Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 1 Summer has arrived, and it's time to pass on the fire again.

The fire has died down, but the king is nowhere to be seen, and the ashes of the dying embers will soon gather.

Northern part of the Kingdom of Rune, in the Frosty Winter County.

Another full moon.

A black Gothic church with a pointed spire stands atop a snow-capped mountain, the crimson moonlight slanting to illuminate the cold stone coffins in the cemetery behind the church.

The stone coffin was not sealed with earth; it was left exposed to the air.

In the center of the cemetery is a bonfire made of bones.

The blood-red full moon blazed recklessly, illuminating everything on earth, including a half-hidden stone coffin in the cemetery.

Suddenly, the lid of the stone coffin was slightly moved.

"Snapped!"

A hand wearing protective gloves burst out of the coffin.

The handguards, having endured the long-term burning of the initial flame, were already broken and deformed, with faint red sparks flowing from them.

The embers of the undead, who had spent countless years in darkness, finally awoke once more from their slumbering stone coffins.

He looked around blankly, his eyes filled with deep weariness and confusion.

"Is it the season for linking the fire again?"

"but……"

He looked up at the sky, the blood moon overhead radiating a crimson light that gave him an eerie feeling. He muttered to himself, "Why a red moon? A new storyline? Dark Souls 4? Or Yharnam?"

"Never mind, these things aren't important."

He shook his head, his gaze slowly falling on the campfire made of bones in front of him.

Anyway, let's start with a campfire.

"Snapped!"

Ember left his stone coffin, where he had slept for ten thousand years, leaving vivid footprints on the snow-covered earth.

Finally, he made it to the campfire without incident.

There were no gravekeepers, no hungry hounds, and no crystal lizards.

Everything was going so smoothly that Ember began to doubt his existence, his eyes filled with confusion.

But regardless, he still drew his spiral sword—

It was a spiral greatsword with obvious traces of starlight from its forging process, and its temperature remained unaffected by the ice and snow.

Then.

He stuck it into the campfire.

"Whoosh!"

A faint flame rose from the bones, making a soft crackling sound.

"Is it lit?"

Ember muttered to himself, "So it really is a campfire, and this is a turkey farm? Right here in the graveyard? Where's my Fire Keeper?"

Ember was thinking and preparing to look around for the Fire Keeper.

When I looked up, I found a figure had appeared in front of me without my noticing.

The figure wore a simple linen robe with patched edges, and a belt made of twisted tree bark was tied around its waist.

Her long, black hair fell freely down her back, and her feet, barefoot and covered in dust and scars, were barefoot and barefoot.

Without a doubt, this is a woman.

"Are you my Fire Keeper?"

Ember stepped forward and asked calmly.

He was waiting for the Fire Keeper to give him guidance and for her to explain his background.

Only in this way could he know where to find firewood.

"no."

The woman seemed to have anticipated his question, and whispered, "My name is Ariana, the Secret Servant."

"So, where is my Fire Keeper?"

Yu Jin frowned and looked at the NPC in front of him, pressing for an answer.

The other person was not the Fire Keeper, but did not question the term "Fire Keeper," indicating that she must have known the clues.

She's probably the next generation's "Disheartened Brother"... "Disheartened Sister"?

"have no idea."

Ariana shook her head slightly and said in a measured tone, "I am only responsible for giving you some guidance, Lord Ember."

"I know about the Embers, but I don't know where the Fire Keeper is?"

Yu Jin was somewhat confused. What was this all about?

New features in Dark Souls 4?

"What guidance?"

Yu Jin quickly adjusted his mindset and asked.

"Backlund".

Ariana tapped her chest four times clockwise, and whispered reverently, "There lies the first Lord of Cinder you seek."

"Understood."

Ember nodded knowingly. Now that they knew where the Lord of Cinder was, everything would be much easier.

"So, where is Backlund?"

"The capital of the Kingdom of Rune".

"The Kingdom of Rune?"

Ember murmured the unfamiliar country's name, somewhat bewildered, and hesitated, "Is this Lordran? Where is Anor Londo?"

"I've never heard of this place before."

Ariana thought for a moment, then gently shook her head.

"Never heard of it?"

Yu Jin frowned and asked, "Then where is this place?"

"North of the Kingdom of Rune, in the Frosty Winter County."

Ariana lowered her eyebrows slightly.

"How do I get to Backlund?"

Yu Jin nodded, then asked another question.

He had barely asked the question when he saw the woman in front of him extend her hand.

"Thump!"

Ember instinctively reached out his left hand to deflect the woman's outstretched hand, and instantly a cold blue Ircurial straight sword appeared in his right hand.

Seeing that the opponent did not seem to be stunned, he did not make any further moves, but instead prepared to parry the opponent's attack.

Until further shaving of the ligaments caused her to completely stiffen.

"I meant no harm."

Ariana, whose hand was knocked away, did not take any further action. She simply tapped her chest four times clockwise and whispered, "This is just a method of teleportation."

"Teleportation?"

A hint of understanding appeared in Yu Jin's bewildered gaze.

Campfires contain the power of the First Fire, and while bonfires are a poor imitation of campfires, they still retain a trace of the First Fire's essence.

Therefore, he can use the power of the First Flame to move quickly between campfires—

The premise is that the campfire has already been lit by the power of the First Flame.

But right now, with only one initial campfire, he obviously can't teleport.

If we could quickly teleport to Backlund, it would undoubtedly save a lot of time.

Since this disheartened woman in front of me can talk and shows no signs of turning into a zombie, she should be trustworthy... right?

"Feel sorry."

Ember sincerely apologized to Sister Disheart and gestured for her to continue.

He didn't care whether the other party had malicious intent or not; at worst, he would just die.

but.

He is immortal.

Ariana hesitated for a moment, then grabbed Ember's arm.

Then, as if something had erased them, the two figures vanished into the shadows.

at the same time.

In the shadows of the prayer hall of St. Samuel's Church in Backlund, a male figure clad in a full set of tattered knight's armor was quickly outlined.

"Ariana?"

Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings and the vanished woman, Yu Jin hesitated and called out.

"Your Excellency."

An aged voice rang in Yu Jin's ears. When Yu Jin came to his senses, he found an old man with a clean-shaven face, deep eyes, and wearing a black and red archbishop's robe looking at him with a smile.

"The one I rely on? Me?"

Yu Jin looked around but didn't see anyone else. He pointed to himself in confusion.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

The old man's eyes held a hint of respect and humility. "Lady Ariana has left. My name is Anthony Stevenson, the Archbishop of St. Samuel's Church. I will be in charge of guiding Your Excellency from now on."

"Why do you call me a follower?"

Yu Jin frowned slightly, seemingly somewhat displeased with the way he was addressed.

The old man did not reply, but instead turned his gaze to Yu Jin's left hand.

Yu Jin subconsciously lowered his head and raised his left arm, spreading his palm.

A badge lay quietly in my palm, its surface crystal clear, as if cast from a black gemstone, deep and dazzling.

When the embers looked at it, it was indeed there.

But when he looked away, it seemed to disappear.

In the eyes of the embers, he could see even more.

Night Badge

The emblem bestowed upon the favored by the goddess of night.

The holder receives a secret blessing.

Legend has it that when the holder displays the badge, the followers of the night will regard them as a favorite of the goddess.

"..."

Ember remained silent for a long time, his eyes filled with a hint of reminiscence and hesitation. "Backlund, the Kingdom of Loen, the Goddess of Night, Ariana, St. Samuel's Church, the path, Anthony Stevenson..."

"Lord of Mysteries?"

Ember seemed to realize something, but his expression grew increasingly blank. "Didn't I come here to link the fire?"

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(End of this chapter)