Azimuth: The Elden Throne

.

.

.

—

[Opening]

[Player: DareDevil (Dale Houston)

Attainments: Body Reformation; Eclipsed… Champion Vessel

Level:69 (48.1%)

Class: Alma Conqueror 25%

Character Status:

Strength: 208(556 -> 612); Constitution: 208(556 -> 612); Dexterity: 208(616); Mental Power: 183(463); Reflexes: 183(463); Mana: 208(453 -> 906)

Soul Power: 10 (110 -> 220)

Prime Origin: 250 (355 -> 690)

Spiritual Body: 220

Skills:

Slot 1-> Spear Technique 8-Star (Neutral)/ Mana Conduction 8.5-Star (Neutral)

Slot 2-> Close Quarters Combat 7-Star (Neutral)

Slot 3-> Prime Source 6-Star (Neutral)

Slot 4-> Stable Emotions 6.5-Star (Passive)

Slot 5-> Fighting Spirit 7.5-Star (Active)

Slot 6-> Land Raptor 6-Star (Passive)

Slot 7-> Spatial Awareness 3.5-Star (Passive)

Slot 8-> Anomalous Status Resistance 5.5-Star (Passive)

Slot 9-> Confluence 4.5-Star (Neutral)

Slot 10-> Soul Core 4.5-Star (Neutral)

Slot 11->

Slot 12->

Slot 13->

Extra Skills -> Self Reflection ???-Star

Current Effects:…

Equipment:...

Gaze of the Spirits -> The presence of the Spirits looms over you.

Tired…

Hungry…

Blessed by Ju-Arkesios -> Constitution +20 while within a 25 Km radius of any of her Temples. (Active)

]

"!"

'This... My Status… It came back with me?'

'No… Only my Skills… Aside from that, it's almost the same as it was before.'

'I also lost some of the Attaiments I acquired during those months… Shame, but its not the end of the world.'

'It seems only the "experience" side of things came back with it, albeit now, my Class progress broke through the barrier I was stuck at before. Why though?'

Dale stood silent for a moment, thinking about the reason why, but in the end, he gave up, moving on with his quick analysis.

'As for the rest... Soul Dissociation… At this period in time, I was affected by it, guess that isn't the case anymore… Even better, my plans can be executed faster that way.'

'I may have lost the progress from my Physical training and the pain I endured but I kept most of my understanding of it. This simplifies things.'

Dale was ready to redo his training, since this time, as he remembered how he trained and how he reached his milestones, going over it all again would take considerably less time.

'Still… Why are my Extra Skill Slots empty? I filled them up before after going through dozens of Skills…'

'Well, it doesn't matter much since I already have an idea what I'll be choosing. And once I do, I bet they'll be the same as they were before.'

'I just have to consume the Skill Books when I have the time, preferably after copying them as I did last time.'

"That covers it then, time to move."

'I'm in a rush.' Dale thought as he vanished into the side alleys

…

While the players of Azimuth went over their experiences in the Event, Dale ran to the Church at high speed, evading everyone on his path as he ran inside.

/Open!/

The long double doors opened, creaking heavily, it seemed those hinges required some oiling...

"Alright… Now to find him." Dale mumbled to himself as he took a step inside the empty church

Due to the event, there were currently no players within the Church, and neither would there be any within the next few hours as it was currently closed for repairs.

One of the underground rooms directly underneath the Church had part of its ceiling collapse, to prevent anything worse from happening the Church was closed to fix it and repair everything.

This was an indication of how dire the situation was getting, the Church was old and it had been partially abandoned for a century, now that it was receiving a massive influx of people every day, hundreds to thousands, some of its old scars and wounds are going to begin flaring.

As for the closed door, that was no problem to Dale as he already had a spare set of keys for the Church.

"Aha! There you are." Dale said as he walked to the end of the Church Hall

There, behind the altar, lying against the wall was an oversized sword… Caladbolg!

Whenever he isn't using it, he stores the sword in the Church, for many reasons not exactly worth mentioning.

As for his spear, it was still in his room waiting to be retrieved.

/Grab…/

Without hesitation, Dale held Caladbolg, and a plethora of feelings passed through his mind as he did so.

The memories of his vision passed through his eyes as he looked at the blade, trying to figure out just what exactly he was holding…

But after a little while, he raised the sword, letting it float beside him as he moved on deeper into the Church.

'Now to find that annoying guy…'

/Step step…/

"Hm?... Oh! Mr. Dale." Someone exclaimed from behind Dale as he turned around

"... Erile, there you are." He said with a smile as he turned to face the red-haired Priestess

The beautiful red-haired Saintess, Dale had many memories with her, unfortunately, all of that has yet to happen.

He was now back to square one with her and everything surrounding her.

She wore a more casual piece of clothing, but it wasn't what one would expect from a Priestess, it was more akin to the clothes a peasant would wear, albeit many times better due to the quality of its materials and confection.

She was like a cute Village girl in the countryside, the kind that would bake pies for you whenever you passed by...

Aside from that, in her hands was a golden head, his target, David.

"..."

David's eyes were serene and emotionless, as befitting those of a statue, but Dale wasn't fooled, he knew he was listening to them actively.

'This perverted Statue...' Dale thought quietly as he gave it a small glimpse

While he was suffering out there, he was enjoying the good life by being carried around by a pretty girl like a child everything.

Before, he tolerated it, feeling it was but natural...

But now, he wasn't willing to let this guy freeload anymore, not when he knew he would soon fail at his task.

There had to be a way to strengthen both him and the Church before the inevitable happened, so they could turn the tides and push down the evil sealed underneath it.

"I didn't expect to see you here, given you were busy. Is everything well?" She asked with a smile as she approached him

As formal as always, Erile didn't try to hide her upbringing as she spoke. At least not with Dale.

Sometimes, he found it difficult to even understand her due to her broad and somewhat specific vocabulary, but as she felt more at ease speaking like that, he did not try to ask her to tone herself down, "to his level".

She seemed to find his presence pleasant, which was good, since he already knew she wasn't that comfortable around others, especially around this point in time.

To have her grow confident around others would be one of his many objectives in raising her to the position of a proper Saint.

"I've already dealt with what I was doing before but work keeps piling up. It wasn't anything to be concerned about but thank you for asking."

"I can imagine, work is likely the only thing we don't lack around here… Anyhow, pardon my bluntness, but how may I help you today?"

"There are a few things I wanted to discuss with you, if you don't mind, how about we sit as I tell you everything." Dale said as he gestured for them to move

"Of course."

…

After moving rooms and sitting on the pews in the main hall, Erile broke the silence by speaking first:

"So… What was that you wanted to discuss with me about? I'll help in any way I can." She asked, this time, a bit more seriously as she turned to Dale

"There are a few things I would like to discuss with you, if possible…"

'Before, due to how busy I was, it took me several days to contact her, now I'm doing this immediately...'

'Maybe it was due to this neglect on my part that both she and David were forced to sacrifice themselves.'

'...'

"First, I would like to discuss how we should develop the Church."

"Develop?" She asked as she tilted her head

"Yes. Now that we received a great influx of people, the Church will play a pivotal role in maintaining the spiritual stability of the people, especially given how most of them are still shaken from their most recent experience."

"That is true, I've been made aware of it." It's great we took them in, they had nowhere else to go. I know it wasn't simple to bring them back from the forest, but thank you for saving them."

[Your actions have caused Erile's intimacy to increase!]

/Shine…/

Above Erile's Head, a strong and vivid crimson heart popped up, spinning eagerly before calming down.

It seemed to burn bright, albeit it remained calm like the reflection of the sun on a still lake's surface.

"..."

As he saw this very familiar scene unfold, Dale coughed lightly before proceeding, ignoring the notifications for now.

"It indeed wasn't easy, but it was what I felt was right, that's all. I would've done ten times over and not felt regret in all of them."

"I can share with you the story some other time if you're willing."

"It would be a pleasure!" She replied with a large, honest smile

"Anyhow... The reason I raised this issue to you is because… Let's be frank, you need help."

"Hm..."

She got a little embarrassed at his words, but not upset.

"A church can't function properly with only one Priest… You need helpers."

"Even the most simple task of cleaning the ground can become a shore when there's only you around... And that's what I want to speak to you about."

"With your authority, you should be on the lookout for those qualified to serve God, you understand what I'm talking about don't you?"

"Yes, yes I do… But…"

"I know. It's not easy to select people. But not all are fit for the task."

'In the past, she was also like this, uncertain if she was trully qualified to select people. To choose their destinies.'

'It's a responsibility, one not all are willing to take accountability for.'

"Let's do it like this, you see who you think is qualified, you write them down on a piece of paper and next time I'm back we'll discuss it, how about it?"

'The best way to deal with this is to take a portion of the accountability from her and share her burdens, it's not the ideal solution as she needs to grow, but pushing her to run a mile before she even learned how to walk isn't going to lead us anywhere.'

'She was already a Noble before so she has the upbringing, half of the task is already done, she only needs to get used to things as she's likely still somewhat in denial of who she is and what fate has to offer for her.'

'This time, I'll be there for her, properly.'

"... Alright, I think that's good… But why not now?"

"Ahem... I'm currently somewhat busy… So we'll have to leave such discussions for later, I just passed by to see how you were doing and to talk a little at the same time."

"I see. Thank you for visiting, I know you're busy with the Village and your responsibilities... It's always a pleasure to have company."

"You speak as if you were always alone. There's always someone on the Church." Dale said with a chuckle as he moved on

"It's not the same!"

"Is it? Then why is it a pleasure to have me and not everyone else?" He teased as he looked at her

"Erm..."

[Erile's intimacy has increased slightly]

"..."

Seeing the girl squirm to find an answer, Dale coughed audibly before moving on, changing the topic.

He found her cute, however, he knew when to stop.

"Aside from that… If you don't mind me asking, would you be willing to share what you heard from the soundbox with me?"

"!"

Upon hearing him mention the soundbox, Erile's gaze turned distant.

In the past, Erile told him about it herself, triggering a Quest, but that was a few weeks in the future.

It was mostly because Dale was never present in full at the Church to give her the chance to do so. As such, this time, he presented her with the chance to do so.

The sooner he took the weight off her chest and triggered the Quest, the better.

"I wouldn't mind." She replied serious after regaining her composure

"You sure? Your expression says otherwise." Dale replied with a half smile as he looked at her

"Stop teasing me. Otherwise, I'll change my decision."

Dale raised his hands up, declaring his loss.

/Chuckle…/

Erile smiled as she chuckled, things were going well so far.

[Erile's intimacy has increased slightly]

"Still… I imagine we'll have to leave that conversation for later as well, won't we?" She asked as she rested her hands atop David's head

"... That's right, I apologize. I was the one who brought up the subject and in the end…"

"Stop it, I don't want to hear it anymore… This isn't worthy of apologizing for."

"... Great."

With those words, Dale opened his inventory, taking some things out with it.

A set of items, perfect for the occasion. Something he should've given to her long, long ago...

Something he should've thought about before, but due to his negligence and narrow-minded focus, he ended up losing the chance to acquire.

However now, with the chance he was given, he managed to make up for his past mistakes and gather it all... And it just so happened to be the right time to give her.

"These are for you." Dale said slowly as he passed her a box

"For me?..." Erile asked as she opened it, perplexed and even somewhat expectant for what was inside

Within were a set of several items, but what caught her attention was a golden blue 'dress' made of silk.

The moment she unfolded it, she was immediately mesmerized by it…

…

.

.

.

Notes