Maozhi adheres to the principle of not letting people die.
The rule is to meddle in affairs that are none of her business.
And to touch things that are not allowed to be touched.
Without further ado, they directly rushed towards the fire monster.
"Why didn't you wait a moment longer!"
From above, Onion Knight called out in frustration, then followed, "But, there's no other way now."
"Sir Jackbaldo, Knight of Catarina, here to assist!"
Onion Knight is a true brother, always there when needed.
"Ah..."
Onion Knight roared, even braver than Maozhi!
Together, they easily defeated the fire monster. Maozhi felt like the most useless participant in this battle.
Onion Knight, despite his simple appearance, fought ferociously.
He truly lived up to his title as the Knight of Catarina!
'Brother Onion is someone you can count on, always there when needed!'
'I think Onion Knight could take on the fire demon alone; Maozhi probably didn't even out-DPS him.'
'Having the divine artifact makes a difference; monster slaying is so much faster!'
......
The spectators off-screen were also touched by Onion Knight's friendly assistance. In this dark world, having a true friend is truly rare.
"Huuuh!"
Onion Knight sat cross-legged on the ground, panting heavily after the battle, and congratulated Maozhi, "Well fought!"
"However, don't be reckless."
"You are also an Unkindled Ash, surely bearing a mission, but first, let's have a drink to celebrate!"
[Obtained: Jack's Wine]
"To your courage, my sword, and our victory."
He raised his cup and shouted, "Praise the Sun!"
Onion Knight's hearty laughter infected everyone in the stream.
"He's so kind."
Maozhi couldn't help but sigh.
"Alright, I'm going to sleep for a bit. After the celebration banquet, you must do this!"
[Obtained: Celebration (Emote)]
Maozhi immediately used it, and they clinked glasses in perfect sync.
Onion Knight fell asleep instantly after speaking.
His snores could be heard the next second.
Maozhi was envious to the point of tears, and also deeply moved to have met such a warm NPC.
Ever since arriving in the world of Dark Souls, she had been tense and focused on grinding monsters. But seeing Onion Knight relax completely made her feel warm.
A kind old woman's image appeared in her mind.
She immediately shook her head and rushed towards the next scene.
On the way, just after crossing a broken bridge, a prompt suddenly appeared – [Invaded by Mad Phantom Knight Fjordorlink!]
A purple figure suddenly materialized.
Long sword + round shield, clearly a knight's attire.
"What the hell is this?"
"Are other players trying to invade me?"
Maozhi nervously retreated; this was her first PvP experience.
During the fight, she realized this wasn't a player but an NPC with strong combat skills. Parry, backstab, dodge, jumping attack – all were used with great proficiency.
He even drank potions, and they were like endless refills of orange juice!
Maozhi was so envious her teeth ached.
However, she wasn't one to back down. After being educated by the round-shield knights at High Wall of Lothric, Maozhi's parrying skills had become almost perfect.
That's how Dark Souls is; as long as you get into the game, through constant practice and memorization, a player's skills improve rapidly.
After defeating the Mad Phantom Knight Fjordorlink, Maozhi obtained the [Vertebra Shackle].
Then, along the way, she encountered a Pyromancer trapped in a cage.
And the Knight of Carim, Igo, who guarded the White-robed Cleric. After some searching in the sewers, she finally found the Cleric and saved her.
No, to be precise, she allowed herself to be served by this Cleric who wanted to become a Fire Keeper but failed due to her weakness.
Simply because the Ashen One touched her.
Tsk, tsk, such strange plot. Knight Igo of Carim, Irina of Carim.
The scene appeared in her mind.
'True Harem Souls!'
'Good heavens, he's a cuckold, isn't he?'
'Igo must be feeling a bit green.'
'This just goes to show, the loyal follower can never beat the destined protagonist!'
......
"It's not as absurd as you guys are making it out to be."
Maozhi explained, "The tradition in Carim is that a knight serves one maiden for life. Igo's maiden yearned to become a Fire Keeper, but Irina couldn't bear the pain of becoming one."
"After having her eyes gouged out, she was tormented by the darkness and the insects hidden within.
"Then the protagonist arrived. He touched her, offering Irina support, and she gladly served him... Wait??"
"Eh? o((⊙﹏⊙))o??"
Maozhi realized the more she explained, the worse it sounded.
Thinking about it, the Ashen One who took advantage of the situation really felt a bit like a player who steals someone else's girlfriend.
It really felt like a cuckolding situation.
The audience could no longer hold back their laughter.
'Haha, I was a bit confused, but after your detailed breakdown, Igo's hat is firmly in place!'
'Really? I love this kind of plot, give me more, give me more!'
'This guy has some peculiar kinks!'
'Pay attention to the key information, becoming a Fire Keeper requires gouging out the eyes, so the current Fire Keeper sister...'
'I don't care! I don't care! The Fire Keeper is the most beautiful in my heart!'
......
After clearing all the scenes in the Undead Settlement, Maozhi set off to return to Firelink Shrine; it was time to head to the next map.
However, she still needed to talk to NPCs to find out who triggered the next plot.
She first went to Soul of Cinder to refine the collected souls into corresponding items.
The Soul of Aldrich could be refined into the Great Hammer he wielded or a high-attack ring.
Maozhi decisively chose the high-attack ring. After enhancing it, she went to Yoel to level up her attributes four times.
Still no trigger for the next map.
She met with the Pyromancer again, but the Pyromancer only taught her the magic [Great Soul Greatsword], a skill with a weakness.
Finally, she walked up to the Crestfallen Warrior. His opening speech was as dejected as ever, but with some new information:
"...But do you know the true nature of those called Lords of Cinder, the former Kings?"
"Take Aldrich, for example. He was once a cleric, yet he constantly ate people. Truly disgusting!"
"Not only did he fly like a drowning pig, but he also turned into churning mud, ultimately being imprisoned in the Profaned Capital."
A fantastic comparison, very vivid.
Crestfallen Warrior continued, "But Aldrich became a Lord of Cinder. This has nothing to do with personal conduct, only with strength."
He asked Maozhi, "This is what a king is. Do you still intend to challenge it?"
Maozhi clicked confirm.
"Hahaha..."
Crestfallen Warrior laughed inexplicably, "Outside Lothric Castle, in the lower levels of the tower in the Undead Settlement, I heard there's still a path to take."
"It's the Path of the Priceless, used to transport sacrifices to the Profaned Capital. Follow this route."
"Go, if you are not afraid of being disheartened."
After saying that, he chuckled sadly again.
[Obtained: Heavy Gem – Said to be a gem made from Petrified Twine, famous for forging the Farron Greatsword, used for weapon reinforcement, capable of creating heavy weapons]
Upon seeing the item description.
Maozhi felt that Crestfallen Warrior had a rich story behind him.
She could understand Crestfallen Warrior's feelings. Previously, Crestfallen Warrior thought the Lords of Cinder were heroic figures.
But as the journey to link the fire deepened, Crestfallen Warrior realized the world wasn't what he imagined.
Whether to become a Lord of Cinder or not, perhaps only strength mattered.
Even a cannibalistic cleric like Aldrich could be titled a Lord of Cinder, with countless people following and believing in him.
Perhaps this was the truth of the Lords of Cinder; perhaps they weren't as great as they seemed.
Maybe this was the reason for Crestfallen Warrior's dejection?
Maozhi dared not be certain, but Maozhi knew.
Even though Crestfallen Warrior was dejected at this moment, he still pointed the player in the right direction – the Path of the Priceless!
......