Meeting The Firekeeper, More Boss EXP and Leaving The Dungeon

Trekking up the steps covered in ash, I backhanded a Hollow as it tried to stab me with it's dagger. The dagger was worn out and looked as if it were about to break in half - I only stopped him from attacking me because it'd be a pain to have what little remained of my hoodie getting get slashed.

[10 EXP Gained!]

'...When compared to the time when I only needed 100 experience to level up, 10 EXP is waaaay to little now,' I scratched my chin, looking at the EXP I needed.

[EXP: 1400/7000]

'5600 points of experience. 560 Zombies - if they even give me the same EXP now that I've defeated the boss for that stage - would be needed for me to level up again. I could probably do it within a day. Even less if I could find five or six of those evolved zombies. They give a thousand EXP per kill...yet they're rare as hell. I killed hundreds of zombies and I only found one of them,' I absentmindedly dodged another swipe from another Hollow and sent it into the shadow realm with a swift kick to the head.

[10 EXP Gained!]

I ignored the notification and continued trekking up the steps, ignoring the barking of the Hollow Dog a few feet away from me. It seemed to have much better instincts than the Hollows before it and just barked at me as I passed.

Entering through the arched entrance to the building, I was greeted by a short hallway of worn out stone which gave way for an opening that revealed a drop. The inside of the building was circular and the circle was half surrounded by five thrones and the other half of the circle was where I was and it had two stairways going downward - one to the right and one to the left.

In the middle of room there was what looked like a burnt out bonfire. Smiling, I walked down the stairway to the left and practically skipped down the stairs, skipping two or three steps each time I moved down.

Before long, I reached the bottom which, surprise surprise, was as ashy as the boss 'room' and the way here. Yet the ash here felt...nicer. It was weird. Like it was welcoming sand instead of the uncomfortable feel of the ash outside. 'Maybe it's just an illusion of the mind because I know this place is safe or something,' I reasoned before hearing a voice to the side.

"Ashen One, you've finally arrived," the happy yet serene voice came from a tallish woman who was probably around 5'11" is height with beautiful blond hair that was so light it was almost grey like the ash this place was covered in. Her skin was frightfully pale yet it was unblemished and looked soft and smooth. From what I could see...she was stunningly beautiful. Like, 'blow your mind out your ass by just looking at her' beautiful. Luckily, I was prepared for this because I knew she'd be here.

The only thing that was unusual about the woman was that her eyes, upper nose and forehead were all covered by an intricate metal mask. There were no holes for eyes, instead the mask was carved with detailed patterns that made the metal mask look oddly mysterious and beautiful.

Not allowing my hormonal teenage body to affect me too much, I spoke up, "Please, call me Will or William," I said this to test just how much of a person my subconscious reality warping powers had made.

In the game, she would never call the player by their chosen name. Only ever 'Ashen One'.

"As you wish, Sir William," she curtseyed, her form-fitting black dress bending with her buxom yet lithe body, "May I come closer to you? I feel a fire inside of you that burns bright."

Seeing her display or autonomous thinking and acting, I was a bit surprised and it took me a moment to respond, "...Uh, yeah, sure," I took a step forward and so did she, "You can drop the 'Sir' as well. I'm not a Knight or anything," I scratched my cheek, somewhat embarrassed by how she was treating me. I never really liked people speaking so formally with me - it just made any social situation feel stifled and stiff.

The Firekeeper smiled and took a steady step toward me before reaching up with her slender hand and touching my chest. As she did it, I nearly recoiled - not out of embarrassment but out of an uncomfortable feeling that entered my chest as soon as she touched it.

Obviously ignoring my lack of comfort by the intruding energy she sent into me, she spoke up with a small smile, her pink full lips spreading beautifully, "...The flame in your heart burns brightly indeed. Bright with passion and excitement, full of life. Yet also with such an indignant rage. A rage that refuses to be extinguished. Truly, only such a flame could bring me from that wretched world to a peaceful place like this," she let out a peaceful smile as she took back her hand and the intruding energies.

"Please inform me next time before you send weird energies into my body, okay?" I took in a deep breath, pawing awkwardly at my chest where the phantom feeling of something wiggling about in it was still very clear.

Then it hit me what she'd said at the end.

"I pulled you from a world? So...you know--" I was trying to put it lightly but the Firekeeper interrupted me with a knowing smile.

"That I'm from a game? Yes, I am aware. Some delightful thing called Guide informed me of my situation and how you forcibly brought me from that universe I was in before. Or more specifically, I am a copy of the original," she calmly informed me and I couldn't help but take a double take at her and how calm she was being.

"...And that doesn't bother you? That you're a copy of something from a game?" I wondered about her mental state, being able to accept this so easily, but then again she was from the Dark Souls universe. Copy or not, I'd be surprised if she had a stable mental state purely because of that.

Shaking her head, the Firekeeper took a step back and sat on one of the steps near her, "Not really. It may be selfish of me to think this but I'm just glad I don't have to live in such a place anymore. I should feel sorry for the other me...but it appears I'm not such a selfless person as I thought I was," she smiled up at me and I couldn't help but feel stumped.

'Definitely not mentally stable to be taking this so well,' I made up my mind before stopping, '...Then again, neither am I too mentally stable. I went from slightly panicking to killing zombies within a few seconds. Weird meets weird, I guess,' I shrugged before moving to sit next to her.

"See that you're your own person...do you have a name? It'll be awkward to regard you as 'Firekeeper' all the time," I laughed quietly, "After all, there's no need to do any of your duties in this world. It's made and sustained by my powers or whatever. I could probably get you your eyes back as well," I pointed up to her mask before putting the Coiled Sword down next to me alongside Gundyr's soul.

"I can't say I'm not interested in such a life," she admitted with a nod, "Yet I'm still in the Firelink Shrine. I am not completely free. I am only free of the fate of that world - the constant dying and re-lighting of the fire. This place will still be my prison," she somberly replied and things went quiet for a while before she turned to me and spoke up, "I sense another soul with you. I assume it is Iudex Gundyr's?"

Unsure on how to continue the earlier conversation because of it's somber undertone and obvious seriousness for the Firekeeper, I decided to let it go and answer, "Yes, it is. Can it be used for something?"

I reached to where I'd placed it and picked up the soul before holding it near the Firekeeper.

She sensed it's nearness and took it from my hands before nodding to my question, "Yes, it can indeed for used for something. There are two options," she informed me and took my silence as a sign to continue, "You can turn it into a weapon, or you can convert it into EXP and have it contribute to your level. That is what Guide informed me of, anyway," she smiled and looked up from the soul toward me, "Which do you want...William?" she asked, omitting the 'Sir' as I asked despite how she seemed like she wanted to add it.

Thinking for a few seconds, I decided to take the EXP. 'No need to pick up a new weapon when I've spent so long practicing martial arts and unarmed combat in general. Skills could sort it out, sure...but I'd rather not risk dying even if I can respawn. Dying hurts like hell,' I thought before shaking my head and answered the Firekeeper, "I'd like it to be converted to experience, please."

Nodding, the Firekeeper seemed to do something to the soul as it began to burn away and turn into motes of light that shot toward me.

[Boss EXP Detected! Absorbing...!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Boss EXP Fully Absorbed!]

Dropping the extra points in Dexterity, I wondered if leveling was always going to be this easy. Kill boss, get levels, take their souls and then get even more levels...'There's probably gonna be a catch at some point. Or the needed EXP will soon climb to such a level where even boss souls and EXP can't insta level me up,' I figured that last part was correct because that's how it always is in games. The early game is easy to traverse if you're clever and use your resources correctly but at some point even doing that will be hard.'

Clenching my fist a few times, I quickly adapted to the influx of power before I stood up with the Coiled Sword.

"...Then I'm gonna get going," I spoke up before walking toward the pile of ash that was presumably once a bonfire and inserted the Coiled Sword into it. The sword slowly sank into the ash, fire pouring out of the point of contact before it became a sizable fire that flickered back and forward - yet it didn't feel hot. It only felt warm and welcoming. Turning back to the Firekeeper, I looked awkwardly around the empty building before back to her, "I'll try and visit you every chance I get. It's the least I can do after dragging you to this place and I know I'll be back here soon anyway."

The Firekeeper looked to me and nodded with a calm smile, "Then, I'll await our next talk, William."

Seeing the lack of conversational options, I lamented how easy it had been to think about things to say when she was just a game character but now that she was a living breathing being, it was much harder to bring up certain things. Things like asking her how weird Dark Souls lore is.

Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and mentally reached for the almost instinctive knowledge on how to leave this place.

And just like that, I felt my body shift and gravity pulling me in a different direction. From my perspective anyway. It was, in fact, just my position turning from my standing position to me lying down on my bed. Just like I had been the night before I went to sleep and woke up in that goddamn dungeon.

'I'm grateful, sure,' I thought to myself, 'But a little warning would've helped,' I huffed, opening my eyes to the familiar ceiling. Sitting up, I stretched my arms, the joints popping and cracking as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and onto the floor.

Standing up, I looked around the room.

'Not run down, no dust and, most importantly, no zombie!' I cheered jokingly in my head, smiling before catching my appearance in the mirror.

Messy black hair framing clear grey eyes and pale skin. A decent-looking face, I guess, with straight and thin eyebrows, a straight nose that was neither too big nor too small and a straight jawline that could probably cut a person. My body was currently in the clothes I'd fell asleep in - a hoodie and some sweatpants - but even then it was easy to see the tall, broad and well-built body below the slightly baggy clothes.

I'd put myself around 6'1" and 200lbs, give or take a few pounds.

'I guess a life of martial arts, working out and healthy eating will do that for you,' I mused, feeling vain for once. Which is why I saw something a little weird. Narrowing my eyes, I walked up to the mirror and pulled up the hoodie before looking at my muscles. Confused, I took the hoodie off and looked at myself in my detail, '...Is it me or are my muscles a little bigger? More defined?' I wondered mentally before I shook my head, 'If that's the case, it's no doubt the well over 100 stat points I have in Strength.'

Just as I was inspecting myself and touching my even more defined musculature, I heard the voice of the woman who ran the orphanage I lived in along with her husband, "William, sweetie? Are you awake?"

"Uh, yeah," I replied and took my gaze away from the mirror, "What is it, Mrs. B?"

As I replied, she opened the door and stuck her head around the door, "Someone is here--Oh, I apologize, William, I didn't know you weren't decent," she realized I was half naked and ducked her head back around the door, "Someone is here to meet you. He says he is interested in having you transfer to his private school because of your remarkable scores on that national exam. It seems like a good opportunity," she said, probably smiling sweetly and with platonic affection behind the door.

"I'll be down in a few minutes then," I affirmed and the door closed soon after, "...That was faster than I expected," I mused as I walked over to my wardrobe to get some fresh clothes on.

'I wonder if what Guide said was right...if it was, Xavier's probably worrying himself into an early grave about how some dangerous Mutant has been spawned into the world or whatever,' I chuckled to myself as I pulled out a plain black shirt and some fresh shorts.

Once I was done changing into the new clothes, I walked to the door, wondering if I should take him up on the chance of joining his Mutant school.

'It was 1997 and I had some time to kill, so it wouldn't be too bad of a way to kill time,' I thought, 'And I'm sure graduating from his school could get me into a pretty good college,' and just like that, I exited my room and made way to the front of the orphanage where I presumed my visitor was waiting.