Gods, Ashes Descend

Chapter 6: Is this something that even the most serious Ashes can read?

Intelligence and Faith are beyond saving for now, so I poured all my points into Physical Fitness, putting eight points into all seven attributes. At least now, wielding a sword and wearing gauntlets and leg armor no longer hinders my movement.

This also represents Li Wei's expectation of becoming a "bucket ship" (a character with a strong, unyielding personality), but for now, let's focus on the "great sword" route.

After adding all his attributes, Li Wei immediately went to learn swordsmanship from Brother Huixin. Brother Huixin, having already agreed, didn't refuse and took Li Wei outside the sacrificial site to begin teaching him.

The first thing to learn is how to wield a sword—how to swing it to strike the opponent without being struck in return. This is a long-term skill and a compulsory course for every warrior.

After confirming that Li Wei intended to take the violent, barbaric route, Disheartened Brother agreed, since brute force was the best way to deal with undead spirits.

He lent his greatsword to Li Weikong to wield, while he himself gave him pointers.

Although Li Wei can't fight with it right now, he can still study without any problems.

"Lean your body forward, don't stand up straight and swing your sword like that, you're asking for death."

"You have armor, which is an advantage. Armor protects you from cuts, so straighten your arm."

"You're swinging the sword the wrong way. Maintain a stable stance and use your waist to generate power!"

After an unknown amount of time, once he was certain that Li Wei was at least passable, the disheartened man began another lesson.

A longsword, after all, a greatsword is still a long way off for Li Wei at this point.

Disheartened Brother ran to the blacksmith and borrowed two blunt longswords, threw one to Li Wei, and then began the death-defying tutorial mode.

In the words of the disheartened guy, wielding a sword is nothing special, just practice slowly. Next is parrying and parry counterattacks. To master it, you have to practice for a lifetime, but not Ash. Once you have a firm grip on the sword, learn through death.

But Li Wei felt that the disheartened guy was taking it out on him.

Outside the sacrificial site, Li Wei, who had died countless times, felt that his throat no longer belonged to him, as this shameless person in front of him would always try to attack it.

Disheartened Brother waited for Li Wei to attack, carrying a sword.

"Positioning is key! Don't just stand there in combat! Even in one-on-one situations, maintain your distance!"

"Pay attention to the direction I swing my sword. The person staring at me isn't staring at my sword. Observe from the shoulder. No matter how I change my moves, it always starts from the shoulder."

Li Wei readily agreed, then seized the opportunity to slash diagonally. Disheartened Brother easily parried with one hand, raising his sword upwards, and then used the recoil from the parry to slash Li Wei's neck.

Because he maintained his distance, Li Wei took a step back the instant the attack was blocked, causing Hui Xin Ge's fatal sword strike to miss its mark.

"See, that's right. Die a few more times, and you'll remember."

Li Wei was absolutely furious.

"Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it, I enjoyed it too."

Li Wei was furious at the mockery. He took a step back, spun around, and delivered a powerful semi-circular slash. As sparks flew between the swords, he spun again and slashed heavily.

At this point, Disheartened Brother either has to slash himself to save his life, or he has to parry.

But despite his good intentions, Disheartened Brother thrust straight through Li Wei's neck as Li Wei spun again. Although Li Wei's sword landed on Disheartened Brother, he was already powerless to continue.

Then, Disheartened Brother stepped forward, bracing his gauntlet against the sword and slashing out horizontally from the point of penetration, cutting off half of Li Wei's neck. But it wasn't over yet; he stepped forward, overlapping with Li Wei's body, and unleashed a half-spinning slash.

Li Wei was beheaded instantly, his head flying off.

His body knelt on the ground and turned to ashes.

"Your Excellency, that was a brilliant strike."

Disheartened Brother glanced at the scratches on his arm and sneered at the newcomer.

"After looking at it for so long, you've finally decided to let it go?"

.....

When Li Wei awoke again, he was once again in front of the bonfire at the sacrificial site.

He subconsciously touched his neck, cursing the disheartened guy in his heart for being inhuman.

"Lord Ash, you have revealed the Spiral Sword to the campfire. If you need power, please go to the King's Lands, Lothric, the homeland of kings and the gathering place of wanderers."

In response to the Fire Keeper's suggestion, Li Wei lowered his hand from his neck and replied.

"I will go. I will learn as much as I can before then, so that I can suffer less in the future."

He got up again to go find Brother Disheartened to get slaughtered. After all, he had gotten used to dying so many times. It has to be said, habit is really scary.

The fire-preserving woman bowed slightly as Li Wei left.

"Farewell, Lord Ash, may you be protected by the flames."

Li Wei didn't seem to care and casually replied to the Fire Keeper.

See you later.

The dwarf on the throne opened his eyes, watched Li Wei walk down the stairs out of the sacrificial site, and smiled as he spoke to the fire-keeper in front of the bonfire.

"What a vibrant ash, isn't it?"

But the firekeeper's silence prompted the dwarf to mourn for Wood for a moment before closing his eyes again.

When Li Wei went out, he found a man carrying a katana and covered in tattered rags standing next to Huixin.

This man has a title in the game: Expert.

"Li Wei, are you happy? Now you have two people teaching you."

Feeling his neck about to be hit again, Li Wei swallowed hard and stubbornly said...

"Come! Don't pity this delicate flower."

The first time I met the expert, we clashed and slashed. Then I was stabbed through the throat with a sword. In my dying moments, I looked at my opponent, drew my sword, swung it to shake off the blood, and sheathed it. I was incredibly cool.

Li Wei felt that he and Sekiro were related, because besides using swords to forge iron, they both liked to stab people in the neck.

In the time that followed, Li Wei made great progress, from being killed on sight to being able to exchange a few blows or hold out for several minutes before being killed.

The expert's name was also found out during the sword-learning process; it was Shin, a warrior from the Eastern Kingdom. He didn't say why Shin stayed at the sacrificial site.

After confirming that Li Wei had reached the limit of his physical abilities, he was declared to have graduated and could now openly call himself a warrior and go out to earn souls.

There's no need to teach the rest; just practice on your own and get used to the fight through death.

In the center of the sacrificial site, Li Wei had finished his preparations and decided to plunder the royal city to renovate the empty sacrificial site.

"I'm leaving."

"May the flame guide your path, Lord Ash."

As the Fire Keeper blessed the scene, a mist appeared before the fire, the view dissipating and then gathering again.

But Li Wei looked at the dilapidated wooden house in front of him, with abandoned and broken furniture scattered all over the ground.

Although I don't know where I ended up, it's definitely not some Loscrec.

Passing through the abandoned wooden houses and stepping out the gate, you see three abandoned wooden houses in front of you, surrounded by a forest, which probably looks like an ancient farm.

The woman in the white robe floating in mid-air by the dry well in the middle looked very familiar to Li Wei.

"Hi, ma'am, where is this?"

Upon hearing Li Wei's voice, it slowly turned its head, but its slightly overly long tongue and nauseatingly ugly face made Li Wei glance at the scorching sun in the sky and turn to run away.

Daytime spirits, ghosts in broad daylight—is this something a proper ashes can see?