Exiled Knight and the First Underground Floor

"Although the journey has been difficult, the outcome is good."

Jiede, leaning on a thick tree branch he'd picked up somewhere, limped along in the Academy Gate Town.

They were lucky enough not to get lost, but they encountered several battles of moderate intensity, and successfully won by relying on the power of their weapons.

Then why is he still lame?

Because he didn't pay attention to the terrain when he transformed into the wind and darted around, he fell off the mountain after reverting to his original form.

"Maybe I'm just not cut out for this thing."

Sipa glanced at him and said, "Quickly check if you're missing anything. I lost two potions in the fight."

Upon hearing this, Jiede quickly checked his equipment. He visibly relaxed after finding it intact, and became much more relaxed when checking his other belongings. Finally, he said:

"Everything is normal, I didn't lose anything, it seems you're just unlucky."

He had all the items that a "mercenary" should typically carry, so he subconsciously felt there was no problem.

Yes, according to common sense among mercenaries.

"This is the Academy Gate Town? It looks quite different from what's been said."

Jiede looked around. He had heard from others that the Academy Gate Town was crowded with adventurers' tents and garbage, and that the environment was dirty and chaotic, with adventurers resting everywhere. But now he saw that it was not like that at all.

There were still tents, but the areas where they were placed were clearly marked and they were arranged quite neatly. Adventurers could be seen everywhere on the streets, but there was no trash at all. The trash cans by the roadside were overflowing, and you could see people cleaning them up.

There were no more collapsed buildings in the entire town. They had all been cleared and repaired under the organization of the Adventurers' Guild. One after another, intact buildings rose up in the town. Most of them were houses for people to live in, but a few buildings were more distinctive. He also saw a building with a sign that read "Bede City Adventurers' Guild Branch" under construction.

In a world with magic, infrastructure development is incredibly fast; even the civil engineering guys are using magic.

Some caravans have sent people to stay here to purchase various materials, and Priest from the Holy Light Church have also traveled here to provide medical services. Blacksmith Andre and merchant Ka Lie are surrounded by people, and adventurers come and go in the town, which looks like a thriving place.

This is the vibrant energy unique to the early stages of underground city development.

"It looks like it's being built quite well." Jiede stroked his chin, looking at everything with interest. "Do you think that once the commander's dream comes true, we'll do something like this on our own fiefdom?"

"Perhaps." Sipa rarely smiled. "But that campfire gives me an uncomfortable feeling, and I don't want to go near it."

"Excuse me, are you people who just arrived here?" Just then, a girl ran over carrying a stack of booklets.

The two looked at each other and nodded.

"Great! I'm an intern in the Skyrim Strategy Team. I'm in charge of distributing brochures to every newcomer to the town so that everyone can quickly understand the current development status of Lake Liurnia and the work that urgently needs manpower."

The girl smiled and handed over a booklet with both hands. "Please accept it if you don't mind. I usually hang out near Mr. Andre, so feel free to ask me any questions you may have."

"But if I really helped you, please remember to give me a good review. I've always hoped to become a full member of the Skyrim Strategy Team."

The girl skipped and hopped away.

"They really are very energetic."

After being bombarded by the girl's rapid-fire questions, Jiede finally came to his senses and began flipping through the booklet with Sipa.

The above text and images introduce the lake area, and the presentation looks quite exquisite.

[Academy Gate Town: A safe haven surrounded by bonfires, where no monster dares to disturb you. You can rest here in peace. The blacksmith can forge and enhance weapons, and the merchant sells all sorts of magical items, occasionally offering rare items and discounts. The large teleportation array in the town center allows you to leave the dungeon or go underground.]

[Raya Lucaria Magic Academy: The center of Lake Liurnia, a normal "Sean Mode" area, which can be very challenging for newcomers. For those who have previously explored other areas of Sein, the various details will feel familiar. It is recommended to form a team of at least twenty people before attempting the challenge.]

Below is an introduction to each floor of the academy, including the types of monsters and the final boss, as well as background stories. However, each point is only touched upon superficially, always stopping at a point that might create suspense, and then marked with a line of text like this:

For more details, please purchase Skyrim Strategy Guide Issue XX.

What kind of incomplete story dog is this?!

"I think this is too difficult, let's not go," Sipa said, and Jiede agreed. They then looked down.

[Underground: Accessible from the entrance in the academy hall. Based on current textual clues, the underground area is where many magic instructors conducted experiments. The spacetime rules are chaotic, and various monsters and scenes may appear. Over a long period of time, the terrain has evolved into something resembling a traditional maze.]

Defeating the boss hidden at the deepest part of the maze will allow you to proceed to the next level. The exact number of levels in the maze is currently unknown.

[Different Shrine exist within the Underground Labyrinth. Defeating monsters grants a chance to obtain Humanity. Offering Humanity to Shrine randomly grants a blessing from an ancient being, identical to the endless cycle in the Great Tomb area. However, the blessing's effect only applies to the current level; it must be obtained again upon entering a new level. Proof of Past Battles obtained after defeating elite enemies can be exchanged at the Shrine for permanent blessings or other rewards.]

[The Underground Labyrinth that has been explored so far:]

[The leader of the underground level: The Exiled Knight]

[Second Basement Level Boss: Battle Knight]

[Third Underground Level 3 Boss: Red Wolf]

[Fourth Underground Level: Under Exploration]

"This place is quite interesting."

The two reached a consensus and decided to go underground to take a look, hoping to retrieve some kind of blessing.

Soon, thanks to the "Academy Glintstone Key Rental Service" offered by nearby adventurers, they successfully entered the academy and stepped into the dimly lit Underground Labyrinth.

There were quite a few adventurers in the academy, and more than a dozen of them came down with them. Like them, many of them stopped and lingered when they saw the full view of the underground labyrinth.

The scene before me was strangely spectacular.

Tall, twisted rock walls connect the ground to the "ceiling," forming a winding labyrinth where adventurers quickly disappear.

Glowing, cube-shaped fluorite blocks stacked on the rock walls, providing illumination. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the roars of monsters and the screams of adventurers echoing from the depths of the labyrinth.

"This is one of the most spectacular dungeons I've ever seen," Jiede remarked.

"It seems like we didn't sit around the campfire like everyone else," Sipa said.

"It doesn't matter. We have Teleportation Crystal, right? If we die, we can just leave this place and save you from always saying it's a waste of time." Jiede shrugged indifferently.

Sipa nodded; he felt uncomfortable around the campfire and didn't want to get close.

The two officially entered the maze, only to find that the overly homogenous scenery quickly caused dizziness. Even with their efforts to maintain their focus, they could not find their way out in the winding maze, and were faced with five forks in the road.

Damn, five options? Are you trying to kill people with decision-making difficulties?

When they first entered the labyrinth, they occasionally encountered other adventurers, but now they see no one at all; they just randomly choose a path to take.

They were quite relaxed, as they came with a sightseeing attitude. Unfortunately, they dared not use their weapons freely here, in case they turned into wind and went too far and got even more lost.

The monsters appeared soon after; they were a group of creatures with very large heads.

[The Cluster of Platinum Child]

For Jiede, who possesses weapons, these are nothing to fear; only his good looks dealt a blow to his psyche.

"I can't really comment on the monsters here."

He stared into thought at the [Platinum Child Hood] that had dropped after killing Platinum Child.

The monsters they encountered along the way were not particularly strong, and they did not see any so-called Shrine, but they did have an unexpected gain.

They found a hot spring where they could restore their strength and Gai Fan Fruit growing on the rock wall. They found a resting place, where there were already quite a few adventurers. The hot spring was packed with people.

"They even provide a place to rest; that's quite kind of them," Jiede said.

"After all, this place is huge. You could easily get lost for days without a place to rest. You'd break down." Someone nearby chimed in, "This is much more benevolent than the old Zane Dungeon."

Jiede started chatting with the seemingly outgoing older man, and they quickly became acquainted. In the end, the man even invited him to challenge the boss of this level, the "Exiled Knight."

"Do you know the way to the leader?" Jiede asked in surprise.

The middle-aged man looked at him strangely and said, "It's just a few steps forward from here. Did you find this place by accident? You're really lucky."

Jiede chuckled and said, "I also think I've always been very lucky."

Sipa wanted to say something, but Jiede gestured to him, indicating that he would not use weapons indiscriminately in battle.

And so, the two of them joined the uncle's group, a total of more than twenty people, and soon, after passing through a road full of monsters, an open space appeared.

A knight clad in heavy armor, wielding two swords, stood with his back to them, his cloak fluttering slightly, exuding an air of power.

The Exiled Knight

Upon hearing the adventurer's commotion, he quickly turned around, revealing a pair of eyes glowing red.

Before the uncle could even shout "Ready for battle!", the Exiled Knight had already swung his twin swords and crashed into the crowd like a dump truck, splattering blood and flesh everywhere!

"Hey old man, are you guys really that weak?" Jiede shouted as he dodged, the speed and attack power of the Exiled Knight far exceeding his expectations.

The middle-aged man looked equally confused. "How did he suddenly become so strong? His eyes weren't red before... ah—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was struck in the back by a sword and gracefully returned to the campfire.

Several adventurers remained on the scene, but the Exiled Knight raised his longsword, and several soldiers descended from the sky, raising their crossbows at the crowd.

The Exiled Knight ignored the adventurers around him and fixed his gaze on Jiede.

Jiede was entangled in a fight with nearby soldiers; he was quite skilled and could take on three at once.

However, the situation on the battlefield was very chaotic. He felt as if his arm had been patted, but when he turned around, he found that there was nothing there.

The wild Gengar used Thief on Jiede and stole the item again.

"The knight is heading towards you!" Sipa shouted a warning.

"I'll practice with him first, and then I'll use my enchanted equipment." Seeing that there were other people present, Jiede became more cautious.

The Exiled Knight's robust body appeared in front of Jiede in an instant, Heavy Chop with his two Greatsword. Jade dodged at the last second, and accidentally struck a gap in the armor with his own blade.

The results were minimal!

"It's pretty tough, like a tin can." He gritted his teeth, dodging left and right in the face of the Exiled Knight's swift attacks.

Mercenaries excel at combat; while the Exiled Knight was a bit too tall, he was still human, and Jiede's skills could handle him.

There was no way to directly confront the relentless, storm-like attacks, and they lacked effective means of dealing damage.

He was firmly suppressed and dared not be careless at all, for any mistake would mean certain death.

"Take this!"

Taking advantage of the long-awaited opportunity, he quickly grabbed a handful of powder from his pocket and sprinkled it on the head of the Exiled Knight, flames suddenly erupting from his fingertips.

"Bang!"

The powder exploded instantly, Exiled Knight couldn't help but take a step back. Jiede also took the opportunity to create distance between himself and his opponent.

As the smoke from the explosion dissipated, cracks appeared on the knight's helmet, and the red light in his eyes intensified.

Jiede gasped. Alchemical dust capable of shattering Dragon Scale had barely managed to inflict any damage on his opponent!

His legs and hands were already numb, and he was almost exhausted after fighting the Exiled Knight for only a short while.

What kind of monster is this?!

Have the adventurers of Bede City been fighting these monsters all along? How have they managed to survive?

"Be careful!" Sipa shouted as he dealt with the soldiers.

"It's alright, the worst that can happen is death. I still have Teleportation Crystal. Adventurer's stuff is just so useful."

Jiede flashed a confident smile.

He patted the pouch at his waist containing the Teleportation Crystal with an air of confidence, however...

He flattened the pocket.

His smile froze on his face. He hurriedly grabbed his pocket, only to find it empty, as if there had been nothing there from the beginning!

"Where's my Teleportation Crystal?" He was dumbfounded.

"Didn't you fucking say you brought it?!" Sipa glared, unable to hold back his swearing.

As the Exiled Knight charged toward him like lightning, cold sweat beaded on Jiede's forehead. He couldn't remember where he had lost the Teleportation Crystal.

"No, it's alright, I still have weapons!"

His weapons are his greatest asset. As long as he uses them, he can defeat the Exiled Knight just as he defeated the Caria Knight!

He tried to activate the weapon, but nothing happened.

"No way!"

He touched the armband, and his body froze on the spot.

"Hey, what's wrong with you? Get out of the way!" Sipa shouted.

But Jiede didn't react at all, as if he had turned into a statue.

He turned his head stiffly, his face ashen, and said:

"That's all."