The depths of the Mistwood echoed with the agonizing bellows of various beasts. One by one, the massive forms of Rune Bears collapsed to the forest floor. Their vital points had been pierced, and as their life essence ebbed away with their blood, only primal nerve impulses kept their bodies twitching.
"To be honest, they're much weaker than I imagined. Boring," Gawain remarked.
He wiped the blood from his weapon. His impression of Rune Bears was still rooted in their reputation as "poise-breaking dogs" from the game. In reality, once he faced them, the smaller ones fell in a single strike, and even the giant variants only required a few well-placed hits to the vitals before they went still.
"These beasts were never particularly special to begin with," Blaidd said, hoisting his Royal Greatsword. He unleashed a charged heavy attack, launching a smaller bear that had lunged at him high into the air. "Those of abnormal size simply happened to stumble upon more Runes to gorge themselves on. They're nothing to lose sleep over."
Blaidd had previously moved through the Mistwood with stealth and caution to avoid drawing unwanted attention. Now, however, there was no need for such subtlety. Anything blocking their path was simply eliminated.
Calvin and his mercenaries followed behind, silent and awestruck. They hadn't even found an opportunity to draw their blades; they simply watched the two figures ahead carve a path straight through the woods.
Calvin made a silent note of the locations of the bear carcasses. High-quality bear pelts were valuable, and he wasn't about to let them go to waste. Perhaps he could find a tailor in the city to fashion something from them later.
After this minor interlude, the group finally reached their destination: the entrance to the Siofra River Well. The circular structure was much larger than Gawain remembered. As a gateway built by an underground civilization to reach the surface, it was appropriately monumental.
Pushing open the heavy doors, they entered the building. In the center sat a platform engraved with strange, intricate patterns—the lift. Blaidd stepped forward to inspect it, confirming it was still operational, and the others stepped onto the platform.
With the activation of the central mechanism, the platform began its descent. To Gawain, it felt remarkably similar to the elevators he had seen in the Divine Towers.
He ran his hand along the transparent walls, a spark of curiosity lighting his eyes. The technology of the Eternal Cities was the work of the Nox, while the massive Divine Towers scattered across the world were undoubtedly the work of the Fire Giants.
What had caused these two technologies to intersect? He suspected a connection to the Lake of Rot deep within Nokstella. After all, the giant-derived smithing techniques held by Iji were also effective at suppressing the Scarlet Rot.
Perhaps in the ancient days when the Scarlet Rot first became a threat, the Fire Giants and the Nox—who might have been known as Astrologers back then—shared their technology. The famous Sword of Night and Flame was, after all, a symbol of the alliance between the Astrologers and the Giants.
Soon, his attention was pulled elsewhere. The lift left the enclosed shaft and emerged into a vast, subterranean expanse.
As the lift slowed to a halt, the world opened up. Before him lay a deep, azure underground realm stretching silently into the darkness.
Ethereal light seeped from star-like crystals hanging from the vaulted ceiling, illuminating ancient ruins that lay like the skeletons of great beasts, crouching silently amidst jagged stone pillars and broken bridges.
"So this is the Siofra River basin..." Gawain muttered.
No matter how many times one saw this magical landscape, the impact remained profound. Everyone around him wore the same expression of awe, even Blaidd. Only a civilization this powerful and magnificent could have drawn the ire of the Greater Will. In this regard, the Nox had far surpassed any other competitor.
Gawain looked up. The towering dome looked like an inverted night sky, with "starlight" filling the entire underground space from above. Countless figures flickered in and out of sight amidst the ruins. Snapping back to reality, he looked toward the source of the sound of rushing water.
"Alright, time to get to work. First, we find the main channel of the Siofra River. Then we see if there's a way up."
Leaving the lift, they continued forward, encountering many Claymen rotting away in the ruins.
Gawain remembered that these Claymen were sometimes called "Eaters of Runes," which was quite literal. They were instinctively drawn to the Runes settled in the earth and spent eternity digging for them. Many of the maddened wandering nobles on the surface were doing the exact same thing.
These denizens of an ancient civilization had long since lost their minds. Their bodies were covered in layers of black mud and bubble-like growths that Gawain found rather revolting. Sensing the approach of strangers, they attacked with crude harpoons that could barely be called weapons.
However, the Claymen were even more lumbering than he had anticipated. They only swung their weapons slowly once he was close.
The swords of Calvin and his mercenaries were designed for slashing, which did little against these petrified, mud-caked creatures—it was like hitting stone. In contrast, Blaidd's massive greatsword acted like a slab of iron, shattering the Claymen's bodies with every swing.
Without much effort, they cleared the way. Along the path, Gawain successfully gathered several Dewkissed Herba and Grave Gloveworts. These items were always useful—one for crafting boluses and perfumes, the other essential for Spirit Tuning.
Following the river, they arrived at a waterfall and another ancient lift. Unlike the nondescript ruins they had passed, the architecture here was better preserved and clearly showcased the style of Nokron. This visibly excited Blaidd; he had finally found a tangible trail.
Upon reaching the upper level and exiting the lift chamber, they were greeted by a staggering complex of buildings. Beneath the false starry sky lay a vast expanse of shattered bridges and ancient structures. It was hard to fathom just how massive Nokron had been at its zenith.
But before they could admire the view for long, the peace was shattered. Gawain's eyes clearly caught at least a dozen spectral Ancestral Followers emerging from the overgrown corners.
The glowing, translucent minotaurs were already aiming their bows at the group. Gawain shouted a warning, and the mercenaries raised their shields just as a dozen arrows of glowing spirit-light whistled toward them.
Great, Gawain thought. The quintessential Siofra experience. The bows of these Ancestral Followers were, in game terms, on par with the "sniper lobsters" of Liurnia.
Once these archers locked on, even Torrent's double-jump was hard-pressed to dodge them. They didn't do massive damage, but the sheer accuracy was an insult to any warrior. Anyone who ventured here usually ended up looking like a pincushion.
"The locals here really lack manners," Gawain said. "No choice then—we clear them out first. I'll draw their fire, you lot move up!"
Gawain used the Twisted Wall of Light to deflect the spirit arrows. He had originally hoped to find a way to communicate with the Ancestral Followers—perhaps even ally with them against the Scarlet Rot overhead—but this warm welcome had exhausted his patience. Some things were best handled personally.
He blew his whistle to summon Torrent and charged toward the minotaurs. Torrent knew exactly how to use his double-jump to nimbly weave through the incoming arrows, while Gawain drew his own bow and returned fire with Lightning Arrows.
Seeing the enemy's rhythm broken, Blaidd led the mercenaries in a charge. They braved the arrow fire and closed the distance, initiating a chaotic melee.
The battle raged through the ruins and down to the banks of the Siofra River. They had to stay alert not just for the Ancestral Followers, but also for the omnipresent lightning orbs and ambushing Claymen. Ultimately, they emerged victorious with nothing more than a few superficial arrow wounds, mostly mitigated by their armor.
Pulling a spirit arrow out of Torrent's flank, Gawain saw the spectral horse's long face twisted in clear annoyance. These woodsmen had a knack for hitting the most awkward spots, occasionally curving their shots around his Twisted Wall of Light.
"Damned savages, shooting at my horse..." he muttered.
Blaidd and the mercenaries eventually caught up, having finished clearing the rear. The sight was somewhat comical—nearly every mercenary had a glowing arrow or two sticking out of them.
Blaidd pulled the last arrow from his own shoulder and sighed, rubbing his forehead. He wanted to find the path to Nokron as soon as possible and didn't want to waste time here.
"Well? Have you found a way up? I scouted the perimeter and found nothing."
Gawain looked toward the heights. He knew that in the game, Nokron was built right alongside the Siofra River, with the aqueducts above constantly channeling water from the Deeproot Depths.
Logic dictated that he could simply follow the river and find a path up through the ruins, or even climb up by force. But the reality was clearly more complicated.
Looking up, he could see nothing. The view of the upper level was swallowed by a false starlight so thick it was opaque, as if intentionally veiled.
"I don't see a way up yet. There's a Spirit Spring over there; let me take a look from a higher vantage point."
Blaidd nodded. For now, that was the only option.
Gawain remounted Torrent and galloped toward a massive broken bridge he remembered. He caught the Spirit Spring and soared into the air.
Landing accurately on an ancient stone pillar, he could now clearly see the false sky above. His brow furrowed. An illusory veil blocked the view of the upper reaches. Even from this height, he couldn't see the interior of Nokron, which should have been just across the river.
"Is this the so-called power of fate? It seems I can't get in without sending the General off first."
Gawain now understood why the Fallen Hawks had been trapped and died in Nokron. Being blocked by such a strange phenomenon, they couldn't even have leaped down to the Siofra River Well to escape.
There was nothing for it; he would have to follow the intended path. His primary goal this time was scouting the Siofra River to eventually connect Limgrave and Caelid. The Eternal City could wait.
Turning around, he looked across the stone pillars toward the distance. As expected, a solitary figure stood there, gazing toward the Mohgwyn Palace. It was the Crucible Knight—the one who could only be reached via the Four Belfries in the game.
Nokron was inaccessible for now, but he could certainly pay this knight a visit.
He gathered a storm at Torrent's hooves. While he couldn't fly, he could use the storm to mimic the effect of a Spirit Spring. It was a hasty improvisation, and the jump distance couldn't match the natural spring below, but leaping to the opposite broken pillar was doable.
After a brief build-up of power, Torrent understood Gawain's intent. With a powerful kick, they launched into the air, riding the storm's lift. A mid-air double-jump landed them perfectly on the ledge where the Crucible Knight stood.
The knight clearly sensed a presence behind him. He stopped gazing toward the Blood Dynasty and turned to size up the stranger, though he made no move to attack.
"Hm? How did you get here? Is there a Spirit Spring in the air that I cannot see?"
"Just a bit of storm manipulation," Gawain replied easily. "I saw you standing here all alone and decided to see what was going on. It's not every day one runs into a 'wild' Crucible Knight."
The knight pondered for a moment, clearly confused by the term "wild."
Gawain looked at the tilting head of the Crucible Knight. For some reason, he imagined the expression under the helmet as a blank, wide-eyed stare. He got the feeling this guy wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed—maybe he could talk him into joining his side.
"So, why are you standing here? From what I know, even using the Aspect of the Crucible to sprout wings won't get you very far from this spot."
"Indeed," the knight replied. "I came via the Four Belfries in Liurnia. The Grace-Given King sent me to find traces of the Blood Dynasty. I did not expect the bridge to be severed upon my arrival. I have been stranded here ever since."
"Wait," Gawain blinked. "You're one of the Grace-Given King's men?
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (112 chapter - Ongoing)
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