Gwyndolin: But I Refuse

When he heard Gwyndolin's voice, Fingel stopped in his tracks.

He turned around in confusion, completely unexpected that the other party would react to the Yorshka's Chime he was carrying.

I knew the afterimages of the Zane Dungeon were unusual, but was it really that unusual?

He must have felt a mix of surprise and delight at that moment, and was pondering how to answer, but he inadvertently took a little too long to think.

"Um, the atmosphere is a bit awkward. Why don't you say something first?" Serena suddenly reminded her.

"What's wrong with the atmosphere?" Fingel was preoccupied with figuring out how to answer, and in his mind, Gwyndolin was simply waiting quietly for his reply.

"Why don't you even look outside?"

Serena forcibly turned his head back, and only then did he understand why the atmosphere was tense.

Because Anor Londo outside the Dark Moon Mausoleum is currently undergoing a rapid transition between day and night!

In the adventurers' minds, everything in Anor Londo is controlled by Gwyn through illusions, so the rapid switching between day and night should mean that the caster's mind is extremely unsettled!

The pressure suddenly intensified, and his intuition told him that if he didn't say something soon, Gwyndolin might just run out of the Fog Gate and shoot him!

Fingel, who considered himself an honest man, immediately recounted the origins of Yorshka's Chime, including the welcome he received during the campaign against Sulyvahn and Aldrich, as well as the fact that Gwyndolin was eaten.

The moment those words left her lips, Serena noticed that the sky over Anor Londo had darkened.

Oh no, could it be that Gwyndolin is angry? But wait, there's no reason for him to be angry at us.

Silence followed the Fog Gate.

Fingel was thinking, if Gwyndolin knew what was going to happen, what would he do now?

Is it to take immediate action, or...

His breathing suddenly became heavier. Could it be that there was a way to change the tragedy that followed?

Yes, if a reaction occurs, there's no reason why it won't trigger a series of subsequent events; it can't just be a simple reaction.

"So, that kind of thing can happen."

Gwyndolin's sigh echoed from behind the Fog Gate, and the sky over Anor Londo suddenly brightened and stabilized.

"What surprises me even more is your identities, and my identity here. So that's how it is."

He realized his own afterimage identity? As expected of a god's afterimage, he didn't even show the slightest sign of collapse!

Continuing with his own thoughts, Fingel asked hopefully, "Don't you want to stop what's going to happen next? Is there anything I can do?"

His idea was simple: everyone wants to change the tragedy, that's for sure!

"No."

The voice behind the Fog Gate carried a hint of sadness, yet also a faint sense of relief and decisiveness.

"If that is my destiny, I will accept it and there is no need to change it."

Now it was Fingel's turn to be stunned.

"Why?"

He pressed on, "Don't you want to continue living? Don't you want to continue protecting the flame?"

"The matter you speak of has been separated from this place by an unknown amount of time, so much so that even the gods cannot foresee the future."

Gwyndolin's tone became no different from usual; he simply spoke quietly.

"Like my father Gwyn, he never imagined that sacrificing himself to prolong the First Flame would only sustain it for a short time for the world. It would take countless heroes to sacrifice themselves to keep the flame burning."

"The things you have described, whether the people or the places, are all quite unfamiliar to me. Even the future is too far away."

"Perhaps in that future, the path I have been so determined to protect will no longer be suitable for the times, and my death will be proof of that."

"If that is indeed the case, then I will accept my end."

Fingel frowned and asked, "Aren't you resentful?"

"Of course I'm not willing to accept this."

"Passing on the flame is my father's long-cherished wish. I am here to protect it and I will Consecration everything to this great cause. No matter what, I must ensure that the flame continues."

Even knowing the outcome, I will remain here.

He let out a sigh.

"But"

The sound suddenly disappeared, and the Dark Moon Mausoleum was shrouded in silence. No more voices came from behind the Fog Gate.

"But" what? Please finish your sentence!

What bothered Fingel the most was that he had only said half of what he wanted to say, and what made him even more uncomfortable was that Gwyndolin didn't seem surprised by his bad ending and didn't seem to have any intention of changing it!

He had assumed that once the other party learned about Aldrich's situation, they would immediately set about rewriting history!

This calm and decisive demeanor actually left him at a loss for what to do!

What kind of magnanimity is this? The demeanor of a god? At least make sure you survive before you start showing any magnanimity.

Just then, Serena, who was standing nearby, exclaimed:

"As expected of a god, such demeanor is beyond the reach of mortals. Truly worthy of being the god that Ornstein protected."

"You can only show your magnanimity after you've survived."

He floated back up to the campfire and stared at it, lost in thought.

"What's wrong? Are you hoping he'll make you do something to change the future?" Serena followed. "But he also realizes he's just an afterimage, right? What else can he do?"

"But this is the Zane Dungeon."

Fingel couldn't understand why he was sulking. "Everyone thinks that Sion is extraordinary and can definitely do something that can be called a miracle. It's not impossible for the afterimage to change the future, is it?"

Serena did not refute; in fact, she agreed with the other party's assessment of Sain.

But--

"I believe that what has already happened should not be changed."

Serena's demeanor turned serious, and she said:

"Gwyndolin, as a god, protected the linking of the fire during his life. After his death, half of his soul was devoured by Aldrich, and in the end, he and Aldrich became the kindling for linking the fire. This is already a perfect legend of a god. No, perhaps it should be called a legend of a hero."

"People want to see good people get good rewards," Fingel countered.

"You're the one who wants to see it, aren't you?" Serena directly pointed out the other person's thoughts, saying:

"The tragic ending elevates everything about the hero. The things born from the hero's tragedy become the driving force for the growth of future generations. If you forcibly change the ending, then what do you want to see: the hero himself or the hero in your heart?"

"That sounds nice, like writing an article," Fingel shook his head. "What if your favorite Ornstein also ended up in the same tragic way? Would you still be as calm as you are now?"

Serena smiled and said:

"I wouldn't necessarily be calm, but I'll only like him more."

"Tsk, I can't reason with you."

Fingel floated up, his ghostly body swaying.

"I think Gwyndolin is different from those tragic heroes. He originally wanted to protect the link of the fire forever, but Sulyvahn's conspiracy led to his failure. If given the choice, he would definitely choose to break the conspiracy and continue to maintain the link of the fire. The tragic ending was not his own choice, but was forced upon him."

"Since the Zane Dungeon is willing to make the afterimage react to things in the future, I believe it's not just about having new dialogues, but there will definitely be a deeper development. Sien has never let me down."

"Even if it's out of selfishness, I just want to see if there's any possibility of tragedy."

When Fingel said this, he wasn't actually thinking about Gwyndolin, but rather about his homeland that had been destroyed by the "evil sorcerer".

If possible, if there were a chance to reverse time, he would do everything in his power to go back and stop that "evil magician" from turning all the people of his hometown into monsters that were neither human nor ghost, even if he was ultimately defeated and died along with the people of his hometown.

In the case of Gwyndolin, he was actually projecting himself onto the character.

To some extent, it was indeed out of selfishness.

If the debate continues, it might turn into a full-blown argument. Serena wasn't there to argue, and she could tell that the other person had something on their mind.

She shrugged, sighed with a smile, and said:

"I thought you were a more rational person, but it turns out you just haven't encountered anything that makes you emotional."

"Tch, Princess Highness, have you seen enough? Can we leave now?"

"Okay, wait a few minutes."

Serena took out a book from her ring and began to read. Obscure and incomprehensible characters came into view, and crazy babbling rang in her ears, causing her mental state to plummet like a cliff, and she was about to reach the danger zone.

This book was specially made for her by the Court Magician. The knowledge in it is a collection of obscure and difficult-to-understand advanced magical knowledge for her. Forcing herself to read it will only damage her mental state.

The advantage of doing this is that you can quickly leave the Painting World!

This technique was only discovered after the emergence of the Painting World of Anor Londo. Before that, there were not many Painting World, and those who entered did not have the intention of leaving quickly.

It can only be said that demand creates the market.

Not long after, a pale-faced Serena left the Painting World, and Fingel, who was possessing her summoned beast, was also taken out with her.

Not much time had passed in the outside world; at most, only half a day had passed.

When they came out, they saw that Aleya and Matilda, who were bored, had drawn circles and crosses all over Onion Knight. The two of them were playing tic-tac-toe!

Upon seeing the Princess emerge, the two immediately pulled out various spirit-replenishing potions they had prepared and poured them down her throat. Aleya was still casting corresponding magic, and Serena's complexion improved considerably, making her look like she could at least fight for another whole day!

"Alright, now that we've achieved our goal, can we leave?"

Having regained his human form, Fingel was still a little unaccustomed to it. His mind was full of Gwyndolin, and he just wanted to get back as soon as possible to discuss things with his companions.

But just then, Serena suddenly grabbed his sleeve, her eyes sparkling, and said:

"Can we stay a little longer? Just a little while. I don't want to go back so soon."

Why are you acting so inappropriately again?

Fingel clutched his forehead, groaning. He looked at his companions, who all nodded.

In fact, the members of Hasawi Squad had long anticipated that Serena might not want to go home, and they had prepared countermeasures for such a situation.

All you need to do is put Serena in danger in the dungeon, torment her until she wants to go back!

The person who came up with this idea is a genius.

They had already decided on their destination: a spot just steps away from the kitchen and campfire.

Irithyll Underground Jail!