Who Designed This Underworld Dungeon?
Chapter 207 - 180 Artorias (8000 words, two in one)

Chapter 207: Chapter 180 Artorias (8000 words, two in one)

This is a ruined arena, shaken and on the verge of collapse after enduring countless years.

Dal originally thought he would see a dying person lying on the ground, however...

"Ga?"

An ugly Abyss Monster stood there, making a confused noise upon seeing him.

"Monster?" Dal’s expression was one of surprise; he looked around but couldn’t find any trace of a normal person.

Where was the one who had just spoken? His voice sounded very weak; he couldn’t have gone far.

It couldn’t be the Monster in front of him, could it? Had it mutated so quickly?

The horrors of the Abyss were such.

"I’ll give you release." He lifted the Fran Greatsword, preparing to deliver the final blow.

He knew these Monsters were the residents of Ulashiro infected by the Abyss, and he knew that once mutated, there was no curing them; the best solution was to grant them release.

Dal’s greatest strength was his empathy; during his conquest of the Painting World, he could feel the pain of these mutated residents.

From this, his hatred towards the Abyss deepened even more. If the Master of the Abyss was before him at this moment, he would without hesitation rush into battle.

The Monster sensed his hostility and immediately tensed up, opening its arms as if preparing for a desperate struggle.

Before engaging in battle, Dal surveyed the arena once again, a question forming in his mind.

Come to think of it, such a large arena and yet only one Monster?

Based on past experience, the appearance of a large area in the Sain Dungeon usually meant the triggering of—

Dal suddenly sensed an intense danger, breaking into a cold sweat as he frantically rolled backwards!

"Boom!"

A pitch-black Great Sword descended from the sky.

Bricks shattered, dust billowed, and the Monster was pierced through the chest, nailed dead to the ground.

Whence came this weapon?

Dal strained to open his eyes amidst the flying dust, only to realize that the Great Sword looked familiar.

It was as if "he" had wielded that Great Sword in battle for a long time.

The blade was covered in filthy blood from Abyss Monsters; though the sword was pitch-black, it exuded a divine presence, suggesting its owner must have been a person with a pure soul.

"I remember now!"

Dal suddenly widened his eyes; he finally remembered where he had seen this Great Sword!

It was on the painting of the Wolf Knight!

"Thud!"

A shadow swept across the sky.

The figure landed next to the Monster with the agility of a wolf, grasped the hilt of the sword, and finished off the Monster completely.

"Spurt—"

Blood spurted out, staining the armor of this suddenly appeared stranger. The silver Armor, tainted with blood, seemed like a symbol of something holy being eroded by darkness.

"Ugh, ah..."

A painful groan came from underneath his helmet, making it impossible to see his face, as if he were enduring immense pain.

A violent surge of dark Abyss energy began to emerge from his feet, uncontrollable, pouring out, causing the arena to shake.

No, not just the arena, this feeling...the whole of Ulashiro was trembling!

What a terrifying power, and without a doubt, this powerful being had been corrupted by the Abyss, on the verge of madness at any moment, or rather, almost under the control of the Abyss.

If so, then the Abyss Monster was probably his "companion." Why then, did he attack it?

What was it that allowed him to endure the Abyss’s corruption?

Could it be that he held on through sheer iron will, fueled by a single-minded obsession to eradicate the Abyss?

"Leave... now!" he gritted his teeth, his voice identical to the one Dal had heard before.

He was barely holding off the Abyss’s frenzy but still managed to forcefully warn the other to leave.

"Ah."

In such a dire moment, even a fool would know to run, but Dal was inexplicably frozen in place.

He stared at the "stranger" that had appeared, his expression one of disbelief.

Before entering the arena, he had thought of many things, like how to prolong the life of the kind soul who warned him, or to help him find release.

He had guessed at his identity: was he a survivor of Ulashiro or another residual shadow?

But he never anticipated one thing, never imagined that the person who would appear before him was—

The Abyss Wanderer, Artorias!

That posture, that Great Sword, without a doubt!

But... why would it be Artorias?

Shouldn’t he be battling the Master of the Abyss?

What Dal most looked forward to in entering the Painting World was meeting Artorias.

One of the Four Knights Under King, the Abyss Wanderer, Shif’s friend, the idol of the Fran Undead Team... These many titles elevated the status of the Wolf Knight in people’s hearts immeasurably.

He was also the "ancient" hero about whom people outside of the Undead Team had the most information; who wouldn’t want to meet such a legend?

Dal had hoped, hoped to fight alongside Artorias after entering the Painting World, and even to experience the knight’s entire life. Instead, he died over and over in the fortress until he almost became numb to it.

Luckily, Solar’s enthusiasm thawed the numbness, and he began to feel that the purpose of this Painting World was to allow him to retrace the Wolf Knight’s journey conquering the Abyss, to experience the challenge of fighting the Abyss.

He thought he would never see Artorias, at most reliving the memories of him.