"Do you want to forge a twisted soul and obtain its power?"
"If you do, I might be able to help. I study 'transposition'—I can solidify the traits within a soul and extract them."
"This is a forbidden power, but it can indeed grant rare strength. You also want to obtain the power of a Lord of Cinder, don't you?"
This time, the voice that appeared was one Darrick had never heard before.
The group exchanged glances. Faced with this situation, they weren't particularly surprised—after all, this was the Sein Dungeon. Nothing that appeared here would be strange.
It was just an old man's voice asking whether they wanted the power of a Lord of Cinder. Hardly worth being shocked over.
If, at that moment, an old man had suddenly crawled out of someone's body covered in blood and asked the same question—then maybe they'd show some emotion.
According to the dungeon exploration manual written by the Skyrim Group, when encountering an unknown but seemingly communicative existence, the first thing you must ask is—
"Who are you?" Darrick asked.
"I am Ludleth of Courland. You may not believe it, but I am a Lord of Cinder who once linked the fire."
The scene before everyone holding souls suddenly shifted. Darkness closed in around them, and a new Throne of Cinder appeared before their eyes. Seated upon it was Ludleth.
A frail old man with a small frame—missing his legs—looking weak and almost pitiful.
This was a Lord of Cinder?
People couldn't help but compare him to the Abyss Watchers, their expressions turning slightly strange.
"Whenever you obtain a powerful soul, I will appear at the nearest Throne of Cinder to help you claim its power. Now then—do you wish to obtain that power?"
"…Yes."
Darrick exchanged glances with the others, then stepped forward to try it himself, handing over the precious soul of the Abyss Watchers.
"Then give me the soul. Fortunately, I still have a furnace."
The Soul of Wolf's Blood vanished before Ludleth, and an image composed of magical runes and text appeared before Darrick.
[O warrior who first defeated a powerful foe, this is a special soul that only you can obtain. It contains even more unique power.]
"Oh? You can actually extract two kinds of power from this soul," Ludleth said.
Darrick looked at the images. The most familiar item caught his eye immediately.
[Farron Greatsword]
Then came a pitch-black greatsword, and he couldn't help but curse in excitement.
[Wolf Knight's Greatsword]
[A knight's greatsword belonging to the Wolf Blood of Farron, tainted by the darkness of the Abyss]
[The Wolf Knight was a watcher of the original Abyss, and this blade is highly effective against servants of darkness]
[Weapon Skill: Wolf Swordsmanship]
"A-Arthorias's weapon!?"
Darrick could never forget the feeling of this blade cleaving him in half—the cold, lethal sensation was strangely captivating. Sometimes, late at night, he would recall it.
There was no hesitation. He immediately chose the greatsword.
And the next reward made his heart race as well.
[Wolf Knight's Greatshield]
[A knight's greatshield belonging to the Wolf Blood of Farron, tainted by the darkness of the Abyss]
[Provides stable defense and protective effects, granting resistance to various abnormal conditions]
A full set!?
He bit his lip and looked at the final two rewards.
[Blessing of Wolf Blood]
[Purified Wolf Blood]
Just a short description—but often, the simplest things were the most powerful.
The other option was a massive amount of souls. Well… probably no one would choose that.
Darrick stared at the Blessing of Wolf Blood and the greatsword and shield, falling into deep indecision.
"Want some advice?" Ludleth's voice came.
Darrick nodded, so he continued:
"Perhaps you've noticed—all of you possess the soul of wolf blood. But normally, one can only have a single soul. What you hold are merely remnants—echoes of the past. The true soul of the Abyss Watchers has long since been cast into the fire as ash."
"Since they are remnants, they must be flawed. Those two weapons belonging to the Wolf Knight are not the real thing—but neither are they fake. Think of them as power worn down by time. After all, you wouldn't be able to wield their true power anyway. But that doesn't make them worthless. At the very least, for you right now, they are priceless."
"If I were you, I would choose the greatsword and the blessing. That's all I can say."
Darrick lowered his head in thought. After a moment, he decided to follow Ludleth's advice.
The instant he made his choice, his figure vanished from the space.
Ludleth turned to the others.
"Who's next?"
Gapar made the same choice as Darrick—greatsword and blessing. For someone like him, who had never been granted wolf blood, this choice would allow him to obtain it.
When he was sent out of Ludleth's chamber, a burning sensation surged from within his body. He frowned involuntarily, but the pain intensified, forcing even someone with Gapar's willpower to crouch down, clutching the ground as he endured it.
It felt as though the howl of a wolf echoed within him. In his mind, the image of a giant wolf appeared.
A scream suddenly rang out nearby—it was Darrick.
As the other Farron Guards returned to the fortress, more and more screams followed.
So everyone chose the Blessing of Wolf Blood?
After an unknown amount of time, the pain finally subsided. Gapar stood up again, but—
Why did his vision feel strange?
Something about what he saw felt off. After thinking carefully, he realized why:
He had grown taller.
Already around 1.9 meters tall, he had suddenly gained nearly ten more centimeters, breaking the two-meter mark. Fortunately, his muscles had also expanded, so it didn't look unnatural.
But the others weren't so lucky.
Their average height had increased by nearly twenty centimeters. Even the shortest among them was now about 1.96 meters. Their physiques hadn't fully kept up, making them look somewhat disproportionate.
"S-So this is the effect of the Blessing of Wolf Blood?" Darrick clenched his fists, feeling his physical abilities had doubled—an all-around enhancement.
The wolf blood within him had become purer, its quantity even increased. If he activated it now—
His heart surged with excitement. If he combined wolf blood activation with stacked buffs, he might even break into level ninety.
The others also shouted in joy. Though their improvements weren't as great as Darrick's, they still felt completely transformed. Their average level had been around 35—now they were likely approaching 50.
For those with stronger bodies, the effects of wolf blood were more pronounced. The weak simply couldn't withstand its power.
Ludleth truly was a good person. He had helped them make the wisest choice. Truly worthy of being a Lord of Cinder.
Darrick gripped the black Wolf Knight's Greatsword tightly. The technique known as "Wolf Swordsmanship" surfaced in his mind. His excitement made him want to try it immediately, but he restrained himself and looked toward Gapar.
The latter stood with his back turned, his body trembling slightly.
"Master, what's wrong?" Darrick approached cautiously.
The Sword Saint turned around, revealing an expression Darrick couldn't quite describe.
The corners of his mouth were lifted in a smile, but beneath it lay hidden sorrow—mixed with relief, gratitude, and confusion.
It was the first time Darrick had seen such a complex expression on his face.
It was hard to imagine that such a carefree old man could feel so much.
Darrick was startled. Just as he was about to ask, Gapar wiped his face, returning to normal. Then he pulled something from his pocket and tossed it over.
"This is… an EXP candy?"
[Small Candy]
[A candy filled with energy, blessed by the gods. Consuming it at a bonfire grants divine blessing, increasing one level]
[Usable only by beings below level 200]
Darrick looked at him, confused.
"I can't use it anymore. You take it."
Gapar chuckled softly, then turned to look up at the Abyss Watchers on the throne.
Can't use it anymore?
Darrick pondered those words—then suddenly widened his eyes in disbelief.
Could it be—
Thud!
Gapar did something no one expected.
He knelt before the throne.
On one knee, he bowed to the Lord of Cinder upon the Throne—a gesture of the highest respect among humans.
The scene fell silent.
Everyone, who had just been immersed in the joy of newfound power, stared wide-eyed.
Only Darrick seemed to understand what had happened.
"Thank you… our fire-linking savior."
Gapar spoke sincerely—and clearly, it wasn't just because of the power he had gained.
"Master, you—"
Darrick tried to help him up, but the Sword Saint stood on his own, brushing the dust from his knees. He patted Darrick's shoulder and said:
"Tell Leon and the others for me—I'll have to break my promise. When I return, I'll take him hunting the Golden Lion."
Darrick nodded, still confused but obedient.
Seeing his disciple like this, Gapar smiled without speaking. His lips moved slightly.
[I wasn't supposed to come back alive.]
Reading his lips, Darrick froze.
He wanted to ask more—but Gapar had already turned and walked toward the underground passage at the deepest part of the fortress, leaving him no chance to speak.
But moments later, he came back, waving his hand.
"Can't get in. It's locked. Let's head back to the city for a drink—I'll treat."
[Bound by a mysterious dark force, unable to proceed]
This message appeared as soon as they entered the underground passage. Dense darkness blocked their way, preventing any progress.
Strange. Why open the entrance but not allow anyone in?
It was as if the dungeon had suddenly changed its mind.
Still, this was for the best.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. If a new area had truly opened, would they have forced themselves to explore it—or retreated?
This outcome was clearly the best one, at least for the Farron Guards.
"Let's go home!"
They cheered, carrying their greatswords and shields, returning with full rewards.
At the very end, Darrick turned back toward the Abyss Watchers. He pushed the gate fully open.
It was a rare sunny day.
Sunlight poured in without restraint, illuminating most of the fortress.
Letting the Abyss Watchers bask in long-lost sunlight…
Just right.
That day, news of the first clear of the Abyss Watchers spread. The city erupted in celebration—another major step forward in exploring the Sein Dungeon.
And in some aspects, people noticed subtle changes within the dungeon.
These changes meant little to most—but to the Farron Guards who fought that day, they were significant.
When people opened the gates of Farron Keep, they no longer heard the clash of blades. The scene of the Watchers fighting each other had become a projection shown upon entry.
And when it ended—
The Abyss Watchers, seated upon the Throne, would stand and salute those who passed the trial.
They no longer seemed exhausted from endless battle—more like they had awakened from a long dream, testing those who came after.
Darrick and the others also discovered that those who had already defeated the first phase would not trigger combat automatically upon returning.
Instead, by touching the throne, two options would appear:
[Challenge the Abyss Watchers]
[Challenge the "Lord of Cinder" Abyss Watchers]
If one could win the first option, the path to the underground would open.
Only then would the darkness blocking the way disappear.
Meanwhile, for Wade, two noteworthy events had recently occurred.
First, the "Sword Saint" Gapar was about to leave.
Second, "Shadowless" Geralt had been killed—his mutilated body thrown into the dungeon.
Geralt's death seemed to mark the beginning.
A few days later, another adventurer's corpse was also cast into Sein.
And after careful comparison, Wade discovered—
All of the deceased possessed unique talents.