Elden Ring: Atai vows to have a perfect ending

——I am a fucking idiot!

Because I was worried that Baizhi's men would make a comeback and the Platinum Village was not safe, I took Nepheli with me and rode Torret to quickly leave this hellish land.

Of course, I also did a brief search for what I needed to search.

In Platinum Village, on the other side of another wooden bridge, a crystal sword was taken away.

But the old man Elpas, who was supposed to be in the corner of the village, disguised as a water tank, had already turned into a pool of platinum mud.

——Was it Baizhi's men who did it? They have taken the talisman away?

——Or has the other party already taken the lead and handed it over to Nefeli?

I don't know.

But what I know is that I made a huge mistake.

——When I fucking ran into Nepheli, I forgot that I was dressed like a masked bandit!

——And I’m wearing an exile’s hood on my head!

No wonder Nepheli didn't recognize me at all and mistook me for an enemy. So, during the cutscenes, please dress like a human being!

Fortunately, at the last moment, I brought Nepheli's consciousness back from the storm, preventing both sides from being harmed.

So, the first thing I did when I came out of the poisonous swamp cave was to take off my hood and headscarf, to prevent Nie Nie from mistaking me for an enemy when she woke up and chopping me on the head with an axe.

When they ran out of the poisonous swamp cave, it was already night outside.

On the west bank of Lienia, the towering golden tree seemed to be right in front of us, guiding our way forward.

I continued driving the Torret, passing through dense forests, avoiding several swaying figures, and found a conversion tower.

Below, the light of blessing waved at us slightly, so we stayed here temporarily and settled down in the tower.

“······No, don’t·····” Nepheli seemed to have had a nightmare, her brows were tightly locked together, “Stop! Stop right there·····”

——Being able to dream and even talk in sleep means that Nepheli’s brain has restarted and she is probably in a state of light sleep.

I leaned over, debating whether or not to wake her from her nightmare.

All of a sudden, Nepheli jumped up, and her sharp eyes went straight to my vitals the moment she saw me. Her hands were like eagle claws, grabbing my throat with incredible speed, and even pushed me to the ground.

“······Hey, you, you’re awake, Nepheli.” I grabbed her hand awkwardly and greeted her.

——It’s not that I’m humble, it’s just that I was pushed down by others, which makes me feel a little embarrassed, A’tai.

“Zero…” Fortunately, Nepheli recognized me quickly this time. She immediately let go of my hand, got off me, and sat down on the ground beside me. She held her forehead and said in a low voice, “Sorry, I thought it was…an enemy.”

“······It’s okay, everyone has times when they feel groggy when they sleep. I used to often dream about drawing nine-color cards in a row, but when I woke up, nothing happened.” I smiled, trying to liven up the atmosphere, but after I finished speaking, I realized it belatedly.

——What kind of topic is this, asshole?

——Even if Penguin wants to release a mobile game for the Circle of Magic, what does Nepheli know about drawing cards?

Moreover, as soon as I finished speaking, the silence between us felt deafening, almost like a rock pressing down on me.

Just as I was racking my brains to find the next topic, Nepheli spoke first: "Not just now... In that village, I seemed to have attacked you, right? You were supposed to be here to help me."

"Ah, that. It's my own fault for not paying attention. I was wearing the exile's hat and covering my face. I can't help it if you didn't recognize me, so don't mind it." Seeing Nefeli still looking depressed, I put away my awkward smile and asked, "Nefeli, what happened in that village? If you don't mind, please tell me... At least speaking out will make you feel better, and I will also think of a solution with you."

"······" Nefeli raised her eyes. At this moment, she seemed like a puppy soaked by the rain, looking for a shelter confusedly and helplessly.

Finally, she was willing to come to my side: "Zero, you...if you try your best but still can't change your fate, what will you do?"

"Fate?" I thought of Irena and Edgar, and my heart skipped a beat.

And Nepheli continued: "You have seen the tragic situation in that village, right?... When I was a child, I also saw the same scene: the weak were ravaged, plundered, and killed. There was fire and blood everywhere. It was a purgatory on earth... From then on, I made up my mind to take revenge on that kind of malice in the name of a warrior! But, but I still couldn't do it... I came too late, I couldn't catch anything, I couldn't save anything."

Veins bulged on her clenched fists, but she lowered her head, and her once bright eyes seemed to blend into the darkness, dim and lifeless.

I really want to say that the tragedy in Platinum Village was not caused by you, and I didn’t come later, so don’t mind it.

But doing so would only insult Nepheli's ears and hurt the warrior's pride.

She said such fragile words because she believed in me, her comrade who defeated the demigod Greg with her. If I responded perfunctorily just to comfort her, it would only destroy the trust between us.

After a long silence, I spoke carefully: "Nefeli, you know I can do magic, right? I learned a little bit of astrology from a certain magician, and I can find out some people's fate from the stars."

——Of course, the so-called destiny is just a part of the game Circle of Magic, and I used the explanation that Roderica helped me find to cover it up.

Nefeli raised her eyes, waiting for me to continue.

"I once read about the Weeping Peninsula in the stars. My friend who fought alongside me, Edgar, the lord of Morn City, would go insane and self-destruct after losing his beloved daughter. I failed to save his daughter at the beginning, and then I could only try my best to prevent Edgar from knowing the news and prevent him from going to destruction... But not long ago, all my efforts were in vain. Edgar completely lost himself in front of me, and I had to defeat him... Even if I can predict the future, fate is more difficult to change than I thought, this world."

After hearing these words, Nepheli couldn't help but look away, and her whole demeanor became even more subdued.

The originally powerful warrior is now like a vase, which may be shattered into pieces with a slight touch.

I couldn't help but grab her shoulders, looked at Nepheli and asked, "But, are we going to surrender like this? To this damn fate?"

"..."

"I haven't found the bastard who killed Edgar's daughter and caused my friend to fall into ruin! Should I just give up like this and say: Hey~ the person is already dead, what's the point of doing more, and then end everything?" I looked at Nepheli firmly and told her my answer solemnly and loudly, "Never!"

"What a shitty fate! Before I fall, before the end truly comes for me, all the bad luck that has happened is only temporary and doesn't deserve to be called fate at all. They will continue until I find out the last bit of malice and then put a period on that bastard's face!" He couldn't help but feel emotional, and the words he said were a lot more childish.

But what made me most embarrassed was that Nepheli didn't seem to be influenced by me at all. Instead, she sighed: "······Maybe, I am not the same as you."

"You mean, Sir Baizhi betrayed his original intention and betrayed your common ideals?" I went straight to the point.

Nepheli turned and looked at me in disbelief.

"I told you before, I can read the fate of some people from the stars." I smiled slightly. Of course, in order to make Nefeli believe me more, I also added some facts, "Doesn't the lord have a subordinate named Enxia? When he heard that I wanted to come to you, he attacked me for some reason."

Nefeli was quite surprised: "Enxia, ​​did he actually attack you?"

And I nodded: "Now that I think about it, maybe he is worried that if you and I join forces again, it will ruin the good thing. After all, we defeated the demigod together, Nepheli! So, I suspect that it is very likely that Sir Baizhi is behind this!"

"...my godfather, maybe he really has forgotten his original intention." Nepheli finally decided to tell me the most important thing in her heart. "It was him and Lady Dolores who saved me from purgatory. It was also them who told me that warriors should create a world for the weak to live in peace and no longer be bullied. That's why I took this as my goal and kept getting stronger. But...but I really can't imagine why he was the one who created that hell?"

"Then go question him, refute him, scold him to wake him up. If the knight still refuses to repent, then duel him as a warrior!" After saying that, he suddenly felt like he had come up with a bad idea, and quickly changed the subject, "Ahem... Nefeli, remember, you are no longer the powerless girl you used to be. Nefeli Lu is the strongest female warrior I have ever seen. Fate will not imprison your wings. You need to ride the storm again and soar!"

I subconsciously praised Nefeli.

——After all, in the game, Ah Dai is a dumb person who doesn’t know how to praise others and only knows how to give ashes to others.

——Seeing Storm Wing huddled in a corner of the hall like a kitten or a puppy, I was holding back my energy!

Even Nepheli blushed slightly after hearing my compliment, and seemed a little overwhelmed: "Yes, is that so?"

I nodded vigorously. "Yes! So, Nepheli, you shouldn't stop here. Follow your own will and keep going. If you are tired, go back to Stonewell. Everyone you saved is looking forward to your appearance."

Nepheli thought for a long time, and finally smiled softly: "...I will, Zero."

And there seemed to be some light in her eyes again.