The player in front of the screen stared blankly for quite a while before coming to his senses.
"Should I try without cheats this time?" A thought popped into his head.
For one thing, he really was a little afraid of that "Blood Moon Duke" with his extraordinary powers; for another, he was even more curious now. Without cheats, how exactly did that "Fire Keeper," the Duchess, show up in a normal playthrough?
Was she really exclusive to cheating?
Driven by intense curiosity, the player opened his browser for the first time and searched for "Elden Ring how to get a witch."
The game had only been out for a few days, but guides were already everywhere.
The hottest post bore the title: [The most comprehensive guide online! A must-read for every Tarnished! How to find your very own Fire Keeper (level-up NPC)! Join the Melina Club!]
The player clicked in. The post was illustrated and extremely detailed:
"Step one: Reach the 'Church of Elleh' Site of Grace in Limgrave (the one with the merchant).
Step two: Repeatedly 'rest' at this or any other Site of Grace to advance time. We recommend alternating between day and night a few times.
Step three: Wait patiently.
Key tip: If you see a strange horse (?) appear, congratulations! You've succeeded!"
"That easy?" The player was skeptical, but decided to follow the instructions.
The Tarnished jogged all the way to the Church of Elleh and activated the Grace.
Then came the tedious process of "sit down" → "stand up" → "sit down again"...
Time passed in the game: sunny day, dusk, night, dawn...
Kalé the merchant couldn't help glancing a few extra times at the Tarnished who kept sitting down and standing up. Was this fellow performing some strange ritual?
Just as the player