I, without any personality, become a hero!

"You probably didn't save your game, right? I even used my own save file to participate in the game test, and this game is really tough!"

"It's really difficult... It's not even in the same league as this."

Leo, who had started complaining to his fellow Dark Souls players, never imagined that he, a veteran Dark Souls player, would one day be so thoroughly humiliated. At that moment, "Sun Knight" patted his chest and encouraged him, saying:

"Young man, don't be afraid! Watch the 'righteous' Sun Knight help you take down the BOSS! As the saying goes, 'First came XX, then came heaven; the Sun Knight slays the gods!'"

"Boss, thank you for your help..."

Upon hearing this famous quote, Leo immediately became certain of who his Sun Knight was. It was wonderful to have such a powerful figure's help, as long as this powerful figure didn't take off his helmet, everything would be fine.

"Should we clear out the smaller monsters first?"

"Behold my righteous poison dart!"

Before Leo could make a move, the Sun Knight unleashed his usual slick maneuver, luring the red-eyed zombie from afar with a poison dart. As the zombie charged forward, roaring, the Sun Knight smoothly rolled behind it and unleashed a devastating backdoor attack.

"Well......."

Just watch the pros perform. So Leo simply ran far away and started picking off the mobs one by one with his bow and arrow. When the boss "Cursed Tree" comes out, should he just watch the pros perform like this too?

Just as Leo was thinking this, the BOSS battle was triggered. Being too close to the "Cursed Tree" caused the BOSS to wake up and start moving. Upon seeing this, Leo could no longer just sit idly by. Just as he was about to run up and smash the tree's eggs, he saw a chaotic fireball smash into the Christmas tree.

"Holy shit!"

Seeing the "Cursed Tree" lose half its health bar and its egg explode, entering the second phase, the "Sun Knight" confidently told Leo.

"Don't panic, I've studied this game thoroughly, this boss is easy!"

"Wow... that damage is way too high, boss!"

"We 'Sun Knights' are just that awesome! Young man, are you interested in becoming a Sun Knight?"

"No, no... Let's fight the boss first, we've entered phase two!"

Watching the "Cursed Tree" leap high into the air and then crash down, smashing the platform and falling into the giant pit below, normally, an undead person at this height would be thrown back into the campfire, but could still enter the second phase of the battle in the giant pit thanks to the story's protection.

As the pale giant hand extending from the "Cursed Tree" was swinging to strike its attacker, the Sun Knight nimbly rolled to where the BOSS's hand was about to land, followed by a chaotic fireball... instantly killing the "Cursed Tree" with just two hits.

"nailed it.....?"

Leo was too fast to react at all, and at this moment, "Sun Knight" was about to disappear after helping to defeat the BOSS. He left the young man with his last words.

"If you're lucky enough to reach Irithyll of the Valley, you'd better turn back."

"what?"

Before Leo could ask any more questions, the Sun Knight had already turned into a spirit and left this world, leaving behind some incomprehensible words that left him very confused: Cold Valley... is there something going on there?

Having obtained the "Soul of the Cursed Tree" and the Soul Forge, Leo chose to return to Firelink Shrine from the campfire, and then... he saw the Sun Knight again.

"Huh?... Boss, what are you doing here?!"

"Of course it's because I didn't finish what I was saying."

"Uh......"

Leo was in an awkward situation. Normally, after defeating the boss, the first thing he should do was return to Firelink Shrine. He never expected that the Sun Knight would be waiting for him here...

"According to the people who let us test the game, they had imbued several bosses with consciousness in this virtual reality version of Dark Souls, and we confirmed this when we reached the 'Abyss Watcher.'"

"In the first phase, it was alright for the Undead Legion and their Red-Eyed teammates corrupted by the Abyss to fight each other, but in the second phase... the Undead Legion truly showed what it meant to be the Lords of Cinder. I called up two other friends, Kobold and Google."

"I died almost a hundred times before I barely managed to defeat the 'Abyss Watcher' boss... Do you get it?"

"How...how scary!"

Leo swallowed hard; just hearing about it made him completely afraid to face the Farron Undead Legion. It was something he simply couldn't handle.

"Actually, it was alright after we beat the Farron Undead Legion. The next Carthus Cemetery was also quite easy, but... once we got to Irithyll in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, the map became completely unconquerable."

"Wha...what's wrong?"

Leo, who was almost suffocating from the terrible and oppressive atmosphere, saw that this "Sun Knight" also had an expression of unbearable pain, covering his head and not wanting to recall the past.

“There are three hairy dogs on the bridge... If you don’t eliminate them all on the bridge, they will run down to the pool below and start a fight with you, you understand?”

"I...I understand..."

"And trying to pass through stealthily at this time is completely useless. I don't know how, but this damn dog can see through invisibility. What the hell!"

"Boss...please accept my condolences..."

"My condolences, Hammer! In the streets of Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, Papal Knights and Magic Knights are all stuck in a mad rush, and they can all see through invisibility... This garbage game must have a bug!!"

"........"

At this moment, Leo finally understood why a group of Dark Souls veterans were huddled together at the Firelink Shrine with expressions of despair. How the hell were they going to pass on the fire?

Chapter 48 Virtual Warfare (Part 10)

"Finally...finally we've arrived here!"

The journey was fraught with hardship and tribulations. He was chased by monsters and driven almost mad by the disgusting map. Finally, Leo extinguished the three beacon fires in front of the Fran Fortress, and the gate to Wolf Blood was finally opened.

"However... I still owe a lot to Mr. Midoriya..."

Although Izuku Midoriya said he would "teach" Leo a lesson at Farron Fortress and actually transformed into a Dark Spirit to invade Leo's world, before his SOLO fight with Leo, he kindly chopped down two giant crabs in the "Crippled Forest" for him. He also helped the two Dark Spirit NPCs guarding the entrance of Farron Fortress wait for the boy to light the bonfire at the entrance of Farron Fortress before gloriously backstabbing Leo back to the bonfire to be reborn.

"Klaus has already cleared 'The Abyss Watcher' and is about to finish 'The Deep Bishops'. To avoid delaying your progress, let's wait until we reach 'Pope Sulyvahn's' backyard before we start PK-ing."

These are the words that Izuku Midoriya left for Leo. It seems that this "Worst King" still likes to cause trouble for Leo, or you could say he's helping him.

"We're about to face the Farron Immortals... I guess I should call Mr. Klaus along."

Having gone through so much trouble to extinguish the three beacon fires in the Franzine Marsh, Leo didn't want to get slaughtered by hundreds of enemies in the BOSS room. Besides, this time the opponent was someone he couldn't possibly face!

Not to mention that even those three well-known Dark Souls masters failed hundreds of times before finally defeating it, even Mr. Klaus accidentally returned to the campfire once when he was trying to defeat the "Abyss Watcher". How can you fight such a monster-level boss without calling on the pros?

After carefully dodging the two Soul Eaters, Leo slipped away to the campfire outside the fortress to take care of his respawn point. Then he patiently waited in the distance for the Soul Eaters to head towards the entrance of Farron Fortress.

These two elite monsters, Soul Eaters, are also hostile to the other crow-men and goblin monsters in the fortress. Basically, when the Soul Eaters pass by, they help Leo clear out the other monsters along the way. However, in the end, the two Soul Eaters will stop at the entrance of Farron Fortress, which is an unavoidable obstacle.

However, based on the game's monster intelligence settings, Leo's standing not far behind the Soul Eater did not trigger the two monsters' alert lines, and his current position was just right to begin his operation.

Leo crushed the embers he had taken out of the package, and he could clearly see a summoning mark appear on the ground. He immediately summoned the person who had drawn the summoning mark.

The spirit that was pulled across worlds coalesced and manifested as Klaus's burly, beast-like body, while the two giant swords he carried on his shoulders looked even more ferocious.

"Mr. Klaus, it's great to have you here... But why are you wielding two greatswords simultaneously!"

"Lord Midoriya's suggestion was indeed very effective in improving the efficiency of the strategy, much faster than fighting bare-handed."

"Okay... never mind..."

Compared to the ultimate warrior who single-handedly tore through Dark Souls in the end, a greatsword warrior wielding two greatswords is slightly more acceptable...

Since there's a campfire in the "Abyss Watcher" room that allows teleportation, and Klaus seems to have finished clearing the "Church of the Deep" and is heading to the Catacombs of Carthus, it's convenient for him to come and help Leo clear the Farron Undead Legion without wasting any time.

Seeing his boss Klaus arrive, Leo felt much more at ease. He decided to stay far away and observe with his shield in the meantime. Rushing in at this time would only be suicide. Just as he was about to take action, Zapp's loud shouting came from behind him.

"You little rascal with the messy hair! Summon me over here, I'm at the entrance of this Farron Undead Legion thing too."

"Oh—Mr. Zapp, you've arrived too?"

Leo was quite astonished. Not long ago, Zapp had gotten lost in the Fran cesspool, not knowing where the three beacon fires had been extinguished. The monsters along the way wouldn't have affected Zapp much, but the poison in this bathing pool was just too disgusting. As an experienced player, Leo was prepared and knew the route well, while Zapp could only explore the bathing pool in a daze.

"Stop talking nonsense, you messy-haired brat, hurry up!"

Seeing another summoning mark appear on the ground, Leo still pulled Zapp over. At least it would be more advantageous to have more people when fighting the BOSS. By the way, Zapp had already bought white wax stone.

"Haha! Boss, what's with your outfit?"

Upon seeing Klaus wielding dual greatswords, Zapp laughed heartily, while Klaus himself didn't seem to care much; he was more concerned with quickly completing the game.

"Get ready to move, Leo!"

After giving Leo a heads-up, Klaus charged ahead and sprinted to the two Soul Eaters blocking the entrance to Farron Fortress. Before the two monsters could even react, Klaus had already triggered the game mechanics and executed a backstab, instantly killing one of them.

Another Soulflayer instantly retaliated against the one who had ambushed its companion with its dark sword, but Klaus skillfully dodged and flashed past, appearing directly behind the Soulflayer and delivering another backstab to finish off the monster.

"Using a slide step with a greatsword?... That's possible?!"

"Actually, it's still avoidance, just expressed in a different way."

"well......?"

Hearing Zapp's explanation from the side, Leo became even more confused. How could Zapp know more about something that even he, a veteran Dark Souls player, didn't know?

"You're bound by the old patterns of this game, aren't you? The boss and I are both new to this kind of game. In this virtual reality game, apart from the limitations of our own abilities, our past experience and fighting styles won't change much."

"For example, the rolling action commonly used in this game can actually be used by sliding, which allows us to adjust the attack angle more quickly, but it requires a certain amount of practical experience and skills."

"Once a game becomes a virtual reality, don't try to restrict it with your old ways of thinking."

Leo, who suddenly realized what was happening after hearing Zapp's words, felt regretful. He thought he could help in this situation, but he ended up being helped by the other members of "Libra".

"So, you little rascal with the messy hair, you'd better just cling to my leg and wait to beat the game! -- Hahaha!!"

"I wonder who got lost in the cesspool for ages and then started yelling for me to give them directions?"

"Damn it—you little bastard, I'll kill you!"

Zapp, whose past had been exposed, was making a huge fuss, while Leo picked his nose and stared at him with dead fish eyes. Every time he tried to look at this guy properly, he would get carried away and become smug. Sure enough, this kind of lowlife scum should just go and keep company with the mud monsters in the Farron cesspool.

"Leo, let's prepare to move forward."

"Ah, here it comes!"

Seeing that Mr. Klaus had already killed two Soul Eaters for quite some time, and finally couldn't help but urge him and Zapp to hurry up, Leo hurriedly ran towards the gate of the Farron Fortress with an embarrassed look on his face, but he also took the opportunity to touch the corpse of the Soul Eater.

Then... a divine artifact appeared!

"This...this is!"

Looking at the dark sword in his hand, Leo was so excited that he couldn't speak. He had actually pulled out a divine weapon on his first try. Long-lost luck had come his way.

"With this dark sword, as long as I upgrade it to level 21, no... level 22! I'll be invincible!!"

Chapter 49 Virtual Warfare (Part 11)

Arriving at the gates of Farron Keep, Leo calmed his nerves. Listening to the sounds of clashing weapons emanating from outside, he knew that the Lords of Cinder of Farron were still fighting to destroy the Abyss, even though their own brethren were corrupted by it and would be resurrected after being killed. They would continue their endless battle.

However, it was time to end it. Leo stepped forward and slowly pushed open the door. The moment he saw it was the scene of the Farron Undead Legion captain killing his companion who had been corrupted by the abyss.

After Leo entered the "Abyss Watcher's" room, the Farron Undead Legion captain did not attack the outsider directly, but instead performed an Undead Legion salute on Leo.

"They're here!"

As a veteran player, Leo naturally knew that this was not a friendly greeting, but a test from the captain of the Farron Undead Legion to see if he, who had made a pact with the old wolf after extinguishing the three beacons, was capable of becoming a member of the Undead Legion.

Holding his shield in front of him, Leo cautiously faced the Lord of Cinder boss. If he were to get hit twice by mistake, he would basically be sent back to the bonfire immediately.

There were no words to exchange. As the faint chimes and female chants echoed through the hall of the Farron Fortress, the BOSS battle began!

Captain Fran, wielding the Fran greatsword, charged at Leo like an arrow. Leo knew he couldn't take the blow head-on, so he immediately rolled to dodge. However, Captain Fran, who had instantly reached Leo's side, aimed directly at him and slashed down with his greatsword.

Realizing the situation was dire, Leo finally understood why the "Sun Knight" had said the Abyss Watcher was difficult. This BOSS had completely locked onto his position, and mindless rolling was no longer an option to dodge the attack. Just as Leo was about to take a heavy slash.

Captain Fran suddenly stopped moving, because he had only been hit from behind and in the front by an execution backstab. The giant greatsword had caused a lot of damage and also sent Captain Fran flying to the side.

"Leo, are you alright?"

Klaus and Zapp, who entered through the fog gate at this time, were a little late because, as the Fire Host of the World Lord, they had not entered the BOSS room area, and their allies who came to help him could not enter directly.

"It's nothing, Mr. Klaus... I'll leave this to you!"

Leo scrambled to his feet and cautiously faced Captain Fran, shield in hand, as he ducked to the side. At this point, it was better to watch how the greatsword-wielding man fought the boss.

"Leave the rest to us."

Klaus, holding two greatswords in his hands and assuming a fighting stance, gave an order to Zapp beside him:

"You protect Leo, I'll fight the 'Abyss Watcher'."

"Seriously... why should I protect this guy with the messy hair?"

Although Zapp was reluctant, he still got up and stood in the road in front of Leo, because Klaus wouldn't be able to cover his teammates while fighting the BOSS in the next fight.

The Farron Undead Legion, known as the "Abyss Watchers," is a hundred-strong force capable of destroying a nation, all under the Lords of Cinder. When Leo arrived, many Farron Undead Legion members lay dead on the ground, locked in an endless battle with their companions corrupted by the Abyss. Because everyone who died would be resurrected, the endless cycle of fighting continued in this hall.

The one currently fighting Klaus is the captain of the Farron Undead Legion. During the first phase of the battle, members of the Farron Undead Legion will gradually revive. However, after some of their companions who have been corrupted by the Abyss are also revived, their primary goal is to abandon fighting outsiders and prioritize the elimination of the Abyss.

In the clash of greatswords, Klaus's skills honed through battles with Blood Realm Familiars and otherworldly monsters were clearly superior. Even though his physical abilities were now far inferior to what they used to be, and he could no longer use his own powers, these deeply ingrained combat skills and experience were still imprinted in his soul.