Who Designed This Underworld Dungeon?
Chapter 212 - 181 Sain’s Influence

Chapter 212: Chapter 181 Sain’s Influence

"According to Dal, in an even more ancient era, a kingdom called Ulashiro was struck by the Abyss, and the horrific entity known as the Master of the Abyss transformed all its inhabitants into Monsters."

"As a Wolf Knight, Artorias, along with his partner, a small wolf, voluntarily embarked on a journey to subdue the Abyss."

"His strength was formidable; he possessed the ability to walk through the Abyss and a silver necklace that could repel Abyss Spells, along with a Barrier Shield that protected him from corruption, making him the most suitable candidate."

"However, to protect the survivors, he gave his silver necklace to the Ulashiro survivors. Subsequently, Artorias sustained cumulative injuries in battle, leading him to face the Master of the Abyss in less than peak condition."

"The battle with the Master of the Abyss ended in Artorias’s defeat. His partner’s whereabouts became unknown, and Artorias himself, scarred and mentally eroded by the Abyss, stood alone guarding the arena. He continued to slay Monsters and prevent others from accidentally entering Ulashiro, for an untold number of years."

"We have no way of knowing the fate of this Wolf Knight, nor whether the Master of the Abyss still exists, as none of the information we have obtained mentions these details."

"However, considering that we can still live normally and Ulashiro has faded into history, perhaps the crisis of the Abyss has been resolved. Maybe it was the Sunlight King Gwyn who took action personally?"

"As time flowed, perhaps a century later, or maybe even a millennium, a group called the ’Undead Man’ regarded Artorias as an idol and, after receiving Wolf Blood from the Ancient Wolf of Fran which was somehow related to Shif, formed a huge army intent on eradicating the Abyss, known as the Fran Undead Team."

"This undying army always managed to splendidly vanquish the Abyss, but for reasons we still don’t know, they disappeared for a while. When they re-appeared, they were, due to unknown causes, infected by the Abyss, forcing them to kill each other, clearing their ranks, and they are still fighting within Fran Fort to this day."

"In some ways, the fate of the Fran Undead Team is quite similar to that of their idol Artorias."

"The above is the material concluded after summarizing all the information we currently have."

Inside the adventurer’s guild, Branch President Ceder quietly listened to the report from his assistant lady.

At the end, he commented: "Jina... it’s quite a tragic hero’s tale, but when you tell it, it becomes as sleep-inducing as an official document. Can’t you put more emotion into reading it?"

"I’m really sorry that my profession isn’t that of a Bard." Jina said with a forced smile.

"Forget it," Ceder took the document with the recorded information from the assistant, flipping through it he said, "Let’s leave the emotions to the Bards to express, they will be quite pleased with this fresh material. By the way, how has the public reacted to all this?"

"It’s been a week since Dal Chester brought out the tale of Artorias, and that’s been enough time for the story to spread across half the Kingdom."

Jina took out another document, pushed up her glasses, and said,

"The sales of ’Artorias’ and ’Fran Undead Team’ related merchandise in the commercial streets have surged, momentarily generating profits that have surpassed even the food district."

"Some Bards have already composed ballads about it, but their quality is dubious. Many notable artists are also preparing, but their release time is uncertain. Incidentally, my favorite Bard is currently composing a ballad themed around the Ancient Wolf of Fran."

"Count Charon has introduced policies to heavily promote the development of cultural merchandise related to Sain Dungeon, apparently wanting to shift the family’s reliance from just the Blood Healing Potion."

"Recently, the best-selling product of the Bed Family has been the ’Little Pot handmade floral wreath,’ followed by the Little Pot figurines. I have friends working there, and they mentioned that they are about to release busts of the Fran Undead Team, but the busts have too many details and are tricky to cost-control."

"By the way, my birthday is coming up soon, and if we’re talking about gifts, I would hope to receive a life-sized pure silver statue of Artorias from my elders," hinted the assistant lady in her tone.

Ceder gave her a glance, expressionless.

"Off topic, sorry."

"The number of adventurers entering Sain Dungeon daily has significantly increased compared to before. However, this popularity was quickly dampened by the difficulty of the Endless Reincarnation and the scant acquisition rate of the ’Wolf Knight’ painting fragments. Overall, there has been a slight increase in visitor numbers."

"It’s said that events related to Artorias can be encountered within the Endless Reincarnation, so those entering Sain Dungeon for this reason make up a quarter of the total, a considerable surge in numbers, but the number of new events is diminishing, seemingly close to being fully explored."

"Fran Fort remains the preferred area for newbie adventurers to explore, and this recent tale has further solidified its position."

"Another issue is... many people enter Fran Fort just to catch a glimpse of the Fran Undead Team, with no intention of engaging in battle. Recently, tour guides have appeared in the city who will take clients to see Fran Fort for a fee."

"Who has so much free time?" Ceder couldn’t help but raise his head, pondering that those who can safely reach the gates of Fran Fort must have the abilities of the Silver Rank.

"It’s the people of the New Strategy Group. They’ve made arrangements with some adventurers with reconnaissance skills, one provides the route maps, and the other serves as a guide," Jina explained.