Chapter 772 Ringing the Bell
"Finally, we can go ring the bell!"
When those words came out of Hervé's mouth, not only he, but everyone felt a sense of relief.
The sense of accomplishment after defeating a powerful enemy, the relief of finally ending a torturous journey, and the anticipation for the adventure to come are all intertwined at this moment, making one's mood incredibly complex.
To conquer the "Twin Gargoyles," they had spent countless days in the dungeon, barely clinging to life and not venturing out.
Now that the enemy has been defeated in one fell swoop, fatigue surges up as people relax, and some are already swaying and almost falling to the ground.
"Cheer up! We can't afford to fail at the last minute. Don't you want to persevere to the end and see what happens?"
Hervé's voice forced those who were showing signs of fatigue to perk up.
It's common knowledge among adventurers that the Sien Dungeon will kick out adventurers who aren't in a good mental state.
Although the Sien Dungeon is usually quite unkind, people feel it's actually quite humane in this kind of situation.
It is not uncommon for adventurers to die suddenly in dungeons. This sudden death is caused by the depletion of mental energy due to prolonged exposure to dungeons. After being resurrected, there is a chance that they will become a vegetable.
Gong Qiying has always valued adventurers, which is why he set up danger lines. Some dungeons, on the other hand, are eager to squeeze every last drop out of adventurers, after all, it's all for survival.
Hervi knew very well that everyone's current mental state was already close to the danger of being kicked out of the Sien Dungeon, but it would be too much of a loss if they were kicked out at the last minute before the bell rang. Next time they came in, they would have to go through the trouble of fighting the two gargoyles again, and they might even fail.
So no matter what, everyone has to grit their teeth and finish ringing the bell!
The two gargoyles' bodies slowly turned to ashes and dissipated, leaving behind a large number of light spots as rewards.
【Gargoyle Tail Ax】
[An axe made from the tail of a gargoyle that guarded the Awakening Bell of the Church of the Undead]
[It can be used as a bronze battle axe. Perhaps because it was originally a tail, the handle will extend and lengthen like a whip when attacked forcefully.]
Gargoyle Helmet
The helmet worn by the gargoyles that guard the Church of the Undead
Because gargoyles' skin is already tough enough, the bronze helmets they wear are purely decorative and cannot be expected to provide much protection.
【War Ashes: The Gale of Justice】
[Wings emerge from its back, powerful enough to create a hurricane. The hurricane that propels it forward will blow away enemies in its path and leave a wind field in its wake. Those who step into this field will be protected by the wind and their movement speed will be increased.]
Besides these, there were a bunch of small, scattered items; just picking them up one by one was hard enough to strain your back.
"Righteous Gale. Is this the combat technique used by that gargoyle with the different appearance?"
Herve was quite fond of this combat skill from Galio. According to the description, it could both attack and support. The only drawback was that the wind field seemed to also affect the enemy.
As for the weapons and equipment of the other two gargoyles, they were of little value to the Starfire Knights; they could simply return them to the church.
"If we can obtain one of the gargoyle's combat techniques, then can we also obtain the rest?"
The Starfire Knights raised a very likely topic.
After all, Galio's skills are pretty good. His shield is quite thick and can heal allies, the wind field has a strong knockback effect, and the shockwaves emitted from his eyes are also very powerful.
"Waaah!"
Just as he was taking stock of his gains, Hervé suddenly felt a piercing pain in his head, so painful that he staggered and almost fell to the ground.
No, my already weak body is deteriorating further. I can't delay any longer; I need to go ring the bell quickly.
Sensing that their physical condition was also not optimistic, the Starfire Knights hurriedly gathered up the scattered sparks on the ground and headed towards the clock tower not far away.
The fog gate that had blocked people's way had long since disappeared. Passing through the not-so-large doorway, they finally entered the interior of the clock tower they had been longing to see.
"There's nothing special about this place; it's just a very ordinary building."
It's quite moving to see that the place they finally managed to enter after going through so much trouble to defeat the formidable gargoyles is actually built in a style that's not much different from the Church of the Undead. People have a lot to say about this.
Following the ancient spiral staircase upwards, climbing the creaking wooden handrails, and passing through the opening at the very top of the ceiling, the group finally reached the top of the clock tower!
The sunlight, closest to the sky, shone on Hervé's face. He took a deep breath and saw the great bell that symbolized the mission of the undead.
The bell is old and worn, and you can feel the historical atmosphere just by looking at it. A layer of dust has accumulated on the surface of the bell, and it looks like no one has rung it for a long time.
Gong Qiying changed the bell, which was originally rung by a lever mechanism, to a manual mode that was rung by a striking rod. He felt that this gave a more special feeling than using a mechanism.
The Starfire Knights, holding onto the cold-touch baton, exerted their strength in unison without needing a countdown.
The heavy baton, combined with the collective force of everyone, struck the ancient bell.
The surface dust disappeared completely under the sunlight.
"Knock knock."
The bells echoed throughout the Undead Parish, each chime louder than the last, the sound traversing the parish, passing through Undead Town, and spreading further afield.
It was as if something ancient was being gradually awakened.
If the last bell in the sick village could be rung, something significant might happen.
The Starfire Knights looked at the swaying clock, and each of them showed a satisfied expression. Their long-term efforts had finally paid off.
This scene evokes a magical sense of mission in people's hearts, a feeling that would likely not have arisen without the previous long journey and arduous battles.
After a smile appeared, someone leaned back and fell to the ground, disappearing into countless points of light before hitting the ground. This was a sign that their mental energy had reached the danger level and they had been teleported out of the Sien Dungeon.
"Don't fall asleep!"
Hervé snapped out of his reverie and slapped the faces of those who were about to fall asleep several times, yelling:
"If we fall asleep now, all the souls we've collected will be gone!"
Although the number of souls decreased significantly due to death and resurrection, the two gargoyles replenished a large wave, so it would be a huge loss to leave without upgrading!
We must get back to the campfire and level up before everyone's mental state reaches its limit and they get kicked out of the Sien Dungeon!
Herve used the Dragon Fang to bind the still-awake group and spurred his horse back along the same route, wanting to get back to the Firelink Shrine, while the others were already yawning repeatedly.
This is a race against time!
He also discovered with despair that it seemed like they hadn't encountered a campfire for a long time since they ran across Flying Dragon Bridge. It was a long distance to run back to Flying Dragon Bridge from here, and many people probably wouldn't be able to make it!
What should we do? Are we just going to waste all the souls we've worked so hard to accumulate?
We have no choice but to speed things up!
Herve immediately slapped the battle ash called Justice Gale onto the gargoyle tail axe he had just obtained, blowing a wind field several meters long forward and using the wind field to accelerate and increase his speed.
Although this is just a drop in the ocean compared to the long journey he is about to face.
He rushed out of the bell tower and ran at top speed into the Church of the Undead. Even though he was still a long way from the bonfire, some Starfire Knights were already dozing off.
This feeling of urgency makes it really hard to relax!
Seeing that some people were already on the verge of collapse before they even escaped the Church of the Undying, Hervi felt a deep sense of helplessness. Was all the souls that everyone had worked so hard to accumulate going to be wasted like this?
Under this emotional influence, even the gates of the Church of the Immortals, which were so close at hand, seemed so far away.
Just then, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned to look at one side of the church hall.
There were two extra small spaces enclosed by iron fences, which seemed just enough to accommodate the group of people.
One of the small spaces was empty, and looking down from there, the bottom was dark and unfathomable. The other had a raised wooden floor with a button in the center that looked like it could be stepped on.
Wait, is this an elevator?
Hervé's eyes suddenly widened.
Previously, when they were attacking the Church of the Undead, they were so focused on the monsters that they didn't pay much attention to the elevator. Now that they had discovered it, countless thoughts rushed through his mind.
Elevators, their existence signifies connection to other places, perhaps new areas or unexpected locations, but generally speaking, they certainly don't lead back the same way.
"Given the nature of the Sien Dungeon, there shouldn't be no campfires along such a long route from the Flying Dragon Bridge. We must have missed something, so maybe this elevator leads to a new campfire?"
His guess was not far from impossible; perhaps stepping onto the elevator would lead to a new campfire.
But if not, it means he has not only wasted his precious time, but may also have stepped into the new underworld design of the Sien Dungeon.
"rush!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Herve pulled everyone and rushed into the elevator!
Since not many people can hold out until they run back to Flying Dragon Bridge or even the Fire-Binding Ritual Site, we might as well take a gamble now.
Let's gamble on the conscience of the Sien Dungeon!
"Snap!"
The metal mesh closed, and the elevator creaked as it began to descend slowly.
Even though the descent wasn't slow except at the very beginning, he still anxiously shook his legs, never feeling that time was dragging on for so long.
"Isn't this elevator a bit too high?"
Almost three minutes had passed, and the elevator was still descending as if there was no end in sight, which made Hervi so anxious that he was sweating profusely.
With an elevator this tall, did it descend directly underground? Or did it land in Little Londo?
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. Just then, the elevator gradually slowed down, and a gap appeared in the stone wall in front of him, revealing the view below.
"Huh?"
Upon seeing the scene outside, Hervi, who had been extremely anxious, suddenly froze and involuntarily uttered a sound of surprise.
The scenery outside was so familiar!
He was so surprised that when the elevator finally came to a complete stop, he was stunned for two seconds before he came to his senses and dragged everyone out of the elevator.
The moment his foot thudded onto the ground, magical runes appeared before him.
[Fire-lighting Ritual Site]
It's the site of the Fire Link ritual!?
The familiar blue sky, white clouds, broken walls and ruins—Hevita even recognized exactly where this place was located within the Firelink Shrine—it was in an inconspicuous corner on the side!
So that's what this place is for; it's connected to the Immortal Parish!
This road is amazing!
I never expected the map to be like this!
Even the Starfire Knights, who were drowsy and about to give up, widened their eyes upon seeing the scene before them, their minds instantly sharpened by the stimulus.
Herve ran wildly to the campfire, threw everyone to the fire, and without a word, they used all their souls to upgrade. After upgrading, they collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Hervi was the same; he lay on his back, panting, gazing at the tranquil blue sky and white clouds within the Firelink Shrine, and only then did he belatedly realize that his emotions had changed.
"How did the ancients design this? This shortcut is absolutely ingenious!"
The extreme contrast between the despair brought by the darkness in the first half of the elevator and the sense of redemption that appears at the Firelink Shrine at the end creates a dramatic emotional shift!
It had been a long time since Hervé had felt the thrill of this kind of map design. He finally remembered why he had initially liked Sain.
It's because of these maps of dangerous yet wonderfully ingenious areas of the underworld!
"What a pity. If I had known, I would have gone here first to take the shortcut. It would have made fighting the gargoyles much easier."
Every time I respawn, I have to run all the way from the Flying Dragon Bridge. That 365-mile journey is really annoying.
He sighed helplessly, but then laughed, shook his head, and said:
Even so, the adventure of the past few days was worth it!
After saying that, a wave of fatigue washed over him, and he finally couldn't resist closing his eyes and quickly began to snore happily.
Before drifting off to sleep, he vaguely heard the slightly surprised voice of the disheartened man beside him:
"It's unbelievable, you actually did it, you really rang that bell."
Of course, they don't even know who we are.
Upon hearing this, Hervé's lips curled up even wider before his consciousness completely plunged into darkness.
The Starfire Church's exploration of the Cinn Dungeon has come to a successful conclusion!
(End of this chapter)
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