Manager, give me a membership card too!

Thinking this, Rorschach gently pulled his arm away from the Fire Keeper's embrace. He carefully considered his strength so as not to hurt the seemingly weak and delicate girl.

I smoke...

I smoke...

I can't draw...

Looking at his arm, which remained motionless in the Fire Keeper's embrace and had even sunk deeper into her, Rorschach felt a little embarrassed.

Has my body become so weak? Even the Fire Keeper, who can't even kill a chicken, is weaker than me? This is...

He tried to pull his arm away again, only to be met with a pitiful look from the Fire Keeper. Her slender arm, wrapped in brown bandages, was tightly bound to Rorschach's strong arm, the force so great that Rorschach's body leaned forward uncontrollably.

The silver-haired girl lowered her head slightly, her hair obscuring her face. In the light and shadow of the campfire beside her, it was impossible to see her expression.

"Could it be... that Lord Ash has grown tired of me and no longer wants to remain in this world? Does he want to leave without a word, just like before?"

Hearing the sorrowful voice tinged with sobs beside him, and feeling the trembling of the body tightly clutching his arm, Luo Xia gave a wry smile and quickly explained:

"Fire Keeper? May I call you that?"

"Yes, Lord Ash, I am your Fire Keeper. I belong only to you, and I have nothing else. So... please don't leave me again. Without you, even fire loses its meaning."

Hearing Rorschach call her name, the Fire Keeper, who was feeling down, looked up in surprise and gazed at Rorschach, who was giving her a gentle smile.

“I have no intention of leaving. Look at me, naked, facing a beautiful lady like this is really too rude.”

Hearing Rorschach's explanation, the Fire Keeper's 'gaze' subconsciously fell on the man's bare upper body. Only then did she seem to realize what was happening, and she somewhat flusteredly released the arms that she had been tightly holding in her arms.

"I am very sorry, Lord Ash. I was so excited that I didn't notice that. It was my mistake."

Taking a slight step back, the Fire Keeper bowed gently to Rorschach, her demeanor returning to the quiet and gentle one she had shown when they first met.

“If Lord Ash doesn’t mind, I have some equipment left behind by you. Now is the time to use it.”

As if she had thought of something, the Fire Keeper tilted her head cutely and waved her slender arm gracefully, causing a dazzling spark to break off from the campfire that was burning silently beside the two of them.

The spark burned in the air, gradually expanding into a blurry humanoid shape. Finally, with a burst of sparks, a humanoid figure wearing a metal chain armor over a blue robe, with a shield in his left hand and a longsword in his right, appeared before Rorschach.

Looking at the somewhat familiar figure in front of him, Rorschach cast a questioning glance at the Fire Keeper beside him.

"This is one of your favorite sets of equipment, Lord Ash. You called it the 'Superior Knight Set'."

With a slight smile, the Fire Keeper stepped forward and gently stroked the humanoid figure standing quietly beside the campfire, as if looking at something extremely precious.

"During your absence, the only thing I can do is look at these pieces of equipment you used to use..."

The Fire Keeper pursed her lips slightly and stopped speaking. She gently removed the helmet from the humanoid figure in front of her and held it in her arms. Turning around, she smiled at Rorschach behind her and said, "Let me put on your armor, Lord Ash."

So this is the advanced knight set. The real thing is quite different from the model in the game.

Looking at the wooden doll beneath the helmet, whose face so closely resembled his own, Luo Xia silently nodded and replied:

"it is good!"

Ten minutes later, Rorschach, now dressed in a new outfit and exuding a completely different aura, stood once again before the bonfire at Firelink Shrine.

After gently weighing the longsword in his hand, Luo Xia revealed a satisfied expression.

Finally, I can use some proper weapons. Although it's not impossible to fight bare-handed, it just feels a bit strange to touch those ugly monsters with my own hands.

"Please don't move, Lord Ash, there are some wrinkles here."

Accompanying the gentle voice were a pair of slender arms wrapped in brown bandages. Rorschach subconsciously raised his head, letting those hands move on his chin, adjusting the hem of his armor overcoat.

"Hmm, this looks much better. Lord Ash is still as majestic and handsome as ever."

Nodding in satisfaction, the Fire Keeper stepped back, making room for Rorschach. Then, she clasped her hands together slightly in front of her chest, and when she opened them again, an ancient-looking metal longsword with spiral patterns appeared in her palm, which she respectfully presented to Rorschach.

"Lord Ash, just as you have done countless times before, show the Spiral Sword to the campfire."

"This sword is the proof of ashes; it will guide you to the land of kings."

"Lothric, the homeland of kings and the gathering place of wanderers,"

"Oh well."

With a strange expression, Rorschach took the spiral sword from the Fire Keeper and examined it carefully. After looking at it quietly for a while, the man was certain that this was the same spiral sword that had been stuck in the chest of Gundyr, the Ash Keeper, outside the small plaza outside the Firelink Shrine.

Wasn't this thing with Gu? How did it end up in the Fire Keeper's hands?

And this campfire—shouldn't it be lit after the sword is sheathed? How come it's already burning before I even sheathed my sword?

Well, maybe that's just the difference between the real world and the game world.

Looking at the Fire Keeper standing silently to the side with a puzzled expression, Rorschach put aside the jumbled thoughts in his mind, raised his hand, and plunged the spiral sword in his hand into the campfire beside him.

'Ding~'

With a sharp sound, Rorschach's spiral sword seemed to have hit something hard. An old-looking metal piece covered in sparks was plucked out of the campfire by Rorschach's strike and stood upright next to the spiral sword.

This thing... looks so familiar, where did I see it before?

Looking at the crescent-shaped metal plate next to the spiral sword, Rorschach felt he had seen it before, and more than once. But before he could think about it, the Fire Keeper, who had been standing obediently beside him, suddenly stepped forward, blocking Rorschach's view of the campfire.

Seeing the man's somewhat strange gaze, the Fire Keeper smiled gently and said in a soft voice:

"Lord Ash, I have observed that you have collected a large number of unclaimed souls. These mixed souls gathered in your body can strengthen your power to some extent, but it is not a long-term solution."

"But it's alright, I can help you purify and refine these souls, making them a complete part of your power."

Is this what leveling up is like in the game?

Looking at the Fire Keeper with a gentle smile in front of him, Rorschach thought for a moment and then nodded decisively.

After all the calculations, he had probably farmed tens of thousands of souls in this world. Although these souls weren't much in the game, they had kept him busy for quite some time in the real world. Besides, he was also very curious about what leveling up in real life felt like.

"Okay, come on."

"I understand."

With a smile, and having received Rorschach's permission, the Fire Keeper gently took the man's hand once more. Her expression was pure and holy, as radiant as a saint who had sacrificed herself for her faith.

"Please touch the darkness within me."

As the Fire Keeper sang softly, a faint glow shone on her and Rorschach.

Let these souls withdrawn from their vessels,

Manifestations of disparity

Elucidated by the fire, burrowing deep within me.

Retreating to darkness beyond the reach of flame. (Because of my darkness, I am spared from the fire.)

Let them assume a new master.

inhabiting in ash, (栖息于烬)

(To reshape themselves into new forms)

I'll just write one chapter first, then I'll go grab some food and continue writing (oo) py time. "She is a true patriot, a shrewd businesswoman, and a scientist." "Relying on Stark Industries' world-leading technology, she has maintained the freedom and stability of this world." "Similarly, she has also upheld the dignity and vital interests of the United States." Standing on the podium, speaking, was Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes from the Pentagon's Weapons Research Institute. He wore a well-tailored dark military uniform, his brooch gleaming under the lights, and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, while the audience was surrounded by a completely dark screen. "As the liaison between the U.S. military and Stark Industries, I am delighted to work alongside such a true patriot." "Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to present this year's 'Peacekeeper' award to this distinguished lady." "Now, let us welcome with applause the President of Stark Industries—Ms. Anthony Natasha Stark." (From *Marvel's Transformation into Iron Man* by Bi Shui Qing Yuan. This book is set in the Marvel Comics world of Earth-3490.)

Chapter 173 The True King of Cinder

Chapter 173 The True King of Cinder

A clear, soft light shone on Rorschach, and in this warm glow, Rorschach felt something within him being drawn away by the Fire Keeper before him.

Slow, gentle, and careful, as if afraid of using too much force and scaring Luo Xia away.

As the Fire Keeper gently took from him, Rorschach felt his 'body' strength weakening at a visible rate. However, before he could recover from this strange feeling, a pure, clean, and 'exquisite' energy flowed back into Rorschach's body from the Fire Keeper, causing his aura to visibly rise.

The originally mixed, chaotic, and disordered energy, after being 'refined' by the Fire Keeper, had its total amount reduced by seventy or eighty percent. However, the enhancement brought by the remaining soul essence was already comparable to the benefits brought by the souls that Rorschach had accumulated before.

Smiling, the Fire Keeper released her hand and very considerately left, giving Rorschach space to adapt to his 'renewed' body.

Slowly clenching his fists, Luo Xia felt that although the 'total amount' in his body had decreased, the 'attribute' had increased significantly, and his whole body felt itchy.

His physical abilities in this world were lacking, preventing him from executing many moves perfectly and making him feel constrained and uncomfortable in fights. This sometimes led to embarrassing situations where Luo Xia would turn a corner and be killed by the Living Corpse Sword Saint's chaotic wind sword technique.

The feeling of being able to see clearly and knowing how to deal with it, but having a heavy body that won't obey your commands, is just too uncomfortable.

However, that situation will not happen again after today. Having just undergone a complete transformation, Luo Xia's strength is no longer the same as it was yesterday.

Once his interest was piqued, Rorschach simply threw away his shield and longsword, and began to move about in the hall of the Firelink Shrine, wearing armor that should have greatly hindered his movement.

The technique he used was Bajiquan, which he had 'learned' from Kirei Kotomine.

Although Kirei Kotomine's Bajiquan was only similar in form but not in spirit, and his skill in the art was nowhere near that of his father, who had been immersed in the art of boxing for decades, for Rorschach, the resemblance was enough! This was enough to satisfy his obsession with these moves as a fan of martial arts novels.

Yama's Three Points

A tiger climbs a mountain with all its might.

Ignoring three people at the door

The tyrant forcibly broke the reins.

Facing the wind and the rising sun,

Force open doors from both sides

The oriole's two claws clasped together...

Luo Xia's movements became faster and faster, rapidly adapting to the changes in his body through intense boxing techniques.

At the height of his excitement, he exhaled and let out a low shout, like the sound of a morning bell. With his body fully warmed up, Luo Xia took a step forward, lowered his shoulders, twisted his waist, bent his knees, clenched his fist, and gathered violent power in his palm. With a howling wind, he swung it forward!

His strong arms, as if cast in steel, pierced through the air and struck the sky like a cannonball.

A cannon that reaches the sky from the ground!

The violent force, accompanied by a gale, caused a shockwave in the quiet fire-lighting ritual site, sending the restless dust on the ground soaring into the sky and obscuring the entire plaza.

Gently raising her small hand to cover the smile that she couldn't hide from her lips, the Fire Keeper was filled with joy.

Since his return, Lord Ash seems much more lively. Before, he wouldn't even climb slightly higher steps, always walking on flat ground and gentle slopes, never uttering a word, displaying an aloof and dignified demeanor.

Watching Rorschach leap and bound in the Firelink Shrine, celebrating his rebirth, the Fire Keeper's eyes were filled with satisfaction.

Just to see Lord Ash again, just to touch Lord Ash's body again, even the long wait would be worthwhile...

Five minutes later, Rorschach, having finished his warm-up, picked up his longsword and shield, which he had placed aside, and walked toward the Fire Keeper, who had been standing quietly beside him.

He first took out the soul stone containing Sakura's soul from his chest. Looking at Sakura's face, which had relaxed considerably, his expression gradually became firm.

Let's clear the walls of Lothric tonight! Although we've lost a lot of souls without Gundyr, the mobile wallets on the walls should be enough to support Sakura's full recovery.

Having thought of this, Luo Xia put away Sakura's soul stone and said to the Fire Keeper in front of him with a serious expression, "I'm ready, let's begin."

The silver-haired firekeeper smiled and bowed slightly, pointing respectfully to the campfire beside her as she spoke:

"The Spiral Sword is proof of the ashes; it will guide you to the land of kings, 'Lothric,' the homeland of kings and the gathering place of drifters, where you will be able to fulfill your mission."

Nodding in understanding, Rorschach turned to face the campfire and extended his right hand, mimicking the action from the game. Instinctively, Rorschach's consciousness connected with the leaping flame in front of him, feeling the warmth emanating from it.

Farewell, Lord Ash. May the flames forever guide you.

The next second, with the Fire Keeper's soft farewell, Rorschach in front of her collapsed into a ball of burning flames, merging into the campfire in the center of the Firelink Shrine and disappearing.

After Rorschach disappeared into the campfire, the Fire Keeper's smile gradually turned into a sense of melancholy. Based on her experience, each time her Ash Lord left, he would stay outside for a long time until the unclaimed soul within him accumulated to a certain level before returning to her for 'upgrading'.

That was always the happiest time for the Firelink Woman. Only then could she openly and legitimately approach her Lord Ash.

She is the Fire Keeper who belongs solely to Lord Ash, and Lord Ash, naturally, can only...

Shaking his head, he dismissed the rebellious thoughts from his mind. He was already quite content. Lord Ash had returned to his side and resumed his legendary journey as before. He could see him occasionally; what more could he ask for?

I'm already very satisfied, very content. That's enough.

Holding herself tightly to her beautiful body wrapped in a silver-gray dress, the Fire Keeper trembled slightly.

After a long while, she finally suppressed the dark desires that had accumulated over countless reincarnations, straightened her somewhat disheveled clothes, and regained her former purity and beauty.

I can't just stand here doing nothing anymore. I need to tidy up this 'home' before Lord Ash returns. It's time to deal with some of the unsightly things.

With graceful steps, she arrived at the campfire at the Firelink Shrine, and the Fire Keeper elegantly raised one hand.

Flames surged and raged.

Endless flames surged from the Fire Keeper's body, plunging into the campfire of the Firelink Shrine like a fire dragon, making the already dim campfire burn brightly again. At the same time, some things in the campfire that had not been completely burned were completely reduced to ashes after this addition to the fire, severing all connection with this world.

Feeling the terrifying power within her body that hadn't been depleted at all, the Fire Keeper smiled and poured another large amount of 'firewood' into the campfire.

In countless cycles of reincarnation, the Fire Keeper has traversed every corner of the world in search of her lost Lord Ash. In this process, she has defeated one powerful foe after another, eliminating one enemy after another. Her power has grown ever stronger in the process.