studiobondurri Chapter 360: If You Wish to Become the Sun, That is Fine
Chapter 360: If You Wish to Become the Sun, That is Fine
The battle concluded without a shred of doubt.
Even among Outer Gods, there are disparities in power.
The Frenzied Flame, which had been stirring up trouble in the Lands Between, was utterly powerless against the Sun.
Even without the true Sun’s descent, the Lord of Frenzied Flame stood no chance against the sun amplified by Super Damage.
However, the arrival of the Sun's will completely eliminated any other possibility.
The Frenzied Flame’s sun, which had previously melted the sky with its arrogant blaze, was now completely extinguished.
Before the real Sun, it was pitifully small.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame, reduced to a huddled torso, gazed up at the Sun in the sky.
At such a close distance, his vision was filled with nothing but ubiquitous light.
No matter where he looked, he saw only the Sun’s blazing inferno.
With the Sun occupying the entire sky as a backdrop, the Frenzied Flame’s sun in the valley below looked like a tiny black stain.
At this point, the will of the Frenzied Flame began to entertain thoughts of retreat, preparing to transfer its power away to preserve its seed.
The birth of a Lord of Frenzied Flame required extremely harsh conditions; finding a worthy vessel might not happen for hundreds or even thousands of years.
And Middla was a rare, qualified body.
Not only had he become the Lord of Frenzied Flame in the ancient past, but after enduring an eternity of torment, he was also filled with despair.
By incinerating this finally unleashed despair and emptiness, the Lord of Frenzied Flame's power had grown even stronger.
No matter what, the Frenzied Flame was not prepared to give up this Lord of Frenzied Flame.
As long as a single ember remained, the Lord of Frenzied Flame could be reignited, and chaos would once again flood the world.
Having made the most advantageous decision, the Lord of Frenzied Flame’s last remnant of a body instantly disintegrated.
In its place, countless seeds of fire bloomed.
The Frenzied Flame’s sun erupted violently, spewing innumerable flames in all directions.
Within each of these flames lay a minuscule seed of the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
Not only that, but several more of the Lord of Frenzied Flame's seeds instantly teleported into the bottom of the valley, which was already overrun with frenzied fire.
Following the scorch marks left by the Frenzied Flame, the seeds scurried away with silent speed.
If just one seed escaped—only one—the Lord of Frenzied Flame could be reborn.
The Frenzied Flame’s sun simultaneously rose, flying toward the sky.
From the way it continuously collapsed and expanded, it clearly intended to self-destruct.
However, floating in the air, Bai Shi and the others remained perfectly still.
Looking up at the overreaching Frenzied Flame sun, a scornful smile appeared on Bai Shi’s face.
The Frenzied Flame's plan was impeccable, perfectly aligned with its best interests.
And such a method would indeed be difficult to counter, making it hard to prevent the seeds from escaping.
But... a good plan was all it was.
How could there be a blind spot beneath the Sun that its light could not reach? The Frenzied Flame's every intention had already been seen through.
A dazzling light descended, enveloping the entire valley.
No matter how fast the Frenzied Flame moved, it could not escape.
From the moment Bai Shi activated Fengling Yueying, the Frenzied Flame had already run out of options.
Both the Lord of Frenzied Flame and the Frenzied Flame itself were completely imprisoned within the space of the valley.
And the valley floor, burned by the Frenzied Flame, was thoroughly cleansed.
Every area tainted by the Frenzied Flame was reduced to dust under the Sun’s light.
Beside him, Melina stared, dumbfounded, at the Sun that radiated the brilliance of life.
She never imagined that Bai Shi would just call down the actual Sun as a substitute fighter.
Just as the powerless sun that Bai Shi had created was about to collapse, the real Sun had descended.
It had used that power as an avatar, forcefully intervening to stabilize the violent, nearly uncontrollable energy.
Whatever the reason, there was no need to worry anymore.
After completely containing the Frenzied Flame’s power, the Sun continued to ascend.
The valley could not possibly contain the Sun’s presence, especially as it was still expanding.
The colossal Sun rose continuously, eventually hanging high in the firmament of the Land of Shadow.
Its light scattered below, and the Land of Shadow, after countless years, was finally illuminated once more, shaking off its dead silence and oppressive atmosphere.
In the Shadow City, numb soldiers heard the calls of their comrades and dazedly walked toward the city walls.
Then, they saw the light—a true light of hope.
It was an absolute miracle, dispelling fear and despair.
Bathing in the bright, warm sunlight, the soldiers were unaware as their weapons fell from their hands one by one.
More and more soldiers witnessed the miracle, and the clanging of falling weapons blended into a continuous chorus.
Meanwhile, Messmer stood atop the species preservation chamber, silently watching the Sun that touched the heavens.
It was the true apex of the sky, pressed against the draping veil of shadow as if about to pierce right through it.
What terrifying power was this...
Who exactly was that person with Melina?—
The Sun eventually stopped, controlling its power so as not to incinerate the veil of shadow.
Even so, outside the Land of Shadow, in the Lands Between, the Sun’s light had already pierced through the gloom.
The phantom of a giant sun was projected over the circular inland sea at the missing center of the Lands Between.
On the surface of the Lands Between, every living being noticed the immense, brilliant apparition.
Among them, the reaction in Stormveil was by far the strongest.
The moment they saw the sun's phantom, they immediately knew it was Bai Shi’s doing.
The entire city erupted in cheers, with every creature shouting the name "Sun King" over and over again.
The various factions gazed up at the Sun's brilliance, their thoughts differing, but all were shaken by this incredible power.
Even the Elden Beast within the Erdtree was disturbed, leaping out from its sea of stars.
Sensing a terrifying power that had long since departed, the Elden Beast stared at the Sun and fell into deep thought.
The Elden Ring was the manifestation of the world's rules, dictating the laws of the Lands Between.
And in every age, the law rejected the power of Outer Gods, refusing their descent.
The forms of the Outer Gods varied greatly, and celestial beings were completely sealed off, only able to project faint power through intermediaries.
It was easy to imagine that allowing those cosmic deities to descend upon the Lands Between would be a cataclysmic disaster.
The Lands Between rejected the power of Outer Gods, and for good reason.
But now, that rule had been broken.
No one could have imagined that someone could unleash enough power in the Lands Between to summon the Sun itself.
And after the Sun took control of and stabilized that power, turning it into something akin to an avatar, everything changed.
This sun not only possessed power comparable to a real celestial body but also held the authority of a true core.
At this moment, for the Lands Between, the sun that Bai Shi had unleashed could almost be considered a true external deity.
Moreover, with the Elden Ring now shattered, this sun was already pushing the limits of what the Lands Between could withstand.
If both Bai Shi and the Sun weren't restraining their power, it was uncertain what would become of the Lands Between.
The Elden Beast couldn't understand how this had happened.
The saving grace in all this misfortune was that it was the Sun that had descended.
In Its memory, the Sun was a merciful and gentle deity that would not bring destruction to the Lands Between.
In the end, the Elden Beast took no action.
After a final glance at the crucified Queen Marika, the Elden Beast’s form vanished once more.
—
Bai Shi flew toward the Frenzied Flame sun in the sky, slowly approaching. By now, the Frenzied Flame was completely suppressed, with no power to resist.
Inside the Frenzied Flame sun, only the head of the Lord of Frenzied Flame remained, maintaining its power; the rest of its body had long since dissolved into fiery seeds.
Bai Shi reached out a hand and pulled the Lord of Frenzied Flame’s head from within, the frenzied fire still burning continuously.
Gripping the head, Bai Shi plunged his severed arm straight into it.
Everyone present was stunned by Bai Shi’s action.
Melina didn't know why Bai Shi would suddenly touch the dangerous Frenzied Flame. She trembled all over, terrified that something might happen to him.
And Ashmi was on the verge of tears.
‘Host... whatever you’re doing, my main body is still inside you.’
‘Next time you pull a stunt this terrifying, could you please let me get out first...?’
Feeling the power of the Frenzied Flame continuously searing him, Bai Shi remained perfectly calm.
Amplified by Fengling Yueying, the sun he had conjured possessed power.
And when the Sun took the initiative and sent down its will, it filled the empty shell that had been mere power.
This sun was now, in effect, a true descent with power.
Though its power couldn't compare to its true form.
It was, without a doubt, the Sun.
Under the Sun’s watch, Bai Shi was confident that nothing could go wrong, no matter what he did.
Besides, what he was about to do only needed a safety net.
Just enough to let him use Fengling Yueying’s “Dispel Abnormal Status” effect would be sufficient.
Bai Shi had already communicated with the Sun in his mind, asking It to protect his deepest consciousness.
Only after receiving a response and confirming the plan was foolproof did Bai Shi act.
Bai Shi activated the power of his Great Rune, forcefully channeling the remaining energy of the Lord of Frenzied Flame into his body.
Sensing Bai Shi’s attempt to absorb it, the Frenzied Flame did not resist and instead flooded into him.
There was no escape now, so it might as well take this final chance.
If it could, in turn, seize Bai Shi’s body, the next Lord of Frenzied Flame would be even stronger—immeasurably so.
The previously scattered seeds of the Lord of Frenzied Flame converged from all directions, reforming once more.
Then, the dark fire within the Frenzied Flame's core flowed out, pouring into Bai Shi's body.
The power of the Lord of Frenzied Flame was completely absorbed by Bai Shi.
Gradually, an arm composed of twisting black and yellow flames took shape, attaching itself to Bai Shi’s severed limb.
With the Frenzied Flame arm attached, Bai Shi’s aura skyrocketed.
Of course, he didn't sense the domineering will within it, nor did he understand its ambition.
After all, the Frenzied Flame contained nothing but madness and chaos.
To Bai Shi, the complete power of the Lord of Frenzied Flame had its uses.
However, as strong as the Lord of Frenzied Flame's power was, it couldn't be controlled for long.
Everyone who had ever tried to command the Frenzied Flame had gone mad. No exceptions.
Bai Shi grinned.
He had no need to worry about such things. All he had to do was absorb it completely into his body.
Now that the power of the Lord of Frenzied Flame was fully absorbed, he could proceed with confidence.
Fengling Yueying, dispel abnormal status!
In an instant, his left hand, which had been damaged by the Frenzied Flame's core and could not heal, was restored.
At the stump of his arm, flesh began to wriggle and regrow, trying to regenerate, but the Frenzied Flame arm obstructed it, preventing its completion.
However, a moment later, the Frenzied Flame no longer blocked the regeneration.
Under a power that transcended the world, the force of the Frenzied Flame was stripped of every part that was harmful to Bai Shi.
What remained in Bai Shi’s hand could no longer be called the Frenzied Flame.
It had been purged of madness and chaos, retaining only its power.
Flesh grew wildly, and Bai Shi’s left arm regenerated, returning to its original state.
The power of the Frenzied Flame transformed into several dark, fiery sigils that coiled around his arm.
He clenched his fist, nodding in satisfaction.
As expected, the original felt much more comfortable.
However, whenever he wished, he could fully recreate the arm made of Frenzied Flame.
Not only that, but having mastered the power of the Frenzied Flame, Bai Shi could now play with some new tricks.
At his will, his head and left arm were instantly incinerated into ash by a blazing fire.
The Frenzied Flame arm reignited, and a miniature sun took its place where his head should have been.
Now, Bai Shi could also sport a sun for a head.
After stepping into the realm of kings, Bai Shi’s body had almost no weaknesses.
His transcendent life force meant that even if his heart were removed, he wouldn't die immediately.
His head was his only remaining weak point.
After all, his trump card, Fengling Yueying, still needed to be manually activated.
If his head were severely damaged and his consciousness dissipated or something similar occurred, it was still possible for him to be killed.
But with his head transformed into a sun, that weakness all but vanished.
A core made of pure energy could not be destroyed in an instant.
This meant that no matter what happened, Bai Shi could maintain his consciousness.
He no longer had to worry about his consciousness dissipating in battle, leaving him unable to activate Fengling Yueying.
A normal Bai Shi might still have enemies, but when he was cheating, there was nothing more to be said.
Bai Shi breathed a sigh of relief, and the few others who had watched until now finally relaxed as well.
Feeling the warm light from the miniature sun, they knew Bai Shi was still himself, and that everything was still under control.
—
When Bai Shi had finished all he needed to do, his consciousness, under his control, gradually drifted away from his body.
Finding himself among the starry expanse, Bai Shi once again stood face-to-face with the Sun's true form.
By now, the Sun had moved even farther from the Lands Between, venturing into the unknowable depths of space.
An ineffably profound will emanated from the Sun.
Bai Shi quickly understood the message It wished to convey.
It had sensed an immense power and had come to take a look.
Originally, It had only sent down its power in the hope that Bai Shi would destroy the colorless sun, allowing It to cast its light one last time before departing for good.
If the world fell completely into darkness, it too would fall into an "abnormal" state.
But It never expected Bai Shi to grow to such an extent, to be able to unleash such power within the Lands Between.
If Bai Shi wished to become the next sun, then that was fine; It would help.
Compared to the Sun's fading warmth, It would be much more gratified if the Lands Between could have a sun of its own.
And what Bai Shi needed to do was simple: continue to destroy the colorless sun in the Lands Between.
A corner of the colorless sun had now been broken, which was enough for light to descend, but it was not enough.
The sun currently maintained in the Land of Shadow was purely the result of Its will participating.
The true source power, enough for Bai Shi to become the Sun, could not yet descend.
Only when the colorless sun was completely destroyed could the Sun's power fully pour down.
At that time, It would be able to help Bai Shi raise a new sun.