Section Forty-Two · To Live, One Must Have a Positive Attitude / Section Forty-Three · When Trouble Blocks the Door

Feeling the power gathering and circulating within her, she sensed the scorching aura of the flames.

Perhaps it was time for a change. Perhaps it was time to view the world from another perspective.

Tomorrow, when she woke up... she would try greeting someone she knew.

She released her grip and leaned against the stone pillar, gently lowering her eyelids. The moon hung high in the sky. Now was the perfect time for an adventure in the dream world—she had not used the word "adventure" in a long time. After all, she had always regarded her journeys through the dream world as a duty rather than a blessing.

So she closed her eyes. Perhaps this was the first time she had fallen asleep on the land of Terra with expectations in her heart, rather than merely treating it as another task. Laevateinn silently rose into the air and floated beside her. At the instant she sank into the depths of her dream, she seemed to sense a faintly chilly breeze brushing against her.

Had someone come?

She did not know, but it did trouble her somewhat.

Yet at that same moment, the world of dreams had already appeared before her eyes.

Another 4k... Ugh, my head hurts _(:з"∠)_

Section Forty-Two: To Live, One Must Keep a Positive Attitude

Dream.

At the end of the dream lay the ocean and the starry sky.

Beneath the pure-black curtain scattered with stardust, the transformation of the world was completed here.

"I'm back... No, I've come again."

Miss Surtr opened her eyes. What entered her vision was the familiar yet unfamiliar Firelink Shrine square. She saw poor Champion Gundyr, the Ashen One, planted haphazardly on the platform at the center of the square like a piece of trash. His sturdy halberd and Coiled Sword had both been carelessly tossed aside, while a ring of frantic footprints surrounded them.

She had deliberately adjusted the time, choosing a landing point half an hour after she had left last time. And just as she had expected, the Fire Keeper, that little sister who had revealed an unknown side of herself before her, had already withdrawn. Perhaps she was now tidying up her appearance somewhere suitable.

However...

But had she really been in that much of a hurry? Could it be that when I ran away, she had actually been even more surprised than I was?

And there's something strange about it. I ran because of a problem with my own perceptions. But she... she shouldn't know me, and this world shouldn't be one that values gentleness, courtesy, humility, and restraint. There was no reason for her to panic merely because she had shown a violent side, even if her ancestor did have some connection to me...

Strange. So strange... Could this woman really have been trying to trick me into linking the fire?

Doubts filled her mind, but they could not be answered for the time being. Since she could not figure them out, she would simply set them aside for now. After all, the cart had already reached the foot of the mountain. Whether it was a narrow path or a broad road, she would find one and drive onward in the end.

First, I'll go to Firelink Shrine.

The Flame-haired maiden pondered as she stepped forward and picked up Gundyr's halberd. The unpleasant feel and balance made her frown slightly. This weapon had been specially crafted for Gundyr. Every detail suited its original owner's habits and rejected use by outsiders. Although she knew how to wield a halberd, its power would inevitably be reduced until it was reforged.

But I don't need it anyway. I already have a better weapon right in front of me. And I should still have some Cinder Shards on me for reinforcing weapons.

She patted her pack. Without a four-dimensional pocket, she had no choice but to carry the spoils dropped by the minor enemies she had dealt with along the way. Although reality and games could not be treated as one and the same, the things that ought to exist were still there.

Several Cinder Shards, an Estus Flask containing flame, the Firebombs she had originally saved to use against Gundyr, and the spoils from killing a Crystal Lizard while rehabilitating earlier—there were not many of these items, nor were they heavy. Keeping them in the pouch hanging from her belt did not impede her movements. Besides those, she also had several materialized souls in her possession.

Souls. Souls were the hardest currency in the Age of Fire.

As Ash, Miss Surtr had yet to digest these souls, but she could still contain them within her torso by using her own body as a vessel. After all, the body of Ash was different from that of a mortal. It was merely a soul container that could be reassembled at any time. Even if her hands, feet, or head were severed, she could continue functioning for a long time as long as her Soul Flame did not go out.

Simply put, it was a template-based body. It had only a health bar and no vital points. Even with a specially made Anor Londo dragonslayer lightning rod stuck through her head, she could still charge into a mob as if nothing had happened and mow them all down.

Everything was ready.

Mm, very good. Everything's here. As long as I make it to Firelink Shrine, I can replenish my supplies and reinforce this body properly. That should let me recover at least one percent of my strength from when I linked the fire in DS1. Clearing the High Wall shouldn't be a problem, at least.

But... forget it. This time, I won't try to speedrun anything. Since I've decided to view the world from a new perspective, I should correct my attitude toward the dream world as well.

This time, I'll enjoy it. No... I'll properly experience the varied charms of this world. Before, I'd always treated it like handing in public grain, just wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible. This time, I can't do the same as before.

She set down the halberd and picked up the Coiled Sword lying beside Gundyr's feet. The familiar sensation surged into her hand at once. A warm current silently spilled from the Coiled Sword, wrapped in Remnant Fire, and circulated through her limbs and bones.

The Coiled Sword, a king's weapon, the foundation of the bonfire—once the game became reality, many things that had existed for the sake of convenience naturally disappeared. In the era of DS1, she had seen and handled only one Coiled Sword from beginning to end. Bonfires for the undead did exist, but their operation was completely different from that in the game.

The difference was that they could burn without a Coiled Sword.

And precisely because of that, this weapon, whose function resembled Laevateinn's, was swung in her hands. It had been so in the past, and it was the same now.

Let's try it.

She drew a light breath and raised the Coiled Sword in her hand above her head. Fiery sparks immediately streamed from the sword's tip, and its form synchronized with her will in the instant her mental power gathered. In a flash, a portion of her mental energy extended from her mind and flowed out, gathering within the Coiled Sword before erupting with directed force!

Weapon Skill: Remnant Fire.

Flames roiled and burst forth, descending along the sword's direction like a wave. The tangible wave of fire stood nearly three meters high and rapidly expanded into the distance. Accompanied by the impact of the rushing air and the scorching heat of burning atmosphere, a Remnant Fire passage more than a meter wide and over a dozen meters long remained across the not particularly spacious shrine square. The ground showed obvious signs of melting, while at the far end of the square, the heavy gate leading to Firelink Shrine opened under the tremors of the shock wave.

The Coiled Sword became stained with flame, then gradually dimmed and faded over the next half-minute. The mental energy that had flowed from Miss Surtr's mind was also replenishing rapidly. With the expenditure of some ownerless souls stored within her body, it would probably recover to normal in a minute or two.

"Phew..." The maiden gently exhaled. The familiar sensation, the familiar fighting style, the familiar sword. Other than the fact that the sword in her hand was not Laevateinn, everything was exactly the same as it had been at some ancient point in her memories. And all she needed to do next was...

"Hm?"

She turned her head. From the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of white rapidly fleeing beyond her field of vision. It was somewhat familiar and somewhat strange. The shadow seemed to have been hiding around the shrine gate, observing her the entire time. Yet when she looked carefully, she had no idea where the other party had hidden.

Was it a White Phantom? The hiding Fire Keeper? Or had the White Preacher Saintess imprisoned in the dungeon arrived early?

Unfortunately, this body was still too weak. She was nowhere near capable of tracking a visitor by the sound of the wind. But that did not really matter. After all, she would be staying here for quite some time. Whether the visitor came with good intentions or was spying on her with malice, they would meet eventually.

No rush. No rush.

She could not be like before, rushing to clear every exclamation mark the moment she saw a quest.

She rubbed her forehead. Having changed bodies, she really was not used to having two fewer horns on her head. Although she would adjust soon enough, the sensation was still rather strange.

So she headed toward Firelink Shrine—

Half a minute later, from the spot where that flash of white had disappeared, a pair of white rabbit ears that absolutely should not have existed in this world rose from behind the hiding rock. A pair of gray-white, crystalline eyes watched the figure of someone departing, while the tips of the ears twitched lightly.

"Surtr... is that you?"

There should be another section tonight.

Section Forty-Three: When Trouble Blocks the Door