The Creators: From Night City

Page 277

However, his immediate priority is to find a way to obtain an accurate set of time and space coordinates, and use the [Key] and the 'Port' to travel through time and space back to the past to find the most suitable opportunity.

The loosely structured rules of this world gave Jiang Bing confidence, while Heiml's existence gave Jiang Bing the ability to locate time and space coordinates.

However, the immediate priority is to find an 'antique', an antique that spans a long period of time, to provide a detailed reference anchor for determining spacetime (time and space).

Where can I find this?

Then you'd have to ask the amazing Lord of Cinder, Ludows.

If we were to ask who was the most learned in this Firelinking Ritual, there would undoubtedly be Ludows, the Lord of Cinder, who sat on the throne.

So Jiang Bing, sneaking around, found Ludos's throne on the second throne on the left in the Firelink Shrine.

'Rudows the Exile'

This is the original inscription on the back of the other person's throne, and also a testament to their life.

He tiptoed around the side of the Fire Keeper, avoiding her gaze, and reached Ludows' side, where the 'Lord of Cinder' was fast asleep.

The ergonomic chair produced by 'Craftsman' is definitely a high-end product. Rudaus's withered and broken body was able to relax on the soft and comfortable backrest. However, compared to the cold and rigid stone backrest, the pain came from other aspects.

“...Ah, it’s so hot, my bones are burning, it hurts so much... ...Save me, kill me... ...No, no, it’s too painful... ...It’s so hot, save me... ” Jiang Bing leaned gently against the side of the other’s throne, listening to the old man’s painful murmurs in his sleep, and remained silent.

He intended to leave, but he was surprised to find that even in this state, the other person's senses were still incredibly sharp.

The other party quickly regained consciousness. In fact, even if he were to fall asleep, he could only sleep for a very short time before being awakened from his dream by the pain of being burned by the flames.

"...Oh, it's you. Sorry, I think I fell asleep." Despite being a Lord of Cinder, his friendliness far surpassed Eldridge's.

Ludovic shook his head: "What, you have new ideas about the forging of the soul and want to share them with me?"

Rudolf is an expert in 'Soul Devouring', while Jiang Bing is an expert in 'Manufacturing'. The two, who can be considered scholars, unexpectedly get along well. From the first time Jiang Bing tried to get information from Rudolf, they also unexpectedly had a pleasant conversation.

"Being burned by the Primordial Flame must have been incredibly painful," Jiang Bing asked softly, stroking the throne beneath the other's body.

"Ha, you heard everything." The Lord of Cinder replied after a few moments of silence.

“You are seeking the First Flame, aren’t you, Sabur? If you are truly curious about this, then come closer and look at my charred corpse. This pitiful body, don’t be coy, come closer and take a good look.” Rudos truly regarded Jiang Bing as a friend, and spoke without any formality.

Chapter 541 The Fire Stealer

Boss Jiang wasn't exactly a polite person either. He not only looked closely, but even touched it after getting the other party's permission.

The other person's body, which should have been soft and warm, was now as hard as a rock. Although the temperature felt warm, the sensation in his soul was as intense as if it had been branded with a hot iron, causing Jiang Bing to instantly pull his arm back.

"While flames can bring light, getting too close can burn one's soul. You'd better think it through before you act."

"Do you know what I want to do?" Jiang Bing asked, quite curious as he listened to the other person's words.

“Not long ago, a guest from Londor came to this sacrificial site that most people would avoid. I think she must have come to see you.”

Although Rudolf looked thin and broken, pressed on the throne and seemingly on the verge of death, his strength was definitely greater than that of most of the people in the sacrificial arena.

He heard and saw many things, but he didn't intend to make a fuss about them.

"She wants to steal fire." Jiang Bing stated the other party's intention in a calm tone.

“Ha, the ghosts of Rondoir have wanted to do this for more than just a day or two.” Rudaus wasn’t surprised at all.

“You also want to steal fire, so why don’t you cooperate with her?” Rudolf struggled to raise his crowned head and look at Jiang Bing.

"Her method is too slow."

"Ha" Rudauth, a staunch supporter of the Firelinkers, surprisingly showed no bias in this matter.

"Why did you choose to come back, Rudauth? Although you look like you have both legs broken, I don't think anyone can keep you alive on this 'torture device' if they want to."

"I accepted the responsibility of being the Lord of Cinder by my own will."

"There must be a reason, right?" Jiang Bing pressed.

“You’re really curious.” Ludos propped himself up on his arms and turned slightly toward Jiang Bing’s side, replying, “Because I am the King of Cinder, and this is my throne. I wonder if that explanation will convince you.”

"Barely," Jiang Bing said, pouting.

This throne is practically identical to the emperor's golden toilet. Rudolf willingly squats on it, which must have been due to many things that happened in the past that led him to make this atonement-like decision, willing to endure the torture of being slowly burned alive just to sit on it.

However, since the other party was unwilling to talk more, Jiang Bing was naturally embarrassed to press an old man who was on his deathbed trying to continue the world's survival.

“Unless all five Lords of Cinder are gathered on the throne, the Lady of Fire will not open the path to the First Forge, Sabur.”

"Furthermore, you should have noticed something just now." Rudolf propped himself up with his hands, leaning against the newly added backrest of the throne in a more comfortable position than he had ever been before, but accidentally aggravated the pain of being burned by the Primordial Fire, and couldn't help but groan.

"You can't bear the burning pain in your soul just by lightly touching me, this smoldering firewood. If you really want to steal fire, you are very likely to be devoured by the flames and turned into another piece of firewood."

The other party really hit the nail on the head.

Even if the initial flame is weak, it is still a flame of creation. Jiang Bing's current small body may not be able to withstand it. We must take measures to weaken and protect it.

"So you'd better give up that idea. You are neither immortal nor ashes without fire, so why should you be bound to this endless cycle of curses in this hopeless world?" Rudas earnestly advised.

"If I'm determined to steal fire, are you so sure that I have no way to modify it, weaken it, or control it?"

"Unless the witches of Izaris from ancient times are resurrected, no one can control this great flame. Even Zaraman, the king of sorcery, wouldn't dare to make such a boast." Rudos intended to discourage Jiang Bing, but he didn't expect that his words would be taken to heart.

In the distant past, the old witch Izalith obtained the power of the Flame Lord Soul from the First Flame. After the First Flame showed signs of decline, she attempted to create a flame comparable to the First Flame by studying the power of the Flame Lord Soul she had obtained.

Unfortunately, she overestimated her control over the Chaos Flame of Creation. During her research, the Chaos Flame went out of control, and the city of Izaris, which shared the same name as the Old Witch, was instantly destroyed in a raging inferno.

At the epicenter of the chaotic flames, the old witch and her daughters were all twisted by the chaotic flames, turning them into a chaotic breeding ground for deformed life.

And so the demon was born.

Of her seven daughters, only three survived, and all of them suffered varying degrees of distortion from the chaotic flames, resulting in different degrees of physical mutations.

However, one thing Rudauth said is true: if there is anyone in the world who understands the First Flame best, they are the undisputed representatives.

And they are all dead.

Fortunately, this problem is easy to solve.

"Rudows, you're a scholar, aren't you?"

"Ha, what you said is somewhat one-sided, but it's not entirely wrong either."

"Do you know where the ruins of Izaris are now?"

The crippled, frail dwarf, curled up on the throne, froze. He looked at Jiang Bing again with his single eye, which had been burned away by the First Flame, scrutinizing him closely, examining his soul.

Although Ludovic, who ascended the throne of the Lords of Cinder under the name of 'Soul Refiner', appears harmless, he is absolutely the most authoritative expert on the soul.

The souls he handled were twisted, dark, deep, profound, weak, great, mottled, and complex; some were sublime, some base, some warm, some cold, some violent and depressed, some insane, and some cruel. But he had never seen a soul that shone so brightly. This reminded him of the blazing sun of Courland, the warm sunlight that highlighted the other's power, while the underlying nature of the soul made Rudaws value it even more.

Because he can tell from this that the other person is a 'good person'.

His broad vision and past experiences allowed him to guess Jiang Bing's intentions to some extent. He understood, he understood almost everything, but he still tried to put on a smile with his numb face.

"Smoked Lake is located beneath the Carthus Cemetery, where the overlord Wolverine is buried."

Not only did the other party speak, but they even drew a simple map for Jiang Bing with their withered, emaciated, and bony fingers.

“You can bring that depressed friend along; he might know the specific path to the Demon Ruins,” Rudauth said meaningfully.

Jiang Bing looked back at Hawkwood, who was lying flat on the ground between two pillars, and was surprised to find that he had gained something unexpected.

"Since you have made your decision, that's good. In this hopeless world, it's always good to have something to hold on to. But please be careful and have a safe journey, my friend."

Chapter 542 Smoked Lake

The connections between people are always very mysterious; some people become instant friends, while others grow to dislike each other.

Jiang Bing and Rudos belong to the former category.

Of course, this is also related to the other party's kind-hearted personality. He had a very congenial conversation with Anri from Atlas, and another normal human female knight, who is rare on the continent of Rodland, also had a pleasant chat with him, although she always stayed for half a day before leaving in a hurry.

This magnanimous and worldly-wise Lord of Cinder certainly lives up to the 'savior' image he often jokingly refers to.

"This thing should be useless to me." Before leaving, Jiang Bing took out the crown he had obtained from Eldridge, the 'Lord of Cinder' that contained a huge amount of mottled souls.

"Here you go, Rudauth. If two pieces of firewood are burning together here, you'll burn slower and feel less pain, though I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing." Jiang Bing placed the twisted crown on the armrest of Rudauth's throne as if throwing away trash, waved his hand, and jumped off the platform.

You give me a peach, I return you a precious jade; Boss Jiang is certainly a generous man.

………………

Smoky Lake, as the name suggests, is a lake filled with smoke and fire (just kidding).

The terrain of the continent of Lordland is usually unconventional, mainly because the continents here are 'alive'.

The loosening of global rules has made the world's 'continental drift' extremely realistic and magical.

For example, Lothric did not originally belong to Lordland. It suddenly drifted from a distant shore one day and abruptly merged into the continent of Lordland.

In contrast, Smoked Lake is indeed a lake, but it is located deep underground.

Very deep.

Hawkwood is well-qualified to speak on this matter.

He slid down a slightly rotten rope ladder, lay down on the edge of a cliff not far away, and looked down into the bottomless abyss, feeling a pang of regret.

He couldn't help but wonder once again why he hadn't refused Lord Sabur's invitation to be his guide.

Sitting on the edge of the cliff, he couldn't help but feel a little discouraged.

“If we keep going like this, it’ll be a long time before we get there.” Hawkwood stroked the fresh marks on his shield from the slashing of a group of skeletons, beginning his usual emo phase.

"We're almost there, and the smell of sulfur is getting stronger." Jiang Bingze held a depth measuring instrument and stared at the depth of more than two thousand meters, marveling at the result.

“Is it possible, Lord Sabur, that most of the undead have no sense of smell?” Hawkwood complained.

"Didn't you say you knew the way? Why did you apply for a tour guide job?"

"I have been here before, but I went down through the main entrance of the Catacombs of Carthus in a proper manner. I have never done anything like Lord Sabul, who dared to jump off a cliff with just a rag."

"Tell me if it's fast or not?" Jiang Bing retorted.

The topographic map provided by Rudaus was fairly accurate, but he and Jiang Bing overlooked two issues.

The terrain of Rodland is not fixed, but constantly changing. Rudauth could tell from his face that he was an old man.

Although the topographic map he provided showed a direct route from the surface to Smoky Lake, the process was undoubtedly extremely wild.

"Do you still want your luxurious half-life tour?" When dealing with such a passive and unmotivated person, the people's entrepreneur, Mr. Jiang, has his own set of incentive methods.

In order to persuade Hawkwood, a capable but unambitious "disheartened guy," Jiang Bing resorted to the method of increasing his salary.

However, in the continent of Lordran, where souls are the currency, most material rewards are meaningless. After all, the undead do not need to eat or drink, and their five senses are dulled to the point of near-absence. Even if you put delicacies in front of them, they will not arouse any desire in the slightest.

However, a spot in the 'world in the painting' where one can safely enjoy one's later years, a normal world with green mountains and clear waters, just like paradise, is the paradise that Hawkwood, a dedicated 'level 13 water friend', has been dreaming of.

So Hawkwood had no choice but to continue.

The passageway here was built by the Carthaginians, and it has been an extremely long time since then. Most of the rope ladders have decayed to varying degrees, and you have to distinguish them one by one as you go down.

At this depth, the rope ladder leading down had completely decayed and crumbled.

So Jiang Bing took Hawkwood for a no-rope bungee jump.

The descent process was extremely long.

Or rather, it seemed as if the two of them were truly falling into an abyss.

Fueled by the airflow, the two fell straight down for two or three minutes, but still failed to reach their destination.

This caused Hawkwood some anxiety.

Fortunately, the two soon saw a faint but bright red light suddenly burst forth from the darkness beneath their feet. Before long, their eyes were suddenly illuminated, and a vast and eerie underground space came into view.

Smoke Lake has actually dried up long ago, leaving only a few shallow puddles.

Because it is enclosed underground, the entire ecosystem of Xunyan Lake still retains the unique wild and magnificent state of ancient times.

Several magnificent, towering pillars, each tens of meters in diameter, supported this space. A dense mass of fiery red fluorescent thorny vines covered the entire ceiling, providing this underground space with dim but sufficient lighting for visibility.

The two slowly descended from the sky.

Before he even landed, Jiang Bing understood why this place was called Smoke Lake.

The dried-up riverbed, the ground, the surrounding walls, the distant rocks, and even the surfaces of those towering pillars all had a dark, scorched look.

Jiang Bing stared at the slightly sunken riverbed, his mind reeling. In the distant past, this place was probably a vast underground lake, but it was burned and evaporated by the uncontrolled boiling Chaos Fire of Izaris.

Subsequent discoveries confirmed the correctness of Rudaus's statement.