C78: Clearing the Dungeons Pt2.
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After spending a bit of time upgrading 2B, primarily adding a few runes for cosmetics to truly make her feel more authentic in terms of looks and personality, the rest went into upgrading her abilities to be far stronger.
He ensured that his previous 'programming' was reinforced with more detail about herself with actual programming instead of verbal speech like I did before.
The improvements to her power were also quite substantial as before I had the impression that she was peak base game at the very least but now she could totally take down an ng+15 boss. I could take it further but that would be a struggle unless I got rid of her original human state. The only alternative would be to bestow magic upon her and break the natural immersion I would have with her.
"Wait, could I somehow imbue a weaker version of my own skills onto her?" as the words left my mouth, I begin to scour the knowledge of runes I possess and find that it is possible but only for weaker versions of what I have which is still plenty enough but this would likely overdraw the energy of her core which means I would have to upgrade that or make the skills an external subject like the life of her swords but do it on her clothes. Yea that works.
I got to work on augmenting her body with skills that I could while the rest went into her clothing and weapons to further boost their power. In the end, I ended up enhancing the size of her chest and ass as it gave me more space to set up the runes, yes totally, the runes guys.
From there, I woke her up and explained the new changes along with an internal systems update which is properly self automated now by her rune setup and not having to fake it like before.
She thanked me for my hard work as I sent her out again, though where I sent her now was into the Ailing Loran Chalice so that she could grind for materials for me even though the monsters would not be too strong for her. But she could use them to get used to her newfound strength and durability.
As for me, it's high time, I gave a certain mutt a run for its money. I activate the defiled chalice and once there, I summon the Lunar moon which hovers above me, purifying any and all curse that touches me even if my new physique would work to purify for me anyways.
I also find that the actual curse of the dungeon is also negated as I have my full vitality, truly impressive my new moon is. Heh heh, new moon.
Ahem, it's time to fight the dog again. I casually walk up to the fog gate before entering the arena.
The watchdog of the old lords notices my presence and gets up before going up in flames, preparing to charge at me like it did before.
CLICK BANG
As it began it's charge, I was prepared to simply dodge like before but this is the perfect time to try out my new skills. I use both Berserker Rage and the new form of Overwhelming, Power Boost to increase my power up to 20x more than normal. I click my Saw Cleaver into it's trick state before slashing out.
Firstly, the passive skill Riposte Strike kicked in to nullify the charge that the watchdog had done, it stopped right in front of me all confused before my blade continued in making contact. I felt rejection from it's thick carapace before it gave way and my cleaver did it's namesake right.
I cleaved right through the beasts head, brain and all. The saws on my cleaver even torn into the rest of it's head, dragging along thick chunks of fire coated flesh and …lava?
Oh well, it's dead, in one hit too. Serves it right for killing me before. Now I need to somehow test out how strong I am without any skills. Ill try it out on the next boss.
The system notifies me of my successful hunt and how I got the boss rewards which was the root chalice for this dungeon and a cursed fire damp blood gem 5 which feels like it would negate itself since it's both fire but damp but whatever.
Since I failed the challenge mode, I also did not get the full clear rewards for this floor. So for the sake of the grind, I go back and kill everything, looting everything which ended up with me getting a few cursed radiant damp blood gems, cursed tempering damp blood gems, ritual blood (4) and (5) along with tomb mold (4) and finally there was the inflicted organs, which honestly are goddamn gross.
It's as if someone stuffed a Behelit into a jar with a bit of its own blood to keep it soaked. I would not be outright surprised if this wasn't some poor woman's ovaries sack stuffed into a jar. I reiterate, it's goddamn disgusting.
After clearing the floor, I use a bold hunter's mark to return to the boss arena and go down to the third floor where I once again get the array of challenge modes set up for me.
The rewards are less in terms of the greater skill shards from last floor but more in terms of lesser shards in general. I waste no time in accepting the challenge and rushing forward. In the gigantic hall, my newly evolved Wind manipulation turn Mastery which is at 25% from evolving Cosmology helps me more clearly sense the surroundings. I can clearly 'see' that a path to the left only leads to an abundance of chests while the right has the lever after traveling a bit underground.
I push open the locked door with a spike on it with an earth pillar just like my seeker instinct did and drop down the hole on the other side. Taking out the Keeper of the old lords and her two dogs along the way, I soon enough find a fatty watchman guarding the lever which I just use earth to switch on but I still kill the fatty to build up time before using my new movement tech, QuickSilver to rush back, jump back up and out through the side door I came in from.
I lift the door manually to the boss arena but I encounter two more of the rabid dogs that are associate with the keeper of the old lords. Except these are B i g. Naturally these were the minibosses for this floor and as planned, I fight them naturally.
'Huh, I thought they could survive at least 8 hits, what the hell is this?' I can't help but think as all of my attacks with the saw cleaver smacked them around like bitches as they slammed into the walls or each other over and over again until they just died.
With the seal to the boss arena unlocked, I push open the doors to find an old enemy, Amygdala.
"Congratulations bitch, you get to be the third of your kind I kill. Rejoice. I use Astral Movement to shift behind the Amygdala and then combined with Power Boost, I blast it's small itty bitty tail off to the point that Amygdala screams in pain as it falls over which only has me rush into it's head with astral speed (alt name for movement) and slam into it with my shoulder.
The force of which knocks it down and allows me to wail on the softy squishy tissue of it's stupid hairy eyeball covered head. For the hell of it, I speed up it's suffering and add in Berserker rage as I use the speed skill to dash around for tiny distances just to add a 'tiny' portion of damage to my attacks.
Rifts are left in it's flesh as the pain causes it to be unable to even move as its arms flail around me. I notice them far too easily as I just side step or dash around. I crush two of it's arms in the process before finally finishing it off entirely. It tries to rip off its own useless arms but I just crush those arms along with it.
The kin releases some sort of sound that to me sounds like the emotion of pure suffering. Good. I sit down and let it rot…or i would if it would die faster but it doesnt so I finish it off just in time to get gold.
Along with this victory. I get the Great Pthumeru Ihyll chalice which I had a strong feeling for but less so about this chalice and it feels like it's more about the root chalice which my instincts scream in agreement.
I sigh in confusion over how my own body can agree with my thoughts so mysteriously.
Other than the shards, I get ritual blood 5 x 4, tomb mold 4 x 8, sage hair 2x, and an infected organ x3. Of course there are also a few cursed gemstones but those are all but worthless at this point.
With no path forward, I see nothing else to do here so I use the lamp to return where I finally turn off the lunar moon over me. I then cancel the entire chalice ritual for the defiled and Cursed Chalice before checking out the requirements for the Ihyll chalice.
"Hmm, 11.5k blood echoes, easy. Ritual blood (5) x 9, done. I'm starting to have a surplus of them. Red jelly's…a bit tougher but I have one missing. A quick search on my system store is that a few are available on the Lower Loran chalice. Living String? What the hell is that?" I read off the requirements before finding a single item that I don't have at all, nor have I heard of it. In fact, the cursed chalice is the furthest I've ever gotten in my playthrough of the game before just beating it.
"Uhhh, system, do you know where I can get this?" I ask but im not sure it would answer to ensure I discover it on my own. On previous occasions, the system would answer but it was primarily about things I could easily find out. The system infact does disappoint me as it does not simply hand it out, even for a price but chooses to guide me to the path I need.
[Complete the current main quest to gain access to the location where the creatures that provides the Living String resides]
"Oh, I see. And what is the main quest? I don't feel like I've seen it since I killed Rom"
[Main Quest 3: Slay Nicolash within ???
Step 1: Pass through Yahar'gul Hidden Village.
Step 2: Defeat ??? and gain access to the Nightmare Lecture Hall floor 2
Step 3: Access ??? and defeat ??? while on your way to gain access to Nicolash.
Step 4: defeat Nicolash and bring down the nightmare realm]
"I see, I see. Very informative. If I remember right, the location should be the nightmare of Mensis. So I have to kill something there to claim the Living String. Well, either that or just beat the majority of the main story to gain access to it." I think about the information and what I was able to extrapolate from my gamer memory. I know that somehow clearing the nightmare leads to Mergo but I don't remember how as the memory of the 'bebi' is hidden from even me. But im definitely not making progress with the dungeons unless I want to do the side ones.
'Wait, what dungeons do I even have available. Hmm, Hintertomb which I still haven't touched. Oh Lower Loran is now available. I would even have a bit of materials left over to not conflict with Ihyll, though I'm sure that I would gain the necessary resources either way.'
"I might as well clear the Lower Loran since it's just that good for resources. 2B is still clearing the root chalice so I don't have anything to worry about." I speak to myself as I notice that Cherry is hiding behind the Doll, peeking out at me.
I wave at them both before asking if the young girl has been alright so far.
"Yes, there has been little issue since her arrival. Though she has mentioned that she is hungry."
"Alright, I'll cook first before heading out again. You join us too, Doll."
"I do not require food to function."
"Nonsense, You can still eat even if you don't need to. That means you can enjoy the little bit of cooking I can do. I want to see how good my food becomes since I temporarily leveled up my creation skill to World Creator before it was resealed again. Will I see what it means to have a foodgasm in real life?
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