Our Family Has Fallen into Decline

"Tick-tock"

The sound of dripping water foreshadows the division between two worlds.

Lu Lu Wo's view suddenly changed. She saw a forest under the setting sun, with a path running through it and a wrecked carriage by the roadside.

It was the first time she had ever seen this road, but its name inexplicably appeared in her mind; the road seemed to be called...

"Old Road?"

Just as she was wondering, a memory that shouldn't exist suddenly appeared in her mind.

Her eyes shimmered with a dark pink light; any magician present would recognize it as a high-quality Hypnosis Magic.

Don't associate it with anything sordid. The greatest effect of Hypnosis Magic is to cleanse the mind and alter one's perception.

When combined with the rules of the Zane Dungeon, the Brain Control effect can be even more brilliant, more powerful than that of a certain sports student who is super good at using black magic.

"Our family has fallen on hard times."

Lu Lu Wo muttered to herself, turning around to look behind her. Bei Er Tuo, Mi La, Ai Si Ai Mu were all there, but their expressions were blank.

"By the way, I was going to inherit the family business with everyone, but the carriage broke down."

"Then we'll have to walk there, but luckily the distance isn't too far."

"My ancestors were truly great, leaving me with enough wealth to live comfortably, so I can now live a life of luxury."

A voice in her mind said this, and she believed it to be true. She walked with her head held high toward the town where her family's estate was located, her every move resembling that of a true nobleman.

The letter from my ancestor said he had countless assets in the town, including a large estate, which was very exciting to think about.

She wanted to fill the manor with flowers, hire magicians to make them bloom profusely all year round, and mobilize farmers to cultivate the land and plant more crops so that they would never have to worry about food and drink.

It is said that the town is located by the sea, so she can go fishing in her spare time, get along with the townspeople, and become a lord who loves her people like her own children.

Once she has amassed a great fortune and prestige, she will rename the town; its current name is too inelegant, especially if she were to choose a new one.

How about we call it Star Dew Valley?

Bro thought she was playing a simulation Yugi, but unfortunately—

What is Darkest Dungeon?

Not long after, when Lu Lu Wo and her companions finally moved into the manor, they heard a report from the butler.

"What do you mean by evil lurking beneath the town's surface, and monsters from the surrounding area converging on my territory?"

When she and her companions first witnessed the deformed Fishman crawling out of the sea, her mind was trembling.

I came here to manage the manor, so why do I have to fight monsters?

When she came to her senses, she found herself in the dungeon with her companions and the recruited Warrior, engaged in a fierce battle with various twisted monsters.

What the hell is going on here?

These monsters are not only disgusting in appearance, but they also have an extremely strong mental pollution effect. If you are not careful, you may hear or see indescribable things.

The torch must be kept lit at all times; if it goes out, all sorts of strange things will happen.

She witnessed Bei Er Tuo's suicide due to depression caused by spending too much time in the dark.

She saw Mi La develop a strange habit during her battle with the monster; she not only self-harmed but also refused the Priest's treatment, eventually bleeding to death.

She saw that Aisi had developed a strange habit of needing to find women to release stress, but soon after she developed another strange habit called "Heavy Taste," was rejected by all women, and finally collapsed under the pressure, becoming a useless person.

She had only been in this small town for a few days when her companions either died or became disabled, leaving her all alone.

What the hell is going on now?

A sixth sense told her that something was wrong. Why weren't people resurrected after they died? We clearly had teleportation water with us—

A flash of pink light appeared in her eyes, and she suddenly muttered to herself, "What is Teleportation Crystal? This is such an unfamiliar term."

The dead cannot be brought back to life; that is the truth, isn't it?

The monsters in the dungeon are beyond human imagination: moving skeletons, deformed flesh, madmen who worship evil gods, and all sorts of strange things.

I can't think about it; it'll drive me crazy.

She always manages to escape danger during her dungeon explorations, even when all her teammates are wiped out, she manages to escape alone.

Lu Lu Wo's surname is "Chris," which the fortune teller says is a lucky surname, perhaps truly a blessing from her ancestors.

She alone could not possibly contend with the dark monsters in the dungeon, but fortunately, every day, all kinds of Warrior arrived in the town in carriages to become new line-filling babies.

Her Warrior are inexhaustible!

Sometimes Lu Lu Wo wondered what was so good about her dilapidated town, which was also home to monsters, and why so many people were rushing to come here.

But the result is often just a flash of pink light in her eyes, and then she happily goes off to raid the dungeon.

She didn't know how much time had passed; in her senses, it had been a very, very long time, so long that she had become accustomed to the filth and stench of the town.

I felt like my spirit was almost becoming one with this gloomy little town.

She felt she had developed a strange disorder; every dead Warrior would appear in her mind, and each conversation with them would remind her of how the Warrior died. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Even so, under her leadership, a strong and powerful team gradually took shape.

There are bandits who have reformed, knights who believe in the Holy Light, swordsmen suffering from leprosy, and all sorts of strange people.

Today's exploration was just a routine task, but the moment she entered the dungeon, she suddenly felt a chill, as if this exploration was destined to be extraordinary.

They prepared ample torches, medicines, and food, and wore ancient ornaments. Illuminated by the firelight, the darkness had nowhere to hide, and they were invincible.

Lu Lu Wo was taking stock of the supplies in her backpack. She had a feeling that things were going missing inexplicably lately, and she already had a suspect in mind: that guy named Lei Na De.

I must confront him when I get back this time!

However, the exploration did not go smoothly. The torches were quickly consumed, the Warrior, who were already low on health, were under pressure, and the monsters in the darkness were growing stronger.

Are we going to be wiped out again?

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly saw something that could probably be called an altar in front of her on the road.

The ""Limping One" Altar

The sacrifice of fire is the beginning of destruction! If you crave the power of the void, offer up a torch!

The altar shimmered with a scarlet color, looking rather eerie and ominous; any normal person would know that it should not be touched casually.

But

Lu Lu Wo glanced at the Warrior behind her, who had become old, weak, sick, and disabled, and decided to take a gamble.

What if we could gain power? Perhaps that would solve our predicament!

This can probably be considered a shortcut!

There were fewer than a handful of torches left in the procession. She offered one of them to the altar, silently praying for a miracle.

A terrifying figure darted out of the darkness!

Behold, the endless dread and evil among the stars!

"Ugh!"

It was another twisted monster, its dark purple body covered with thorny tentacles and emitting a foul stench. Its body structure made it more suited to crawling.

"The Limping One," that's the monster's name.

When it appeared, the pressure on everyone increased dramatically. Lu Lu Wo made the wrong choice once again, and her companions would pay the price.

Huh, why did you say "again"?

Perhaps the Hypnosis Magic was gradually losing its effectiveness, or perhaps her nearly depleted Spirit Power suddenly surged, and she began to recall some things.

The Limping One summoned its tokens and pounced on her, but she was still lost in the echoes.

Am I not exploring the Zane Dungeon with my companions?

Why would we be fighting in Darkest Dungeon here?

The moment she realized the problem, the world in front of her shattered like a mirror!

This is the perfect moment to start the Dragoon's opening sequence!

An endless wave of drowsiness washed over her, and her Spirit Power instantly dwindled, hovering near the danger line.

Lu Lu Wo is currently located on the path behind the Death Knight BOSS room.

Where is the Old Road? Where is the town? Where is the dungeon? Could it all have been an illusion?

She quickly looked behind her and saw Bei Er Tuo and the others standing there in a daze, as if they were in a hallucination.

Each person entered their own separate illusion.

"Wake up! This is a trap!"

Lu Lu Wo was about to go up and shake everyone when she heard an indescribable sound from behind her.

"No way!"

She turned her head in disbelief and saw a huge figure slowly crawling towards her at the end of the road.

He's Limping One!

Upon witnessing the monster, Lu Lu Wo felt a moment of disorientation, muttering to herself, "Wasn't what I just saw an illusion?"

Her experience of living in the small town may have been an illusion, but the Limping One was a real entity!

The rules of this Hidden paths:

If you simply hold your torch, nothing will happen; this path is a shortcut to the Death Rite Bird.

However, if they do not heed the advice and do not light a torch or use other means to make a fire, those who are not illuminated by the firelight will be sent to a real illusion to experience a story similar to "Darkest Dungeon".

The hints are so obvious, surely no one will actually ignore them?

Gong Qiying planned to implement something similar on one of the floors of the Val Dungeon, but he was unsure how to design it, so he decided to use an illusion to see how the adventurers would react.

What will be implemented will be the gameplay, not a direct copy of the plot. The isekai (another world) concept has its own considerations.

Those trapped in the illusion will have their Spirit Power continuously drained until it is almost depleted, at which point they will encounter the Limping One Altar.

Whether they are sacrificed or ignored, they will all return to reality afterward. But if a torch is sacrificed...

In the real world, a Limping One will actually appear.

This is a complete trap, offering absolutely no benefit, only the malice of the designer.

"Luckily, there was only one."

Although she has a terrible headache, Lu Lu Wo is still determined to fight; adventurers can't just desert their posts.

The Limping One roared, and chains emerged from beneath Lu Lu Wo's cloak; a battle was about to erupt.

"Well!"

Another roar followed, and to Lu Lu Wo's astonishment, a second Limping One appeared out of thin air.

Two

Two is fine, I can still take them down!

Then came the third, the fourth, and the fifth.

Five Limping One surrounded Lu Lu Wo, emitting strange howls.

This means that everyone in the New Strategy Team has chosen to offer their torch!

". hehe."

Lu Lu Wo chuckled twice, revealing a broken smile.

Why are we so impulsive?

The mechanics of the graveyard area are quite complex, so let's take a look at the Darkest Dungeon for now, and we'll write more about it when we get to the Vaal area.

I always felt that the Darkest Dungeon could be stitched together with the Deep Sea Era.