"Hmm, so the Grand Lift of Dectus leading to Liurnia is just ahead..."
Taking that path was out of the question for him. He had to find another way to reach the lands below.
"To think the Grand Lift was constructed so early... It seems the Golden Dynasty had designs on Liurnia and the surrounding regions long ago."
Mohg retreated into the shadows, heading toward a specific path from his memory. If that route failed, his only options were to find a relatively reliable spot to fly down directly or locate a small town to gather intelligence.
He was certain that beyond the two well-known passages, there had to be other ways to reach the underground.
The main reason he was uncertain about the Ruin-Strown Precipice was that he didn't know if the Golden Dynasty had already conducted surveys and research there. If they hadn't, he could likely... fly down from that side.
Yes, flying was the plan. Aside from that area having more footholds, other cliffside locations were incredibly difficult to navigate for a safe landing.
After traveling for some time, Mohg encountered a familiar sight.
An Omen child wandering in the wild. He bore no hardened horns, only horrific scars where they had been crudely excised, along with several nauseating pustules that had grown in their place.
However, it had to be said that the creature's development was quite impressive; his physique was larger than many of the Omen children Mohg had seen in the sewers.
The price of that strength was a body covered in gruesome scars, likely remnants of the cruelty he endured in his infancy.
"Roar!"
Sensing Mohg's presence, the Omen child spun around and let out a defensive growl.
Mohg gave him a single glance before vanishing into the forest. Although he was strong enough to deal with his own kind now, he had no intention of provoking them. Interestingly, that Omen didn't seem to possess the power of the Cursed Spirits, though the reason remained a mystery.
"Hmm?"
A massive snoring sound from within the woods caught Mohg's attention. Following the noise, he found a gargantuan creature covered in thick brown fur, sleeping peacefully on the ground.
Mohg's mouth twitched as he identified the beast: a Rune Bear.
This was also one of the most potent targets for "spiritual plundering" mentioned in the techniques Godfrey had taught them. Bathing in its blood and absorbing its spiritual energy could significantly boost one's own strength.
Godfrey himself often hunted such creatures in his youth. Of course, he hunted the cubs—taking on a fully grown Rune Bear was a death wish for most.
It was worth noting that Rune Bears often attracted mercenaries and powerful hunters. They contained a vast amount of Runes, and their hide, meat, and claws were all incredibly valuable—a creature that was essentially a walking pile of treasure.
The only problem was that they were terrifyingly powerful.
As for Mohg's current plan? Naturally, he was going to kill it!
Ping!
A brilliant golden light ignited in the darkness. Immediately following was a surge of golden-red flames, breathing directly onto the sleeping Rune Bear.
"ROAR!!!!"
Boom!
The scorched Rune Bear erupted with an earth-shattering roar, frantically slamming its paws into the ground. Its "waking rage" had reached its peak. After all, being set on fire in your sleep—losing patches of fur and gaining horrific burns—would drive anyone into a frenzy.
As the Rune Bear vented its fury on the surrounding earth and trees, a figure had already ascended into the air.
Black wings beat behind Mohg's back. Seizing the moment the bear exhausted a burst of strength against the ground, Mohg channeled his power. Blood-red flames instantly coated his wings.
In the next second, countless blood-red feathers streaked down like meteors toward the bear below.
"ROAR!!!"
Unlike the previous roar of anger, this one was filled mostly with agony. The wounds left by the blood-red feathers were difficult to close, and the bloodflame continued to tear at the gashes, making the hemorrhaging even worse. The combined sensation of countless tiny, searing wounds was an unbearable torture.
The Rune Bear couldn't take it; it had never experienced this level of trauma before.
Boom!
A sudden explosion of air rang out in the sky as a ring of white vapor rippled behind Mohg. With the enhancement of the Aspects of the Crucible: Wings combined with his own physical wings and the bloodflame aura, Mohg transformed into a crimson shooting star, slamming into the bear on the ground.
"AWOOOO!!!!"
Ignoring the bear's blood-curdling shriek, Mohg glanced at the object in his hand—a massive bear eye. He had successfully gouged one out during the collision.
The bear, now seeing its attacker, no longer wallowed in pain. It charged at Mohg with a suicidal madness. A creature of such immense size and physical power charging was effectively like a tank slamming forward at top speed.
Mohg reached out with his right hand, manifesting a rapier forged of pure blood.
The moment the bear's massive paw was about to crush him, Mohg shifted his weight. Using a bizarre yet elegant footwork, he slipped past the attack as if he had phased right through the claw.
I-frames, kid!
The Rune Bear's furious strike missed, its momentum faltering for a split second. Mohg wasn't about to let the opening go to waste.
Golden light ignited at his feet—Aspects of the Crucible: Tail!
Thud!
Swish— Squelsch!
"AWOOOO!!!!"
The blood rapier pierced through the Rune Bear's remaining eye, plunging it into total darkness and final madness.
Mohg didn't let up. With a sharp twist of his wrist, the blood blade embedded in the bear began to writhe. In the next heartbeat, countless thorns of blood erupted from within the bear's body, tearing through its vital organs.
With one last, weakened groan, the Rune Bear's life force finally guttered out.
Mohg stood there, bathed from head to toe in fresh, hot blood.
Thud!
The massive carcass hit the ground. Looking at the fallen giant, Mohg suddenly had an idea. This place seemed like a perfect spot to grow some flowers.
Acting on the whim, he scattered a handful of Bloodrose seeds given to him by the Mother of Truth. After taking a moment to digest the surge of power within his body, he vanished into the night.
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (235 Chapters – Ongoing)
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