Mission to Ring the Bell

Oh my god!

Another death phantom in the Zane Dungeon!

This is roughly what Hervey was thinking when he saw the knight lying there.

It's like seeing the dead giant blacksmith in Anor Londo, even though he never actually went into Anor Londo, only to the version in the Painting World. He only knew that the giant blacksmith died from the images that were passed down.

If we were to ask him what he felt about it, it would probably only be regret; he doesn't seem to have any other thoughts.

However, seeing such a forgotten figure who had been helping him die silently here is still quite poignant.

I really don't know why the Zane Dungeon had to kill this upright knight.

It's for Spirit Power.

Are you alright?

Todd realized what was happening and ran over to the knight, throwing all the Healing Magic he knew at once at him.

Various shades of green light appeared on the knight's body, while his magic power was being rapidly depleted.

Hervey placed his hand on his shoulder and said regretfully, "Don't waste your magic. Most of our Healing Magic are ineffective against afterimages."

"Tsk!"

Todd gritted his teeth, finally exhaling a breath of stale air, staring at the knight's barely hanging on by a thread, his eyes filled with gloom.

She's not a little girl anymore; she wouldn't cry like that here.

Besides, it was just an afterimage, and it only helped me a few times on the way. It probably didn't even stay in the Zane Dungeon for a day.

Although he had a good impression of the knight, seeing his miserable state didn't evoke any strong negative emotions beyond sadness.

That's right, I'm not that sentimental.

Thinking this, Todd pinched his thigh.

However, the adventurers' emotional changes were clearly reflected in the Spirit Power they emitted, and could not be concealed by mere bravado.

Upon seeing the knight lying there severely wounded, the adventurers' emotions clearly changed, and their scattered Spirit Power doubled.

Indeed, negative emotions are an excellent tool for generating revenue in dungeons.

The tactic of letting the afterimages of friendly factions die in front of adventurers is so useful!

However, to avoid diminishing its effectiveness, this trick shouldn't be used too often.

"Why did he collapse here? Are there any powerful monsters around here?"

Hervey had recovered from his brief moment of frustration and adjusted his mindset, surveying his surroundings to prepare for any unexpected situations. This professional adventurousness surpassed that of many adventurers.

Just then, the knight who had been lying on the ground coughed twice. He barely managed to lift his head and see the crowd, and a weak voice came from under his helmet.

"Ah, it's you guys. Cough cough, that's great, you're not Living Dead."

Upon hearing the knights speak, Todd was about to say something, but Hervey stopped him, and the other Starfire Knight remained silent.

He looked at the other person with a questioning gaze, but Hervey just shook his head, signaling him to be quiet.

There's something that only seasoned adventurers who frequent the Zane Dungeon might stumble upon: the dungeon's afterimages rarely respond to adventurers' words.

When the afterimages of the Zane Dungeon begin to speak, they usually go on and on. When they stop, adventurers can ask questions, but if they want more accurate answers, it's best to follow along with their questions.

Once you master these rules, you can thoroughly investigate any residual thoughts you encounter, no matter what kind of afterimage you get.

"I'm failing. I'll die soon, lose my mind, and become a crazed Living Dead."

The knight's coughing grew more violent as he spoke, "I want to ask you a favor. To be here at this time, you must be the so-called Chosen One."

People never expected to hear such a mystical term as "Chosen One" in the Zane Dungeon.

"Since we're both immortals, could you please listen to me for a moment?"

Immortal?

Hervey's eyes flashed, and he keenly grasped the key words.

He had already suspected something when he saw the campfire, and now hearing the long-lost word "undead" from the knight's mouth only confirmed his suspicions.

That is, the Northern Undead Asylum is no longer in the Lands Between, but in Rodland he is more familiar with!

The Lands Between and Rodland seem to be not only geographically far apart, but also have very different histories. Therefore, in its speculation about the relationship between the two places, the Sparkfire Church has always believed that they are from different eras and different regions.

Although there are still many problems that cannot be easily solved by this assertion, it is generally considered to be a fairly accurate speculation.

It's been a long time since I've heard the term "immortal".

Thinking of this, Hervey looked back at the crowd, and they all smiled knowingly.

Sure enough, people tend to prefer what they are familiar with. As a citizen of the Arnor Kingdom, he preferred Rodland, with its campfires and undead.

The people of the Warrior Country would probably prefer the Lands Between, since their first encounter with Sein was in Limgrave. Judging from their attitude, they'd probably make the Battle Festival their own traditional festival, which would make the Lands Between even more deeply ingrained in their hearts.

The thought that she was now in Rodland made Hervey feel even more immersed in the situation, and her initial feelings of sadness for the knight's serious injury deepened into sympathy.

The sense of immersion is such a magical thing; it can change at any time and in any place due to tiny reasons.

"Go ahead and say it," Todd nodded in agreement with the knight.

"I'm ashamed to say it, but what I want to ask of you is my mission," the knight said somewhat embarrassedly. "I entrust my mission to you, whom I've never met."

The word "mission," combined with the surrounding environment, immediately evokes a strange feeling, as if one is truly immersed in this era.

Todd put himself in that shoes.

If I weren't an innocent citizen who had stumbled into the dungeon, but rather an undead imprisoned there...

So, having been saved twice by this knight and having his exploration going very smoothly thanks to the knight's message, what kind of response will he give?

Therefore, there is only one answer.

"We agree, but what is the mission?"

Todd wanted to say something similar, but Hervey spoke first with a righteous and awe-inspiring expression, while shaking the other's hand.

This guy's immersion is so much better than mine, Todd was speechless. Hervey's performance completely took him out of the story.

"There's a saying that's been passed down in my family."

The knight ignored the awkward atmosphere that had arisen among them and continued, "Becoming an undead means bearing a heavy responsibility. With this immortal body comes a long and arduous journey, enduring hardships, to the lands of the ancient kings."

"Ring the Bell of Awakening, only then can the true mission of the undead be known."

These words only took the knight a minute or two to utter.

But to Hervey, who was listening to these words, these few words formed an epic battle that spanned thousands of miles!

He just loves this kind of vibe!

"I promise you, and we all promise you, we will definitely ring the bell!"

Having received a satisfactory response, the knight slowly nodded.

"Now I can rest assured. I entrust this to you; it is a treasure of the immortals, but unfortunately I no longer need it. Here are some more."

Hervey took something from the knight who had barely raised his hand, and when he showed it to the crowd, they cheered.

"It's Element Bottle!"

What Hervey held high was none other than the Undead's treasure— the Element Bottle!

The bright red bottle, with its slightly warm touch, already told me that this was the real Element Bottle!

Hervey used to have Element Bottle, but after leaving the Zane Dungeon, the depleted Element Bottle could not be replenished and became empty. He hadn't seen a full Element Bottle in a long time!

Besides the Element Bottle, he also received a set of keys from the knight, which looked different from the keys used in the prison. It's unclear where these things will ultimately be used.

Second Floor Key of the Asylum

The so-called Immortal Asylum is actually a huge prison used to hold immortals.

Even if prisoners manage to escape their cells, they often cannot return to the world of the living.

Well, Hervey just realized that his speculation was completely unimportant, since the purpose was written directly on the key.

After handing all these things over to everyone, the knight suddenly let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had finally resolved half of his long-standing wish and felt instantly liberated.

While feeling relieved, people can also sense that life is rapidly fading from their bodies.

"My wish has been fulfilled. You should leave now. I don't want to attack you after I'm dead."

There seems to be a saying that if an immortal dies too many times, they will lose their humanity and become a walking corpse wandering among humans.

No matter what people said next, the nameless knight did not react, only his faint breathing could be heard.

"Let's go, there's nothing else here."

Just as Hervey was leading the group to turn and leave, Todd suddenly said:

"I can see that his injuries are severe and cover a large area; they must have come from heavy weapons."

Within the entire Northern Undead Asylum, there is only one being capable of using heavy weapons— the Asylum Demon.

Hervey raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding Todd's meaning, and said:

"Then let's go and take him down. If we can't beat the Black Knight, surely we can beat a demon?"

Todd nodded to him, gripped his magic wand tightly, and said, "I will do my best to help you."

"Hmm." Hervey responded and turned to walk up the steps where the iron ball had rolled down. The Starfire Knight pushed the physically weaker Todd to the middle of the group, leaving the stronger ones to guard the back of the group.

This is a standard Exploration Team, which the Starfire Knight use with ease.

Although Hervey was walking in front, some of his attention was focused on Todd behind him.

Noticing that the other person had fallen silent and had even stopped their favorite rants, he couldn't help but smile, thinking that this was another person who was easily emotional.

Everyone has a different personality, and their feelings about things are naturally different as well. He has seen many adventurers' attitudes toward the afterimage story, which can be roughly divided into three categories.

One type is completely indifferent, with little emotional fluctuation; another type is like him who occasionally gets involved and feels some emotions; and yet another type forgets the identities of these afterimages and can truly invest their emotions into them.

When Hervé first met Todd, Hervey thought he was a mercenary opportunist, undoubtedly belonging to the first type of person, which was also the most numerous.

However, after spending a little longer in the Zane Dungeon, Todd was unexpectedly influenced by the atmosphere and began to show signs of becoming a third type of person.

This trend would stop completely with just a small influence, and Hervey wasn't the kind of person to be oblivious; on the contrary, he found it interesting to observe the guy's changes.

It also proves that the underground city he likes has the potential to be liked by more people.

So before this short dungeon adventure ends, he decides to safeguard Todd's sense of immersion!

But when he quietly told the Starfire Knight his thoughts, the others showed subtle expressions.

Then--

"Look, the vicious guards who are blocking our path to freedom have appeared again. To live up to the knight's trust, let's charge!"

When several thin, small Living Dead guards suddenly appeared in front of the group, Hervey immediately shouted in an operatic tone, raising his weapon in one hand and placing the other hand on his chest. He looked like Brave about to go and fight the demon king, exuding righteousness and awe!

"."

The Living Dead guards scratched their heads; even the mindless Living Dead couldn't help but change Hervey's behavior.

The Starfire Knight behind him couldn't help but turn their heads away.

"Ah, you wretched guards, you won't stop us from accomplishing our mission! Go, Todd, now is your time to shine!"

"Huh? Me? Huh?"

Todd, who was suddenly pushed up, looked bewildered, but still used magic to harvest the lives of the remaining Living Dead.

Immediately, cheers erupted from Hervey's side, like the audience in the arena of the Age of Gods cheering for their heroic Gladiator.

And in the subsequent exploration, whenever he encountered any monsters, he would react in the same way.

"Should someone tell Hervey? He's a really bad actor," the Starfire Knight whispered among themselves. "I'm getting goosebumps."

"But that person seems to be enjoying it."

People looked on in astonishment, only to see Todd vigorously swinging his wand and smashing the skull of a Living Dead amidst Hervey's exaggerated cheers.

Encouraged by Hervey, he proudly put his hands on his hips, looking as if destiny had beenfallen him.

"This is allowed?"

The Starfire Knight's worldview was greatly shaken.

These Living Dead posed no threat. As people progressed through their explorations, once they ignored Hervey's exaggerated tone, they felt as if they truly possessed the destiny of immortality, and their weapons seemed to swing with even greater force.

And in the midst of the rising and falling of weapons, they unknowingly arrived at the final destination.

Fog Gate, a white Fog Gate, stood blocking everyone's way.

The aura of the Asylum Demon emanated from behind the door.