Breaking News—
The Sein Dungeon has undergone a massive mutation once again!
For a brief moment, everyone was stunned—until someone muttered,
"Isn't that normal by now?"
Indeed, no one seemed truly surprised. In fact, many had been waiting for this to happen. Some even complained that the mutation had taken too long.
Ever since Sein went berserk, people had believed it would eventually awaken again—more dangerous, more cursed, more alien. But instead, it had grown eerily quiet for a time.
Some were disappointed, thinking the dungeon had gone dormant. Others waited patiently, convinced it was merely preparing for something greater.
Turns out, the latter were right.
"Wait—so the Guild isn't planning to organize an exploration party yet?"
Sitting outside the Adventurer's Guild, Maru blinked in disbelief as Drew relayed the news.
"The Guildmaster says an official expedition should wait for the right time," Drew explained. "There's too little information now. Going in blind would just be inefficient."
Maru gawked. "What kind of logic is that? Shouldn't an exploration party lead the charge?"
Drew only sighed and gestured toward the main street.
"Look around. What do you see?"
"What do I see? People, obviously."
Maru stared, then realized what he meant. The streets were jam-packed. Even at three or four in the morning, the city pulsed with life—crowded, noisy, and bright as midday.
And not just adventurers—civilians too. Men and women, young and old, all energized by the news.
Excitement filled the air as people streamed toward the city gates. Everyone knew exactly where they were going—back to the Sein Dungeon.
"Wha… when did the dungeon get this popular?" Maru said, eyes wide.
The commotion even surpassed the frenzy when the Gourmet Zone was first discovered.
Drew smiled wryly. "It's the announcement board. Ever since the Guild put it up, everyone's motivation shot through the roof. Now that the dungeon's mutated again, it means new discoveries—and the Guild wants people to have first pick. Letting everyone join in keeps the world alive."
After all, monopolies were bad. Just ask Count Phillip how that turned out.
"Well said," came a familiar, teasing voice.
They turned—and there stood Roger, the mage they hadn't seen in ages.
He smirked. "You're all heading to watch the chaos, right? Count me in. I can even call a few friends."
"So you didn't leave after all?" Maru grinned, hopping up onto Terl's shoulders to get a better view. "Then let's go! If we're late, the line's gonna be insane!"
The rest of the strategy team exchanged amused looks. With Roger back, the four set off once again—not to conquer, but to see what had changed this time.
.
..
...
As for Roger's supposed "friends," Maru had assumed he meant veterans like Stella or Parry. Instead—
"Hey bro, wanna team up? Look, our names are on the clearance monument over there! Stick with us and you'll be fine!"
Roger had… recruited random adventurers along the way.
Maru facepalmed. "Unbelievable."
Somehow, this hastily assembled ten-man team didn't exactly inspire confidence.
"There's another portal! We've got one more!"
Cheers erupted as they reached the ancient city. Sure enough, a second teleport gate shimmered beside the original.
That alone was cause for celebration—it meant shorter queues and faster entry. Even stoic Drew couldn't suppress a grin.
"Wait—isn't that Count Charon?"
Near the portal stood Charon himself, surrounded by guards. His hair was messy, his clothes wrinkled—he'd clearly rushed over the moment he heard the news.
But why was he here?
Adventurers eyed him warily—none had fond memories of the Bedford family.
Charon barked orders, and his guards began unloading crate after crate from the wagons. When they opened one—
"Whoa, it's full of Teleport Crystals!?"
A guard stepped forward, shouting,
"By order of the Count! To support your brave explorations, each adventurer entering the dungeon may claim one free Teleport Crystal per day—for the next month!"
The crowd exploded in cheers.
"Long live the Count!"
"Charon's the best!"
Roger chuckled. "He's going all in. Looks like he's trying to rebuild the Count's image around the Sein Dungeon—turn it into the city's symbol."
"Not a bad plan," Drew admitted. "But how do you even know that?"
Roger smirked. "Let's just say… I recently took on an apprentice with connections inside the Bedford household."
"No one asked for your cryptic riddles!" Maru snapped, smacking his back. "Let's just get in line already!"
Under the glowing night sky, the ancient city shone with firelight and laughter. Two steady streams of adventurers flowed through the twin portals—no matter how many entered, the crowd outside never seemed to shrink.
"Alright…" Drew exhaled as they approached the gate. "Let's go."
They stepped forward—
—and the world spun.
When the dizziness faded, darkness filled their vision.
Then, faintly, a strange melody drifted through the air.
Maru froze. The scene felt too familiar. "Wait… is this another vision?"
But it wasn't.
The melody faded, replaced by a flood of golden light as the gloom lifted.
The world unfolded before them—
A serene sky.
A cracked, mossy courtyard.
Ancient, vine-covered ruins.
An aura of age and reverence hung heavy in the air. The architecture was unlike anything from the modern world—clearly remnants of a long-lost civilization.
[Firelink Shrine]
White text shimmered before everyone's eyes.
Then came a sound—crackle… crackle…
Flames.
A bonfire burned in the center of the courtyard, steady and eternal.
Touching it brought up the familiar status panel—
But this time, no visions appeared.
Still, everyone felt a strange calm settle over them, as if the flame itself soothed their hearts.
"Firelink Shrine…" Drew murmured, tasting the name. "Could this be where the Firelink Ritual was performed—where the heroes kindled their flames?"
"So big… where do we even start?" Maru scanned the wide expanse. "Should we split up?"
"What if there are monsters?" someone asked nervously.
"Relax," Roger said, his tone confident. "I don't sense any nearby. It's safe—absolutely safe."
Given his reputation, no one argued. The adventurers split up into pairs to explore.
And quickly realized—the place was massive.
In the original world, Firelink Shrine connected to the Undead Settlement by a direct path.
But designer Miyazaki—er, "Wade"—hadn't had the time or energy to recreate that entire network while also building Farron Keep.
Without the Undead Settlement, they couldn't include its Church, Lower Section, Darkroot Garden, or the Ancient City of Sein—all of which were originally interconnected.
So, in this version, the Shrine was ringed by impassable mountains. To the north lay the swamp, to the east the forest.
The main route toward Farron Keep was the most obvious, cleverly emphasized by visual cues that made it feel like the natural path forward.
"Hey, this way leads down."
Terl pointed out a stone staircase spiraling into the earth, with another adventurer cautiously taking point.
At the bottom, they found an open chamber—and at its far end, a cylindrical shaft plunging into blackness. A cold wind whispered up from below.
"Jumping down there would definitely kill us…"
A classic Soulsborne elevator setup.
Only by activating the mechanism below could one ride it up—otherwise, the system would coldly tell you:
'You lack the right.'
Of course, since Wade hadn't finished designing the lower levels, the elevator currently served only as a teaser for future updates. Eventually, it might lead to the New Londo Ruins.
"Another empty one?" Maru grumbled after finding two more elevators elsewhere—one of which was actually jumpable.
"I'll go first!" said her partner, leaping down. "All clear! You can come!"
She followed—and gasped.
"Three chests!?"
Against the far wall, three treasure chests gleamed invitingly.
Maru, ever cautious, tossed a few daggers first.
Clink, clink, clink.
No movement. Not mimics.
"Jackpot!" the adventurer grinned, rubbing his hands before opening one.
[Homeward Bone ×5]
Returns the user to the last bonfire rested at.
Maru blinked. "Huh… not bad, I guess. A decent escape tool."
But the other two chests held… more Homeward Bones.
"…."
They shared a look. Silent despair.
Then—
"Maru! Come on up! We're heading out!" Terl's voice echoed from above.
"Coming!" she called back—then froze.
Behind the chests was a narrow crack in the wall, half-hidden by their placement.
Her curiosity sparked.
On one hand, her teammates.
On the other… a brand-new unexplored path.
"…Obviously, I'm going exploring."
Without hesitation, she squeezed through the gap, dragging the other adventurer with her.
On the other side lay a desolate graveyard littered with bones.
Each gravestone shimmered with faint, ghostly light.
Their eyes widened.
A treasure field!
Time to loot the nameless dead!
The adventurer bolted forward, grinning ear to ear.
.
..
...
Meanwhile, Drew and the others regrouped, sharing what they'd found.
"This place is far more complex than before," Drew said grimly. "That's not necessarily a good thing."
Roger shook his head. "I disagree. Look—Firelink Shrine has no monsters. It's a true resting hub. Newcomers can prepare here safely, and veterans can return to rest. Remember how the old dungeon dumped you straight into the muck the moment you arrived?"
"Besides," added a silver-ranked swordsman named Darrick, "we haven't explored the deeper areas yet. Who knows what else has changed?"
Terl frowned suddenly. "Wait… where's Maru?"
"Kyaaaaaa—!"
A scream echoed from the distance.
Terl's expression twitched. He knew it—something had gone wrong.