If I'm a Heartbreaker, So Be It-What Else Can I Do?
Of course, deleting book reviews is still wrong, so even though you may have already given up on the book, I still want to bow to you here and say "I'm sorry".
Chapter 211 - So what if I'm a scumbag?
The Undead Legion.
The Undead Legion are a unified entity.
They share a common soul, so there is no hierarchy among them. Although differences in personality still exist between each individual, in formal settings, to come into contact with one of them is to come into contact with all of them.
The Undead Legion member Miss Surtr came into contact with was known as Hawkwood.
That's right, it's the anomaly in the game. While clearly a member of the Undead Legion, it has also broken away from the Undead Legion ranks. Its role in the game is to guide new players. And through its own side quest, it lets players know just how terrifying members of a street dance crew who lack any sense of dance ethics can be.
After all, as Miss Surtr knew, those who could beat the Undead Legion could usually do it after a couple of tries. However, many who were stuck in Hawkwood were stuck on their second or even multiple playthroughs.
He is a strong person.
—But I'm still better.
The girl thought to herself as she walked up to the Undead Legion member she knew unilaterally, who was currently wearing a pointed hat.
"What is your decision?" she asked.
"The Undead Legion will not give up; guarding the seal of the Abyss is our duty," it replied, a slight hesitation in its voice. "But our goal is to ensure that any leaks from the Abyss do not flow out of the seal. However, what Miss Lian said also makes sense. Our duty has partially ended with your arrival. So..."
"So?" — Ren didn't seem to do much, just soothe them, extinguish their fighting spirit, and still leave the final decision to Miss Surtr.
"You can go down; after all, we don't have the ability to stop you. However, once we regain our mobility, we will blow up the passage and seal it completely, thus cutting off the possibility of the seal spreading."
Miss Surtr blinked.
Destroying the tunnel meant burying them all underneath. This might be a threat to ordinary people, but for them, it was nothing to worry about—just a few hundred meters of earth. Even though the teleportation miracle wasn't functioning properly due to the seal, leaving them would simply require digging a longer hole.
It's just a mere stratum; how could it possibly trap me?
However, since destroying the passage is the ultimate option, then... why didn't the Why Undead Legion act sooner? Why didn't they just go back and eliminate the possibility of the abyss being leaked?
"There are deep reasons for this. We... guarding Carthus is only part of our purpose. And besides King Vordt, who turned himself into an inanimate object, there are some things in the ruins... that are not easy to say." Hawkwood's face, covered by his pointed hat, showed a troubled expression as he explained.
"You'll see when you go down. The first generation of Sin, perhaps you will destroy them, or perhaps you... can give them salvation."
It was worded vaguely, and there was clearly a reason for that.
But Miss Surtr had a suspicion—something about herself, about the Undead Legion, and something difficult to talk about and filled with uncertainty—so her gaze shifted, glancing briefly at the Farron Greatsword that resembled an ancient Wolf Greatsword.
—Underground, Artorias ...After all this time, will that knight meet the same fate?
"I understand." She nodded, ending the awkward conversation. Artorias had known her for over ten thousand years. And the Undead Legion was the legacy of this wolf knight. And if, deep underground, in that dark region filled with ancient ruins, the knight's remains truly lay there...
—So, I really need to do it myself?
Her heart sank slightly, but Miss Surtr remained fearless. She knew she wouldn't hold back, but she also knew she wouldn't be like most people, with only a few options when faced with any situation.
—All tragedies in the world stem from the inadequacy of those involved... My power is returning. Even if I fail to find Clara deep within the ruins of Izalith, I can still use brute force to break free from this dire situation. At least I can avert the terrible prospect of killing an old friend with my own hands.
—I can use brute force, I always have.
—I can't hold back anymore...
Close your eyes, open your eyes, inhale, exhale. Miss Surtr, regain your composure.
"The road can be blocked, but I will handle all the problems below, and I can find another way myself," she said, her tone firm and her words clear. "And what about you? After the temple was destroyed, you have no reason to stay on the land of Fran, right? What do you plan to do? Where do you plan to go?"
—Anyway, it's definitely not to link the fire. If you really wanted to link the fire, that would have been a fight to the death.
Her words silenced the Undead Legion, and after a moment of silence, they looked at each other, exchanging glances.
"We intend to roam this land." Finally, Hawkwood, as her representative, responded to her question. "We don't know what you intend to do. But you are indeed powerful, and as such, you have the right to decide the fate of this era. Wherever you ultimately go, the Undead Legion's mission to annihilate the corrupted forces will not change—we will search for the tentacles of the Abyss on this land and sever them one by one. Then, we will await the resurgence of the flames."
Or it has declined.
"Then I have a suggestion for you... Go to Lothric. A great upheaval is brewing there, and it may change the world. You might make a difference if you go there."
"... We will seriously consider it."
Their eyes met, and she wasn't sure if her words would have any effect. But she had said everything, and further words would be futile. So she nodded slightly and beckoned behind her. The Fire Keeper who had gone to fetch the caravan followed behind her with Lian.
The wheels rolled on, and silence fell.
The road leading underground was wide and long, and as the covered wagon drove down, the creaking of the wheels echoed back and forth deep into the tunnel.
A distant, muffled rumble echoed as the trail closed ten minutes after the covered wagon began its descent. The stale, earth-deep atmosphere then flooded the visitors' senses.
A torch was lit, and the magnificent underground palace came into view of the visitors. Wide cliffs, layers upon layers of abandoned palaces. As far as the eye could see, each dark cave seemed like an entrance to hell.
But there is no hell here; this is merely a buried underground city. The place to settle is at the very top of a tall tower, and beneath it, many buildings, some magnificent, some ordinary, are strangely squeezed together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Over time, they have gradually merged into one, indistinguishable from one another.
Miss Surtr gazed at the underground ruins. She looked at them, at the countless white bones that nestled deep within the ruins.
She could sense the flow of the soul fire, and she could clearly perceive that a large portion of the bones below could still be considered as non-dead.
Not dead, but not alive either.
They are drawn by the aura of the living. As long as flesh and blood approach their area, it will awaken the skeletons' thirst and appetite for unclaimed souls. And then, an endless battle will completely devour all the poor souls who have strayed into this feast of skeletons.
"Miss." A ball of light was held up by the Fire Keeper, containing a complex and intertwined power of miracles. "I can conceal our presence as living beings, thus allowing us to pass safely through this sealed land of the dead and reach the deeper underground."
Miss Surtr glanced at her.
The Fire Keeper was full of enthusiasm and only wanted to serve her—her gaze shifted past the Fire Keeper to another spot beside her. Ever since the pact was made, Ren's presence had been remarkably subdued; whether in the shrine or in these ancient underground ruins, she seemed to have no intention of making any moves.
She smiled and waved when Miss Surtr looked over.
"I'm just a witness, Surtr." Ren blinked. "You don't intend to touch me until the agreement reaches the point where it needs to be fulfilled. And before that, I have my own responsibilities to bear. This underground exploration is your path to glory, and I won't do anything unless you ask something of me."
Can't you do anything...?
Miss Surtr let out a soft breath.
"Lian, how long do you think it will take to get to Ashen Lake from here?"
Lian glanced at the tower beneath her feet and the ruined city below, roughly estimating the size of the ruins and the number of dark creatures dwelling within. Taking herself into account, she calculated the time needed to navigate the numerous traps and resolve unavoidable battles. And in her current state, the approximate time required was...
"Three to five days?" Lian said uncertainly. "This city should be Carthus, and if we assume there are three more similar ruined cities below Carthus... we should be able to reach the bottom of this underground ruins in five days at most?"