Blighttown They Couldn't Leave Behind

"I have experience with this run-down place, the Plague Village."

Confidence fills Lu Lu Wo's heart.

Although she hadn't taken this long tunnel when she traveled from the Painting World to Plague Village before, she was still quite confident in her ability to explore Plague Village.

No, this mindset can't be called confidence. Perhaps it should be said that after being terribly abused, her body developed a "spider-sense" for all the malice here, as if it could foresee it.

This could be considered a talent, but she would rather never have to use it, because if this talent took effect, it would mean she would have to endure pain no less than a grueling march of Three-hundred-and-sixty-five-mile road.

Sigh, couldn't exploring the Zane Dungeon be made a little easier?

What she didn't know was that in the Painting World: Blighttown, the place she entered was generally called the Plague Village Main Gate. To get there, there was a relatively difficult prerequisite area to explore.

The dark, foul-smelling tunnel they were seeing was generally known among the undead as the back entrance to the Plague Village. The process of entering the Plague Village from here was the classic "reverse Plague Village".

It's said that walking through the Plague Village in reverse is much easier than just barging in through the main gate, and that's certainly true.

However, that was in Yugi.

In the current Zane Dungeon, is there really a significant difference in difficulty between going forward and backward?

For now, we will maintain a neutral and wait-and-see attitude.

"I still can't get used to it."

"I feel that the stench here is like the stinking Swamp of Farron Keep being boiled down to a thick broth over a high flame, no, it's even worse."

"Won't Curse Frog suddenly jump out of here?"

The Starfire Knight started chatting amongst themselves, and surprisingly, they began discussing the ecology of Plague Village, though their discussion didn't seem very academic or rigorous.

Although their brows were furrowed, they could at least stand up straight and communicate normally, appearing relatively normal on the surface.

Ordinary soldiers, however, were not as outwardly calm as they appeared.

Even the soldiers with the strongest tolerance for stench were hunched over and pale-faced. The more seriously injured ones had already been persuaded to return by Lu Lu Wo. After all, you can't explore the dungeon with a burden like that, and you can't force the soldiers, in case it causes irreversible damage to their bodies.

That's unfair to the Zane Dungeon. No matter how ruthless Sien is, he wouldn't allow someone to carry their negative status effects outside and make them irreversible. Those are regenerable Spirit Power.

The soldiers who remained after the initial screening, aided by their filtering masks, were still able to move around normally, but their combat effectiveness was likely reduced.

Lu Lu Wo shook her head as she observed this unfavorable situation.

Well, it seems this exploration won't go too smoothly. Let's focus on cultivating these people's awareness of dungeon exploration.

Those who could come down with her were, of course, selected individuals with a talent for dungeon exploration who were worth nurturing.

"Knock knock knock!"

Heavy footsteps rose from ahead, and everyone instantly perked up. Looking ahead, they saw two fat monsters charging towards them.

They have primate bodies similar to humans, but are at least twice the height of an adult. Their bodies are extremely obese and exhibit varying degrees of deformity. Their bodies are covered in filth and wounds, creating a lingering stench. Even the rough sticks they carry are contaminated with toxins.

This is one of the classic monsters in Plague Village. Its official name in the City Lord Panel is [Giant Corpse], but Lu Lu Wo thinks there is a more appropriate name.

"You guys go, follow the battle strategy we just discussed, and take down these two [fat guys]!"

Lu Lu Wo waved her hand, and the Starfire Knight immediately rushed forward, while the soldiers followed a step slower but still closely behind.

Our old Anor adventurers always do this when they wake up in the morning: they like to give monsters insulting nicknames. There's no other way; they can't relieve the pressure in their hearts otherwise!

This fat guy was also a monster she deeply loathed; her level of disgust for him was no less than that for the Mysterious Hooded Man.

It wasn't just because the fat guy's body odor had a magical effect, but also because the opponent was incredibly fleshy and dropped items...

Only a few soldiers joined forces to form a battle formation, successfully blocking the two fat men from striking at the same time, and using a Weapon Skill called [counter-shock] to shake their clubs back, creating a brief moment of stun.

The Starfire Knight appeared suddenly behind Fatty like ghosts, plunging their weapons into his massive body. Instantly, an unknown liquid mixed with grease burst and splattered at the wound, obscuring any trace of blood.

This thing is like a stinky can; it looks stinky, and it definitely stinks even more after you open it!

After getting this bodily fluid on his skin, Starfire Knight felt like he was losing sanity.

But what happened next was even more surprising.

Their attack, with almost the entire weapon deeply embedded in the enemy's body, should have caused serious injuries, or even killed the enemy outright. However, the Giant Corpse seemed to only have its movements slightly hindered by its wounds, and the next second it immediately raised its club, intending to perform a large windmill attack.

This way, you can shake off the Starfire Knight while knocking the soldiers away!

"Tsk, it's exactly the same as in the Painting World." Lu Lu Wo showed a look of disgust, which seemed to excite certain special groups of people.

"Just as she said!"

The Starfire Knight exchanged glances and then exerted even more force in manipulating their weapons. The weapons that had been embedded in the Giant Corpse began to move like snakes!

This was thanks to both the sharpness of the weapons and their strength; in the next moment, the two Giant Corpse were simultaneously disemboweled!

Having suffered such severe injuries, the creature's movements became stiff, and the soldiers seized the opportunity to swarm it, finishing it off with a flurry of blows.

Only then did the Giant Corpse's body crash to the ground, causing the entire tunnel to tremble with a mournful wail.

"Yeah!"

The soldiers high-fived each other in celebration. Normally, they would have to expend much more effort to deal with near-elite enemies like the Giant Corpse, so this was a resounding victory.

However, Lu Lu Wo's expression didn't seem particularly happy, because she knew that the truly disappointing things were yet to come.

The Giant Corpse's body slowly turned to dust and dissipated, leaving behind three or four specks of light. Starfire Knight immediately went over with a smile and picked them up.

Upon seeing this, Lu Lu Wo covered her eyes.

The next second, several panicked and angry voices suddenly rang out.

"You bastard!"

As the sound faded, she had already conjured a floating water sphere with water magic, and even took out an item that looked like soap for washing hands, her face full of an expression that read more like schadenfreude than sympathy.

"Here, wash your hands."

"."

The Starfire Knight, seeing that she was well-prepared, and then looking at the solidified light speck in their hands—[a block of excrement]—were speechless.

"You deliberately tricked us!"

That's why it's called "no good memories"!

"Which one of these is truly wonderful!?"

The noisy sounds echoed in the tunnel; compared to the environment of the Plague Village, this was truly a vibrant place.

After a careful inspection, Lu Lu Wo discovered that the glowing items dropped by the Giant Corpse were different from those she had picked up in the Painting World.

One is the classic [shit block], which can cause [poisoning] if ingested. When mixed with other materials, it becomes the [Dung Pie] that adventurers both love and hate. Dung Pie made without shit blocks from the Zane Dungeon is soulless and will also lack the wonderful effect of attracting enemy aggro.

The other thing was something Lu Lu Wo had never seen before.

[Semi-liquid stool]

[The skincare products treasured by the residents of the Plague Village are quite characteristic of the local area. It is said that long-term application to the skin can enhance the skin's resistance to toxins, but in the short term, it will definitely lead to poisoning.]

[The inhabitants of the Plague Village are a group of pitiful creatures afflicted with disease; even their living environment is tainted by filth. They sometimes distinguish their kind by smell, the source of which remains unknown.]

"This thing"

Lu Lu Wo held up the half-sized lump of excrement with her Mage Hand. Although she was disgusted and frowned, she still carefully examined the thing, and an idea gradually emerged in her mind.

"Could this stuff really have miraculous effects?"

A spark of experimentation ignited in her mind, but after a quick gesture, she realized that the semi-liquid excrement in front of her was not enough to cover an adult's entire body, and could only barely cover one arm.

She had no choice but to find a container and carefully store it away. As for whether she would activate the plan in her mind after collecting more of these things, that remains to be seen.

I hope never.

After going through so much trouble to kill the two Giant Corpse, the reward was just something as vulgar as a block of excrement. This seemed to have dealt a significant psychological blow to Starfire Knight.

However, after Ta Mi pointed out that the number of souls provided by each Giant Corpse was quite considerable, even more generous than those provided by monsters of similar strength, people gradually accepted this premise.

That makes sense. It's called Plague Village, so you can tell it's not a wealthy Leyndell like Anor Londo. What good stuff could monsters in such a remote and impoverished place possibly drop? It's not like they'd find giant gold beads falling out of nowhere.

In comparison, the generous number of souls given seems like compensation from the Zane Dungeon.

This character, Sion, perfectly fits the lore! The dungeon is so meticulously crafted!

After all, these are Starfire Knight, so once they realized this, they actually praised the Zane Dungeon.

They should thank us!

After encountering the Giant Corpse, the Starfire Knight became even more energetic. The soldiers' blood was pumping from the battle, and the stench gradually disappeared.

Or perhaps it could be said that their noses were so assaulted by Sion that they became accustomed to it?

The dimly lit tunnel isn't very long; it takes about ten to twenty minutes to reach the end on foot.

However, the constant appearance of monsters repeatedly prolonged this short period of time, and only one type of monster appeared: the Giant Corpse.

It has thick skin and is durable. Unless it suffers a serious injury like being disemboweled, it will not be able to stop moving. If it is hit head-on by a Mid Rank magic spell, it will only stagger.

Hitting one or two of these is alright, but encountering them repeatedly is truly nauseating. You can't kill them quickly, so you can only let them drag on for time.

Moreover, collecting the excrement blocks still relied on Lu Lu Wo's Mage Hand, and after several rounds, she felt that her Mage Hand were dirty.

What else can you do? This is the Zane Dungeon; it leaves you helpless.

In the past, she would have taken it for granted to order others to do dirty work like collecting manure, but now, her personality has improved a lot.

She will never again imitate the aristocratic mannerisms of theatrical performances, but it has become Black history in her life, and she gets angry with anyone who brings it up.

"."

The thought of her Black history caused Lu Lu Wo's smile to suddenly fade as she laughed and joked with everyone.

This reminded her that her initial reason for becoming an adventurer was to become Gold-Rank Adventurer and then get closer to the nobility.

As for what would happen after she got close to the nobility, she had imagined it many times in her mind.

However, after actually arriving in the capital of the Arnor Kingdom and exploring it thoroughly, this fantasy gradually faded from her mind.

Even now, after arriving in Scamellon by accident, her original aspirations have been rekindled.

Because here, she felt she needed to resolve some karmic entanglements.

The Sparkfire Church is an indispensable asset, so she is now doing her best to help Hervey and his group develop their power.

"They're finally out!"

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the group finally saw the end of the tunnel.

However, unlike the usual story of emerging from a tunnel and seeing the light again, this time they saw an even deeper darkness.

At the end of the tunnel, there was a dilapidated, narrow bridge that swayed in the wind.

This rather shabby bridge connects to a village located in a vast and dark underground space.

A village made entirely of various kinds of rough-hewn timber, appearing chaotic and seemingly about to collapse at the slightest touch.

Only a pitiful few torches were tied to the wooden frame for illumination; living in such an environment for a long time would certainly cause visual deterioration.

Below this village lies a nauseating mud pit, perhaps more accurately described as a septic tank.

Giant fish occasionally swam through the stinking septic tank, their dorsal fins creating ripples that symbolized the unknown and fear in this terrifying place. How could there be fish in this wretched spot?!

What was presented to everyone was the entirety of [Plague Village].

A terrifying village that could be made into a 30-episode science documentary.

As people who knew the inside story of the Plague Village, Lu Lu Wo and Ta Mi got goosebumps when they saw the village again. They looked at each other and understood each other's emotions.

[Why does this place feel even more eerie than the last time I was here?]

However, this was the first time the Starfire Knight had been here. Although they felt that something was off about the place, they were mostly excited about exploring a new area.

Some people with good night vision excitedly pointed to a certain spot in the Plague Village and exclaimed loudly:

"Look, there's a campfire over there!"

"Bonfire?"

Lu Lu Wo was taken aback; he remembered that there wasn't a campfire here the last time he came.

But following the direction the soldier was pointing, she actually saw a campfire!

The campfire appeared to be located in the middle of the village, and from their position, there seemed to be no way to get there.

However, as a seasoned veteran of the Sion dungeons, Lu Lu Wo is very familiar with the ins and Zane Dungeon.

She spotted the path immediately!

"Ah, so that's how it is."

She saw several huge waterwheels constantly rotating in the Plague Village. Based on their previous experience exploring the Plague Village, those waterwheels actually served as elevators, allowing people to travel to different levels of the Plague Village.

Not far from the campfire, there was a waterwheel connecting the area, and there was no other conventional way to get there!

Unless you use Flight Spell, but even then, it's uncertain whether the Zane Dungeon will react by breathing out.

"Get your weapons ready, let's go."

Lu Lu Wo shared her discovery with everyone without reservation, which naturally earned her constant praise, and the flattery made her face beam with pride.

Crossing narrow, rickety bridges that looked frightening but were actually just for show, and constantly traversing dilapidated villages, the highly homogenized environment made people's eyes feel tired.

One after another, strangely shaped monsters emerged from various treacherous corners. They didn't come out to shout "surprise!" but rather to violently grab weapons and begin attacking the group.

The monsters here are called [Diseased Corpse]. Their bodies are pale and twisted, and their skulls are so distorted that they resemble aliens; they no longer look human.

Like the Giant Corpse, they are native inhabitants of the Plague Village, but they are more slender, making it easier for them to hide using the Plague Village and launch attacks from unexpected directions.

Moreover, they are also thick-skinned and tough, with a resistance to blows no less than that of the Giant Corpse.

Now Lu Lu Wo and Ta Mi had to step in. With everyone working together, they managed to get closer to the campfire amidst the danger.

They crossed a narrow bridge directly to the upper level of the Plague Village, where a group of survivors, who had just survived a fierce battle, stood on a descending waterwheel, waiting to find a campfire.

"It doesn't seem like such a big deal," a Starfire Knight, wiping the blood from his face.

"Yes, it's much simpler than I imagined," the soldier echoed.

Although exploring this small section of the Plague Village was difficult, after calming down and thinking about it carefully, it doesn't seem so difficult after all.

The only drawbacks were that the enemies were a bit stronger, the environment was a bit cramped, and the lighting was a bit dim, but overall it was acceptable.

Thinking about this, everyone became even more motivated, feeling that they could take down Plague Village today!

Wait, something's not right.

Lu Lu Wo and Ta Mi, however, frowned deeply.

They could tell that although the structure of the road they had just passed had changed slightly, it was generally similar to the route they had explored before.

But why did the difficulty decrease? And why did it decrease so significantly?

When we were exploring, there was a small pit every three steps and a big pit every ten steps!

Their expressions twisted at the thought.

That's unfair!

But this can be considered a good thing, right?

After all, this isn't the Arnor Kingdom anymore. Now, Starfire Knight' dungeon exploration is subject to time limits and quests, unlike the carefree explorations of the past.

Therefore, Lu Lu Wo wouldn't do anything like "You must also experience the hardships I've endured," which is something old people like to hear.

But it feels like this takes away a lot of the fun!

Now that things have come to this, she has no choice but to accept that the setting of the Plague Village seems to be much easier to draw than the Painting World, and she can't help but sigh with regret.

But at the same time, a thought arose in my mind.

[Would the Zane Dungeon really be this kind?]

This doesn't seem right.

Just as Lu Lu Wo was lost in thought, the waterwheel had already descended to the level where the campfire was, and the people nimbly jumped out.

The campfire was right in front of me, unobstructed, shining brightly, which gave me a great sense of security.

The soldiers had already rushed over, but Lu Lu Wo slowed down a little because she was thinking. Just then, she seemed to notice something out of the corner of her eye.

Looking down, I saw a piece of advice right at my feet!

Why are you here?

She crouched down and touched the admonition; a line of magical text appeared before her eyes:

[I have a premonition of Sealed Prison]

"What?"

Her actions seemed to have triggered something, and suddenly a flood of advice appeared before my eyes.

I want to leave, ah, I want to leave.

[I have a feeling I'll have stool]

[Return to the bone fragments, Behold!.]

[Let me go back.]

These sudden pieces of advice gave her goosebumps; every word seemed to scream:

Cannibalism!

There's definitely some pitfall waiting for you ahead!

It can't be a fake campfire, can it?

"Wait a moment--"

Before she could finish speaking, the soldiers had already lit the campfire.

"Boom!"

A tremendous roar resounded behind them, followed by a tremor throughout the entire Plague Village.

"Huh?"

Everyone was stunned, including Lu Lu Wo.

The campfire is fine. Hey, I knew it. If even a campfire can't be guaranteed to be safe, then there really is no safe place in this world.

But where did that sound come from?

She turned around and looked.

That was the only waterwheel that connected to the upper level, allowing them to return the way they came.

It has collapsed.

[I can't go back]

Such advice came to Lu Lu Wo's mind at that very moment.

Her lips twitched, and then it dawned on her.

So this is what "Sealed Prison" meant!!!