Nepheli

The battle went on for who knows how long…

All I knew was that the sky had turned gloomy, the land had turned blood-red, and screams echoed from Stormveil Castle…

For several hours, Lin Luo swung his sword, severing the head of the last soldier before him, finally ceasing the slaughter. Under the siege of hundreds, Lin Luo's Waterfowl Dance was like a meat grinder, shredding every soldier who dared to approach.

Stormveil Castle had never been this quiet…

It was like an empty city, a dead city.

"Drip... drip..."

Drops of blood fell from the tip of his blade onto the ground, making a strange, dull sound.

Lin Luo's eyes gradually cleared, the sky-blue irises slowly fading, returning to a dull gray.

Lin Luo reached up and removed his helmet. The plume on this "Marika's Helm" was originally white, but now it was stained blood-red…

Lin Luo had naturally used the power of the Death Rune, preventing their souls from returning to the Erdtree. If the kill wasn't thorough, it would only allow the Greater Will to gain even more power through the Erdtree.

"What! What is this?"

Lin Luo's battle within the castle had caused quite a stir. Now that it was quiet, Nepheli, in the room below, couldn't help but be curious.

But she could clearly hear that the soldiers had been hunting an invader just now. Now that there was no movement, she assumed the brave warrior had met a heroic end. If possible, she would reclaim the warrior's body; such a person should not be used as a tool for Godrick the Grafted.

The person who arrived was a female warrior dressed more "casually," her wheat-colored skin exposed, revealing a flat abdomen.

Her lips were pressed together tightly, exuding an air of confidence…

"What happened here?"

Nepheli murmured, regretting not coming up to witness this astonishing sight.

-- Bodies scattered everywhere, rivers of blood flowing, this was the best description of the scene.

But… don't souls return to the Erdtree after death…

"Who!"

Lin Luo immediately heard movement from this side.

Leaving his helmet behind, his figure had already vanished.

With Bloodhound Step activated to its extreme by Runes, he instantly moved dozens of meters. By the time Nepheli reacted, Lin Luo's longsword was already at her throat.

Lin Luo's strength was not small; he pressed the sword down, drawing a trickle of red.

"Ah?"

Nepheli blinked in surprise. Feeling the sting on her neck, she suddenly realized the god of slaughter before her had already appeared right in front of her.

"I am not one of Godrick's men."

Nepheli's body trembled slightly; this speed had genuinely startled her.

Hearing her voice, Lin Luo's eyes gradually cleared, and he finally looked at the person before him properly.

Familiar memories surfaced in his mind… this person… seemed to be the female warrior Nepheli, the adopted daughter of Sir Gideon…

"My apologies…"

Lin Luo said calmly, retracting his sword, and glanced at Nepheli with surprise.

"If you had come any sooner, I fear I might not have been able to control my blade…"

"Gulp…"

Nepheli swallowed, still shaken, and then said, "You are Tarnished, aren't you… Is your target Godrick… If you're willing, you can take me with you. I cannot allow a tyrant like Godrick to rule Stormveil Castle."

Nepheli had intended to ask Lin Luo why these bodies hadn't returned to the Erdtree, but seeing his indifferent gaze, even her usual boldness wavered slightly.

It wasn't entirely her fault; the scene was indeed quite shocking…

"..."

Lin Luo scrutinized Nepheli for a long time before finally nodding.

"If it's possible, I hope you will take over Stormveil Castle. Stormveil Castle cannot be without a ruler."

Lin Luo's words were not without reason. He naturally understood the personality of the person before him—bold and meticulous, yet possessing the deterrence of a monarch, ruthless in his methods but not without the compassion of a monarch. Even towards those failed creations, the Albinaurics, Nepheli harbored a compassionate heart. Since Haight Kenneth (the son of the lord of Fort Kenneth in Limgrave) had also chosen her, Lin Luo didn't mind taking this step for her.

"Me…?"

Nepheli was taken aback, appearing surprised by Lin Luo's words. They were meeting for the first time, yet he wasn't afraid she would become a tyrant like Godrick?

Despite her doubts, Nepheli nodded. She was confident she could do better than Godrick! After all, Godrick had no room for improvement, right…

"Then, my Lady, please clean up your castle!"

Lin Luo smiled, bowed to Nepheli, and turned to leave.

"..."

Nepheli suddenly felt like she had been tricked… It felt like she had just inherited a mess for no reason…

Nepheli fell into thought…

Lin Luo yawned and changed into a different set of clothes, as his armor was already splattered with blood and not a single spot was clean.

After finishing all that, Lin Luo walked towards the Site of Grace, figuring Melina must have been waiting for a long time...

Upon reaching the entrance, Lin Luo heard angry shouting.

"That voice... Gostoc?"

"Stupid witch, just like that damned Tarnished!"

Gostoc cursed furiously, though no one was in front of him. Melina must have been unable to stand his insults and returned to the Site of Grace.

As for why she didn't kill him, Melina naturally wanted to wait for Lin Luo to return before dealing with him.

"Haha! It's quiet outside now. That foolish Tarnished is probably dead!"

Gostoc let out a sickly smile.

"Guess how he died? Dismembered by countless soldiers, or hanged on the walls of Stormveil Castle? Or maybe Godrick took him for grafting? Oh no, no, no, that's too good for him. I really want to go out and see!"

"Then come out and take a look..."

Lin Luo's voice echoed at the entrance, a cold smile on his face. It was one thing to plot against him, but to insult Melina?

"??"

Gostoc's head snapped towards the entrance. The last person he expected to see had appeared!

"No! Impossible! How could you not be dead! How could you not be dead!"

Gostoc shrieked. Suddenly, he paused, a self-righteous smile spreading across his face. "It's you, isn't it, you foolish witch, trying to use this method to..."

"Bang!"

Lin Luo flew forward, kicking Gostoc to the ground. His foot pressed down hard on Gostoc's face, grinding it back and forth.

"Lin Luo!"

Melina materialized, her voice filled with surprise and what sounded like a hint of tears.

Melina threw herself into Lin Luo's arms, embracing him tightly as if afraid he would disappear.

"Ah..."

Lin Luo's body visibly trembled. This was the first time he had ever seen Melina this forward...

But Lin Luo quickly composed himself, a doting look in his eyes as he slowly returned the embrace, patting her back.

"Don't worry, I'm fine..."

Lin Luo said gently. Of course, he didn't ease the pressure of his foot on Gostoc's face; if anything, he pressed down harder