"Huh? Someone cleared it first?"
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow and immediately drew upon his authority to check who had defeated Gundyr first.
To adapt to the power system of this world, he had deliberately increased the game's difficulty.
Originally, he had assumed that the first clear would come from a follower of the three Spirit Gods—Pain, Hope, or Heroes.
After all, ever since the game's release, Dark Souls had been most valued by their factions.
But when Lin Xuan examined the faith power of the player named "Clear Breeze," he paused.
The aura surrounding it clearly belonged to the forest deity—the [Source of All Trees].
Closing his eyes, Lin Xuan traced the origin of that faith and quickly located the player's position.
A small forest planet, situated at the edge of the universe.
According to the Pantheon's records, the dominant race there was the elves—a peaceful, long-lived race.
Then he looked at the clear time.
Ten minutes.
"…Interesting."
Lin Xuan's gaze sharpened as curiosity flickered in his eyes.
It typically took a new player around five minutes just to travel from the spawn point to Firelink Shrine.
In other words—
"Clear Breeze" had defeated Gundyr in just five minutes.
How could a race known for its pacifist philosophy possess such refined combat instincts?
"Wait… did my game bug out again?"
Startled, Lin Xuan quickly accessed his developer privileges and pulled up the player's gameplay recording.
In the video, Clear Breeze behaved like any ordinary player during the first five minutes, progressing steadily to the sacrificial grounds.
But everything changed upon encountering Gundyr.
Though slightly unfamiliar with his moves at first, after taking a hit and drinking from the Estus Flask, she was never struck again.
Every attack from Gundyr seemed to be anticipated.
Just as his strikes were about to land, she would already be moving—dodging with precision.
Each movement was clean, decisive, without hesitation.
She never grew greedy with her attacks, always waiting for Gundyr's animation to finish before stepping in to strike twice, then retreating.
Even so, she still died once when facing Gundyr's second phase.
But on her second attempt—
She adapted immediately.
Her gaze locked onto Gundyr's back like a predator stalking prey.
Controlled by the pus of man, Gundyr was ferocious from the front—but left his back exposed.
With that realization, she executed her strategy flawlessly.
And so, Clear Breeze became the first player to defeat Gundyr.
"Ten minutes… This kid is terrifying."
Lin Xuan stroked his chin, faintly sensing a talent—something akin to a "gaming prodigy"—shining within this elf.
The only pity was that her soul carried the aura of the forest god.
Otherwise, he would have gladly accepted her as a devout follower.
Though the terms superficial believer and devout believer might sound similar, the difference between them was vast.
A superficial believer could be almost anyone.
Take the Goddess of Wealth, for example—nearly every intelligent being was, in some sense, her follower. Anyone who casually said, "Praise the Goddess of Wealth, bless me to get rich!" could be counted as one.
But devout believers were entirely different.
Not only did they practice the teachings of their god wholeheartedly, but they also had to gain the god's recognition.
Every devout believer was a treasure.
They received blessings in life—divine healing in times of illness, protection in times of danger.
Simply declaring oneself a devout follower could deter enemies, as offending them meant offending the god behind them.
Even after death, their souls would not be taken by the God of Death, but personally guided by their deity into the divine kingdom.
Based on the information he found, however, this elf—Elune Moonbrook—was not a devout follower of the Source of All Trees.
She was only a third-tier priestess, and still young among her kind.
For a powerful and widespread deity like the forest god, such a follower would hardly stand out.
Which meant—
She still had room to change her faith.
With that thought, Lin Xuan slowed his work and separated a wisp of his soul, attaching it to Elune to observe her next actions.
Meanwhile, Elune stared at the interface, still somewhat dazed.
She had just defeated Gundyr when the system announcement displayed her forum name.
It startled her.
Fortunately, she had always kept to herself. As an ordinary gray elf, she had few acquaintances, and even fewer who knew her forum ID.
Letting out a soft breath, she relaxed slightly.
When she fought Gundyr, she had unconsciously activated her innate talent.
To her, his attacks had seemed slowed—almost like time itself had stretched—allowing her to dodge with ease.
In reality, every time she used that ability, it brought intense pain to her mind.
But in the game—
There was none.
Instead, it felt as though the storm within her mind had calmed, leaving behind a tranquil sea.
She felt refreshed, as if she had just woken from a deep, restful sleep.
"…Praise the Lord of Joy."
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
Only then did she remember—
She was still a priestess of the forest god.
Her lips pressed together.
But… she would likely fail tomorrow's temple assessment anyway.
And the forest god had never responded to her prayers.
Even if she changed her faith—
Would it matter?
Just like before… no one had ever truly cared.
She was only an ordinary gray elf.
Like a fallen leaf on an ancient tree, destined to be carried away by the wind.
For a moment, she thought of her parents.
At least, when they were alive, there had been someone who cared about her.
Elune shook her head, surprised at her own sentimentality.
She had long since grown used to solitude.
Moonlight streamed through the window, bathing her in a pale glow.
At least… it was something.
Yet, for some reason, a sense of grievance welled up within her chest.
In the long lifespan of elves, she was still just a child.
But right now—
She felt like the loneliest child in the world.
Tears gathered in her eyes, forming a hazy blur.
And within that blur—
She suddenly noticed something.
On the interface before her, the portrait of the Lord of Pleasure began to emit a radiant, dazzling light.