Never Take a Pirate for Grant'd! 4 - or 'So, I guess I have to fill up for Grant, heh?' (Castlevania Netflix Grant Danasty!SI, Lite Gamer)
Obtained 'Weakened Laevatain' - ATK + 15!
"Fucking finally," I muttered tiredly, getting a bit frustrated after wasting a full hour understanding how to crack the puzzle.
Bloody barrels, bloody pressure plates and a fucking secret room with levers to play with- it was puzzle galore and I hated every single moment of it. I normally like doing puzzles… but considering the situation, I found it outright stressful.
I didn't need to be given the Saw treatment for fuck's sake.
So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I got close to giving up on it two times, but I ultimately braved through and got it done. And the rewards were quite good truth be told, I had a new sword and a way out of this area.
The sword itself looked quite powerful and the name was familiar to me. What really caught me in a perplexed frown was the low-damage and the 'weakened' adjective on it. As I glanced at it, I was surprised when I got a small window with its description.
Weakened Laevatain - Forged by Volund the Elf, the blade was so lethal that it could harm the Norse Gods. Seized by Asgard, entrusted to Freyr and then sold to an unknown merchant, the blade would be gained by Surtr, the Lord of the Fire Realm- the blade would shred the roots of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, triggering Ragnarok. Yet, with the end of the Norse Pantheon so did the magic of Scandinavia as Laevatain is now a mere fiery sword that no longer bears its unique God-Slaying trait.
Well, that's just sad.
Still, it was a good sword and a general upgrade from my first weapon. I had it equipped at once, and I was eager to test it out. The occasion came right as I made my way upstairs, using a lever to open up part of a wall, and I ended up reaching what looked to be some sort of cellar. With a couple of zombies.
The monsters were even less of a threat than Skeletons but sturdier than bats. Also there were a lot of those, making it a bit of a lengthy task to clear up the room and-
Congratulations! You leveled up!
Name: Grant Danasty
LVL. 12
Status: Good
HP: 405/405
SP: 185/185
ATK: 69
DEF: 59
CON: 83
INT: 86
LCK: 90
I sighed in relief once I was sure the room was devoid of threats, but I was also now more confident that I was on the right path.
I was slowly making my way through the lower levels, and while I wasn't planning to go through the standard adventure of exploring the whole castle as I just couldn't brute-force my way through with how many dangerous threats between me and Dracula.
I would have to accept the fact that Speedrunning was my best option.
Moving towards the door on the left, I found myself in an area I couldn't… cross. The entire room was filled with mirrors and no monster in sight. While that should be relieving, the sheer amount of mirrors highlighted a potential threat that could linger within mirrors and attack out of nowhere.
I decided against trying my luck there and just went to the other door. This time around, the path was 'clear', with the only obstacles being even more zombies. Not enough to pose a threat and not enough to give me another level up. No, the real problem came in the next room.
I expected more zombies, and yet I was greeted by something bigger, meaner, and lifeless. To an extent. The large construct activated right as I approached its dormant form, its legs fully deployed as the armored enemy soon took a more active posture. Holding a large spiked shield on one hand and a large sword on the other, the monstrous golem took a step forward.
Final Guard
The Wraith of Great Warriors
HP: 5000/5000
A fucking Final Guard? How the hell does one make the huge step from a mere zombie to a late-game enemy!? Not only that, but as a boss, hence why the absurd HP to it. I readied Leavatain but I knew, deep down, this battle was going to be rough. And just enough to give me the clue if I could beat Dracula or not because… this bastard was weaker than Dracula. By a lot.
It took another step, ready to wage a fight with me, but before any of that could have unfolded, I noticed how shaky the floor was. In previous rooms, I knew what was downstairs, but this section is one I didn't explore.
Considering the trembling ground looking ready to collapse, I found myself tensing up just in time as the Final Guard took another step forward and stepped into the weak spot of an eroded layer of stones put together by concrete-like substance that had long gone to waste.
The stones fell rapidly, the Final Guard was the first to crash through, but I refused to concede to the fall as it would have killed me. What I did, however, was the opposite of what many would have done, which was to turn around and leave the room. Not when the door was closed and not when I wasn't sure I could outpace the collapse.
What I did was running forward, then jumping twice through my recently acquired ability, landing my feet on top of the Final Guard and then using it to propel myself twice once again.
I made it across just barely and I was glad that the part of the room that didn't fall apart had what looked to be a solid foundation. I took a moment to look down to see the boss currently downed but I doubted it was 'dead'.
"That was some lucky shit," I mumbled, unsure if I had to call that either the boss' indisposition or the fact I didn't fall to my death. "Still, what the hell was a Final Guard doing here?"
The question was not without merit. If that powerful boss was within such a remote area of the castle, then that means there was something worthy of putting a bloody Final Guard in this place. I checked around where it was guarding and I did find something that grabbed my attention.
It was an open room which looked like some sort of crypt with an altar at the end of it. Surprise flashed on my face as I slowly made my way towards the altar itself as I noticed some cloth covering what looked to be an item. Finally something to further bolster my capacity to fight? I sure as hell wasn't going to say no to that.
I made my way through the thin hall, looking around for truths only to sigh in relief as none of that was within my proximity. It didn't last long however, as what I found made my blood run cold. The cloth was unpleasant to the touch, and the reason for that was to suppress it because it was covering: a whip.
Obtained 'Voided Whip' - ATK + 0!
"No," I muttered in shock, reaching for the whip and holding it close. "How did- how did he get this?"
I knew Trevor would rely on the Morning Star as his upgraded weapon in the series, but I always thought Vampire Killer was somewhere inside the Belmont Manor. Somewhere for anyone to claim it. No, Dracula had gone the extra step and removed from all Belmont's reach the item that could have vanquished him- the Vampire Killer, it was no more.
I squeezed at the rolled-up whip, resting part of it against my forehead as I knew that this- this was worse than I thought. This- the Whip was forged through the sacrifice of an innocence, one that asked for the end of all evil and yet saw her legacy tarnished like this.
I would be an utter idiot to say that I could care for people that I can't see the face of, but as I brought the whip close to me, I felt the lonely humming of someone that knew their time was due.
I closed my eyes and quietly prayed.
"May your soul find peace, Sara Trantoul," I whispered softly. "For your sacrifice shall not be in vain. That I promise you."
There was silence at first, but then the whip started to glow soft as its frame changed. Pieces broke off slowly but steadily before ultimately a small fragment started to intensely burn blue and… slammed against my chest- no, the cross necklace I had around my neck as a small blue pearl fixed itself in the core of it.
(New Ability!)
(A Maiden's Blessing - Unique) - The last sacrifice of a forgotten soul, warmed by the hope of seeing her death given purpose. Your presence is now concealed to all beasts of chaos and darkness, may you find victory in your ambitious deed, John.
My eyes widened at this development, but I felt displeased that she was now gone, leaving the mantle of this duty on someone that wasn't tied to her beloved Leon. I frowned tiredly as I walked out of the crypt and noticed an opening to the ceiling with a ladder stuck there. Sighing, I started to climb up, using the uneven wall-tiles to carry me to the upper floor.
As I proceeded through the new area, I heard the noise of steam being pumped and the air got hotter and 'heavier'. Grimacing a bit, I knew where I was and this was both a good and bad thing.
Good news is that I was near the Castle's mechanical heart, bad news is that this area was visited by a few individuals I had to avoid at all costs to avoid detection.
Hopefully enough, my new ability was going to spare me from most of the trouble around…
End chapter Stats!
Name: Grant Danasty
LVL. 12
Status: Good
HP: 405/405
SP: 185/185
ATK: 69
DEF: 59
CON: 83
INT: 86
LCK: 90
-Equipment-
-Hand: Weakened Laevatain (ATK + 15)
-Accessory 1: Bandana (DEF + 2 - CON + 2)
-Accessory 2: Rowdy Pirate Outfit (DEF + 4)
-Abilities-
(The Most Agile Man in Transylvania - Incomplete) - Your body has been sharpened by years of running around, plot ambushes, and evade attacks. You receive knowledge on Advanced Parkour and you are 50% Faster than normal.
(Landfaring Pirate - Unique) - Once a pirate, always a Nobleman. You may have experience in sea-related topics, but you are a paladin at heart when your homeland is attacked. Receive 10% boost to ATK and DEF while protecting fellow Transylvanians.
(Magical Sense - Unique) - The Giant Bat's prided sight! You can now perceive secret passages with incredible ease.
(Double Jump - Unique) - An Infernal Ability not meant for a Mortal! You can now jump twice to increase your vertical reach.
(A Maiden's Blessing - Unique) - The last sacrifice of a forgotten soul, warmed by the hope of seeing her death given purpose. Your presence is now concealed to all beasts of chaos and darkness, may you find victory in your ambitious deed, John.