Elden Ring: With God Chapter 254: Let Me Fall into the Abyss with You

“I...”

Bai Shi swallowed hard, his mind a swirling tempest of a thousand thoughts, yet he couldn't utter a single word.

He could see the anticipation in her eyes. She must have desperately wanted to hear that answer.

But for that very reason, Bai Shi could not deceive her.

He had no mory of her, nor had he co here in search of her. To fabricate a lie just to make her happy was sothing Bai Shi could not accept.

Just as Bai Shi was about to speak, to give her his answer.

The witch across from him saw his hesitation. Seeming to understand his thoughts, a flicker of disappointnt crossed her eyes.

Then, she turned her head away, leaving Bai Shi with only the side of her face, veiled by her flowing hair. She spoke before he could answer:

“Ah, my apologies. I said sothing strange.”

“It seems staying here for so long has made

a little... odd.”

Looking at the person before him, dressed as a Finger Maiden, Bai Shi felt an indescribable sensation bubble up inside him.

His rational mind told him that the situation was not necessarily as simple as it appeared.

He had inexplicably appeared in what seed to be the Spirit World—a desolate, bleak realm inhabited only by monsters.

And yet, in a place like this, she had appeared before him by sheer coincidence.

...The coincidence felt a little too convenient.

Especially since she was the only creature he had encountered so far with a human appearance. In this abnormal world, such normality was, in itself, strange.

Bai Shi thought he needed to maintain a certain degree of vigilance...

“Do you know ?”

Bai Shi had intended to ask her about this world, but the words that slipped out were entirely different, as if moved by so unseen force.

The witch across from him slowly turned her head back, looked at Bai Shi, and then shook it.

“No... In truth, I do not know you. I have never t you before.”

“I only knew that there was soone I needed to wait for.”

“I was guided to wait for his arrival, to accompany him until he becos Elden Lord.”

“It’s just a pity that I was killed before I could et him.”

The Finger Maiden turned to face Bai Shi fully, her gaze earnest.

“Even if guidance is long broken, I beseech you, beco the Elden Lord.”

Then, she lowered her head slightly and smiled.

“Just a mont ago, I faintly sensed sothing, so I ca looking. And in the end, I found you.”

“The mont I saw you, I was certain you were the one I had been waiting for.”

“Even if we had never t.”

Bai Shi t the witch's gaze.

At this mont, he didn't know what expression to make.

Should he be happy? Happy to be reunited with his maiden?

But she was already dead. That was an unchangeable fact.

Should he grieve for her? Grieve for the tragic fate she had suffered?

But reality had allowed them to et again, and Bai Shi now had a chance to and his regrets.

Bai Shi looked up at the sky. There was no sun to guide his path, only a cold, colorless one.

After a mont, he let out a laugh.

I tried to believe you had rely beco a gentle breeze in Limgrave, but it seems I still couldn't let go.

Perhaps he was overthinking things. It wasn't that complicated.

They had no prior connection. One was simply waiting, while the other had yet to arrive.

Everything began with the maiden's corpse in the Chapel of Anticipation.

Just like the story that once unfolded, and just like the story that was about to begin.

“I see. It’s wonderful that we could et again.”

“I’ve been trying to find out why you died, but all the clues had vanished. I thought all hope was lost.”

“I never imagined I would find you here...”

“To be honest, I never interacted with you before, so I shouldn’t have any feelings for you.”

“But for so reason, I can never forget the sight of your death.”

The Finger Maiden shot Bai Shi a slightly reproachful glare.

“Really, ‘the sight of my death’? Could you phrase that a little more pleasantly?”

However, after hearing Bai Shi's words, a smile couldn't help but blossom on her face.

This was a truly unexpected delight.

Bai Shi looked at the maiden before him.

“You must have suffered a great deal, being here all alone.”

At the ntion of this, the maiden's expression turned animated, and she began to recount her experiences to Bai Shi with great excitent:

“Oh, let

tell you, I was absolutely terrified when I first arrived.”

“Seriously, I was scared to death. After all, this place is full of monsters.”

“And until now, I haven’t t a single creature that looks like a normal human.”

“This place is teeming with strange beings, and many of them will attack without a second thought.”

“If I hadn't gradually learned how to survive here, you probably would have found my corpse here for a second ti.”

“Hey, wait, can you even leave a corpse here? I have no idea...”

Listening to her, Bai Shi couldn't help but smile.

His maiden, dying twice? That was pretty dark humor.

Bai Shi listened quietly as the maiden before him told the story of her ti here.

If this were happening in the Lands Between, it would have been a truly beautiful mont.

The maiden spoke with vibrant animation.

It had been a very long ti since she had seen a normal human, and moreover, she had finally found the person she had been waiting for.

Because of this, she wanted nothing more than to tell Bai Shi everything she had experienced here.

—

The maiden took a breath. She had been speaking for quite so ti and was now feeling a bit tired.

She looked at Bai Shi, who had been listening silently with a smile on his face the entire ti.

“Oh, right, I don’t think I’ve asked for your na yet.”

Bai Shi paused, just now realizing they didn't know each other's nas.

“Bai Shi. And you?”

The maiden blinked, her expression one of slight surprise.

“Wow, that’s a na you don’t often hear in the Lands Between.”

“My na is Shard of Alexander. Shard of Alexander Dess.”

Hearing the maiden give her surna, Bai Shi canted his head slightly.

In the Lands Between, only those born into noble and powerful Tarnished families made a point of ntioning their surna.

So his maiden was a young lady from a prestigious family?

And yet, she was surprisingly cheerful and approachable.

Bai Shi nodded, committing the na to mory.

They had chatted long enough. It was ti to get down to business.

Bai Shi asked:

“Can you tell

about this place?”

Shard of Alexander smiled but didn't rush to explain.

“I understand your urgency, especially after arriving in such a strange place.”

“But please, allow

to first fulfill my duty as a maiden and tend to your wounds.”

As she said this, a faint blush colored Shard of Alexander's cheeks. After all, she was the one who had been talking nonstop.

She had gotten so excited that she had forgotten to heal the damage Bai Shi’s soul had taken during the battle earlier.

Bai Shi asked, sowhat surprised:

“Oh, you can heal this? It seems to be a wound to the soul.”

“I didn’t know Finger Maidens had that kind of ability.”

Shard of Alexander took Bai Shi's hand, a gentle smile on her face.

“I have been here for a long ti, after all. I’ve learned a new trick or two.”

The mont Shard of Alexander took his hand, he felt sothing being drawn out from within his body.

Then, a pitch-black, humanoid silhouette with a faint white outline appeared in her palm.

Bai Shi’s eyes widened. That form... could it be?

Shard of Alexander's next words confird his thoughts.

“This is sothing called Humanity.”

“The souls who have lost their way in this Spirit World have, over the long eons, gradually lost everything that made them human.”

“This Humanity was once the root and essence of their being.”

“But now, it has separated from their souls. Once you defeat them, you can easily take their Humanity.”

“It just needs a little bit of processing...”

Shard of Alexander gathered the Humanity and held it in her cupped hands.

She then closed her hands, and the Humanity within was instantly refined.

When she opened her hands again, the Humanity was now kindled with fire, glowing with an orange-yellow hue.

“See? Now it has beco a liquid that can heal the soul.”

Bai Shi gazed at the handful of liquid that appeared in Shard of Alexander's hands, a wave of nostalgia washing over him.

It’s back. It’s all back.

The Estus Flask, colloquially known as pulpy orange juice.

Although Bai Shi’s soul had taken so damage in the previous battle and from the continuous environntal drain, it was still largely intact.

He had to admit, that hamr blow from Radagon had significantly raised his soul's pain threshold.

By comparison, this kind of pain was just a minor scrape.

Shard of Alexander poured the processed Humanity into a container and handed it to Bai Shi.

Bai Shi took it from her hand, tilted his head back, and drank.

As the fiery liquid burned its way through his body, his soul was replenished by the blazing Humanity.

Seeing him drink it, Shard of Alexander nodded in satisfaction.

“Although your soul is not weak, it is best to replenish it as soon as it is damaged. Besides repairing the soul, this has another use.”

Bai Shi took a mont to feel, but he didn't notice any other changes within him, so he asked Shard of Alexander:

“What kind of use?”

Shard of Alexander explained:

“In this world, if you stay too long, your mind will start to play tricks on you.”

“Sotis you’ll hear strange sounds, other tis you’ll see bizarre illusions.”

“If you stay even longer, you might even descend into madness...”

As she spoke of this, Shard of Alexander couldn't help but shiver, as if recalling sothing terrifying.

Bai Shi looked at her with a pained heart. How long had she wandered this world, slowly mastering this knowledge?

There was no one else here. These symptoms were undoubtedly things she had personally experienced.

A simple Finger Maiden, what had she gone through to finally persevere?

What conviction had sustained her?

Although the face Shard of Alexander showed Bai Shi now was cheerful and enthusiastic, she never once spoke of the tornt she must have endured.

Bai Shi gazed into Shard of Alexander’s eyes.

“I’m sorry I was late.”

But Shard of Alexander just shook her head.

“No. You are here now. That is enough.”

Shard of Alexander was silent for a mont before speaking again:

“Right, you also have a few pitch-black souls inside you. Let

help you use those as well.”

At first, Bai Shi didn't know what she ant.

After thinking for a mont, he realized she must be talking about the black souls that had floated into his body when he killed that giant skull.

“Pitch-black souls? What are they for?”

While drawing the dark souls out of Bai Shi, Shard of Alexander explained:

“Besides Humanity, the souls of so monsters will also collapse and enter your body.”

“These souls are filled with various negative emotions and must be purified.”

“Once purified, they can be used to strengthen your own soul.”

“This kind of strengthening is crucial in this place.”

Bai Shi nodded in understanding.

So this was the unique leveling system of this region, one focused on reinforcing the soul.

If Bai Shi fard enough, he could just power through the damage from soul-clashes and obliterate any enemy.

Shard of Alexander looked up at the cold, colorless sun in the sky.

“By the way, you asked

what this place was earlier, didn’t you?”

Bai Shi nodded.

“Yes. I have my suspicions, but I’m not certain.”

Shard of Alexander shifted her gaze back to Bai Shi and asked with a smile:

“So, what is your guess?”

Bai Shi answered without hesitation:

“This should be the Spirit World.”

“The ever-present Ghostfla and the attacks that damage the very soul... only the Spirit World would have such characteristics.”

“But I don’t know why it’s beco like this. It’s completely different from the legends I’ve heard.”

Shard of Alexander nodded.

“You are right. This is indeed the Spirit World, but it is not the Spirit World you know of.”

“I once read a description of the Spirit World in my family's library.”

“The Spirit World—the land where souls dwell. It is a place where many souls gather, where people are taken after death.”

“It is said that the Spirit World lies at the very edge of the Lands Between.”

“A living person once entered the Spirit World, spoke with his companions there, and then brought news of it back to the Lands Between.”

Shard of Alexander paused, glancing around at the desolate landscape.

“As for this place, you can call it the Second Spirit World.”

“This is a place built through a pact between the followers of Lord Godwyn and the ancient spirit priests, the Deathbirds.”

“Lord Godwyn’s followers help the Deathbirds construct the Spirit World, and in return, the Deathbirds grant them power and help them achieve their goals.”

“Now, this place has also beco a repository for countless souls of the dead.”

After hearing this, Bai Shi pondered silently for a mont before suddenly posing a question:

“But now that the Erdtree’s cycle of rebirth has collapsed, shouldn't souls have nowhere to go and eventually dissipate?”

Bai Shi still rembered that Roderika had used the word "dissipate."

Shard of Alexander shook her head.

“Actually, they don't dissipate. They are brought here.”

“In the age of the Erdtree, the golden people were blessed by the Erdtree, so their souls and bodies were eternal.”

“But when the Erdtree's cycle was broken, life could no longer find release.”

“Those without the blessing could at least die, but after death, their souls could neither return to the Erdtree nor go anywhere else.”

“So beca spirit ashes, so attached themselves to gloveworts, and others, due to lingering obsessions, beca white phantoms that wander the Lands Between.”

“But most of them, theoretically, would have been forced to remain in the Lands Between with nowhere to go.”

“The souls of the golden people are so tightly bound to their bodies that they cannot even die.”

“As for us Tarnished, our souls can be brought here directly by the Deathbirds.”

“But for so reason, so far, you are the only other one I’ve seen who has maintained a physical form.”

Shard of Alexander bit her lip, clearly puzzled by what she had found.

“In any case, the Deathbirds have now gathered an enormous number of souls.”

“From the ti of the Shattering until now, countless souls unable to return to the Erdtree have converged here.”

“In a way, this place is now even more bustling than the Lands Between.”

“Oh, right, I haven’t asked what you plan to do here yet.”

Bai Shi looked up at the colorless sun and said:

“I must destroy the prayers and rituals of Godwyn’s followers, so the colorless sun no longer shrouds the light of the true sun.”

“I will make the light of the true sun shine upon the Lands Between once more.”

Hearing this, Shard of Alexander looked at Bai Shi in astonishnt.

Her expression shifted constantly. She began to hesitate, unsure if she should tell him.

“Bai Shi... that is an incredibly difficult task. I should say, it is almost impossible.”

“Within this Second Spirit World, the realm is divided into many regions.”

“The place we are in now is what I call the Plains of White Bones.”

“And at the center of each region, there is an incredibly powerful ruler.”

“Only by defeating them can you temporarily weaken the power of the Spirit World.”

“But even that alone is not enough.”

“The Spirit World is a parallel space to the Lands Between, but it must have so connection to it.”

“I believe what anchors the Spirit World to the Lands Between are those walking mausoleums.”

“But if you leave the Spirit World, it’s best that you never return to this dangerous place.”

When Bai Shi heard about leaving the Spirit World, he quickly pressed her:

“Do you have a way to leave?”

Hearing this, Shard of Alexander’s expression stiffened. She looked like a puppy about to be abandoned.

But then, as if she had made up her mind, she told Bai Shi the way.

After all, her original plan was to send him away.

“...Yes, I do.”

“The way is hidden within the tower right in front of us.”

“If we clear it, not only can we travel between the various towers, but we can also return to the real world from here.”

“I brought you here to send you away. You shouldn't linger in such a dangerous place.”

Bai Shi looked at Shard of Alexander's complicated expression and roughly guessed what she was thinking.

Perhaps she thought he would imdiately teleport out of the Spirit World and abandon her.

“Alright. Then let’s take this tower first, and then we’ll go deal with Godwyn’s followers.”

Shard of Alexander lifted her eyes to look at Bai Shi, speaking with conviction:

“It’s very dangerous here. You’ve only been here a short ti, but I have experienced its perils firsthand.”

“And I’ve already told you, what you want to do is an incredibly difficult, near-impossible task.”

Bai Shi smiled.

Not long ago, one could say he had dominated the Lands Between.

Although most of his abilities were useless in the Spirit World, even without his power, he was no longer the naive person he once was.

No matter the circumstances, he could maintain his composure and calm.

Besides, while his powers were gone, his Fengling Yueying system was still there.

“Don’t worry. I’m very strong.”

“At the very least, dealing with Godwyn’s followers here shouldn’t be a problem.”

Shard of Alexander looked at Bai Shi, blinked, then lowered her head and let out an inexplicable laugh.

She had seen Bai Shi and Ashmi demonstrate their strength before.

While that power wasn't weak, it was completely insufficient to face the terrifying rulers of this world.

When she finished laughing, she looked up and stared intently at Bai Shi’s face.

“Hope is nowhere to be seen.”

“I won’t sugarcoat it, because this is simply too desperate.”

“I know that only despair and suffering await us.”

“That is why I want to be with you, to be your companion in this abnormal world.”

“Let

fall into the abyss with you.”

Shard of Alexander gave Bai Shi a sowhat tragic smile, her heart already set on her decision.

Bai Shi felt the resolve in her words.

At that mont, the sowhat blurry image of her face in his mory beca crystal clear.

The washing machine in the dorm was found during an inspection by the counselor. It’s over~