For the first time since her memories had awoken, Joan didn’t mind being confined to a bed. As her leg healed she wrote, unleashing the torrent of information that seemed to have built up in her brain, waiting for this moment to finally be unleashed. Searle, to his credit, had stayed by her side through most of it, either reading books of his own, or occasionally being a trusted ear she could speak to when she struggled to get a memory to properly form. She hated to say it, but she couldn’t have gotten as much done without him to help.
Aside from checking on her health, even Bauteut and Emeline had given the pair space, even once her leg was healed enough she was cleared to walk (so long as she swore not to run or jump).
By the time Joan finally finished she’d ended up filling dozens of pages in the book, documenting everything she could remember. She’d started out so simple, writing all of the details she could recall about each chosen. Their likes, dislikes, names, family, where they traveled, little quirks she’d learned over the years. After that, she started writing out all of the spells and techniques she could remember, how she’d done them, which ones she could do still, which ones she’d likely never be able to do again and the handful she thought she may be able to do once she got older and her body and magic grew stronger. Then she’d written out the ones the chosen had learned.
From there she began to write out all the details she could remember about her adventures, the people she had met of importance, why they had mattered. Everything she could recall about the cult and the demon lord. Now her hand had an imprint of the pen and it was only thanks to the rapidly drying ink she used that her hand was only slightly ink stained. She stretched out her fingers and stared at the results of her work. It had taken days of hard work, but she felt proud of her efforts.
It was finally out of her head and written on paper. It felt so incredibly freeing. Now she didn’t have to remember every little detail by herself, she had a book of notes she could look at when she forgot things. More importantly, it had helped her remember plenty of things that she hadn’t even thought of, allowing her to keep track of stuff that had entirely slipped her mind. She knew it wasn’t perfect and there were so many things she didn’t yet remember, it felt good to finally have something she didn’t have to fret about forgetting.
She’d also begun to write things that had changed from her expectations, things she had experienced as Joan, but had been drowned out by the memories of so many past lives. People she had met, events that had happened. She’d heard about the death of Onrol, but she hadn’t really cared at the time. There were others she had known who had also perished, others who had perished in her past lives but now might actually be alive.
Joan couldn’t help but feel humbled to know the impact her life had had on the world. Having the hero had done so much, both good and bad. Yet in all her past lives she had barely paid attention to everything that was going on around her, only focusing on her destiny. She slowly stroked a hand against the scar on her leg and gave another soft sigh. She was certain that Emeline could have removed it if she’d wanted, but it served a purpose now. This scar would hopefully prove to be a grim reminder that, try as she might, she wasn’t the hero anymore. Her life could be snuffed out by some things here as easily as they could blow out a candle. More importantly, though, the cult was stronger than ever. She wondered how long until the demon lord would make his appearance and become the threat that was the catalyst to draw all of the chosen together. Was the demon lord already in control, directing the cult from the shadows? Or perhaps the success of the cult had changed the plan entirely, resulting in the demon lord never taking control of it.
Judging by all of the details she knew, she would have been in her mid teens by now if she were still the hero. Some of the threats she had fought had appeared and already been defeated. Others, not so much. Hardwin had been the only known chosen, as such he’d had to deal with everything himself.
But the concerning thing, at least to her, was that things didn’t seem to be following the same time table. The more she connected her past with her present, the more her worry grew. There might have been something out there, watching the chosen and readying to strike. Perhaps even testing them.
In her past lives it felt as if barely a week had gone by without some new threat appearing that she’d had to deal with. It had all been a frantic rush to stop things before they got out of control, with the occasional month or two of time where things were safe. Now?
Things seemed to be coming at far a slower pace. It would have almost been comforting, except the fact that these creations seemed stronger. The Troll of Reflections had had years to grow, but the lava horses had summoned in greater numbers this time, though fortunately not enough to overwhelm Hardwin. Worse, more territory had fallen to the demons over the years.
Joan flipped through the book until she came to a small drawing of the borders between the demon lands and the human empire. There had been so many threats along the old border, she wondered if it was possible the advance had resulted in them fighting each other. She’d always assumed that all of the threats had been the machinations of the demon lord, but was it possible that they hadn’t been? Korgron had proven that not all demons were allied with the demon lord, so what if all these monsters hadn’t been either?
Or what if the appearance of the hero had spurred them into action? Perhaps the hero had forced them to rush their plans, to keep her busy until their preparations were complete? She felt a small ache in her heart at the realization that it had worked. She’d been so blind to the true threats that loomed in the shadows until it was too late.
Even now she felt like she was still learning things, connections she had missed in her past lives. Things that she suspected would be important in this life especially. Worse of all, so many different lives had held different experiences, sometimes making them all blur together, while others pushed important pieces of information aside.
Like what her name had been. The fact she couldn’t remember it felt like it was something that should have been important. On top of that, why now? She was born years after the hero was supposed to be born, why not at the same time? Did that mean she had existed for a few years as the hero here? Was the hero, who she had been, out there somewhere?
Joan shook her head at that thought. If the hero was out there, the Troll of Reflections would have been gone. On top of that, the demons had pushed far enough into the human lands that she would have long come in contact with them. If the hero was here, then the world would have known. She couldn’t spend all of her time focusing on what might or could be, she had to focus on what was.
Her task, at this point, was simple. Hardwin had to gather the chosen as they were the only means by which they could defeat the Demon Lord and the Inferno God. So she had to slow the cult down and give him the time needed. She had to ensure they had the information needed to destroy the heart. A smile formed on her lips when she glanced through the book once more.
Now that all of those memories filled the book in front of her, it finally felt like that was all they were. Memories of a life that were nothing more than written words, notes by which she could prepare and go forward with. For the first time she really felt like Joan now. Even if she was weak and vulnerable like this, there was still so much she could do.
Though, if she was too weak there were alternative options she could try. Joan flipped through the book until she came to one entry she’d made in particular. She then glanced to Searle, ensuring he was still asleep.
Even a demon couldn’t really match the power and abilities of a chosen, but it could come close. She knew better than most just how deadly a demon could be. While she didn’t know the ritual by which humans normally became demons, she did know enough she was certain she could figure it out with time. She stroked a finger along one of the small drawings of a demon claw she’d drawn.
If she really had to, if it was the only way to save the world, would such a deed be worth it? She’d already given up the power of the hero, would giving up her humanity be worth it? Even if demons like Korgron existed, those who had been born into it, it was another thing entirely to take on the change willingly.
It was the most foul of all rituals, something said to taint the very soul itself, not just the body. If she tainted herself in such a way, even despite the power she’d gain, she wondered what would happen. Her soul wasn’t just hers, it was the soul of the hero. Would even Fate renounce her then, casting her aside and leaving the world to perish?
Joan closed the book and locked it, holding the key to her chest. No, becoming a demon wasn’t something she could even consider now, no matter how much she wished she had strength. As much as she loathed not being able to handle everything on her own, she would lean on them as much as she had to. She stroked a finger along the edge of the book and sighed again.
Besides, she’d only been the hero for a few weeks now, at best. She supposed she should at least try and ensure that she couldn’t save the world without it before she did something like that.
Joan glanced to Searle and then the shield that rested on the ground besides him. It was so small and simple, were it anything but the weapon of the chosen even she could have picked it up with one hand.
Yet now it would have been like trying to pick up a mountain. More powerful than even the most powerful weapons forged by the greatest blacksmiths, enchanted by the strongest mages. The kind of shield that could repel even a hammer from a god.
She then glanced back to Searle. Still a boy, but one day he’d be a man. She’d thought of him as someone so weak and soft in her past lives. Yet now she had to trust him with her very life. He was more useful and powerful than she could ever hope to be. Even if she did destroy her soul in an attempt to gain more power, she still wouldn’t compare to what he could one day become.
One day the world would hang on his every word, just like they did all the other chosen. Yet, here he was. Sleeping on a small cot just so he wouldn’t have to leave her side. Refusing the grand chamber he had been offered by the king himself.
He trusted her, even though she had given him so little in the past. She stroked her fingers against the book one more time and then slowly slid it out, onto the desk besides her bed. She then fell back and rested her head, staring up at the ceiling once more.
She was Joan. She was a prodigy at best. The equal of any normal being. But they didn’t fight normal creatures. They fought the divine, the impossible, myths and legends. Try as she might, regardless of her past memories, the chosen stood on a mountain that she could never hope to climb. If she was lucky, she could grab the bottom stones.
But she could guide them. Show them. Make them stronger. Most importantly, she could trust them. Believe that they would, could, save the world. Even if she couldn’t be the hero anymore, she would help them to be it. She had to. If that meant accepting Hardwin finding the chosen without her, having a healer like Bauteut watch over her, being near a queen like Emeline and being protected by Searle, so be it.
She wasn’t the hero anymore. She didn’t have to do everything herself. She just had to set everything right as a normal person.
Patreon
Oh dang, what a great story. A very selfish part of me would like this to just be the first book in a series, but even as a stand alone it was utterly fantastic!
Oh, it's definitely the first in a series. Book 2 is actually done and scheduled for release after volume 3 of Her True Form. So selfishness wins today. :P
Oh my gosh I'm so happy to hear that!!!!!
Originally, I wasn't planning on reading this story until more chapters were completed. However, after I read the interesting synopsis and saw that the first book was completed, I decided to read until the end of this chapter. This comment essay review thing is the aggregation of my thoughts, concerns, expectations, and feedback on this story so far.
So, in terms of general feedback, I'll just say this: the overall quality of this story is much higher than those you see in other light novels and stories on this website. I did spot a few typos and grammatical errors here and there, but they weren't egregious enough to be anything more than just simple mistakes. There are just certain things that I prioritize more in a story than others, so I won't be able to write anything more than simple comment or two on many parts of your story. I would like to provide you with precise details. So, instead of trying to give you feedback on everything, I'll be focusing this essay review on some specific components of your story.
Again and again the hero tries, living through life after life, struggling against what they believe to be impossible odds. In a final desperate gamble they give up everything they ere, the title of hero, their powers and their birthright to be given a new chance with the knowledge of all of their failures at their fingertips.
If I had to summarize this story in one word, the word I would choose is "ambitious." Almost everything that's been written so far tells me that you are aiming very high with this story. This was evident to me before I even began reading the first chapter. Your ambition shows in the synopsis. There aren't very many stories that have a "second chance" style plot in light novels and the LN-esque stories on this website. And, for those that do, they usually only involve one rewind, or one "second chance." However, this story already breaks from the mold in the very beginning. In the synopsis, it is mentioned that the hero tries many times and fails each time. Their final gamble involves giving up everything and changing completely. What the synopsis tells me is that the protagonist has gone through much more struggle, much more failure, and much more attempts than other "second chance" protagonists. The synopsis tells me that the protagonist has failed their repetitions so many times that they see no other choice than to use a final gambit in order to succeed. It is with this synopsis where my ambitious expectations for this story are created.
When I read a LN-esque story that has a "second chance" plot, there are several expectations I have for it. I expect the story to, in some way or another, address the differences of the past timeline and the current timeline. I expect the events of the past timeline to heavily affect the protagonist in some way, manifesting with feelings such as regret or trauma. I expect some sort of introspection in the protagonist to reflect these feelings. I expect the protagonist's behavior, personality, and actions to be influenced by their failure in the past timeline. And, I expect the people around them to notice this change, which could possibly lead to the revelation that they are living their second life. Although these are expectations that I have for "second change" stories, I don't actually expect a singular story to meet them all. They would usually meet one or two of these expectations, which is more or less what I anticipate. However, because of the synopsis, I came in to this story with the belief that you would attempt to meet all of these, not just one or two. And, as of this point in the story, I can confirm that your story is trying to meet all of these expectations, even though it is not quite at that point yet.
She was almost cute. She wondered if others would think so. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ever thought she was cute. Would her companions think so? Would the chosen? Wait, why did she care? Was that a hero thought or a Joan thought? Were they separate or the same?
Joan found her mind drawn to one chosen in particular and all her momentary pride fell apart. Neia the Radiant. If ever there was a hero who was beauty incarnate, it had been her. The one who seemed second most likely to fall to the corruption of the demon lord. “Stupid. It’s not a hero thought or a Joan thought. It’s a stupid thought,” she whispered to herself before shaking her head.
She couldn’t believe she was wasting her thoughts on idle thoughts of how pretty she looked. Who cared? If she failed, every life in this world would burn away, either from the demon lord or from the Inferno God. How many times had she herself been burned in those hellish flames? She gave a light shudder, small glimpses of the pain flashing through her mind.
Where it is most evident to me that you are attempting to create an "ambitious" story is through your characters. To me, some of the best potential in "second chance" stories is the potential character drama that comes with having memories of their old timeline. Your story has this in spades. It is very clear when I look at how the main character Joan is depicted in this story. I really, really like how you present the problem of memory with her. At a certain point in her life, she suddenly regains the memories of her previous thousand lifetimes. And, unlike in most other reincarnation light novels, this process of regaining memories does not happen smoothly. Suddenly regaining the memory of a thousand lifetimes is an extremely painful experience for Joan, and it leaves her completely disoriented when she remembers them at the beginning of Chapter 1. Her memories create much more burdens and trauma than I'm sure Joan anticipated, and this reflects on her behavior and actions throughout the entirety of Book 1.
I find the way you depict Joan in this story to be realistic to her situation. Based on the events of Book 1, I believe it is safe for me to assume that Joan is a very "reactive" character. Her "reactions" to her memories are displayed through her actions and behavior. Her decision-making during the fight with Hardwin and the Troll of Reflections is based on her memories of her lost abilities. Her "next-steps" of finding Thalgren and defeating the underground monsters come from the journeys that she has taken. Her terrified reaction to Queen Emeline, her "unjustified" hatred of Searle, and her fear of fire all come from her painful memories. Her suicidal urgency comes from the memory that they have less than 10 years left before the end of the world. All of her trauma, all of her insecurity, all of her self-loathing comes from the memories of her inevitable failures. She is a slave to her own memories; they completely dictate her entirety.
You've made it clear enough that the future Books will start transitioning the story away from Joan's internal conflicts. That is why, in the future Books, I hope you don't completely absolve Joan from the burden of her own memories. To make it clear, I don't mean that Joan should be forever traumatized by her memories. I mean that Joan will never forget her memories and the troubles that they have caused her, but she learns how to develop her own identity as Joan and move on regardless. Kind of like forgiving but not forgetting if that makes it more clear. Some of the events you've written in Book 1 make it clear that you already have this in mind. Despite her extreme reluctance, she lets Hardwin depart without her. Despite her decision partially being made because it "was the one thing she had never, even once done," she decided to place her trust in Searle. Even though she wishes that she had more power, she resolves herself to trust the chosen and "set everything right as a normal person." Even though these particular events are still influenced by her previous memories, she made these decisions "proactively" as Joan, not "reactively" as her memories of her former self.
Still, I expect that, in future books, she will still struggle distinguishing between "Joan" and the "Hero." A millennium of trauma is not just something that a person can wave away like how Joan thinks she does in Chapter 20. I expect that Joan will make mistakes because of her memories. I expect that Joan's behavior towards others will be influenced by her memories. I expect that Joan will still have inner turmoil and trauma because of her memories. I expect that her memories will still cause some problems in the near and far future. There might be some readers who think that continuing Joan's suffering is excessive. You have probably lost some readers as a result of the way Joan is in Book 1, and you will probably end up losing some readers if Joan's inner conflict remains a not-insignificant part of Book 2 and beyond. But, I believe that slowly working through a millennium of trauma, complete with lots of mistakes and misunderstandings, is the best, most real way for a character like Joan to develop. I think that the complexity and thoughtfulness you have given to Joan, instead of taking an easier route of development, is very "ambitious."
“Yes. I didn’t know this. Or I did? I think I did. I was...” She reached up and gripped her pillow, holding it to her face and giving another light scream. “I did know this!” She could remember it all now. It was a few years back, there had been so much worry. Adults running about, people talking about the demons getting stronger. Would they march on the capital? With the pass and valley having fallen, how would anyone survive? But then it had all stopped. The demons had taken the forts and then held their line, reinforcing from there. Since that time there had been skirmish after skirmish on the borders, but nothing had truly come of it yet. Except the cultists had become more active. They’d summoned the horses and who knew what else. That was where the primary forces of the kingdom were now aligned, holding them back. It was why mercenaries like the Crystal Phoenixes were so important now, to deal with smaller, mobile threats. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and tried to keep herself from bursting into tears, letting out another scream into the pillow. Slowly she lifted her head. “I knew this. I did. But it all got jumbled together and I couldn’t remember. How am I supposed to fix any of this if I can’t even keep what’s happening now straight from what happened then?”
Perhaps the most "ambitious" part of your story is the plot. More specifically, it is all of the foreshadowing of what's to come. Sometimes, the foreshadowing is obvious. An example of this is how Joan still can't remember what her name was as the Hero. Sometimes, the foreshadowing is a little more subtle. An example of this is how Joan completely forgot about the events of Batwatch Valley and the creation of Demonfall Pass. She had memories of it in this timeline, and she could recall it completely when she thought about it, but it was drowned out by her memories in another timeline until Searle reminded her. This has the subtle implication that, in the future, some unfortunate event will happen as a result of Joan mixing up her memories of this timeline and a previous timeline. There are a lot more examples I can think of, but I can't recall the exact specifics to type it out here.
All of these little hints and tidbits that you are dropping in the story each feel like their own Chekhov's gun, Chekhov's guns that are biding their time to fire much further down the line. However, I do hope that one or two of these guns are shot soon. One of the few problems I have with this story is, at the current rate, the plot is just a little bit too slow. In terms of plot progression, it feels like Joan barely did anything at all. She got trashed by the troll, stayed in the castle, got stuck on a bed at the Academy, then once again returned to the castle. I personally don't mind this lack of progress and the focus on Joan's inner conflict, but some others might find Book 1 to be, for a lack of better word, slightly boring. Yet, I think that the way you wrote Book 1 was for the best, so unfortunately I can't think of a way to help in this situation.
There are so many little things and details that tease the reader on the massive story content you have planned. You added a lot of mystery and intrigue when it comes to places, people, and events, which leads me to believe that you want to write a very long story. I wouldn't be surprised if this story takes a double digit number of Books to complete. If what I am guessing is true, the sheer potential length of a story like this is truly "ambitious."
She wasn’t the hero anymore. She didn’t have to do everything herself. She just had to set everything right as a normal person.
I think I'll about wrap it up here. So far, only Book 1 of this story is released, so I can't really provide much more than some guessing and analysis. Right now, I feel like I wrote both too much and not enough at the same time. There are some other things that I want to say, and there are some things that I said too much about, but I can't really formulate the words for them as of now. Still, I hope you are able to get something out of the long blocks of text I just wrote. I enjoyed reading your story so far, and I await the release of Book 2 in the near future.
Well, for what it's worth, I've now read the entirety of this comment/review twice and felt just... an extreme amount of sheer giddiness. I'm guessing you've picked up on a lot of the little tidbits and hints I've been sprinkling through the story and you're definitely not wrong that it's going to take a while for Joan to develop and grow, not to mention getting away from her past memories. Especially as she learns more about her past lives, her memories, who she was versus who she is. Her journey is going to be anything but easy or quick.
The fact you took so much time to write out and analyze something I've written like this just makes me go EEEEE and I can't deny how flattered it makes me feel, knowing something I wrote was examined this closely. And yeah, probably is a just... incredibly ambitious story. I honestly don't know how long it will go and, honestly, in some ways it's still just in the opening acts. Joan's introduction is now complete, but there are still more pieces of the world that will be revealed, as well as shifts and changes in this 'timeline' that only she can currently she. Heck, she's only run into two of the chosen so far.
I really wanna say more, but I also know the importance of not giving away too much, or spoiling things before the books come out. But I'll be honest, I've been giddy reading your analysis of Joan as a character. There were a lot of times I second guessed myself and worried I was going too much one way or another, but I did try my hardest to feel true to the character and I'm hopeful it'll keep paying off. Thanks for this, it has been a wonderful read after a rather rough week. :)
@MelodyAvant
I actually wanted to write a little bit more about the other characters because there were some tidbits that I noticed about them as well. But, by the time I wrote this, I couldn't remember the specifics of what I was going to write about. Whoops.
I really did enjoy reading about Joan though. Committing yourself to staying consistent with a character like Joan sounds low-key painful: it feels like piling more suffering to a girl that's already going through unbearable suffering. Still, that's what it takes to remain true to her character. I definitely think it's paying off so far. Glad to hear that Joan's journey is going to be long and arduous (sorry Joan).
I didn't know if what I wrote had too many words and not enough substance, so I'm glad you enjoyed reading my comment review thing. It made me a little happy to see that I was able to make your week a little better with this. I'll see you at the end of Book 2!
@areader99 Can't wait. And yeah, sometimes I do have to step back and kind of resist the urge to hug and hold her. Especially since she's not real. XD She's going through a lot and will likely keep pushing herself until she either breaks entirely or succeeds. But, on the up side, I can at least have the advantage of knowing how dedicated and hard working she is and I know that, even if she does get hurt, she'll keep pushing through with everything she has... Even when she shouldn't. It's that last part that is often the hardest to write. I kind of want to shake her and go 'STOP BEING SO STUBBORN!' sometimes.
Gotta say one of the best stories I've read in years. I'll be honest I'm enjoying this about as much as LOTR and any of Terry Brooks books. You really are a talented writer.
Awwww, thank you. <3 I only ever read the hobbit, sadly, only saw the LOTR movies. And played some of the games. Sadly don't think I've ever read Terry Brooks either. I am ecstatic though that you find my books that enjoyable. ^^
@MelodyAvant You should read Terry Brooks you both have great world building talent. And thank you for writing this for me to enjoy.
@Nosanov87 I'll add it to the list. The biggest problem with reading is when I read... it inspires me to write. So I end up reading a chapter, write three books, then read another chapter... It's a terrible cycle. XD
A good ending, if perhaps a little sudden. I like the depiction of Searle from Joan's POV and the clear implication he could become far more than she remembers. How her lack of belief, even distain toward him is almost certainly a major catalyst in his downfall in her previous lives. How her actions effect others and her thoughts on the bow are the most important lessons she learns alongside not needing to do everything herself.
Since reviews/feedback are asked for I'll continue,
Only internal conflict is resolved while so much more is teased. This leaves me wanting the next book, but feeling like Joan didn't actually do very much at all. It makes me think of those books with a 'part 2' halfway through as the focus shifts, except this is just part 1.
Joan doesn't have any thoughts on Searle saving her except
"I guess it's only fair that he save me, huh?"
This could have been a good place for Joan to explicitly confirm her recent thoughts that she ignored people/things outside the hero's destiny,that there is more to them, and connect that lesson to the fight, especially with this being the ending.
Overall, this is well written and flows well. It's a good journey of self reflection.
Thanks to MelodyAvant for all the effort and sharing!
Thanks for this. ^^ And yeah, there's still a lot to come. The first book was definitely more focused on Joan as a person, her own conflicts and the beginning of her journey. There's still a long way to go and a ton of growth left for Joan as a person. But she's on the road and I'm really hopeful I've left good groundwork for what's to come.
@MelodyAvant Well I'm looking forward to it! And as for groundwork, I think you succeeded there since so many threads have been discussed that it makes Joan's task and upcoming adventure both daunting with its importance and scale, and exciting at the same time.
If she really had to, if it was the only way to save the world, would such a deed be worth it?
Did she not think this might be how the Chosen in the past were corrupted? Constantly overshadowed by the Hero. The mistaken belief that strength at any cost could save the world.
She was born years after the hero was supposed to be born, why not at the same time?
Ah, I see. Was this mentioned before and I missed it? It still feels strange.
Anyway, great to see Joan starting to accept she isn't the hero anymore. I'm curious where the demon ritual thing is going, but it feels like it would be a bad idea for Joan specifically (given her arc seems to be accepting that she cannot save everyone). We'll see, of course though.
Yeah, Joan has a lot ahead of her, still. So many things she still needs to uncover and learn about. And yeah, her being born years past the hero has been mentioned(and has a reason that will come up later).
She wasn’t the hero anymore. She didn’t have to do everything herself. She just had to set everything right as a normal person.
What an amazing experience. I laughed, I cried, and I overall had some fun. Thank you so much for writing this. Onto the next volume!
Hee hee, so many to go.
Honestly? There aren’t many more positions of power above the one who guides the chosen ones. Sure, the chosen ones will be the ones on the front lines, gaining all the glory, but no matter how powerful they are, the boost that you can provide is exponential. Knowledge is the best weapon, and she needs to learn that her hands are no longer a weapon for her to wield. It is now her mind that must be sharpened, to organize, categorize, and analyze every piece of information she has from her thousands of past lives, and create a plan for the chosen to follow that would guarantee their success. A plan that weaves the various pasts and futures, that marks the simultaneous motion of every queen, knight, and pawn, to cut out each and every chance the Demon King has of winning.
Indeed. Now, if only she can accept that and stop trying to rush into death's maw.
Become the corrupted companion. Embrace demon! >:D