Little Red Riding Hood

Lin Luo didn't kill the soldiers pursuing him, though he was accustomed to eradicating threats entirely.

Unlike Godrick, Lin Luo only realized his personality had begun to shift once he broke free from the cycle.

Did Lin Luo suspect cowardice?

Lin Luo had asked Melina about it before, but she had replied, "Perhaps this is a king's mercy..."

Although Lin Luo couldn't quite agree, he kept Melina's words in mind.

Since the Runes no longer offered him significant improvement, there was no need to commit so much bloodshed.

"What kind of king can rule over a land devoid of life?"

These were the words Melina had spoken to Lin Luo when he had embraced the Frenzied Flame.

"Hah..."

Lin Luo sighed. What was happening to him lately? He felt increasingly melancholic.

This could not be known.

Perhaps years later, when Lin Luo asked Melina about this, she would likely say something like, "Perhaps it's the change you made for someone you care about..."

Returning to the main topic, Torrent seemed to sense something was amiss with Lin Luo and snorted.

"Hm?"

Lin Luo snapped back to attention, realizing they had arrived at Stormhill.

"I'm fine, Torrent."

Lin Luo patted Torrent's head, a smile returning to his face.

"Let's go."

On Stormhill in Limgrave, there was a ruined shack. Lin Luo lit the Site of Grace and peered inside, finding a trembling maiden curled up in a corner. She wore a red hood that covered her short, golden hair.

Lin Luo slowly dismounted and approached the girl.

"Hmm... what happened?"

Lin Luo tried to make his voice as gentle as possible, seeing that the girl had been greatly frightened.

"...Everyone... everyone was grafted."

The girl said fearfully, "Those who came to the Lands Between with me, those who fought for me... their hands, feet, and heads were all severed and turned into parts of a spider."

"Do you know? When they're grafted onto a spider, people grow like cocoons. It's truly strange, isn't it?"

As she spoke, the girl clutched her knees tighter.

"..."

Lin Luo remained silent, simply crouching down to look at her intently.

"Are you traveling alone?"

The girl continued, "Are you heading towards Stormveil Castle?

Is it because you believed the nice words of that White Mask gentleman?"

The girl's emotions seemed to dip as she looked at Lin Luo. Her eyes flickered with the unique dim glow of the Tarnished, but she wasn't Tarnished, was she? Why were her eyes an ancestral green?

"Or do you also want to become part of a spider? If so, then you're just like me. But I don't have the courage—to have my hands and feet severed, to have my hair cut off, it's too terrifying. I really want to be like everyone else, but I'm just too scared. I'm too weak."

"Hmm..."

Lin Luo nodded and said, "Varré? I've already killed him..."

"Varré?"

Little Red Riding Hood questioned, finding the name somewhat familiar. She searched her memory carefully.

"It's that Lord White Mask!"

"So, you're that strong too..."

Little Red Riding Hood's dim eyes suddenly flickered, but they quickly dimmed again. Yes, the Grafted was a Demigod. How could she possibly ask this strong individual before her for help?

"Lord White Mask... did he anger you?"

Little Red Riding Hood asked curiously.

"Yes... he insulted me, he insulted my maiden..."

Lin Luo stroked his chin and said, "He wasn't a good person anyway, so killing him was only right..."

"..."

Little Red Riding Hood uncharacteristically agreed. After all, without Varré, her companions likely wouldn't have come to Stormveil Castle... and the tragedy wouldn't have happened.

"Ah... right."

Little Red Riding Hood seemed to recall something and pulled a small bell from her chest. It was the ashes of the Spirit Jellyfish.

"It's pitiful to have her accompany someone as cowardly as me... Besides, the spirit seems to like you, so I think this child would be happy too. So, please take care."

"If you're heading to Stormveil Castle, please tell everyone in the cocoon, 'I love you. I'm still scared, but eventually, I'll become just like all of you.'"

Little Red Riding Hood hugged her chest, as if praying for her friends…

"I will…"

Lin Luo nodded and slowly stood up.

"I will eliminate the Grafted…"

This was the final thing Lin Luo said.

Lin Luo mounted his horse, his goal still clear—to kill Godrick.

"Hm?"

Little Red Riding Hood blinked, about to say something, when she realized Lin Luo was already disappearing from her sight.

"Is that so…"

"He looks very strong… Perhaps, he can really do it…"

Little Red Riding Hood managed a smile she hadn't felt in a long time, and she also felt a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time…

"You're truly different from other Tarnished…"

Melina's figure appeared on Torrent's back. She had been following Lin Luo and naturally knew everything that had just happened.

"She's a kind girl. She shouldn't die in a place like this."

Feeling the softness on his back, Lin Luo smiled.

"Perhaps…"

Melina nodded, a hint of tenderness in her eyes as she looked at Lin Luo.

Lin Luo then remembered the Grafted Scion at the warmaster's shack. It had to be said that while the one who connected various limbs looked bizarre, his face was exceptionally handsome.

Killing him would leave behind a ritual sword and a Golden Beast-Skin Shield.

Those were the weapons used by the Golden Lineage.

Although Little Red Riding Hood was a Tarnished, she couldn't see the guidance of the Site of Grace, and she possessed the talent for spirit tuning.

Coincidentally, Hewg, the blacksmith of Roundtable Hold, Radagon's contingency, a blacksmith specifically for forging god-slaying weapons for the Tarnished.

Hewg had also said that the person who took care of him was also a spirit tuner.

Connecting these few points, Little Red Riding Hood definitely had an inseparable connection with the Golden Lineage.

Perhaps, she was the princess of the Golden Lineage in this generation…

Lin Luo straightened out these tangled relationships and suddenly looked at Melina.

If he remembered correctly, Melina was also a descendant of Marika…

Marika wanted to break free from the control of the Greater Will and shatter the Elden Ring.

Radagon obeyed the Greater Will's command and repaired the Elden Ring.

Although they were the same person, they clearly had two consciousnesses.

Perhaps Radagon was the divine aspect, while Marika was the human aspect.

In that case, it seemed that Melina and Hewg were both contingencies left behind by Marika to break free from the Greater Will…

No wonder Melina supported all outcomes for the Tarnished except becoming the Lord of Frenzied Flame…

It had to be said that Marika was a formidable person.