I ought to have been higher. However I’m not, and right here I’m.
A Tarnished named Timmy sits by the location of grace tucked simply inside Nokron, Everlasting Metropolis. On this cavernous, overwhelming locale, as with all of the others he’s handed by to get right here, he’s received all the facility a fighter may ever hope for coursing by his veins. The issue is, proper now, it’s completely ineffective to him.
This uber-god amongst demigods – resembling Kurt Russell if he had been to lose an eye fixed and endure from the sort of frostbite you’d solely get doing nude snow angels on the north pole – appears mournfully down the trusty medallion he’s simply unequipped. The medallion that malign and mocking forces past his data have modded in order that it makes him completely invincible. The medallion that, up to now, has helped him greatest the likes of Rennala, Godrick, and the mighty Radahn in a single go.
This medallion has allowed him to waltz by the Lands Between usually bloodied, however by no means bearing a scratch – in open defiance of god, standard opinion, and, most egregiously, Hidetaka Miyazaki.
He throws it away.
Instantly, he watches his well being bar evaporate from an important lake right into a tiny puddle, as a result of, in his heady flight near the solar of final energy, he’s completely forgotten to place factors into Vigour. His physique begins to break down, below the lifeless weight of drugs that’s tantamount to a lead coffin for these with out limitless capability.
With out this medallion, he’s only a man. A person compelled to strip bare and hunt by his stock for armour that received’t shatter his glass backbone in two.
As soon as he’s cobbled some improvised clothes collectively, weak and susceptible, he emerges from the walled sanctuary and takes the primary steps of his new life throughout a boring stone courtyard lit by chilly, distant stars. As he wanders, taking care to keep away from the few minor foes that stand between him and his objective, he remembers how straightforward issues have been so far.
The phrases of Miyazaki, a ceaseless advocate for the valiant battle, echo by his thoughts. “If we actually wished the entire world to play the sport, we may simply crank the problem down an increasing number of. However that wasn’t the suitable strategy,” the voice booms. “Had we taken that strategy, I don’t assume the sport would have carried out what it did, as a result of the sense of feat that gamers acquire from overcoming these hurdles is such a elementary a part of the expertise. Turning down problem would strip the sport of that pleasure – which, in my eyes, would break the sport itself.”
As The Tarnished reaches the lair of the boss that awaits him, he thinks about what it implies that his personal chagrin – what the sport itself has repeatedly referred to as “inappropriate exercise” – has introduced him to this battle. He stares into the mist, questioning whether or not he has thrown away his solely probability to really recognize an important factor, because it was meant, for causes as unhappy as they’re foolish.
He concludes that he in all probability has. However, in some perverse and illogical means, the sacrifice continues to be value it, as a result of it led to this. He traverses the barrier.
Inside, the identical infernal creature that compelled him to surrender, abandon his runes, and teleport away simply minutes in the past greets him…with a face that appears a bit like a frostbitten Kurt Russell. This time, it received’t be unkillable. However neither will Timmy. This mirrored pair of totally ineffective builds – one piloted by a pc that is aware of what it’s doing, one manned by a human who clearly doesn’t – cross swords earlier than a crowd of uncaring stone pillars.
Timmy places up an excellent struggle, driving his adversary to the brink of defeat. Then, for the primary time (through a implies that isn’t falling off of a really excessive factor), he dies.
His soul slinks again to the Nokron website of grace, humiliated and hopeless. He is aware of he can’t hand over that simply, so he tinkers along with his gear, swapping a flame-based ash of warfare for a bleed-based one, similar to his allies-in-arms – who’re really expert in boss-battling and have the temperament required for it – really helpful. He farms some runes and really factors some factors into Vigour.
Then he tries once more. And once more. And once more. He’s getting a little bit bit nearer each time, regardless of having had one panicked try to make use of the Remembrance of the Starscourge go utterly awry in unbelievably goofy style. He’s present process the method. However, regardless of his greatest efforts, he’s not having fun with it. He appears like he’s banging his head towards a wall, and he would not assume that the rush of adrenaline he’ll get when he lastly manages to defeat his foe shall be value it.
He’s tried to search out pleasure in life as a digital flagellant, however the penance on provide merely doesn’t attraction to him. He sees the imaginative and prescient, and he sees why different folks find it irresistible a lot. It simply isn’t for him. And that’s OK. He’s been quietly having a superbly fantastic time with this warped, imperfect model of Elden Ring. The one downside is, the world’s most ineffective unstoppable pressure has now run into an immovable object.
However there’s one final hope. One final gambit. Timmy heads again to see the Mimic Tear another time. Simply earlier than he passes by the mist, he lays down his arms, unequipping his sword and protect. As quickly as he emerges on the opposite aspect, his doppelganger fees at him, unleashing a flurry of fists.
Staying afloat because the tidal wave of light blows washes over him, Timmy re-equips his sword. He nearly feels unhealthy doing it. Nearly.
As Timmy sits by the brand new website of grace he’s simply activated, re-equipping his accused medallion and changing into invincible as soon as extra, he hears some extra phrases from Miyazaki in his head. “I figured if I may discover a approach to take management of the sport, I may flip it into something I wished. Better of all, if my concepts failed, no one would care – it was already a failure.”
This failure, the one which feels it ought to attempt to get higher at FromSoft video games, however merely doesn’t wish to, rises to its ft.
Off it strides, ever deeper into this sport that it’s taken management of, and turned it into what it needs, one thing that permits it to take pleasure in and recognize the remainder of the nice work that’s gone into crafting the expertise, realizing that the actual fact it’s carried out so isn’t the top of the world.
For those who’d wish to experiment with Timmy’s immortality medallion for your self, try this mod, fellow fraud.