Chapter no.15 Dark Souls

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Chapter no.15 Firelink Shrine

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Naruto approached the door at the far end of the arena, the same door where he had fought the asylum demon. Even without any magic glow or signs, he could feel it—something was protecting this door. Some kind of force, maybe magic or whatever kept this whole place from falling apart. If he hadn't just gone through everything, he might've questioned his sanity.

But he knew. He knew how to open it.

Naruto took out the key he had gotten from the demon, holding it up in front of him as the system popped up again.

[ Item: Big Pilgrim's Key ]

[ Description: Key to the inner door of the Undead Asylum main hall. Big key belonging to a chosen Undead pilgrim. But this Chosen Undead knows not what this pilgrimage has in store. ]

"Thanks," Naruto mumbled at the system, not really caring about its dramatic tone right now. He placed the key into the door, and just like that, it vanished. The door creaked open on its own, revealing a long, winding cliff path ahead. Moss covered everything, and old ruins dotted the landscape, crumbling stone and broken arches.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him began to shake. Naruto turned around, his heart skipping a beat.

The asylum...

The entire building, every wall, every stone—everything started crumbling into the ground like sand. The magic that had kept this place together, the magic that had been repairing it each time it was broken, was gone. The moment he opened the door, that magic was broken. It was like watching the end of something ancient and powerful, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a weird sense of loss as he watched it fall into ruin.

Cold winds whipped around him, biting through Oscar's armor, and Naruto found himself standing there, staring at the destroyed asylum. The place that had been his prison, his battleground... was now gone. And he was alone.

Great, Naruto thought bitterly. Now what?

With no way to go but forward, he sighed and got to work. He took out a kunai and began digging into the ground, the cold earth giving way as he worked slowly, methodically. The sound of metal scraping against dirt was almost calming.

Oscar deserves this.

Once he had the grave ready, Naruto took out a storage scroll and gently placed Oscar's body into the hole.

Oscar's face—his hollowed face—was peaceful, like he'd finally found some rest knowing that his squire had avenged him.

Naruto grabbed a handful of soil, staring at it for a moment before dropping it into the grave. It felt strange, like he was saying goodbye to a part of himself, not just a friend.

As he recited the knightly precepts, the words caught in his throat. His mind kept replaying all the moments he had shared with Oscar, the things Oscar had taught him. Even though losing Oscar hurt more than Naruto wanted to admit, he couldn't help but feel honored. Honored to have met him, honored to carry his legacy.

Naruto found a large stone nearby and dragged it to the grave, placing it at the head like a makeshift tombstone. Taking his kunai, he carved into the stone:

"Oscar, Elite Knight of Astora, a friend, a mentor... a brother. Thank you for everything."

As Naruto finished carving the last word, he read it aloud, his voice breaking. His lips quivered, and before he could stop himself, tears started spilling down his face. He tried to hold it in, to be strong, but he couldn't.

He just... cried.

Naruto didn't know how long he stayed there, sitting by Oscar's grave, letting the grief wash over him. His chest ached, his throat felt raw, but eventually, the tears stopped. Slowly, he wiped his eyes and took a deep breath.

He stood up, putting the knight's helmet back on his head, feeling the weight of it settle on his shoulders. "Naruto Uzumaki, Squire of Oscar..." he paused, wishing he had the words, wishing he could speak like Oscar, like a true knight.

But he wasn't Oscar. He was himself. So he kept it simple.

"Goodbye," Naruto whispered.

With one last glance at the grave, Naruto turned and started walking up the cliff toward the ruins.

Naruto trudged through the snow, the cold biting at his skin, his breath visible in short, shallow puffs. Every step he took left a small crunch beneath his feet, the green weeds and shrubs swaying in the icy wind as if they were whispering secrets to the world. He reached the edge of the cliff and stopped in his tracks.

What lay before him was nothing short of breathtaking—a vast, endless expanse of mountains stretched out as far as he could see, their peaks blanketed in gray mist. They were towering, jagged giants, like the world itself was trying to cage him in, making him feel like this asylum was inescapable.

This place... it's so damn beautiful and lonely at the same time, Naruto thought.

Then, he heard it—a call that echoed through the cold air.

A crow's caw, loud and sharp, slicing through his thoughts. Before he could react, a shadow loomed over him, and suddenly a massive crow, with wings as dark as night and a body the size of a carriage, came swooping down. Its talons, each one as thick as his arm, were outstretched. They grabbed him before he even had a chance to blink.

The world spun as Naruto was lifted into the air, his stomach lurching at the sudden altitude. He had never felt anything like this—flying.

The wind whipped around him, freezing his face, but all he could do was hang there, his heart pounding in his throat. He didn't even dare move; one wrong twitch and he'd be a smear on the rocks below.

The higher they went, the thinner the air got. Naruto's chest tightened, each breath coming in sharp and cold, burning his lungs as he struggled to keep his eyes open. His head started to feel light, like he might pass out at any moment, but he forced himself to stay awake.

Come on, Naruto, stay with it. You've come too far to pass out now.

The crow's wings beat powerfully as it soared over the mountains, and that's when Naruto saw it—a city-like structure, sprawling out in the distance, bigger than anything he'd ever laid eyes on. Buildings and towers rose up like ancient giants, their stone walls cracked and weathered by time, standing tall and defiant against the elements.

The crow twisted its path, banking toward a circular structure perched on a cliff. The structure was mostly made of worn stone walls, with large gaps and broken archways that looked like they'd been abandoned for centuries. In the center of it all, there was a small fire burning on a stone platform, its flames flickering brightly, casting a warm, inviting glow.

Bonfire?! Naruto almost screamed the word in his head. He couldn't believe his eyes; it was just like the one in the asylum. A place of safety.

The crow's talons loosened, and suddenly, Naruto was falling. He hit the ground with a rough roll, dirt and stone scraping against his armor as he tumbled. By the time he came to a stop, the crow was already gone, its massive wings beating as it disappeared back into the sky.

Naruto gasped for air, sucking in huge gulps like a man who'd been drowning. His lungs felt like they were on fire, his head spinning from the sudden change in altitude. It was like trying to drink in too much air all at once, each breath leaving him lightheaded and disoriented.

He forced himself to get up, every muscle in his body screaming in protest as he stumbled toward the bonfire. The heat hit him like a wave, its warmth sinking into his bones, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Naruto felt safe.

And then, suddenly, his broken arm snapped back into place. He almost cried out in shock, but the numb pain in his ribs and the sensation of his insides shifting back to where they belonged kept him silent. The relief was so overwhelming that he almost fell to his knees.

Naruto glanced around, and his gaze landed on someone else—a man sitting down, wearing a full suit of dull, metallic armor that covered his entire body. His helmet was off, revealing short black hair and a neutral expression, like he'd seen the world and couldn't be bothered to care anymore. The armor looked worn, like it had seen too many battles, too many defeats. He was sitting on his shield, his sword lying next to him, his eyes fixed on the ground. He didn't even look up when Naruto arrived, just sat there with that hollow, broken expression.

He looks like he's already dead, Naruto thought, a chill running down his spine.

Not in the literal sense, but in the way someone looks when they've given up completely. Like he was part of the ruins themselves, blending into the decay around them.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Hey."

His voice was louder than he intended, echoing off the stone walls. He hoped this guy was at least friendly. After everything he'd been through, seeing an actual human was... almost comforting.

The man's eyes slowly moved up to meet Naruto's, and for a moment, he just stared at Naruto like he wasn't real. Then he sighed and spoke in a tired, defeated tone, "Well, what do we have here? You must be a new arrival. Let me guess. Fate of the Undead, right? Well, you're not the first. But there's no salvation here. You'd have done better to rot in the Undead Asylum… but, too late now."

Geez, this guy's a real ray of sunshine, Naruto thought, huffing out a breath. "Well, the Undead Asylum is destroyed. Nothing I can do about that now."

For the first time, something shifted in the man's face. His eyes widened just a little, a flicker of surprise breaking through the defeated look. But it was gone in an instant, replaced with the same hollow expression as before. "Oh? So, looks like you defeated the Asylum Demon," he said, but there was something mocking in his tone, like he didn't really believe Naruto.

"Of course," Naruto puffed out his chest a little, trying not to let the man's attitude get to him. He had defeated that demon. Barely, sure, but he'd done it.

"Kekekeke." The man laughed, a low, bitter sound, like he found the idea of Naruto beating the demon the funniest thing in the world.

Naruto clenched his fists, feeling the annoyance rise inside him. "Laugh it up, it's the truth," he said. Who the hell was this guy to laugh at him? He didn't know what Naruto had gone through, what he'd fought to get here.

"Sure it is, boy," the man said, still chuckling to himself. "No undead has ever managed to kill that thing. Either you die, or you escape. Those are your only two options."

Naruto bit his tongue, stopping himself from snapping back at the man. Precept the fourth, he reminded himself. Show virtue of patience, humility, and honor through your actions.

It was hard. Naruto wanted to throw it in the man's face, wanted to show him that he had killed the demon, that he wasn't just some weakling. But Oscar had taught him better than that. Actions speak louder than words. Naruto didn't need to prove anything to this guy. He'd see, eventually.

"Fine. Can you at least tell me where the Bell of Awakening is?"