How long had she been imprisoned and tortured?
Sellen herself couldn't remember.
That bunch of worthless sorcerers who had abandoned the pursuit of the Primeval Current, a pack of complacent maggots who had halted their steps on the path of discovery.
Turning their rotten lives into star seeds for the sake of exploration was the greatest contribution they could have made.
Unfortunately, she was still caught by those fools. No matter how decadent they were, they were still the elite of their respective classrooms.
She was locked here by those psychopaths, tormented day after day, unable to even kill herself to transfer her consciousness.
But now, everything was different. Someone had opened this cellar.
If she could just get him to kill her, she could use the contingency plan she had prepared to escape this place.
—
"You there, could you lend me a hand?"
Sellen endured the agony and took the initiative to make a request to Bai Shi.
"Of course. What is it?"
"Do you want me to shatter these crystals for you?"
Bai Shi naturally wouldn't refuse; he had come here for Sellen.
"No. No one can open these shackles except those sorcerers."
"Come... aah! Just kill me."
Bai Shi hesitated. This was different from the story he knew.
In the game, Sellen asked for help removing something called a Primal Glintstone from her body, which could then be installed in a puppet to give Sellen a new vessel.
But now, she was telling him to kill her directly.
Did Sellen have a contingency in place, allowing her to resurrect elsewhere upon death?
That had to be it. Sellen probably didn't trust a stranger to handle her Primal Glintstone, so she had prepared another method.
It couldn't be that she actually wanted to die.
Seeing Bai Shi's hesitation, Sellen spoke again.
"Oh, you must be concerned about your reward. Although I am a witch exiled from the academy and branded a heretic, I always repay my debts."
"Whatever you desire, I will do my best to satisfy it. Just name your price."
"As long as you kill me, I will resurrect in a place I've prepared."
"When that time comes, you can find my projection in the Waypoint Ruins, and I will give you the reward you seek."
Sellen gasped for air. It hadn't been easy to say so much while enduring such pain.
Bai Shi understood. He drew his greatsword and plunged it into Sellen's heart.
"In that case, I want to become your apprentice and learn sorcery from you."
"Heh... I've already told you I'm a heretical witch, yet you still wish to study under me. What a strange person you are... I hope you won't regret this."
With those words, Sellen's body died completely.
Bai Shi sheathed his sword and left. He believed Sellen would keep her word; he would simply have to find her at the Waypoint Ruins later.
Bai Shi returned to the surface. Erlisa saw that he came out alone but didn't ask any questions.
"Where are we going next? Straight to that demigod you want to kill?"
Erlisa was already eager for a fight.
But Bai Shi still needed to prepare.
He had to make a trip to the Roundtable Hold to have his armor repaired and purchase some potentially useful items.
"Not yet. First, I'll take you back to my stronghold. I need to get my armor fixed and make proper preparations before we set out."
"Alright, I'll follow your lead."
—
With Melina's help, Bai Shi once again arrived at the Roundtable Hold.
He had just taken Erlisa back to Castle Morne, where he had a servant arrange a room and a change of clothes for her.
Bai Shi then brought Erlisa's damaged armor and his own to the Roundtable, intending to have old man Hewg repair them.
He was wearing a set of Godrick Soldier Armor he had found in the Castle Morne storeroom, with a Prisoner's hood covering his face.
This time, no one was startled by the sight of the Godrick Soldier Set. It seemed that newcomers often stripped corpses for their gear.
Carrying a large sack of armor, Bai Shi headed for Hewg's room.
When he arrived, no one else was there; Hewg was resting. Seeing Bai Shi enter, Hewg stood up and picked up his hammer.
"More and more new faces at the Roundtable Hold. But it makes no difference. The work's the same."
"Are you here to strengthen a weapon? Or to repair armor?"
Bai Shi set down the large sack of armor he was carrying, took out the pieces one by one, and placed them on Hewg's table.
"I need this armor repaired. I was wondering how long it would take, and what the cost and materials would be."
Hewg examined the armor before him, a look of surprise on his face.
"The armor of a Zamor Hero, and a Banished Knight's... It's been a long time since I've seen these."
Hewg considered for a moment before giving his answer.
"There's quite a bit of damage, and it covers a large area. It'll take about two days."
"Don't you worry about materials. The Roundtable has a full stock. As for payment, you can settle it when you come to pick it up."
Bai Shi nodded. Two days wasn't too long. It would be a perfect opportunity to learn Hoarfrost Stomp from Erlisa.
"Alright, thank you for your trouble."
Leaving the equipment behind, Bai Shi went to the trading area to look for useful items.
He hadn't been browsing for long when a figure clad in black armor with a face-obscuring hood approached him.
Looking at the Envoy, Bai Shi frowned. Why another one?
If he had learned something and came seeking revenge for the two Envoys at Castle Morne, this could be troublesome.
After all, the Roundtable Hold was the territory of the Two Fingers, and the Envoys were their subordinates.
If a fight broke out, there was no question who the crowd of Tarnished nearby would side with.
Bai Shi was ready to flee at a moment's notice, but the Envoy bowed respectfully to him.
Then, he spoke to Bai Shi in a low voice.
"Fellow Tarnished, the noble Two Fingers have granted you the honor of an audience. Please, come with me."
Bai Shi was baffled. Why would the Two Fingers suddenly summon him?
But since the invitation had been extended, he saw no reason to refuse. He still needed to get a Talisman Pouch from the Finger Reader Crone, anyway.
So, Bai Shi followed the Envoy through a secret passage and into the Two Fingers' chamber.
The room was dim, illuminated only by a few candles on the floor that barely lit up the strange creature within.
It was two colossal fingers. They were covered in wounds, with flesh and blood showing through.
Strange hairs, which had the texture of plants, grew from their joints and in other places.
This was the spokesperson of the Greater Will—the Two Fingers.
Beside it stood a shriveled, skeletal old woman holding a massive wooden staff.
She was Finger Reader Enia, the very reason Bai Shi had come.
After leading Bai Shi before the Two Fingers, the Envoy knelt and paid his respects, then turned and departed.
"Oh, a newly arrived Tarnished. I am Enia, the Finger Reader, who conveys the words of the great Fingers. The great Fingers have something to say to you."
The old crone Enia introduced herself.
At that moment, the Two Fingers were twitching slightly. This was how they spoke, a language incomprehensible to mortals, which was why a Finger Reader was needed to interpret their words.
Enia listened quietly to the Two Fingers' message, then turned to relay it to Bai Shi.
"The great Fingers say: 'I see upon you the mark of King Consort Radagon.'"
"'I believe you have the hope of a hero, perhaps even a king.'"