"Sein Dungeon Annual Coolest Monster Popularity Poll?"
"Well, Artorias winning would be totally deserved."
"Giving it to the Farron Legion would also make perfect sense."
"Rennala wouldn't be a bad choice either."
"I could totally accept the Crucible Knights taking it too."
"WAIT, WHAT THE HELL IS A BASILISK DOING HERE!?"
Looking at the Basilisk that had somehow taken first place in the Sein Dungeon Annual Coolest Monster Poll published in the Bed Weekly, Darrick couldn't help blurting out a curse.
The outburst was so sudden that even the Farron Guards training nearby turned to stare at him in shock.
"Ahem."
He coughed awkwardly to cover it up, crumpled the newspaper into a ball, and tossed it into the trash, swearing never to buy such garbage tabloids again.
The weather today was perfect.
The skies were clear, and the sun hung high overhead.
Squinting against the sunlight, Darrick suddenly remembered the day Gapar had secretly returned from the border to reassure him that he was safe.
The weather back then had been just as bright.
When he saw his teacher return alive, he had nearly burst into tears.
It had already been two weeks since the great Sword Saint Gapar slew the despicable and evil Demon King bloodline, Conrad.
Fourteen days wasn't particularly long, but it wasn't short either.
A great deal had happened in Bedford City during that time.
Count Charon had launched the City Expansion Plan.
The city's current size could no longer accommodate the increasing flood of adventurers arriving day after day. Expansion had become an urgent necessity, and a large number of earth mages were now being recruited.
The food district had expanded even further.
The previous cooking competition had showcased countless premium ingredients most people had never even heard of before. People's appetites had been thoroughly ignited, motivating them to dive deeper into the Gourmet Zone.
Up until now, under the joint support of the Adventurers' Guild and the Culinary Association, adventurers calling themselves "Gourmet Hunters" had become exceptionally active within the Gourmet Zone.
Rare ingredients, special effects, and even legendary cooking utensils were gradually being uncovered.
No matter how dangerous the exploration became, as long as adventurers could eat a dish made from premium ingredients — a Glowing Cuisine — their morale would instantly recover, and they would throw themselves back into danger full of energy once more.
Faced with all kinds of suffocating pressures in life, some people had already begun treating gourmet food as the hope of their existence, becoming devoted supporters of Sein Dungeon's Gourmet Zone.
Meanwhile, the Bedford Family's Sein Dungeon merchandise business was still booming.
And thanks to some unknown "genius's" suggestion, they had even launched mystery boxes.
Inside the tiny wooden boxes were random figurines of Sein monsters, along with hidden rare editions of Artorias and Thops.
The product exploded in popularity the moment it launched.
Fantasy novels related to Sein were also already in rapid development.
At this point, the Bedford Family had completely transformed into the shape of Sein.
Because the mystery box business had become so absurdly successful, some people who simply couldn't pull the hidden editions began complaining about the system, eventually leading to a joke spreading everywhere:
"The contents of the boxes are decided with both eyes open."
Incidentally, Darrick himself had once spent the wolves' meat budget for extra meals trying to pull the Artorias figurine.
The result was being cold-shouldered by the wolves for several days afterward.
Later, he ran into Stella, who had spent the elves' meal funds trying to pull the Thops figurine.
The two of them painfully reflected on their mistakes and swore never to touch those boxes again.
The Bedford Family also used part of the profits earned from merchandise sales to subsidize adventurers.
Discounted teleport crystals and rewards for adventurers who made new discoveries further encouraged dungeon exploration.
They were making money without forgetting where that money came from.
It could only be said that Count Charon truly knew how to govern as a lord.
At this point, aside from Liurnia of the Lakes, the other regions of Sein Dungeon had already been explored fairly thoroughly, making truly new discoveries increasingly difficult.
The Firelink Shrine—
The place where the heroes of Linking the Fire once departed.
Now it had become a resting place for adventurers after desperate battles.
Relaxing beside the bonfire while staring at the blue sky and drifting clouds had become a shared memory among this generation of adventurers.
Probably something they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
The Forest Region—
Home to all kinds of elite monsters.
Hunting them and gathering materials allowed adventurers to visit the Felyne blacksmiths and forge weapons.
Each crafted weapon possessed irresistibly unique mechanics.
Its boss, the Rajang, frequently treated adventurers to earth-shattering territorial battles, causing the region's popularity to rise steadily.
The Catacombs—
Now officially recognized as the Endless Reincarnation addiction generator.
Some people addicted to roguelike runs felt physically uncomfortable if they didn't do at least one run per day.
As for its boss, the Death Rite Bird had somehow become the least memorable boss in all of Sein Dungeon.
The Gourmet Zone—
Currently the most popular area.
Recently, adventurers had discovered an ancient gourmet ritual known as the "Life Menu," triggering modern people to imitate it in droves.
Legendary cooking utensils beginning with the Eternal Spirit Knife were now being pursued with enormous bounties by gourmet enthusiasts everywhere.
The adorable Pokémon creatures there were also expected to become the next generation of massively popular monsters.
Finally—
Farron Keep.
After the Farron Guards achieved the first-ever clear of the Undead Legion, the region experienced a second surge in popularity.
As the very first characters to leave a deep emotional impression on adventurers, the Undead Legion remained wildly beloved throughout Bedford City.
Meanwhile, the underground path that appeared after defeating Phase One of the Farron Undead Legion — regardless of whether dynamic difficulty balancing was involved — had become a major topic recently.
People speculated that the Abyss sealed beneath Farron Keep lay below.
Everyone eagerly anticipated the underground area finally opening.
And then there was Liurnia of the Lakes, the current hottest sensation.
Its ability to support long-term habitation, its vast and ever-changing map, its unique magic-learning system, and its underground labyrinth integrated with Endless Reincarnation gave the region extraordinary vitality.
It was widely considered the most replayable area in Sein Dungeon.
Not long ago, adventurers successfully established a new "small safe zone" inside the underground labyrinth.
But during the very first monster siege, they failed to defend it.
The adventurers could only watch helplessly as the monsters occupied the safe zone they had painstakingly built.
Adventurer blood pressure: skyrocketing!
Someone had also discovered an item called the "Academy Gate Town Expansion Permit."
Using it significantly expanded the territory of the large safe zone, allowing more people to live there.
Rumor even claimed some people had discovered farmland within the lake region capable of rapidly producing huge amounts of crops.
Now there was even less need to leave the dungeon for supplies.
Though the farmland could only grow specific plants, and special seeds had to be discovered first.
And those seeds looked strange too.
Like little pixel blocks.
Still—
Food was food.
Who cared what it looked like?
Darrick occasionally brought the Farron Guards to the lake region to challenge elites and bosses as training.
Battling powerful enemies undeniably caused their strength to increase rapidly.
But a new problem soon emerged.
The surrounding demons had already been slaughtered to near extinction by them.
The Farron Guards had not participated in real combat within the surface world for a very long time.
Darrick had considered leading everyone on expeditions elsewhere, but none of them wanted to leave Sein Dungeon.
After all, it was difficult to find a faster way to level up than farming souls in Sein.
If they remained cooped up any longer, then the next time the Farron Guards appeared before the demon race, they would probably have all transformed into legendary grinding addicts.
Every region of Sein Dungeon operated with vibrant energy.
It was thriving even harder than Three Kingdoms Kill.
Walking toward Sein Dungeon, Darrick remembered recently receiving an invitation from a frontier commander named General Gabi.
The man hoped the Farron Guards would permanently station themselves at the border to help resist demonic invasions.
But since the border didn't have Sein Dungeon…
Neither Darrick nor the others really wanted to go.
Darrick stepped through the portal, sat for a while beside the bonfire at the turkey farm, then walked through the familiar halls of Farron Keep.
The entire process felt as warm and familiar as returning home.
Pushing open the doors of Farron Keep, he saw the Farron Undead Legion seated upon the Thrones of Cinder, embers quietly drifting from their bodies.
Darrick silently admired them for a while before turning once more toward the underground path, wondering when this place would finally unlock.
But the moment he glanced over, he froze in place.
Then subconsciously rubbed his eyes.
"Am I seeing things?"
A bonfire…
Had appeared in front of the underground path.
"It definitely wasn't here yesterday."
He cautiously approached.
The darkness that had previously blocked entry was now gone.
A cold wind continuously blew upward from below.
But Darrick's heart burned hotter than ever before.
He could enter now.
At long last, he could finally explore beneath Farron Keep.
What he didn't know—
Was that once he entered, he would be stepping into an entirely new dungeon thousands of miles away.
Suppressing his excitement, Darrick first returned to the keep.
Before beginning any exploration, sitting at a bonfire was mandatory.
That was basic common sense for qualified adventurers.
But this bonfire wasn't lit.
He had to ignite it personally.
The moment he tossed the flame into the bonfire, Darrick suddenly felt as though the tiny spark he released would become the fire that unveiled an entirely new chapter.
"BOOM!"
Flames surged skyward.
Within the firelight, Darrick could even see his own shocked and delighted reflection.
Dun-dun-dong—
The notes capable of bringing every Undead to tears began to play.
A new cinematic slowly unfolded before him.
Ash drifted down from the sky.
Then more and more ash followed, fluttering like heavy snowfall and covering the world in gray.
Within the darkness, Gwyn silently walked forward.
Countless Black Knights marched behind him toward the Kiln of the First Flame.
An aged woman's voice echoed out.
"As the First Flame faded, King Gwyn shared his power among his people and became the first to sacrifice himself to continue the fire."
"But the gods' reign did not last as long as he imagined."
Thick fog obscured the scene.
Accompanied by dragon roars, an unnamed king gradually vanished into the mist.
Inside a lonely royal palace, a noble princess in luxurious garments fell into deep slumber.
Within a corridor shrouded in night, a "woman" wearing a mask modeled after the sun gazed upward at the heavens while countless serpents coiled around "her."
"The Firstborn of the Sun vanished without a trace. The Princess of Sunlight fell asleep. And the Dark Sun, unable to reveal her true appearance, took upon herself a heavy responsibility."
What a beautiful woman…
The moment he saw the Dark Sun, Darrick admitted his heart skipped a beat.
Even though her face remained hidden, that frail silhouette awakened an overwhelming desire to protect her.
"Generation after generation of heroes cast themselves into the flame, allowing the world to continue. Time quietly passed."
One heroic figure after another appeared within the vision.
Some familiar.
Some strangers.
Darrick saw the Undead he had once briefly encountered in Hawkwood's Painted World.
He saw the Ashen One who defeated the Lords of Cinder.
He even saw a Warrior of Sunlight — the bucket-like helmet instantly recognizable, as eye-catching as the man's bright personality.
With so many heroes sacrificing themselves, surely the flame should continue burning forever?
"Great souls continued to feed the fire, yet it could never regain the glory it once possessed. Day by day, the flame weakened."
What!?
"Fuel will one day run out. The fire eternally declines. Great souls become increasingly difficult to obtain. And when nothing suitable remains to feed the flame, the Lords of Cinder are awakened once more, returning their broken bodies to the fire."
Bells rang out.
Coffins opened one after another.
The figure Darrick recognized most immediately appeared first.
Several familiar silhouettes rose from their coffins.
"Watchers of the Abyss — the Farron Undead Legion."
A massive figure sat upright within a coffin, roaring as embers ignited across its body.
"The lonely monarch of the Capital — Yhorm the Giant."
A mass of indescribable black sludge spilled from another coffin, radiating the aura of the Deep.
"Saint of the Deep — Aldrich."
So these were the Lords of Cinder…
Darrick stared in awe.
"And yet… they would all abandon their thrones."
"In this era where the fire fades, darkness brews within the shadows, and conspiracy hangs over everyone."
The cinematic zoomed infinitely closer toward Aldrich's body until the entire screen became swallowed by pitch-black sludge.
Just as Darrick wondered what the imagery meant—
"The usurper manipulated by the flame of ambition now bares its fangs toward the world."
A light suddenly ignited within the darkness.
Wrapped around a sword blade—
One crimson.
One violet.
The dazzling brilliance slammed directly into Darrick's consciousness.
And the cinematic ended.
"I… what did I just see…"
He sat on the ground with his eyes tightly shut.
His expression looked painful.
Yet the corners of his mouth curled upward uncontrollably.
"I need to tell everyone immediately!"