"You... you..."
The Demon King was on the verge of death. Some clarity had returned to his mind, but he was too weakened to resist, his breaths grew shallower, more going out than coming in.
Even if Finn and his team spared him, the Demon King barely had any chance left to rise again. The sight of him was undeniably pitiful.
"It's time for you to go!"
Finn was now on high alert, his actions bold and unrestrained. Adventurers like him often faced life-threatening risks, and he'd nearly faltered before due to carelessness. This time, however, he would not repeat that mistake.
Without giving the Demon King a chance to finish his words, Finn swiftly decapitated him. Without his head, even beings with regenerative abilities could not survive, at least not beings like the ones they were facing now.
Finn had studied ways to enhance his own powers, but such knowledge didn't grant the Demon King the extraordinary regenerative powers of a dragon.
Thus, the Demon King's journey ended here, leaving behind only a twisted soul.
This shape-shifting soul, left behind by the Demon King, could be used to craft powerful weapons and spells, a valuable asset indeed.
Every boss left behind something useful; these souls could serve as enhancements, though sparingly, as their potential made them rare and precious. Wasting them thoughtlessly would be a great pity.
After all, the shape-shifting soul was unique, as it could substitute for other souls, but no other soul could replicate its role in forging specialized weapons and spells. These transformative souls were rare and worth preserving.
"The Demon King is dead, but what lies ahead remains unknown. Ludleth didn't give many details, though something must be hidden further in. Everyone, stay alert!
With those words, Finn led the way, and the rest followed him into the depths. The Demon King was left behind, his body lifeless. Inside, they soon came across a statue seated cross-legged. In the game, this place marked a point of action.
A few snake-men lurked nearby, but they were easily dispatched by the team, upgraded beasts, no more than fodder to these adventurers.
As they pressed forward, the team soon encountered a strange wall. Many such hidden walls dotted this world, though they could be opened directly. Once they pushed through, they were met by a wall of darkness.
Visibility was near zero, an impenetrable blackness, but they knew there had to be a way forward.
"Leave it to me!"
Riveria conjured a few fireballs, not for combat but to use as torches. She didn't have any specialized lighting spells, so this improvised solution would have to do. In the dim light, they cautiously moved forward.
Before long, they stumbled upon a strange sight, a group of crow-men gathered around a coffin, worshiping a crow mage. The adventurers swiftly dispatched the crow-men, seizing whatever treasures lay within the tomb.
"Why does this place feel so familiar?"
Tiona asked, puzzled. The surroundings felt hauntingly familiar, despite being shrouded in total darkness. Just then, a few undead creatures lunged at them, weak, minor foes. They dealt with them swiftly and efficiently.
"I think I know where we are," Finn said. "This place resembles the plaza outside the Firelink Shrine. Ludleth mentioned an eerie realm somewhere around here, though he didn't describe it in detail. Still, ancient ruins should be here, too. Ah, and the Hero's Tongue!"
It dawned on Finn. Ludleth hadn't provided much information, merely hinting that, upon reaching a strange realm, they might encounter Gundyr, the real Gundyr. Beyond that, Ludleth had shared nothing further.
Now they finally understood: this darkened realm was the mysterious space Ludleth had mentioned. Everything here was left for them to discover on their own, as Ludleth had only given hints, leaving the rest a mystery.
After a quick survey, they found and killed two crystal lizards. This wasn't their first encounter with these creatures, in fact, they'd faced them numerous times before. But it was their first time encountering crystal lizards in this realm, as the first one had already been dealt with by the Ashen One.
They had previously met at the Firelink Shrine and even fought Iudex Gundyr.
Since they encountered two Crystal Lizards here, they naturally eliminated them without hesitation. In the game, Crystal Lizards are considered elite enemies and drop valuable items like Dragon Scale Shards, which is quite a bonus.
At the beginning of the game, there is a small path behind a corner of the map. However, if a beginner stumbles upon this path recklessly, they might meet a tragic end. But for the current Loki Familia, this place merely serves as a source of materials and experience.
After dealing with the approaching lizards, the group soon arrived before a large door. As it opened, they saw a burly figure kneeling on the ground, which is none other than Gundyr, who is covered in his usual ancient armor.
However, there were numerous candles lit around Gundyr, perhaps left by people to commemorate him.
This was Champion Gundyr. Unlike the Iudex Gundyr, Champion Gundyr doesn't undergo a human transformation, instead, his combat style becomes even fiercer.
In the game, both versions of Gundyr have two phases. When Champion Gundyr enters his second phase, he essentially transforms into a berserk, relentless warrior. In comparison, Iudex Gundyr is somewhat easier to handle, though he can still be challenging without the right skills.
Yet, Iudex Gundyr and Champion Gundyr are on completely different levels of power.
Additionally, the spiral sword was no longer embedded in Gundyr. As the group approached, Gundyr's body began to move on its own, sensing the incoming enemies. Naturally, Gundyr wouldn't sit around idly in the face of intruders
"Champion Gundyr? Don't hold back on using your items—use them to weaken him temporarily and find an opening to strike. Those of you at range, follow suit,"
Finn instructed as he charged forward. With Gundyr's increased power and his direct confrontation, there was no chance of avoiding the fight unless they retreated to the Firelink Shrine. But since everyone was already here, they might as well give it their all.
They had to understand the true strength of Champion Gundyr.
In fact, Champion Gundyr was almost at the level of the Lords of Cinder, making him exceptionally tough to deal with.
Finn, Ais, and Gareth charged in to engage in close combat, while the others supported from a distance.
However, Tiona and Tione soon gave up on ranged attacks, switching to melee combat upon realizing that their large arrows barely scratched Gundyr. Thus, they had no choice but to rely on brute force.