"My... my husband, how did he kill his own dog?"
The sacred scene left most players, except those who had experienced the DLC, utterly bewildered.
"This is a soul-binding ritual, also a combat method of ancient warriors."
"The Nameless King driving his lightning spear into the Storm Dragon's skull not only grants it peace but also signifies inheriting its power to continue the fight!"
"This ritual was shown in the DLC; it's a form of legacy."
Tang Wanqiu explained while sipping his fruit drink, his fingers tense and his mind alert.
The Nameless King, now imbued with the Storm Dragon's power, was even more formidable. Crimson lightning arcs coiled around the wide blade of his spear, exuding a deadly elegance.
Every boss in Dark Souls has a second phase, and the Nameless King's second phase was significantly more powerful and terrifying.
Accompanied by the majestic BGm...
Chen Yingying felt a pang of sympathy. "Can we take a break, honey?"
"It's okay, wife, almost there. I've figured out the pattern, just give me a bit more time."
He affectionately patted Chen Yingying's head before Tang Wanqiu resumed his assault.
Some of the Nameless King's skills couldn't be blocked with a shield, and they were incredibly fast, infused with lightning.
In the second phase, holding a shield was clearly not the optimal strategy; the key to defeating the Nameless King was agile dodging!
Abandoning his greatshield, he recalled the Farron Dance.
Without a shield, one could still dance!
In the second phase, he discarded the greatshield, swapped to the Farron Greatsword, and executed various front flips and dodges to evade the Nameless King's attacks.
"Not bad!"
He seized opportunities to land a few hits without being greedy.
Through countless trials, Tang Wanqiu gradually found his rhythm, the resentment in his brow slowly easing.
As the Nameless King's health dropped below half in the second phase, he entered a berserk state, his aggression soaring.
He unleashed a barrage of flashy skills relentlessly. One mistimed dodge would result in taking damage from the lightning arcs.
However, the price for such high-frequency attacks was a longer charge-up time for subsequent moves.
Tang Wanqiu, adept at seizing opportunities, chose to forgo drinking his fruit drink to replenish his status during a sliver of health, charging forward for a burst of aggressive output.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!!
A massive amount of blood gushed from the sharp edge of the Farron Greatsword!
Decisiveness allowed him to seize the opportunity!
[Obtained: Soul of the Nameless King]
With the final blow, the king, whose combat prowess and spear skills even Gwyn could not claim, finally fell to the hands of the cheating Ash.
After numerous deaths and resurrections, this player, who had passed the trial under Teacher Iudex Gundyr, had finally graduated from Principal Nameless.
Recalling the month of battles, Tang Wanqiu was on the verge of tears.
But... the next moment,
A soft, fluffy white bunny crashed onto his face, carrying a faint, warm scent.
"Husband, you're my Superman!"
"Amazing!!!"
Chen Yingying latched onto Tang Wanqiu like an octopus, clutching his neck so tightly he could barely breathe.
Slap, slap, slap!!
Tang Wanqiu repeatedly patted Chen Yingying's back.
He was suffocating!
"Oh, sorry, husband."
Chen Yingying quickly disentangled herself from Tang Wanqiu, a mischievous grin on her face. "Hehe, I was just too excited."
"Quick, quick, let's finish the sequence."
In the game, as the Nameless King fell, the clouds in the sky dissipated, and a stone staircase slowly appeared.
Without a word, Tang Wanqiu rushed into the Cemetery of Ash.
According to the deductions of the Souls scholars, Dark Souls likely has multiple endings, with three currently known.
First: Obey the Fire Keeper's instructions and link the fire.
Second: Disobey the instructions, extinguish the fire, but this requires helping the Fire Keeper find her lost eyes (a slight modification to include the Nameless King's battle).
Third: Become the King of Londor, that is, usurp the fire and become the Lord of Hollows, which requires completing Yuria of Londor's questline.
Tang Wanqiu had not completed Yuria's quest. He chose to extinguish the fire, but both linking and extinguishing the fire required passing the assessment of Principal Nameless to reach the Cemetery of Ash.
Challenge Iudex Gundyr, then proceed to the ending.
Iudex Gundyr could also be challenged earlier through a separate questline to activate this temporally displaced Cemetery of Ash. Brother Yin had long ago reported his task to Iudex Gundyr with excellent parries.
He now only needed to report his completion to the Nameless King to graduate smoothly, but as a non-elemental player, he was completely stuck at the Nameless King.
Literally, one touch meant death. While others could withstand three of the Principal's attacks, he died from just one, even a casual attack. Skills did not prevent his death.
Many legends of Brother Yin circulated within the Souls scholar community.
Now, Tang Wanqiu, having passed Principal Nameless's assessment, was preparing to report his achievements to Teacher Gundyr.
Clang, clang, clang...
Tang Wanqiu parried Iudex Gundyr to death with his small wooden shield and a 100% critical hit, as a way to express his gratitude for Teacher Gundyr's early tutelage.
"Teacher Gu, in the future, you will see your students fill the world, paying their respects. Your student will accompany you here today, and it will be lively here from now on."
At this time, Gundyr had not yet been corrupted by the Pus of Man; he was still a hero in the world of Dark Souls. This was still the Cemetery of Ash, but there was no light here.
Time and space were extremely chaotic here. The Firelink Shrine was devoid of the Fire Keeper and other NPCs, only the old Shrine Handmaid who loved to eat ashes remained.
Moving further inside, he approached a pile of bones. Judging by the deceased's attire, it was very similar to the Fire Keeper's.
[Obtained: Eyes of a Fire Keeper - a pair of dark eyes. It is said that these are the eyes of the first Fire Keeper, after which all Fire Keepers lose their light. It is rumored they can allow a sightless Fire Keeper to see things she should not.]
"This is it. Time to go back and extinguish the fire!"
Pocketing the pair of blueberry-like eyes, Tang Wanqiu returned to the current timeline's Firelink Shrine via the bonfire.
After handing the eyes to the Fire Keeper...
"Ash, this is..."
"Are these the eyes...?"
At this moment,
This NPC, whose emotions remained eternally unchanging in the Shrine, displayed an unprecedented emotional reaction.
...