Me? Me?

The last rays of the setting sun spilled across the ruins of the Church of Dragon Communion, casting mottled light and shadow over the stone slabs, statues, and armor.

Lu Mingfei stood three steps behind the old knight, his hands hanging at his sides as he stared awkwardly at his toes.

The old knight stood before the altar like a silent tombstone, his twin swords crossed and planted behind him.

"So, you went to Stormveil?"

Lu Mingfei swallowed and replied quietly:

"...Yes."

"And then you ran into Storm Knights under Godrick?"

"Right."

Lu Mingfei nodded.

"And then they beat you up, and you came running back to me crying?"

"No, no, no..."

Lu Mingfei hurriedly shook his head.

"I won. Though it was a miserable victory. But..."

"I understand."

The old knight nodded and said blandly:

"You want to ask whether I bear a grudge, whether that knight should have been killed, since he was guarding Stormveil... am I right?"

Lu Mingfei remained silent.

The old knight let out a long sigh. Only after a while did he speak:

"You must remember, they are no longer Storm Knights. They are Exile Knights."

"But... you said before that what they did..."

Lu Mingfei said weakly.

"Was understandable, right?"

The old knight sneered.

"The Exile Knights you met, and those you will meet in the future, were not the ones originally left behind in Stormveil. After the Shattering War, they fled with Godrick from Leyndell to Limgrave."

"The lord they serve is Godrick, while your lord..." The old knight paused. "Is yourself."

"Since your mission is to hunt demigods, then you are enemies. What is there to hold back for?"

"And besides, I doubt they have much sanity left."

Lu Mingfei nodded.

"After the Ancient Dragon War, the Storm Knights received no new recruits."

The old knight said evenly:

"Those you encountered are all veterans who survived the Ancient Dragon War. Even heroes like Engvall and Oleg have already died. How much reason could they possibly retain?"

"We are old relics who survived from the age of Ancient Dragons, who lived through the eras ruled by the Ancient Dragons and the Storm Lord, and witnessed the Ancient Dragon War, the Giant War, and the Shattering War. We have lived long enough."

"Let them rest."

In the end, he said somewhat mournfully:

"In this decaying age, even heroes cannot die properly, leaving behind only ashes and obsessions. Such an end... is not one a hero deserves."

"I understand."

Lu Mingfei's voice was soft.

"You mean that in this age... death is sometimes a form of mercy."

"Get lost."

The old knight waved him off impatiently.

"Don't come bothering me over such trivial matters again."

Of course, Lu Mingfei did not leave.

He raised his head and asked:

"It's not just that... I also want to ask why that Exile Knight had lost his mind, yet his Storm power was stronger than mine. Clearly, our strength wasn't that far apart. Shouldn't we have learned the same combat techniques?"

The old knight's back stiffened slightly. He slowly turned around, his armor giving off a dull clank.

"You finally asked."

He reached out and brushed his hand over the headless dragon statue beside him.

"What I taught you was indeed orthodox Storm power. But the paths you take are slightly different..."

"What do you mean?"

Lu Mingfei froze.

"Aren't we both Storm Knights?"

The old knight drew the Storm Knight Greatsword from behind him. His gaze sharpened, and he swung forward with both hands. A violent hurricane roared into being, its incomparable force sending Lu Mingfei flying more than a mile away.

Lu Mingfei crawled to his feet, dusty and disheveled, and stared blankly at his master.

So this was his master's true strength.

"Ancient Dragons, Flying Dragons, giants, demigods... Compared to races born so powerful, we humans are ultimately far too weak. That is why countless people set foot upon the path of Dragon Communion in pursuit of strength."

"However," the old knight said as he sheathed his sword, "that does not mean we cannot surpass them."

"The essence of our world is law. What is called origin is the origin of life—the internal law of the human body, the trinity of flesh, will, and soul."

"The savage king, Hoarah Loux, the first Elden Lord, swept aside all enemies with his mighty body. The descendants of Liurnia's stargazers ruled the lake region with magic of stars and moon. The knights of Leyndell gained the power to wield Dragon Lightning by offering up their faith."

"Some temper their flesh and will, some strengthen their souls to command energy, and some pray to gods and powerful beings... In the end, all of these are merely different paths of using Runes."

"You Tarnished can grow stronger by plundering the Runes of others. That alone is already a shortcut the Two Fingers opened for you. Do you know how many people throughout history died miserably or became something inhuman in their attempts to break through the limits of humanity?

"The Runes you absorbed initially merely strengthened your body, correct?"

Lu Mingfei nodded.

"That was because you desired a stronger body, so you unconsciously directed all those Runes toward your flesh. You once told me that you had a friend who was extremely skilled in sword-related magic and magical combat techniques, correct?"

Lu Mingfei nodded again.

"That is because his soul already has a fixed nature. His internal law has already shown him the path, and he will continually grow stronger in the direction he was meant to take.

"But some people's souls possess no particular traits. They often choose a path for themselves—faith, magic, strength, dexterity.

"As long as you carefully sense the power flowing through your body, sense how it affects you, try to draw it forth, and direct it where you wish—into your body, your soul... The stronger a person is, the more precise their control over their origin becomes."

At this, the old knight sneered.

"And weak people, even when they hold a powerful source of strength, struggle to use it. Take Godrick, for example. He clearly possesses the Great Rune known as the Center of Gravity Elden Ring, yet he still relies on crooked methods like Grafting to seek strength. How laughable."

"I understand." Lu Mingfei suddenly realized. "Then, Master, which aspect should I strengthen?"

But the old knight shook his head.

"Why do you think I am only telling you this now? Because there was no need. Your internal law was determined long ago. The path you are destined to walk is smooth and free of twists and turns.

"Do not pursue the power of Storm too fervently. It is merely the wings that let you travel farther, the blade that slays enemies for you. It is not your main pursuit.

"As long as you use Runes step by step, train yourself, and hunt dragon hearts, you can at least become a hero in your own right."

"A hero?"

Lu Mingfei stared in astonishment and pointed at himself.

"Me? Me?"

Seeing Lu Mingfei's pathetic appearance, a hint of helplessness flashed through the old knight's eyes.

He slowly raised his hand, then suddenly rapped Lu Mingfei on the forehead.

Thump!

"Ow!"

Lu Mingfei clutched his head and squatted down.

"Look at you!" The old knight was so furious that even his beard bristled. "What about heroes? Why can't you be a hero?"