"According to Darrick, in an even more ancient era, a nation known as Oolacile was consumed by the Abyss. The terrifying existence called the Lord of the Abyss transformed all of its inhabitants into monsters."
"As the Wolf Knight, Artorias embarked on a path to purge the Abyss alongside his companion—a young wolf."
"He was immensely powerful, possessing the ability to walk within the Abyss itself, a silver pendant capable of deflecting Abyssal sorcery, and a greatshield imbued with protective barriers that resisted corruption. He was the most suitable candidate for the task."
"However, in order to protect the survivors, he gave his silver pendant to the people of Oolacile. As a result, his injuries continued to accumulate in the battles that followed, and by the time he faced the Lord of the Abyss, Artorias was far from his prime."
"The battle against the Lord of the Abyss ended in Artorias's defeat. His companion vanished without a trace, and Artorias himself—his body covered in wounds and his sanity eroded by the Abyss—remained alone in the arena, slaying monsters and preventing others from wandering into Oolacile. How many ages passed in this state, no one knows."
"We do not know the final fate of the Wolf Knight, nor do we know whether the Lord of the Abyss still exists. None of the information currently available to us mentions these matters."
"However, judging by the fact that we are still able to live normal lives today, and that Oolacile has faded into history, it is possible that the Abyssal crisis was ultimately resolved. It may have been the Lord of Cinder, Gwyn, who personally intervened."
"As time passed—perhaps centuries, perhaps millennia later—a group of 'Undead' who idolized Artorias accepted the wolf blood of the Old Wolf of Farron, a being somehow connected to Sif, and formed a vast army dedicated to eradicating the Abyss. They became known as the Undead Legion of Farron."
"This immortal army proved extremely effective at eliminating the Abyss. However, for reasons we do not yet understand, they disappeared for a period of time. When they reappeared, they had somehow become infected by the Abyss themselves and were forced to slaughter one another, purging their own comrades. Even now, they continue to fight within Farron Keep."
"In a sense, the fate of the Undead Legion of Farron closely mirrors that of their idol, Artorias."
"That concludes the compiled report based on all currently known information."
Inside the Adventurers' Guild, Branch Manager Sid listened quietly as his assistant finished delivering the report.
When she was done, he commented dryly, "Gina, this is clearly a tragic hero's tale. But when you tell it like this, it sounds like an official document designed to put people to sleep. Can't you read it with a bit more emotion?"
"My profession isn't bard, you know. Sorry about that," Gina replied, wearing a stiff, perfunctory smile.
"Alright, alright." Sid took the document from her and flipped through it. "We'll leave emotions to the bards. They'll love material like this. So—how's the public reacting?"
"It's been a week since Darrick Chester brought Artorias's story to light—more than enough time for it to spread through half the kingdom."
Gina pulled out another document, adjusted her glasses, and continued.
"Sales of merchandise related to 'Artorias' and the 'Undead Legion of Farron' in the commercial district have skyrocketed, briefly surpassing even the profits from gourmet-zone ingredients."
"Some bards have already composed related songs, though the quality is… questionable. Many famous bards are preparing their own works, but their release dates remain uncertain. Incidentally, my favorite bard is currently working on a piece themed around the Old Wolf of Farron."
"Count Charon has introduced policies that strongly support the development of Sein Dungeon cultural merchandise. He appears intent on moving away from his family's traditional reliance on blood healing potions as their sole pillar industry."
"Among City's recent products, 'Little Pot's Handwoven Flower Wreaths' are the top sellers, followed by Little Pot figurines. I have a friend working there—apparently they're planning to release busts of the Undead Legion of Farron, but the detailing is extremely complex and production costs are difficult to control."
"Oh, and my birthday's coming up soon. If we're talking about gifts, I'd really like a one-to-one scale, pure-silver Artorias statue made by an elder." Her tone was filled with pointed hints.
Sid glanced at her, expression completely flat.
"Off topic."
"…Sorry."
"Compared to before, the number of adventurers entering Dungeon each day has increased significantly. However, the hype was quickly dampened by the difficulty of the Endless Cycle and the pitifully low drop rate of the 'Wolf Knight' painting fragments. Overall, foot traffic has risen only slightly."
"It's said that events related to Artorias can also be encountered within the Endless Cycle, so the proportion of people entering Dungeon specifically for that purpose has reached nearly a quarter of the total—a considerable increase. However, the number of new events is decreasing and appears close to being fully explored."
"Farron Keep remains the first choice for novice adventurers, and this story has only further solidified its position."
"There is, however, one issue. Many people now enter Farron Keep solely to observe the Undead Legion, with no intention of fighting them at all. Recently, a group of 'tour guides' has appeared in City—pay them, and they'll escort customers to the entrance of Farron Keep for sightseeing."
"Who has that much free time?" Sid couldn't help raising his head. Anyone capable of reliably reaching Farron Keep's entrance should, at the very least, be Silver-ranked.
"It's people from the Luluwo Group. They've partnered with adventurers who specialize in reconnaissance—one side provides route maps, the other acts as guides," Gina explained.
"That explains it."
Sid shook his head. He remembered how Luluwo and her group had recently risen to prominence, rapidly accumulating both fame and wealth through their foolproof strategy guides.
Perhaps they had earned too much money and grown dazzled by luxury. Recently, they no longer explored the front lines, instead focusing entirely on beginner-friendly routes.
It was said they were planning an event called Running from Firelink Shrine to Farron Keep, with the fastest participant declared the winner.
They had solicited names for the event from the public, and in the end adopted a suggestion from an anonymous item shop owner, officially naming the "race":
Speedrun!
In Sid's view, this kind of activity wasn't entirely useless—but it could also be considered a waste of life. He wasn't optimistic about its long-term prospects.
After all, Dungeon was alive.
Its maps were not fixed. While the general routes rarely changed, subtle details shifted constantly.
And those subtle changes were often the deadliest.
Wasn't speedrunning all about details?
Even if those guides obtained the Luluwo Group's routes, they would likely need updating within days. Judging by the group's mindset, however, they probably believed such changes only added to the challenge.
That said, Luluwo's group did possess considerable potential. Sid quietly added them to his observation list.
"What about reactions outside City?" he asked.
"The outside world places greater emphasis on practicality. The legends of the Wolf Knight and the Undead Legion have attracted historians from the Royal Academy for investigation. Their team should arrive in City soon—do we need to make arrangements?"
"No need. Scholars are like professors from the Mage Academy—leave them alone and they'll thrive just fine."
Gina nodded and flipped to the next page.
"Currently, Sein's greatest recognition still comes from its ingredients. Produce from the Gourmet Zone has successfully circulated throughout the kingdom. Although prices outside City are high and only the wealthy can afford them, it has made ordinary people aware of Sein's existence. A new wave of people is expected to arrive soon to participate in harvesting."
"Weapons that come with attached combat techniques are extremely popular on the market. Buyers include not only adventurers, but also wealthy merchants. However, due to their scarcity, even the most basic technique weapons are extraordinarily expensive."
"Additionally, the drop rate of pages that can instantly teach magic to those completely ignorant of it appears to have increased. Two entered the market just last week. I believe their potential rivals that of technique weapons—if acquisition difficulty continues to drop, Sein will experience another surge of traffic."
Gina delivered the information smoothly, quickly outlining the current situation.
"Oh, there's one more thing," she added. "The vice president of the Life Potion Union sent over a projection stone. He's hoping to contact you."
"The Life Potion Union?" Sid wasn't unfamiliar with the name—it was an organization of merchants producing healing potions. "What do they want with me?"
Gina paused briefly. "There are signs that the entire life potion market of the Yanor Kingdom is on the verge of collapse."
"That has nothing to do with me—ah, I see." Sid blinked. "It's related to Sein Dungeon?"
"The output of [Life]-series ingredients from the Gourmet Zone has increased dramatically. Materials like Life Durian and Life Salmon have shown astonishing effects when used to create life potions. A potion made from a single durian can achieve a full heal."
"Even diluted, low-tier products outperform traditional potions at the same price point. Under normal circumstances, people are no longer willing to purchase conventional potions."
No wonder the Life Potion Union was panicking.
"Bring me the projection stone," Sid said with a smile. "Let's hear what he has to say. Dungeon really does bring unexpected surprises."
"Well…" Gina hesitated. "The Detox Potion Union, the House of Combat Arts, the Yanor Culinary King Alliance, and several other organizations also wish to contact you."
"…Huh?"
Even Sid was stunned this time.
"Don't tell me they're all after the dungeon?"
Gina nodded. The answer spoke for itself.
Before Sid went off to deal with that looming chaos, she delivered the final item of the day.
"Darrick Chester wishes to apply for guild support. He intends to train the survivors of the Val City Incident and then—"
"Establish a new Undead Legion of Farron."
Outside Bedford City, on a quiet farm, Darrick murmured to himself.
A gentle breeze lifted the stray strands of hair on his forehead. His eyes were filled with resolve; the confusion that had once plagued him was gone.
He had remained within the Painted World for a long time, draining his mental strength to the point that he had been bedridden for an entire week afterward.
That period of rest gave him time to think—time to reflect on everything he had experienced.
In truth, when Artorias planted the sword and erected the grave marker for him, Darrick had not yet died.
He had watched helplessly as Artorias once more descended into madness, the only way to ease that suffering being to slaughter Abyssal monsters.
That figure—enshrouded in insanity, yet still steadfastly fulfilling his mission—left a profound impression on Darrick.
Even now, whenever Artorias was mentioned, Darrick's eyes inevitably filled with admiration.
That day, he told the people the story of the Wolf Knight. As expected, they were deeply shaken.
Soon after, Artorias's legend fermented rapidly, surpassing even the former Undead Legion of Farron in fame.
People were always most captivated by tragic heroes, and the flawless heroic image of the Abysswalker quickly gathered a wave of admirers.
All of this gradually cleared Darrick's mind, and at last, he found an answer to the doubt that had long plagued him.
Before him stood dozens of strangers—young and old alike.
They were survivors of the Val City Incident, though only a small fraction.
They often came to visit Darrick. But because his own attitude had previously wavered, many had eventually gone off to pursue their own paths—becoming adventurers, seeking masters, or leaving for distant lands.
The remaining dozens were unwavering in their desire to become Farron guardians.
Every day, they came to the farm, only watching from afar, never disturbing him.
Today, Darrick finally gave them a clear answer.
There were no cheers—those would be saved for the day they truly slew the demon race.
But excitement was already evident on their faces.
"With my strength alone, I can't take care of so many people. I need help."
"The guild is one option. And beyond the guild…"
A short while later, Darrick arrived at the bell tower.
If he could cooperate with the Luluwo Group and obtain Farron Keep's speedrun routes, the time required to train these survivors would be drastically reduced.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
He knocked on the door—only to find it ajar.
"Is anyone here?"
He seemed to hear noise coming from the upper floors, so he headed upward. The higher he climbed, the clearer the sounds became.
Wait—why did it sound like someone was shouting? Crying?
Darrick cautiously peeked his head out—
—and saw a scene that caused his brain to completely freeze.
"Waaahhh—!"
The leader of the Luluwo Group—hailed as the number-one speedrunner, the Black Bat of Eternal Night, lifelong nemesis of Father Gascoigne, and sworn enemy of the Warrior Jar—
Luluwo herself—
Was currently clinging to a man's leg and crying her heart out, while Belto and the others desperately tried—and failed—to pull her away.
As for the man whose leg she was hugging, everyone knew him well.
"What exactly are you trying to do…?"
Leon rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Behind him, Maru, Drew, and the others stood with their arms folded, watching the spectacle with expressions of pure amusement.
Wow.
What a diplomatic summit of six nations.
Darrick hesitated, unsure whether he should step out at all.
His timing was… spectacularly bad.
Should I come back later?
Or maybe make a bigger move tonight…?