Archdragon Peak Concluded

"Princess Highness, Matilda has arrived."

With the Princess's permission, Matilda pushed open the door and entered, where she saw Serena in the study.

The latter looked tired, and seemed to have dark circles under his eyes, appearing to be overworked.

However, upon seeing Matilda arrive, she showed delight and invited her to sit down.

Adventurers are a group prone to getting carried away with their emotions, so they naturally need to be calmed down in the atmosphere of impending war. Hasawi Squad and some other prestigious adventurers were commissioned by the Royal Palace to appease the adventurers.

So Matilda actually came to the Royal Palace to report on matters, and also to visit Serena, because she heard that Serene had been having a very hard time lately.

There have been two similar visits to Serena, and each time she would say with her eyes shining:

"Quickly, tell me what's going on outside?"

However, this time, Serena didn't say those words immediately.

Matilda found it a little strange, but she still told him what had happened recently.

For example, the number of Dragon Head Stone that have recently entered the market has reached eight. Some people are renting out Dragon Head Stone for a fee, only to find that there is actually a limit to the number of times they can be used. Once the limit is reached, they will automatically break.

Since most people who can use the Dragon Head Stone to transform are powerful experts, people's attitude towards the Dragon Head has changed from initially watching and mocking its strange appearance to thinking that the Dragon Head is very cool. Stylists have already started designing various dragon horn styles for people who have transformed into Dragon Heads.

Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the Nameless King has no reaction to either Yorshka's Chime or the Darkmoon Longbow.

Also, the Ornstein armor that others found at the Archdragon Peak was brand new, without any signs of weathering, but it still couldn't be worn as normal equipment.

"So, the set I brought back is the only one of its kind?" Serena looked at the armor she had hung on the wall, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

Surprisingly, the weathered version of the Ornstein Armor was the exclusive find of the first adventurers to discover it.

"Also, this is what Fingel said he was giving to you as a gift."

Matilda produced an ingenious device, which looked like a small photo-taking device that could be clipped to clothing. It was only the size of a fingernail, and its color would change according to the surrounding environment after being touched.

"This is a magical prop made from Image Transmission Stone. Currently, real-time transmission technology is still lacking, so this prop cannot transmit the captured images in real time, but will be delayed. The exact delay depends on the amount of magic power injected."

She explained how to use it.

"Although this one I'm giving you can also take pictures, its main function is to receive images, to receive images transmitted from other Image Transmission Stone."

"Is it really that amazing?" Serena exclaimed in amazement.

Matilda smiled and said, "Although you can't leave the Royal Palace, we will record our adventures and send them to you, as a way to relax from your busy schedule."

Serena looked moved and couldn't help but hold the other person's hands, her eyes seemingly glistening with tears.

Hasawi Squad really treats her as a friend!

However...

After Matilda left, Serena looked at the Image Transmission Device with a slightly embarrassed expression.

In fact, she had traveled back and forth between the Royal Palace and the Zane Dungeon yesterday, the day before yesterday, and even once before, relying on the Road Home and the Teleportation Necklace. Dark circles had appeared under her eyes.

"After all, it was everyone's good intention."

She picked up the Image Transmission Device and pressed it onto the necklace. The device's color immediately changed, making it appear to blend seamlessly with the necklace.

That night, in the Zane Dungeon.

Serena appeared at Firelink Shrine, her entire body completely concealed. Upon entering the dungeon, she immediately entered the Painting World, "On the Path of the Ancient Dragons."

Just like a child who secretly plays computer Yugi while their parents are sleeping, she now needs to make the most of every second.

At the familiar foot of Archdragon Peak Mountain, amidst the familiar scenes, looking at this place where she had challenged herself for several days, she embarked on the path of climbing upwards almost the instant Ornstein leaped into the air and left.

The familiar cold and the pain of the rocks grinding together surged forth, but as long as there was a firm goal in mind, the climb did not seem too difficult.

She ran uphill for several hundred meters before finally coming to a stop, because the pain intensified there.

"Phew, it's bearable. Let's keep running upwards."

The sounds of Ornstein fighting dragons echoed from above. She felt she might have discovered why the number of dragons at Archdragon Peak had decreased later; they were probably killed by Ornstein.

As she continued climbing, the pain intensified once more. She gritted her teeth and persevered.

Since she was able to sneak into the dungeon, she has devoted all her limited time to conquering this Painting World, and her progress has been steady. Today is the day she plans to make her final showdown.

So many adventurers far stronger than her challenged this place, why was she the only one who dared to call it a "final battle"?

When you reach the halfway point, the so-called suffering is not just the physical pain of cold and friction against rocks, but also the added mental challenge.

As adventurers climb upwards, the goals they hold in their hearts will transform into nightmares that relentlessly attack their minds, with effects almost comparable to Hell March.

One unsolvable problem is that so far, the adventurers who have challenged this Painting World have not taken it truly seriously, unlike those who are steadfast in their pursuit of the truth. This often leads to them being unable to persevere when faced with mental attacks.

Serena is an outlier.

The adventurer's goal will become a nightmare attacking their heart. What is the Princess's goal? It is to climb up and see Ornstein.

This resulted in her being subjected to a form of psychological attack where several Ornstein surrounded her, casting merciless contemptuous glances at her as if she were an ant!

The thought of this scene excited her—no, it invigorated her—so she continued climbing!

The higher you climb, the stronger the wind becomes.

"Oh, I saw it again!"

Serena saw Ornstein again, and witnessed him fighting the dragon up close.

The last time she entered the Painting World, she got too close and was hit by flying debris from the aftershocks of the battle, falling off a cliff. So this time, even though she was excited, she didn't dare to get too close.

With a single shot, Ornstein pinned the dragon to the mountain, sending rocks flying. Serena quickly ducked to avoid the attack.

This time, however, the pebbles didn't hit her. She looked up in confusion and only saw the lion knight's figure disappearing into the distance.

That's strange.

Muttering to herself, Serena continued climbing. The closer she got to the summit, the more unbearable the pressure became. She had reached a height she had never been before, and the occasional gale almost blew her slender body away.

But we're getting closer; the end of the journey is near.

Hope shone in her eyes. Just then, the bell rang, and endless clouds gathered at the mountaintop. Could it be that Ornstein had rung the bell?

The sound of the bell was accompanied by a biting, cold wind, far stronger than ever before!

"Ah!"

The sudden gust of wind caught Serena off guard; the rock she was gripping tightly slipped from her grasp, and her body lurched backward.

At the same time, in the same place, different people.

Leon, standing halfway up the Archdragon Peak, looked up at the imposing figure of Ornstein before him, a look of surprise and uncertainty on his face.

After the other person left, he relaxed and rested in a relatively flat place, reflecting on the scene just now.

He had just witnessed the battle between Ornstein and the dragon. After the dragon died, it rolled down the mountain and was about to knock him off.

Then, Ornstein suddenly appeared and blocked the dragon's corpse!?

It was like saving his life!

Looking at the dragon's corpse in front of him, Leon fell into deep thought.

Perhaps due to his professional ethics, he observed the Painting World very carefully.

Each time an adventurer dies, the Painting World will not restart; the adventurer will have to start from scratch, and everything will be reset only when they re-enter.

Besides enduring various forms of pain and pressure, the climb also presents a host of unexpected challenges, such as falling rocks or the aftermath of battles between experts. Each of these unexpected events could be fatal at first glance.

Leon had repeated this climbing route dozens of times and gradually discovered something:

These unexpected events sometimes repeat themselves!

This is the third time he's encountered a dragon corpse that just rolled down!

That's quite understandable, since the Painting World is just a record of a story, and there will inevitably be repetitions.

But why did Ornstein help him this time?

The first two times, he was either hit by the flying dragon's corpse or narrowly escaped, so why was he helped this time?

Leon continued climbing with doubts, and soon reached the section where he began to suffer mental attacks, his expression immediately turning painful.

It seems that after beating his father and sister and resolving his inner conflicts, he no longer had any targets that could be considered obsessions, so he was naturally more distressed when he suffered from mental attacks.

But just then, he saw Ornstein walking steadily in the distance ahead, and the latter suddenly turned around and glanced at him.

The moment their eyes met, Leon suddenly shuddered; he seemed to understand something.

"So that's how it is, similar to Solaire's situation?"

Solaire, who is in the Painting World, will show different attitudes to adventurers based on their behavior, and will also inherit the attitudes toward adventurers from the previous Painting World.

And here, Ornstein seems to remember the efforts of the adventurers who came to challenge this Painting World before!

Leon remembered that when he first came here, Ornstein didn't even glance at him, as if he were just a pebble on the roadside.

When he falls because of his lack of willpower, Ornstein will glance at him, but his eyes will be filled with pity and contempt.

As Four Knights of Gwyn, Ornstein would naturally not despise the weak, but what if he faced someone who was not weak but failed because of a lack of willpower?

Leon made up his mind to continue challenging this Painting World because he sensed the other party's gaze, leaving the exploration of the Archdragon Peak to Malu and the others.

He was knocked off a cliff by flying rocks during the battle with Ornstein, blown away by the shockwaves of battle, and even killed by the corpse of a dragon. The setbacks he experienced were exactly the same as those suffered by Serena.

He failed time and time again, yet he kept trying, until just now he realized something.

Both the rubble and the shockwave disappeared without a trace!

It was only when Ornstein casually blocked the dragon's corpse for him that he realized the other party seemed to be consciously protecting him.

No, it's not so much about protection. A more accurate way to put it is that I controlled the impact of my own battle to prevent Leon from being affected!

Was it because he saw how hard he was working that Ornstein did this?

This statement might be overly narcissistic, but Leon firmly believed it, because when he met Ornstein's gaze just now, he clearly sensed an emotion beneath the lion helmet—

Encourage!

Ornstein is Dragonslayer, not on the same side as those who seek the power of ancient dragons. However, as a hero, he admires those who have a strong will and keep challenging even after failure.

That's the spirit of a hero!

That's why they would casually lend a small helping hand to the adventurers?

This was an idea that Leon had conjured up, but it did indeed energize him. To receive encouragement from a hero is an honor for anyone.

The immersive experience is amazing!

As he continued climbing, Leon suddenly thought of a question.

"If someone in the Painting World were to work even harder than me, would Ornstein's attitude change even more?"

On the other side.

Serena was about to fall, the finish line was so close, but failure was inevitable, and she closed her eyes in despair.

But just then—

"Bang!"

Suddenly, she heard the sound of rocks cracking behind her. Her back hit something, and she stopped falling abruptly.

Looking back, she couldn't help but widen her eyes.

Yes, it's Dragonslaying Spear! Dragonslaying Spear stuck in the ground!

Before she could even react, the Dragonslaying Spear seemed to be summoned, rising from the ground and hurtling towards the mountaintop.

"Ah"

Serena sat there for a few seconds, her eyes slowly widening, her expression filled with uncontrollable Furious Rajang.

"I... I was rescued? By Ornstein?"

Encouraged greatly, an unprecedented power suddenly surged within her body. She felt so energetic that she could kill ten Iliphis a single punch!

She sprinted towards the summit almost as if she were running, leaving the cold and nightmares behind, with only one thought in her mind: to reach the top!

Closer, closer to the summit, she'll be there soon—

When she gripped the edge of the cliff tightly with both hands and her gaze finally fell on the mountaintop, she saw a scene that looked like a video.

Above the churning clouds, two imposing figures stand facing each other.

That was the Nameless King and Ornstein.

The Storm Dragon hovered in the sky, perhaps sensing the tense atmosphere, and did not roar.

The Nameless King and Ornstein stood facing each other with guns drawn, staring at each other in silence, as if they had said nothing, yet as if they had said everything.

Is Ornstein questioning his former comrade about why he's turned around and protected the dragon? Or is the Nameless King explaining his reasons?

Serena didn't understand; all she knew was that she should obediently shut her mouth and not say a word.

At this moment, the two sides in the standoff moved, and they simultaneously raised their weapons!

It seemed like they exchanged dozens or even hundreds of blows in an instant, but to Serena, whose strength couldn't keep up, the battle ended in a flash.

"Bass--"

Ornstein's Dragonslaying Spear flew from his hand and embedded itself in the wall in the distance.

After a long silence, Serena broke out in a cold sweat. Was the Nameless King about to strike?

However, contrary to her expectations.

Nameless sheathed his weapon, turned and left, and the Storm Dragon descended from the sky, stopping beside his friend.

Ornstein seemed to have figured it out and felt relieved; his body was no longer tense.

"Bang, bang"

The golden armor was removed piece by piece, and the clouds Archdragon Peak grew thicker and thicker, making it almost impossible for Serena to see anything clearly.

In her sight, Ornstein, having shed all his burdens, turned and left, gradually disappearing into the fog until he was nowhere to be seen.

"Wait, wait a minute!"

Serena suddenly cried out, her voice filled with resentment and regret, she shouted:

"I haven't even seen her face yet!"

The next second, the clouds and mist completely dissipated, and bright sunlight descended, leaving the vast mountaintop empty and devoid of anything.

Only a single golden spot remained where Ornstein had previously stood.

Serena didn't pay any attention to the light spots; she just pounded the ground in regret.

"What a great opportunity to see her face clearly!"

Thus, the entire story hidden at the Archdragon Peak has been revealed.

Meanwhile, a new story is about to unfold.

In the Skyrim Strategy Team's camp in Lake Liurnia.

Are you really going to do this?

Lu Lu Wo said worriedly, "I don't think your guild leader would agree so easily."

"Yes, I've made up my mind."

It was Elsa who spoke, stroking the greatsword in her hand, the Sword Remains Greatsword gleaming coldly behind her.

"I am leaving the Light Eagle Legion today."