root of the issue, patted Torrent's mane.

"We'll clear the location together. I mean, the fort."

Hearing this enticing offer, Torrent's demeanor shifted noticeably. Snorting again, this time in a much more satisfied manner, the spectral steed galloped off.

Melina pressed her lips together.

After all who would be pleased to learn that the spectral steed, entrusted with choosing the Tarnished who would become the future king of the Lands Between, was a thrill-seeking daredevil?

Kenneth, left standing in stunned silence, gestured for one of the knights to approach.

"Prepare me a bath. When the opportunity arises, I'll, of course, reward you generously for this."

The knight stood there for a moment before letting out a lifeless grunt.

Clearly, he'd already died several times.

Kenneth grimaced.

"I'm surrounded by idiots… Who here can prepare me a bath?! My journey to the castle was anything but easy! Hey!"

Just as Edgar approached Kenneth, he paused, casting a strange glance at the yelling noble.

Meanwhile, Kosta was already riding farther and farther away from the castle.

"That speed…"

Sellen's projection, having hitched a ride on Torrent for the first time, was clearly enjoying herself.

The fleeting glimpse of Melina's face in her peripheral vision didn't interest the banished sorceress in the slightest.

Thanks to the fastest mount in all of the Lands Between, it only took a few days to reach the target location.

Fort Haight wasn't nearly as large as Stormveil Castle. Whether he liked it or not, Kosta had long since over-leveled for this "location," resembling those players who rushed through the main campaign only to return later with a maxed-out necromancer to help farmers with their crops. (2)

That didn't stop Torrent, though. The satisfied steed bulldozed through the fort, leaving the invaders with no chance. Honestly, Kosta didn't quite understand why Kenneth, the heir of Limgrave, needed a half-ruined fort overrun by demi-humans and devoid of servants.

But that didn't mean he had no interest in the side quest.

"Hey, Meli-Meli, can you help me find a piece of the medallion?"

"A medallion piece?"

"The Dectus Medallion."

When Melina appeared beside him, she had a hard time hiding her surprise at Kosta's request.

The Dectus Medallion. Its discovery could indeed be of great help. Not a mandatory tool for the future king, but still a highly valuable one.

There were many ways to reach the Altus Plateau, but an elevator once existed that could take you directly to the region leading to the capital. It was said that this "Grand Lift" was built to strengthen the ties between the Carian Royal Family, the Academy, and Queen Marika's bloodline (3). This practical purpose didn't diminish its significance in the slightest.

Melina never would have guessed that Kosta would remember it. Gripping the ring on her finger, she vanished.

There was another reason Kosta agreed to this "side quest." Honestly, he was a bit nervous. He was about to meet an idol of countless… well, maybe not casuals, but close enough.

One of the founding fathers of the bleed build—how could Kosta remain calm? He'd only recently become the leader of the casuals. Even the Greater Will probably couldn't calculate how many hours Kosta had spent spamming a single button while wielding a bleed weapon.

It even used to be fun for some time. You just had to remember to heal in time.

He didn't have to search for long. After he defeated the last of the frenzied demi-humans, the knight he was looking for leapt from the fort's wall, unconcerned about the height.

Clad in armor, the knight seemed to remain loyal to the fallen Godrick. (Or maybe not.)

Satisfied, Torrent returned to the whistle, leaving the two men alone.

To be honest, Kosta was quickly disappointed by the encounter.

Tattered, in torn clothes, filthy, and covered in his own blood, as if he'd been repeatedly cut, the knight's eyes behind his helmet reflected nothing but madness.

Which, considering the state he was in, wasn't surprising. The knight slashed himself with his blood-soaked blade, running it across his chest to fuel it with his life force.

That explained a lot.

"Well, this Ash of War looks way worse from the outside than I thought…" (4)

Kosta hadn't expected the frenzied knight to suffer the same side effects as a player. In fact, he looked even worse.

Turns out, casual gameplay could sometimes be fatal.

The knight tried to attack Kosta, but he couldn't even land a proper hit. Kosta simply dodged every attempt the casual bloodletting knight made to reach him, resulting in more and more self-inflicted wounds with each swing.

Kosta decided to turn this into a little challenge.

Meanwhile, Melina had to work hard to locate the medallion. She hadn't expected it to be in a completely ordinary chest, lying amidst the other junk scattered around the fort—a far larger quantity of it than she had anticipated.

What surprised Melina the most was the sheer number of portraits of Kenneth. It seemed he was collecting them.

"What's going on here?"

Her confusion was understandable: it wasn't every day you saw a blood-soaked psychopath chasing someone down, spamming a single attack relentlessly.

Even so, compared to some other residents of the Lands Between, Konstantin was the pinnacle of rationality.

The sleepy projection of Ranni materialized in a starry flash, mumbling something incoherent.

In Melina's field of vision, the unknown knight—leaving himself more and more wounded with each strike—chased her chosen one like a rabid beast wielding a blood-soaked blade.

Unfortunately, no legends had yet been written about the Tarnished's rolls, so the knight had no idea he never stood a chance.

For some reason, Melina saw a glimmer of pity in Kosta's eyes as he rolled to avoid the knight's attacks, as if he were staring into a reflection of himself—a version that had made less-than-ideal, yet all-too-familiar, choices in crafting a casual build during the early stages of the game.

Or perhaps it was something else entirely.

It ended… predictably: with another wild swing of his blade and yet another self-inflicted wound, the knight's body suddenly went limp. He let out a faint rasp before collapsing.

He had lost too much blood.

Kosta, maintaining a stoic demeanor, approached the fallen body. Despite his composed exterior, his expression was complicated.

"Your Ashes of War will forever remain in the hearts of blood-loss fans..."

He raised his hands toward the Sun—not in celebration, but as a solemn farewell to one of the forefathers of the almost-casual blood-loss build.

The rivers of blood, Eleonora's Poleblade, and Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear...

Sellen, observing from the sidelines in her adult form, furrowed her brow thoughtfully as she gazed at the bloodied corpse. It looked vaguely familiar to her.

"What a vile curse…"

Kosta shrugged.

Mohg was mandatory anyway.

Sellen lingered a moment longer, studying the unfortunate knight's body, before turning and smiling. Her expression was contemplative yet playful.

"Is it time for a reward?"

Konstantin turned his head to see a composed Ranni, arms crossed. Beside her stood Melina, glaring at the smiling Sellen.

Sellen's smirk grew even more mischievous and teasing under Melina's scrutiny, causing a faint blush to spread across the not-quite-maiden's face.

Ranni remained unusually silent for a long moment, forcing Melina, who was clearly losing the battle of gazes between not-waifus but simply women, to place her hand on the doll-like shoulder of the demigod and give it a small shake. Three times, of course. (5)

The nearly dissipated, ghostly visage of the demigoddess, sharpened slightly. Ranni scanned her surroundings with a sleepy gaze before nodding almost imperceptibly.

"You shall accompany me."

Her new servant would need to meet his companions and finally receive his instructions, after which she could rest.

Barely holding herself together, the young demigoddess puffed out her spectral cheeks like a child and extended her doll-like hand to Konstantin.

She wasn't about to forgive his insolence so easily. Oh no, the Tarnished would have to serve her well before she could truly let it go! Absolutely.

…And yet, perhaps it was a bit reckless to expend so much energy on that illusion...

Sellen chuckled. It seemed their reactions would never cease to amuse her.

"Don't forget about my primal glintstone, my lady."

The sorceress, who not long ago would never have imagined saying such words so lightly, now found herself doing so. In her current position, she didn't have much control over her fate anyway. So all she could do was wait patiently, look for opportunities, and, of course…

Have some fun.

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(1) Kenneth Haight is a nobleman and servant of the Golden Order, the rightful heir to Limgrave. Kenneth's fort is captured and he offers the player to liberate it. If you help Kenneth and agree to serve, he promises to reward the player with knightly spurs in his castle. This, of course, does not happen.

(2) This is a reference to RPG games in general, not just FromSofware's Soulslikes. More specifically it refers to this video about "post endgame content".

(3) The game of course offers no such details on the Elevator. However it is an important piece for several quests and as such it can't be ignored.

(4) Ashes of War in Elden Ring are special items that allow you to grant your armaments (Weapons and Shields) new Skills and Affinities. They're integral for creating Builds and adapting to the many Enemies and Bosses of The Lands Between. 

This specific "Ashes of War: Bloody Strike" deals damage both to you and your enemy and inflicts Hemorrhage (blood-loss) on the target.

(5) This is how many times the player must try to talk to Ranni while completing the quest chain when he finds one of her receptacles.