Zane's "Conservatism"

Gong Qiying will make some changes to the effects of items produced in the Zane Dungeon.

The Talismans Pouch in front of people is the best proof of this.

In the original Elden Ring Yugi, players would acquire amulets, which had various effects. However, the number of Talisman Slot was limited, and the Talismans Pouch's effect was to add one more Talisman Slot.

In this world, there are no restrictions on Talisman Slot. Adventurers can weave amulets into a suit of armor to wear or wear rings on all ten fingers and toes without anyone interfering. Therefore, the original Talismans Pouch is dispensable to adventurers, or rather, completely useless.

Therefore, the effect of the Talismans Pouch has changed now.

It has become a way to enhance the power of the amulet placed inside!

Gong Qiying filled in a value that he considered rather conservative regarding the initial Talismans Pouch's ability to enhance the amulet's effect. Yes, in his own opinion.

As for the reason, it's obviously because he wants to sell a bunch of enhancements!

He designed the Talismans Pouch to be enhanced, just like his weapon, and it required a higher-grade, Somber Smithing Stone than a regular Forging Stone to be enhanced!

This can be considered a way to increase the time adventurers spend in dungeons.

Even so, adventurers would find it hard to resist the allure of such items, not only for their enhanced amulet effects, but more importantly...

"Won't the amulets placed in this leather bag put a burden on our bodies?"

You Fei said in surprise.

Everything comes at a price. If you want to become stronger, you need to train. If you don't want to train and instead rely on external things, you have to bear certain conditions imposed by those external things.

The most obvious example is Da Er, the man who likes to enhance himself.

He has recently been working on improving his stamina in order to make his body stronger and able to withstand the burden of more buffs.

Da Er's signature Ultimate Skill is to apply ten to twenty buffs to himself and then use a Wolf Leap when he is at his physical and mental limit. This move can even take down Artorias!

But it was just a brief encounter. If it really came down to a fight, he still wouldn't be able to win. After using this move, his body would be unable to withstand the burden of so many buffs and would break down. He wouldn't even be able to stand up, just like a certain red demon whose body had been drained by the Explosion Magic.

He needs to have the ability to unleash this move like a normal attack before he can actually fight Artorias. Before that, any idea of defeating him is just wishful thinking.

If Dahl possesses this Talismans Pouch, Da Er will be less burdened by the amulet's power, gaining two more buffs and making his Ultimate Skill even stronger!

After all, while the amulets and rings produced in the Zane Dungeon can continuously enhance the wearer's abilities, this enhancement will also put a burden on the body. Even if it is very small, as the benefits increase, the burden will become more and more obvious until the body is ruined.

If the boost is this significant for Da Er, then the boost from the Talismans Pouch would be even greater for ordinary adventurers with lower strength.

"I really don't feel any pressure at all."

You Fei tossed the Warrior Pot Shard that her father had given her into her Talismans Pouch and tried out a random Weapon Skill. The Weapon Skill, which was originally only powerful enough to hit trees, suddenly shattered the sturdy city wall, causing a section of bricks to explode!

"Moreover, the amplification effect is quite considerable."

Gong Qiying's self-perceived conservative figures did not seem so conservative to You Fei.

She immediately beamed with joy, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons. She wasn't going to pretend to be reserved; when it was time to be happy, she was going to be really happy!

If even she reacted this way, you can imagine how the others would react.

With an excited heart and trembling hands, Te Pi slowly stroked the Talismans Pouch in his hand, just as Ghrū would caress the Magic Ring. His expression was the very embodiment of the word "joy."

"Brother, it's golden!" Yi Sha excitedly grabbed Fan En's shoulders and shook him repeatedly. The latter chuckled and let her shake him. The two, who came from a small town, had never seen golden lights before. Right now, they couldn't think of anything else but being happy.

The threat of ominous demons? With the rewards so overwhelming, who cares about that stuff! It's just a possibility of danger in the dungeon anyway.

If you're so capable, come out of the dungeon and beat me up!

It's unclear how much time passed before people finally finished having fun and gradually calmed down from their excitement.

Fan En turned around and looked at the majestic and magnificent Stormveil Castle behind him. The sky was gradually darkening, and a storm swirled above the fortress, which was filled with a murderous aura. It was as if the sky was about to fall down, and an unspeakable heavy power lingered here.

By the way, the Ominous Demon was just an appetizer. Defeating it meant they had earned the right to enter Stormveil Castle. Their exploration had only just begun.

"Even the gatekeepers are this strong. What kind of dangers lurk within this castle? And just how powerful is this demigod, Godrick?"

Unlike the Catacombs of Carthus, which subtly hints at and emphasizes the immense power of Overlord Wolnir through its backstory, creating a sense of oppression, adventurers' impression of Godrick so far is limited to what the White Mask describes as "old and ugly," with no positive portrayal whatsoever.

But the mere title of demigod was enough to make the adventurers feel oppressed. No one believed that Godrick was really "old and ugly," after all, the White Mask guy looked arrogant by nature, and it wasn't impossible for him to say something derogatory.

The reason why adventurers treat Godrick with caution is ultimately because the concept of a demigod truly exists in reality.

"Even so, we must continue exploring." You Fei tossed her hair, stood with her gun in hand, and said, "There are countless treasures ahead, cough cough, I mean, worthy enemies waiting for us."

"You've already revealed your true thoughts," Fan En thought to himself.

I never expected that someone like You Fei would be attracted by a reward. Judging from her appearance alone, I would have thought she was the martial arts fanatic type.

Te Pi stood up with an ambitious look on his face. "Shall we continue into the city? I feel that long-lost excitement."

This is like saying that you used to fight so passionately every day, but before you were beaten up by Leon you were living a life of luxury. Fan En once again becomes the one who makes sarcastic remarks.

But no matter how much we complain, it's still early and everyone has energy, so exploring Stormveil Castle is a must.

But there is one more thing to do before we officially enter the city.

"Let's rest here for a while. I'll contact Aide Jia and wait for him to arrive before we set off again."

After defeating the Ominous Demon, a blessing appears at the end of the bridge. Resting there will greatly improve your stamina recovery.

But what does You Fei mean by contacting Aide Jia? Could there be someone else who came in with them?

Moreover, the name Aide Jia seems to be the title of the magician who came with the Second Prince, Lan Le.

You Fei took out a magical artifact for communication and, while infusing it with magic, said, "We succeeded. We can now enter Stormveil Castle. How's your Radiant Stone collection progressing?"

After a while, Aide Jia's voice came from the magical artifact, but it didn't sound very pleasant; he said somewhat sullenly:

"I understand, I'll go now."

You Fei jumped back to the Fog Gate, picked up the backpack she had left there, and took out a jar the size of a human head, which was filled to the brim with bright red flesh and blood.

She placed the jar on the ground and then arranged several scrolls inscribed with Magic Array around it. The Magic Array lit up, and the flesh inside the jar suddenly began to writhe, bursting out of the jar and landing on the Magic Array, rapidly changing shape.

"How disgusting, is this even considered magic?"

You Fei shook her head, turned around, and jumped back to the place of blessing.

This jar of flesh and blood can also be considered a magical artifact. According to Aide Jia, it's a unique magic he created by combining alchemy, which can temporarily create a body exactly like his own to carry his spirit, even if it looks a bit sinister.

Aide Jia had previously developed a strong interest in the brilliance stones that Te Pi had brought back. After studying them for a few days, he decided to enter the Zane Dungeon and personally visit the Sorcerous Town of Sellia, the source of these brilliance stones.

They happened to run into You Fei and her group who were also going into the dungeon, so they teamed up.

However, he had no interest in fighting the ominous demon, so he did not come. He simply told everyone to let him know when they were able to enter Stormveil Castle.

Fortunately, the strength of the boss behind the Fog Gate varied depending on the number of adventurers entering the Fog Gate and the number of summoned assistants, which prevented people from fighting a stronger ominous demon.

"What are your thoughts on the battle just now? Do you feel like you've gained more combat experience?"

You Fei was about to give some pointers to everyone when she turned around.

Everyone sitting in front of the blessing were looking in the same direction, even though there was nothing in the air there. They acted as if someone was actually there.

"Hey, what's going on with you guys—"

You Fei immediately sensed something was wrong, and just as she was about to go over, a sudden change occurred.

Fan En and his group vanished in an instant!

She stopped walking.

"Disappeared?"

You Fei fell into deep thought.

A moment later, she resolutely walked to the blessing platform and sat down, muttering to herself:

"There is no danger near Blessed, I trust Saine."

The moment she sat down at the blessing spot, she finally understood why Fan En and the others were looking at the air to their side.

Because there, Melina, whom they hadn't seen for many days, appeared.

"I'm sorry, but I've actually been observing you these past few days and I'm wondering if you really want to visit the Elden Ring."

Accompanied by a stream of light, this mysterious figure appeared beside You Fei, his face always calm, but his words were puzzling.

You Fei was about to say it was okay when Melina continued:

"It turns out I was worrying unnecessarily. From the beginning, Torrent believed you. I wasn't sincere enough."

Melina looked genuinely guilty, which made one want to show her some concern.

It seems no one blamed her for this, but she herself felt apologetic first, making people wonder if she took it too seriously.

But this has a unique kind of cuteness, or is it something else?

"But there is one thing I can guide you on."

"The Roundtable Hold is where the guided Tarnished, the heroes, gather."

She seemed to have mentioned the name of an extraordinary place.

"I can take you there."

Are you going to the Roundtable Hold?