Fat Brother Street

All living things instinctively seek "comfort," especially intelligent beings.

A living example is Sithran.

"Yahaha, you can't hit me, you can't hit me,"

Facing the pincer attack of two plump, overweight big brothers, she, wielding a greatshield, showed no fear. Victory could be achieved with just a stab, stab, stab!

If she used a bow and arrow, she would need to observe the monster's weaknesses, consider using different elemental arrows for the best effect, and maintain high concentration at all times, unable to let monsters get close. After all, she could barely defend herself while drawing the bow.

If she used a mace, she would have to fight monsters at close range in Blighttown, an area significantly more dangerous than the swamp region, dancing on the edge of a blade. A single misstep could lead to total defeat.

However, Shield Stab could solve all problems.

A greatshield, a spear—how could such a perfect combination exist in the world?

No need for excessive thought, just pay attention to your stamina and the enemy's grab attacks, and occasionally dodge magic that can pierce shields. The Shield Stab playstyle is perfect for Adventurers who are too lazy to use their brains!

Even Sithran, who had a certain understanding of combat, fell in love with Shield Stab after trying it once.

The sense of security a greatshield provided was irreplaceable by anything else!

She had found her comfort zone in Shield Stab and had no desire to leave it. This trip into the dungeon today was truly fruitful. Not only did she learn Shield Stab from Gong Qiying, but she also mapped out the swamp and Blighttown regions from this apparent dungeon exploration expert.

She was absolutely crushing it.

Gong Qiying observed Sithran from behind. She was indeed skilled, having mastered the usage of Shield Stab shortly after picking it up and applying it perfectly in actual combat.

He watched with great satisfaction, lamenting that playing Souls-like games really required finding a "wheelchair" to rely on.

He was cultivating Sithran simply because he found her pleasant to look at, and Gong Qiying desperately wanted someone to talk to. He had to choose a suitable candidate among the Adventurers in the dungeon, so:

Option A: A madman who dual-wielded axes and only knew the thrill of combat.

Option B: Verde, who kept dying and reviving in the dungeon.

Option C: An Adventurer with a stable party who explored cautiously.

Option D: A lone, seemingly easily deceived elven beauty.

Anyone with half a brain would choose D!

There was another reason: no one had yet cleared Sain Underground City.

The anomaly in Sain Underground City had not yet attracted widespread external attention. Those who could come here couldn't clear it, and who among the experts who could clear it would bother coming here specifically? There had to be a reward worth their trip.

Gong Qiying believed he had prepared a grand prize for whoever cleared the dungeon, a reward that would make people's eyes water. Once the news spread, it would definitely attract experts.

But the problem was that no one could get the reward. The news couldn't spread at all.

Only by attracting more people and gaining more mental energy could he create better and more excellent dungeons. He needed to achieve a virtuous cycle of mental energy.

"Um, Mr. Maleda,"

Sithran subconsciously used a respectful tone, indicating that she truly acknowledged and admired Gong Qiying.

"What is it?" Gong Qiying followed the direction of her finger and chuckled.

"Can Shield Stab handle the situation up ahead?"

She was pointing to the only relatively wide road in Blighttown. Dilapidated houses lined both sides. Passing through this street would lead to the path to the middle layer.

However, the houses were filled with big brothers.

[Giant Ghoul] [Mental Energy Required Per Unit: 80] [Health: D, Strength: D+, Intelligence: F, Stamina: D, Speed: D-, Overall Combat Power: D]

Giant Ghouls, originating from the Blighttown in Dark Souls I, are bloated, massive ghouls that are more durable and stronger than ordinary ghouls, and are not easily staggered.

They were sure to give Adventurers an authentic Blighttown experience.

"If you don't want to fight, you can try to run straight through,"

Gong Qiying suggested, "Look at them, they're so fat, they definitely won't be able to catch you. Just parkour your way through."

"I have a feeling something will go wrong."

Sithran felt this method was unreliable. What if these ghouls only looked fat but were actually agile?

If she were caught, she would likely be chopped into mincemeat by these nearly ten Giant Ghouls.

What's more—

She took out her binoculars and carefully examined the houses on both sides.

As expected, monsters were hidden on the rooftops!

They were small, goblin-like creatures wearing ragged headcloths. They lay on the rooftops, almost invisible if one didn't look closely!

If she had boldly run through, she would have been blocked by monsters jumping from above, and then caught by the big brothers.

"Oh, you actually noticed," Gong Qiying said, clapping his hands. "Good observation skills."

"Hmph, it's all experience."

Although she was reluctant to admit it, the reason she thought to check the rooftops was the sheer number of ambushes she had suffered in the swamp region. It had made her paranoid, and now she felt compelled to cautiously probe anything that looked like it could hide something.

You could say she was already an intermediate player of the Soul series.

"Think about what you have that's useful, like weapons and equipment you picked up in the dungeon," Gong Qiying hinted.

"Useful for what?"

Sithran thought for a moment, then took out a strangely shaped grappling hook and put it on her hand.

This was a weapon that came with the Hound's Step Battle Skill!

I'll use a bow and arrow to lure a monster and try it out, she thought. She shot a lone Giant Ghoul, luring it over.

The Giant Ghoul raised its great club to smash down, but Sithran activated Hound's Step just in time. The next second, the club hit nothing but air.

She instantly appeared a few steps away, still looking bewildered.

This Battle Skill is pretty strong!

Sithran's eyes lit up, and she immediately started playing tag with the Giant Ghoul, like a hawk catching chicks. She only finished off the ghoul after she had completely mastered Hound's Step.

"With this Battle Skill, I can just parkour my way through,"

Confidence surged through her. She looked back at Gong Qiying and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Gong Qiying took out an identical grappling hook and said, "I have one too."

"You don't mean you've already collected all the rewards in the dungeon, do you?" Sithran felt it wouldn't be outrageous if Gong Qiying now said he had already cleared the dungeon.

"No, no, there's still quite a bit left,"

Gong Qiying equipped the grappling hook and said, "We'll encounter an elite monster after crossing this street, so be ready for a fight."

"Of course."

Sithran stroked her greatshield as if caressing a long-lost friend.