Farron Keep, base of the Abyss Watchers—the Farron Undead Legion.
This was the place where the Undead Legion, the Ghrus, and the Crystal Sages once joined forces to cleanse the Abyss, guarding the Catacombs of Carthus beneath.
Wade chose to begin his remodeling project here—not just because the swamp region's original design was already inspired by Farron Keep and required little adjustment, but also because its lore naturally meshed with the narrative foundation of his current Sein Dungeon.
In Dark Souls, the Farron Undead Legion were the successors of Knight Artorias the Abysswalker's will.
They formed a covenant with the Old Wolf of Farron, shared his blood, and dedicated their lives to eradicating anything tainted by the Abyss—even if it meant annihilating entire kingdoms.
From their story, Wade saw endless threads to expand upon:
What exactly was the Abyss?
What was the history behind kindling the First Flame?
And of course—the legend of Artorias himself, which could seamlessly lead into the tales of the Four Knights of Gwyn. Among them stood the Dragonslayer Ornstein, a warrior tied deeply to the Firstborn of the Sun.
Ah—everything connected perfectly.
As for how to present the story, Wade had no intention of creating a bonfire that simply played the entire plot from start to finish. Instead, he planned to scatter the lore across weapons, equipment, and items—leaving collectors and adventurers to piece together the puzzle themselves.
It wasn't laziness.
This method allowed him to keep the information deliberately "blurred."
The more you explain, the easier it is to make mistakes.
The more detailed your preparation, the easier it is to trip over a small inconsistency—especially when you're inventing an entire fictional world.
By keeping the lore vague, adventurers could grasp the general picture while filling in the finer details with their imagination. Whether they believed these stories came from an ancient civilization or something else didn't matter. Even small inconsistencies were fine—like that age-old question from Dark Souls I:
Was Ornstein real, or an illusion?
And if he was real, how do you explain his armor atop Archdragon Peak?
Let the scholars argue about that later.
"Other worlds' lore could be integrated the same way," he murmured.
His imagination began to run wild, picturing how magnificent the dungeon would become once fully developed.
But for now, he had to stay grounded.
Wade pulled up a three-dimensional model of Farron Keep, overlaying it onto the swamp zone. He carefully compared the two, pinching and reshaping certain areas with his fingers like molding clay.
Most of Farron Keep's environment was outdoors—it couldn't rely on traps like the ancient ruins of Sein. Here, the design depended on how monsters and terrain worked together.
"The swamp only poisoned people before," he mused. "Let's add a slowing effect too... and expand the terrain a bit."
"Add signal fires with smoke to hint at bonfire locations. Oh—each bonfire could have a different statue to enrich the world's lore."
"Place a Black Knight here guarding the shortcut—you have to defeat him to unlock it."
"Of course, I need to include the iconic bald-headed Ghrus—and the Elder Ghru too. They look like walking trees, perfect for ambushing adventurers in the forest."
"I could even add Darkwraiths, Crystal Lizards, and Mushroom People while I'm at it."
"Right—and I'll hide the Darkwraith covenant here. That should give the Warriors of Sunlight some competition."
"And don't forget the legendary Exile Greatsword…"
Wade stretched out his skeletal fingers and wrote three words in the dust:
Difficulty. Map. Story.
Those were his current targets for improvement.
Each was a massive undertaking—definitely not something one person could finish overnight.
"Let's aim for an update in a week. Seven days to finish the new map!"
He could already feel that familiar "overtime energy" from his past life—but unlike before, this time he was actually enjoying it.
His Mana reserves were still sufficient, and the total consumption from these adjustments remained manageable. Once completed, the dungeon would even grant him a fresh surge of Mana growth.
With these preparations, Wade felt far more confident about facing the Hive Nest Dungeon.
Only one question still haunted him—
What exactly were those "lifeforms bound to the dungeon" that the previous lord mentioned?
And how would they play a role in the coming Dungeon War?
(***)
Bedford City, Adventurers' Guild.
"That's all I've seen."
In the reception room, Drew laid several sketch sheets before Sid.
The drawings were so lifelike they almost seemed to breathe.
The first depicted three figures: the long-haired Firstborn of the Sun, a mysterious Dragonslayer, and a knight clad in golden lion armor—all raising their weapons high in a sacred vow of unity.
Turning to the next page, the focus shifted. The golden knight remained, but now he was joined by three others:
A towering giant wielding a massive bow, his presence sharp as an eagle's gaze.
A slender woman whose grace and deadly precision mirrored a bee's sting.
And finally, a warrior with a greatsword and shield, exuding the aura of a lone wolf.
Drew's artistic skill was exceptional—each figure felt vivid and alive, their very presence sparking curiosity about their pasts.
"Impressive work," Sid said approvingly.
"My dream was to become a painter once… but I never got into the art academy," Drew replied with a wry smile. "Guildmaster, are we really going to make all this information public?"
Sid regarded him calmly.
"The decision's already made. Delaying any longer serves no purpose. Besides, the Shadow Brotherhood has already leaked part of it."
"But… just what we've uncovered from the Sein Dungeon alone far exceeds anything found elsewhere." Drew's beard twitched nervously. "Won't this cause chaos?"
Sid chuckled and casually set the sketches down on the table.
"Isn't chaos what always follows the discovery of truth? And honestly—Sein hasn't caused enough chaos yet."
"The greater the chaos, the more attention it draws. And the more people see it, the more real the information becomes."
Drew frowned. "So… do you actually believe in the dungeon's story or not?"
"Whether I believe it doesn't matter," Sid replied. "What matters is whether people will. But if you really want to know my stance—"
He paused, then smiled faintly.
"I want people to believe."
Drew pursed his lips. This old fox sure loves talking in riddles.
Sid laughed softly, bending down to pat Drew's shoulder.
"Anyway, we'll be counting on you and your team for the next round of explorations. Let's work well together."
Drew rose on tiptoe to shake his hand. "By the way, where's your captain? Haven't seen Leon around lately."
"Ah, him…"
Drew's expression turned odd.
"He's… preparing something. And he won't let us tag along."
(***)
Sein Dungeon – Middle Layer, Sealed Prison.
"I've trained under the Sword Saint. My strength is nothing like before."
Leon gently ran his hand along his sword's blade as if it were an extension of himself.
"Before I settle things with my past… there's one more humiliation I must erase!"
He leveled his sword, pointing it at the shadowy figure slowly taking shape before him.
"Hehehe…"
The Ringed Knight raised its Straight Sword and let out a chilling, mocking laugh.
Leon—was actually planning to challenge the Ringed Knight alone!?