In the dim basement, it was impossible to perceive the passage of time.
Bai Shi and Sellen had been studying sorcery there nonstop.
In the end, it was Bai Shi who couldn’t hold on any longer. His mind had reached its limit, so he had no choice but to bid farewell to Teacher Sellen and return to Stormveil to rest.
Only after leaving the basement did he realize it was late at night.
The next day, Bai Shi told Teacher Thops about his apprenticeship with Sellen.
Thops was utterly shocked when he heard.
“I can’t believe you became a student of the renowned Sellen. She’s a prodigy known throughout the Academy.”
“This is great! Now I don’t have to worry about not teaching you well and leading a student astray.”
Bai Shi smiled and said to Teacher Thops:
“Teacher Sellen also had praise for you.”Teacher Thops froze.
“How is that possible? Don’t joke with me.”
“How could the great Sellen possibly know an obscure figure like me?”
Thops couldn’t believe it, thinking Bai Shi must be teasing him.
“Of course, it’s because I told her about you. She said the theory you’re researching is quite interesting.”
Thops swallowed, feeling a bit nervous, wondering what the great Sellen would think of his theory.
“What... what else did she say?”
Bai Shi paused, recalling for a moment before speaking:
“She also said that your theory does have the potential to be realized, and once it is, it will surely leave its mark in the annals of sorcery.”
Teacher Thops breathed a sigh of relief and, at the same time, felt incredibly inspired.
To think that even the prodigy Sellen said his theory could be realized was a tremendous encouragement.
—
Over the next few days, Bai Shi continued his life of study.
In the morning, he would first study with Teacher Thops, reviewing what he had previously learned. This period wasn't long, as Teacher Thops had little left to teach Bai Shi.
Bai Shi mainly used this time to relay the flawed foundational concepts that Teacher Sellen pointed out each day back to Teacher Thops, helping him perfect his own theoretical system.
Then, from noon until late at night, he would go to Teacher Sellen to learn more advanced new knowledge, continuously addressing his shortcomings along the way.
Bai Shi also took the time to learn the Zamor Ice Storm from Erlisa, a spell he had his eye on for a long time.
Thanks to his relentless studies recently, Bai Shi’s proficiency in sorcery had advanced by leaps and bounds.
If Bai Shi were at the Academy of Raya Lucaria right now, he would already be at a level worthy of wearing a glintstone crown.
Of course, he wasn’t exceptionally strong yet. After all, he had only just begun studying a short while ago, and wearing a glintstone crown was merely the first step across the threshold of a high-ranking sorcerer.
One could only say that a Tarnished, capable of strengthening himself through Runes, was indeed born with an advantage.
In just a few short days, he had already become skilled enough to be considered an elite at the Academy.
This life continued until Bai Shi’s equipment had been forged.
Iji’s forging speed was indeed fast, finishing even half a day earlier than estimated.
His tireless work, forgetting to eat or sleep, was a major factor. He had practically forged the entire set of armor in one go.
Bai Shi quickly donned the new set of armor and tested it out in the spacious courtyard.
He frequently leaped and ran, testing the armor’s flexibility.
In Dark Souls, when the player encounters the Nameless King, he has already been wandering for an unknown number of years, and his equipment appears weathered by time.
Even the golden breastplate that should have been radiant seemed covered in dust, not to mention the scarf and cloths he wore.
What Bai Shi wore now was the armor in its brand-new state, which was infinitely more impressive in appearance.
The crown, bracers, and breastplate were all covered in shimmering gold.
Looking from top to bottom, the first thing one saw was the long, grayish-white hair adorning the golden crown.
This wasn't Bai Shi's hair, of course, but a decoration on the crown.
It was made using the hair from Agheel, giving the appearance of bristling gray hair rising up.
Further down was a very wide, dark red scarf.
It was wrapped several times around his neck and shoulders, with the ends fluttering behind him.
The original scarf was tattered and grimy, its original color almost indiscernible.
Now, paired with this golden armor, it appeared exceptionally magnificent.
Perhaps this was how it was always meant to be, to match the noble status of the Nameless King.
The glittering golden breastplate was the most eye-catching part of the entire set.
The very central section of Agheel's breastbone was used as its base, with gold poured over it, fully showcasing the menacing form of the bones.
The defensive power of the golden breastplate was extremely reliable.
The bottom layer consisted of dragon hide and scales, the middle layer was dragon bone, and the outermost layer was specially treated, defensive gold.
This was arguably the sturdiest part of the armor set.
Below the two pauldrons, the cuffs of the sleeves were decorated with tassels made of dragon hide.
Originally, this was likely just the fabric of the clothing that had been torn in battle, making it look like tassels on the Nameless King.
But because Bai Shi was fond of the tassel design, he had it preserved.
The wide and massive battle skirt was layered, ensuring there were no gaps in defense.
There were three layers in total, overlapping each other, making it quite thick.
The outermost layer was a long, wide loincloth, sewn from dragon hide that had its scales removed and was then tanned, and it also came with a few decorative hanging strips of dragon hide.
The smooth, treated dragon hide could effectively protect against damage from stray arrows and slashes.
The layer beneath that was a skirt of overlapping dragon scales, which served as the main defensive layer.
The innermost layer was a dragon hide lining that had been more thoroughly treated, offering almost no defense and made purely for comfort.
On Bai Shi’s hands were a pair of golden bracers.
Like the breastplate, these bracers were first crafted with a layer of dragon bone before having a layer of gold poured over the outside.
The original set of armor had no boots or gauntlets; the Nameless King simply wrapped his feet and hands in cloth.
But of course, Bai Shi couldn't go into battle barefoot.
The painful memory of Morgott was still fresh in his mind.
Therefore, with Boc's tailoring, Bai Shi acquired a pair of dragon scale gauntlets and a pair of dragon scale boots.
After Boc sewed them, they were given to Iji for further processing, allowing them to change size with his body.
With this, Bai Shi's entire set of equipment was complete.
The dragon scales were as tough as iron and as sharp as blades, and light seemed to be swallowed by their surface.
Unlike the matte scales, the golden armor on his body was dazzling, instantly capturing one’s attention.
The armor set was quite heavy, but it was no problem for Bai Shi's current physical condition.
Bai Shi took a deep breath and slowly activated the power of the Great Rune, his body steadily growing larger.
The next part was the most important.
It would determine whether this set was merely decorative or truly battle-ready equipment that could accompany him onto the field. As Bai Shi's body expanded, the set of armor seemed to come alive, changing its size to match his.
The dragon hide continuously stretched out, and the scales spread from their overlapping state, leaving no gaps on the hide.
The breastplate and other parts, forged from dragon bone and gold, also grew in size with his body in perfect coordination.
Bai Shi confirmed that the armor could indeed change size with him.
He no longer held back, pushing his Great Rune to its limit and expanding to his maximum size.
As Bai Shi's body reached its full size, the armor also settled in place.
A joyous feeling emanated from the fully animated armor, as if it couldn't wait to be bathed in the blood of its enemies.
Bai Shi threw a punch, and a faint dragon's roar echoed in the air.
Bai Shi was thoroughly satisfied.
This was equipment worthy of a king, both in performance and appearance.
Now that the armor was ready, it was time to claim his weapon.
Before leaving, Bai Shi asked Iji to stay behind and briefly guide the blacksmiths in the city.
Bai Shi wanted to craft some equipment for the Tarnished.
Since they would be his regular army in the future, they would need to be properly equipped.
It was a well-known fact that an army's equipment had to look cool to strengthen the Tarnisheds' sense of identity.
There also needed to be different types of equipment, allowing them to develop according to their own strengths.
If they remained as ordinary soldiers, they would forever be stuck in a standard-issue soldier's set.
But by continuously improving their strength, they could, depending on their chosen path, wear sets that were both stylish and protective.
Silver Knight, Cathedral Knight, Lothric Knight sets—all of them could be provided in the future.
Among them, Bai Shi planned to specifically select the most outstandingly powerful Tarnished, form special units, and grant them specialized unit armor.
Tanks standing before their comrades in Havel's Set; well-rounded warriors in the Dragonscale Armor, masters of both offense and defense; berserkers wearing the Abyss Watchers' Set, forgoing defense for pure, frantic offense; and those wearing the Desert Sorceress Set... ahem.
In short, Bai Shi decided to bring a little Dark Souls aesthetic shock to the Lands Between.
The cooler the armor, the better. Since it could be reinforced with dragon scales, the quality would not be an issue.
Of course, the Lands Between had plenty of good-looking armor as well, but the sets worn by the soldiers of the other demigod-kings were rather uninspired, truly forged from the same mold.
Naturally, it wasn't just about saving the Tarnisheds' sense of aesthetics; Bai Shi had other considerations as well.
In future wars against other factions, his soldiers would be immediately distinguishable from the other armies. This would allow him to be a bit more careful when using his large-scale destructive attacks.
It would also be beneficial for managing the city's appearance and order.
What kind of benefit? The power of deterrence, of course.
In the future, the guards before the throne would all wear the Lothric Knight Set, and anyone seeking an audience would first have to walk past their watchful gaze.
The city guards would all wear the Silver Knight Set. Bai Shi didn't believe this world could also attract the madmen of the Darkmoon Blades.
—
Bai Shi returned his body to its normal size and then entered the space of the Site of Grace.
Melina had been watching Bai Shi test the armor. The blueprints for this set had come from her, and seeing it successfully forged naturally gave her a great sense of accomplishment.
Melina smiled, congratulating Bai Shi on getting his wish:
“Congratulations, the armor you wanted has been perfectly crafted.”
Bai Shi was indeed very happy, but he didn't forget Melina's huge contribution in drawing up the plans.
“It's all thanks to you. Otherwise, it probably wouldn't have gone so smoothly.”
He had been rather busy lately and hadn't spent much time with Melina at the Sites of Grace.
Taking this opportunity, the two chatted for a while.
Then, led by Melina, Bai Shi arrived at the Roundtable Hold.
The moment Bai Shi appeared, he attracted the attention of everyone present.
The armor was menacing and domineering, yet also magnificent and clearly extraordinary. It was not something an ordinary person could wield.
Most of the Tarnished already recognized him as the revered Lord of Stormveil.
As for the few Tarnished who still didn't know Bai Shi, they turned to those around them, asking who this powerful-looking person was.
Bai Shi arrived at Hewg’s smithy.
As soon as he entered, there was no need to search. He could see the massive swordspear resting horizontally on the rack behind Hewg, taking up the entire length of the long rack.
It was the Dragonslayer Swordspear that Bai Shi had commissioned Hewg to forge.
The swordspear was six to seven meters from end to end, incredibly thick, with a heavy blade.
Seeing Bai Shi arrive, Hewg stopped what he was doing and quickly urged him to take his weapon.
“Oh, you’re finally here. This is a truly powerful weapon, but it’s a bit disobedient. Waiting for you to tame it.”
This swordspear also used the animation technique, allowing it to grow and shrink within a certain range, never exceeding the original length of the giant horn.
It should have been resting at a length of just over two meters, convenient for Bai Shi to use.
But after it was forged and given life through the animation process, it became uncontrollable, refusing to be touched by anyone.
Bai Shi walked forward and stroked the enormous swordspear.
On the blade of the swordspear, tendrils of lightning flowed back and forth. Feeling Bai Shi's touch, it immediately unleashed its power, sending a jolt of electricity toward him.
Feeling the jolt of pain, Bai Shi flicked his hand and extinguished that strand of lightning.
Struck by the weapon’s unconscious attack, Bai Shi felt joy instead of anger. The lightning’s damage was surprisingly high.
The lightning on it was naturally something Bai Shi had asked Hewg to add. As a master smith, he was capable of most infusions, especially lightning, an infusion that was once very popular in Leyndell, Royal Capital.
The raw material for this weapon—Agheel’s great horn—possessed no other properties, so it wasn’t a Somber weapon and didn't require Somber Smithing Stones.
This swordspear had already been reinforced with Smithing Stones to +12. With the lightning infusion, it already possessed very strong lightning damage, enough to be effective even against a demigod.
As for the swordspear itself, it was incredibly sharp. If he had possessed such a weapon during his battles against Morgott and Godrick, things would have been much easier.
The excellent quality of the material, combined with Hewg's smithing, meant that its stats were far superior to the Storm Knight Greatsword at the same reinforcement level.
Bai Shi grasped the giant swordspear. A rebellious will came from it, and lightning continuously gathered toward him.
But not only was Bai Shi not shocked into letting go, he held the swordspear tightly, infusing his own will into it and instantly suppressing its rebellious consciousness.
In a mere moment, the Dragonslayer Swordspear realized that this was the master it had been waiting for. It then ceased its resistance and conveyed a sense of reliance to Bai Shi.
The Dragonslayer Swordspear finally shrank in size and was held in Bai Shi's hand.
Bai Shi focused the lightning onto the blade, and a violent clap of thunder burst from the swordspear, echoing throughout the Roundtable Hold.
The power of lightning coiled around the blade, as if celebrating its birth.
Feeling the surging power from the Dragonslayer Swordspear, Bai Shi nodded in satisfaction.
His equipment was finally complete. From now on, this set would accompany him across the lands, to battle against the various demigods.
Well then, it was time for him to head to Caelid and meet General Radahn.