Invisible Bridge, Meet Again

Looking at the trembling survivors, you make a decision.

Option 1: Let them rest in peace.

Option Two: Leave behind enough items to protect them.

Option 3: Leave immediately

Without much thought, Da Er chose option two based on his moral compass, leaving behind the items necessary to protect the survivors.

[You chose to keep the Silver Necklace. This Divine Artifact, bestowed by Lord Gwyn, can repel all the corruption of the abyss and make the darkness of the abyss retreat. It will surely protect the surviving people.]

Wait, Gwyn!?

Upon seeing this prestigious name, Da Er suddenly realized just how valuable the Silver Necklace he had left behind truly was.

Who exactly is this knight, that he could receive Divine Artifact bestowed by the Sunlight King?

From God's perspective, everyone could guess the knight's identity, but from Da Er's own point of view, the lack of many key pieces of information prevented him from associating the Wolf Knight with him.

He doesn't even know that the ability to walk in the abyss is a unique ability that someone gained after making a pact with a monster in the abyss.

A pang of regret suddenly arose in Da Er's heart. Just from the description of the Silver Necklace, he knew that it was a powerful weapon against the abyss. Without it, the process of fighting the abyss would become extremely dangerous.

He's the type who can immerse himself completely in a story just by reading a description, and he's already thinking about what to do next.

You've made what you believe is the best choice, and you won't regret it no matter what the consequences may be.

[You and your companions venture deep into this kingdom corrupted by the abyss, Execute countless monsters, resolutely advancing towards the darkness where the Abyss Lord resides.]

However, without the protection of the Silver Necklace, the attacks of the abyss monsters taint you with darkness, gradually corrupting you.

[Blessed: Abyss Infection]

The darkness of the abyss corrodes you; though the dose is small, it can still take your life and affect your mental state. Each time you jump through time, the infection intensifies.

[Blessed: Survivor's Praise]

The rescued survivors will forever remember your heroic act; they will pray for you, and these kind blessings may have unexpected positive effects.

Before the event ended, he saw "himself" fighting alien monsters in the darkness. The monsters' spells hit his body, gradually deepening the infection of the abyss, but "himself" never stopped because of the injury, wielding the Greatsword to cut down all the aliens.

The scene shifts to the survivors sitting around the Silver Necklace. Bathed in its light, they clasp their hands together and bow their heads in prayer for the knight.

Beyond the light, a surging abyss looms menacingly, seemingly foreshadowing the final fate of the survivors.

Having withdrawn from the incident, Da Er still felt somewhat dazed.

What does the ending mean? Did the survivors ultimately succumb to the fate of being swallowed by the abyss?

His mood dipped slightly.

I always felt that all I witnessed in the Zane Dungeon were sad stories.

Whether it's the linking of the flame, the Farron Undead Legion, or now the Knights and the Survivors, everyone's future seems hopeless.

The flame continues through the acts of those who sacrifice themselves, but what if no one is willing to pass it on in the future? Even now, those who study Saen do not understand the current state of the flame in this world.

The Farron Undead Legion was also corrupted in their battle against the Abyss, with members going mad one by one. In the end, the Undead Legion fell into endless infighting, leaving only one member to wait alone for the end.

The survivors may be able to stay safe for a while thanks to the Silver Necklace, but they have no power to leave the kingdom corrupted by the abyss. They can only eke out a living here, and their fate is also one of despair.

Damn it, can't the Zane Dungeon be filled with a story of love and light?

The more Dahl pondered these stories, the more Da Er felt that the ancient times were bleak, which made him depressed.

"There is still hope. The knight has gone to challenge the Abyss Lord. If he can defeat him, he will definitely be able to defeat the enemy, and then the survivors can all be saved."

After hearing Da Er's account of the events, Leon said the following.

Da Er looked up at the other person's expression and assumed it was an attempt to comfort him.

But Leon's expression was full of righteous indignation, a truly great face, brimming with trust in the knight and the belief that justice would surely triumph over evil. In other words, he genuinely believed that the knight would be victorious.

Da Er's mouth moved, but he didn't say anything in the end. He thought to himself, "Why is his fighting style so... uh, so cautious, when he has such a bright personality?"

He always felt that Leon was full of contrasts; his thoughts were righteous, but his fighting style was evil, yet upon closer inspection, he was not repulsive.

On the contrary, I found it quite interesting and felt that the other person was a good person with whom I could get to know better.

He can get along with others, but he has no intention of learning that kind of fighting style!

Absolutely not!

Compared to Da Er, Leon's situation was much simpler. He encountered a magician who asked him if he wanted to spend his soul to learn magic.

Souls obtained from entering Roguelike levels are counted separately from souls obtained elsewhere in the Zane Dungeon; the former can be used as currency in certain areas.

Leon glanced at it and saw that there were only three spells he could learn:

Glintstone Pebble, Glintstone Swift Pebble, Glintstone Arc.

Price wasn't the problem; the real problem was that he didn't have a magic wand, so learning magic was useless and he didn't learn anything.

Jia Paer would be so happy if he were here; he's always wanted to learn magic.

These "shines" look so familiar. It's like the professors from the Magic Association have mentioned something similar. Maybe they'll be interested in this place.

Leon thought for a moment. He hadn't had much contact with the people from the Magic Association, and he'd heard they weren't very good-tempered. He decided to tell Delu about it and let him decide whether or not to approach the magic professors.

Although it's highly unlikely, he had seen Delu curse the professors all night long, using a variety of profanities.

After defeating Elite Monsters, the monsters' strength increases, and correspondingly, adventurers can keep up with the pace of strengthening thanks to the blessings. As long as the blessing effect isn't too bad, they can still keep up.

Leon uses the Gift: Grave Lord Greatsword Dance to clear out the remaining monsters before entering the next level to continue the battle.

The combat intensity inside the Roguelike is much higher than outside. After all, as long as you don't die, you can keep clearing levels. Even in Farron Keep, there are some rest areas where monsters occasionally won't bother you, and the monster density isn't that high.

Prolonged battles are a source of pressure for adventurers, but also an opportunity. So-called combat experience and intuition are all developed through a lot of battles; there aren't that many born geniuses.

Although the strength boost brought by the blessing will disappear after leaving the Roguelike, the feeling of reaching a higher level after being strengthened will remain in people's hearts. These feelings can perhaps be called enlightenment.

Experiencing the combat insights of a higher level in advance is a rare and precious opportunity for those who want to improve their martial arts skills.

The one who made the most progress was Da Er. The two blessings, [Abyss Infection] and [Abyss Watchers], formed a cycle. Each time he jumped through spacetime, his infection level increased while his strength also improved.

When the infection level reached halfway, he felt he could even go toe-to-toe with the Sword Saint!

This was his delusion; the Abyss Infection had made him somewhat arrogant.

The two worked together to defeat the second Elite Monsters, but this time, no Painting Fragment dropped. Perhaps the drop rate for these items is inherently low, and Leon that time was just a fluke.

"Are you alright?" Leon asked with concern as he looked at Da Er, whose body was beginning to smear with black mud.

"It's alright, I feel great right now!" Da Er had never felt so good, as if he had inexhaustible energy. The Abyss Infection had already exceeded halfway.

Leon didn't know what to say, so he opened the teleportation chest and entered the next room.

Will the next level be a battle or an event? I hope it's an event; I'd prefer to see a story.

He was thinking this, but the scene that appeared before him made his knees tremble.

This isn't one of those identical rooms, but a vast rift valley where fierce winds howl.

They were standing on the edge of a cliff, with something seemingly on the other side, but the two were about a kilometer apart!

There's nothing in between, how do we get across?

Leon misses Delu; he wishes he could Flight Spell.

The Raya Lucarian Magician have developed a technology called the Invisible Bridge and have invited you to serve as testers.

The further you travel on the Invisible Bridge, the greater the reward from the magician.

However, please note that the traps on the bridge are also invisible.

"Invisible Bridge?"

He remembered seeing reports of Invisible Bridge in the Adventurers' Guild's reports, and that many people had encountered such traps in the lower Mine Area of the former Zane Dungeon, but he had never experienced one himself.

"Whoosh~"

A fierce wind swept through the dark clouds, making it feel like you would be blown over just by standing there. Leon glanced down and saw that the ravine was bottomless; if he fell in, he would be covered in bruises.

So the question is, where should he start finding the beginning of the Invisible Bridge?

It seemed there was no need to search, because a glowing pebble was lying in mid-air, as if giving them a hint.

"There's something here," Da Er, finding a full bag on the ground filled with Rainbow Stone, which could be used to mark the way.

"Then... shall we go?" Leon's lips were a little dry, and to his shame, he suddenly felt a bit afraid of heights.

He probably caught it from Malu.

The two tossed a Rainbow Stone forward as a test, and the stone came to a steady stop in mid-air.

Leon, disregarding his image, knelt on the ground and groped in the air to see how wide the Invisible Bridge was. He finally determined that it was two meters wide.

It's pretty good, much more spacious than I imagined, you could even dance in it.

If you keep throwing Rainbow Stone to test the way while moving forward, as long as you are careful, you won't make any mistakes, and it's only a matter of time before you get all the rewards by crossing the Invisible Bridge.

Leon moved forward step by step, looking extremely cautious, which was definitely not because he was cowardly.

After walking for a while, he suddenly remembered a question:

Where is the trap? Where is the legendary trap?

He wouldn't worry about traps in other dungeons, but this is the Zane Dungeon, not a place where one can relax.

"I think I've spotted a trap,"

Da Er suddenly pointed forward, and Leon looked in the direction he was pointing, completely speechless.

Less than fifty meters away from them, several small, slender monsters wearing pointed hoods were hanging in mid-air, looking like the kind that lurk by the bridge to ambush passersby.

This is so abrupt.

"Why don't monsters become invisible?" Leon complained. "That's so stupid."

"One person on one side,"

Da Er had already gone over with his sword, and the monsters seemed not to notice him until he was standing right in front of them. Only then did the monsters slowly climb up, supporting themselves on their thin arms.

Da Er kicked one of them down, seemingly enjoying the sensation.

Leon sighed, feeling that this trap was subpar and utterly uninteresting.

The developers of the Zane Dungeon have run out of ideas.

He also joined the group that kicked monsters, and to be honest, it was actually quite satisfying.

One by one, the monsters fell off the cliff and were kicked away in the blink of an eye, leaving the two of them still somewhat unsatisfied.

This is purely a bonus level.

Leon wiped his sweat off and was about to continue forward when he suddenly heard a strange sound.

"Ghrū"

It looked like something heavy was rolling towards us rapidly.

That thing was very large and round; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to roll out with such a sense of oppression.

Could it be that—

A giant iron ball!?

Leon's expression immediately turned horrified, as if he had heard something amiss earlier, but they hadn't noticed because they were engrossed in kicking the monster.

Now that I've calmed down and thought about it, I've realized something.

Those monsters are bait!