Chapter 776 The Inescapable Sick Village
“I have experience with this lousy place called the Sick Village.”
Confidence fills Luluwo's heart.
Although she hadn't taken this long tunnel when she traveled from the world of painting to Sicks Village before, she was still quite confident about her exploration of Sicks Village.
No, this mindset can't be called confidence. Perhaps it should be said that after being tortured so badly, her body developed a "spider-sense" for all the malice here, as if it could foresee it in advance.
This could be considered a talent, but she would rather never have to use it, because if this talent took effect, it would mean she would have to endure pain no less than a grueling march of 365 miles.
Sigh, couldn't exploring the Sien Dungeon be made a little easier?
What she didn't know was that in the Sick Village of the Painting World, the place she entered was generally called the Sick Village Main Gate. To get there, there was a relatively difficult preliminary area to explore.
The dark, foul-smelling tunnel they were seeing was generally referred to by the undead as the back entrance to the Blight Village. The process of entering the Blight Village from here was the classic "reverse Blight Village route".
It is said that the difficulty of walking through the disease village is much lower than walking in through the main gate, and this is indeed the case.
However, that was in a game.
In the current Sien Dungeon, is there really a significant difference in difficulty between going forward and backward?
For now, we will maintain a neutral and wait-and-see attitude.
"I still can't get used to it."
"I feel that the stench here is like the stinking swamp of Farron Fortress being boiled down to a thick broth, no, it's even worse."
"Won't a cursed frog suddenly jump out of here?"
The Starfire Knights started chatting amongst themselves, and surprisingly, they began discussing the ecology of Blighttown, though it didn't sound very academic or rigorous.
Although their brows were furrowed, they could at least stand up straight and communicate normally, appearing to be relatively normal on the surface.
Ordinary soldiers, however, were not as outwardly calm as they appeared.
Even the most resistant soldiers were hunched over and pale-faced. The more seriously injured ones had already been persuaded to return by Luluwo. After all, you can't explore the dungeon with a burden, and you can't force the soldiers, in case it causes irreversible damage to their bodies.
That's unfair to the Sien Dungeon. No matter how ruthless Sien is, he wouldn't allow people to carry their negative status effects outside and make them irreversible. Those are regenerable spiritual energy.
The soldiers who survived the initial screening were still able to move around normally thanks to the filter masks, but their combat effectiveness was likely to be reduced.
Luluwo shook her head as she observed this unfavorable situation.
Well, it seems this exploration won't go too smoothly. Let's focus on cultivating these people's awareness of dungeon exploration.
Those who could come down with her were, of course, selected individuals with a talent for dungeon exploration who were worth nurturing.
"Knock knock knock!"
Heavy footsteps rose from ahead, and everyone instantly perked up. Looking ahead, they saw two fat monsters charging towards them.
They have primate bodies similar to humans, but are at least twice the height of an adult. Their bodies are extremely obese and exhibit varying degrees of deformity. Their bodies are covered in filth and wounds, creating a persistent stench. Even the rough sticks they carry are contaminated with toxins.
This is one of the classic monsters in Blighttown. Its official name in the town lord's panel is "Giant Zombie," but Luluwo thinks there is a more appropriate name.
"You guys go, follow the battle strategy we just discussed, and take down these two [fat guys]!"
Luluwo waved her hand, and the Starfire Knights immediately rushed forward, while the soldiers followed closely behind, though a step slower.
Our old Anor adventurers always do this when they wake up in the morning: they like to give monsters insulting nicknames. There's no other way; they can't relieve the pressure in their hearts otherwise!
This fat guy was also a monster she deeply hated; her level of loathing for him was no less than that for the mysterious hooded man.
It wasn't just because the fat guy's body odor had a magical effect, but also because the opponent was incredibly fleshy and dropped items...
Only a few soldiers joined forces to form a battle formation, successfully blocking the two fat men from striking at the front, and using a combat technique called "counter-shock" to shake their clubs back, creating a brief moment of stun.
The Starfire Knights appeared behind Fatty like ghosts, plunging their weapons into his massive body. Instantly, an unknown liquid mixed with grease burst and splattered at the wound, obscuring any trace of blood.
This thing is like a stinky can; it looks stinky, and it definitely stinks even more after you open it!
After getting this bodily fluid on his skin, Starfire Knight felt like he was losing sanity.
But something even more surprising was yet to come.
Their attack, in which their weapons were almost completely embedded in the enemy's body, should have caused serious injuries or even killed the enemy outright. However, the giant zombie seemed to have only been slightly hindered in its movements by its wounds, and the next second it immediately raised its club to perform a large windmill attack.
This way you can shake off the Starfire Knight while knocking the soldiers away!
"Tsk, it's exactly the same as in the painting world." Luluwo showed a look of disgust, which seemed to excite certain special groups of people.
"Just as she said!"
The Starfire Knights exchanged glances and exerted even more force in manipulating their weapons. The weapons that had been embedded in the giant's living corpse began to move like snakes!
This was thanks to both the sharpness of the weapons and their strength; the two giant zombies were simultaneously disemboweled in the next moment!
Having suffered such severe injuries, the creature's movements became stiff, and the soldiers seized the opportunity to swarm it, finishing it off with a flurry of blows.
Only then did the giant zombie's body crash to the ground, causing the entire tunnel to tremble with a mournful cry.
"yeah!"
The soldiers high-fived each other in celebration. Normally, they would have to expend much more effort to deal with near-elite enemies like the giant zombies, so this was a resounding victory.
However, Luluwo's expression didn't seem particularly happy, because she knew that the truly disappointing things were yet to come.
The giant zombie's body slowly turned to dust and dissipated, leaving behind three or four specks of light. Starfire Knight immediately went over with a smile and picked them up.
Upon seeing this, Lulu covered her eyes.
The next second, several panicked and angry voices suddenly rang out.
"Damn it!"
As the sound faded away, she had already conjured a floating water sphere with water magic, and even took out an item that looked like soap for washing hands, her face full of an expression that read more like "schadenfreude" than "sympathy".
"Here, wash your hands."
“.”
The Starfire Knights, seeing that she was well-prepared, and then looking at the solidified light speck in their hands—the [Poop Block]—were speechless.
"You deliberately tricked us!"
That's why it's called "no good memories"!
"Which one of these 'wonderful' things is this?!"
The noisy sounds echoed in the tunnel, which was quite a lively place compared to the environment of the sick village.
After a careful inspection, Luluwo discovered that the glowing items dropped by the giant zombie were different from those she had picked up in the Painting World.
One is the classic "shit block," which can cause "poisoning" if ingested. When mixed with other materials, it becomes the "turt pot," which adventurers both love and hate. A turt pot made without shit blocks from the Sien Dungeon is soulless and will also lack the wonderful effect of attracting enemy aggro.
The other thing was something Luluwo had never seen before.
[Semi-liquid stool]
The skincare products treasured by the residents of the sick village are quite characteristic of the local area. It is said that long-term application to the skin can enhance the skin's resistance to toxins, but in the short term, it will definitely lead to poisoning.
The inhabitants of the "sick village" are a group of pitiful creatures afflicted with disease. Even their living environment is tainted by filth. Sometimes they can distinguish one another by smell, but the source of that smell...
"This thing"
Luluwo held up the half-runny turd with her mage hands. Although she was disgusted and frowned, she still carefully examined the thing, and an idea gradually emerged in her mind.
"Could this thing really have miraculous effects?"
A spark of experimentation suddenly ignited in her mind. However, after a brief demonstration, she realized that the semi-liquid excrement in front of her was not enough to cover an adult's entire body, and could only barely cover one arm.
She had no choice but to find a container and carefully store it away. As for whether she would activate the plan in her mind after collecting more of these things, that remains to be seen.
"I hope never."
After going through so much trouble to kill the two giant zombies, the reward was just something as vulgar as a block of excrement. This seemed to have dealt a significant psychological blow to Starfire Knight.
However, after Tammy pointed out that the number of souls provided by each giant zombie was quite considerable, even more generous than those provided by monsters of similar strength, people gradually accepted this premise.
That makes sense. It's called Sickly Village, so you can tell it's not a wealthy royal city like Anor Londo. What good stuff could monsters in such a remote and impoverished place possibly drop? It's not like they'd find a giant gold bead falling out of there.
In comparison, the generous number of souls given seems like compensation from the Sien Dungeon.
This character, Sion, perfectly fits the lore! The dungeon is so meticulously crafted!
After all, the Starfire Knights were here, so once they realized this, they even praised the Sien Dungeon.
They should thank us!
After encountering the giant zombie, the Starfire Knights became even more energetic. The soldiers' blood and energy surged from the battle, and the stench gradually disappeared.
Perhaps it could be said that their noses were so assaulted by Sion that they became accustomed to it?
The dimly lit tunnel isn't very long; it takes about ten to twenty minutes to reach the end on foot.
However, the constant appearance of monsters repeatedly prolonged this short period of time, and only one type of monster, the giant zombie, appeared.
It has thick skin and is durable. Unless it suffers a serious injury like being disemboweled, it will not be able to stop moving. If it is hit head-on by a mid-level magic spell, it will only stagger.
Hitting one or two of these things is alright, but encountering them repeatedly is truly nauseating. You can't kill them quickly, so you can only let them drag on for a while.
Moreover, collecting the excrement blocks still relied on Luluwo's mage hands, and after several rounds, she felt that her mage hands were dirty.
What else can you do? This is the Sien Dungeon; it leaves you helpless.
In the past, she would have taken it for granted to order others to do dirty work like collecting manure, but now, her personality has improved a lot.
She will never again imitate the aristocratic mannerisms of theatrical performances, but it has become a dark chapter in her life, and she gets angry with anyone who brings it up.
“.”
Thinking about her embarrassing past, Luluwo's smile suddenly faded as she laughed and joked with everyone.
This reminded her that her initial reason for becoming an adventurer was to become a Gold-rank adventurer and then get closer to the nobility.
As for what would happen after she got close to the nobility, she had imagined it many times in her mind.
However, after actually arriving in the capital of the Kingdom of Yanor and exploring it thoroughly, this fantasy gradually disappeared from her mind.
Even now, after arriving in Scammeron by accident, her original aspirations have been rekindled.
Because here, she had to settle some karmic debts.
The Church of Sparks is an indispensable asset, so she is now doing her best to help Hervi and his group develop their power.
"They're finally out!"
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the group finally saw the end of the tunnel.
However, unlike the usual story of emerging from a tunnel and seeing the light again, this time they saw an even deeper darkness.
At the end of the tunnel, there was a dilapidated, narrow bridge that swayed in the wind.
This rather shabby bridge connects to a village located in a vast and dark underground space.
A village made entirely of various kinds of rough stacked wood, which looks chaotic from the outside as if it would collapse at the slightest touch.
Only a pitiful few torches were tied to the wooden frame for lighting; living in such an environment for a long time would definitely cause visual deterioration.
Below this village lies a disgusting mud pit, perhaps more accurately described as a septic tank.
Giant fish occasionally swam through the stinking septic tank, leaving ripples that symbolized unknown terror in this horrific place. How could there be fish in this wretched spot?
What is presented to everyone is the full view of the [Sick Village].
A terrifying village that could be made into a 30-episode science documentary.
As people who knew the inside story of the sick village, Luluwo and Tammy got goosebumps when they saw the village again. They looked at each other and understood each other's emotions.
Why does this place feel even more eerie than the last time I was here?
However, this was the first time the Starfire Knights had been here. Although they felt that something was off about the place, they were mostly excited about exploring a new area.
Some people with good night vision excitedly pointed to a certain spot in the diseased village and exclaimed loudly:
"Look, there's a campfire over there!"
"bonfire?"
Luluwo was taken aback; he remembered that there was no campfire here the last time he came.
But following the direction the soldier was pointing, she actually saw a campfire!
The campfire appeared to be located in the middle of the village, and from their position, there seemed to be no way to get there.
However, as a true veteran adventurer of the Sion dungeons, Luluvo is very familiar with the tricks of the trade.
She spotted the road immediately!
"Ah, I see."
She saw several huge waterwheels constantly rotating in the disease village. Based on their previous experience exploring the disease village, those waterwheels actually served as elevators, allowing people to travel to different levels of the disease village.
Not far from the campfire, there was a waterwheel connecting the two places, and there was no other conventional way to get there!
Unless you use flight, but even then, it's uncertain whether the Sien Dungeon will react by breathing out.
"Get your weapons ready, let's go."
Luluwo shared her discovery with everyone without reservation, which naturally earned her constant praise, and the flattery made her face beam with pride.
Crossing narrow, rickety bridges that looked scary but were actually just for show, and constantly traversing through dilapidated villages, the highly homogenized environment made people's eyes feel tired.
One after another, strangely shaped monsters emerged from various treacherous corners. They didn't come out to shout "surprise!" but rather to violently grab weapons and begin attacking the group.
The monsters here are called "Disease-Infected Zombies." Their bodies are pale and twisted, and their skulls have mutated to the point of resembling aliens, making them look no longer human.
Like the giant zombies, they are native inhabitants of the Blight Village, but they are more slender, making it easier for them to hide using the terrain and launch attacks from unexpected directions.
Moreover, they are also thick-skinned and tough, with a resistance to blows no less than that of the giant zombies.
Now Luluwo and Tammy had to step in. With everyone working together, they gradually made their way closer to the campfire amidst the danger.
They crossed a narrow bridge directly to the upper level of the sick village, where a group of people who had just survived a fierce battle and were still alive stood on a descending waterwheel, waiting to find a campfire.
"It doesn't seem like such a big deal," a Starfire Knight said, wiping the blood from his face.
"Yes, it's much simpler than I imagined," the soldier echoed.
Although exploring this small section of the sick village was difficult, after calming down and thinking about it carefully, it doesn't seem so difficult after all.
The only issues were that the enemies were a bit stronger, the environment was a bit cramped, and the lighting was a bit dim, but overall it was still acceptable.
Thinking about this, everyone became even more motivated, feeling that they could take down the disease village today!
Wait, something's not right.
Luluwo and Tammy, however, frowned deeply.
They could tell that although the structure of the road they had just passed had changed slightly, it was still roughly the same route they had explored before.
But why did the difficulty decrease? And why did it decrease so significantly?
When we were exploring, there was a small pit every three steps and a big pit every ten steps!
Their expressions twisted at the thought.
That's unfair!
But this can be considered a good thing, right?
After all, it's not in the Kingdom of Anor anymore. Now, Starfire Knights' exploration of dungeons is subject to time limits and quests, unlike the carefree exploration of the past.
Therefore, Luluwo wouldn't do anything like "You must also experience the hardships I've endured," which is something that old people like to hear.
But it feels like this takes away a lot of the fun!
Now that things have come to this, she has no choice but to accept that the setting of the diseased village seems to be much easier to draw than the world of painting, and she can't help but sigh with regret.
But at the same time, a thought arose in my mind.
[Would the Sien Dungeon really be that kind?]
This doesn't seem right.
Just as Luluwo was lost in thought, the waterwheel had already descended to the level where the campfire was, and the people nimbly jumped out.
The campfire was right in front of me, unobstructed, shining brightly, which gave me a great sense of security.
The soldiers had already rushed over, but Luluwo slowed down a little because she was thinking. Just then, she seemed to notice something out of the corner of her eye.
Looking down, I saw a piece of advice right at my feet!
Why are you here?
She crouched down and touched the admonition; a line of magical text appeared before her eyes:
I have a premonition of being sealed off and imprisoned.
"What?"
Her actions seemed to have triggered something, and suddenly even more suggestions came to mind.
I want to leave so badly, ah, I want to leave so badly.
[A premonition of having stool]
[Return to the bone fragments, please witness.]
Let me go back.
These sudden pieces of advice gave her goosebumps; every word seemed to scream:
Cannibalism!
There's definitely some pitfall waiting for you ahead!
It can't be a fake campfire, can it?
"Wait a moment--"
Before she could finish speaking, the soldier had already lit the campfire.
"Boom!"
A tremendous roar resounded behind them, followed by a tremor throughout the entire disease village.
"Huh?"
Everyone was stunned, including Luluwo.
The campfire is fine. Hey, I knew it. If even a campfire can't be guaranteed to be safe, then there really is no safe place in this world.
But where did this sound come from?
She turned around and looked.
That was the only waterwheel that connected to the upper level, allowing them to return the way they came.
It has collapsed.
[I can't go back]
Such advice came to Luluwo's mind at that very moment.
Her lips twitched, and then it dawned on her.
So this is what "sealing off the prison" meant!!!
(End of this chapter)
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