So, uporn returning to the temple, Wolf decides to ask Lyric Suite whether the memory was real or not, to which of course he only receives a vague esoteric answer:
Of course, if it was all a dream, how come i just returned with that Shinobi Axe of the Monkey? Of course, perhaps, the fact i found it in a temple...
Such imponderables being beyond the ken of a simple warrior, i merely ask the Sculptor to carve my new implement into the prosthetic. I also decide to aquire Mikiri Counter, my first skill, which i then tested on my friend the zombie trainer (which you have already seen).
Before returning to the dream, i decided to unload my sens to that merchant i saw in the Outskirts, who seems to have a thing for crows:
It is now time to test my axe, bestowed to me by the Buddha himself, so without the slighest dint of fear, i face both shielded bandits head on:
Ready? Here it comes:
Ho yeah! YEAH! Dig the prowess, the capacity for violence. At this particular moment in time, i don't believe i have a healthier and more deeply felt respect for any object in the universe than this here axe.
I'm the man, i'm superbad. I even try to parlay Emma to pose naked at my feet, clutching my leg, while i raise the axe to the sky, but the frigid bitch tried to call the police on me.
Erm, anyway, moving on. I now finally approach the boss area. Scouting ahead reveals a very ugly situation:
For a moment, my eyes gaze over yonder, wondering if the Dragon child is trapped in that inferno:
In order to get a closer look, i drop down into the patch of blue flowers below, which i use as cover to make my way towards this strange white fog:
Mesmerized by this strange sight, i fail to realize the boss was almost upon me, and he kills me so fast i didn't even have time to react. But wait, what is this?
Why did i get here? As i awaken, i look over the Sculptor, who seems more morose than usual:
It appears i'm now in possession of certain rot essences that pertain to two specific figures, the Sculptor, and some old woman. Upon recieving those items, it seems my karma has taken a turn for the worse, and i will no longer recieve as much unseen aid as before. But how is my death causing this sickness onto others?
The Sculptor, now visibly ill, has this to say when asked if there is anything wrong with him:
Has my death caused this? Is this the price for resurrection? "The Stagnation overflows and spreads". What does it mean? The Sculptor appears to find it difficult to even speak, and while trying to dismiss the gravity of his situation, he tells me to ask Emma about the rest.
So it seems my death, my failure, has lead to the suffering of others, which is likely the reason i no longer recieve favor and aid from the Buddha. But is there a cure?
With this meager hope, i now return to the dream, this time determined not to repeat my failure, to prevent my death from causing more suffering to others. While the man who caused this was only the last in a long line of failures, of deaths and resurrections, he must be put to death, switfly and decisively. Death, it seems, is no longer an option for me, not if i don't want to inflict the consequences of my failure onto others!