Chapter 852 The Hollows' Purpose

"There's an entire hidden space down here? Just how deep is this place? It feels a bit like a dungeon!"

The party had fought through numerous monsters in the catacombs and eventually reached a massive lake beneath, accessible via a hanging bridge. In the world of Dark Souls, many locations are layered, leading to unexpected new areas. Just when you think you've finished exploring, you discover even more hidden parts of the map.

The maps in these places were numerous and highly convoluted, so the group spread out to explore. After much effort, they discovered this supposed lake below the catacombs.

However, upon descending, they were greeted with a rather hostile reception.

Massive arrows were shot at them from a distance, one after another. Though the arrows weren't particularly lethal, they were troublesome. If hit by one, it would still cause significant injury, and in the worst-case scenario, instant death could occur.

"This place is incredibly dangerous with things like this around! At this range, Lefiya, use your magic and destroy it!"

Finn ordered, frustrated by the constant hazards they kept stumbling upon.

Hearing the leader's command, Lefiya directly used her magic. After a round of explosions, the massive ballista was destroyed. Not long after, a giant worm appeared, but with everyone's cooperation, they easily dispatched it.

As for the lake swarming with crabs, they were merely soul-providing beasts and not much of a threat, making them much easier to deal with.

Before long, the group encountered another party of individuals: a pilgrim carrying a massive stone shield, a woman dressed in a lavish robe and wearing a mask, and several knights accompanying them.

"Who are you?"

While they had encountered lone Ashen Ones here before, this group seemed different. The Ashen Ones usually fought alone and rarely spoke.

However, this new group didn't seem like loners. They looked more like they belonged to some kind of organization.

"You can call us Hollows. We already know who you are. We've come to discuss a potential collaboration!"

That's right, this group of people is the existence of the Hollows. Those who possessed the power of the Hollows had long sought to reignite the flames. Among the endings of the original work, one of the endings is the Hollow Ending, that is, becoming the Hollow King and absorbs the last remnants of the fire.

In the end, the entire world would become a paradise for the Hollows. This outcome had its pros and cons. On one hand, the flame was destined to fade. Even in the first ending, where the protagonist sacrificed themselves as fuel for the fire, how long could it really last?

How many Ashen Ones could make it to the end and willingly burn themselves as kindling? This was a deeply troubling matter. Even if some chose to burn, the flames would inevitably fade unless someone else from distant lands chose to follow in their footsteps.

But not all Ashen Ones would choose to burn themselves. Just like the ending where the flame was stolen, some Ashen Ones craved the flame because, without it, they felt empty and longed for its power.

Those who sought to steal the flame would keep it for themselves, but regardless, the fire would eventually burn out. The Hollow King's ending would see the entire world fall under the rule of this organization.

The benefit of this was that even without the flame, they could continue to live. The downside, however, was that once one became a Hollow, they wouldn't all retain their so-called rationality. Many would end up resembling zombies, losing their former selves.

This was no blessing. In fact, most would become sacrifices, with only a few remaining. Now that the Hollows had found Finn and his group, they clearly had their own goals in mind.

"You are Hollows? What do you want from us? As far as I know, your group has always aimed to reignite the flame, but that has nothing to do with us."

Finn said, unable to hold back his frustration. Their goal was not to ignite the flame but to grow stronger in this world.

After all, they are people from another world. When the flame here inevitably died out, they could just return to their original world. They just treat this world as little more than a hunting ground.

"The reason why we came to you is also because of the problem of the flame. You are from another world, and we understand that, but the flame requires kindling from the Lords of Cinder. None of us are suited to claim the flame ourselves!"

Yuria's words carried a hint of bitterness. In the original work, the title of Hollow King ultimately fell upon the protagonist's shoulders.

Becoming a ruler in this world was no simple task, especially after witnessing the grim fate of the Lords of Cinder. Whether one ended up as a Lord of Cinder or a Hollow King, in the end, they were nothing more than tools.

Their sole purpose was to keep the flame alive, providing some benefits to those who followed. Being a Hollow King was marginally better, as at least they had a legion to command, and successfully stirring the flame would bring them a high position.

But the Lords of Cinder? They had to either sacrifice themselves as fuel or be dragged back by Ashen Ones to serve as kindling once more, or worse, offer their heads as a mere substitute for firewood. The only outcome was to burn.

To be blunt, being a Lord of Cinder was like being a slave. If you willingly sacrificed yourself, that was fine, but if you refused, someone would eventually force you to burn.

"We've already handed over the kindling we obtained from the Lords of Cinder to the Fire Keeper, and now the throne has been claimed. There's no way you'll get it from us!"

Finn couldn't help but frown. He knew enough about the Hollows to understand that they often resorted to unscrupulous methods. While not outright evil, they didn't align with the values of the Loki Familia. That much was clear.

"No, no, you misunderstand. What we want is for one of you to become the Hollow King. Our King!

Yuria shook her head, and explained. They really had no chance of reclaiming the fuel or any resources from the Lords of Cinder. So, their only choice was to find someone from Finn's group who could ascend as the Hollow King. That would solve their problems.

In doing so, they hoped it would also bring convenience to themselves in the future. However, their goals clearly did not align with those of Finn and his companions.

Finn's group, despite being seasoned adventurers, were seen as heroes in Orario. They always intervened when they saw something wrong, and their reputation was sterling.

Even Finn himself had countless fans, especially women who admired his valor and leadership. Given their nature and ideals, there was no way they would agree to Yuria's proposition.