Chapter 5: Storm Lord’s Lance
Yggdrassil POV
6 Hours later
After walking for some time I looked at the somewhat desolate location that we found ourselves in and so I decided to build the Redmane Castle here.
It was a large lake so it would make sense for the Castle to be made here just as it was back in the game albeit differently as theres no ocean nearby but similar nontheless.
Zeldroth: "Lord, what is it you wish to build here?"
Yggdrassil: "Your old home, but before the Scarlet Aeonia descended on it!"
Zeldroth: "My Lord you cannot joke with us a-"
Slowly the ground started shaking and the water started bubbling and before our very own eyes large stone towers rose up slowly that grew in magnitude as more of the castle started appearing and we had to retreat some steps back as the entire Redmane Castle started to slowly appear and after a couple of minutes the bridge that connected Caelid to the Island-sized Castle was built at last.
Thud
Thud
Thud
Thud
Thud
Hearing the sound of metal dropping on the ground I turned around and saw Zeldroth with the rest of the Knights kneel down with tears on their faces yet they all had smiles.
Zeldroth: "…It is our Castle in the past, where general Radahn ruled…. and when he was sane…General Radahn!"
???: "Our General!"
???: "We have our home returned to its former grace!"
I kept silent letting them take their time to let out their emotions and know more about General Radahn through the knights, especially Commander Jerren instead of text descriptions.
5 minutes later
Zeldroth: "Thank you my Lord, for letting us reminisce of our past"
Yggdrassil: "No worries, but there will be 3x more Redmane Knights joining the fray soon"
Zeldroth: "Ah? Do you wish for us to convince them to serve as your faithful Knights?"
Yggdrassil: "If you can convince them I would be glad but I need to ask, what are your thoughts on the Banished Knights?"
Zeldroth looked surprised but didn't indicate there was a hate relationship with them which I found surprising.
Yggdrassil: "Then I ask all of you to prepare yourselves since I am about to summon them here!"
Swiftly all knights put on their helmets and raised their weapons before lighting them in the fire of the fierce redmanes.
Zeldroth: "Were ready Lord!"
I nodded and just before summoning the three Banished knights I received from earlier I decided to put on the High Noble Title.
Narrator POV
All of a sudden, a burst of light lit up around Yggdrassil's body and as all five knights stared at their lord golden doves seemed to appear flying above him and the darkness receding as the moonlight shone down on his figure.
Slowly white motes of light appeared in front of Yggdrassil forming the three banished Knights.
Seeing their lord gain a regal aura all five knights knelt on one knee before Yggdrassil told them to get up. Even the Banished Knights looked on in surprise at their Summoner.
???: "A…Lord…?"
Zeldroth: "Lord…have you been recognized by the Greater Will?"
Yggdrassil: "Hmm? No, I rejected both their corrupt ideals because I want to forge my own path and show them that I can lead The Lands Between in my own Age"
Hearing him say that the Banished Knights that heard him be chosen by the Greater Will made all three Banished Knights raise their weapons and so did the Redmane Knights.
But once hearing the summoners words they were stunned and the one wearing a red hood scarf with dual Greatswords stepped forward before speaking in a raspy voice.
???: "Did you truly reject the Greater Wills ideals…?"
Yggdrassil: "Hah! I sure did, it made sure to take away the strength it gave me to fight these guys!"
Hearing him talk nonchalantly, they quickly realized this was a new world when they did not feel a connection to their previous Lord.
???: "Are we no longer forced to serve the Storm King…?"
Yggdrassil: "Hmm? Yeah you guys are free to serve whoever but I want to ask you three if you wish to serve under me. I won't ask for much but your loyalty and to trust me when I don't interfere in whoever you pray to"
???: "So you are not against our Lord Placidusax?"
Yggdrassil: "Well, inevitably I will have to fight him in an honorable duel and offer him an accord to follow me"
???: "…I see…then we shall test your strength to be our Lord"
Yggdrassil had nodded and before they could begin their match he pointed at the Redmane Castle behind him.
Yggdrassil: "For its grand opening let's fight within its courtyard. I need to summon the rest to fully witness their leaders strenght"
Not wasting time he summoned the 3 Redmane Knights first who were surprised looking at Yggdrassils regal aura before their attention strayed to the Redmane Castle were all three knelt and being helped by the original five Redmane Knights get up slowly.
???: "We gladly accept you as our new lord, but as Redmane Knights you will go through a trial of strength!"
Yggdrassil nodded and told them he would fight after he beat the Banished Knight Trio in battle and to stand by and watch as spectators to their battle.
Yggdrassil POV
I equipped my banished Knight set except for the helmet and stared at the other Banished Knights who looked at me incredibly.
Yggdrassil: "Who said I couldn't use this armor?"
???: "Hah, indeed so let us start!"
I swiftly told the system to shift us all into the other dimension place in Order to not kill them all.
Whoosh
The entire area shifts and we appear within the Redmane Castle but this time I don't have to worry of them dying on me and I can go all out.
I took out Death Poker with what remained of my measly runes I bought Somber smithing stones 1 & 2 for 5000 runes and swiftly upgraded Death Poker in the blacksmith tab.
I put Death Poker on the anvil as the hammer glowed blue before picking both the somber smithing stones as materials and the hammer lifted itself before it started smithing and didn't take too long before Death Poker was upgraded.
???: "Are you prepared…Lord?"
I looked at them before grinning as I took out Death Poker and it got a surprisingly good reaction out of the red-hooded Banished Knight.
???: "You…have hunted the death rite birds…? Then your… strength befits thy Lord"
I shrugged my shoulders and pointed my weapon at them to start now as ghostflame appeared at the front
The one with a long polearm started swinging his polearm around himself as wind picked up and he lunged towards me with the wind trailing behind him.
The other banished knight charged forward with his shield and banished knight greatsword ready.
I raised my weapon high before I slammed it down onto the growing ghostflame and as the halbeard wielding banished knight brought down his weapon to hit me the massive explosion of ghostflames blasted him back as he landed on his back.
Clang!
BOOOOMM!!!
???: "Hunting death bearers and mastering their techniques….thou art an interesting tarnished…"
I focused on the charging Banished Knight which I started running towards him with both hands holding Death Poker.
As wind started revolving around the banished knight, he slammed his foot down and lunged at me with his shield slamming down to hit me but I rolled through the wind that would have stunned me and hit him with a horizontal swing stunning him.
Whoosh
Thud!
I swiftly started hitting him in consecutive strike and as I was about to slam my weapon down, I saw the red-hooded banished Knight appear behind the sword & shield banished knight.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Whoosh!
Clang!
Clang!
Yggdrassil: "Sh- Arghh!"
With both greatswords side by side in a scissors like manner he closed them and I felt my banished knights armor take the hit hits but when he started thrusting both swords at me like pincers they tore through my armor and made me gasp in pain.
Clang!
Tear!
Clang!
Tear!
Clang!
Tear!
But that didn't stop me from pulling back my arm as ghostflame appeared and it slowly made the red-hooded banished knight groan in pain as it engulfed his body and I swung my arm down as we were both engulfed in blue black flames.
Whoosh!
BOOOOOMM!!!
At the same time the halbeard wielding banished knight had lunged once more but this time he had hit me and made me kneel but the two banished knights were sent flying backwards and I slowly got up.
Clang!
Thud!
BOOOMM!!!
Yggdrassil: "Damn…cough! Im glad he didn't finish the entire combo…"
I drinked an entire crimson tear flask and looked at the two knights who slowly got up and stared back at me before they charged again but the banished knight with a shield was infront.
Whoosh
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
I drank an Cerulean Flask and immediately pulled back death poker and swung horizontally as a trail of ghostflame traveled towards the banished knights.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
All three banished knights dodged but I swiftly ran forwards targeting the dual-wielding knight and swung death poker to the right all the way around using my weapons momentum to slam into the banished knights chest knocking him back.
I stepped back and brought down death poker as it grinded through the ground and hit the knight with a shield. I hit him two more times and saw his posture break and I took that opportunity.
I hit him with the edge of death poker and I brought back my arm and gave it all I had as I caved in his chest and I swiftly was knocked back from the halbeard banished knight who stirred the winds around him and I felt the fierce wind cut into my skin but that didn't matter.
Clang!
BAM!
Thud!
Whoosh
Whoosh
I stepped back before rolling as the halbeard knight tried hitting me with an overhead swing but I rolled through it and struck him with an underneath attack.
Clang!
Thud!
I pressed forwards as I hit him one hit after the other and rolled to the side as the red-hooded banished knight had charged forwards using both his greatswords to cut me down.
Clang!
Whoosh!
Clang!
Whoosh!
Clang!
I quickly switched out my gauntlets and greaves for the land of reeds version for faster rolling.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
I rolled two times before rolling towards him when he crossed both swords together in a scissor like position and hit him with a horizontal swing and I started hitting him with heavy blows until I knocked him backwards and I equipped my uchigatana and stabbed it through his neck.
Whoosh!
Clang!
Whoosh
Clang!
Whoosh!
Tear!
Clang!
???: "Argh!"
I rolled as I saw the lunging halbeard about to crash onto me and swiftly I brought back my arm as ghostflames appeared in front of death poker and I swung horizontally as it sent out a trail of ghostflame that managed to hit the sword & shield banished knight.
Whoosh
Whoosh
Clang
???: "It..is so c-cold…I am sorry… brothers…"
Clang!
Thud!
As the banished knights knelt down as the ghostflame traveled up the knights armor it seeped through crevices within the armor and chilled its wearer to death.
Making it the first banished knight killed of our fight and duelist killed by a ash of war. But I still focused since I saw both banished knights eyes turn red.
Quickly I charged forwards and fought the raging Halbeard banished knight who started swinging his halbeard but instead of lunging he continued making the storms as lightning started forming.
Yggdrassil: "Huh!? Since when did stormcaller have this part of the ash of war!"
As I looked at the raging storm I raised Death poker and blocked the lunge of the dual greatsword banished knight who started attacking me with a flurry of blows.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
As he striked with both greatswords to the right I couldn't fully block it and he broke my guard and so they got revenge.
Clang!
Rip!
Tear!
???: "Survive…and fight on…"
He kicked me down and stabbed both his greatswords into my metal clad chest that I thought would protect me but it seemed I underestimated their strength.
Yggdrassil: "Gah! To think you guys were just cool knights…!"
???: "W-what are thou-"
As he tried backing away without his greatswords I swiftly raised death poker and with its pointy hook brought back the banished knight and as ghostflame chilled his body he punched my face over and over again.
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
Yggdrassil: "It was nice meeting you, but I hope you don't mind my unorthodox way of fighting"
???: "Haha! It was an interesting fight Lord.."
???: "Just take it seriously with Samael, the child of Sir Engvall…"
I brought down my arm and the red-hooded banished knight was engulfed in blueish black flames that consumed him whole as he turned into gray mist.
I slowly got up and thought on what the red-hooded knight said and turned to look at the banished knight with a Halbeard.
Yggdrassil: "Samael…? The child of one of the Wings of the Storm, Engvall?"
As if hearing my words, Samael turned to look at me and stopped swinging his halbeard and stared at me before he spoke softly with lightning now caressing his body as if giving him armor.
Samael: "Father….although qualified to lead an entire regiment of knights and be the Lord of a Castle, instead chose to protect it for a future lord"
Samael: "Even when the Grace-given Lord gave him an accord to follow him alongside Sir Oleg, chose not to because of his duty.."
As I listened to him speak I quietly took a flask crimson tears and drank it as I felt the wounds in my body heal up fully.
Samael: "It all had to do with our people being banished from our homeland by the Golden Order and forced to become knights for Lords who inherited their title not with strength that befits their status…"
Samael: "If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have to hear the constant mockery of the Golden Order aristocrats towards my father…"
As if finding his truth, he raised his halbeard that had swirling winds wrapped around the entire halbeard alongside yellow lightning that wrapped around the handle and blade of the halbeard.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
Samael: "The only way I would acc-"
Yggdrassil: "Is that all or are you going to continue talking about how your family honor got thrown around or fight to prove the weight of your words?"
Crackle!
Crackle!
Samael: "…Your right, talking doesn't decide a battle only a decisive blow…"
As he looked at me he ran towards me before thrusting his halbeard forward as a whirlwind of crackling lightning and sharp tempests was shot towards me and I rolled to the side dodging the attack.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Crackle!
That wasn't all as I saw him charging up his halbeard with fierce tempests and lightning that slowly hid the halbeard as it transformed into a pseudo lance?"
Crackle!
Crackle!
Yggdrassil: "What!? Since when!? Or is it because we aren't bound by the original game?"
Crackle!
Crackle!
But it mattered not as I saw the lance light up in gold and Samael reel back his lance wielding arm as he pointed it straight at me and all I could do was switch my entire set to the Banished Knights Set and try to perfectly dodge through his attack.
WHOOOOSHH!!!
BOOOOOOOMMM!!!
CRACKLE!!!
CRACKLE!!!
CRACKLE!!!
Narrator POV
In that very moment, the golden lance made of lightning and fierce winds seemed to be unleashed fully as it shot through the courtyard in a blink of an eye penetrating the thick walls of stone as it left a massive gaping hole 10 meters wide.
But what about Yggdrassil you may ask? Well as if lady luck would have it, he was both unlucky and lucky at the same time.
Yggdrassil layed on the ground that was sizzling from the amount of lightning that passed through and made contact with the stone floor.
Yggdrassil had his entire left shoulder and arm missing with lightning still cracking through his charred skin.
But of course, you would think he should be dead and it couldn't be any further from the truth.
At the last possible second where he had seen Samael thrust forwards his lance wielding arm, he had rolled dodging the first hit of the attack but the last hit composed of pure lightning tore through his body like nothing.
Now as Yggdrassil layed on the ground bleeding profusely, almost all if not all subordinates or future subordinates saw what happened and couldn't believe their eyes but the undeniable truth layed bare in front of them.
Zeldroth: "This…? How is it possible for a knight to wield such power of storms and lightning…"
???: "Sigh, I don't know either…but unless our Lord manages to survive this he would have won"
Zeldroth: "What!? Our Lord will survive through and give him a proper punishment"
???: "Well, unless he gets up and beats up the weakened Samael he won't be victorious"
While many would believe Yggdrassil to be screaming in pain and try to get up his mind was still processing everything and only had two conflicting thoughts about this situation.
Yggdrassil POV
Holy shit! That was so fucking sick!!! Although I am in extreme pain, I can't even feel it due to amazement and shock of seeing something so damnspectacular.
And after feeling its power for myself I only had one thought running through my pain filled mind.
I NEED TO BEAT HIS ASS AND TAKE HIS WEAPON!!!
But then again his weapon turned into the lance so maybe its a sorcery which I wouldn't mind having.
While thinking about it I couldn't help but laugh outloud gaining everyones attention but Samaels was the most surprising.
Samael: "How…? I gave it my all to get you in one hit…"
With my right arm, I slowly brought up my last remaining flasks of crimson tears and drank them all in mouthfuls and I slowly felt the changes as bone was slowly made before flesh and muscles covered the bone and I slowly got up.
Still feeling the shocking sensation of the lightning I stared at Samael with amazement and greed that surprised the man who slowly got up with his body trembling.
Samael: "So this is how it ends….huh?"
As I stared at the banished knight whom I could only call an anomoly due to his ash of war and whole backstory.
Yggdrassil: "Hey, you said that it was because your people were banished from your homeland that you grew hatred for the Golden Order and it's Aristocracy?"
Samael: "W-yes, it was because of them…so do you wish to mock m-"
Yggdrassil: "No, I wish to grant you, the Banished Knights, Exiled Soldiers, and their cherished people whom were banished an accord"
Samael: "An…accord…?"
Yggdrassil: "I wish to remove all of your status as those banished and exiled and give you purpose and reason to be proud of"
Yggdrassil: "If you and the other three would like to join me and serve me as your Lord I shall make it possible and give your people power to rule as Lords under me"
Samael had momentarily stopped as he stared at me as his body trembled and the entire darkened sky started changing again with lightning cracking and the wind picking up.
Samael: "Tell me tarnished, how far are you willing to go to make that come true…?"
I simply grinned as I raised death poker and pointed towards the Redmane Knights in the distance who stared at me.
Yggdrassil: "I have already promised the entirety of the Redmane Army to lay their Lord to rest with a final battle with Commander Jerren as my witness alongside hundreds of Redmanes"
Samael: "Sigh, then I hope you can promise all whom were banished and those before me to relinquish our title as the Banished and Exiled"
I nodded and rather than us both fighting once again he walked towards me and knelt on one knee.
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
Samael: "Let it be known now, I Samael shall serve our new Lord and watch over his journey to fullfill our long awaited dream!"
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
Hey system what do I say here otherwise I might mess this up and I don't want that!
[Hmm, Repeat after me! "I Yggdrassil, accept Samael as my knight into servitude and to watch over my journey to fullfill a promise agreed upon by all!"]
I nodded and as the storm kept brewing I took a deep breath since this is the first time I have done this formally.
Yggdrassil: "I Yggdrassil, accept Samael as my knight into servitude and to watch over my journey to fullfill a promise agreed upon by all!"
BOOOOMMM!!!
CRACKLE!!!
As a massive ray of lightning struck me I didn't know what to say but I felt no pain compared to what I thought I would feel.
Yggdrassil: "What is this…?"
Samael: "Hah, it appears the Lord of Storms has become the witness towards our accord Lord!"
I nodded and slowly I felt the yellow lightning that had hit me before condensing into a long lance-like figure and I raised my hand to pick it up from its surprisingly heavy handle
Crackle!
Whoosh!
Crackle!
Once I picked it up I held it in my hand and raised it up high and activated its ash of war and the leftover lightning in the clouds above crackled as it struck down onto the Lance that held fierce whirlwinds.
Crackle!
Whoosh!
Crackle!
Yggdrassil: "Then as to honor and finalize your allegiance, I shall strike down with the Lance of the Storm Lord!"
Samael: "Understood, I shall serve my new Lord faithfully and fight in any and all his battles without fear!"
CRACKLE!!!
CRACKLE!!!
WHOOOSH!!!
BOOOOOOOMMM!!!
I nodded and reeled back my lance as it started charging up with the tempest winds and intense lightning from the skies and in one fell swoop had thrusted the Lance and used its Ash of War that blew my mind away with its impact and FP drain.
All that was left was the scorched earth with small arcs of yellow lightnibg moving through the grass blades.
Yggdrassil: "That….was something amazing I always wanted to be in the game, like Placidusax's deafening Lightning Nuke…"
As I stood there talking to myself the system reminded me that I had the other three Redmane knights to beat up into allegiance but surprisingly they behaved and followed orders.
Yggdrassil: "Well, guess its time to go back to the present world and go to sleep after such a long day of doing nothing but fighting"
Crack!
The sky cracked and everything turned to darkness before receding as we appeared in the Redmane Castle's courtyard with the 10 meter wide hole not being there.
Zeldroth: "Lord, the other three Redmane Knights have joined us and have seen your strength!"
I nodded and told the rest to stand guard on the walls and gate as I told Zeldroth to join me towards one of the high towers to have a talk.
5 minutes later
Once we got ontop I took a seat on one of the bricks and waited for Zeldroth to take a seat. After taking a seat I started talking about the castle and its fortifications.
Yggdrassil: "Do you remember how many Soldiers and knights were stationed outside of Redmane Castles outer area?"
Zeldroth: "60 Redmane Soldiers, 20 Redmane Knights, 3 Trebuchets and 2 Siege Towers"
Yggdrassil: "Then the inside would be smaller? But more importantly I have a question for when the castle had the Banished Knights weapons hanged up"
Zeldroth: "Yes, As Lord Radahn needed to claim land as was expected by him by his Lord Father"
Zeldroth: "He took Caelid as his own and Conquered all forts, castles and made the town of Sorcery, Sellia to remind him of home"
Yggdrassil: "I see, but I the reason I am asking is because I will be inviting more Banished Knights and Exiled soldiers here to serve under me and wish not to have you both fighting"
Zeldroth: "Hah! Fear not Lord, as much as they might want to get revenge Samael can act as their speaker and leader as you have promised all of them to no longer be banished or Exiled"
Yggdrassil: "Hmm, I can only hope I can convince them now since their weapons and shields are no longer hanged around the castle"
Zeldroth had nodded before he looked up at the starry night sky and spoke in a soft tone.
Zeldroth: "As much as I wish to be always by your side as your faithful Knight other senior Knights will take my place and protect you"
Zeldroth: "So I only hope you can remember my squadron when you become the Elden Lord"
Yggdrassil: "Heh, who said I would forget you guys who been with me! In fact, how about becoming the Castellan after you prove yourself to the rest of the Redmane Knights?"
Zeldroth: "Wh- Lord although I wish to accept such a title I ca-"
Yggdrassil: "Yes you can, now knowing that alot has changed than what I initially thought is further bolstering my conviction for change!"
Yggdrassil: "So gain their approval and become the castellan of Redmane Castle!"
Zeldroth had looked at me before sighing and after a moment of tranquility he spoke with determination this time.
Zeldroth: "Then I shall become the Castellan and protect your first castle faithfully!"
I nodded and told him if he could bring me a lamp since I would be sleeping under the stars today.
Zeldroth: "Understood, have a great rest of your night"
Once he climbed down he came back with a lamp that he placed beside my already resting body.
Once he left I continued to look at the stars before I took out the Lance of The Storm Lord and checked its status that surprised me.
[~~~Lance of The Storm Lord~~~]
Weapon Type: Great Spear
Attack Type: Pierce
Ash of War: Storm Lords Fury
FP Cost 25 ( - 12)
Weight 12.0
—————————————-
Attack Power | Guard Damage Neg
Physical 100 | Physical 46
Magic 0 | Magic 36
Fire 0 | Fire 36
Lightning 110 | Lightning 55
Holy 0 | Holy 36
Critical 110 | Guard Boost 43
—————————————
Attribute Sca | Attributes Req
Str D Dex C | Str 24 Dex 20
Int E Fai D | Int 0 Fai 14
Arc E | Arc 0
—————————————
Passive Effects
-
-
-
————————————-
Seeing the weapon, I jumped in joy internally as I have never been happier than before since this is the first unique weapon I have gained that wasn't in the game.
Especially since there seems to be a follow up attack I have yet to use which made me think about leveling up to meet the requirements.
But for now I should take a well deserved rest and leave it at that and so I closed my eyes as I thought of tomorrow's future events.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued