Varré

Stranded Graveyard.

"Don't worry, Torrent. This person can still be saved."

"Finally found one. This person will surely seek the Elden Ring too."

A gentle female voice rang by Lin Luo's ear. He groggily opened his eyes and saw a woman in a flax-colored cloak, with a fine horse beside her whose coat was white as snow.

"Even if this goes against the Golden Law..."

Lin Luo's consciousness was hazy. When he woke again, he was lying in a patch of wet ground.

"Drip."

Water dripped from the rocks overhead, falling before Lin Luo's eyes. The splashing droplets landed on his face, and the icy sensation slowly restored his awareness.

"Cough... cough, cough!"

Lin Luo felt as though his stomach were churning violently, while countless needles seemed to be stabbing into his mind.

The waves of piercing pain gradually cleared Lin Luo's mind. Black-gold blood, along with a small fragment of an organ, came out with his cough.

"Ah..."

Lin Luo let out a pained cry. With his aching arm, he raised the greatsword in his right hand, braced it against the ground, and struggled to his feet.

"Gulp..."

Lin Luo took a bottle of Crimson Tear from his inventory pouch and poured it into his mouth. A cool sensation spread throughout his body, and his injuries slowly began to heal.

Feeling his strength gradually return, Lin Luo forced an ugly smile onto his face.

"Haha..."

"Two Fingers, in the end, you still can't control me!"

Lin Luo laughed through tears. He had no idea how long he had spent trapped in this cycle. As one of the transmigrators, he had thought that after coming here, he could marry Ranni, save Melina, and live a blissful life.

What he hadn't expected was that this place was completely different from the game. Rolling had no invincibility frames, taking damage brought real pain, and he absolutely never wanted to experience the despair of death a second time! Every cycle had been terrifying beyond measure.

Every time he became king, another cycle immediately followed. Day after day, year after year.

Within the cycle, he had no concept of exhaustion at all.

At last, he had shattered this nightmare.

This would be the final time.

This time, the demigods would not revive. Every person had their own thoughts, and naturally, that also meant he had only one life.

But Lin Luo was not afraid. Having fused with the Mimic Tear, the Frenzied Flame, and the Rune of Death, he feared no one.

"Demigods, prepare to welcome your king."

Lin Luo murmured. He did not want to become a puppet of the Greater Will. He wanted to become his own Elden Lord.

Once Lin Luo had vented his emotions, he still had a road to travel.

Lin Luo habitually called for Torrent, only to discover that the ring was gone.

"So that's how it is..."

Lin Luo habitually opened his inventory pouch. Most of his belongings were still there, including the weapons of the demigods he had acquired during the cycles. The power in those weapons did not conflict with that of the demigods. They had all been created by the Two Fingers, but they could not wield their greatest power. Of course, after fusing with these real weapons, they could absolutely produce an effect greater than one plus one.

However, the Two Fingers could not replicate living beings, weapons possessing the Rune of Death, or those things. Though he had broken the cycle, the power from within it still remained. Living beings were merely one form born from that power.

Lin Luo hung the Staff of the Death Prince at his waist, rested the Black Sword on his right shoulder, and slowly walked outside.

Along the way, Lin Luo saw a fog gate. Before it stood the same two immovable gargoyles, and the mechanism opening the fog gate still required a Stonesword Key.

Lin Luo had no interest in the items inside, and he loathed the runaway chariot within even more.

Before leaving, he did not forget to kick the two gargoyle statues.

Soon, Lin Luo stepped onto the lift. At its center was a raised pressure plate, which he supposed could count as an elevator button.

"Rumble."

The stone slab let out a tremendous roar, and a massive stone pillar slowly rose.

As it ascended, an iron gate came into view. Lin Luo lifted it one-handed, opening the huge iron gate. Sunlight streamed through the doorway onto his face, and he instinctively covered his eyes against the glare.

This was where everything began: Limgrave.

"Huff..."

Lin Luo took a deep breath, greedily inhaling every mouthful of air.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a forest filled with crumbling walls and ruins. Somehow, the scattered remnants gave it a unique charm.

At the entrance was a somewhat steep slope, and atop it burned a Site of Grace.

Grace was part of the Erdtree's power and was drawn to the power within the Tarnished. That was why the Tarnished could teleport directly to Sites of Grace.

Lin Luo slowly approached and touched the Grace with his left hand. The runes within him resonated with it.

"Ding..." The Site of Grace chimed clearly, and a strand of golden light flowed into Lin Luo's body. The Site of Grace had been activated.

Sitting cross-legged, Lin Luo was wrapped in soft golden light. Power filled his body, while the Tears in his Flask of Wondrous Physick slowly replenished.

"Even you, Two Fingers, can't interfere with the Erdtree's blessing..."

Lin Luo sighed and grasped the strand of Grace in his hand, but it quickly slipped away.

"Let's go..."

Lin Luo stretched lazily and turned his gaze toward the man in white robes nearby.

"White Mask..."

Lin Luo sneered and walked over.

"Oh... You're Tarnished, aren't you? I know. You came to the Lands Between in pursuit of the Elden Ring."

White Mask spoke in a voice that sounded almost mocking.

"Without a maiden to guide you, you cannot gain the power of runes. You're merely a flawed product that has fallen out of line..."

"Have you always been this brave?"

Lin Luo grinned teasingly. Whether inside or outside the cycle, this White Mask still had that same punchable tone.

"...Sigh. You still can't accept it, can you?"

White Mask ignored Lin Luo and continued, "I thought so. This is the sorrow of one who has nothing."

"Fortunately, you've met me—Varré. I can..."

"I can my ass!"

Lin Luo's face darkened further. Sure enough, a dog could never stop eating shit. Even after thousands of cycles, Varré's tone was still unbearably punchable.

With a single kick, he sent Varré straight down the slope.

"Thud..."

Varré was completely stunned. By the time he came to his senses, he was already sprawled on the ground, probably with a sizable bump on his head.

"Lowly Tarnished!"

Varré cursed angrily. "If you think I'm a good person, then you're dead wrong!"

"How dare you ambush me? You will pay for your foolish actions!"

Varré rolled over, pulled out a bouquet, and cast an incantation with his left hand. A swarm of bloodflies rushed toward Lin Luo.

Lin Luo smiled as Bloodhound Step activated, allowing him to dodge the swarm directly. Then he flashed forward again and appeared before Varré.

"How... how is this possible?"

Varré froze for a moment, then gripped the bouquet and fiercely smashed it toward Lin Luo.

"Clang..."

The sound of metal striking metal exploded beside Lin Luo's ears. The Black Sword blocked before him, and with a flick of the greatsword, he sent Varré's bouquet flying.

"Impossible! Lowly Tarnished, how could you possibly..."

"Get lost!"

Lin Luo's expression hardened as he rewarded Varré with another kick to the face. If there had been a health bar, it would probably have taken away half of it.

"Can't you speak properly..."

Lin Luo snorted. The Black Sword traced a streak of black-red bloodflame through the air.

"Then keep your mouth shut forever!"

"No... no!"

Varré stared in terror at the approaching greatsword. The aura on that blade could sever his connection to the Erdtree. In other words, this strike could utterly destroy his soul.

Naturally, Lin Luo did not know what Varré was thinking. He only knew that this thing was no good. The Black Sword did not pause in the slightest as it pierced straight through Varré's chest, its aura of death directly extinguishing his life force.

"...A flawed product without a maiden..."

"Just who do you think I am...?"

Varré let out an unwilling roar as his body vanished into the air.

"Brainless fool..."

Lin Luo shook his head and picked up Varré's bouquet, along with the

Pureblood Knight's Medal.

This medal could take him directly to the Blood Dynasty. It would come in useful later.

Lin Luo looked into the distance, toward Stormveil Castle ahead. A trace of tenderness appeared in his eyes.

"Wood, I'm here."