"Don't look at me like that. While my desire to head down and grow stronger is intense, I value my life far more."
Mohg met Morgott's gaze and explained himself. Even if their status guaranteed them a chance to return to the Erdtree and be reborn, he didn't dare gamble on it. He didn't want to bet on whether the "him" that came back from the Erdtree would still be him, or if he would revert into the original Mohg of legend.
So, if possible, he didn't want to die even once. He even hoped that if an opportunity arose in the future, he could find a way to overwrite the Golden Grace currently residing within his body.
After all, those decrepit Finger Crones were top-tier schemers!
Furthermore—truth be told—while he had no desire to encounter that golden-haired youth who seemed far too interested in his backside, he actually agreed with one of the boy's philosophies: that the Lord should be the one to choose the God, and the Lord should be the one to decide the world's final direction. Perhaps... that was the kind of age Marika wanted too—a Lands Between free from the control of external gods.
"That's a bit unexpected. However, I don't plan on turning back this time. We've already made it this far; we should at least go and see what the situation is like over there."
This time, it was Morgott who chose the more aggressive path. Mohg gave him a helpless look before slowly pushing himself to his feet.
"Your body won't be able to support a continued descent. Something will go wrong," Mohg warned, looking at Morgott's injuries. He kept one detail to himself, though: while his own chest injury was no longer a major issue, the mental exhaustion and damage to his spirit wouldn't recover nearly as quickly.
"Don't worry. My body will recover before long," Morgott replied with a slight shake of his head.
"In my current state, I can't use the dagger Big Brother left us anymore. If we run into another situation like that further down, it's hard to say what will happen," Mohg countered, leaning against the wall.
"I can still use it once."
Mohg fell silent. He began to wonder if his "cheap" older brother had taken the wrong medicine. There was a strange irony in seeing a radical now trying to convince a conservative not to be too radical. It was truly bizarre!
"I don't know why you've suddenly become so proactive, but fine. I'll gamble with you this once," Mohg said with a sigh, looking Morgott in the eye.
Morgott didn't say anything more. He simply gave a heavy nod and began to channel another Minor Erdtree Heal.
After some time had passed, their injuries had mostly stabilized. They had moved their resting spot from the pipe to the sludge pond where the Omen had been. The main reason was that while they were recovering in the pipe, several rats had emerged, lured by the scent of the charred Omen corpse.
Realizing the pipe was no longer secure, they didn't care about how filthy the sludge pond was; they moved there to focus on their recovery. With Morgott's incantations and their powerful bloodlines, the environment was a secondary concern.
"So, what's the plan? Take the pipe to that sewage canal, or look for another way?" Mohg asked Morgott. Mohg had recovered a portion of his mental strength; while he wasn't ready to unleash "Golden Retribution" again, he was no longer sluggish in his movements or reactions.
"Let's take the pipe to the sewage canal. The space there is wider; if anything unexpected happens, we'll have room to react or escape," Morgott replied after a moment's thought.
The two set off in that direction. As they passed the site of their battle, they saw the Omen's remains—already picked clean down to the white bone. The skeleton wasn't even intact; many of the bones had been crushed and gnawed through.
"Before long, there won't be anything left of him," Mohg noted, glancing at the remains.
"Mmhmm. That is the fate for most in these sewers," Morgott added. He peeked his head out of the pipe to scout ahead. "It's clear. Let's go."
As they stepped out of the pipe, both felt a small surge of relief. Seeing a familiar-looking environment brought a modicum of peace, though it didn't last long. They still had to advance with extreme caution.
Soon, after rounding a corner, they found a path leading further down, accessible only by a long ladder. This meant that if they encountered danger below, they wouldn't be able to escape quickly.
They didn't hesitate for long. After exchanging a look, they slid down the ladder one after the other.
"Do you smell that?" Mohg asked.
"Smell what?" Morgott looked at Mohg, utterly bewildered. If they hadn't grown up together as twins, he would have suspected they belonged to different species. Every time Mohg smelled something, Morgott felt absolutely nothing.
"A very strange fragrance..." Mohg narrowed his eyes and whispered.
"You must be mistaken. We're in a sewer... is it the smell of meat?" Morgott frowned.
"No... it's the scent of flowers!"
Ignoring Morgott's skepticism, Mohg narrowed his eyes further, focusing on the scent. When he matched the smell to the memory of a specific object, his eyes widened.
"Flowers?"
Morgott was stunned. It had been so long that he had almost forgotten what the flowers at Godwyn's manor smelled like.
"Flower scents in a sewer..." Mohg's lip twitched. Surveying the surroundings again, he realized why there were almost no other creatures in this area.
The things over there were likely Miranda Flowers. Whether there was a fully grown one, he wasn't sure.
From what he knew of Miranda Flowers, they were a species that had existed since the Age of the Crucible, appearing even in the Aspects of the Crucible incantations. Most importantly... they were carnivorous. They weren't just plants; they possessed distinct biological traits.
"There should be Miranda Flowers ahead—a type of poisonous plant... Wait, poisonous?"
Mohg paused as the thought struck him. He rubbed his chin. If it was just poison... he wasn't afraid of that. In other words, as long as there wasn't a Giant Miranda Flower, there was no real danger!
In fact, the presence of the Miranda colony might actually help them by acting as a barrier against other creatures!
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (129 Chapters – Ongoing)
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