The Creators: From Night City

Page 276

Her response was only the grumbling of her companions and the sound of them gripping their halberds.

"Enemies?" Anri quickly took off his shield and looked ahead.

There was indeed an enemy, but it was a dead enemy.

This is a knight wearing heavy plate armor, with a burly build and excellent equipment.

“It’s the Black Knight!” Anri recognized the other party at a glance.

Legend has it that when Gwyn, the Sun King, stepped into the First Flame, a band of Silver Knights accompanied him. After being tempered by the First Flame, the Silver Knights' shiny armor was scorched and blackened by the flames, and then burned to ashes by the First Flame, which drifted and scattered to every corner of the continent of Lordran.

While it's unclear whether this mythical story is accurate, the Black Knight does indeed appear in every corner of the world, indiscriminately attacking all living things like a zombie.

Of course, most importantly, they were incredibly strong. They wielded their massive greatswords as if they were single-handed swords, and coupled with their heavy armor and shields, they were very difficult to deal with.

But this very enemy was pierced through by his own wavy, oversized sword and pinned high onto a boulder.

A grumbling came from beside me.

Anri looked at his companion, only to see him pointing straight ahead.

She looked in that direction and saw a furnace-like building standing between cliffs in the distance.

That was the ancient sacred site of Lothric, the Firelink Shrine.

Of course, as the power of the Lothric Fire-linking faction waned and the First Flame dwindled, this ritual site used to burn the Lords of Cinder gradually fell into decline.

After all, it's not exactly a likable place.

The two climbed the steps without encountering any attacks and naturally entered the sacrificial site.

What comes into view are five ancient thrones.

That was a throne created by Lothric using some ancient technology called the 'Throne of Desire' for the Lords of Cinder.

Of course, you can also call it a stake.

However, most of these thrones no longer have their original owners, and some have never been used since they were built.

This is why the bells were rung, since the current second prince of Lothric, the 'Holy King', who should have ascended the throne to continue the First Flame, chose to refuse.

“Another newcomer has arrived, and he’s a high-ranking Astrakian knight. That’s quite rare.” A hoarse voice rang out from the throne.

It was only then that Anri noticed that on the throne to the left sat a short, withered old man with both legs broken.

He was in a daze, his body, which resembled more of a zombie than a living person, occasionally punctuated by a few dazzling sparks.

That was proof that he was burning.

"They might just be two idiots rushing to their deaths." Hawkwood was practically half-lying on the circular stone steps, lazily watching the two people at the entrance.

However, this level of ridicule could not shake Anri's resolve.

"Welcome to the Firelink Shrine, Lords Ashes, please rest here." A woman with white hair, dressed in a plain gray robe, with the upper half of her face covered by an exquisitely crafted, opaque silver eye patch.

She was a blind woman of the White Sect and also a fire-preserving woman.

A fire-preserving woman who is part of this cycle of fire transmission.

Fire Keepers are the embodiment of the campfire. From ancient times to the present, they have been responsible for the fire-lighting ceremony and guarding the flame. They are blind women of the White Cult, and their existence is known to all the Undead who understand the fire-lighting ceremony.

Anri was clearly aware of the other party's existence.

She politely bowed to the other party with the Atlas knightly salute, and then prepared to take her companions to find a place to rest.

Although the immortals do not die until their souls and humanity are depleted, they still feel tired.

This is a good thing.

After all, as the Dark Ring appears, the souls of the undead, their humanity, and all proof of being human will gradually flow away from this dark ring.

Chapter 539 The Fire Keeper and the Key

The host will gradually lose touch, taste, and pain, becoming increasingly numb, losing consciousness, becoming dazed, and developing rigid thinking. Past memories will also become blurred, eventually turning into a crazed zombie, and with the passage of time, ultimately becoming a withered, lifeless skeleton by the roadside.

But this period of time was incredibly long.

This is also the origin of the name "Curse of the Undead".

“That’s right. It’s so much better to rest. Rather than fighting to the death and then sitting on this throne, burning your soul away bit by bit, it’s better to lie down. It’s so nice here. It’s safe, quiet, and no one will bother you.” Hawkwood’s words were full of negativity.

“Show some respect to the old man, Hawkwood.” Anri was about to retort when a vibrant, energetic male voice, completely contrary to the despairing atmosphere of this world, rang out from the high platform.

Anri looked up and saw a strange man squatting behind the throne of the Lord of Cinder who had spoken first, tapping and banging with the hammer in his hand.

Strictly speaking, they are adding an ergonomic, soft backrest to the cold, hard throne with red lava veins beneath Rudolf's buttocks, so that the disabled Rudolf can be more comfortable on it.

Only Jiang Bing could do this, since these thrones are essentially remote fire-transfer devices, and making minor adjustments and modifications without affecting their original functions is a highly technical task.

"Heh heh heh, let him be, Sabur," the old man on the throne murmured softly.

“That won’t do, Rudauth. You have to care. You haven’t told me about the Primal Furnace yet. You can’t be so pessimistic and world-weary, always thinking about dying and being reborn.”

Under Anri's terrified gaze, Jiang Bing hammered and pounded on the throne, his posture suggesting he intended to smash it to pieces.

“I’ve already said, Lord Sabur, the path to the First Forge is in the hands of the Fire Keeper. If you want to go there, you must have her permission.” Rudas laughed, as if he had thought of something pleasant, despite his pained expression.

Bang!

Under the watchful eyes of Anri and Horace, Jiang Bing drove the last wedge into the frame, picked up the hammer, and jumped down from a height of more than ten meters. He then casually dusted himself off and came to the two newcomers as if nothing had happened.

"Judging from the way you're called the Fire Keeper, you two must be the legendary Undying Ashes." Jiang Bing stared at the two of them intently.

“Lord Sabur, I am Anri from Atlas, the Unburnt Ashes, and this is my companion, Horace.”

"A grumbling sound~"

Snapped!

Jiang Bing clapped his hands excitedly and began to plot loudly right in front of the person in question.

"How about we make a deal? You go and persuade that big-breasted, brainless Fire Keeper next to you to open the path to the First Forge. In exchange, you can make up any wish you want, and I'll try my best to fulfill it."

Jiang Bing's gaze lingered briefly on the shield and sword on the other person's body before he continued, "Whether it's divine weapons or any precious treasures or magic, we can discuss it."

"Lord Sabur, why don't you speak to the Fire Keeper yourself? If you wish to link the fire, she would surely be very happy to do so."

"The path to the First Forge is not open to outsiders, let alone someone like you who seems to have impure intentions." The Fire Keeper, who was usually quiet, suddenly spoke, her voice as serene and melodious as her appearance.

"Pfft~" Hawkwood, who was lying flat on the side, laughed immorally.

"You're not only rigid in your thinking, but you're also engaging in regional discrimination, aren't you?" Jiang Bing gritted his teeth, exasperated by the other party.

There was no way around it; this Fire Keeper was connected to the First Flame, and until the linking of the flame ended, she was practically immortal. Forcing her with her life or death was utterly futile.

"You are not a god, not a human, not a dwarf, not any living being from the continent of Lordran, Lord Sabur. Your soul is so radiant, warm, and vast, unlike any other being. Without 'soul merging,' no one can reach this level, let alone your soul, which is so pure and so dazzling." The Fire Keeper's meaning was clear: I may be physically blind, but my vision on the level of the soul is incredibly precise.

Jiang Bing was quite helpless after hearing this, because the other party's 'eyes' were indeed very sharp, and what he said was not wrong at all.

A few days ago, after arriving at the central building of the Fire-linking ceremony with Hawkwood, Jiang Bing, with Heiml's help, quickly figured out the location of the First Flame's furnace by using the five replicas of the 'Throne of Desire' connected to the First Flame.

It can be both hidden and conspicuous.

The initial furnace was located here, behind the fire-lighting ritual site.

However, its location is not behind the current fire-linking ritual site, but is connected to another space, another era's fire-linking ritual site.

Knowing the location, he still couldn't pinpoint the exact path, since the Initial Furnace, as the core of this world's existence, naturally possessed a robust defense mechanism.

Leaving aside the possible defensive mechanisms inside the Initial Forge, the door to the Initial Forge itself was locked, and the key was undoubtedly in the hands of the Fire Keeper of this era.

The matter reached a stalemate.

Jiang Bing had no choice but to ignore what the other party said and turn back to continue his loud secret plot with Anri and Horace.

As the ashes of the Unfire, they were all burned to ashes by the First Flame, and naturally had come into contact with the First Flame, so they might know some information about it.

"So, do you have any wishes? You can trade me the information about the Initial Furnace." After his identity was exposed, Jiang Bing stopped pretending and became quite nonchalant.

However, both remaining Ash chose to politely refuse, not only because they did not want to make the deal, but also because they had never been to the Initial Forge.

Although they were indeed ashes burned to ashes by the First Flame, their method of linking the flame was very similar to that of the thrones, all using some means to link flames remotely, not to mention that it was a mass linking of flames under the coordination of Lothric.

The reason why these embers without fire cooperated so readily and actively started the fire is quite simple.

Lothric proclaims that after being burned by the First Flame, the curse of the undead will be burned away along with their souls. Rather than becoming a mad undead, many undead would rather burn to ashes in the First Flame and return to the eternal nothingness.

This way, one can die completely; from another perspective, isn't it also a kind of peaceful sleep?

After all, in this world where order has collapsed, even a clean and tidy death is a luxury.

The fire-lighting ritual site returned to calm.

Chapter 540 Lord of Cinder, Rudauth

Time in Lordran is strange, or rather, time in Lordran seems to be frozen, neither advancing nor retreating. Time flows, but the many undead seem not to feel it.

Or rather, many people don't care.

Jiang Bing's biological clock is very punctual. Although he doesn't need to sleep now, he still rests as usual according to his biological clock.

Just as he was bored and installing exquisitely crafted wooden handrails on the spiral staircase of the Firelink Shrine, a woman secretly approached him.

Although she was described as a woman, Jiang Bing could only determine her gender after she spoke.

The newcomer was dressed in a set of black cloth armor, with a full-face metal helmet engraved with intricate Gothic patterns covering her entire face. In addition, she wore long gloves, high riding boots, and an ankle-length skirt, completely covering herself up, with no skin exposed.

"Good day, Your Excellency. I am Julia of Londor."

However, despite the fact that she had covered herself completely, her soul, which was filled with darkness and curses, could not escape the craftsman's 'eyes'.

Jiang Bingyang picked up the hammer he had borrowed from the old blacksmith Andrei on the first floor and nailed a section of railing into the pre-drilled hole in the stone, making it fit perfectly.

"What do you want from me in the middle of the night?"

Yulia looked up at the archway behind her; the setting sun was like blood, and there was no darkness.

However, she did not refute it.

“I have news of the First Flame, and I think we can form an alliance for now.”

"Sabur" Jiang Bing raised the hammer and continued installing the railing.

"The linking of the fire is a hoax, Lord Sabur. It's a hoax by the gods to prolong the world they rule."

Yulia uttered a rebellious statement, hoping that this answer would move Jiang Bing.

But she failed.

The 'craftsman' remained focused on the work before him, as if the conspiracy that could shake the world was less important than the installation of the railing in front of him.

"Say something useful," Jiang Bing, the fire thief, finally spoke.

Do you know the path to the Primordial Forge?

Yulia fell silent.

The path to the First Forge is controlled by the Fire Keeper, and that seemingly weak woman is not as harmless as she appears.

Therefore, Yulia did not have this answer.

But she brought another solution.

"Once the firewood of the five Lords of Cinder is gathered, the Fire Keeper, no matter how unwilling, will open the passage to the First Forge as promised, begin the ritual of linking the fire, and decide the continuation of this world."

She pressed her hand against the katana 'Darkness' at her waist, "And in this matter, I think you can take appropriate action."

"What can you do, and what do you want?" Jiang Bing finally stopped hammering and asked the crucial question.

"The First Flame, after burning for millions of years, has gradually weakened, and in order to maintain the continuation of the world, it is about to burn the world to ashes."

"It's all because the First Flame protected too much, Your Excellency."

Julia said all she had to say, but her words were profoundly meaningful.

"I hope you will consider it carefully." She simply took a few steps back, and then, like ripples on water, she disappeared into the darkness without a trace.

The other party's arrival was suspicious, and their departure was equally abrupt. Their words were cryptic yet intriguing, making them a truly successful riddle teller.

Jiang Bing spent another half hour installing all the railings, and finally made up his mind not to follow the Firewoman's path again.

He was prepared to take a different approach.

He didn't have time to slowly deal with these 'Lords of Cinder' who each had their own unique skills. One can't put all one's eggs in one basket. The First Flame of this generation was sealed in the Primordial Furnace, but surely one could go back to the distant past? Jiang Bing didn't believe that the White Cult could guard the Primordial Furnace as tightly as they would their own home, keeping the door locked from ancient times to the present.