On the already lifeless body of Gundyr, long black tentacles slithered slowly from the wound at his waist. Like serpents obeying an unseen master, they lifted him to his feet and returned his halberd to his hands. A low red glow flared in his eyes as if the body itself had been possessed.
In the next instant, a new health bar materialized before William:
[Ashbringer: Gundyr (Pus Outbreak)]
"Damn it!" William instinctively dodged the halberd flying toward him, but the tentacles were faster. They pierced through his chest, sending him hurtling through the air.
As his vision faded to black and white, William summoned the last of his strength. With trembling hands, he made one final, defiant gesture—giving Gundyr the middle finger.
[Simple and Easy]
"....."
Back at the warm campfire, William didn't hesitate. He quit the game, left the forum, and uninstalled Dark Souls with a furious click.
"This evil game! It ruined my youth! It wasted my time! Get out of my forum!"
His voice boomed through the temple hall, echoing off the high ceilings. The newly arrived trainee priests exchanged bewildered glances, puzzled by the uncharacteristic outburst from the usually composed High Priest William.
Ignoring their stares, he stormed into the adjacent temple and knelt before the statue of the God of Courage.
"Great light of dawn, witness of iron and blood, only god of heroes, your humble priest calls upon you. Bestow divine grace and look down upon us."
William followed the invocation ceremony with meticulous care, kneeling on one knee and placing his hands flat above his head. Normally, if the God of Courage heard the call, he would grasp the caller's hands and descend from the divine realm in response.
Sacred energy began to fill the air, and the statue glowed faintly—but two or three minutes passed without any response.
An ordinary priest might panic, fearing that he had offended the gods. But William remained calm, his expression composed like an old dog.
He stood, bowed his head, and called softly, "My God, your believer has something to report. Please look down and respond."
The empty hall remained silent, save for faint sacred music from the side of the God of Courage.
William sighed, then knelt fully and kowtowed to the idol. Quickly, he stood, grabbed the Blade of Exploration from the statue—symbol of his authority as a priest—and slammed it against the idol.
The statue trembled, then exploded into dazzling light. From within emerged a young woman with short, ear-length hair, rubbing her head in surprise.
"Holy crap, who hit me?"
It was Lilith, the newly born Goddess of Heroes. William quickly handed her the Blade of Exploration and stepped obediently aside.
"Oops, did you use too much force again?" Lilith grinned, casting a quick healing spell on herself. The Blade of Exploration shrank into a halo that floated above her head.
Then, with a glare from her phoenix-like eyes, she asked irritably, "What happened? Why are you in such a hurry to find me?"
From a mortal perspective, William's actions were borderline blasphemous. Before the Second War of the Gods, he could have been tortured in the hell of the God of Suffering and then sent to the God of Pain.
But the theocratic council now emphasized breaking free from outdated traditions. Gods were born from the thoughts of believers; the relationship was one of harmony, not dominance. Lilith embodied this perfectly.
Before William took office, she had specifically instructed him: if a priest urgently needed to contact her and she was busy, the priest could use discretion—normal matters could be handled through standard invocation, urgent ones via a direct divine message, and life-threatening emergencies required immediate measures.
William's crude but effective method of striking the idol ensured Lilith would notice, no matter where she was. And indeed, she had been exploring a garden planet with the God of Springs when the sudden pain in her head pulled her here.
William stood quietly, his movements practiced. This was clearly not his first time performing such a summon.
"My Lord," he said deeply, "a fascinating deity has recently been born. I have examined His works and found that they can greatly increase the affinity between us, the followers of the God of War lineage."
Lilith's interest was immediately piqued. "Oh? Continue."
"That challenge is difficult—it seals divine magic, puts everyone on equal footing, and relies purely on martial skill. After countless failures, I have gained a deeper understanding of your path of the hero."
Lilith probed with her divine power and indeed found William's faith power significantly increased. She brightened instantly.
"Well, it really is true. It probably raised the bar for two novice believers!"
"My Lord, please see this post," William said, presenting the equipment that contained Zhang Tai's recommendation:
[Highly recommended for newcomers...]
Lilith clicked instinctively. Below it, a user comment stood out, prominently displayed:
[Is this guy even human? Fuck you, give me my money back!]