Reacting to Sun Warriors

Outside the Zane Dungeon, in Black Rock City.

Near the portal to the Zane Dungeon, a well-equipped adventurer supply station has been built, complete with various supply shops and, most importantly, a tavern, ensuring that adventurers feel right at home as soon as they emerge.

At this very moment, in the tavern closest to the portal, a burly young man was drinking while observing the adventurers coming and going near the portal.

He is the third prince of the Warrior Country, Te Mude.

The iron-blooded Traditionalists vowed to make traditional Warrior shine in the upcoming War Festival.

Therefore, he is now exploring a way out for traditional Warrior in this new era.

"Will the Zane Dungeon be our new hope?"

The icy liquor stimulated his senses, and he shook his head again, muttering to himself:

"While the teachings of that lingering figure named Beinal can certainly increase the speed at which people learn Weapon Skill, even faster than before the decline of newborn talents, if we really want to pin the revival of traditional Warrior on this, it means that the Warrior Country will be deeply bound to this underground city from now on."

"No matter how stable the Zane Dungeon may seem now, the connection between the fate of the nation and the dungeon always evokes a sense of unease."

"Isn't there a safer way, such as restoring the newborn's Warrior talent?"

Te Mude grew increasingly distressed as he spoke, and then tilted his head back to gulp down a large glass of wine.

Those around him cast strange glances, because they had overheard what he said.

While discussing national affairs in taverns is an adventurer's daily task, why does this guy's tone sound like "the future of the Warrior Country depends on me"?

Who does this guy think he is?

Yes, even though Te Mude is more well-known and respected among the people than Lan Le, no one here would recognize him.

Because

No one would mistake a shut-in whose clothes are covered with images of popular female characters from the Zane Dungeon for the most manly third prince in their country!

There was no need for disguise magic at all; Te Mude's outrageously nerdy clothes were the best disguise, and no one recognized him all day.

If you were to ask him why he would still wear this outfit after leaving Princess Serena,

There's only one answer: the Bede Family's textile technology is quite good, so even clothes that are clearly not everyday wear are very comfortable to wear, Te Mude is too lazy to change.

If we were to say what he gained most during his time in the Arnor Kingdom besides the "spirit of Warrior," it would probably be the sense of relaxation that comes with being Leyndell dweller.

In an environment where even the tavern waiters were dressed in fine clothes, and Bronze Rank adventurers were willing to spend money to make themselves fancy and magnificent armor, he, who was only wearing a simple shirt, looked so unrefined. He didn't look like a rich person at all, and starting to drink heavily in broad daylight, he was definitely an idler.

"Only after traveling abroad and coming back can I feel how glaringly extravagant the atmosphere is in China."

He frowned. The tavern was filled with glittering jewelry and clothing. Could one really go on an adventure wearing such clothes?

Even the beggars squatting outside the tavern have to find cheap, low-quality jewelry to hang around their necks. If even beggars are like this, what about the richer people? No wonder the Warrior Country has become the biggest destination for luxury goods.

Where did this trend come from?

Te Mude frowned and tried to recall carefully, but unfortunately he didn't have a very clear memory of it.

It seems that the most eye-catching moment of this extravagant trend coincides somewhat with the decline in the talents of newborns.

"I'm overthinking it. How could these two completely unrelated things possibly be connected?"

He shook his head and looked towards the portal, where some adventurers dressed much more simply were wandering around; it was obvious they came from the Arnor Kingdom.

Simple clothes look the most comfortable and are much more pleasing to the eye.

Upon seeing the adventurers from the Arnor Kingdom, Te Mude was reminded of his experiences there with the delegation—a truly bittersweet memory.

He spent almost all those days in the Zane Dungeon. If that's the case, people can probably imagine what he went through, so there's no need for a detailed explanation.

The entire delegation, including him, worked tirelessly to level up their souls, seizing every second to increase their strength, all in order to defeat the Reformists at the War Festival.

Because the current situation is too unfavorable for Traditionalists, they can't figure out where the future lies for those who insist on tradition, so they can only bury themselves in their training and take it one day at a time.

So far, they have learned a lot and seen many things that, upon closer examination, might not be so good.

The most Te Mude force in the entire Zane Dungeon wasn't monsters or invaders, but something no one could imagine—

Sun Warrior.

Everyone loves the helpful older brothers and sisters of the Sun Warrior. Suddenly encountering the Sun Warrior's summoning talisman in the midst of an adventurous and desperate situation is a truly delightful surprise that will make you scream with joy.

Te Mude initially held the group in high regard.

Until he witnessed a certain Sun Warrior unleash his signature move, "Thunder Spear."

In that instant, I witnessed the spear formed from lightning.

He showed extreme resistance, disgust, resentment, and even fear towards the Thunder Spear from the inside out!

When he came to his senses, he was surprised at himself for feeling such hostility toward a simple "magic". What was even stranger was that the other members of the delegation had the same feelings as him, especially the dragons.

This is very strange; this situation is completely incomprehensible.

Later, everyone conducted a series of experiments and found that no one was afraid of lightning magic. They then asked the Sun Warrior to unleash the lightning spear, but no one reacted. Only when they first saw the lightning spear did they develop that strange hostility.

Te Mude has remembered this strange incident to this day.

"Is that Lan Le's attendant over there?"

He suddenly saw a person dressed in a way that could only be described as glamorous pacing anxiously near the portal, glancing at his pocket watch every now and then before continuing to pace back and forth.

It's like anxiously waiting for a late date.

Upon seeing Lan Le's attendant, Te Mude recalled what he had recently heard.

It is said that the Skyrim Strategy Team that caused chaos and left behind a legend of divine beings in Black Rock City was recruited by Lan Le and even sent to the Zane Dungeon to carry out a mission. Te Mude's people also found out the exact date when the Skyrim Strategy Team entered the dungeon.

That day happened to be the day when a minor anomaly occurred in the Zane Dungeon, which suddenly changed from closing time to being open 24/7.

"If I remember correctly, it's been a while since those adventurers entered the dungeon."

Te Mude stroked his freshly shaved chin and muttered to himself:

"Three days have passed?"

"If they linger inside for a few more days, the War Festival will have already begun by the time they come out."

Because most of the defending soldiers had died, it didn't take much time for the group to retake the city, and the whole process was quite smooth.

Although everyone has been tormented in the Zane Dungeon for a long time, they seem rather weak.

But in reality, their actual strength has improved significantly compared to before.

Take C Rank ordinary Crucible Knight as an example.

It took the combined efforts of the Exploration Team that first cleared the Zane Dungeon to defeat it. At that time, the team included Leon's Strategy Team, the Si Telan, the Holy Light Knight, and others.

However, the Zane Dungeon has now undergone countless updates and upgrades, and the strength of adventurers who have been immersed in the dungeon for years has also been updated with the version changes.

The Crucible Knight from back then was no longer an obstacle for Leon's Strategy Team that required repeated deaths to overcome; completing the game in one life was not a big problem.

While the Skyrim Strategy Team might be slightly weaker than Leon's, dealing with C Rank monsters is still no problem. You Fei can even defeat C Rank monsters in a one-on-one fight, and she remained a key player even when fighting against Godrick, who had been enhanced to reach B-rank.

If today's adventurers were to travel back in time, they would absolutely crush their younger, more naive selves.

There's no way around it, the campfire upgrade is just that powerful.

Upon closer reflection, it becomes clear that what has caused You Fei and her companions to suffer setbacks and even death so far has not been the overwhelming power of the monsters, but rather some unexpected and sinister schemes.

The adventurers were killed before they could even unleash their full power, and their frustration was palpable.

However, adventurers shouldn't feel this stifled in Red Lion City this time, as they can fully unleash their power here.

If the signboard in a place like Stormveil Castle is considered excellent architectural design...

So Red Lion City's main focus is on exhilarating combat!

"What the hell is going on with this Crucible Knight, you bastard?!"

Lu Lu Wo's roar echoed from the depths of Red Lion City.

"Why is he so much stronger than the one I fought before?!"

Deep within Red Lion City, behind the Fog Gate symbolizing the leader, lies a devastated battlefield.

The Crucible Knight, Blood Noble, and Lion Hybrid were chasing after Lu Lu Wo, while the surrounding area was already littered with other adventurers who had collapsed from exhaustion.

As the only remaining survivor on the field who could still move, Lu Lu Wo had already shown an expression of exhaustion and could no longer hold on.

"Jellal!"

Before the Crucible Knight could catch up and slash her in the back, Lu Lu Wo shouted angrily at the old man watching them from the city wall:

"Don't let me go up there and catch you!"