Having resolved to head to the lower levels of the piping, Mohg set off immediately. He stepped into the new area and almost instantly came face-to-face with the first Fanged Imp.
Then, something happened that surprised both Mohg and Morgott: the Imp merely glanced at him before returning to its idle state.
It was technically on guard, though to Mohg, it appeared to be simply spacing out.
"Hmm... could it be because we're Omens that they don't attack us?"
"It's possible..." Morgott nodded. After all, so many adult Omen-born lived in this region, yet these Imps never seemed to clash with them.
"Since we don't have to worry about that, let's keep heading down."
As he spoke, Mohg reached out and playfully ruffled the Imp's stone head—a bit of casual benchmarking.
Perhaps finding the contact annoying, the Imp suddenly swiped Mohg's hand away and shot him a sharp look.
"Huh? What's with that look? Wait, do Imps actually possess minds and emotions?!"
Mohg instinctively grumbled as his hand was swatted. It took a moment for the realization to sink in, and his eyes widened as he looked at the creature in disbelief.
However, the Imp offered no further response. It returned to its statue-like pose, staring silently into the abyss below.
"Good grief..."
Seeing the lack of a reaction, Mohg sighed helplessly. He patted the Imp's head one last time before leaping down toward the lower pipes.
"Hey, at least give me a heads-up before you jump!" Morgott watched with a look of resignation before quickly following.
"Is there really a need? You can see me anyway."
"While you have a point, why do I find your attitude so irritating?"
"...Don't sweat the small stuff. There's a hole in that pipe over there; let's go in through that."
Once both brothers had entered the pipe, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness far below the complex network of tubes.
"This place really is dangerous... and a talking Omen? Never heard of such a thing... But regardless, survival comes first. I need to find a way up and get out of here..."
Inside the pipe, Mohg and Morgott made short work of the slugs blocking their path, leaving marks as they went. Mohg glanced at the structural map in his hand.
"These pipes... they lead everywhere. Let's head to the bottom first. I'm... a bit concerned about that prison down there."
"Then let's move. We're going down through this hole?"
"Yeah."
"By the way, why didn't we just go through the door across from us into the pipes? Why did we have to crawl through here?"
"...Oh, right!"
"I give up on you..." Morgott covered his face and let out a long sigh.
Regardless, they were already here; there was no turning back. They continued along their planned route.
"An iron gate is blocking the way."
"Just tear it down."
"You've certainly learned that trick well."
"Why do you sound so sentimental?"
"You must be imagining things."
Mohg reached out and ripped the iron gate from its hinges. He stepped inside, glancing at the path on the other side. That way... led deeper underground. He'd check it out after finishing with the lower levels.
Before long, they arrived at the sewer prison.
The stench hit them immediately, causing even the two brothers—who were well-accustomed to the filth of the sewers—to furrow their brows in disgust.
"This is..."
"The smell of rotting corpses... and in staggering numbers."
Morgott slowly raised his right hand. A golden light flared, illuminating their surroundings.
To their right was a wall of sealed iron bars, separating the prisoners from the rest of the sewer.
The scene inside... was hell.
The faces of both brothers turned deathly pale at the sight.
There were people and corpses inside—corpses already half-decayed. Yet, there were still living people in there. One could only imagine how they had survived.
In fact, as the twins appeared, one man was in the middle of doing exactly that.
"He can no longer be called a human. I see nothing of humanity left in his eyes."
"...I agree."
Morgott nodded. With a flick of his wrist, a bolt of golden light shot out, burying itself precisely in the man's skull.
Thud!
"Is this the fate of the Dynasty's most serious criminals? It truly is..."
"A fate worse than death."
"I remember there's another... larger prison further ahead. Do we keep going?"
"Let's see it. We might as well know."
"Fine."
A long silence followed. After clearing away the slugs in their path, they crossed through the pipes and reached the largest prison area.
The sight that met them was staggering.
Unlike the filth elsewhere, the ground here was composed of a mixture of sludge and bodies. Countless corpses were matted into the grime, creating an indescribable odor. Most were skeletal or completely rotten, but some had only been decaying for a short while.
Mohg guessed that some had chosen to take their own lives.
Clang!
Suddenly, the rattling of an iron grate caught Mohg's attention.
As Morgott's golden light illuminated the area, Mohg saw a pair of eyes filled with hunger and desperate anticipation.
But the moment the man realized it was the two of them, the light in his eyes vanished, replaced by sheer madness.
"No, no, no! How can it be Omens... Humans! I want humans! Where are the prisoners? The new ones? Where are the prisoners?!!"
As the man began to scream, other voices began to echo through the prison.
Mohg looked toward the sound. Figures, gaunt and emaciated, began to emerge. Without exception, none of them bore the trace of Golden Grace in their eyes. There was only a primal lust for life and... an all-consuming, maddened hunger.
"AAAAHHH!"
Then, something unimaginable began to unfold before their very eyes.
"This is... so hideous I can't bear to look... Brother, could you step outside for a moment?"
"What do you plan to do?"
"I'm going to deal with these... pieces of trash who have thrown away everything just to stay alive!"
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (174 Chapters – Ongoing)
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