Elden Ring: With God Mode Enabled

Chapter 357: 'Lord of Frenzied Flame'

Having read through the letter, Bai Shi couldn't help but frown.

The letter was strange... When the woman named Nanaya wrote it, she must not have been in her right mind.

Especially those last few lines—they were twisted to the point of being disturbing.

Although the handwriting was no different from the rest of the letter, it somehow exuded an air of madness.

Could these be the words of the “other her” she mentioned in the letter?

Bai Shi’s gaze fell once more upon the spine-torch clutched in Nanaya’s corpse.

The torch’s origin was unknown, yet it emanated an aura similar to the Lord of Frenzied Flame—so similar that it had even deceived Lilianna.

Clearly, it was an object of immense significance to the followers of the Frenzied Flame.

In any other setting, it would be no surprise for a cult to worship it as a sacred relic.

A ray of hope...

No good could come from a sealed Lord of Frenzied Flame encountering a fire like this.

Did Nanaya truly want Middla to be set free?

To free him from agonizing torture only for him to descend into the madness of the Frenzied Flame and accept his identity as its Lord?

She mentioned in the letter that she had died and been resurrected, giving birth to an unknown presence within herself.

These final, chaotic words were likely the thoughts of that "other her."

But still, what did this "death and resurrection" truly mean...?

Just as Bai Shi clutched the letter, lost in thought, his vision was completely filled by the back of a green pixie.

"Let me see, let me see!"

At the same time, heads leaned in from Bai Shi's left and right, peering at the letter.

With a sigh of resignation, Bai Shi held out the letter so the two women and the pixie could see it clearly, while he continued to ponder from memory.

Just then, Bai Shi turned to look at Irena, an idea suddenly striking him.

Death and resurrection... wasn't that just the Frenzied Flame's way of possessing a corpse?

Such possessions were surely not limited to the few cases like Shabriri.

In the Lands Between, there had long been legends of witches being reborn.

Bai Shi could even recall a shield crafted specifically to commemorate such events.

The Shield of the Guilty, which could be found in the Weeping Peninsula.

It was a shield used to pacify souls and bolster one’s mind.

A witch who had touched the Frenzied Flame was, naturally, a sinner.

And bolstering one's mind was precisely what helped a person resist the Frenzied Flame.

Bai Shi looked at Nanaya's corpse. Her eyes were covered by a cloth strip, so he couldn't tell if they were intact.

And in the paintings of Middla and Nanaya he had seen on the way here, her eyes had also been left undrawn.

If that was the case, then everything made sense.

The gnarled Omen horns on their infant would have caused a difficult birth, leading to the mother's death.

As Hornsent, Middla and Nanaya were not immune, and Nanaya died because of it.

And that was the turning point in the fate of everyone in this manor.

Having died in childbirth, Nanaya's body was possessed by the Frenzied Flame, creating a state of apparent resurrection.

After that, she—or rather, "she"—manipulated everything from the shadows.

Bit by bit, she lured Middla into approaching and studying the Frenzied Flame, ultimately plunging the entire manor into despair.

Her final goal was likely to bring forth the Lord of Frenzied Flame.

However, unlike Shabriri and Hyetta, who were completely unaware of their bodies' origins...

For some reason, Nanaya retained her past memories and was able to live with Middla as normal.

Was Nanaya changed by the Frenzied Flame, or was the witch of the Frenzied Flame influenced by Nanaya's love?

Perhaps it was the Hornsent's unique trait—their horns' ability to house souls—that allowed a part of Nanaya's spirit to remain.

...

Bai Shi set the letter down and turned his gaze to Nanaya's corpse, and the "Nanaya's Candle" in her arms.

Regardless, he would not hand this torch over to Middla as she had intended.

If Middla could be transferred from his current, unstable seal to a more secure one, it would certainly save a lot of effort.

If one could reason with him, Middla seemed like the more rational type.

It was even possible he had stopped resisting and accepted his confinement voluntarily; otherwise, his inquisitors would surely have been no match for him.

An object that could agitate Middla like this should be kept far from his sight. It would be disastrous if it triggered a rampage.

It was best to secure it and keep it away from him.

Having made up his mind, Bai Shi turned to Irena with instructions:

"Irena, can you seal this thing?"

"If you can't seal it securely, just extinguishing it is fine too."

Irena glanced at the faintly burning flame and nodded.

"Mm."

"I'll try."

Irena held out her hands, aiming them at the Frenzied Flame on the spinal column.

As her spiritual power flowed out, a ripple of lake-like light slowly spread over it.

However, the moment the light touched the flame, something unexpected happened.

The spine-shaped torch instantly erupted in a violent blaze, burning itself to ashes just before the seal could completely envelop it.

Although the end result was the same—the torch was extinguished—the process was completely unexpected.

Even Irena was startled by the sudden turn of events.

"Th-that..."

"I haven't even done anything yet..."

The others could clearly see that this wasn't Irena's doing, but rather a premeditated plot.

Nanaya had never expected anyone to bring the candle to him.

Bai Shi’s eyes sharpened as he looked toward the room's wall.

More specifically, what lay behind it.

The moment the candle was extinguished, its faint, residual aura seemed to be drawn away, instantly vanishing to that spot.

To Middla's place of imprisonment!

Everything in this manor was still unfolding according to Nanaya’s plan!

"Boom—"

Bai Shi smashed straight through the wall and immediately stepped into another room.

Just as the letter had said, only a single wall separated Middla and Nanaya.

Melina followed close behind, stepping in beside him, her gaze warily fixed ahead.

Behind the wall was a vast, empty hall.

Only one person was imprisoned here—Middla, who was both a king and a prisoner.

He was a man whose body was withered and twisted by cruel instruments of torture.

The sight of the device piercing Middla’s body made even Bai Shi suck in a sharp breath, a phantom pain shooting through him.

It was a fan-shaped contraption resembling a tree's root system.

A central trunk, like the main vein of a leaf, entered from the top of Middla's head, while below, countless golden barbs fanned out wantonly.

Its immense size made it impossible for Bai Shi and the others to imagine how it had been forced into his body.

The bizarre instrument pierced Middla from above, forcing his head to remain tilted back at an unnatural angle.

Meanwhile, the lower, root-like section of countless golden barbs tore through his chest, jutting out haphazardly from between his ribs.

Middla was stripped of all human dignity, appearing like a corpse impaled on some religious icon.

At this moment, Middla was staring blankly at the faint flicker of light, his head tilted back. The instrument had torn the skin from his scalp, and the flesh on one side of his face was bunched up, blinding him.

Just then, a cloudy tear trickled from his one good eye, and muffled words escaped his lips:

"Nanaya..."

"Was it all a lie?"

"Then why... why reveal the truth to me now?"

"Was the truth of the past nothing more than a fiction you wanted me to see?"

"How laughable... to think I was so immersed in that falsehood..."

Bai Shi didn't interfere, merely preparing himself for a fight.

Nothing could change it now. Middla's heart was already dead.

"Please forgive me, Nanaya..."

"It was my selfishness that turned you into what you became."

"This is all my sin..."

Slowly but firmly, Middla gripped the torture device that impaled him, not even pausing as the barbs pierced his palms.

"Aaaaargh—!"

Before Bai Shi and the others, Middla pulled the greatsword that had become one with his body free.

—Along with his own head.

—

Pain, torment, curse, despair.

Throughout this lengthy punishment, Middla had teetered on the brink of collapse countless times.

If he had not touched the Frenzied Flame in the past, this torment would never have befallen someone of his noble status.

If he hadn't given up resisting and willingly accepted the punishment, instead slaughtering his inquisitors, he would never have ended up in this state.

But Middla knew it was impossible.

No matter how many times he faced that choice, he would always end up here.

As a husband, as a lover, he could not accept Nanaya's death.

For that reason, he turned a blind eye to the abnormality of her resurrection, immersing himself in a false happiness.

But as a sage, as a scholar, he also understood the gravity of his sins.

For that reason, even knowing the agony of the punishment, he acknowledged his guilt and willingly accepted eternal damnation.

Amidst the everlasting pain of the golden barbs, Nanaya's words had been Middla's pillar—

Please, endure.

Those words were a curse.

The instrument of eternal punishment was no Unalloyed Gold Needle; it had no power to suppress the surging Frenzied Flame.

All along, it had been Middla himself suppressing the flame while simultaneously enduring the torture.

Punishment and happiness had become one and the same to him.

But today, everything Middla had held onto was shattered.

When he saw the Frenzied Flame, tinged with Nanaya's aura, appear before him, Middla had no choice but to admit the truth he could never face.

What he saw was not a ray of hope, but the blackest despair.

'Nanaya' knew him too well. Was even his torment part of 'her' plan?

Everything in the past had just been a puppet show directed by the presence behind it all.

For Middla, this was utter despair.

Lies don't hurt you. It's the truth that cuts you like a knife.

It was all fake.

Middla had known for a long time. He just hadn't been willing to face it.

As both a scholar and a sage, he wasn't blind to something so obvious.

Especially not after reliving the past again and again amidst endless agony.

Her undisguised resurrection had been too brazen.

The moment he saw that Frenzied Flame, Middla understood everything.

His reason told him the person before him was no longer Nanaya.

But the cage woven from love was the strongest prison of all, one that the sage Middla was fated never to escape.

The dead should rest in peace, but his own selfishness had defiled Nanaya's very existence.

A single wall. A barrier that separated them completely, impossible to overcome.

Not only their bodies, but their hearts as well.

From start to finish, nothing had escaped 'Nanaya's' control.

The love was real, but so was the Frenzied Flame.

The usurping flame twisted their love, ultimately creating the tragedy known as the Lord of Frenzied Flame.

—

When Middla's body stood up, a sun of Frenzied Flame ignited atop the headless corpse.

The golden instrument of torture was crushed in his grasp, its golden barbs twisting inward, contorting into a malformed greatsword.

Within that fiercely burning sun of Frenzied Flame, Bai Shi saw flashes of Middla's past.

His entire life appeared as a phantasm before Bai Shi's eyes, only to be melted away into the void.

All love and hatred were incinerated by the Frenzied Flame.

The moment Middla pulled out the sword of eternal punishment, he had abandoned the struggle.

He had endured despair and torment for too long.

The one standing before them now was no longer Middla.

Just as 'Nanaya' had hoped, in the depths of despair, the Frenzied Flame burned brighter than ever.

The Lord of Frenzied Flame had come into the world.

Throughout the valley, all traces of the flame reignited. The yet-undestroyed creatures of Frenzied Flame raised their heads high, acclaiming the arrival of their king.

—

Facing the Lord of Frenzied Flame, Bai Shi was on maximum alert.

This time, he didn't dare hold anything back.

Enjoying the thrill of battle was something best saved for more conventional opponents.

Bai Shi took a deep breath, activated the power of his Great Runes, and switched his state.

Instantly, a boundless aura erupted from him. His presence surged! It soared! It went wild!

The creatures of Frenzied Flame, which had been prostrating themselves in worship just moments before, were now crushed by this violent, overwhelming presence, unable to even lift their heads.

At this moment, every living thing in the valley could only lie flat on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

A king's majesty instilled a fear that arose from the very core of their being.

This was the realm of kings.

After his intimate contact with Melina two days ago, Bai Shi had taken the opportunity to have her help him expend all his runes, converting them completely into his own power.

Vigor, Strength, Dexterity.

All three attributes had broken their limits, reaching a superhuman level.

With it came a tremendous increase in his overall strength.

Bai Shi had officially stepped into the realm of gods and kings.

Stretching his shoulders, Bai Shi casually summoned the Sword of Night and Flame.

The Sword of Night and Flame had also expanded several times over, becoming a size appropriate for him.

During its last reinforcement, Bai Shi had Master Hewg make some adjustments. Now, the weapon could finally change its size along with his to suit combat.

Bai Shi raised his sword, its tip aimed directly at the Lord of Frenzied Flame.

"Out of respect for Middla, I will erase you from this world without holding anything back."