Darkwraiths—the iconic monsters of the Abyss.
Considering the Hunters Manual had mentioned a nation deep within the grave being eroded by the Abyss, finding Darkwraiths here wasn't surprising.
Facing the hideous creatures, Gapar casually waved his hand.
"Go on, you guys take care of it."
As the Elder, it was only natural that he left some experience for the youngsters. He thoroughly enjoyed this feeling.
Back in the mountains where he lived in seclusion, the only young person he saw daily was his daughter—but she had absolutely zero respect for him. Rebellious, argumentative, never acknowledging her old man. If he wanted the feeling of being admired by the younger generation, all he had to do was step off the mountain.
But Gapar didn't want empty praise from strangers.
What he wanted was the acknowledgement of genuinely outstanding youths he personally approved of—someone like Leon.
For someone of his age, he was still pretty picky.
With the Darkwraith looming ahead, Leon instinctively reached for the backhand sword at his waist—
Wait—no!
He yanked his hand away and instead pulled out the plain straight sword strapped to his back, the one infused with the Ash of War: Carian Greatsword.
Quickstep was simply too convenient. Anyone without strong willpower would eventually degrade into a soulless Quickstep spammer, abandoning every virtue a warrior should have.
Realizing this, Leon had sworn to avoid Quickstep unless absolutely necessary.
As for Bloodhound's Step—an even more dangerously addictive technique—Leon had sealed it away inside the mansion's locked chamber. Once ordinary people experienced it, they would never willingly give it up. Leon himself had only managed to quit through calming magic.
"Everyone, let's go," Leon said through gritted teeth, like an addict forcing himself off blood vials in Bloodborne.
This was the group's first real battle since reuniting, and everyone was fired up—even if the enemy was a terrifying Darkwraith.
Of course, most of their confidence came from the fact that Gapar was standing right behind them. Even if they couldn't win, he'd catch them.
The moment the fight began, everyone's fighting spirit ignited. Gapar watched their movements with great satisfaction. After all, each of them had undergone his special training—their current strength far surpassed their past selves.
Good. Very good.
They'd properly put his teachings into practice.
Gapar felt genuine teacherly pride—as if watching well-trained disciples finally shine.
He suddenly felt the urge to train even more outstanding young people.
As they fought, he offered occasional advice—correcting posture, adjusting power flow, pointing out gaps in timing.
In no time, the fight was over.
"…Huh?"
Maru blinked. Why had it ended so quickly?
Besides Gapar's guidance, another reason was clear: these Darkwraiths were weaker than those in Farron Keep.
She sensed it, though she couldn't understand why Darkwraiths inside a grave would be easier.
It couldn't be because there were no souls to absorb inside the grave… right?
At that moment, everyone who participated in the battle received an item—and even Gapar, who only gave verbal guidance, got one too.
A palm-sized object shaped like a dark awl, surrounded by a faint pale glow.
[Humanity]
Its texture was strange—weightless like air, yet jelly-like to the touch. Melt it, and it would probably turn into a sticky, wet sludge.
Leon didn't have the Hunter's Manual, so he looked to Maru. She flipped to the Humanity entry and found—
Nothing.
No description at all. Just the name. Listed as an item.
Since no one knew its purpose, they decided to store it.
After defeating the Darkwraiths, they ventured deeper in. The path was unobstructed, though corpses lined the roadside.
Likely unlucky souls that had been drained dry.
It was clear the Dungeon had begun implementing environmental storytelling. Items, scenery, corpses—all added layers of narrative depth.
Both Wade and Sein were steadily improving.
"No more path?"
They halted. Before them was a rough rock wall—no route forward.
A dead end, after walking so far.
Gapar cracked his knuckles. Was he seriously thinking of carving open the rock by hand?
Leon quickly stopped his overly enthusiastic master and pointed at the ground.
"Wait, Master—look there."
Hidden under thick weeds was a treasure chest.
In front of it lay a white inscription. When touched, text appeared:
[Transport trap ahead… but there's a reward.]
"…"
Silence overtook the party.
Maru asked, "So… do we open it?"
Leon glanced at Gapar, then took a deep breath.
"Open it."
Whether this was a new Dungeon mechanic or not, adventurers were born to explore the unknown.
If they didn't take risks with new discoveries, who would?
Besides—they were the Raid Party. "Retreat" wasn't in their lexicon.
The chest burst open, releasing dense fog that swallowed them whole. A wave of dizziness hit—
Then they found themselves standing in a perfectly square room.
The room was so square that anyone with OCD would be pleased. It was enormous—about the size of an Earth football field.
The lighting was dim. Scattered torches illuminated only small sections; the rest was swallowed by darkness.
"No monsters?"
Leon scanned the area, gripping his straight sword. But he sensed no hostility at all.
At the far end of the vast room sat another chest, identical to the first—except this one was sealed by a red magical barrier.
In front of that chest stood…
A giant tombstone?
"There might be monsters beneath it. Be careful," Gapar warned. "Try blasting it with magic."
Leon was not about to randomly attack a tombstone. He approached cautiously. Even standing directly before it, nothing happened.
He waved the others over—safe.
"What's this tombstone for?"
Leon examined the monument. The inscriptions were indecipherable—likely an ancient, lost tongue.
But the moment he stepped closer, something stirred in his mind.
[This is the tombstone of those who served the Grave King.]
[When the dark Abyss invaded this quiet grave, the King's loyal followers fought here to their deaths. Time and space became warped, drawing Abyss-corrupted creatures into this place.]
[O traveler—whether or not you worship the King, if you wish to challenge the Abyss, offer Humanity before the tombstone.]
[Use Humanity gained from defeated monsters to receive the King's blessing. The blessing is valid only within this space.]
[Offer Humanity?]
Leon blinked, stunned.
Offer Humanity?
That must be the item they just obtained.
The Grave King's blessing…
Was that referring to Gravelord Nito?
A mighty existence from the same era as Lord Gwyn—one of the original Lords who claimed a portion of the First Flame.
Receiving a blessing from such a being was an honor beyond measure.
But only applicable "in this space"?
So it disappeared after leaving the dungeon?
Then… what was the point?
Leon called the others to read the message. Everyone hesitated.
A "blessing" was something only gods could give.
If they accepted the Grave King's blessing, would they form a connection with this ancient deity?
Connections with gods could be headaches.
Leon also wondered if accepting the blessing counted as forming a covenant.
If so, he wouldn't offer it. He hadn't made any covenant yet—but deep down, he wanted to join the Warriors of Sunlight.
He just hadn't had time to visit the Sunlight Altar.
Everyone hesitated—except one man.
"Let me see what kind of blessing it gives."
Without hesitation, Gapar tossed a Humanity at the tombstone. Everyone held their breath.
Such was the composure of the strong—fearlessly touching the unknown like it meant nothing.
[You have received three possible blessings from the Grave King. Choose one.]
[Hardened Bones: Your bones become tougher. Even overwhelming force cannot easily break them.]
[Eyes of the Dead: Your eyes gain the sight of the dead. Undead nearby will faintly tremble.]
[Grave King's Swordbearer: Gain the swordsmanship knowledge of the dead. When wielding a sword, you gain unmatched power. Your body, however, becomes as fragile as decayed bones.]
"Interesting."
In all his years, this was the first time he'd encountered something like this. No dungeon had ever presented anything similar.
Purely original content—not plagiarized!
Without hesitation, he selected Grave King's Swordbearer.
Fragile body?
No problem—just don't get hit.
As he chose it, a dark shimmer rippled across his body.
"Master," Leon asked anxiously, "do you feel anything?"
"…"
Gapar closed his eyes and gripped his sword. A strange aura surged from him.
Then he opened his eyes sharply.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
Leon watched in awe, sensing an indescribable transformation—as if Gapar had stepped into a higher realm.
Yet at the same time, a decayed aura seeped from him, as though his body might crumble at a touch.
The conflicting effects made the others hesitate even more.
But after struggling with himself, Leon stepped forward and offered his Humanity.
[You have received three possible blessings. Choose one.]
[Miasma: When you dodge an enemy's attack, thick black fog appears, obstructing vision. Slightly toxic, and harmful to the user as well.]
[Favor of the Dead: When fighting undead, enemies will show mercy toward you.]
[Negative Harvest: When you inflict negative status effects, your spirit and combat power increase.]
…Hmm?
As Leon read the last blessing, he instinctively touched his waist.
The Fetid Pots hung there.