He then began explaining. “They’re here to clean up, and we,” Ludwig pointed at himself and Van Dijk, “Are clean because you used [Cleanse] on us. We’re not being attacked simply because we’re deemed clean. I guess no wonder not many people return from this city, they enter from the bog, having fought in the grime, slime, and filth, they walk the city with all kinds of disgusting things on their bodies, and the attendants would immediately go into a frenzy and kill them off.”
Van Dijk scoffed, “I see. Good observation skills, let’s go then,” Van Dijk said as the two walked forward and through the second gate.
Just as Ludwig walked through it a notification appeared in front of him.
[ Your Death Point has been set to, Dungeon First Floor]
[Upon Death you will return to this spot.]
“Well, that’s not very comforting,” Ludwig thought.
…
Ludwig stepped forward, his boots clicking softly against the obsidian-paved streets as they passed through the second gate. A heavy, foreboding silence settled over them.
The architecture changed noticeably. Unlike the sprawling outer district, where the buildings were spread out with patches of greenery, this inner sector was far more compact and tightly knit.
Narrow streets wound through rows of interconnected houses, their walls pressed together so tightly it felt as though the city itself was watching them, squeezing in closer with every step.
Though the Hollowed Attendants still moved with mechanical purpose, something new stood out—something far more menacing.
At every junction, at every major road, stood two massive armored figures. They loomed at attention, unmoving but undeniably imposing, as if they were ancient sentinels, keeping eternal watch over the city.
Van Dijk noticed them and said, “Stay close, this might get trickier.”
Ludwig nodded and inspected the knight.
***
Name: City Guard
Danger Level: ☠
Level: 55
HP: 5,500
Status Effect:
[Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.
[Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.
Abilities:
[To Arms] call upon their allies to fight with them, and increase the health of each ally present by 20%. If any attendants or citizen are in the vicinity increases the damage and resistances of the City Guard by an additional 20%.
[Spear Throw] Will accurately hit their target with a spear as long as they are in range, causes massive bleeding upon critical hit.
[Exile] if their target surrenders or falls unconscious, they will exile them to the catacombs of the city.
Addendum:
Once a proud Guard of Tibari: now turned to a mindless husk that does its duty. It maintains order and protects the citizens of the city. Guarding them with their lives and excommunicating anyone who dares cause chaos and anarchy.
***
“Master,” Ludwig said.
“Yes?” his master replied. “How about we don’t aggro them,” Ludwig said.
Van Dijk raised an eyebrow. “Aggro?”
“Ah, sorry, as in aggravate, look, they already noticed us, but they’re not acting. Whatever happened to this city, it feels like there is some sort of twisted order that compels everyone to act in a specific way. The citizens didn’t attack us because we were too clean, and these guys looked like guards, they had a different attire than the knight from earlier. I think they’re just here to ‘guard’ the place from intruders,” Ludwig said.
“Aren’t we intruders then?” Van Dijk replied.
“We technically are, but at the same time not, I have a feeling that those guys would only attack us if we cause trouble, and in this case trouble is killing the attendants…” Ludwig explained.
“Stay here,” Van Dijk said to Ludwig and moved forward. Seemingly to check his theory, he had some magic that Ludwig couldn’t understand swirling around his body and he moved forward toward the guards.
Ludwig held his breath as Van Dijk approached the nearest pair of guards.
Their massive spears gleamed in the dim light, their towering forms still as statues.
Step by step, Van Dijk moved closer—until he was within reach.
For a long, tense moment, nothing happened.
“Seems like you were right,” Van Dijk said, albite loudly
Then—one of the guards slowly turned its head, its helmet groaning as metal scraped against metal.
Van Dijk tensed, ready to react.
The knight raised a gauntleted hand, placing a single finger against its visor as if to shush him.
Then it turned back forward, ignoring him completely.
“I guess being loud breaks the order…” Ludwig theorized. Van Dijk having already realized that, gestured for Ludwig to come closer.
The two soon joined and walked past the guards through the city, the sound of their footsteps hitting the cobblestone was all that could be heard.
The second part of the city was tightly knit together. Houses that were attached to other houses created a spiraling pathway that led all the way to the second section of the city. Albite with a small setback in the way.
There was a building in the way, a massive bronze-colored building. The street that would lead them beyond the building had stopped right here.
The building itself was built in the shape of an arched stone gate. A gatehouse, The gate itself was closed shut. There were towers and colored windows all over the building. It had long spires and a bridge crossing from one tower to the other. Just from this side Ludwig could tell that this thing was massive in size on the inside.
Van Dijk tilted his head, his expression unreadable.
“Give me a second.”
He raised a hand, summoning a flock of mist bats that scattered upward, spiraling into the air.
Some of the bats immediately collided with an invisible barrier, dissipating instantly.
Van Dijk scowled.
Soon a few of them returned to their master.
“There is a flight and teleportation prohibition on the city, and this is the only way forward. We can’t go around.
“So, we have to go through it?” Ludwig asked.
“Seems like it,” Van Dijk exasperatedly responded.
The only path forward Ludwig saw was the gate itself, but his master had a different idea. He moved with purpose toward one of the guards at the base of the gate and asked,
“How can I get inside?” he asked, in a low voice.
The guard then simply turned and walked ahead.
Ludwig followed his master after he gestured for him to do so, and the two followed the guard to a sideway street. Though they walked for a bit Ludwig realized that the bronze building was stretched out sideways and the entrance to the building for people was from that part.
This building seemed to be a gate that only allowed more regal and royal people to cross through the main gate while others had to go the roundabout way.
Just as the two of them walked from the side door, another notification appeared in front of Ludwig.
[ Your Death Point has been set to, Tibarian Archives]
‘Seems like this is a new area of the city… so far we haven’t had any fights and it’s been like taking a stroll,’ Ludwig thought. He wasn’t being arrogant, but actually glad. But he knew deep down that if it wasn’t for his master, he’d probably have died multiple times already. The Corrupted Knight alone would have made Ludwig suffer by himself.
“Ludwig, where are you?” Ludwig heard the voice coming from his pocket.
Ludwig froze.
His master’s tone wasn’t its usual playful arrogance—there was an edge to it.
Frowning Ludwig looked around him, only to find his master absent.
He grabbed the communication crystal that his master had given him, “Hello?”
“Ludwig,” his master said, “Stay where you are. I guess we got tricked, this whole thing isn’t how it looks,” he said.
“What do you mean master,” Ludwig asked.
But Ludwig received no response.
A library, Ludwig thought. He spun around, searching for any sign of his master—but the entrance behind him was gone.
Replaced by a solid wall.
He was alone.
Ludwig clenched his jaw and raised his eyes forward, scanning his surroundings.
Massive bookshelves loomed over him, stretching into the gloom, their ancient tomes covered in dust and age.
This was a library.
A twisted, endless labyrinth of knowledge and decay.
Then—
A metallic clang rang out behind him.
A shadow loomed.
A familiar greatsword.
A towering, armored figure.
The Fallen Knight had returned.
And this time—Ludwig was alone.