Oath: Princess's Guardian

[Illusion shattered, reality arrives]

Such words appeared before my eyes.

Gwyneth disappeared

Sid rubbed his temples and cast a Tranquilizing Spell on himself to try and calm himself down as quickly as possible.

Judging from the way Gwyneth disappeared just now, it was undoubtedly not a real person, but an illusion constructed using some kind of method.

Furthermore, Gwyndolin reappeared the instant the phantom vanished. Anor Londo was transformed into the same darkness that had enveloped her when those who had offended her appeared.

This is not wrong. Both are acts of disrespect towards the gods, so it is reasonable to use the darkness of night for punishment.

But isn't Gwyndolin supposed to be guarding Gwyn's tomb in the lower levels? How would he know about this situation, and appear the moment the illusion was broken?

Putting aside the possibility that the other party might possess the special ability to control the entire Leyndell, Sid felt that he could reasonably assume that the phantom of Gwyneth might have been created by Gwyndolin.

"The known conditions seem to be able to be combined."

Once thoughts begin to wander in this direction, they become unstoppable. With the advantage of having thoroughly read the database of the Adventurers' Guild in Bede City, Sid was able to easily combine various pieces of information.

For example, the Brass Woman once said that the gods of Anor Londo were gone, and it was now a desolate and lifeless city.

The campfire footage at Farron Keep mentions that the Dark Sun took on the responsibility of maintaining the linking of the First Flame alone after Gwyn linked it, but for some reason she was unable to appear before the world.

The darkness in Anor Londo felt to Sid not just as a simple change in the sky, but as an influence of a deeper power. After nightfall, some of the monsters that existed during the day would disappear, like vanished phantoms.

Meanwhile, Ornstein and Smough, who test the newcomers, will appear as fleeting phantoms after their life force is depleted.

"I see."

Sid felt that he had arrived at the most correct answer.

With the gods gone, Gwyndolin alone guarded Anor Londo to maintain the link of the First Flame, but for unknown reasons could not reveal himself to the world. So he created the illusion of the Sunlight Princess, who then gave the so-called Lordvessel to those who passed the trials. The two who underwent the trials may very well have been the illusions themselves!

I understand now. The entire Leyndell might just be a giant illusion!

"It must have been very hard."

The moment the conclusion was reached, Sid's perception of Gwyndolin changed from "a god who is good to those who make oaths" to "a great god with a strong sense of responsibility."

Regardless of her reasons for maintaining the linking of the flame, the path to protecting the world appears to be intact thanks to her efforts, which is worthy of respect.

But to put it in a more humorous way, Gwyndolin's image seems to have become that of a hardworking office worker who works tirelessly all year round.

Sid was a very competent adventurer. After figuring out all of this, his thoughts would wander freely around it, and suddenly a thought that could be described as "blasphemous" would appear in his mind.

If the Leyndell duo are indeed illusions created by Gwyndolin, then if they entered the Fog Gate of the Dark Moon Mausoleum beforehand and killed Gwyndolin, wouldn't they be able to skip the battle with Ornstein and Smough?

No, no, what am I thinking? Killing a god is harder no matter how you look at it, and the risks are much higher no matter how you look at it.

Shaking his head to dispel the dangerous thoughts in his mind, Sid walked toward the bed where the phantom of the Sunlight Princess had once lain.

Sunlight Princess was holding something that looked like an egg in her arms. No one knew what it was, but it remained even after the illusion disappeared.

As you get close, these magical characters will appear in the air.

[Have you taken the oath to be the "Princess's Guardian"?]

How can a vow be made when the Princess is gone?

Sid frowned. If there were no other factors involved, this oath was probably the one with the highest threshold for signing, even more troublesome than becoming the Dark Moon Blade.

So, what are the benefits of becoming this?

He thought for a moment, then knelt before the bed and signed the oath.

No sound appeared, nor did the image of any deity emerge in my mind; all that appeared before me were merciless specks of light.

[Sunlight Princess Ring]

The ring, named after Gwyneth, the famous eldest daughter of Gwyn, the "Sunlight King Sunlight Princess," evokes a sense of warmth, much like the sunshine itself.

[Can slowly replenish lost vitality]

She left her homeland with many gods, and it is said that she became a wife and a mother, and later gave birth to noble offspring.

There was another miracle.

Sunlight Nourishment

[A special miracle bestowed by the Sunlight Princess, along with those around her, restores life force on a large scale, slowly and significantly; those who believe in the sun will become even more valiant.]

Gwyneth, the Sunlight Princess beloved by all things, bestows miracles upon her Warrior.

Those who make a vow with the Princess will receive additional blessings when using this miracle.

Each oath has its own responsibilities, such as the Farron Guard protecting Farron Keep, the Sun Warrior helping others, the Soul Eaters constantly invading, the Princess's Guardian needing to protect the Princess, and the ones who shatter the Princess's illusion.

"But the phantom is gone!"

Sid couldn't understand this. Didn't this mean that the oath could no longer be used to punish sinners and obtain oath items?

After all, the Princess they were supposed to protect was gone, so this situation wasn't entirely incomprehensible, but...

Looking at the [Sunlight Blessing] and [Sunlight Nourishment] he had received, both of which were miracles that greatly restored his vitality, he suddenly felt as if he had become Priest.

He injured himself to try and use both miracles, but it turned out that the descriptions of the miracles were wrong.

The description used the word "significantly", but in Sid's view, it should have been changed to "massive"!

A cut on the wrist heals instantly.

After cutting open the upper arm, the condition improved instantly.

It pierced his chest, but he was completely unharmed.

Severing the left hand

The wound healed, but my left hand did not grow back.

"Hiss, looks like we've gone too far."

Just as Sid was about to cast a limb regeneration spell on himself, he suddenly realized that after a series of experiments, his magic power had been depleted by more than 40%.

I used it a few times just now, more than ten times in total, and twice I even injected a lot of magic to test the limits of these two miracles. It's not surprising that I'm experiencing this kind of damage.

"If one is not a magician specializing in healing, it would probably take much more magic to produce an effect similar to these two miracles."

In other words, these two miracles can accomplish great things with a small amount of magic. If someone in the adventurer's party knows how to use them, the adventure should be much smoother.

As mentioned earlier, those who make a vow with the Princess will receive additional blessings when using this miracle. Sid felt his whole being become more energetic and even stronger. He tried to push the Stone Gate and found that the Stone Gate, which previously required him to add several Buff Magic and the Mage Hand to push, could now be pushed by him with both hands.

Strengthening power? No, it's strengthening everything, all attributes.

The enhancement effect is not as strong as the Oath of Revenge, but it can be stacked within a limited number of uses.

Even with the most discerning eye, this oath is still not enough to motivate adventurers to overcome countless difficulties to come here and make it. The effect of the Sunlight Princess Ring is not satisfactory; the slow recovery of life force is indeed slow, and such inefficiency cannot be tolerated in battle.

Sid always felt that there were other explanations for these two miracles, such as the statement in the introduction that "those who believe in the sun will become more courageous."

He thought of the Sun Warrior. Could it be that these two miracles had an additional effect on the Sun Warrior?

What is this, a faction collaboration?

He doesn't have any Sun Warrior on hand right now, so he can only go out and catch one to experiment on. But before he goes out, he has to clean up the rest of the stuff.

There was nothing left in Sunlight Princess's palace, and it would be difficult to find anything new if she stayed any longer. There were still many places in the castle that had not been explored, but without Solaire, Sid himself was too tired to explore.

He walked back to the Brass Woman, because she seemed to have said that he could come back to her after completing the trial.

Upon arrival, Sid discovered that he could exchange his soul for the armor of Ornstein and Smough from the other party.

Ornstein's armor is fine, but can anyone actually fit into Smough's armor?

Sid was not interested in these things and was about to leave, but then he suddenly remembered something and turned back. He repeatedly killed several giant guards to collect their souls, and then added the souls he got from the boss battle. He then exchanged them with the Brass Woman for a set of Ornstein armor.

He doesn't wear it; he's saving it to give away.

He always had a feeling that as the reputation of the Zane Dungeon grew, more trouble would come his way. For example, the Leyndell Guild had protested before, and the Holy Light Church would cause some trouble sooner or later. So he needed to find a protective umbrella to shield himself from trouble.

Older people know that they are not afraid of difficulties, but they are too lazy to deal with troubles.

As for who is most attracted to Ornstein's armor...

That's obvious at a glance.

After defeating Ornstein and Smough, Sid received news that he could leave Anor Londo at any time, and after putting away his armor, he left.

Back in Irithyll, looking at the Onion Knight sleeping soundly by the campfire, he was still a little dazed. Only after coming out did he realize that his body was exhausted, and that his mind had long been at its limit.

But as soon as they sat down by the campfire, another scene appeared before them, and Rudolph's figure appeared, asking if they wanted to be transformed into a soul.

"You're so dedicated, old man."

Smough's soul can be refined into three things:

First, Smough's Great Hammer, compared to the regular version that can be found in Irithyll, has the ability to absorb slightly more of the enemy's life force during combat, and also carries the Weapon Skill [Endurance].

Second, War Ash [Thunderbolt Crash], War Ash is made in imitation of Smough's massive buttocks Mount Tai Pressure down from the sky, releasing a wide range of lightning while unleashing tremendous power.

Third, the Executioner's Blood. Those who choose this will increase their strength by being more ruthless in battle, but this increase is not permanent and must be repeated in every battle.

Sid looked at them and realized they didn't fit his fighting style at all, so he didn't choose to forge a soul and bid farewell to Rudolph.

"Hmm, teaming up with Solaire to kill one of the Four Knights of Gwyn and a powerful executioner, that should shut Jia Paer up."

As he walked toward the campfire where teleportation was possible, Sid couldn't help but ponder the matter.

How can I let Jia Paer, who has disappeared without a trace, know that I have accomplished these things? I should publicize it, but at my age, will I be criticized for being unreserved if I show my face in public? But I am also unwilling to give up if I don't publicize it.

"No, we really need to promote it."

He clapped his hands and made a decision: not only would he promote it, but he would also personally deliver the message.

Instead of going back to Bede City, I'm heading to Lake Liurnia teeming with adventurers!

He's going to the busiest pub to give a groundbreaking speech!

Throughout the journey, Sid pondered what tone of voice to use, what arm gestures to make, and how to tell the whole story.

"We must achieve the most perfect result."

With that in mind, he arrived at the Academy Gate Town.

As soon as he emerged from the campfire, he suddenly heard a commotion coming from the square where people were gathered. He didn't know what they were doing there.

Using visual enhancement magic to take a closer look, wow, the person standing on the stage giving a passionate speech was actually Lu Lu Wo, and next to Lu Lu Wo was Fingel.

The two men, holding "microphones" made from megaphone stones, sang and danced on stage, sometimes waving their hands, sometimes turning their heads, their expressions and movements full of passion, which greatly stirred the emotions of the adventurers.

Wait a minute, isn't it my turn to steal the spotlight? Sid was full of questions. Had he come at the wrong time?

I enhanced my hearing with magic and was finally able to hear Fingel's words clearly:

"The wicked Pontiff Sulyvahn has kidnapped our kind and gentle Gwyndolin! Everyone, follow me and charge in! Rescue the leader of the Dark Moon Blade!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Did I miss a few episodes?

Sid's expression of astonishment was almost exactly the same as the emotion reflected in the above statement.

This was the first time he had ever seen adventurers so excited, like, uh, they were on steroids.

You weren't this excited when the Zane Dungeon went berserk and we asked you to protect Bede City!

Just then, Lu Lu Wo on the stage noticed him, chuckled, and greeted him:

"Guild Master, won't you come up and say a few words?"