Onion? Knight?

Automatic saving is the greatest invention in the world.

When Ta Mi and Elsa finally made it through all the dangers and into the Sain Ancient City, they were once again given a warm welcome and typed "GG".

Then, to their astonishment, they were resurrected right at the gates of the ancient city!

At that moment, Ta Mi was so moved that she almost cried, and even felt a sense of gratitude towards Sain.

What is this, Stockholm?

He was already mentally manipulating himself, including but not limited to saying things like, "The mechanisms in the Sain Ancient City are very well designed," "I can't get through because I'm not trying hard enough," and "I'll get a huge sense of psychological satisfaction if I can get through the game."

There's no way around it; in the Hellish Dungeon, you always need to find something relaxing to relieve stress.

Before clearing the Sain-type areas: This is a disgusting map that is difficult for the sake of difficulty, purely to satisfy the designer's perverse tastes, and completely disregards the adventurers' feelings—it's the worst of the worst!

After clearing the Sain-type area: another masterpiece meticulously crafted by Sion, from which I felt an uplifting spirit and an indomitable will!

"Keep going! I can feel the light of victory just ahead!"

Ta Mi cheered himself on, and also Elsa.

However, the challenge increases dramatically once you enter the ancient city's buildings. The original traps and mechanisms are still there, but many new and funny things have been added.

For example, a ceiling that might fall, snake-like figures throwing grenades from both sides of the road, and banana peels lying in ambush along the way.

Not only that, the path in front of them was getting narrower. Before, it was big enough for them to lie down and roll around, but now it was barely enough for one person to pass through. If they veered even slightly to the side, they would fall off.

An interesting mechanism has emerged.

Traps that cause damage but are not fatal begin to appear on the road, and if someone is hit by one of these traps, their path will be narrowed!

Conversely, if someone successfully avoids a trap, their path will be wider.

This requires them to always consider each other's feelings. If they make a mistake, not only will they feel the pain, but their partner's Broad Avenue may also turn into a tightrope walk.

Ta Mi gave it his all, but he still made a mistake, and his mouth was almost numb from apologizing so much.

When will this torturous time finally end?

If he could write a piece of advice, he would definitely write a big "miserable" character, along with the words, "I really want to leave, ah, I really want to leave."

Giant pendulum, iron ball, blades... all sorts of traps had left Ta Mi nearly numb, and he couldn't help but wonder if anything new would appear.

Just as he was thinking this, something new appeared: he saw a plump, white onion sitting on the road ahead.

No, no, that's a person wearing armor that looks a lot like an onion, sitting there dozing off!

By the time Ta Mi spotted the person sleeping everywhere, he was speeding through a patch of swaying blades and it was too late to stop!

Wow!

"Ah--"

The two collided and both screamed in pain. However, unlike Ta Mi, who fell off the cliff, Onion Knight staggered for a moment and then stood still.

"What on earth is going on?!"

Death, resurrection, and a second chance.

[Jack Mcya of Catarina is sorry he caused your fall; this is a gift as an apology.]

[Received the Tiny Life Ring]

"What's so special about this?"

Ta Mi really wanted to complain about why anyone would wear such a bizarrely designed suit of armor. The onion-shaped armor wasn't exactly ugly; it was even kind of cute. But he just couldn't accept it.

Even though I was the one who bumped into him, he apologized to me instead. He seems like a good person.

Once again, after navigating through numerous traps to get closer, he discovered that the Onion Knight named Jack was standing there. As soon as Ta Mi approached, he moved closer and began to move his body in a grotesque manner.

"I'm Jack Mcya of Catarina, haha, it's been so long since I've seen anyone else, let's travel together!"

"Look, that iron ball is rolling around over there, and I'm too fat to react quickly enough. I hope you can give me some hints at crucial moments."

Mysterious voice-over: [Jack Mcya of Catarina has joined the party. Help him overcome his difficulties by following the hints, and you'll receive his gratitude.]

Ta Mi never expected that she could encounter afterimages in this strange Painting World, and even Elsa next to her looked surprised.

Okay, I'll take this commission!

He then discovered that the commission was not simple at all, and in some ways quite difficult.

When encountering traps and mechanisms, he not only has to react in advance, but also has to organize his words to prompt Jack to do the same.

It's difficult, because even he can't guarantee he can get through the traps, let alone with the lovable Onion Knight.

However, whenever Jack makes a mistake, he immediately apologizes, and when Ta Mi makes a mistake, he doesn't criticize him. Instead, he cheers him on, and the atmosphere becomes better because of his presence. Ta Mi gradually comes to like this chubby character.

"Slow down! Slow down! Oh no, we're too late!"

If you fail, try again.

When they met again, Ta Mi and Jack simultaneously bowed their heads and apologized:

"I'm sorry, it was all my fault for giving the wrong instructions!"

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault for being a beat too slow!"

"Pfft," Elsa couldn't help but laugh at the two of them.

Ta Mi looked up and met Jack's gaze. Although they didn't burst out laughing, they bumped fists. Between men, bumping fists signifies that their relationship has taken a step further.

In between dodging traps and mechanisms, the two would chat with each other. Jack told him about the scenery outside the Sain Ancient City, and Ta Mi learned about places like Firelink Shrine, Undead Town, Catarina through his introduction.

Suddenly, history felt alive again.

"Does Mr. Jack know anything about the background of this place?" Ta Mi asked, because the difference between the Sain Ancient City and the Zane Dungeon is only a few words, making it hard not to make some connections.

Jack thought for a moment and said, "This is a place built by the gods to test the undead. Only the undead who can pass through here can be qualified to advance further. Sigh, I don't really like this kind of place."

"Trials don't kill."

Ta Mi muttered to himself, no one knew what he was thinking.

But judging from his increasingly bright eyes and his body trembling with excitement, he probably thought of something that would excite him.

Abbreviated as Dihua.

Watching the two chatting happily, Elsa pouted, because ever since the Onion Knight arrived, Ta Mi's attention to her had been decreasing!

I'm really annoyed!

But the occasional sounds coming from Jack made her chuckle; she simply couldn't hate the Onion Knight, for example—

"Do you think we'd go faster if we rolled on the ground?" Jack's voice sounded very honest.

"I think it's best not to do that," Ta Mi noticed that the other person would occasionally ask questions that made it hard to tell whether they were joking or having a serious discussion, which made him break out in a cold sweat.

Whenever this happens, Jack will laugh heartily, seemingly enjoying teasing him.

In the city lord's room, Gong Qiying had been silently observing, nodded in satisfaction.

So far, Elsa and Ta Mi are making good progress. Elsa even grimaces because Onion Knight steals her attention, which is a big improvement.

He set up a recording, took a short nap, and when he woke up again, three hours had passed. He then saw that the trio had already reached the finish line.

They were all panting heavily, half-dead, lying on the ground, their eyes filled with utter despair.

"Thank you for your help. I, Jack Mcya of Catarina, express my gratitude."

The Onion Knight from Dark Souls expressed his sincere gratitude and presented a gift as a token of appreciation.

[The Force Eruption]

The famous Miracle of Catarina can unleash shockwaves forward.

People from countries that celebrate virtue are straightforward; for example, when they get angry, they don't Endurance but take action directly.

"Oh, oh." Ta Mi listlessly accepted the pages that recorded the miracle, unsure if her intelligence was sufficient to use them.

In addition, there are [Thrusting Shield], several large undead souls, and pretty gems that look like they can only be sold for money. The rewards seem quite generous.

Seeing the Onion Knight about to leave, he asked curiously:

"Mr. Jack, where are you going?"

"Next, I'll go to Anor Londo, you know, it's the palace of the gods. Maybe we'll meet there, haha."

Anor Londo?

Ta Mi suddenly realized that this might be a hint from the Zane Dungeon about a new area that would appear in the future.

But

"Never mind, I'm so tired."

He collapsed to the ground, watching Onion Knight Jack walk toward the end of the ancient city and push open the closed gate.

As the blinding sunlight pierced through the crack in the door, dispelling the darkness of the ancient city, the familiar teleportation effect appeared, and they were finally able to leave this underworld Painting World!

[Items obtained: Goddess's Blessing x2, Candle Headgear x2, Forging Stone, Large Forging Stone]

Rewards don't matter anymore; all I want to do right now is sleep.

Before drifting into a deep, onion-like sleep, Ta Mi thought:

I wonder how the captain and the others are doing now?

On the other side of the Catacombs of Carthus, Lu Lu Wo and her group made new progress.

They took a different route than Ta Mi, but in the end they arrived at the same place, also entering the area shrouded in darkness.

This means that there are currently three paths leading to the lower levels of the cemetery, and only Ta Mi's path will lead to the Three Corpse Necromancer and unlock the Kindling Secret Ritual.

"It's about time for today. Let's rest and retreat," Lu Lu Wo her aching shoulders. "When we get back, let's look for the people who got separated and make sure nothing else happens."

While the Skyrim Strategy Team was relaxing, an uninvited guest arrived.

[Invaded by a soul-sucking ghost saying "I Don't Like Rosemary!"]

Huh? An intruder?

Ordinary people would be on high alert when faced with intruders, but the Skyrim Strategy Team was different; they even sat on the ground, too lazy to move.

The intruder's murderous figure appeared, holding two poisoned daggers, with Repeating Crossbow and throwing Flying Dagger at his waist. These days, the Repeating Crossbow had become standard equipment for the intruders, and it was best to pair it with hypnotic crossbow bolts.

No matter how you looked at him, he was clearly a troublemaker. When he saw Lu Lu Wo, his eyes narrowed and he quickened his pace to run over.

Lu Lu Wo watched expressionlessly as the guy drew closer and closer, and then—

He knelt down in front of her with a "plop".

"Boss Lu Lu Wo, I've finally found you!" I Don't Like Rosemary's voice sounded aggrieved. "I've been looking for you all day, and I've been beaten to death several times!"

"Enough with the nonsense, what do you want?"

Lu Lu Wo crossed her arms, but revealed a cold expression like that of Queen.

Although she has "turned over a new leaf" now, let's not forget that she was the one who started the great invasion of Bede City!

Even after she stopped being an intruder, she still maintained a high reputation and status in the intruder circle. Although she was essentially retired, only the senior members knew about her. These senior members had received her favors and would always inform her of any news or events.

She has a wide network of connections, which is why she was able to summarize the strategy before other Strategy Team.

Conquering dungeons isn't about strength, but about understanding human relationships.

Despite being treated coldly, I became even more excited because I Don't Like Rosemary, and quickly said:

"Someone offered a bounty for us to hack into your site and hinder your exploration progress! They were watching me the whole time I was hacking in, and I pretended to accept the job before notifying you. Can you guess what happened?"

"The Light Eagle Legion, is it?"

"How did you know? Wow, you're amazing!"

The intruder chuckled, unconsciously licked his dagger, and said:

"The brothers came to report to you as soon as possible. We're planning to teach these mercenaries a lesson. Would you like to join in? We've already prepared balaclavas, hundreds of hypnotic crossbow bolts, and brand-new Hound Step and Iron Pot Incense."

Upon hearing this, the other members of the Skyrim Strategy Team all changed their expressions. Bei Er Tuo shook his head and sighed, Mi La clapped and laughed, Ai Si Ai Mu showed an extremely interested expression.

Lu Lu Wo smiled, patted the intruder on the shoulder, and said earnestly:

"Your dagger is poisoned."

"Huh?"

The intruder is dead!