Following those all-too-familiar squeaks, the two of them soon crept toward a dead end in the piping.
Calling it a "dead end" was only because the path ahead was completely sealed off by iron bars. Beyond them lay a giant rat, sprawled quietly on the ground. Judging by the rhythmic rise and fall of its massive body, it was likely fast asleep.
Around it, five or six smaller rats were scurrying about, fighting over a piece of meat. As for what kind of meat it was... neither Mohg nor Morgott could be entirely sure.
The ecosystem of the sewers was incredibly messy; even the people of the Lands Between were a link in its food chain.
A portion of the criminals from the Royal Capital would be exiled to the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. As for other punishments... since they were already being cast into the sewers, the authorities felt there was no need for further penalty.
Judging by the movements of the smaller rats, they seemed to be trying to keep their noise and motions to a minimum, likely terrified of waking the giant rat.
"Do you think that's the one we ran into before?" Mohg whispered to Morgott.
"I'm not certain... unless we see its face. I remember landing a heavy blow right on its snout. Given our strength back then... it should have left a scar," Morgott replied, shaking his head while sharing his thoughts.
"...I think it is. The food chain in this area should be relatively stable. These giant rats probably won't tolerate a rival of the same size in their territory, and there likely isn't enough food here to support more than one," Mohg mused, his hand tightening into a fist.
"You plan to move?"
"Even if it isn't the same one, consider this collecting a bit of interest on the debt."
Morgott said no more. Instead, he silently reached out his hand.
As a golden light flickered to life in the pitch-black sewer, the small rats that had been fighting over food froze instantly. They snapped their heads toward Mohg and Morgott's position.
Swish—!
A second later, a small lantern came flying from around the corner, smashing directly into the sleeping giant rat.
Squeak!
The struck rat immediately let out an angry shriek. It lunged upward, slamming its heavy body down in a blind strike to its side. One of the smaller rats was unfortunate enough to be standing right there and was crushed instantly.
Whoosh, whoosh—!
Suddenly, two sounds of breaking air echoed through the dark pipe. The survival instincts honed by a lifetime in the sewers made the giant rat scream, and the remaining small rats lunged toward the source of the noise.
Squelch!
Accompanied by the sound of tearing flesh, a golden longsword manifested in the gloom.
Seeing the area illuminated by the golden light, Morgott waited no longer. With a sudden burst of speed, he turned into a golden streak, lunging straight for the giant rat's eyes.
Mohg took this chance to get a clear look at the giant rat's face.
"It's the one from before!"
Upon hearing this, Morgott's gaze sharpened, the killing intent in his eyes intensifying.
At the same time, a glow emanated from Mohg's elbow.
Aspect of the Crucible: Horns!
Thrust—! Squeak—!
Two figures surged forward from the left and right simultaneously. A golden longsword and a Crucible horn both buried themselves deep into the giant rat's eyes, causing it to let out a high-pitched wail of agony.
At such close range, the beast caught the scent of the two boys. It was those two bastards who had punched it in the nose!
Realizing this, the giant rat began to thrash about in a frenzy, slamming into the walls and wildly swinging its claws. Even if it was going to die, it wanted to tear a piece of flesh off these two!
However, Mohg and Morgott, having successfully landed their strike, had already retreated to the side to watch the rat's death throes.
After observing for a moment, Mohg stomped his foot firmly against the ground.
Bang!
He lunged, pressing the six fingers of his right hand together to form a spear-like point, stabbing directly toward the giant rat's neck.
Shhh—Pfft—!
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out, and the giant rat's frantic movements came to a sudden halt.
Seeing this, Mohg yanked his hand back, letting the scalding blood spraying from the neck coat his body. He silently began to circulate the training method Godfrey had left for them.
In a sense... this giant rat could be considered a "mighty beast," right?
Sure enough, a moment later, Mohg felt the blood in his veins begin to simmer slightly. However, the feeling was fleeting; it seemed the prey wasn't quite powerful enough yet.
Morgott allowed the golden sword in his hand to dissipate before walking over to Mohg's side.
"What do you plan to do with this thing?" Morgott asked, looking at the rat carcass still twitching and bleeding on the ground.
"Well, I'm going to try roasting it, of course."
A grin spread across Mohg's face. He raised his blood-stained right hand and gave Morgott a thumbs-up.
"Not this again?!"
"Just a taste! Life is about having the courage to try new things. Besides, I have a feeling this stuff won't taste too bad."
"You said the exact same thing last time! And what gave you such a strange feeling anyway?!"
"...I don't know. Maybe it's 'Kami' (God) talking to me," Mohg said with a straight face.
Morgott covered his face with his hand. He knew his brother was talking nonsense that he couldn't understand again.
"By the way, that little lantern we brought seems to be broken. What do we do now?"
"Can't you provide light? I'll leave the path ahead to you!"
"...Do you think my internal energy is infinite?"
"We can probably find some Glowstones around here to use instead," Mohg suggested, rubbing his chin. He then began gathering dry scraps from the surroundings, preparing to build a fire to roast the rats.
"...You're serious?"
"When have I ever been just talk?"
Morgott looked at Mohg with narrowed, skeptical eyes before letting out a long, weary sigh. Having a brother like this was a "blessing" in its own way. He could only hope that this time, the ingredients wouldn't be as "spectacularly" awful as the slugs they had tried before.
Soon, a campfire was crackling. The smaller rats were skewered on wooden sticks and set to roast. As for the giant rat... while Mohg really wanted to roast that too, the limitations of the "kitchen" made it impossible.
After a while, Mohg looked at the small rats, which were now golden-brown and sizzling with fat. He turned his gaze toward Morgott.
"...No matter what you say, you're eating first this time."
"Fine..."
Crunch!
"How does it taste?"
"Blegh—! Hurl—"
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (115 Chapters – Ongoing)
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