Success

At the same time.

Just as Lu Xiu finished speaking, turned and left the altar, continuing to advance deeper into the dungeon.

The other players in this instance did not experience any so-called spiritual salvation.

What they could feel at this moment was still the purest, most undisguised malice of the instance, the malice that was driving them mad.

Cheng Xiu's progress has finally made significant strides.

After being tormented by rolling stones, cold arrows, and swinging axes in the Sen's Fortress, he finally managed to reach the top of the ancient city with the help of the existing Strategy Group and a bit of perseverance, and successfully killed the Iron Golem looked scary but was actually clumsy.

When the pale Demon led him to Anor Londo, and he saw the magnificent golden Anor Londo before him, Cheng Xiu, just like Gallagher before him, had a renewed glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"After suffering comes happiness! I knew Lu Xiu still had some humanity left! Finally, I don't have to suffer anymore!"

Cheng Xiu was so excited he almost jumped up.

But soon...

Like Gallagher, he experienced what it meant to be worse than dead.

Then, at the Ornstein and Smough, I was also knocked into a hallucination, and I saw too many healers.

again.

When we arrived once again before that enormous, greyish-white fog gate.

Cheng Xiu has almost become one with the character he's playing, turning into a soulless walking corpse.

"Go in—the sooner you die, the sooner you're reborn—it's all for the sake of the strategy!"

He numbly reached out his hand and walked through the enormous fog gate he had entered countless times, taking heavy and numb steps into the magnificent Anor Londo hall.

Boom!

The familiar sense of oppression, the familiar formula.

With a deafening roar, the Executioner Smough, a mountain of flesh, wielded his enormous, terrifying warhammer and crushed down!

Behind his massive body, Dragon Slayer Ornstein transformed into a golden bolt of lightning, gliding around to a blind spot, his Dragonslayer Spear crackling with blinding lightning, Power Accumulation to strike.

Cheng Xiu skillfully dodged the heavy hammer with a perfect somersault.

Bang!

Smough slammed his warhammer down on the floor where he had just been standing, sending shards of stone flying.

Just as Cheng Xiu rolled to his feet, Ornstein, under the cover of Smough's massive body, launched a sneak attack, his Thunder Thrust striking just as Cheng Xiu's invincibility frames were about to end.

When!

Cheng Xiu immediately raised his shield, and was pushed back several meters, creating distance between them.

He died so many times.

As a member of the Strategy Group, he wasn't just taking the hits; he also became familiar with these two BSSs.

Even so, Cheng Xiu still felt there was no hope of passing the level.

Because this is not just an exhausting 1v2 war of attrition.

What truly drove him to despair was the utterly disgusting second-phase enhancement mechanism of this boss battle!

After going through countless hardships, they finally managed to wear one of them down.

The other surviving boss will absorb the souls of its companions right in front of the player.

Not only does its health bar instantly refill and its size increase, but it also inherits some of the deceased's characteristics, evolving directly into a super Frankenstein's monster whose every move is deadly!

"Just making it to the second stage will be tough enough."

As Cheng Xiu struggled to escape the attack from both sides, he thought despairingly to himself.

To clear the level, you must quickly eliminate one of the BSS units while under siege.

Then you have to defeat the enhanced version of the BOSS in a one-on-one fight.

That's outrageous!

Just thinking about it is enough to make one despair.

However, in a state of mental imbalance.

If you keep it for a long time, you will lose it.

Bang!

Just as Cheng Xiu rolled to the left to avoid Ornstein's sweeping attack, a huge shadow loomed over him.

Smough's massive body completely blocked his landing point, and the giant hammer, carrying wind pressure, smashed down head-on!

"My energy bar is empty—I can't move—I'll just leave it."

Cheng Xiu even gave up the action of raising his shield, peacefully closed his eyes, and prepared to face the familiar excruciating pain, and to see his great-grandmother again.

However.

At this critical moment...

Cheng Xiu was already prepared to close his eyes and wait for death!

Buzz!!!

There are no prerequisites or casting time.

Just as Cheng Xiu was about to see his great-grandmother, a dazzling golden pillar of light, seemingly capable of melting the illusory Anor Londo, rose up in front of him without warning!

Clang!!!

Immediately afterwards.

A terrifying clang of metal clashing, so loud it seemed to shake the dome of the hall, exploded out!

Cheng Xiu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes, his eyeballs almost popping out.

It was less than half a meter in front of him.

A tall knight in armor, with a sun emblem painted on his chest, appeared out of nowhere and managed to block Smough's devastating attack with a round shield that wasn't particularly thick!

The knight's boots left two deep white marks on the marble floor, but his arm holding the shield remained as steady as a mountain!

"Holy shit?" Cheng Xiu was completely dumbfounded.

Etc?!

What's going on?!

Why did an NPC suddenly appear here?!

in addition.

Isn't that the Knight of the Sun?!

Why did this happen?

He did know about the summoning mechanic; someone in the Strategy Group had already tried it on the gargoyles.

However, if you want NPCs to help you in battle, you must find a summoning rune outside the BOSS room and touch the rune before you can enter together!

What kind of NPC can ignore the fog gate and forcefully enter to save the day halfway through a boss battle?!

The dungeon has a bug?!

Or is this—a hidden mechanism left by Lu Xiu in the dungeon?!

But it wasn't there before!

Cheng Xiu Xiu's malfunctioning brain could process what was happening, the Knight of the Sun blocking his way had already used his strength to knock Smough's giant hammer away.

He was enveloped in a warm, almost tangible golden light. He slowly turned his head and, through the thick iron mask, glanced at Cheng Xiu, who was slumped on the ground.

"If there is no sun, I am the sun, I am the torch."

Then, Solaire turned around and pointed his straight sword, which was flashing with dazzling golden lightning, at the two tall enemies in front of him.

"Stand up, my friend. You are not alone. Go and deal with that agile dragon hunter."

Solaire let out a battle cry that seemed to pierce the soul, and then resolutely charged towards the mountain of flesh, Smough.

"Holy crap?"

Looking at that back view that unhesitatingly drew away all of Smough's hatred.

Cheng Xiu froze again, sitting on the ground, stunned for a full half second.

He only snapped back to his senses when Ornstein attacked.

"To hell with seeing Grandma—I'll make sure you all see Grandma!"

Cheng Xiu's eyes instantly reddened—after being tormented by extreme malice for so long, he suddenly saw hope.

He flipped and leaped up from the cold marble floor!

The spirit, which was on the verge of collapse, was revitalized under the stimulation of dopamine and adrenaline.

Although we still don't know what happened.

But as long as it's not a perfectly flawless mixed doubles match.

As long as it's a fair and square one-on-one battle.

Cheng Xiu is the sharpest blade in the Strategy Group!

At the same time.

Not only Cheng Xiu, who was in Anor Londo, but also other players in other areas of the instance who were challenging the relevant bosses encountered this absurd scene that could be described as a miracle.

--

The summoning mechanics in the dungeon are similar to those in the original game.

First, players must not be in a zombie state. They must go to the Bonfire, consume humanity to reverse their zombie state, and become a real living person again before they can see the golden summoning symbol on the ground.

Secondly, you must find the corresponding NPC in the previous process, listen to all his dialogue, and fulfill the prerequisites.

Finally, you must manually touch the rune to summon before entering the fog gate.

However, Humanity is relatively scarce in the early stages, and many players are unaware of this. Moreover, the amount of Humanity can increase a character's various defenses and resistances, so the number of people who actually summon it is not that many.

But now.

No need to summon them anymore—the NPCs are actually helping the players on their own.

Nine Provinces Forum.

[What's going on? Has he gone mad? Or is it a bug? That Knight of the Sun named Solaire suddenly ignored the rules and forced his way in to save people!!!]

[I encountered that too! They completely ignored the fog gate! They just yelled something about torches and charged at me, and I literally burst into tears!]

[Holy crap? You encountered this too?! I was fighting the Gaping Dragon in the sewers! It was also in zombie form! I encountered it too!]

This is what it means to find light in despair!

[What's going on? Why did it suddenly turn out like this? What did Lu Xiu do? Can dungeons be hot-updated? I've never heard of that before!]

[Regardless, they really helped a lot—and Solaire is so strong!!]

[----]

The forum users were very excited.

It must be said that Solaire's sudden disregard for the rules and forceful intervention did indeed do all the pioneering players a big favor.

Those bosses who were originally stuck and unable to escape, like a wall of sighs, suddenly found a solution because of the addition of this powerful ally.

Although the overall tone of the dungeon remains dark and the suffering continues, at least the chances of clearing it have increased.

The Coordination Bureau and the Strategy Group received the report from the pioneers immediately, and were somewhat bewildered.

Yan Fushou immediately sent a message to Lu Xiu, wanting to ask her what was going on, why the dungeon had suddenly updated.

However, all communication requests went unanswered.

Because at this very moment.

Lu Xiu, the instigator of this miracle, is still in the process of completing the level.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur, and as far as the eye could see, there were dark red rifts flowing with scorching magma, and chaotic Demon whose forms were twisted and had long since lost their minds.

This is [the Lost Izalith].

A tragic city that once attempted to replicate the First Flame, but was ultimately consumed by the out-of-control chaotic flames.

Lu Xiu stepped lightly across the charred stone slabs, traversing the magnificent ruins with ease, and made her way to a dark tunnel hidden beneath the main road.

If nothing is done, the original, predetermined ending will remain.

This is the end of Knight of the Sun 'Solaire journey.

The tall, optimistic, and selfless knight who extended a helping hand to the undead will completely descend into madness in this dark tunnel, wearing a glowing Red-Eyed Sunlight Maggot on his head as the sun he has been searching for, and ultimately being killed by the player in despair and madness.

Lu Xiu stopped and looked into the depths of the tunnel.

It was very quiet inside the tunnel.

There is no Solaire.

"I didn't kill the Red-Eyed Sunlight Maggot, yet this really can change things."

Lu Xiu stared at the empty tunnel, a thoughtful expression on her face.

This Lost Izalith still filled with a deathly aura of despair, but it is free of one tragedy.

"If that's the case, will the system give a special reward?"

Lu Xiu slung her longsword over her shoulder, thought for a moment, then walked forward, gently shaking her head. "Forget it, there's no point in thinking about this now. We'll know once we clear the level. Let's just go all out and clear it for the second time today."

Just as Lu Xiu confirmed that Solaire had not been parasitized.

The first player who was truly on the verge of completing the game has finally appeared.

While the vast majority of players were still being tormented by the two basic attacks in the Anor Londo, or playing the "Boys and Girls Rush Forward" game in the Sen's Fortress,

Jian Li has arrived at the most truly hellish area of the entire instance: the Catacombs.

There is no light here.

Jian Li carried the Skull Lantern, looked around at the absolute darkness so pure that one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face, took a deep breath, and then continued forward.

This is the last King Soul that needs to be collected.

By traversing this suffocating Tomb of Giants and slaying the First of the Dead deep within, Gravelord Nito, she can gather the Lord Souls needed for all the Lordvessel.

At the same time.

Finally, players on Prison Rock have started collecting the second King's Soul.