Good grief. After reaching Mid-Rank Apostle, I've finally obtained a second incantation skill. But I don't know how to coordinate its use with Melina yet. I'll have to practice later.
Nidhogg was quite satisfied with this outcome.
The intense battle ended, and as if to conclude the fight, the still-raging storm gradually subsided.
After a while, only a cool breeze remained on the hill.
Nidhogg turned and walked back towards the entrance of the stone house.
"Amazing, a wonderful battle," Azan commented sincerely, then asked, "This valiant knight, worthy of respect, though he was an enemy, I wonder if I could learn his name."
"He has no name," Nidhogg said. "However, you can collectively call him 'Crucible Knight.' He was a knight from the age when the Crucible was widespread, but unfortunately, his time has passed."
Azan nodded silently and said:
"To adhere to his beliefs, yet be imprisoned until he went mad? I sympathize with what happened to him, but he intended to harm Miss Roderika. That should be condemned."
The old knight was straightforward, his distinctions very clear.
"You clearly have both love and hate," Hewg, who had been lost in thought for a long time, suddenly spoke. "Not all Crucible Knights adhered to their beliefs like him. Every knight chose their own path."
"As it happens, if you enter Stormveil Castle tomorrow, you'll soon see another one. There was also a Crucible Knight there who now serves the 'grafted' Godrick. That was his way of adhering to his faith."
Hewg hunched over and entered the house, saying, "Come in and find a way to fix this door... Also, give me your weapons. I'll help you."
"This is the only way I, a blacksmith, can help."
When Azan and Serpico heard this, they both turned their heads to look at Nidhogg.
Nidhogg nodded, and all three entered the house one after another.
Roderika was still huddled in the corner.
However, after the Crucible Knight's death, she no longer trembled. She simply looked timidly at everyone, especially at the Grafted Blade Greatsword in Nidhogg's hands.
Hewg leaned back by the furnace, picked up his hammer, and said quietly, "If you can defeat this Crucible Knight, you can at least protect yourself in Stormveil Castle. If you're still going to die, hand over your weapons."
"I'll work through the night without sleeping. By the time my strength runs out tomorrow morning, I should be able to strengthen four of your weapons. You need to choose which four to strengthen."
Azan and Serpico looked again at the pillar of this journey—Nidhogg.
Nidhogg didn't hesitate and said, "Then, Azan's double-headed iron rod, Serpico's longsword, my Bloodhound's Fang, and the Grafted Blade Greatsword."
"I don't care what you choose. Just give me the weapons," Hewg said.
Nidhogg nodded to Azan and Serpico, and all three handed their weapons to Hewg.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. Just helping."
Hewg saw that Azan's and Serpico's weapons, though made of good material, were still human weapons. Strengthening them wouldn't be difficult. But these two weapons brought out by Nidhogg...
Bloodhound's Fang and the Grafted Blade Greatsword were both high-quality weapons, especially this Grafted Blade Greatsword, which would require all his effort.
Hewg said no more. He first placed the Grafted Blade Greatsword on the anvil, raised his hammer, and a certain flame flickered. As the hammer fell, the fire poured into the greatsword.
CLANG—!
CLANG—!
CLANG—!
The silent blacksmith began to strengthen the Grafted Blade Greatsword. The craftsmanship he used was clearly not that of an ordinary craftsman. This continued for a long time.
For a while, only the sound of the ancient hammer's repair work filled the house.
Azan and Serpico looked at each other. Since there was nothing to do now, they went to the door and tried to fix it, as Hewg had mentioned.
Nidhogg sat on a chair and waited quietly.
Unknown to him, after some time, Roderika's voice suddenly came from the corner.
"The souls are trembling." Besides Hewg, everyone else heard Roderika's voice. After her first cry, her gaze was fixed on the Grafted Blade Greatsword. "Within the sword's body, many souls are trembling."
Seeing that Roderika had finally agreed to speak, Nidhogg said, "That's normal. It's the Grafted Blade Greatsword, containing the beliefs of countless avengers. Their souls are also bound to it."
"Not only that," Roderika turned her head, looked at Nidhogg, and said, "There are also many afterimages of souls on your body."
Hearing this, Nidhogg took out his Spirit Calling Bell and showed it to Roderika. "Probably because of this. You are very sensitive in this regard."
Roderika looked at the Spirit Calling Bell, nodded, and said, "Because I am a 'spirit tuner.' I was born to sense the existence of souls and communicate with them."
Hewg also looked up, glanced at the Spirit Calling Bell in Nidhogg's hand, narrowed his eyes, then lowered his head again and continued raising his hammer to strike the Grafted Blade Greatsword, as if nothing had happened.
"Are you really going to enter Stormveil Castle tomorrow?" Roderika slowly sat up. It seemed the cold wind had seeped into the house, making her hug her knees tightly and wrap her bright red cloak snugly around herself.
"Correct," Nidhogg asked. "Do you have any advice?"
Roderika hesitated for a moment, but still said, "I'm not going to hide it from you. Actually, my companion and I once set foot in Stormveil Castle with the same goal. But we quickly realized we were wrong."
"In the eyes of a spirit tuner like me, countless vengeful spirits float within that terrifying castle."
"I constantly sense their presence, hear their cries, and can discern what tortures they endured in life."
When Roderika said this, she couldn't help but tremble. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, as if she had lost focus, as if recalling the scenes she had witnessed in Stormveil Castle before.
"It was terrible. The surroundings were filled with endless terror. It was about to drive me mad. Besides that, we completely underestimated the horror of the enemies in Stormveil Castle. Companions fell one after another..."
"In the end, we had to retreat before we could even enter the city center. My companions paid with all their injuries to send me out of Stormveil Castle. They all stayed behind."
"Don't think too much about it. I also know what they will face next. Their arms and legs will be cut off, they'll be turned into puppets, and discarded in the morgue. Their souls will wander without peace."
"And I, who should have died with them in Stormveil Castle, fled cowardly, never daring to return, wandering the stormy hills in a daze until Hewg took me in."
"I was lost and sad in this ancient house until now... I'm afraid the tragedy that happened to me and my companions will happen to you, so I want to advise you not to go to Stormveil Castle."
"Go back. It's not too late."
Roderika spoke very sincerely at the end, her eyes full of tears, almost spilling over.
Azan and Serpico were fixing the door. They glanced at each other when they saw this, but didn't interfere, just waited for Nidhogg to respond.
And indeed, Nidhogg said, "Thank you for your kindness. But no matter how dangerous this path is, we still need to go."
"If we succeed, your companions' souls will rest in peace, won't they?"
Roderika murmured this a bit, but finally sighed, carefully wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, and said, "In that case, I will also come to help you do something, like Hewg."
"Since you insist on going to Stormveil Castle, take this child with you. It seems to like you more than me."
A white light burst from Roderika's hand, transforming into a jellyfish floating in the air.
Azan and Serpico recognized it at first glance. It was the spirit jellyfish they had seen not long ago, and Nidhogg had warned them not to provoke it lightly.
"Its name is Aurelia. It is searching for its distant homeland and its sister, Aureliette," Roderika explained. "You might be able to go further than me. It will be more willing to help you. I hope you don't mind."
"I don't mind. Thank you." Nidhogg raised his Spirit Calling Bell. The spirit jellyfish named Aurelia turned into white light and drilled into the bell.
Then Roderika said, "I'm not as skilled as Hewg. I can't do much for you. But as a spirit tuner, I can also strengthen two spirits for you. If you need it, don't hesitate to ask for help."
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