Chapter 204 - Heart to heart
“An alternative?” Malachi said slowly, sounding skeptical.
“Yes,” Scarlett replied. “An alternative. A trade of sorts, you might say.”
The woman’s gaze sharpened. “For the Astral Soulstone, I presume?”
“Yes.”
“How convenient. For you.”
“Quite the opposite, in fact.”
There were various conclusions for this questline, depending on the player’s choices in the game, and Scarlett had invested substantial time trying to figure out the optimal outcome — one that would benefit Rosa the most.
Considering that Anguish could never truly be killed, a part of the Vile would persist within the bard regardless of how things ended up. But that wasn’t necessarily bad. Rather, it presented an opportunity, if handled correctly. The best way Scarlett knew of ensuring it did was by using the Astral Soulstone, which the player could obtain from Malachi after defeating her final boss form. However, that would present a challenge for Scarlett’s party, which is why she had been exploring alternatives.
The one she had come up with and chosen to pursue wasn’t an option in the game, but she was reasonably confident it could work. It demanded some sacrifice on her part, but she believed it would be worth it in the end.
Lifting her left hand, Scarlett presented the still-concealed [Ittar’s Genesis]. “You may not recognize what this is, but no doubt you can sense the power it contains. If you integrate this relic into the ritual, having it serve as the core instead, it is possible to circumvent the undesirable side effects that the Soulstone would bring. It might not be the optimal solution, but it is preferable to losing control of your faculties, no?”
[Ittar’s Genesis] was undeniably a powerful item. But even then, it could only hold a charge of 20000 mana, which, while impressive, was nowhere near enough for a task of this magnitude. It paled in comparison to what the Astral Soulstone or an ancient dragon’s core could provide as a font of pure energy.
That said, [Ittar’s Genesis] was a divine artifact, touched by the power of a literal god, and it seemed to even have the power to convert demonic energy. Even if it wasn’t on the same level as the Soulstone as a power source, the potential of such a high-grade artifact was a quality unto itself. While Scarlett doubted it was the best solution, she still thought it could work. When Warley Godwin had been working on the [Obedience’s Solitude Loci] at her mansion, she’d taken the opportunity to learn more about this type of magic, preparing for a situation like this.