Lord of Cinder in American Comics

However, instead of the usual dazzling night view, there were only occasional explosions and flames burning in the darkness.

Hearing Ashe's footsteps, Stark and Cassell turned around. Stark nudged Cassell with his elbow and said, "Caselle, where's the wine you brought?"

"The wine... oh... the wine is down there."

Realizing that their excuse was to ask Ash for a drink, but clearly there were no bottles on them, Cassel made up an excuse.

Seeing their hurried manner, Ash couldn't help but laugh.

Clearly worried about Ash, the two friends agreed to meet Ash after leaving the Firelink Shrine to see if they could find a way to help her.

"It's okay, I have some here."

Ash took out the onion wine he had stored and handed one barrel each to Cassel and Stark.

"If there's anything we can talk about, maybe I can help you. I'm Stark, the all-powerful Stark."

Stark took a sip of his drink and, as usual, casually and flippantly asked Ash about it.

"It's nothing, it's just that a relative from the past has been buried for so long, and I'm having trouble getting over it."

"Oh~"

Hearing this, Stark couldn't help but sigh softly. However, Ash's next words left Stark speechless.

"I once cut off her hopes because of my mission and fate, letting her pass away silently in a lonely and dark corner. Today, when I received news about her again, I realized how much I had missed."

Ash's words were tinged with loneliness and sorrow. Her hand holding the barrel of wine did not move at all, but in the darkness and by the starlight, both Cassell and Stark saw the tear tracks on Ash's face.

“Once a mistake is made, it can’t be changed. I miss my father too. Even though I had just argued with him the day he left, I often think how much better it would have been if that day hadn’t happened.”

In the darkness, Stark also spoke of the sadness in his heart.

## Chapter 104: Stark's Departure

The cocktail party in the dark lasted only a few words. The rest of the time was spent in silent repose.

The three men finished their drinks, but continued to hold their glasses, pretending they were still full. No one broke the silence.

Silence is the tower tonight, and speechlessness is the expression of silence.

The next day, Stark and Cassel, bundled up in thick clothes and sneezing, appeared at the campfire in the sacrificial grounds.

Martha had already asked Onion Knight to prepare a hot soup, waiting for these two poor souls with poor physical condition.

After shivering as they finished the hot soup, Stark and Cassel finally breathed a sigh of relief, using the warmth of the campfire to temporarily warm their cold bodies.

The two had originally gone to find Ash to help her cheer up, but they both collapsed before she could.

Ash took out the Holy Bell and shook it. Pale blue droplets appeared beneath the bell, then drifted into the soup bowls in their hands, merging into them.

To prevent the two weakened individuals from being overwhelmed by the nourishment, the healing tears were not applied directly to their bodies, but rather administered through drinking.

Sure enough, after drinking the hot soup mixed with blessings, the two of them quickly became lively and energetic again.

The sound of a helicopter appeared outside the sacrificial site, and then Pepper walked in from outside the site, saying something to Stark, who was wrapped up in a ball.

Not long after, Stark came to Ashe's side to say goodbye.

Stark handed Ash a slip of paper with a string of numbers written on it and said, "Ash, I'm leaving. The doors of Stark Industries will always be open to you."

This was clearly a phone number Stark hastily scribbled down, coupled with the sound of helicopter engines outside. It was clear Stark was about to leave.

Seeing Stark's attitude now, so different from two days ago, Ash felt things were getting interesting.

He didn't experience being kidnapped and reborn in Afghanistan. Instead, he experienced life and death in various fantastical scenarios. Could this kind of Stark be the future hero who can proudly declare, "I am Iron Man"?

He waved to Pepper, who was carrying the Kalimdor, to say goodbye to the Fire Keeper, since it takes time for women to say goodbye.

Ash and Stark walked to the entrance of the sacrificial site and saw a very obvious bald man with a big beard waiting next to the helicopter.

Noticing Ash's gaze, Stark explained, "That's Obadiah Stan, the CEO of Stark Industries. He's been running Stark Industries since my father died."

Ashe, who had designs on the bald man, didn't say much, after all, Stan hadn't harmed Stark yet. You can't tell Stark that your uncle will find a way to kill you in two years.

The current Stark would take such a statement as a joke and laugh it off. The old Stark might have made the person who said it disappear from the face of the earth.

Stan, bald and bearded, remained by the helicopter, showing no intention of moving an inch toward the sacrificial site.

Stan scanned the people coming and going in the sacrificial site, observing the assassins firing incessantly from the walls. Leaning against the helicopter, one hand gripping the handle of the cabin door, he was ready to board and leave at any moment.

Ash joked, "Looks like you scared your uncle."

Just as Stark was about to walk toward the helicopter, Ash grabbed him.

Under Stark's puzzled gaze, Ash said, "Since you're all leaving, wait a moment, Pepper, I'll cast a blessing on you."

Stark nodded blankly. Having witnessed Ash's various methods, Stark, who still regarded Ash as a clergyman, had no doubts and simply treated it as part of the process of leaving the sacrificial site.

Not long after, Pepper, carrying the Holy Scripture, came out, pulling the Fire Keeper's arm. Just as they stepped out the door, the Fire Keeper handed Pepper a small booklet.

After carefully putting away the things Fire Keeper gave her, Pepper went to Stark's side and stood behind him, once again becoming Stark's personal assistant.

Ash took out the Holy Bell of Yggdrasil and shook it. This time, there were no special effects. Only the clear sound of the bell echoed all around.

Then, in Ash and Fire Keeper's eyes, a burning tear appeared in Stark and Pepper's hearts.

[Tears of Farewell: A miracle taught by Moen, the apostle of Archbishop Kalim. A one-time chance to escape death when health reaches zero. This miracle was created to give the dying time to say goodbye. Tears are shed for the living, far more so than for the dead.]

Having performed the miracle without any unique elements, and comparing it to Ashe's usual special effects, Stark was even more convinced that this was just a routine for leaving the sacrificial site.

Stark and Pepper boarded the helicopter and left the sacrificial site.

The days that followed became ordinary.

Every day, Ash and Logan patrol the sacrificial grounds several times, killing the strong orcs that the assassins couldn't handle quickly enough. Then they sabotage Leslie's betting operations, causing Leslie to lose a large sum of money.

Or he would encourage Onion Knight to teach Kingpin fighting techniques. Each time Vanessa cheered, Kingpin would stubbornly stand up and deal with Onion Knight's various attacks.

Frank's two children, being sensible, caused no trouble at the shrine. Instead, it was younger Frank who comforted his older sister, Lisa.

Given the children's educational situation, Alex reluctantly became the two little ones' temporary teacher at Martha's insistence, even though this teacher had no dignity in class and was often speechless when asked all sorts of innocent questions by the children.

However, after class, the Fire Keeper became the children's new teacher, including Iris.

It is common to see the Fire Keeper sitting on the steps beside the campfire at the Firelink Shrine, telling them the stories of the Lords of Cinder who have linked the fire since Gwyn.

Kassel acquired a new church pistol and spent his days boasting about it to assassins. Then Leslie opened a new betting pool: whoever could kill an orc while standing still, holding the pistol in one hand, would receive half of Leslie's gold.

Based on this betting odds, Cassel returned to the sacrificial grounds with a smile every day. Just how much he and Leslie made could be found by looking at the odds that Leslie increased every day, and by looking at the assassins who had started exercising.

It is worth mentioning that one night, John Wick, who was on his last mission, and his mission leader, Moz, appeared in the sacrificial site.

Neither of them was harmed, and there wasn't even a speck of dust on Wick's black suit.

I originally thought that in the event of this, Wick would go on a killing spree and lead Moz through the orcs in a bloody path.

Asking Moz for clarification unexpectedly brought Moz's praise and admiration.

"The person you introduced is really cooperative; he does whatever I ask him to do!"

According to Moz, after finding Wick that day, they successfully infiltrated the Pacific Bank. Taking advantage of the orc invasion, all the bank staff fled, and no one came to stop them.

After completing the mission, Moz stopped Wick, who was about to go on a killing spree, and led Wick through the streets and alleys of New York, managing to evade the orcs' search each time.

However, they went further and further away, and finally in Brooklyn, Wick couldn't stand Moz's circling around anymore. He found two horses and, under Moz's guidance, rode them to the sacrificial site.

Chapter 105: The Samaritan

Moz narrowed his eyes, like a spectacled seal. He said smugly, "Of course, this is all under my command!"

After saying that, Moz furtively pulled a yellow 3.5-inch floppy disk from his pocket and handed it to Ash.

Looking at the floppy disk that I had asked Wick and Moz to retrieve on a whim, I wondered how much effort they had put in, even though Moz made it sound so easy. They had spent several days and nights hiding in NY, which was ravaged by orcs.

Ash said, somewhat moved, "Moz, actually this is..."

Before he could finish speaking, Moz interrupted him.

“Ash, I don’t need to know what this is. I’m only helping you as a friend. Of course, you could just tell me how to decipher the secrets of the abandoned auction warehouse.”

The secret Moz mentioned stemmed from a bet he made after Ash was forbidden from getting his own driver's license.

Although Ash was forbidden from becoming a road hazard, at Ash's urging, Moz and Ash started betting on who could find something good in the abandoned warehouse.

Gambling on abandoned warehouses is a traditional activity of Ami. Private warehouses that have not paid rent on time will be put up for auction by the warehouse owners. Anyone can stand outside and observe for a few minutes, and then bid on their favorite warehouse based on their own judgment.

This was Moz's specialty. Known as the "Detroit Doctor," Moz was famous in the underworld, but he was never caught by law enforcement. He relied on his keen eyesight and sharp senses.

So Moz agreed to the bet, and full of confidence, he lost all ten of his bets.

Up to this point, Moz remained convinced that Ash had a secret way of exploring the auction warehouse, but after several failures, Moz was too embarrassed to ask Ash why. Finally, he took this opportunity to ask.

Looking at Moz, who was staring wide-eyed and seeking an answer, Ash took out a gold coin from her pocket and handed it to Moz.

[Rusty Gold Coin: An ancient gold coin with rust spots. Crushing it temporarily greatly enhances your treasure-hunting ability. Those who lose wealth will one day encounter even greater wealth. In that case, isn't it better to lose as much as possible?]

Holding the gold coin in his hand, Moz examined it, recalling the styles of various ancient gold coins, but none matched the one in his hand.

Moz rubbed the angel image on the surface of the gold coin with his fingers, waiting for Ash's answer.

"This gold coin can greatly improve a person's luck, with no side effects."

Upon hearing Ash's words, Moz's eyes lit up. Although fantastical items occasionally appeared in the underworld, they were often accompanied by a huge cost to use.

Since Ash said there were no other costs, Moz believed that Ash wouldn't lie to him about this.

After playing with the gold coin, Moz handed it back to Ash, but Ash did not take it.

"Here you go, Moz."

Upon hearing this, Moz glanced at Ash in surprise. To the intuitive Moz, this item was priceless.

"Ash, this isn't right, I shouldn't have..."

Just as Moz was still trying to find reasons to refuse, Ash interrupted him, just like Moz had done before.

"This was originally for you, Moz. You helped me find the floppy disk without hesitation, helping me establish myself from the very beginning and saving me from many detours. Thank you for your help, Moz."

Ash looked into Moz's eyes and said these words. For Ash, who had just arrived on Earth, Moz's help went beyond just the materials and precautions needed for making the documents.

Rather, it's about how to reintegrate into this world as an Earthling and become a human being again.

The values ​​and ways of dealing with things in the Dark Souls world, after hundreds of years, have long since turned Ash into someone who readily wields a greatsword.