Irithyll of the Boreal Valley and Warm Grass Fruit

The next day, early morning.

Leon felt an urgent need to urinate, and groggily got out of bed. Just as he was about to go downstairs to the hotel's communal restroom, he bumped into someone he knew.

"Fingel?" His vision was still a little blurry, but he could still make out the words.

"Leon, what a coincidence, you live here too." Fingel greeted him with a smile, looking very kind, but there was weariness hidden in his eyes.

"Are you going to the dungeon?" Leon asked, noticing the other person's fully armed appearance, clearly indicating they were about to leave.

"Yes, it's getting late. If we go too late, we'll have to wait in line again. By the way."

Fingel suddenly remembered something and reached into his pocket. "I was planning to look for you, but it's perfect that we've run into each other here."

"What is this?" Leon rubbed his eyes and carefully examined the papers that Fingel had given him. They were covered in crooked handwriting and seemed to be a guide to the Cathedral of the Deep.

The content looks a bit rough, as if it was written overnight, and the rules are not very clear. It's just something written down as it came to mind.

"You wrote this?" He looked up in surprise.

Fingel proudly puffed out his chest. "To be honest, I already fought the leaders of the Cathedral of the Deep yesterday. Although I narrowly lost to them, I will definitely win today!"

He continued:

"I've read quite a few of the guides from your Strategy Team before, so I'm grateful for your help. This time, I'd like to offer my assistance as well. Don't be shy, just rely on my experience to challenge the dungeon!"

Fingel laughed heartily and left, full of vigor and walking quite quickly, as if afraid that Leon would refuse his kindness.

"Ah"

Leon watched his retreating figure, hesitant to speak.

Now that things have come to this, they can no longer reveal that they defeated the Deepwater Bishop Congregation yesterday.

"Let's not say it out loud, it's too embarrassing."

Hopefully, Fingel won't find out through other channels that it was Leon who killed the Deepwater Bishop Congregation.

When a ray of sunlight shone through the window and fell on Leon, he was suddenly startled and exclaimed:

"Oh no, it's already morning!"

He quickly woke up Malu and the others, and as dawn broke, they ran out of the Leyndell, stepping on the dew-covered grass as they rushed toward the portal to the Zane Dungeon.

Generally speaking, at this time, the people in the Leyndell are still asleep, and only a small number of people get up early to work.

However, ever since the Zane Dungeon moved here, not only the Leyndell, but also the nearby Garden City's daily routine has changed—to adapt to the adventurers' changed routine.

A thin mist hung in the air as Leon and his companions passed through it. Behind them, a variety of figures, numbering at least a hundred, appeared and disappeared in the mist.

These are all adventurers!

They got up early in the morning to go to the dungeon, which should be considered quite diligent, right?

No, actually these people could be called lazybones, because the Zane Dungeon closes at midnight and opens at 3 a. m. The truly diligent people don't go to the Leyndell; they just set up a tent near the portal and take a nap!

"Oh no, boss! Why did we oversleep!" Malu perched on Te Er's shoulder, the two of them looking like a giant zombie and a little imp zombie.

The Strategy Team is currently running at full speed, and inspired by them, the adventurers behind them have also started running. Although they don't know why they are running, they figured if everyone is running, they might as well run too and join the group.

"I don't know why I fell asleep!" Leon simply tucked the short, Delu under his arm, and he and Te Er strode forward.

He had clearly decided to be the first person to enter Irithyll, and he had even prepared Image Stone so that he could take a picture the moment he entered. He had to be a little vain this time!

But now that things have come to this, what if someone else also got the Small Doll and got in before them?

I don't want that kind of thing!

They could only run as fast as they could, but when they reached the location of the portal, it was already packed with people, all queuing up in an orderly fashion.

Despair filled Leon's eyes. He tripped over a stone, stumbled, and fell to the ground, rolling twice before bumping into someone.

"Ouch, sorry." He stood up, rubbing his head, and apologized to the person he had bumped into, but when he opened his eyes, he found that everyone was looking at him.

"?"

I know it's embarrassing to fall flat on my back and roll around a few times, but why are you looking at me like that? Haven't any of you ever fallen flat on your back?

"Are you Leon?" someone asked.

"Yes," Leon hesitated for a moment, noticing the strange looks people were giving him. "What's wrong?"

"It really is him."

"I actually met him in person."

"Young and promising, truly young and promising."

???

A flood of questions arose in Leon's mind. Seeing this, people silently made way for him, allowing Leon to walk to the portal.

When he walked over, he finally understood why everyone was looking at him.

Suddenly, a stone tablet appeared next to the teleportation portal.

[The Cathedral of the Deep - The Deepwater Bishop Congregation - Leon, Malu, Delu, Te Er]

[Catacombs of Carthus - Overlord Wolnir - Leon.]

[Raya Lucaria Magic Academy - The Full Moon Queen's Mimic Tear - Si Telan]

At first, he didn't understand, but he suddenly realized it when he saw the connection between the leader's name and his own.

This is the list of the leader's first informants!

"Wow, boss, we're going to be famous again!" Malu's eyes lit up.

Originally, people would carve the names of the first dungeon conquerors on stone tablets, but as the city grew larger and larger, the final bosses of each area were killed by different people, and people could no longer determine who could be considered the first conqueror. This ritualistic practice eventually came to an end.

But now, a stone tablet has appeared in the Zane Dungeon, recording the name of the first person to defeat the boss!

Leon's pleasure reached its peak at this moment. Feeling the admiration and gazes of those around him, he straightened his back more than ever before.

From now on, everyone will see this stone tablet and my name before entering the dungeon!

Does this mean I've made my mark on history?

Hahaha!

Leon felt that it was acceptable for him to act a little exaggeratedly at this moment, but then he suddenly thought of Fingel.

Oh no, something embarrassing is about to happen.

He looked around but didn't see Fingel. Perhaps he had already gone inside? That would mean he must have seen the stone tablet.

Now, even Leon felt embarrassed for the other person. He would be too embarrassed to see Fingel again, and he guessed that the other person would be too embarrassed to see him either.

Life is full of awkward moments.

Out of respect, the adventurers invited Leon and his companions into the dungeon first, giving them a sense of being treated with special consideration.

"Boss, if you were a canine Orcs, your tail would have broken off by now," Malu in, taking on the role of the sarcastic remark.

"Hmm~"

"Ugh, please stop using that tone, it's disgusting!"

Delu and Te Er exchanged a glance, then smiled and shrugged.

Irithyll of the Boreal Valley is part of the Eagle Capital Dungeon, so theoretically there should be more challengers there Zane Dungeons, but this is only for those who enter through the Leyndell portal.

If you want to rely on your numerical advantage to explore other areas of the Zane Dungeon, you will also face the problem of increased difficulty. Gong Qiying didn't impose too many other restrictions.

Leon and his companions didn't waste any time and went straight to Firelink Shrine, then teleported from Turkey Grounds to the campfire outside after defeating Overlord Wolnir.

The scenery of Irithyll appeared before their eyes once again, but this time it was no longer an untouchable castle in the air; they had truly earned the right to enter!

Turning around, I looked back at the boss battle room of Overlord Wolnir, which was blocked by a Fog Gate. Going in would mean challenging the Overlord again.

"Eat something first."

Leon took out some roasted, bright red fruit from his backpack and shared it with everyone. After eating it, their bodies, which had been shivering from the cold, calmed down.

[Warm Grass Fruit]

Eating Warm Grass Fruit will feel fiery, but if it is cooked into a dish, it will feel warm and comforting, helping to ward off the cold.

This ingredient comes from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Leon simply made Warm Grass Fruit into skewers, which could temporarily ward off the cold of Irithyll after eating them.

This method was developed by adventurers as they searched for solutions to the extreme cold of Irithyll for future explorations.

The two most universally applicable methods are: one is the Warm Grass Fruit from the Gourmet Area, and the other is the Hot Drink sold by the Blacksmith Felyne from the Forest Area. Both have the effect of warming the body and resisting the cold.

The blacksmith, the Felyne, in the Forest Area started selling miscellaneous goods about two weeks ago, such as demon potions and paralysis traps. Hot drinks are probably the most valuable thing people have found so far.

There are relatively few Warm Grass Fruit and hot drinks available on the market right now, and Leon wasn't able to prepare enough, so he also brought some torches and the like.

"Get ready to run!"

The moment they stepped onto the bridge leading to Irithyll, everyone took off running, determined not to look back. If they did, a large monster, whether crocodile or dog, would appear.

They were too lazy to get entangled with that guy, so they might as well just rush in one go!

When Leon was only a few steps away from Irithyll, the barrier of rejection appeared, Leon raised the Small Doll towards the barrier!

A strange sound effect rang out, and people's vision blurred for a moment. When their vision cleared, they found themselves in Irithyll.

Crocodile Sunlight King roared on the bridge, staring menacingly at the crowd, but it could not pass through the protective barrier; it was merely wraiths in powerless fury.

"Hehe!" Malu made a face at it, quite arrogantly.

Looking at the complete view of Irithyll that was now truly before him, Leon was filled with emotion.

This is a real city, majestic and magnificent, full of historical and everyday life. Standing here, you can almost imagine how the residents lived back then.

They were currently in what appeared to be a small square, and just by standing there, he could see two roads that were going in completely opposite directions.

To the left are stairs leading upwards, and to the right are stairs extending into the gaps between houses, their ultimate destination unknown.

He had already decided on his target before he even entered the city—the cathedral at the very center of Irithyll, of course.

He had extensive experience exploring the Zane Dungeon; the church looked impressive, suggesting it either housed a leader or elites.

"Go to the left and go uphill to find the church."

Snowflakes were falling Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, and everything in sight was a cold hue, which carried an atmosphere of sadness, and there seemed to be low-pitched music echoing in the air.

The heavy snow affected visibility, Leon put on goggles and was finally able to open his eyes.

"Not good!"

The instant he could see what was in front of him, Leon suddenly yelled and jumped back, drawing his weapon.

"Enemy attack!"

From the high steps, a "crowd" whose figures had turned into illusory pale blue shadows was walking towards them step by step.

Their limbs are completely different from those of humans, and could perhaps be described as deformed, but fully armed, they are not to be underestimated.

What made Leon most nervous was that there were dozens of these phantoms!

Such a warm welcome right from the start?! My heart can't take it!

The Crocodile Sunlight King on the bridge roared merrily, as if urging people to run towards it, its roar laced with sarcasm.

The path to the right was silent, but faint black mist seemed to float in the air, and pairs of eyes floating in the air were watching the crowd, waiting for them to run this way.

Unless you run in the opposite direction, you must fight the phantom.

But Leon only had a moment to think before he decided to join his companions in attacking the phantom!

A real man doesn't run away!

Maximize your power, unleash a Swift Slash with all your might!

He rushed forward suddenly, and then—

"Thump!"

He slammed hard against the steps, and his neck made a crisp cracking sound.

"Huh?" Everyone else stopped moving. What had they just seen? Leon had passed right through these monsters?

The monsters didn't react to the people at all, and just kept walking forward as if they were in a parade.

Malu tentatively poked the illusory figure, and passed right through it, confirming the claim.

These monsters are fake!

It's not that they look like phantoms, but that they are phantoms created to scare adventurers!

"Well, I think I can try to save it."

With his neck broken, Leon lay on the ground in an odd position, wearily calling for help.