Elden Lord of Cinders

Boom—

The giant's body crashed to the ground, and as the silver-haired girl reached out her hand, the writhing flesh began to still. It turned to ash and was carried off by the wind.

A system prompt appeared.

[Obtained the amulet 'Legend of the White Lady']

[An amulet carved with the legend of a witch]

[Increases Vitality]

[The White Witch voluntarily became a vessel to seal away the spread of filth]

[But vessels have limits—when hers was breached, she became filth incarnate]

[Yet the soul carrying her will to protect…]

[Even now, it continues to endure]

Lloyd glanced at the new amulet, then at the place where the giant of flesh had vanished, and shook his head.

"Of all things, why copy the giant template? And not just any giant—a Giant King…"

After muttering to himself, Asimi returned, having completed the absorption process. She showed Lloyd what she had gained.

No new weapons this time, but her claw-based attacks had acquired two new forms: one was a sweeping slash after a short charge, and the other was a high overhead slam that came down with great force after a longer buildup.

Along with the new techniques, absorbing the silver core had also boosted Asimi's own stats—both her durability and damage output had clearly improved.

But more important than that was the information she had obtained from within the core.

"Filth is the essence of an outer god," she said. "It has the ability to reverse the nature of body and soul—allowing the soul to decay and die, while the flesh gains immortality..."

"He used His own essence to contaminate the 'Great Holy Grail' deep within the Eternal City. That was the origin of the filth…"

"But with the filth, something else was born too—a will to protect."

"That will was the spirit of one who once merged with the filth in an attempt to resist it… she left behind her consciousness."

"She's the one who awakened me—gave me a sense of self, the ability to think…"

"The Great Holy Grail is like the mother of all Silver Tears. And the spirit that gave me my mind… in a way, she's my mother too…"

"I want to repay them."

"By purifying the filth."

She raised her head and looked at Lloyd, her tone sincere.

"But I know I don't have the strength to do it alone."

"So… will you help me?"

She stood there, timidly, like a child separated from her mother, anxiety written all over her face.

And none of it was mimicry or a simulation.

Just as she'd said, though she'd existed for a long time, she'd only recently gained her own consciousness.

And from the moment she became self-aware, she'd instinctively been drawn to the Holy Grail's corrupted power within the witch on the bridge…

That was when she met Lloyd.

He was the first person she ever encountered. He'd kept her close, traveled with her, fought alongside her…

For a newborn, solitary consciousness, that meant more than words could describe.

So, after absorbing the giant's core and uncovering the truth, she decided she wanted to purify the filth.

And the moment she realized she couldn't do it alone, the first person she thought of was Lloyd.

So she ran to him—showed him what she'd gained, shared everything she'd learned, then cautiously voiced her request.

She knew she had no right to ask. She feared rejection.

But how could Lloyd possibly turn her down?

He reached out and gently pinched one of the delicate white petals that adorned the girl in front of him. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Of course I'll help."

"Don't worry about a thing. If you need something, just say it."

"As long as I can do it, I'll do everything I can for you. There's no need to be so formal."

This was clearly a side quest!

And probably one with insane rewards.

He'd already unlocked features like the living tachi and projectile defense.

Plus, aside from utility, this girl was growing at an impressive rate. After absorbing just two monster cores, she'd gained three new abilities and seen a solid boost in her stats. Her growth potential was off the charts.

If he managed to finish this questline, who knew what she'd become—or what she'd be able to do.

Even if, hypothetically, this kid had no side quests and couldn't help in combat, just having her around as a decorative little flower would already be more than worth it.

But this flower wasn't just cute—she could fight, had practical utility, and came with multiple functional abilities.

So of course Lloyd had no reason to refuse her quest.

That said, although he agreed to Asimi's request, he didn't immediately jump into map exploration.

For one, they'd just gone through a string of battles. Lloyd himself was only mildly fatigued, but Asimi looked utterly drained, her body in a semi-melted state from exhaustion.

After defeating the giant and pushing deeper into the area, Lloyd found a chest and picked up two items.

[Obtained item: 'Fingerslayer Blade']

[Obtained 'Great Ghost Glovewort']

One was the quest item that Renna had mentioned Ranni needed. The other was a legendary upgrade material that could max out a Spirit Ash summon.

Just as Lloyd was about to let Asimi rest here and teleport back to turn in the quest, a certain blonde suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm requisitioning this."

Alice snatched the Fingerslayer Blade from his hand, gave it a once-over, and her expression shifted slightly.

If her guess was right, this thing was likely what had messed with her router.

But if it could disrupt the signal, it also meant it might be able to repair it.

And from the look of it, it was technically sophisticated. With a few modifications, it could become a very handy tool.

So she decided to claim it.

"What about Ranni's side of the quest...?"

Still fiddling with the blade, Alice didn't even look up.

"I'll handle her."

"Alright then."

Since Alice said so, Lloyd had no reason to object.

After toying with the blade for a bit, Alice suddenly glanced at Asimi and asked,

"Were you thinking of entering his body?"

Asimi had already been startled when Alice popped up, and now froze again at the question.

Because... yes, that was exactly what she'd been thinking.

Silver Tears had the ability to burrow into other living beings and reside inside them.

By doing so, they could learn more deeply about their host, better imitate them, and even share some of their own power in the process to provide assistance.

But...

"He's not a normal being. If you go in just like that, you'll die."

Alice then turned to Lloyd.

"She uses a lot of energy just staying active. Normal replenishment works, but it's inefficient."

"But with you, you could feed her souls when you're free. It would be a great supplement for her—and help her grow faster."

Having said that, Alice slung the half-processed Fingerslayer Blade over her shoulder and vanished.

After she left, Asimi stood still for a moment, then turned to Lloyd.

"Who was that...?"

"Alice. She's one of my companions."

After giving her a simple explanation, Lloyd looked at the half-melted Asimi in front of him, Alice's advice still lingering in his mind.

Feed her souls, huh...

After a brief thought, he summoned a small cluster of soul energy at his fingertips.

He was just about to hand it over to her, but the moment he raised his hand—

Slurp.

A cool, soft sensation brushed across his fingers, and the soul was gone.

Then Asimi, having just finished absorbing it, licked the corner of her lips. Realizing what she'd just done, her body stiffened and she muttered in a low voice...

"Um, sorry... I was just so hungry, I didn't mean to…"

She hadn't known that Lloyd intended to give it to her. The moment it appeared, her overwhelming hunger made her react on instinct.

Now, after finishing it, she realized something was off. She lowered her head, avoiding Lloyd's gaze.

Lloyd quickly waved his hand.

"It's fine, really. I was going to give it to you anyway. I just didn't expect you to be so... eager."

It was the only word he could think of.

Lately, the ones he had fed the most souls to were Melina and Ranni—and their attitudes toward it were, well... complicated.

Over time, he'd grown used to being met with resistance during soul offerings. So Asimi's initiative had caught him off guard.

To show he wasn't upset, Lloyd gathered another wisp of soul at his fingertip and offered it to her mouth.

This time, Asimi hesitated slightly before parting her lips to gently take it in. Some of the unease faded from her face.

With such a smooth start, the rest of the feeding went even more easily.

After a while, finding it awkward to feed while standing, Lloyd sat down. He meant for Asimi to sit beside him, but instead, she followed and curled up naturally in his arms.

Since she was already there, Lloyd didn't bother moving her and just held her while feeding her a bit longer.

Afterward, perhaps due to the toll of their earlier battle—or maybe the power she'd absorbed needing time to settle—Asimi seemed sleepy. With Lloyd's permission, she slowly dozed off in his embrace.

[Item acquired: "Asimi's Chrysalis"]

[The chrysalis form of the "Silver Tear" Asimi]

[A transformation made for easier transport]

[Completely unguarded, peacefully asleep]

[A posture of trust and reliance]

After stowing Asimi's chrysalis in his inventory, Lloyd scavenged the area a bit more. He found a few Runes and picked up a set of "Filthy Warrior" armor.

It looked pretty good—rugged and grimy in style, but without anything actually grotesque. It seemed like gear once used by a warrior who had fought against filth.

Because it was lightweight, though, it lacked solid defense. Overall, it made for a nice fashion piece, but not much else. A kind of Elden Ring dress-up item with limited practicality.

After wrapping up his exploration and adding the armor to his inventory, Lloyd suddenly remembered something.

Hadn't Renna mentioned before that once he reached the Eternal City, he could bring her over...?

Thinking it was a good time to also talk about the Fingerslayer Blade, Lloyd touched the Site of Grace and returned to Ranni's Sorcerer Tower. At the top, he found Renna and Ranni.

After a brief rundown of the situation, he pulled Alice over. Then she, under the pretense of a private chat, pulled Ranni away.

No one knew what Alice and Ranni discussed, but after they came back, Ranni never brought up the Fingerslayer Blade again. She just said that if the Crucible Fragment Lloyd held ever grew strong enough, she hoped he could help make her a new body.

She even said she had Demigod-tier materials ready.

With that done, Lloyd took Renna to the Eternal City as they had agreed earlier.

Once they arrived, Renna frowned at the filth-ridden Night's Sacred Ground before her.

Although she'd heard about the place from Lloyd beforehand and mentally prepared herself, the reality far exceeded her expectations.

The pervasive filth and nauseating stench disturbed her deeply—body and soul alike...

"So, what exactly are you here for?"

Lloyd turned to her.

Renna was silent for a moment.

"Just... looking for something."

After a pause, she added,

"More specifically, a special Silver Tear. Have you seen one?"

Lloyd thought for a moment and shook his head.

"No, I haven't."

Renna didn't seem surprised. She nodded, then looked out at the vast, ruined architecture before her, speaking with a hint of awe.

"The Nox of old... their accomplishments went beyond just the Fingerslayer Blade or the Eternal City."

"I told you before—they were incredibly advanced in sorcery, even able to artificially create life..."

"But that wasn't enough for them. After discovering the secret of artificial life, they developed an even more deranged ambition: to create 'kings' and 'gods'—to escape the old system and bring everything under their control..."

"Worse still, from what I've learned, it's possible their plan actually succeeded. That success might've been what drew the wrath of the Greater Will and led to its destruction..."

"And that success... is likely a special Silver Tear. It was the vessel of the Eternal King. With the power of the Holy Grail, it could—"

She abruptly stopped.

Because in front of her, a silver cocoon appeared in Lloyd's hand—and slowly shifted into a snow-white girl who looked half-asleep.

"Did we wake you? Oh, just hungry? Go on, eat something, then back to sleep."

Lloyd fed the drowsy Asimi a couple bites, then tucked her back into the inventory. He looked up at Renna.

"All right, go on. I'm listening."

Renna: "..."

"What was that just now?"

"Oh, that? Just a Tear I picked up on the road."

Lloyd said it like it was nothing.

"I thought it looked cute, so I kept it with me."

Silence.

Renna stared at him, speechless.

Then, just as she finally seemed ready to respond, a red flame suddenly flared up beside Lloyd—and a small figure launched herself into him.

Renna instinctively pulled out her staff, thinking it was an attack, but Lloyd raised a hand to stop her.

Then, she saw the petite figure clinging to Lloyd raise her head.

Her face was pale. She trembled uncontrollably and spoke in a voice close to begging.

"Lloyd..."

"I can't hold it anymore..."

"Give me... your blood..."

...

[Upto 20 chapters ahead for now]

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