Zane's Influence

"According to Da Er, in an even more ancient era, the country of Oolacile was struck by an abyss, and the terrifying Abyss Lord transformed all its inhabitants into monsters."

"Artorias, the Wolf Knight, along with his companion, a little wolf, voluntarily embarked on the path to conquer the abyss."

"He is highly skilled, possesses the ability to walk on the abyss, and has Silver Necklace that can deflect abyss spells and a protective Greatshield that shields him from corruption. He is the most suitable candidate."

"However, in order to protect the survivors, he gave the Silver Necklace to the survivors of Oolacile. In the subsequent battles, his injuries continued to accumulate, and Artorias was definitely not at his peak when he faced the Abyss Lord."

"The battle with the Abyss Lord ended in Artorias's defeat. His companions disappeared without a trace, and he himself, wounded and with his mind corrupted by the Abyss, guarded the arena alone, Execute monsters and preventing others from straying into Oolacile. Countless years have passed."

"We have no way of knowing the fate of this Wolf Knight, nor do we know whether the Abyss Lord still exists. None of the information we have obtained so far mentions these things."

"But considering that we are still able to live a normal life and that Oolacile has disappeared into history, perhaps the crisis in the Abyss has been resolved, possibly by the Sunlight King Gwyn himself?"

"As time passed, perhaps a hundred years, or perhaps a thousand years later, a group of 'undead' Artorias, accepted the Wolf's Blood the Old Wolf of Farron, who had some connection with Sif, and formed a huge army with the aim of destroying the Abyss. Their name was the Farron Undead Legion."

"This immortal army has always been able to annihilate the Abyss, but for some reason we don't know yet, they disappeared for a period of time. When they reappeared, they were infected by the Abyss for unknown reasons, and had to fight each other and eliminate their comrades. They are still fighting in the Farron Keep to this day."

"In some ways, the Farron Undead Legion and their idol Artorias met similar ends."

"The above is the information summarized from all the currently known intelligence."

Inside the Adventurers' Guild, Branch Guild Master Sid was quietly listening to a report from his assistant.

Finally, he commented. "Gina, it's supposed to be a rather tragic hero's story, but when you tell it, it becomes as boring as official paperwork. Couldn't you have been a little more emotional when you read it?"

"I'm sorry, but my profession isn't that of a bard," Gina said with a forced smile.

"Never mind," Sid took the document containing the information from his assistant and said while flipping through it, "Let the bards handle the emotions; they'll love this new subject matter. By the way, how's the public's reaction to these things?"

"A week has passed since Da Er Chester brought out the story of Artorias, enough time for the story to spread throughout half the kingdom."

Gina took out another document, adjusted her glasses, and said:

"Sales of merchandise related to 'Artorias' and 'Farron Undead Legion' in the commercial district skyrocketed, briefly generating profits that surpassed those of ingredients in the Gourmet Area."

"Some bards have already created related ballads, but the quality is questionable. Many famous bards are also preparing, but the release time is uncertain. By the way, my favorite bard is currently creating a ballad on the theme of the Old Wolf of Farron."

"Earl Ka Rong has introduced a policy to strongly support the development of cultural products in the Zane Dungeon. He seems to want to break away from the fact that the family's main business relies on a single Blood Therapy Potion."

"The 'Handwoven Garland by Little Pot' that the Bede Family recently launched is selling the best, followed by the Little Pot model. I have a friend who works there, and I heard that they are going to release busts of the Farron Undead Legion soon, but the busts have too many details, and the cost is hard to control."

"By the way, my birthday is coming up soon. If we're talking about gifts, I'd like to receive a life-size, pure silver Artorias statue from my elders." The assistant's tone was full of hints.

Sid glanced at her, his face expressionless.

"I've gone off-topic, sorry."

"The number of adventurers entering the Zane Dungeon daily has increased significantly compared to before. However, this enthusiasm was quickly dampened by the difficulty of the endless cycle and the pitifully low drop rate of the Painting Fragment 'Wolf Knight'. Overall, the number of people has increased slightly."

"It is said that events related to Artorias can also be encountered in the endless cycle of reincarnation, so the number of people entering the Zane Dungeon for it has reached a quarter, which is quite an increase. However, the number of new events is decreasing, and it seems that it is about to be explored."

"Farron Keep remains the top choice for novice adventurers, and this story further solidifies its position."

"Another problem is that many people enter Farron Keep just to see the Farron Undead Legion, without any intention of fighting them. Recently, a group of guides have appeared in the city, who can take their clients to Farron Keep for a quick look if they pay them."

"Who's so free?" Sid couldn't help but raise his head. To be able to consistently reach the entrance of the Farron Keep, their strength should at least be at the Silver Rank.

"It's the New Strategy Team. They've partnered with some adventurers who are skilled in reconnaissance. One side provides the route maps, and the other provides the guides," Gina said.

"Then it's not surprising."

Sid shook his head. He remembered that Lu Lu Wo and her group had recently risen to prominence, rapidly accumulating fame and fortune with their foolproof strategies.

Perhaps they've made too much money, as the members of the New Strategy Team have become blinded by the allure of the world and have stopped exploring the front lines lately, spending their days researching beginner-friendly walkthroughs.

They are said to be planning an event called "Run from the Firelink Shrine to Farron Keep," and whoever completes it in the shortest time will win.

The New Strategy Team initially solicited names for the event from the public, and ultimately adopted the suggestion of an unnamed prop shop owner to call this nationwide "race"—

Speedrun!

From Sid perspective, such activities, while not entirely useless, were a waste of life, and he held little hope for the future of this emerging activity.

After all, the Zane Dungeon is "alive," and its map is not static. Although the general route will not change, the details are always changing.

These subtle changes are the most fatal; isn't speedrunning all about the details?

Even if those tour guides get the speedrun routes from the New Strategy Team, they'll probably have to update them within a few days. But judging from the New Strategy Team's thought process, they probably believe that change is what creates the motivation for challenge.

To be fair, Lu Lu Wo and her group have quite a lot of potential. Sid decided to put them on its watch list.

"What about the reaction outside of Bede City?" he asked.

"The outside world is more focused on practicality. The legend of the Wolf Knight and the Undead Legion has attracted historians from the Royal Academy to investigate. I heard that their team will arrive in Bede City soon. Should we take care of them?"

"No need. These scholars, like the professors at the magic academy, will flourish even if left unattended."

Gina nodded and turned to the next page.

"Currently, the most well-known thing about Sain is its ingredients. The ingredients produced in the Gourmet Area have been successfully distributed throughout the kingdom. Although they are expensive outside and only the rich can afford them, they have made ordinary people aware of the existence of this place. It is expected that a new batch of people will come to Sain soon to join the mining in the Gourmet Area."

"Weapons with added Weapon Skill are very popular on the market. Besides adventurers, wealthy merchants are also the main buyers. However, due to their scarcity, even the most basic Weapon Skill weapons are very expensive."

"In addition, the drop rate of pages that can instantly teach magic to someone who knows nothing about magic seems to have increased. Two of them actually appeared on the market last week. I think their potential is no less than that of Weapon Skill weapons. If the difficulty of obtaining them can be reduced, Saine will see a new wave of people coming to visit."

Gina knew all about these things and quickly explained the current situation clearly.

"Oh, and there's one more thing I need to tell you," she said. "The vice Guild Master of the Life Potion Association has sent Image Stone, wanting to contact you."

"The Life Potion Association?" Sid was familiar with the name; it was an organization composed of merchants who produced healing potions. "What do you want with me?"

Gina paused for a moment, then said:

"The entire market for life potions in the Arnor Kingdom is showing signs of collapse."

"What does that have to do with me? I get it." Sid blinked. "It has something to do with the Zane Dungeon?"

"The production of the [Life] series ingredients in the Gourmet Area has suddenly increased. Materials such as Life Durian and Life Salmon have shown amazing effects in making Life Potions. A potion made from a single durian can fully restore health!"

"Even diluted, low-end products are more effective than potions of the same price. Under normal circumstances, people are no longer willing to buy traditional potions."

No wonder the Life Potions Association is in a hurry; anyone would be anxious in that situation.

"Bring me the Image Stone, let me see what he said." Sid smiled; the Zane Dungeon always seemed to have something unexpected to offer.

"Um," Gina paused for a moment, then said, "The heads of organizations such as the Antidote Potion Association, the Weapon Skill House, and the Anor Chef King Alliance all want to contact you."

"Ah?"

Even Sid was stunned.

"Could it be that they're all here for the dungeon?"

Gina nodded; the answer was self-evident.

Before Sid went to deal with all this mess, she gave the last thing she needed to do that day.

"Da Er Chester wants to request the guild's support; he wants to train the survivors of the Val City incident, and then..."

"Form a new Farron Undead Legion."

Bede City, on the farm, Da Er muttered to himself.

A gentle breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, and his eyes were filled with determination; the confusion of the past was gone.

Having spent so much time in the Painting World, his Spirit Power was severely depleted, and he had been resting in bed for the past week.

It was precisely because of his time resting in bed that he had the opportunity to slowly reflect on the things he had encountered.

Actually, when Artorias the sword in his grave and erected the tombstone, he was not yet dead.

He watched helplessly as Artorias once again descended into madness, and the only way to alleviate this torment was to Execute the monsters of the abyss.

The figure who remained steadfast in his mission even amidst madness deeply moved Da Er.

Even now, whenever Artorias is mentioned, his eyes are filled with longing.

That day, he told the story of the Wolf Knight to everyone, and as expected, everyone showed a shocked expression.

Subsequently, Artorias's deeds quickly gained traction, and his fame soon surpassed that of the former Farron Undead Legion.

People are most interested in tragic hero legends, and the perfect hero image of the Abyss Walker quickly amassed a wave of fans.

These events gradually brought Da Er to his senses, and he finally answered the question that had previously troubled him.

Before him stood dozens of strangers, young and old, who were survivors of the Val City incident, and only a small fraction of them.

They would always come to visit Da Er, but Da Er's attitude had been wavering before, so many people went their own way, either becoming adventurers, finding someone to apprentice under, or leaving for distant lands.

The remaining few dozen people were determined to become the Farron Guard. They came to the farm once a day, just watching from a distance without disturbing it.

Today, Da Er finally gave them a positive answer.

There was no cheering, because the cheers were reserved for when the demons were truly killed.

But his excitement was already evident.

"I can't take care of so many people on my own, so I need to seek help."

"We can consider guilds, but suitable candidates outside of guilds are also possible."

A moment later, Da Er arrived at the Clock Tower.

If we can partner with the New Strategy Team to obtain a speedrun route to Farron Keep, the time required to train these survivors will be greatly reduced.

"Knock knock knock".

He knocked on the door, only to find it was open.

Is anyone there?

He seemed to hear a noise coming from the top floor, so he went up there. The higher he went, the clearer the sound became.

Wait, why does it sound like someone is making a scene, and there's also the sound of crying?

Da Er cautiously peeked out and saw a scene that made his brain freeze.

"Uwaaaaah."

Lu Lu Wo, the leader of the New Strategy Team, is known as the fastest runner, the Black Bat of Eternal Night, Father Gascoigne's lifelong enemy, and the nemesis of the Warrior Pot.

She was clinging to a man's leg, sobbing uncontrollably, and Bei Er Tuo and the others couldn't pull her away.

The man whose leg was being hugged was also someone everyone was familiar with.

What exactly do you want?

Leon covered his forehead with a headache, while Malu, Delu, and the others behind him stood with their hands in their pockets, looking on with expressions of amusement.

Wow, what a Great Conferment of Titles of the Six States!

Da Er hesitated, wondering whether he should go out or not; the timing of his arrival was rather inappropriate.

Should we hold back another big one tonight?