Elden Ring: Atai vows to have a perfect ending

Chapter 124 Settlement

The man who walked out of the Rose Church was the first person I met when I set foot on the border continent - "White Mask" Van Lei.

After hearing me call out his name, Fan Lei's smile brightened: "Oh, I didn't expect that you still remember me, the Faded One. It's really my honor... Last time, I said goodbye in a hurry and didn't even ask for your name."

I glanced around and responded coldly, "Is this how you ask for advice?"

"Hahaha, I'm sorry." Fan Lei raised his hand and asked the Bloody Finger and the group of Silver Sons to retreat.

I also put away my hound fangs, but of course, I couldn't let my guard down: "My name is Zero."

"Zero, well, what a good name." Van Lei bowed slightly to me, "Please allow me to apologize to you again for my colleague's recklessness, Zero."

It seems that this guy has no intention of going against me for the time being.

I also spoke frankly: "I'm sorry, Fan Lei, I have something important to do. If there is nothing else, I have to..."

"Then please wait a moment. I just have something to talk to you about. It won't take up any time." Fan Lei's voice was filled with a fake smile. If he didn't agree, would this guy be planning to use force on him?

I sighed: "If that's the case, then fine."

"Oh, great." Van Lei rubbed his hands and gestured to me to move away, but this guy's destination was the Rose Church. I didn't want to smell the disgusting smell of blood and chat with others happily, so I quickly shook my head.

Fortunately, Fan Lei did not force it and continued to ask, "I have heard that a great event has happened in Stoneville. Did that ugly 'demigod', Greg, fall into your hands? Zero."

"Just good luck."

"Hahaha, Ling, you don't have to be modest. Without the company of a witch, you were able to defeat Queen Marica's offspring. You can be said to be a rare fighting genius! Although the fight just now was unintentional, it also fully demonstrated your powerful strength." Van Lei did not hesitate to boast, "My premonition at that time was completely correct. When we first met, you had a kind of aura that no one could match."

——Haha, that’s the “beggar” who was chased by the big tree guard.

I quickly stopped him: "Uh...thank you, but this isn't what you wanted to say, right?"

Fan Lei chuckled: "Haha~ Actually, I wanted to ask you, since you defeated Greg, I guess you have also been received by Two Fingers, right? Zero."

"Hmm? Not at all."

"I knew it... Eh? Really?" Fan Lei, who was about to continue speaking, was caught off guard by my answer, and his eyes under the mask widened into a big round shape.

——However, after defeating Greg, I haven’t returned to the Round Table Hall yet.

If Fan Lei hadn't said it, I would have been so busy that I almost forgot about it.

"Wow~" Fan Lei immediately adjusted his posture, "This is really unexpected... After the Elden Ring was broken, you shamelessly asked for help from us Faded Ones, but Two Fingers actually let go of a powerful Faded One like you."

"Hey, don't flatter me. In fact, I just forgot to go." I felt uncomfortable with the compliment.

But Fan Lei looked at me meaningfully, and asked with a smile: "Is it really just you who forgot, Ling? Or have you actually sensed something is wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"To be honest, when I returned to the border, I did the same as you. Under the guidance of my two fingers, I challenged the demigod with all my strength. But as you can imagine, I failed, along with my companions." Fan Lei's voice became a little low.

——This is information I didn’t know, and it aroused my curiosity.

"and then?"

“······At that time, I returned to the round table hall and begged the supreme two fingers to show me the way out. But the only response I got was - fight! Fight non-stop! Go hunt the descendants of Marica, no need to hesitate, they have already gone astray... Go hunting, go plunder, go become the king of Elden!” Van Lei said, and couldn’t help but sneered for a while, “Zero, you did succeed in defeating Greg, but don’t you think it’s ridiculous? ······My friends, my comrades, and even my lover, they have obviously died for this, but the two fingers are still talking nonsense, talking about empty and ethereal beautiful visions to people like us who are incapable, but not giving any help at all. What’s the difference between this and sending people to die!?”

Fan Lei's clenched fists were shaking slightly. I looked into his eyes, which seemed to reveal his true feelings and were slightly bloodshot.

“······Under the empty guidance of the two fingers, I can’t feel love.” He looked up at the golden tree in the distance, “This is not the first time·····When we Faded Ones were exiled outside the border by Queen Marika, didn’t Blessing and the Two Fingers abandon us? But when they were facing destruction, they recalled us with their last breath·····They even still treated us as tools and threw us away after use. So, I have been thinking, for such an existence, is it really necessary for us Faded Ones to talk about friendship with him? Alas——”

Anger, sadness, grief... finally all disappeared again with his sigh.

"······Fan Lei."

"Oh, sorry, sorry. When I talk about the past, I can't help but get a little too excited." Fan Lei bowed slightly to me.

I was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "I understand how you feel, but everyone's experience is different... I just want to continue to carry out my beliefs and move forward, and I haven't thought too much about other things."

"That's good, that's enough! Zero." Fan Lei said with a smile, "I have seen too many faded people who just blindly follow the will of the two fingers without any thoughts of their own. You can think like that, which is better than most people!"

After a pause, he approached me mysteriously again and said, "However, the border is full of double-finger eyeliners. Even if you don't feel it, he will deliberately guide things to the situation he expects, making people mistakenly believe that fate is supposed to be like this."

"······Hmm? This is." A few festering fingers were stuffed into my hand from Fan Lei.

"This can allow us to get rid of the two-finger guidance method and get rid of those bastards who are secretly monitoring us. Please be sure to give it a try." Fan Lei stepped back with a smile in his eyes, like a black businessman who had completed an underground transaction.

——I almost felt sad for your experience, but I didn’t expect that you still wanted to get me to join you, Fan Lei.

I had no choice but to accept the festering bloody finger and verbally promised: "I understand, I will give it a try."

"Very good, very good... By the way, you have something important to do, right? I won't bother you any more." Fan Lei made a gesture of invitation, "But I will look forward to our meeting again, dear."

Slightly hairy all over.

——But I have Meimei’s Ah Ti.

- Don't think that I will change my mind just because you boast to me and say "dear"!

After summoning Torret again, I suddenly remembered something and asked Fan Lei, "By the way, Fan Lei, do you know Nelius?"

“…He, Nelius, is indeed my colleague, but he is rather impulsive, as if he had been provoked in the past. If I have offended you, I apologize to you, Zero.”

"Well, I've taught him a lesson anyway, just don't hold me responsible." I believe Fan Lei should be able to hear the hidden meaning in my words, "But recently, I ran into him again. Unexpectedly, he was infected with insanity."

"Madness?!" A hint of doubt flashed across Fan Lei's eyes.

——He should also know what the Eccentric Fire is. After all, there is an Eccentric Fire Village on the east coast of Lienia.

I also explained it briefly: "It's a kind of epilepsy. He wishes that everything in the world would be destroyed along with him... If you meet him in the future, be careful not to let him hurt the more noble existence in your heart."

“······I understand. Thank you for your reminder, Zero.” Fan Lei bowed to me again.

I didn't delay any longer and continued riding towards the west coast of Lienia.

——Hmph, Crazy Fireus, in order to get the Chapolili grapes, you must pass by this Rose Church.

——Since you have tried to obstruct me many times, don’t blame me for setting a trap for you.