Who designed this underworld dungeon?.

Chapter 597 The Stars Fall Before My Eyes Again

Vann felt that he was extremely lucky to have survived to the end of this battle.

Is this due to the hunter's special physique, making it more resilient than others?

Thanks to all of this, he successfully witnessed the exciting moment when Magic Bomb knocked General Shattered Star to his knees. Being able to experience that exciting atmosphere made the trip worthwhile. It was just a pity that his voice was hoarse and he couldn't cheer with the people next to him.

But it's alright, because before everyone could finish cheering, Ratahn ascended to heaven.

Then, it fell from the sky.

It brought about a massive explosion that covered the entire wasteland.

When he saw the "stars" approaching from afar, Van En felt relieved, and even wanted to laugh a little. His last words were:
"Who was able to defeat this guy back then?"

The explosion that followed swept in, a blinding white light bursting before his eyes, and Vann lost consciousness.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but in a dazed state, he felt as if something had appeared in front of him.

It was an amorphous, dust-like object. It looked somewhat familiar to him, like the form of Greik's memories, but the object before him vaguely resembled Rataen.

Wait, no way, could it be that...?

Is this a tribute from Ratahn?

But we clearly didn't defeat it, so how could we possibly gain any remembrance?

This battle festival challenge against Rataen should have been a disastrous one for the adventurers, as there's no way to get any rewards without defeating the boss—that's an ironclad rule.

Wait a minute, there seems to be an exception.

The rewards for the Farron Undead Legion don't require completely defeating the leader, and the rewards seem quite good. The Wolf Blood Soul directly strengthens the body, making it one of the most versatile and practical rewards. It has also caused the average height of adventurers in the Kingdom of Anor to increase, with dwarves using it growing to 1.8 meters tall.

So what's in front of him is...
Van En, somewhat agitated, cleared his throat and reached out to grab the shapeless object in front of him.

When he actually held it in his hand, a strange tactile sensation, along with the dungeon's description of the object, appeared in his senses.

Surprisingly, this is not the "Memories of Shattered Stars" that you get after defeating General Shattered Stars; the name is completely different.

[Recollections of the Battle at the Festival]

[A memory forged by the warriors who participated in the battle festival, and then sculpted by the Golden Tree]

[With the help of the Unraveling Finger, one can obtain the power of remembrance. If used directly, it can grant a massive amount of runes. The level of courage displayed by the warriors during the festival will affect the power contained within.]

The image of General Shattered Star flashed across this mass of memories, followed by the appearance of other faces. Vann didn't recognize most of them, but when Yuffie and himself appeared among the images, he was certain.

This memory before us is the result of the collective efforts of all participants in this battle festival!

"I can't believe this actually happened."

Fan En covered his mouth, his heart pounding, feeling quite moved.

What's this all about? Does the Sien Dungeon even acknowledge their efforts this time?
"No, the dungeon shouldn't have its own consciousness. From a rational point of view, this shouldn't be about recognition or disagreement."

But he immediately abandoned rational analysis and switched to his emotional mode.

Because this way of recording one's own efforts is so moving, it makes people feel that failure is not all worthless, and that there is honor in defeat!

"The degree of courage displayed in the battle festival will affect the power contained within it. In other words, the distribution of rewards is determined according to the contribution of each person in the battle festival."

With great excitement, he grabbed the hard-won memory.

"Although I feel I haven't made any significant contributions, let me see what I have done."

The moment I held the memory in my hand, an electric shock-like sensation traveled directly from my hand to my body.

In that instant, countless images flashed before his eyes.

Beneath a sky where crimson hues mingled with starlight, General Shattered Star drew his bow and nocked an arrow, facing the warriors participating in the festival.

The warriors, roaring with fervor, charged toward Rataen, while the warriors, including Jar and Blaze, trembled beside the demigod.

A blazing sword blade soaring into the sky, a star-dimensional slash, and Temud, carrying an explosive scroll, rushing towards the self-destructing Star Shattering Greatsword.

The scenes that appeared before my eyes were all famous moments from the battle just now.

Not only that, but after these iconic scenes flashed by, Vann even saw several images of himself: him carrying Leon as he charged forward, him rescuing the wounded and transporting the sick, and so on.
Moreover, these images have undergone special processing, covered with a layer of heavy oil painting texture, as if viewing a painting by a master painter about an epic legend, with everyone in the picture looking like they have stepped out of history!
Looking at these things, his eyes, which were tired from the battle, gradually brightened, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

Wow, the Sien Dungeon even offers replays of exciting moments!

Moreover, every participant had their moment in the spotlight, even the most inconspicuous person in the battle left their mark!

In that instant, Van En no longer wanted to use up this memory and wanted to preserve it.

This way, even when they are old and can no longer walk, they will have something to brag about to their children and grandchildren, letting their descendants see what great things they did in their youth.

"This isn't just a simple prop, it's a work of art!"

"How could I bear to use this!"

The last scene came to life, showing General Shattered Star transforming into a meteorite and falling from the sky.

This is undoubtedly a memorable scene; anyone who participated in the Battle Festival and survived to the end will surely remember it vividly.

"But why did this scene start moving? I don't want to get hit again."

As they were joking and teasing each other, Fan En suddenly noticed something was amiss.

Because the entire scene slowly recedes as the Shattered Star Rataen charges towards them.

And then a familiar figure appeared in the receding scene.

The armor called White Wolf War Demon, the cloak covered in sand, the greatsword gleaming coldly—this figure was so familiar.

"King of Elden!?"

That's right, the figure that suddenly appeared and was about to be hit by Rataen was none other than the Faded One, known as the King of Elden!
The screen suddenly zoomed in, and the amount of information displayed in front of him increased instantly, making Fan En feel dizzy for a moment.

When I opened my eyes again, it felt as if I was really standing behind the Faded One, facing the falling Ratahn together with him!
For some reason, his whole body trembled violently at this moment. Undoubtedly, it was because of the strong threat emanating from Ratan, a powerful aura that would kill anyone who came into contact with him.

He had experienced this feeling once before, but for some reason, the current Rataen gave him an even more chilling feeling, as if it were stronger than the one they faced at the Battle Festival!
Beneath this falling star, the wasteland was littered with the afterimages of those who had collapsed from exhaustion.

Alexander, his pot still shattered; Blaise, leaning on his sword, panting; the goat, its hammer mostly broken; and the old man lying motionless on the ground.
Even the faded one's body showed signs of injury, and his cloak was torn into a tattered strip of cloth, leaving him the only one who could stand up on the field.

All the details indicated that everyone had just experienced a great battle here, a battle against Rataen!
There's no need to show it in detail; just imagining it is enough to conjure up an earth-shattering battle.

So that's it. This is the memory of the King of Elden when he faced Rataen. Vann understood. At this moment, he stared intently at the screen, wanting to see how the Faded One would withstand this attack from the sky.

It can't be some strange roll like the one Ash used against Overlord Wolnir that somehow made him immune to all injuries, can it?

Just then, he heard the Faded One take a deep breath.

"His-"

The Faded One raised his hand and tore off the tattered cloak behind him, his back straight as a mountain, and he gripped the battle-hardened greatsword, which was nearly worn out, tightly in front of him.

At that moment, Ratahn had already charged in front of him, a collision that would kill everyone present! Vann's eyes widened, his breathing suddenly became rapid, and he suddenly understood what the other party was about to do.

We must use the greatsword to stop the star Rataen!
"boom!"

"Long——"

Two different loud noises rang out simultaneously, and the faded one leaped into the air, flipping and spinning his giant sword.
He cleaved the falling star with a single strike, the Lion Slash!

The blinding light from the explosion instantly obscured everything on the screen, forcing Van to cover his eyes with his hands, making it impossible for him to see what was happening in the explosion caused by the falling star.

Only after the loud noise completely subsided and the light gradually became less dazzling did he dare to open his eyes.

What came into view was Ratahn's face, which was made even more ferocious by the crimson corruption, a face that brought endless oppression to the adventurers.

But something is different, which creates a sense of incongruity.

Upon closer inspection, Van En realized exactly what was troubling him.

Because General Shattered Star's helmet shattered.

"click"

A sword mark was deeply etched in the center of the helmet, and countless tiny cracks spread outward from that mark until they covered the entire helmet.

With a "crack!" the helmet, symbolizing the lion, shattered completely.

As fragments of the helmet rained down, Ratan let out a low voice, a voice no longer filled with madness and confusion, but rather with an indescribable calm.

Followed.

His body transformed into countless stars that drifted away in the wind.

The reign of "General Shattered Star" Ratahn has come to an end.

And through his gradually dissipating body, the figure of the Faded One, supporting himself with the giant sword planted in the ground to keep himself standing, reappeared.

And those lying around him, whether it was Alexander or Blaise.

No one died!

"It...it really stopped?"

Van rubbed his eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he had just seen. That thing really could be stopped by a person!?
They really did it!?

He had seen many adventurers' accounts of stopping rampaging dragons in the forest with their attacks, and he knew about the strange goal of stopping dragon carriages that people seemed to be pursuing.

But stop at Ratahn?
He simply couldn't do that; he wouldn't even dare to think about it!
Before his astonishment could fully develop, the entire wasteland landscape changed.

The crimson hue that lingered in the sky gradually dissipated, revealing a sky full of stars that seemed frozen in time.

Under the starlight, the battlefield seemed to finally shed its grim atmosphere, and tranquility gradually crept into everyone's hearts.

A streak of light suddenly flashed across the horizon.

Having witnessed the "Great Wilderness Starfall" twice in a row, Fan En, who was already suffering from PTSD, immediately looked towards the horizon, only to witness a scene that made him involuntarily exclaim "Whoa!"

The power that had sealed the stars failed at that moment, and the stars in the sky began to revolve once more.

The first meteor streaked across the sky, leaving a trail of flame that blended seamlessly with the night. Hundreds more meteors followed, piercing the heavens in succession. Stars rained down, and a magnificent scene that seemed to belong only to the Age of Gods appeared before Van En in an instant.

This is a hundred times more spectacular than the meteor shower that prompted the dungeons to start their joint event!
Oh right, I think I mentioned somewhere that Ratahn sealed away the stars, so that after his death, the stars could begin to circulate again.

Does that mean he was still maintaining the seal on the stars during the battle?

Just as Van En was brainstorming and admiring the beautiful scenery, another cluster of meteors struck the ground somewhere unknown. The next moment, the violent impact brought a tremor that made it impossible to stand, and a blinding light exploded on the horizon.

Something has appeared!

"Not again! My eyes are going to go blind!"

He closed his eyes again, and when he opened them, all the images in front of him had disappeared, and he felt the warm warmth of the fire beside him.

It's like suddenly waking up from a fantastical and beautiful dream and returning to reality, leaving one with a sense of reluctance and melancholy.

Have I returned to the Round Table Hall?

I thought that I would be resurrected at the Blessing Hall in Red Lion City after being hit by a car, but I didn't expect to be back in the Hall of the Round Table.

The memories in his hands no longer underwent any strange changes.

But a feeling lingered in his mind, as if he could replay the scene he had just seen at any time if he wanted to.

"I told you this was an artwork meant to commemorate someone."

Vann glanced at the room where the two fingers were located. As long as he found the old woman who could untie the fingers, he could exchange this memory for power. Who knows, he might even be able to obtain Rataen's Flying Strike technique from here.

But then he hesitated, standing there lost in thought for a long time, even Sir Hundred Wisdom stared at him.

"Forget it, I won't watch it. I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself."

He might change his mind later, but he didn't want to use up the wonderful memories this battle festival had left him with, at least not right now.

So he quickly returned to the outside world before he regretted it!

The familiar feeling of being transported returned, and when fresh, bloodless air entered his nostrils, he knew he was back in the outside world even without opening his eyes.

But why does it feel so noisy?
Just then he heard cheers, an unprecedented sea of ​​cheers that enveloped him.

"He's out! Another brave warrior has emerged!"

"I know him; he was a participant too!"

Before he could react, he was lifted up by the cheering crowd. At this moment, Van En's face was full of "bewilderment".

The area around the portal was packed with people, and there was nowhere to stand. Every person who came out was scrutinized by the crowd.

If it is discovered that the person who emerges is a warrior who participated in the battle festival, then he will be lifted up by the crowd, just like Vann is now, amidst a festive atmosphere.

"What are you going to do!?"

"What are we doing? Guess what we'll do after the festival ends?"

Excited shouts came from among those carrying him.

"Of course it's a banquet, a celebratory banquet!"

　The article was recommended on the 23rd. The editor suggested that to ensure the recommendation effect, updates should be reduced before the recommendation. Therefore, for the next two days, I will maintain a single update of 4,000 words per chapter. I should update more on the 23rd and then return to the daily double update routine.

　　It feels like I've been posting solo updates for several days now without even realizing it.

(End of this chapter)