Zack sat in front of the computer, controlling the knight "aaa."
After about half an hour of playing,
the computer was now firmly in Zack's control.
After all, if you die every two or three minutes and switch turns, the seat doesn't even have time to get warm.
Of course, there was another important reason—Hannah had made a discovery.
Watching someone else suffer and suffering yourself are two completely different feelings.
She was sitting cross-legged in a big chair, a small bowl on her lap filled with a plastic bag and freshly washed grapes.
"Oh no, just a little bit more! What a pity!" Hannah said while looking at the gray screen on Zack's monitor.
But the smile on her face didn't look like she was feeling sorry at all.
Respawning at the bonfire, Zack didn't say anything. He just rolled twice on the spot, then set off again to challenge Iudex Gundyr.
He had to admit, he was starting to feel this game had some strange charm.
At first, when Gundyr beat him down, he felt a bit discouraged.
Especially after seeing Gundyr's second phase—he almost lost it.
But as he kept trying, getting more and more used to the fight, and watching Gundyr's health bar drop lower each time…
It gave him a strange sense of satisfaction. Getting killed by Gundyr didn't seem as hard to accept as before.
It's just dying in a game. What's the big deal?
When he entered Firelink Shrine again, compared to his early panic rolling and brainless parrying…
Zack's playstyle was now much more solid. He used his shield to block Gundyr's attacks without taking damage, and managed his green stamina bar carefully so it wouldn't run out.
Then, whenever there was an opening after Gundyr's attack, he'd sneak in a couple of swings.
After dying almost ten times, Zack had basically learned all of Gundyr's moves and timings for both phases.
When Gundyr transformed into his second phase, Zack stepped in to slash twice, then backed off steadily.
He attacked carefully, rolled away, tested for openings.
The boss's health dropped lower and lower, and with one final slash, Iudex Gundyr's health bar hit zero.
"Raaah…"
With a sharp, pained roar from the Pus of Man, the massive boss twisted, collapsed with a crash, and turned to dust.
At the same time, a small flame rose on the screen, as if it had been lit.
Through the armor, the knight's skin could be faintly seen glowing like tiny sparks.
Not only was his missing health restored, it actually went up even higher.
After defeating the boss, he had entered Ember Form.
"Nice! I did it!"
Zack clenched his fist excitedly in front of the computer.
He had to say, the moment he beat Gundyr felt amazing.
"That's it? You're done already?" Hannah was surprised, though her tone carried a hint of disappointment.
"This Gundyr's nothing! Before, I just didn't know the game. Now, if I fight him again, I can beat him easily!" Zack said proudly, standing at the bonfire that appeared after defeating Gundyr. He felt like a crab—walking sideways with confidence.
If he could take down this powerful boss, who could possibly stop him on his path of linking the fire?
The only small regret was that he still wasn't very good at parrying.
When fighting Gundyr, he had only pulled it off two or three times.
It was super rewarding—if successful, he could go straight into a riposte and take off a huge chunk of health.
But if he failed, he'd get smacked away instantly.
So he decided to stick with the safer option of holding his shield to block.
"Stop showing off and hurry up to see what's next!" Hannah said as she popped two big grapes into Zack's mouth as a reward.
"What's the rush? I have something more important to do right now." After resting at the bonfire and refilling his Estus flasks, Zack didn't push open the big door ahead—instead, he turned back the way he came.
"What are you doing?" Hannah asked, puzzled.
"Revenge! I'm going to take down that big lizard that killed me the first time!" Zack said, overflowing with confidence.
Right now, he was nothing like the clueless rookie from before.
If he could beat Gundyr, was he really supposed to be afraid of one elite monster?
Could a small monster really be harder than a boss?
With that thought in mind, Zack headed back to the Cemetery of Ash.
Following the narrow path, he soon reached his target.
Engage, roll, raise shield.
Then—he turned into yet another bloodstain on the ground for the next player to see.
Respawning at the bonfire, Zack stared at the thousands of souls he'd earned from beating Iudex Gundyr now gone, and his embered state reverted to normal.
He went silent.
"What just happened?"
Looking at his revived character, Zack felt a little lost.
He had gone in full of confidence to face the crystal lizard that had taken his first death earlier.
But he quickly realized that all the tricks he'd learned from fighting Iudex Gundyr didn't work here at all.
Its attacks were faster, and a single combo could drain his entire stamina bar.
Its attack power was no less than Gundyr's either.
Even after using three Estus flasks, he hadn't taken off half its health before dying himself.
Why did it feel even harder than Gundyr?
Was it just his imagination?
After respawning, Zack decided to give it another shot—grab his dropped souls and fight again.
But after he backed away, the lizard rolled into him, instantly draining his stamina. While he was staggered, it landed a three-hit combo that left him completely helpless.
"I don't think this is something you can handle right now," Hannah said from the side.
"Yeah… looks like I'd better leave it alone for now."
Zack respawned again, stepped into the crystal lizard's area, grabbed his dropped souls, and ran for it.
Luckily, unlike bosses, once you leave its aggro range, it won't chase you endlessly.
"Let's go see what's ahead. Our mission is to link the fire, remember?"
Zack adjusted his mindset. The crystal lizard was just a side distraction—the main story was what really mattered.
Now, it was time to truly begin the journey to link the fire.
But how do you link the fire, anyway?
And what about the Lords of Cinder mentioned in the trailer?
Was Iudex Gundyr one of them?
After all, beating him had put him into an embered state!
Back in the courtyard, Zack pushed open the large door at the back.
Climbing up, he encountered some regular hollow enemies along the way.
He took them down easily, regaining the confidence he'd lost earlier.
This was the real game experience—he had beaten Iudex Gundyr and earned the right to link the fire.
The crystal lizard was nothing but a small hiccup!
Moving upward, he soon saw a striking circular building, grand and imposing like a cathedral.
Through its wide open doors, he stepped into a round area, similar to a shrine.
It felt almost like an opera house.
Up on a ring-shaped platform stood five thrones.
Four were empty. Only one was occupied—by a frail, elderly man.
In the very center of the shrine stood a silver-haired girl in a black robe, her hair flowing to her waist, wearing a mysterious metal blindfold.
It was the same girl who had appeared in the game's trailer.
(End of the Chapter)
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