Chapter 43 The Cruel Truth
Fire sacrifice site.
In the blacksmith shop where sparks were flying, the blacksmith Andre looked at the huge weapon that was emitting cold air in front of him in astonishment.
"Well... I'll leave it to you. I hope this weapon can be smaller so it can fit my body. If possible, it would be best if the combat skills on the weapon can be preserved as well."
Xia Yu looked at Andre's stunned expression and spoke a little embarrassedly. He knew that he was a bit unreasonable, but... sometimes there have to be some challenges.
How could he improve his forging skills if he was forging ordinary weapons all day? He made this request in order to help Andre improve. Yes, he was thinking about the blacksmith!
As he thought about it, Xia Yu began to believe it. The embarrassment in his heart disappeared instantly, and he even straightened his back.
"What? Is it a bit too difficult? Well, I am indeed forcing you to do what you want. It seems that your forging skills cannot help me for the time being."
"No!"
Andre suddenly reached out to stop Xia Yu from retracting his weapon, his voice trembling slightly.
"Since I am a blacksmith, I will forge as long as you ask me. So, don't forget that you are fighting for fire and people... and I am the same. Although I have a forging mission that is no different from a curse, this is the only way to have hope, right?"
Andre grinned, giving him a reassuring smile, then raised his forging hammer and tentatively hit the huge ice dog hammer.
After confirming everything, Andre put down the hammer and nodded to Xia Yu.
"You're welcome. Just give it to me. The weapon is your comrade. If you forge it well, it will never betray you."
After saying that, Andre sat aside and began to think about how to reduce the size of the weapon while retaining its characteristics.
Seeing this, Xia Yu did not disturb the other party. After leaving a large number of souls, he turned around and left the blacksmith shop.
Souls are the currency of the soul world. When the world weakens, the gold and silver coins are no longer valuable. Only the souls possessed by everyone have become hard currency.
Although the world is now full of zombies, there are always a small number of normal people still existing, and the currency circulating among them is ownerless souls.
After leaving the blacksmith shop, Xia Yu followed the left side of the stairs to the lower level of the sacrificial site. He wanted to replenish some consumable items.
Next to the stairs on the lower level of the sacrificial site, a small figure wearing a pointed headgear greeted Xia Yu happily after seeing him.
"Hey... you're okay, that's great, now it's my turn to fulfill my duty, if there's anything you want just tell me, you're welcome."
"Well...but don't ask where the things come from."
Xia Yu also walked over with a smile. The other party was one of the few friendly NPCs in the world of Soul III. His name was Greyret, and he was a thief. Of course, he could take whatever the other party stole.
Because this was the agreement between him and Greyrat, he would help the other person do something, and the other person would help him with stolen things.
"I'm just here to add some props, I don't need much."
As Xia Yu spoke, he squatted down in front of Greyrat's stolen goods stall, took a few flame pots and throwing knives, and also put down some souls.
"You don't have to give me your soul." Looking at the soul that Xia Yu put down, Greyrat hurriedly declined, "This is the help I gave you . You don't have to do this."
"It's okay. This little bit of soul isn't much for me. Just take it."
While Xia Yu put away the props, he smiled and rejected Greyrate's refusal. Seeing this, Greyrate paused, did not speak again, but nodded silently.
Just as Xia Yu was about to get up and leave, Greyrat suddenly said, "Don't forget what we agreed to do. Remember to hand the ring over to an old woman named Loretta in the town below the high wall."
"This request is indeed not very good, well, it's just that I'm a little restless..."
Xia Yu paused as he stood up and replied softly, "I understand. I'll leave then."
"Well, goodbye, be safe."
After saying goodbye to Greyrat, Xia Yu turned around and sighed. He was a little hesitant, not knowing whether he should tell Greyrat the truth.
He hadn't reached Undead Town yet, but he had played the game and knew that the old woman named Loretta had died long ago.
Greyrat's expectations could only be dashed, and even he despaired. In the later stages of the game, Greyrat even had thoughts of suicide, which he put into practice, and he eventually died in the royal city of Lothric.
But if he doesn't tell Greyrat, he will definitely not give up. He might even go to the Undead Village to find Loretta himself and find out the truth.
"Oh, I feel so sad."
Xia Yu stroked the blue tear stone ring on his finger. This was the ring that Greyrat wanted him to give to Loretta, a precious large gem ring named after the tear stone.
"What's wrong? Lord Ashes."
The fire keeper's question brought Xia Yu back to his senses from his melancholy. He had unknowingly returned to the center of the sacrificial site.
Looking at the fire keeper who was caring about him, Xia Yu suddenly took her hand and said, "Come for a walk with me."
After saying that, Xia Yu pulled the fire keeper towards the stairs. Although the fire keeper was a little surprised, she did not resist and obediently followed Xia Yu out of the sacrificial site.
The outside of the sacrificial site was still in a dilapidated state, with resurrected zombies wandering around, occasionally uttering inexplicable roars.
After kicking all the zombies near the cliff off the cliff, Xia Yu found a relatively open spot and sat on the edge of the cliff.
Although there was a cliff thousands of feet under his feet, he was not very afraid. After all, he was the immortal ash, and even if he was shattered to pieces, he could be resurrected from the campfire.
Looking at the boundless sky and feeling the fire keeper standing behind him, Xia Yu suddenly spoke.
"If someone who is very important to your friend dies, should you tell your friend about this cruel thing?"
"Is the friend that Master Ash mentioned Greyrat?"
"Huh?" Xia Yu turned his head in surprise, looking at the Fire Keeper's peaceful face and asked in confusion: "How did you know?"
"Alas, Lord Ash is indeed rather slow." The Fire Keeper shook her head slightly. "Someone I didn't recognize suddenly came to the sacrificial ground, so I went to ask him about it, and then Greyrat told me about the agreement between him and Lord Ash."
“Ah, this…”
"So, the lady named Loretta has..."
"Yes." Xia Yu suddenly leaned back and lay on the ground . "That woman has met with an accident, but Greyret doesn't know. Do you think I should tell him?"
The Fire Keeper knelt down beside Xia Yu and said, "The separation between life and death is the norm in this world. Lord Ashes, just follow your heart."
"Your answer..." Xia Yu laughed and closed his eyes, "It's the same as not saying anything."
"I'm sorry, Master Ashes."
"It's okay. I don't blame you. I'm just being hypocritical. Who am I to hide the truth, even if it's an extremely cruel truth?"
"Lord Ash, no matter what you think, I will support you. After all, I am your fire keeper."
"Um."
After the peaceful conversation, the surroundings became quiet again, leaving only the faint sound of the wind.
