Determined to gain the experience he needed, Alex Mercer, the Faithless, made his way to the ominous Castle of the Damned. Its looming, gothic architecture hinted at untold secrets within, and he felt a sense of foreboding as he crossed the threshold.
Inside, the air was heavy with the scent of decay, and the dim light cast eerie shadows on the worn, stone floors. The sound of shuffling footsteps reached his ears, and he readied his scythe for battle.
From the dark corners of the castle, low-level ghouls emerged. These wretched creatures, with pallid skin and hollow eyes, were far less imposing than the direwolves he had faced earlier. They moved with slow, clumsy motions, and their attacks were feeble.
Alex engaged them with newfound confidence, his scythe slicing through their ranks. Each defeated ghoul seemed to imbue him with a mysterious power—a soul that he could feel deep within him. These souls were unlike anything he had encountered before, and their essence pulsed with otherworldly energy.
As he vanquished the ghouls, a message appeared before him:
You have acquired Souls. Use them at the camping site to increase your attributes.
Dumbfounded but intrigued, Alex decided to heed the message. The camping site he had discovered earlier was his destination, a place where he could harness the power of these mysterious souls to strengthen himself.
However, as he made his way back to the campsite, he was ambushed by a swarm of ghouls. Their numbers overwhelmed him, and despite his valiant efforts, they closed in. The last thing he saw before darkness consumed him was a grotesque ghoul reaching for his throat.
Once again, he awoke at the campfire, the eerie moonlight casting a pale glow on the surroundings. But something was different this time.
A woman with silver hair stood by the campfire, her eyes filled with a strange, ethereal light. She wore tattered robes that seemed to blend with the moonlight, and an air of otherworldly wisdom surrounded her.
She spoke, her voice soft and melodic, yet laden with ancient knowledge. " I am Elysia Moonshadow, the Beacon of the Lost Souls."
Alex blinked in surprise, his confusion growing. "Who are you? What is this place?"
She smiled gently. "I am a guardian of souls, a guide for those who seek to harness their power. You have acquired souls from the ghouls—a force that can shape your destiny in this realm."
Relief washed over Alex as he realized she could help him. "How can I use these souls to become stronger?"
The woman nodded, her silver hair shimmering. "You must speak with me to increase your attributes using the souls. But be warned, the souls are fragile, and you may lose them if you are not careful."
With hope in his heart, Alex Mercer approached the enigmatic woman, ready to embrace the power of the souls he had acquired. Little did he know that the path to mastery in the Elden Realm was fraught with challenges and sacrifices and that his journey was far from over.