Who Designed This Underworld Dungeon?

As the first to ignite the bonfire, all the bonfire images Sain had encountered thus far appeared before him. His body suddenly went rigid, and in the end, he was even trembling slightly, his eyes wide open.

Seeing this scene, Selene couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle, completely forgetting that her reaction upon seeing these images for the first time was even more exaggerated.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Ainz III finally emerged from the images and staggered slightly. The knights, who were prepared in advance, quickly supported him, and the accompanying magician was about to cast magic to stabilize his mental state.

However, Ainz III waved his hand to refuse.

"No, no need." After taking several deep breaths, he blinked his bright eyes and said, "I now... feel more comfortable than ever!"

This was the first time people saw such a spirited King!

"Should I say I'm invigorated or filled with passion? Anyway, I now have an irresistible urge to swing a sword, to do something exciting." Ainz III muttered to himself, his cheeks slightly flushed. Everyone exchanged confused glances, unsure how to react to this situation.

What people didn't know was that the biggest thought Ainz III had after watching the bonfire images was—

I also really want to accomplish something as grand as Gwyn's Fire Transmission.

When people of different backgrounds watch the same images, they have different feelings. While watching the bonfire images, he perceived the Sunlight King Gwyn more as a great monarch, even inserting himself into the narrative.

And then he was exhilarated.

When asked what his greatest desire as King was, besides wishing for the country's eternal strength, he hoped to leave a good name in history.

Thus, when he saw Gwyn's Fire Transmission prolong the world and his name being eternally remembered alongside it, he seemed to glimpse his ultimate dream!

Furthermore, tales of heroism began to awaken the part of him that had once been an adventurer, long buried in his heart.

"Princess, what should we do about the King's condition?" Even the seemingly reliable General Gulimanpo was at a loss as to how to handle Ainz III's state.

"Uh... just let Father calm down on his own for a while."

Selene truly had no idea how to calm Ainz III down—certainly, casting a calming technique wasn't an option.

She saw a certain emotion in his eyes, one that had once appeared in her own, which could be simply described as:

A rapidly increasing fondness for Sain!

Seeing this, Selene recalled the confident smile on Ainz III's face last night when they decided to enter Sain Dungeon:

"I owe a lot to that Dungeon, but I've seen too many legends in my time; ordinary hero tales don't move me. I won't develop any special attachment to that Dungeon like you, young and inexperienced girl."

Ordinary tales of heroism might not move Ainz III, but the regal legend of Gwyn hit his sweet spot!

Indeed, the essence of humanity is the fragrance of truth.

Amidst his excitement, Ainz III did not forget the purpose of their visit to the Dungeon. The knights brought more and more soul blocks, and he repeated the process of grasping soul blocks and using them for upgrades, focusing on life force and intellect enhancements based on the healer's advice—the former to improve physique and the latter to enhance spiritual power.

What was originally monotonous and repetitive labor now engaged him enjoyably.

As his level increased, his demeanor visibly improved, and even his once-gaunt body seemed to hum with life force.

Eventually, he even requested a sword from the knights, enthusiastically summoning the Hasavi Team to charge towards the Casas Underground Tomb.

"Was the King ever this lively?"

"No, I think Father chose to 'revert' to a child temporarily in this Dungeon, just like I did, to relax."

Ainz III indeed thought so. Having been burdened with royal responsibilities for too long and needing to comfort the populace immediately upon waking, he accumulated a tremendous amount of stress.

Thus, his relaxation in Sain went a bit overboard, evidenced by:

"What's this? Curse Frog? Slash!"

"What's this? Gollum? Slash!"

"What's this? Soul-sucking Ghost? Slas—"

"Hurry, protect the King!!!"

Faced with everything in Sain Dungeon, Ainz III showed immense curiosity, picking up even a peculiarly shaped pebble as if drawn by a young musician.

This was a challenge for those responsible for protecting him, who had to remain by Ainz III's side constantly to prevent him from getting carried away.

Fingerley, observing both Ainz III and Selene back and forth, couldn't help but admire how alike the two were as father and daughter when it came to relaxing.

However, seeing such a dignified King in such a contrasting manner was rare and fascinating, warranting a few more glances.

Until they defeated the three Corpse Warlocks and obtained the Fire Injection Secret Ceremony, Ainz III appeared somewhat fatigued, no longer as exhilarated as before.

Fingerley pondered whether today's adventure had reached its end, unexpectedly, the King turned his attention to him.

"Fingerley," after a mere day of interaction, Ainz III was able to use a nickname for Fingerley, "your Oath Dark Moon Sword can be used for some kind of invasion activity, right?"

"Ah, yes." Fingerley nodded, wait, what was the King planning?

Ainz III smiled and said, "I heard from Oro that our nation's outstanding adventurers have greatly honed their martial skills and virtues through 'invasion' activities, achieving remarkable victories against foreign adventurers during the Meteor Shower anomaly. They truly brought honor to the country."

So, what exactly do you want...

"Could you attract an invader?" Ainz III said with interest, "I'm quite curious to see what warrior spirit the Warrior Country wishes to learn from you all."

"Make sure to have deodorant ready."

Fingerley inexplicably uttered this, just as he was about to use the summoning item to attract invaders, he suddenly realized they were still in the three Corpse Warlocks' boss arena, where they couldn't use the item, so they had to exit first.

However, as they were just stepping out, Fingerley, walking ahead, suddenly stopped everyone, his gaze fixed forward.

What's going on, is there an enemy?

A painting lay on the ground ahead, and the next second, two figures suddenly emerged from it!

Their initial encounter was tense; the knights suspected an assassin, but—

"Hero?" Ainz III questioned.

Indeed, those who suddenly emerged from the painting in front of them were none other than Hero Elsa, who delivered the final blow to Eliphas.

"Your, your Majesty!?" Elsa's companion, upon recognizing the King's party, seemed flustered—at closer inspection, wasn't that Sali?

He still bore some characteristics of beastification, but they could be easily concealed with clothing, making him a rare survivor of the Black Hawk's Chaos.

"Another surprise guest, huh."

Fingerley understood the reason for encountering Elsa and Sali. He remembered Elsa had been absent for a few days and assumed she had left the Royal City; unexpectedly, they met inside Sain Dungeon.

Selene couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing here?"

Sali, clearly uneasy in this situation, answered, "Helping Elsa finish some unresolved matters before she leaves, which led to successfully conquering the previous Painting World."

He held the Painting World "Sword Wind Legend" in his hand for explanation.

At this moment, Elsa turned to Ainz III and directly asked:

"Do you want to see the true ending?"