After several days of intense fighting, most of the first batch of players who got their hands on Elden Ring have either completed their first playthrough or are already in the late stages of the story.
Song Ren was no exception. He hadn't paid too much attention to the online discussions about Elden Ring's balance issues before.
After all, as long as he enjoyed playing the game himself, that was all that mattered.
Returning once again to the Erdtree's grand hall and defeating the ‘Fist King’, Song Ren was filled with emotion.
He knew that the final battle of the game was about to commence.
Reflecting on the BOSSes in the game, he realized they had truly left an unforgettable impression on him.
At the Royal Capital Cathedral, he had encountered Morgott the Omen King. Because of the unpleasant experience Margit the Fell Omen had given him early in the game, he had always thought this Omen wasn't a good sort. Coupled with the way he angrily reprimanded his vassals in the opening CGI, he seemed like a furious clown.
But as he gradually understood the story, he began to feel the charisma of Morgott the Omen King. One could say he was the BOSS in the game he respected the most.
Under the Erdtree Dynasty, Morgott, born an Omen, lived in shadow, confinement, and prejudice from others. He wasn't even allowed to inherit his father Godfrey's surname.
Yet, despite this, Morgott, as an Omen, still loved the Erdtree Dynasty, his devotion unwavering.
Later, Godfrey, the First Elden Lord, was exiled, becoming a Tarnished who left the Lands Between. Queen Marika and her alter ego Radagon then married themselves. The soul of Godwyn, the rightful Golden Prince, was murdered on the Night of Black Knives, and even the power of the Golden Order couldn't resurrect him. The Elden Ring shattered once more, plunging the world into chaos. Demigods with great runes like Ranni, Radahn, Malenia, and others all abandoned Leyndell, Royal Capital.
All factions across the Lands Between began to attack the Royal Capital. At this point, the Royal Capital had no legitimate demigods left, and its fall seemed inevitable.
But it was then that Morgott, who had always been persecuted by the Golden Order era, stepped forward. The ugly Margit the Fell Omen displayed the mighty power of Godfrey's son, single-handedly leading the remaining Royal Capital guards to repel all invading demigod armies, thereby defending Leyndell, Royal Capital, a symbol of the Erdtree era.
He placed a fragile wooden chair in the center of the Royal Capital before the golden seats of all the demigods, serving as his 'throne' to mock the other demigods. Yet he never claimed kingship. Afterwards, he internally formed the Night’s Cavalry to suppress the rebellious demigods' forces, while also hunting the Tarnished who came to claim the throne after the shattering of the Elden Ring. He also shouldered the heavy responsibility of maintaining order in the increasingly decaying Leyndell, Royal Capital, as its last king.
But he was ultimately just an Omen, lacking the power to seize the great runes from the other demigods to mend the Elden Ring. All he could do was guard the entrance to the Erdtree, quietly awaiting his fate, whether it be his father Godfrey, the First Elden Lord, other demigods, or unfamiliar Tarnished.
Just as it was written on his Remembrance: It is not out of a desire to repay love, but simply a desire to love.
For Morgott the Omen King, Song Ren could only say that this character suffered due to his appearance.
Of course, besides Morgott the Omen King, many other BOSSes also left a deep impression.
Starscourge Radahn, who single-handedly sealed the stars, had countless heroes come to give him a final, frenzied send-off. But who would have thought he was such a gentle and warm-hearted man?
To fight alongside his beloved small horse, he even learned gravity magic, so gentle it could make one weep.
Then there's Malenia, one of the prime examples of a character with stunning looks, yet whose actions felt rather despicable. Her lines, “Malenia, Blade of Miquella” and “I am undefeated,” oozed with prestige. Her difficulty, however, was, in Song Ren's opinion, the hardest BOSS in the entire game. Her three phases of sword dancing, like the Waterfowl Dance, made his scalp tingle. Fortunately, he eventually defeated her with the help of the Mimic Tear and a greatshield strategy.
But in the game's story, Malenia wasn't so great. She lost to Starscourge Radahn in the Shattering War, then pulled out Miquella's Needle, which suppressed her Scarlet Rot, unleashing the Scarlet Rot and turning all of Caelid into a living hell.
And Ranni in Ranni's Rise, the scene where he presented her with the ring and she reciprocated with the Dark Moon Greatsword, moved Song Ren deeply.
Besides these, what he found most unforgettable was Melina, the witch who first appeared by his side.
From a narrative perspective, Melina didn't say much. She would only appear to see him after he rested at a Site of Grace several times.
But he loved Melina, and heaven knows what he did for her. When he logged off to rest earlier, he secretly saw a spoiler, and combining it with the description of a strange man before the Mountaintops of the Giants in the game, he immediately figured out the related content: Melina was going to sacrifice herself as kindling to burn the Erdtree. How could he possibly stand for that?
To resolve the thorns that rejected the Erdtree and allow him to become Elden Lord, Melina would actually sacrifice herself?
If that wasn't love, what was?
So, saving Melina became Song Ren's goal.
To this end, he tried every possible method: he completed Malenia's side quest to get Miquella's Needle, entered the Royal Capital sewers to meet the Three Fingers and gain the power of the Frenzied Flame, and then used his own body as kindling to burn the Erdtree.
It’s just linking the Fire, right?! I’ve linked it so many times in Dark Souls, Melina, I’ll link this Fire with you! Melina, I’ll protect your life! No one can stop me!
As for Fia and Ranni, he could only say that those two questlines were quite something.
One was a Pure Love Warrior's ecstasy, the other a Netorare Warrior's ecstasy.
In terms of looks, both Fia and Ranni were top-tier, both very desirable.
But who could fault them for arriving a little later than Melina?
Slowly stepping inside the Erdtree, Song Ren watched Radagon appear with his great hammer. This was the game's final BOSS.
Once he defeated him, he could become the Elden Lord.
Through days of training, he had long adapted to Elden Ring's combat system.
Moreover, the game itself offered many interesting and powerful playstyles. In fact, for veteran Souls players, Elden Ring's difficulty actually decreased significantly in the later stages.
Coupled with Song Ren's playstyle, which heavily emphasized caution, he wore the full Dung Eater set, maximizing its resistance to Holy damage, and wielded a greatshield with the highest magic resistance, tanking all the BOSS's damage throughout.
At the same time, he had invested many attribute points into his level, making his HP, damage, and stamina bar all perfectly adequate.
Radagon in the first phase posed no significant threat. It was the Elden Beast in the second phase that was a bit hard to defend against with its four light blade slashes from a distance, the golden wave attack up close, and its tracking light projectiles.
Of course, what was even more annoying was that the Elden Beast kept running around, slipping away after only a couple of pokes.
But overall, once he mastered the strategy, it wasn't difficult. After dying about six or seven times, Song Ren, with the help of the Mimic Tear, finally poked the Elden Beast to death.
“Nice! Finally killed you!”
“Now I can live happily ever after with my Melina.” Thinking of this, Song Ren chuckled with delight.
But as he approached the shattered Elden Ring and triggered the subsequent cutscene, the畫面 that appeared immediately dumbfounded him.
This... this wasn't what he had imagined!
The Clown is me!?
(End of Chapter)
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