Chapter 2: Unable to die

''Fuck all highlevel equipment!'' I curse my luck. Dispite this great equipment I'm unable to provit from any of them. Exept for Valorheart I'm unable to effectively equipment anything. So I equip dissatisfied Valorheart in my first right hand weapon slot. Sitting there before the now blasting bonfire I don't notice the purple phantom spawning right behind me.

''Hello Mr Bell. I'm Grace Pearce. A psychologist hired by your daughter Becca Bell.''

''Did I die?'' I ask the woman before me clothed in an Imported Set and with the katana bloodlust on her hip.

''No. You are in a comatose state. I'm here to help you get your way out of here.''

I ignore what she tells me after her answer to my question, because I can remember where I could get a good starter weapon in DS2. A .[Fire Longsword] should be close by in the area known as [Forest of Fallen Giants].

Starting at the bonfire I look out over the ocean at the cove with all of the spiky rocks sticking up, looking to my right along the coast. Close by I see a crumbling wall and on the sea side of the wall is a torch sconce marking an entrance that leads down to an underground stone rampway. To the right of the main path in, is an iron chest with a Rusted Coin. Proceeding down the hallway, there is a dead end to the right and to the left a large gated door. Pulling the lever to the right I open the gate and the path opens up to a dark cave with a wooden suspension bridge that spans across the rushing stream. Once past the bridge going to the right I find the [Forest of Fallen Giants] but before ging there I turn to the left balancing over two long planks to a large stone in the middle of the river with a chest that contains one Human Effigy. I crush said Effigy to returm my undead appearance back to a humsn one. Beyond in the stream I see a corpse with a Homeward Bone and Soul of a Lost Undead that I ignore for the moment.

''Where are you going Mr Bell? I think we have to talk about your situation.'' I hear the therapist right across the planks behind me say. ''Not now. I have to get a Fire Longsword.'' I tell her while balancing back and ignoring her by walking out of the cave into a lush forest and some ruins in the near distance.

Upon arrival I draw Valorheart seeing two Hollows wandering straight ahead with an additional two beyond, around the bend of the creek. I directly go into attack mode dubblehanding the blade in my hands and sprinting at the first Hollows backside. With a timed backstab I stun the undead soldier for a second and give it the finishing blow by separating its head from its shoulders. Happy about my first kill in VR in let my guard down and get hit by the second Hollow. By circling arround my new enemy I one again perform a backstab followed up by a finishing blow. The moment I have killed the second Hollow I'm hit by an arrow from an Hollow archer. Knowing I'm out of stamina look for a safe plave to recover it. To the left, across the stream at a plank bridge is another Hollow soldier with a broken sword. I walk a few steps pack in the direction of the entrance when I remember the location of the first bonfire in the forest. Now to my left, across the stream at the base of a tree up a short path is a clearing in which I'll find [The Crestfallen's Retreat bonfire]. Thanks to walking I have recovered some stamina do that I am able to sprint across the river right into the clearing. There I find the bonfire. I press the sword hilt into the ash surrounding the weapon igniting the bonfire only to feel a backstab killing me outright.

... The Crestfallen's Retreat bonfire lit...

... You died...

Pist off I reade the note and see Grace Pearce who just killed me collapse thanks to her own katana bloodlust inflicted bleeding damage.

... Reviving Location?...

[Last Bonfire/Hunters Dream]

I chose [Last Bonfire] to recollect my dropped Souls. Now I realise for the first time ever, that from an Ingame perspective I'm really unbeatable and unable to stay dead. Dispite still feeling the blade cutting my flesh and beheading me I'm more encouraged to master this world than ever before. After collecting my souls and I again kill the first two Hollows and move ahead across a plank bridge where the archer from before and two more Hollows are. By constantly moving I evading all the archers arrows comming at me and I pull the two Hollows out side of the archers firing range. Like a routin I circle, backstap and discard the two Hollows. After that I kill the archer. Dropping down to the stream below the plank bridge brings I find a corpse with Soul of a Lost Undead. Backtracking across the planks I go up the hill which leads me to a ladder. Going up the ladder leads I find my self in an open area with several Hollows lieing and walking around and an Soldier throwing firebombs at me fromabove. I know for I can't handle all Hollows at once, so I try to attract their attention at the top of the ladder and then re-descending it quickly. Some Hollows follow me down the ladder and I can dispatch them one by one. At the base of a tree in the mossy rotunda there are two corpses on the ground with two Human Effigys. To the right from the letter is an opening to a cliff, and to the left a ladder up a moss covered tower. This is the way go kill the fire bomb thrower but I'm to lazy to be bothered by him. So I turn to the left of the now Hollow free area where I can sllready see a misty portal, which leads through a wooded tunnel and into ruins. Straight ahead I see a broken wall.

Going straight through the said wall, I drops into a room with 2 Hollow Royal Soldiers equipt with long spears and rotten shields. Like the Hollows befor I kill then and finde in the corner behind the shelves twenty Wooden Bolts. Going left into a hallway I quickly backstab a hollow solider waiting around the corner. To my right I now find my way back to the broken wall I moments ago went throught. Continuing down the hallway, there are again Hollow Royal Soldier waiting for me. After getting rid of them again I run up the stairs ignoring a hollow archer at the top who fires down at me, as well as Hollow Royal Soldier who throws Firebombs at me and a third Hollow Royal Soldier who wants to ambush me as I reach the top of the stairs. I run along the wall infront of the stairs where I clime up a ladder. Adrenalin pumps through my vains making me extra vigilant. At the top, straight ahead I can see a corpse and a Hollow Royal Soldier I know is right around the corner to the right with a halberd who rises when I go near the doorway. I risk it and open the door and finde the Cardinal Towers bonfire right in front of me to the left. I jump at it and rest down to reset the enemys following me.

... Cardinal Tower bonfire lit...

Sanding back up I meet the Merchant Hag Melentia who also rests at this bonfire. After speaking with her and getting some back-story from her I remember that she should normally move to Majula. Unsure if she would still do that I check the mercendice she sells. Buy a two Firebombs, the [Soldier Key] and [Workshops Key] from her. Checking them out I get two notes.

... Key to the soldier's door in the Forest of Fallen Giants. A fort was erected in the forest to face the Giants, but now the soldiers are lost and Hollowed. They are enfeebled, but not without honor, and continue to steadfastly defend their country...

... Key of the of the Old Workshop, where Gehrman, as the First Hunter, formed the Workshop and created various standard Trick Weapons and Firearms for the Traveler's that followed...