Level Up: LV 96 → LV 97
Weapon: Brass Shield +3 → Brass Shield +4
Weapon: Godrick's Royal Axe → Godrick's Royal Axe +2
After Nidhogg killed the "magic archer" Owen, he received a level-up in combat experience and an enhancement to his weapon.
This was the result of the final battle for Stormveil City, the rush back to the Spirit Tree Pavilion, and today's battle before the monastery in the Village of Irog.
There were also some unmentioned enhancements, including the Grafted Blade Greatsword and the Golden Halberd, which were also strengthened by one level, reaching +7 and +6 respectively.
"Nidhogg!"
A shout came from behind. Nidhogg turned his head and saw Guts, covered in blood, clad in black and red armor, holding the Dragonslayer, emerging from the monastery gate.
Nidhogg immediately recognized Guts's armor as the Berserker Armor. Its form was quite distinctive.
He didn't think anything was wrong. He believed that Flora and the others had thought it over again and again before allowing Guts to wear this high-risk, powerful Berserker Armor.
In the future, counting on Schierke's "attachment," Guts's combat power would be complete until the birth of Falconia, the capital of the eagles.
When Guts approached, his body was still trembling. He was obviously seriously wounded.
Puck flew out from behind Guts like a meteor, flying ahead of Nidhogg faster than him and crashing into him almost like a rocket: "You're finally back!"
Nidhogg had to open his arms, firmly catch Puck, hold him in his palm, shake his head, and smile: "What are you doing?"
Puck grabbed Nidhogg's thumb and bounced excitedly, as if he was going to break his finger: "What else could I be doing? You and the skeleton knight have been gone for over half a year!"
"The Spirit Tree was destroyed by this Apostle named Owen, the 'magic archer'." Guts had already walked before him, wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand, and set down the Dragonslayer.
"We also lost many people. If you hadn't come back and defeated him by surprise, perhaps this tug-of-war with the 'magic archer' would have dragged on for a long time, and we would have killed and wounded even more people."
"I heard such things from Schierke and the others." Nidhogg nodded and asked again, "Are you seriously wounded?"
Guts shook his head: "It's nothing."
However, he quickly thought that he had almost completely let the Berserker Armor attach to him and desperately released his berserk will.
Now, thinking about it, it was on the verge. If not for Nidhogg's return, he feared he would have actually done it. In the end, he might have lost control, and Flora and Schierke wouldn't have been nearby.
Guts hadn't experienced the consequences after this, but after hearing about it from Flora, even the skeleton knight would show his fury, regardless of friend or foe. Not to mention himself?
At that moment, the question wasn't whether he was seriously wounded.
"It's his mouth!" Puck jumped out of Nidhogg's palm, flapped his wings, flew onto the top of Guts's head, and kicked him in the forehead. "To save the villagers of Irog, he took several large arrows and almost died!"
Nidhogg was a little surprised.
Guts in the original timeline had changed to the point where if he could kill an Apostle, even if the Apostle used his loved ones as a shield, he would still strike.
Now Guts had also experienced the Eclipse, but at least over a hundred companions had survived, including his beloved and comrades-in-arms. So the situation was naturally different.
Even Guts in the original timeline, judging by various details, retained some warmth and kindness. But he was once blinded by hatred, until he was faced with the multiple-choice question of "Revenge and Protection," and he didn't change until then.
After that, Nidhogg took out his Flask of Crimson Tears and said, "Open your mouth. I'll give you a drink. It will help you heal your wounds."
"No." Guts felt it was a waste of Nidhogg's resources.
"Open your mouth. If you go back like this, Casca will surely be upset."
Guts thought for a moment, so he had to open his mouth and let Nidhogg pour him a sip of Crimson Tears. The pain in his body indeed decreased significantly. Some wounds noticeably shrank.
Nidhogg put away his Flask. Then he saw the priest, who was somewhat familiar, approaching with an embarrassed expression.
"You..." The priest didn't know how to describe what he had seen and heard today. Even many strange things could no longer deceive himself. In the end, he just sighed. "Thanks to your help, we were able to survive."
The priest understood perfectly well that if Guts and Puck hadn't held off Owen, he and the villagers wouldn't have been able to wait for Nidhogg to arrive. They would all have been buried here.
At this moment, he completely abandoned the opposition between the Holy See and pagan religions, abandoned all harsh ideas, and simply wanted to express his gratitude to them as an ordinary person from the Village of Irog.
Guts and Puck still found this very gratifying.
When this priest faced the threat of the "magic archer" Owen, he was still nagging. But now he was willing to bow his head for the survival of the villagers, to abandon prejudice and dissent. It still made them feel very comfortable.
"No need to thank me." Nidhogg replied, looking towards the monastery and noticing the tragedy inside. In fact, along the way, he had already seen the entire Village of Irog, no less tragic than this. "What are you going to do?"
The priest took a deep breath and slowly exhaled: "If you mean the entire Village of Irog, we will stay here and rebuild the village. Maybe I can persuade the nearby lords to come and help."
"If you mean me personally... I have committed a mortal sin, which conforms to the instructions of the teachings of the Holy See, but not the direction indicated by my inner faith..."
"I will stay here, repent, and atone. I will think clearly about what faith is."
Nidhogg looked at the priest in surprise. Then he thought of something, but nodded in agreement: "Introspection and then transformation can also be a way out."
"What did you say?" The priest looked up in confusion.
"Nothing. I just agree with your idea."
The priest pressed his lips together, thanked Nidhogg for approving of his ideas instead of seizing the moment to deny his faith. He spoke as if he had made a decision:
"From today on, I will renounce my current name and take the name of this village as my new name. I will stay here under the name 'Irog' as atonement, until I find answers to my many doubts."
Father Irog and the surviving villagers began to collect the bodies in the monastery and even throughout the entire village, continuing to work hard for the rest of their lives.
Nidhogg and Guts returned to the Spirit Tree Forest.
Puck curled up in Guts's cloth pouch and chatted, asking what Nidhogg had seen after he left.
Nidhogg answered absently.
Father Irog looked at their distant backs, then turned to re-examine the monastery before him, remembering what Morgan had told him about witches, about the secrets hidden beneath the monastery.
It was said that beneath this monastery lay the ancient ruins of the "Lady of the Waters." It was only through the spread of the Holy See's teachings that the ancient ruins were overthrown and the monastery was built.
Now, thinking about it, paganism might not be a way to deceive people. Perhaps the supernatural powers within it were also worth considering.
When my God does not answer my prayers, and a pagan God answers the prayers of believers and grants them divine power, how should I, a believer in the teachings of the Holy See, behave in such a situation?
When Nidhogg and the others passed by a lake, Guts also jumped into the lake to wash the blood from his body, so as not to frighten Casca and their children.
Soon after they entered the Spirit Tree Forest, they heard someone whistle. Then Guts whistled back.
Soon, from behind a nearby small hill, a group of people ran out, led by Judeau and Rickert from the old Hawk Company unit.
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