Getting Lost (Dark Souls Part 7)

I'm an idiot.

I am so very dumb when I play this stupid game. 

Case in point.  I spent almost 2 hours trying to outsmart and beat the Ceaseless Discharge boss, without making any progress.  I even got eggsac'd by the gross larvae in that area.  For those who don't know, I've been streaming my blind Dark Souls playthrough over on Twitch.  I have a pair of Souls Sherpa who aren't guiding me, as much as they are living vicariously through my struggle. 

I spent two hours on that boss, before finally taking the subtle hint to leave the area.  I was grumpy that I would have to trek all the way back through Blighttown to get anywhere, but they reminded me that I had rang the second bell, which reminded me that a big gate in the forest opened.  My brain was like "Oh that gate led to this one spot in the Swamp area of Blighttown!".

Not quite.

I went back and explored a place I THOUGHT I had cleared.  Found a ladder that I couldn't recall and went up.  After an incredibly harrowing encounter with 3 trolls... I found the key to New Londo Ruins, so I could finally get back to Firelink Shrine. 

"Man, this must've opened up after I beat the spider boss.  Whew, glad to be away from that wall of a boss".

Nope.

Nope.  How naive I was. 

This path was open the entire time.  The ENTIRE TIME.  Apparently I had circled that ladder several times without climbing it.  I had the opportunity to go use my Fire Seeker's Soul to empower my Estus Flask... but never did.  Not until I got mad at my inability to progress.

SPEAKING OF THE FIRESEEKER.

I got back to the base, and found that my Fireseeker was murdered dead in their cell.  I know have an item that lets me "invade" the killer's world, so I'm assuming that another player came in and did the deed.  The word "Invade" in the item description makes me think it was another player, rather than an NPC.

Oh, I got to the blacksmith and my Estoc is now a Raw Estoc +1.  Don't know what that means, but it's what I"m using as my primary melee weapon.  Go team.

So where am I at?  I last saved at the Blacksmith bonfire, which is still lit (thankfully).  I'm guessing only my currently active bonfire, and ones that are Kindled will remain lit.  I am torn between going deep into the jungle to fight the butterfly boss I saw once, dancing around the Hydra and crystal monsters, going through the newly opened gate, or crossing the New Londo Ruins to try to cure my curse.

So you know... A bunch of shit options.

Whatever, we'll deal with whatever comes next in some way or another.