Sun's Eldest Son Ring

As long as one person possesses the Small Doll, everyone who follows him can enter Irithyll.

After all, the number of people who can enter the dungeon at the same time is limited here, so there is no need to limit the number of valid Academy Glintstone Key like at the Raya Lucaria Magic Academy.

Before entering the Zane Dungeon, the Light Eagle Legion prepared two Small Doll. This was the quartermaster's way of showing Iliphis that "we have made all the preparations."

Let's go.

Iliphis, dressed in his familiar White Eagle armor, rode a white horse also clad in armor, surrounded by his men, exuding heroic spirit that would make any young girl in the country cheer.

Princess Serena watched the mercenaries, fully equipped and ready to go, from afar, and then glanced at the maids around her who were all infatuated with the girls. She couldn't help but feel deeply worried about the future of the country.

To show that she was under Iliphis's control, she would every few days act like a girl in love and come to the Light Eagle Legion's base to offer her condolences, just to make a show of it.

I'm certain I'm a once-in-a-century acting genius, and I haven't been exposed yet.

Fortunately Iliphis seems to be aloof, and the most intimate thing the two do is hug each other when they are acting in public. It's great that he is a person who is only focused on his career.

But what would happen if he actually took control of the country?

Even though she was initially forced to come and become Princess, as the days went by, Serena developed a sense of responsibility for this so-called "future country of her own." However, this sense of responsibility only made her feel pressured and pained in the face of the Iliphis. Now she wished she were a carefree optimist.

As for seeking help? She didn't even know who around her wasn't controlled by Iliphis. She had to carefully consider every word and action she took every day. She was being tortured to the point of madness. Who could she turn to for help? Could she conspire with the conqueror king of the neighboring Warrior Country to conquer her own country?

"Why can't Ornstein just descend from the sky Iliphis? Zane Dungeon, give it your all!"

Serena thought of the "Smough's Hammer" in her room. If she could pick it up one day, she would definitely use it to smash the hot dog of the Brain Control eagle.

Unfortunately, that was destined to be a fantasy; in reality, she still had to wave and shout with a smile:

"Iliphis have a safe journey and great success in battle!"

Iliphis set off with his eighteen handpicked mercenaries and a guide familiar with the route. He also arranged for ten people to enter the dungeon at the same time in Bede City, hoping they might meet and reach the thirty-person exploration limit for the Eagle Capital Dungeon.

Except for Elsa and Sally, all of these people have the ability to use the Fallen Devil Egg. However, Iliphis does not intend to let them transform into beasts in the Sien this time. From the moment they can use the Fallen Devil Egg, their basic human strength is enhanced, surpassing that of ordinary mercenaries. After transforming into beasts, their strength can generally be increased several times.

But in front of Sion's leader, are the minions' strength boosted several times over really useful?

Even if a trash with a combat power of only 5 becomes ten times stronger after turning evil, he still can't beat Frieza, whose combat power is 500,000. Iliphis brought these people along just to see if he could trigger more of the boss's moves.

The only ones who are truly useful are probably the team leaders around me.

Why is the portal so lively today?

The Assault Captain picked up his binoculars and looked ahead. He saw that the area near the portal was bustling with activity, and adventurers were fighting amongst themselves.

"Alright, throw that punch and kill him!"

"Don't actually kill him. Beat him half to death and then throw him into the dungeon, that way he can be resurrected!"

"I'll go in too, and we'll keep fighting once he respawns!"

Various Bloodlust remarks reached everyone's ears, and the mercenaries were stunned. Generally speaking, they would only say such lines when they were in the heat of the moment, but now these adventurers were saying them so casually.

Sally watched for a while and then offered an explanation:

"The person who was beaten seems to be a notorious intruder. It is said that he will bring disabled people as teammates into the dungeon to use invasion. In this way, he can use the strength matching mechanism of the dungeon to select the invaded, and invade people who are much lower than him. He also likes to make a series of humiliating actions after killing the weak, such as repeatedly squatting on the dying person."

"That's too despicable," the Assault Captain exclaimed.

"So recently, the Dark Moon Blade, which has invaded his territory, has discovered his true nature, and he gets beaten up every day."

Elsa nodded and said, "Retribution."

In the past few days, the power of the Dark Moon Blade has grown stronger. Just to open those annoying invaders' boxes, many adventurers are eager to sign the covenant, willing to pay any price to be brought into Irithyll to sign the Dark Moon Blade covenant.

Its popularity rivals that of ordinary people who once spent a fortune hiring adventurers to unlock the "Firelink Shrine - Catacombs" route, a fast route between Bede City and the Leyndell, thus achieving the miracle of earning money in the Leyndell during the day and spending it in Bed City at night.

The Dark Moon Blade Oath also has a hidden perk: it prioritizes invading those who have previously invaded it, making revenge much easier for adventurers.

Those who successfully avenge themselves will ring the bell three times and sing praises to the Zane Dungeon.

Seeking revenge for wrongs and avenging grievances is very helpful in relieving psychological stress.

But seeing the adventurers' jubilant expressions after their successful revenge, Iliphis frowned and waved his hand, saying, "Go and make them clear the way."

If he really wanted revenge, his enemies could stretch from hell to heaven. Fortunately, those who knew he deserved revenge were all dead and went to hell, while those who didn't are all by his side now, working for him wholeheartedly.

Faced with Iliphis's request, the mercenaries of the Light Eagle Legion surrounding him would naturally comply, but getting these highly agitated adventurers to obediently make way for them was another matter.

That's probably a bit too difficult.

The adventurers suddenly fell silent, and those who had been crowding in front of the portal unconsciously dispersed.

Was it because Iliphis was discovered? No, it was because of someone else.

"Iliphis, are you also going into the dungeon today?"

A somewhat aged but still energetic voice came from the portal, and as the adventurers made way, a fat figure appeared.

This man Iliphis knew all too well; Aoluo, the minister who rose to the highest level of power in the country after the King fell ill.

Anyone would shrink back upon seeing Aoluo's massive physique and the aura of power cultivated over time, but not Iliphis. He knew very well that the one before him, the epitome of the kingdom's power, was already a prisoner of his abilities.

With such a useful ability, how could I not use it on Aoluo?

"Minister, are you not feeling well today? You didn't bring any food." Iliphis smiled. Minister Aoluo's habit was to eat no matter when or where. He used to be able to control himself, but after being "captured" by Iliphis, he began to overeat without restraint.

"I'm getting old. If I eat any more, my body might not be able to control itself. Besides, the hands of these elite knights in the kingdom are meant for wielding swords."

He was surrounded by several knights belonging to the kingdom, and it was clear at a glance that they were all elites, no less than the captains of the Light Eagle Legion.

Only then did Iliphis remember to ask Minister Aoluo about his purpose in entering the underground city. The latter laughed heartily and said in high spirits:

"The Zane Dungeon is a truly magical place. There are many things inside that I have never experienced before, such as the Kindling Secret Ritual."

Minister Aoluo patted Iliphis the shoulder, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I haven't felt this refreshed in a long time, Lord Iliphis. I recommend you give it a try."

After saying this, Minister Aoluo waved his hand, said "I wish you a successful exploration today," and left with his knights.

Iliphis stared at his back for a while, his expression unchanged.

Not long after, in the Zane Dungeon, in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley.

The mercenaries of the Light Eagle Legion successfully reunited with ten other mercenaries. Upon entering Irithyll, they immediately headed towards the shortcut the little boy had mentioned, killing only the necessary monsters along the way and refusing to waste their energy on anything else.

This shortcut passes through the "Jungle" of tombstones erected by Pontiff Sulyvahn for the Battle Knight. In addition to the Transparent Man that roam around Irithyll, monsters will randomly crawl out from under the tombstones. The type and number of monsters that crawl out will vary depending on the adventurer's strength.

The Light Eagle Legion encountered three Battle Knights. Including the little boy brother at the beginning, they had to fight four Battle Knights in this not-so-large area, which would be hell for anyone else.

However, after losing two elite mercenaries, the Light Eagle Legion successfully passed through here with a reasonably low casualty rate.

Just as the little boy who was going to die anyway said, there was a dug-out grave at the deepest part of the cemetery, and if you jumped down, you could see the tunnel.

After passing through the dark tunnel that looked like an ambush but was actually very safe, the people finally entered the square surrounded by iron gates.

The first thing the mercenaries did upon entering was to break through the encirclement of the Pontiff Knight, who were both more numerous and of higher quality than before, and open the iron gate facing the city avenue. This would unlock a shortcut, allowing them to quickly enter even after death, without having to go around in circles again.

The second thing was the corpse behind the iron gate, on the huge altar, where golden light shimmered.

However, Iliphis noticed that the golden light of the corpse had turned purple, which displeased him, so he picked it up to take a look.

[Sun's Eldest Son Ring]

[The ring of the Sun's Eldest Son, who is said to have inherited the light of Gwyn, the Sunlight King of Cinder; this is a replica made by later generations.]

[Can enhance the power of miracles]

The Sun's Eldest Son was once a god of war, but because of his foolishness, he was banished from the ranks of the gods, and now even his name has not been recorded or passed down.

The Sun's Eldest Son Ring is a ring that always appears here. Everyone only has one chance to obtain it. Once you get one, the ring will not appear again. Of course, if someone in the party has not yet obtained the ring, it will still appear, but the person who has already obtained it cannot pick it up again.

According to those who obtained it, the Sun's Eldest Son Ring comes in two types: one with purple light spots and the other with gold light spots. Both are imitations made by later generations, but the difference is that the gold one can "significantly enhance" the power of miracles.

Iliphis had always thought he was very lucky, but he never expected to find a purple one here. Naturally, he wouldn't waste his chance, so he had his men put the ring away.

He didn't care what foolish things the Sun's Eldest Son, who was once a war god, had done; he only cared about whether he could get the best.

The roads on either side of the altar lead to a wide plaza, and behind the plaza lies their destination: the most magnificent church in Irithyll, which must also be the location of their leader.

But no one has yet seen who the leader of Irithyll is, because...

"Ha!"

A large number of Pontiff Knight were neatly lined up in the square. Behind them were several Fire Witch the stake. Behind the witches was a Pontiff Knight held a scythe and had an even more imposing aura. He looked like someone who was not to be trifled with.

These guys could perhaps be called Sulyvahn's army, which is why no one has seen the face of the leader inside the church so far.

Of course, it's also because adventurers like Fingel, Leon, and Lu Lu Wo, who are active on the front lines, have been neglecting their exploration of Irithyll due to various matters. After discovering the shortcut, Leon and Fingel have been trying to rescue the little boy and haven't entered yet, while Lu Lu Wo is hiding in Lake Liurnia, too cowardly to go out for the time being.

So the Light Eagle Legion was indeed the first to face this group of Pontiff Knight with the highest combat strength.

All the stamina he had accumulated was for this moment. Iliphis took out the Bracelet Martial Weapon [Ring of Harvest] that he had used when fighting the Overlord Wolnir. With the enhancement of the weapon, he once again released that pseudo-legendary magic.

As the radiant orb of light, like a blazing sun, fell toward the Pontiff Knight, radiating endless intense light, the mercenaries of the Light Eagle Legion also made their move.

The Pontiff Knight, who had just recovered from the shock of the blast, also rushed up, and the two sides started a small-scale melee. The intensity of the scene reminded Iliphis of the past, when he had also started with a small team of a few dozen people.

Each of the captains possessed the ability to fight multiple enemies, giving them a significant advantage against the remaining foes bombarded by pseudo-legendary magic. However, Iliphis discovered that the Scythe Pontiff Knight, who was also positioned behind him, was constantly summoning new monsters, meaning that the key to this battle was that guy.

He then used the weapon Ring of Harvest to annihilate the Scythe Pontiff Knight without holding back. To accumulate strength here would be a huge waste; to defeat the enemy, one should choose to crush them from the very beginning.

When the enemies were all wiped out and turned to ashes, they left behind a large number of bright spots, which gave people a sense of joy like a harvest.

But Iliphis only sent guides to clean up the battlefield; the church ahead was the main event, and they should not be distracted by these petty gains.

"Tap, tap"

At some point, the sound of the snow and wind became almost imperceptible.

The group walked along the path leading to the cathedral, their footsteps clearly audible.

The closer you get to the cathedral, the more you realize how insignificant you are, as if you are as small as an insect in the face of God.

Iliphis fought against this feeling, and as they walked a few steps from the cathedral, a chanting hymn began to rise from somewhere.

The singing blended with the soft sound of wind and snow, creating a melancholic and cold atmosphere that perfectly matched the impression of the city of Irithyll.

"Long"

The church doors opened automatically, as if welcoming people, but the feeling was like a giant beast slowly opening the gaping maw of an abyss.

Even just standing outside, you can see how magnificent and solemn the interior of the cathedral is. The splendor and sacred dignity are perfectly blended here, making it the essence of Irithyll.

But where are the enemies? Why haven't we seen any of them?

Iliphis looked enlightened and stepped inside.

As usual, let's move on to CG.