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Chapter 167 Where Magic Meets Chakra
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Naruto, Oscar, and Griggs descended into the lower Undead Burg, their footsteps echoing off the cracked stone steps beside the long-abandoned chamber where the Capra Demon once dwelled.
Naruto was unusually quiet.
"Something on your mind?" Griggs asked, watching him from the corner of his eye.
"Hollows. And the curse of the Undead."
"That's a broad subject. What about it?"
Naruto hesitated. "My master, Oscar, he was Undead. Died protecting me back in the Northern Undead Asylum. But I've been thinking... shouldn't he have risen again as a hollow?"
"I'm not following," Griggs admitted.
Naruto sighed and slowed his pace, recounting the day he met Oscar, how the man sacrificed himself fighting the Asylum Demon so Naruto could escape, and how he buried him afterward he killed the demon.
"You think he's still there?" Griggs asked. "Hollowed?"
"I don't know. The place was falling apart when I left. But... maybe it returned back to normal. If he was like the merchant, then it's possible."
Griggs gave a low hum of thought. "And if he is? What would you do?"
Naruto didn't answer right away.
Would he go back? Try to speak to Oscar one last time? Tell him everything about the journey? One last conversation between a squire and his master.
A faint smile flickered across his lips at the thought. But then the idea dug deeper into his mind.
Could he save Oscar? Could chakra or fuinjutsu somehow reverse the hollowing? Could he use the advantages of his world to do what no miracle had?
The thought lingered until the world snapped back into motion.
A flash of steel whistled through the air toward his neck.
Naruto vanished.
The knife passed clean through his afterimage, and in its wake, he was squatting down, flicking a shuriken toward the source.
At the base of the steps, one undead assassin stood too perfectly in the middle of the street; hood low, blade half-drawn, posture still. But Naruto's Hawkeyes didn't fixate on the obvious target. They caught the shimmer of reflected light from the shuriken.
A second assassin, hidden in the shadows.
He launched a second shuriken, angling it off the first with a snap of chakra. The collision sent both spinning toward their marks until the second shuriken detonated mid-air, the explosive seal bursting into a concussive flash.
The hidden assassin didn't even have time to scream.
The first assassin, however, rolled through the blast and the shuriken with I-frames. But the moment his dodge ended, Griggs stepped forward and loosed a Great Soul Arrow that punched clean through the assassin's chest.
The body collapsed in a heap of ash and silence.
Oscar let out a disgruntled chirp.
Naruto glanced down and grinned. "What? You wanted a turn?"
Oscar huffed and flared his tail, clearly displeased.
Naruto ruffled the crystal lizard's head. "You've come a long way, you know. Used to be scared of your own shadow."
Oscar chirped again, nose in the air, as if he'd always been brave.
Naruto chuckled and looked toward the path ahead.
But in the back of his mind, the thought remained.
If Oscar was still somewhere in that broken asylum… then maybe, just maybe, it was worth finding a way to bring him back.
But that was a thought for another day.
Right now, Naruto chose to stay grounded—in the present, in the moment—as he scanned the path ahead.
The street opened onto a triangular stone platform. Crumbling stairs curled up both sides toward an old tower, but Naruto's gaze caught on something else: a heavy metal door embedded in the far wall. Reinforced. Angular. Claw-like ridges framed it like something meant to keep things in, not out. A small, barred window near the top shimmered with faint blue light.
"That looks like it goes down," Naruto said, stepping forward.
He pulled the Key to the Depths from his inventory and slid it into the rusted lock.
Click.
The stone beneath them trembled. With a deep metallic groan, the claw-like ridges retracted into the walls. The shimmer across the door shattered like brittle glass, and the thick slab creaked open on its own, revealing a spiral stair descending into dark, wet silence.
A stench rose from below... indescribable.
Naruto's stomach twisted, and his throat burned from the stench thick in the air.
Then came the scream.
Thud.
The unmistakable sound of cleaver meeting flesh.
Thud.
The unmistakable sound of Naruto closing the door came next.
Naruto turned to the tower. "Let's go that way first."
Meanwhile, the sorcerer was checking out the magic barrier.
"Fascinating," Griggs murmured. "That magic barrier was beyond any words I could muster. Whoever did that was powerful beyond anything I've studied."
"Any idea who?"
Griggs hesitated, then said grimly, "The only one that comes to mind is Seath the Scaleless."
Naruto stilled, something cold crawling down his spine.
He remembered now—the key to the lower Undead Burg had been near the Undead Church, right where a Channeler had ambushed him. Rickert had said they served Seath. If a dragon had gone this far... creating barriers, posting demons like Capra... then whatever was in the Depths wasn't just dangerous. It was being deliberately hidden.
Naruto's thoughts were cut short by the zing of an arrow narrowly missing his head.
He looked up.
A hollow crouched on a wooden platform halfway up the tower, bow drawn, already notching another arrow.
"Oscar," Naruto said.
The little lizard was already sprinting up the wall in a spiral of flashing claws, his tail trailing chakra sparks. Halfway up, he launched himself into the air, curled mid-flight into a tight ball, and slammed directly into the hollow's chest. The undead archer tumbled backward off the ledge, body ragdolling to the floor below with a grotesque splatter.
Naruto and Griggs exchanged a glance as they reached the top of the staircase, carefully stepping around what was left of the hollow archer splattered below.
"Nice work," Naruto said, giving Oscar a single, appreciative clap.
Griggs offered a more restrained golf clap. "Elegant."
Oscar flared his frills and gave a proud little hop. He was clearly pleased.
Naruto snorted. "Next time, I'm gonna try kicking the archer off the platform. That sounds way more fun."
Griggs arched a brow. "That would be quite the height of tactical brilliance."
Naruto mimicked him in a dramatic, mock-posh tone. "Quite the height of tactical brilliance."
Griggs snorted. "You act like a child. Try acting your age."
"Dude. I am a child. I'm twelve."
Griggs stopped cold. "By the great Albino Dragon…"
"What?"
"You're twelve?" Griggs repeated, nearly dropping his staff. "That's... that's not possible. That's… you're... wait, wait, wait." He looked Naruto up and down like he was a cursed artifact. "You expect me to believe the warrior I saw dominate a Capra Demon... is a kid whose balls haven't dropped yet?!"
Naruto made a face. "Wait. They drop?!"
Griggs stared.
Naruto stared back.
"…Please tell me you're joking," Griggs said slowly.
"No, man, what does that even mean?! Drop where? Like, fall off? Do they roll away?! Is that why old people look so depressed?!"
"Oh gods," Griggs muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You are a child."
"I'M NOT JOKING!" Naruto shouted. "DO I NEED TO GLUE THEM ON OR SOMETHING?!"
Oscar let out a chirp and darted back to Naruto's side, curling around his leg like he needed protection from the conversation.
Naruto crouched and scratched the lizard behind his head frills. "You good, Griggs?"
Griggs sighed like a man thirty years older than he was. "My apologies. I just… wasn't prepared for that kind of information. Outside of Lordran, you'd be hailed as a generational prodigy. I've studied tomes older than kingdoms and I've never heard of anyone like you."
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I mean… I kinda just woke up in the Undead Asylum." He kept it vague.
Griggs didn't push. He had already learned Naruto's secrets came in pieces.
"A shame," he said. "If only you'd been born before the Undead outbreaks… your name might've changed the world."
Naruto shrugged. "Too late for that now. So… what'd you think I was, if not a kid?"
Griggs adjusted his gloves with a small huff. "I assumed you were a Gyrm. Or as some call them… dwarves."
Naruto turned, scandalized. "You calling me short?"
"No," Griggs replied evenly. "I was describing a stocky, powerful subterranean race known for their insane strength and isolationism."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "That's the most polite insult I've ever heard. So yeah. You were calling me short."
Griggs rolled his eyes, already moving to change the subject. "Are you ready to deal with that cursed hand of yours?"
Naruto perked up.
"That's why we're here, right? You said there's a merchant with Purging Stones down here somewhere."
"Yes," Griggs confirmed. "She doesn't show herself to just anyone, but I have an understanding with her. She won't come cheap but the stone works. You'll be rid of the curse for good."
Naruto looked down at his cursed arm. Still, a grin tugged at his lips. "I'm ready," he said. "Let's end this."
They reached the top of the tower, where a damp breeze swept across the stone. A tunnel stretched out ahead, the air thick with the foul, acidic scent of flowing sewage.
Naruto stepped forward, pausing at the edge. Below, the water was dark and sluggish, flecked with oily glimmers in the half-light that filtered through the moss-choked stone.
"…I know this place," Naruto murmured, glancing to the right. His eyes caught on a set of thick, rusted bars embedded in the tunnel wall.
Oscar let out a displeased chirp and backed away from the ledge. Sewer water was clearly not his thing.
Meanwhile, Griggs peered toward the other side of the cage-like bars, expression thoughtful.
"So where is this merchant?"
"She was here the last time I checked. Maybe your fight with the Capra Demon scared her off," Griggs offered.
Naruto groaned and crouched to pick up Oscar, cradling the little lizard against his shoulder. "Great. Just my luck."
He turned away. "Come on. Let's go back to Firelink Shrine. I'll check again later."
The two made their way down the tunnel until they reached a gate. Naruto narrowed his eyes at it.
This was the first door in Lordran that hadn't opened from the other side.
He raised his foot and kicked. With a loud clang, it gave way, groaning on its hinges. They passed through and made their way back to Firelink Shrine.
Naruto was quiet.
He'd really wanted to fix the curse today. It felt like the fastest path to real strength. Not just more skill, not just better gear. Power. A clean, whole soul again.
Why was he chasing strength so hard?
Because he still didn't know if Kakashi was truly his sensei… or his enemy.
Naruto wanted to believe there was a good reason Kakashi abandoned him. He wanted to ask. To understand. But he wasn't stupid enough to march into Tazuna's house and sit down for tea. Not after what happened. Not after everything.
Strength was his insurance policy.
If he couldn't get the curse removed yet, then it was time for plan B.
Learn magic from Griggs.
Naruto had his clones clear out the hollows as they descended the path. When they stepped through the familiar cracked stone arch and onto the terrace, Naruto gave a half-smile. "Welcome to Firelink Shrine," he said.
The bonfire sputtered at the center, casting a soft orange pulse into the ruin.
"There's a guy from the Way of White here," Naruto said, nodding to the far end where Petrus usually lingered. "He sells blessings. Real shady type."
Griggs glanced over, unimpressed.
"And down that slope," Naruto continued, "is the Fire Keeper. Over there? That elevator goes to the Undead Parish."
Griggs gave a low hum. "You certainly know your way around. How long have you been in Lordran?"
Naruto paused.
He did the math in his head. If time moved slower in the Wave… then what felt like a week in his world was far longer here. A 1:3 ratio. He'd been in Lordran for over 35 days. More than a month. Longer than the entire Wave mission. Longer than any time he'd spent in his own world in recent memory.
That hit him harder than expected. He swallowed it down.
"A while," he muttered.
"Regardless of how long you've been here, you've clearly learned much in that time. Your skill is undeniable."
Naruto blinked, dragged from his thoughts.
Griggs gave a faint grin. "I am pleased to have a chance to give something back. Well, then lets get started straight away."
[ Wares ]
[ Items ]
[Sorcerer's Catalyst – 500 Souls]
[ Spells ]
[Soul Arrow – 1,000 Souls]
[Heavy Soul Arrow – 2,000 Souls]
[Great Soul Arrow – 6,000 Souls]
[Great Heavy Soul Arrow – 8,000 Souls]
[Fall Control – 1,500 Souls]
[Magic Weapon – 3,000 Souls]
[Aural Decoy – 1,000 Souls]
[Magic Shield – 3,000 Souls]
[ Rings ]
[Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring – 20,000 Souls]
[Lingering Dragoncrest Ring – 20,000 Souls]
Naruto tried to hide the grin tugging at his lips as he scanned the growing list of sorceries available to him.
Great Soul Arrow. A stronger, heavier version of the classic projectile. Fall Control. The spell that let him launch himself like a missile from above, then land without so much as a twisted ankle. Magic Weapon. A buff. Temporary, but potent. The same glowing enhancement Beatrice had once used on his Zweihander, turning it into a spectral giant's blade. With chakra reinforcing the spell… Naruto could pull off something similar.
And yet, his eyes weren't on the spells.
They were on the rings.
More specifically, one ring. Gleaming faintly in the soft light of the Shrine, the Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring rested inside a velvet-lined box, surrounded by protective runes. The carved image of a dragon roared outward from the surface, scales etched with uncanny precision.
Naruto exhaled. "The rings are expensive."
"You might not know this," Griggs said, folding his arms, "but that ring is given only to the most gifted sorcerers of the Vinheim Dragon School. Not every student even gets to see one. It amplifies the power of sorceries significantly."
Naruto stared at it, tilting his head. "So it's like… a badge of honor, but with a buff."
"It's more than that," Griggs said, voice quieter now. "It's a testament. Only those with the strength and control to wield that amplification can survive it. Too much power too quickly and the spell can…" He mimed an explosion with his fingers. "Backfire. Violently."
Naruto gave a low hum. "Sounds dangerous."
"It is dangerous. But in the right hands? It can change the course of a war."
Naruto didn't reply. He just reached forward and picked up the ring, letting the weight of it rest in his palm. The carved dragon glinted in the light.
Then it hummed.
He frowned.
Not with sound, but something deeper like a string being plucked in the center of his chest. There was resonance between the ring and his soul. Not just his magic, but his chakra network as well.
He understood instinctively.
The ring amplified sorceries by allowing more of the soul's influence to bleed into the body. The resonance acted as a conduit, much like how chakra was formed from the fusion of physical and spiritual energy. The Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring was named not for its appearance, but for what it did... it made the soul roar, like a dragon bellowing through the flesh.
"Strength of sorceries, huh?" Naruto muttered.
He knew it already, that chakra and soul energy could reinforce one another. He'd used that synergy to fire soul arrows charged with enough chakra to punch through buildings. But this… this was a leap beyond.
He slipped the ring onto his finger.
A deep gong rang out; not aloud, but within. A pulse, ancient and echoing, shook him to his core.
The chakra in his body surged. Not out of control, but… in tune. It was like a melody he'd never known he'd been playing wrong until now.
"May I?" he asked, voice level, locking eyes with Griggs.
Griggs gave a slow nod. "Go on."
Naruto pressed his hands together, forming the familiar seal.
But what happened next was anything but familiar.
The clone didn't appear with the usual puff of smoke. Instead, his skin stretched and separated, like the slow fission of dividing cells. A shimmer of refracted light rippled through the air as Naruto's body cast off a duplicate like watching a budding plant split at the stalk, petals peeling back to reveal a twin bloom.
The clone emerged with a soft wet sound, landing upright beside him.
Griggs immediately coughed and looked away, hand flying up to shield his eyes. "By the gods! A bit of modesty, please!"
The clone stood stark naked, blinking dumbly like a newborn, clearly as surprised as the original.
Naruto didn't laugh. He wasn't even paying attention.
His hand was pressed against the clone's chest.
And what he felt, it wasn't just chakra. It wasn't just a shell with some memory feedback.
It was life.
A heartbeat. Lungs drawing breath. Skin warm to the touch.
The Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring had twisted the Shadow Clone Technique. No longer a chakra construct… this was a living, breathing copy of himself. Not a trick. Not a distraction.
A true physical clone.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"This…" he whispered, "this changes everything."
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[ Author's Note: ]
Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update had a few things come up IRL, but I hope you enjoyed today's chapter!
This one was pretty straightforward, but there are a couple of cool points I want to unpack with you all. So, let's dive in:
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1 — Why are there dwarfs in Dark Souls?
Surprised to hear Griggs casually mention dwarfs? You're not alone.
Despite Dark Souls being a dark fantasy setting, it actually doesn't lean into many of the usual fantasy races: elves, dwarfs, halflings, etc. But there is one group that absolutely screams "dwarf" once you dig into the lore: the Gyrm, introduced in Dark Souls II.
The Gyrm are a stocky, underground-dwelling people. They're burly, beardy, and surprisingly kind-hearted, though they're considered impure by most humans. Sound familiar? Yeah. They go Hollow like any other human, but biologically, they're distinct enough to be called their own race.
So… they're totally dwarfs. FromSoftware just didn't call them that.
Now here's the fun part: Should I add an elven race?
Dark Souls has zero mention of elves in its canon, not even oblique hints. Trust me, I've searched. But since Naruto is now known as the Archer of Providence, wouldn't it be interesting if he met a race of elusive, long-lived archers? Maybe they were hidden. Maybe they were forgotten… or maybe they remember him.
Would love to hear your thoughts. If you've found any potential "elf-like" references in DS lore, drop them in the comments. If not, should I make one up?
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2 — What the hell happened to Shadow Clone Jutsu?!
Short answer: Chakra broke magic. Then magic broke chakra back.
When Naruto's chakra first boosted Soul Arrow into a cannon-tier spell, we saw a merging of power systems but it's been pretty one-sided until now. Chakra made magic better. But what about the reverse?
Magic is soul-based. Chakra is physical and spiritual. So magic influencing chakra has to happen through physical soul-based buffs. Enter:
Stronger Catalysts
The Crown of Dusk
The Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring
When Naruto equipped the ring and cast Shadow Clone, something shifted. The magic didn't just amplify the jutsu, it stabilized it. The clone wasn't just chakra anymore. It had mass. Soul presence. A kind of eerie, full-bodied existence.
That's a teaser for what's coming. In the next chapter, we'll dig into how Naruto's jutsu evolve when laced with magic.
But for now, I'd love your ideas: How would magic affect Naruto's current jutsu?
Here's his current roster:
Substitution Jutsu
Transformation Jutsu
Body Flicker Jutsu
Wind Style: Vacuum Blade
Wind Style: Wind Bullets
Honestly, it's kind of wild how few jutsu he's using and yet he still feels incredibly powerful. That's Dark Souls for you. Every move counts.
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That's it… for now. As always, thank you so much for the incredible support. Writing this story has been one hell of a journey and you make it worth every word.
Feel free to comment your theories, spell ideas, or elf lore headcanons. I read every single one.
Until next time,
— Adam
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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 82, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.
To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!