Crucible Knight

Let's go back to before the bells rang to close the dungeon.

"Just by defeating a boss and obtaining the Great Rune, will so many changes occur in the dungeon?"

You Fei watched the door slowly open and saw Two Fingers and Granny Enya's figure through the crack.

I couldn't help but recall that there were three more leaders to choose from at the round table, and I also saw the Elden Lord's obsession with protecting the head of the dragon. Now, even the previously closed gate has been opened.

How should I put it? Although there was no real reward, she felt like she had gained a lot, as if she had done something amazing and the whole world was celebrating for her.

The reason why this design appears in the Zane Dungeon is probably because Gong Qiying is the type of player who likes to experience a series of changes in Yugi after completing an important event, so he unconsciously did the same when creating the dungeon.

Who wouldn't love Yugi with a wide variety of variations?

"Logically speaking, a normal person would run over to check it out after seeing that door open."

You Fei looked at the door where the Two Fingers were, and the rebellious spirit that belonged to young people suddenly came over her.

"But I refuse!"

While exploring Stormveil Castle, she acquired a piece of War Ash called "Determination" and also collected some Forging Stone. It seemed like she should use it to enhance her beloved weapon. In addition, she thought that the Twin Maiden Husks might also have some new products because of this change, so she wanted to go and take a look.

There are so many miscellaneous tasks to do, and the closure of the dungeon is imminent. The newly opened gate looks like it will lead to very time-consuming tasks once you go inside.

Therefore, she decided to defy the rules and not go to the Zane Dungeon for now!

"Mr. Hewg, I'm here to ask you for a favor again."

You Fei first went to the blacksmith Hewg and attached the War Ash Determination to his most frequently used spear, but did not use Forging Stone to strengthen the spear.

She recently posted a quest on the Adventurers' Guild, asking people to help hunt monsters in the Forest Area and then find the Felyne to forge a spear using monster materials. She suddenly became interested in that kind of weapon, and it is said that using Forging Stone to enhance weapons produced in the Zane Dungeon will have a better effect, so she will save up her stone points for now.

After taking the replaced spear from Hewg, You Fei wandered around the other doors, but they remained closed.

"Huh?"

She suddenly stopped in her tracks, because she discovered that the door to another room was open!

Not far from the Twin Maiden Husks, a room door opened, revealing a bright fire and a room full of books. There was even a person wearing skull armor standing guard at the door.

"Is that an afterimage? Hello?"

You Fei tried to talk to the person at the door, but received no response. The person looked up at her but said nothing.

"I'm sorry, he has never been one for words. Please come in."

A middle-aged man's voice, not exactly old but weathered and full of life, came from the study. His voice was magnetic and calm, reminiscent of a wise man well-versed in literature.

You Fei immediately became interested in the person in the study. She made a face at the silent "bodyguard" at the door and then went into the room.

Upon entering the room, she was immediately drawn to the vast collection of books. What were the contents of these books? If they could actually browse through them, wouldn't it be an unprecedented bounty for those scholars?

You Fei bent down to pick up a book and eagerly flipped through it, but it was completely blank.

"Hey, what's going on? There are no words?" She flipped through a few more books, and they were either completely blank, had blurry handwriting, or were simply torn to pieces.

She was completely baffled. So many books couldn't just be for show, so why couldn't she see the content?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and she suddenly realized something.

"I am currently in the Memory of the Elden Lord, or more precisely, the memories of challenging Radahn. The contents of these books cannot be accessed. Could it be because..."

"Did the person who held these memories actually not read these books either!?"

You Fei felt she had discovered the truth.

Gong Qiying thought her imagined scenario was excellent and deserved praise.

"Have you listened to Two Fingers' suggestion?"

The voice came again, and only then did You Fei realize that there was someone sitting behind the desk piled with books like a small mountain.

The man was fully clad in armor, and his face was completely obscured by the shadow cast by his helmet, making him impossible to see through with ordinary eyes, giving him a mysterious air.

"Two Fingers" refers to the thing behind the door? You Fei shook her head; in fact, she hadn't gone there yet.

"It's alright. Since you carry the Great Rune, I welcome you to join us and become a true member of the Roundtable Hold."

The man didn't seem to be bound by any particular form, and spoke in a normal tone:

"I am Gideon Ofnir, known to the world as Crucible Knight."

"My mission as a Tarnished is to meet the Elden Ring, to become the Elden Lord, and to be one of the few comrades who thirst for knowledge and yearn for omniscience. I hope we can cooperate for a long time."

This self-introduction alone gives off a very impressive vibe, with things like "aspiring to be omniscient." If You Fei were to introduce herself, she probably wouldn't use such words, because it would be a bit embarrassing.

Then she remembered why the person in front of her looked familiar, because she had seen Crucible Knight in the initial footage of the Zane Dungeon, although he was still lying in a coffin at that time.

Is this really the first character I've seen in the video? The dungeon really does change a lot after obtaining the Great Rune!

Crucible Knight then continued:

"You must want more Great Rune, right? For the sake of our camaraderie, I'll share some information. The Roundtable Hold already knows the location of five of the Shardbearer of Great Rune —including the one you defeated."

He waved his finger, and the figures of various Shardbearer appeared in the air, creating a visually striking effect.

"Lord of Stoneville, 'Limb-Splitter' Godrick, General Radahn who fought Malenia to a draw in the Caelid Plains, Lord of the Volcanic Mansion of Gemir, Lawyer of Rykard, Lord of the Leyndell Royal Capital, the elusive 'Blessed King' Morgott, and 'Full Moon Queen Rella of the Magic Academy of Raya Lucaria."

"Which of them do you want the Great Rune?"

"You make it sound like the Shardbearer are a buffet for anyone to pick from." You Fei wanted to retort, but she was most interested in Radahn, so she directly asked about Radahn.

General Radahn, the "Shattered Star Red Lion," was an invincible martial artist.

Yes, yes, that's exactly right. You Fei wasn't surprised at all by this assessment, because all the records she found in the Zane Dungeon were like this.

"However, east of Limgrave, on the vast Caelid plains, he fought to a draw with the corruption brought by Malenia. Since then, Caelid has been consumed by the Scarlet Corruption and cannot be easily approached."

"Huh?" You Fei's expression froze on her face, and her eyes widened in surprise.

What did Crucible Knight just say?

Valkyrie Scarlet Corruption Brought by Malenia?

"I heard that the remnants of Radahn's army are still on the spot, using fire to fight corruption. It seems that Radahn should still be in Caelid, but his current appearance is probably not something to be trifled with."

After Crucible Knight finished speaking, he looked at her, as if asking with his eyes if she had any other questions.

"That... the toxin that caused Caelid's bright red color is Scarlet Corruption, right?" You Fei asked.

Crucible Knight nodded.

"Was that Scarlet Corruption brought by the Valkyrie?"

He then nodded.

"Hiss--"

You Fei gasped, her expression shifting several times.

The poison that covered the entire Caelid had been the subject of much speculation. Some people initially suggested that the corruption might have been brought by Malenia, who fought against Radahn, but this claim was quickly opposed by most people, because Malenia seemed to be a powerful warrior, so how could she possibly use poison?

The Scarlet Corruption that has spread throughout Caelid and caused such devastation must have been brought about by even more despicable people; perhaps this stuff was originally a Caelid specialty!

Of course, a large portion of those who disagree with this view are fans of Malenia's looks.

However, Crucible Knight's casual words have put an end to the much-debated topic!

"Why is this happening? I actually quite like her appearance."

You Fei's shoulders slumped, feeling her hopes shattered.

I can't imagine how many people will be disillusioned after this news gets out, but it might also create a group of more extreme fans, who knows?

Clutching a bombshell, You Fei, who was planning to spread it as soon as she left, decided to stay with Crucible Knight since the Zane Dungeon hadn't closed yet, and asked him in detail about the various Shardbearer.

As Crucible Knight's magnetic voice narrated, You Fei felt knowledge flowing into her brain, as if she were becoming smarter.

Meanwhile, in the distant Arnor Kingdom, in the Lake Liurnia.

The Adventurers' Guild building in Lake Liurnia was packed with adventurers who had come to relax after a long day's work, and the air was thick with the smell of sweat from their labor.

At this moment, everyone was chatting while looking at a dull stone hanging on the wall. They seemed relaxed, but their eyes never left it.

That was left by Leon from the Strategy Team. It is said that he went to find a new road to Lake Liurnia, which may connect to a new area.

This stone is a signal light.

If it lights up, it means that Leon has found the way and has indeed connected to the new area.

Just then, exclamations of surprise came from the crowd.

"It's lit up! It's lit up!"

The adventurers, who had just been enjoying a relaxed atmosphere, were now in a frenzy.