Asimi gave a faint, elegant smile before turning toward the cathedral's exit. With every step, countless specks of starlight swirled around her feet; set against the black stone floor, it looked as dreamlike as walking upon the star-strewn surface of Liurnia of the Lakes.
Gawain snapped back to attention, drawing his gaze away from the ethereal scene to follow her. Below the grand staircase, nearly all the local residents had gathered, waiting to witness this momentous occasion.
Lan leaned against the railing. Seeing an Asimi who was worlds apart from her previous self, he found himself momentarily dazed despite his mental preparation.
The current Asimi perfectly embodied everything he had ever imagined a Night Lord to be. A single glance was all the confirmation he needed. With a respectful posture, he took his place by the side of his new sovereign.
Instantly, the Silver Tears scattered throughout Nokstella began to gravitate toward the cathedral as if by instinct, seemingly yearning to rejoin their source.
Asimi merely gave a light wave of her hand. The Silver Tears halted in their tracks, taking on various forms and mimics. She was testing whether her control over her various "selves" was as precise as she imagined; judging by the results, the effect was excellent.
A sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she subtly micro-managed a portion of the Silver Tears, directing them toward a specific location.
Witnessing the activation of this unique authority, the gathered Noxians erupted into cheers. They had waited too long for this moment—so long that most of their kin had given up hope and moved to the surface. Those who remained were the "old guard," the ones who believed in the ancient prophecy with every fiber of their being. To see the dream become reality was overwhelmingly emotional. Moreover, this "Night Queen" aura perfectly hit the aesthetic preferences of every Noxian present; it was exactly the "flavor" they craved.
From the corner of his eye, Gawain caught Asimi's subtle signal. He drew the Sword of Night and Flame, his gaze scanning the crowd of Noxians below. It didn't take long for him to point directly at a slightly shifty figure hidden among the masses.
"That's him! Seize him!"
The Noxians froze for a heartbeat. This was the command of the Night Lord's host; it had to be for a reason. Suddenly, every eye turned to the Nox Swordstress Gawain had pointed out. The surrounding people immediately moved to restrain the individual.
The "Swordstress" panicked, struggling and shouting, "I came to offer my congratulations! What are you doing?!"
With a loud roar, the figure lunged at the surrounding kin, gripping a weapon and fighting back desperately with kicks and strikes.
However, the Noxians present were all skilled warriors. Combined with the swarm of Silver Tears, the unlucky fellow was quickly subdued. After being disarmed, his arms were pinned behind his back, and he was brought before the three figures at the top of the stairs. Two Nox Swordstresses ripped off his mask, exposing his true face to the public.
The once-slender body of the Noxian soldier began to swell and distort, sprouting thick, coarse fur and radiating a dangerous aura. It was clear: this was the Baleful Shadow that had been hiding all this time. The assassin looked up with a face full of indignation.
"How did you discover me? My disguise was flawless!"
Gawain gestured with the Sword of Night and Flame toward Lan, Asimi, and himself.
"Do you see? Before you stand the long-standing leader of Nokstella, the newly born Night Lord, and the Night Lord's primary host—who also happens to be the wielder of the ancient astrologers' legendary sword. That's me."
He continued with a smirk, "This is 'Three Moons in the Sky.' Look at the people below. They're so moved they're either dancing or weeping, unable to look directly at this dazzling moonlight. Yet you're the only 'special' one—completely unmoved, staring up here with a look that screams 'obsessive stalker.' Clearly, you lacked the proper emotional resonance."
"Wait, what—?"
The Baleful Shadow never imagined he'd be caught because he wasn't "sincere" enough in his emotional display. Before he could gnash his teeth in rage or attempt to break free, a torrent of magic from the Sword of Night and Flame pierced him through. Without even a chance to shriek, he slumped to the ground, dead.
Having fulfilled his vow to Ranni so easily, Gawain sheathed the sword across his back with satisfaction. After a moment of stunned silence, the Noxians below erupted into even louder cheers. This Baleful Shadow had been a loathsome pest they couldn't catch for ages; as expected of the Night Lord's chosen host, he had solved their greatest problem in an instant.
The ceremony celebrating the Night Lord continued as Asimi led Gawain on a procession through the entire city to cement her favor with the Noxians.
The once-desolate Eternal City had become a place of revelry. Everyone was jubilant—except for one person with a long face, who happened to be the currently invisible Ranni.
To be honest, she was having second thoughts. Had her "vow" been a bit too simple? This wasn't how she had envisioned the scene at all.
The Two Fingers' Baleful Shadows were known for their superb stealth and near-impossible detection. That was why she hadn't masked her aura upon entering; she wanted to bait him into attacking. Instead, because of some absurd logic, he was mobbed by a bunch of Noxians, dragged before her, and killed like a common nuisance. It should have had at least some drama. Now, she felt like she couldn't give him that key without it feeling a bit... unearned.
Whatever, what's done is done, she thought. Don't dwell on the details. She looked toward the Lake of Rot. She knew that was the most treacherous part of this journey. But with the help of these Noxians—who had eons of experience fighting the Kindred of Rot—it shouldn't be too difficult. The combat power here far exceeded her estimates.
Then there was the new Night Lord. Asimi's abilities were perfectly suited for controlling the battlefield in such a massive subterranean environment.
However, for some reason, watching Asimi get close to Gawain during the procession—frequently touching him with a familiarity that felt slightly deliberate—Ranni felt a flicker of pressure.
Originally, Asimi was just a Mimic Tear she hadn't given much thought to; even a short while ago, she was like a child. How had she become like this? Ranni decided she would eventually have to let this young Mimic Tear know exactly whose "home turf" this was.
By Gawain's estimate, the sun was likely about to rise on the surface. The procession finally ended, and he, Asimi, and Lan retreated to a quiet room to discuss their next steps. The residents of Nokstella had been so enthusiastic along the way that it was becoming a bit much for him to handle.
The Noxians seemed to know they couldn't desecrate the dignity of their Queen, so they directed all their energy toward him—the man with the nearly identical face. Every time he passed a crowd, the looks he got—treating him like a "perfect substitute"—made him feel very uneasy, regardless of whether the gaze came from a Night Maiden or a Nox Swordstress.
The tour had given him a clear picture of Nokstella's status. Unlike Nokron, which had been battered by outsiders, this city had sufficient self-defense capabilities and maintained occasional contact with the surface. The Ainsel River's hydraulic facilities were well-maintained and functioning, serving as the primary safeguard for the seal on the Lake of Rot.
However, as expected, strange black sludge had begun appearing upstream—just like in the Siofra River. This was the curse of the Prince of Death, flowing from the Deeproot Depths at the source of the two great rivers.
"The plan is this," Gawain said. "Once the seal is undone, we use the Dragonkin Soldiers and the Silver Tears as the main force to stall the Kindred of Rot. Then, I will personally deal with the residual essence of the Outer God left here."
Lan rubbed his chin, pondering. He didn't see an issue with that. A fragmented god was just a Tuesday for someone who had seen "real" cosmic horrors. He turned to Asimi.
"So, what does our new Queen think? Do you agree to this plan?"
"I have no objection," Asimi replied with a nod. "Thank you for your preparations over the years. The number of Silver Tears in Nokstella is greater than I imagined; I have plenty of room to exert my influence."
Before her evolution, she might have hesitated. But now, having achieved self-ascension and mastered the power of the Cradle of Mimicry, she could no longer tolerate such a presence occupying their subterranean world.
Seeing her resolve, Lan stood up, a smile playing on his lips. "Excellent. The consensus is reached. I've rehearsed the method for undoing the seal in my head a thousand times. Let's take this chance to flush that thing out and reclaim the territory those monsters have taken."
"Lan, you've been here the longest," Gawain interjected. "Can you tell me about the specific situation in the Lake of Rot?"
Lan nodded and spread a detailed map on the table.
"As we know, the Goddess of Rot has already chosen a new vessel, and she's caused quite a mess in Caelid. Therefore, the Lake of Rot currently seals only the fragmented body and consciousness left behind after the ancient war. However, destroying it completely is still no easy task. In your eyes, why is the Scarlet Rot so troublesome?"
Gawain recalled his experiences in Caelid. "The tenacious life force and the incredible rate of spread. If even a small patch of rot is left alone, it spirals out of control instantly. It requires specific means to contain."
"Exactly. That is the purpose of the Ainsel River and this massive hydraulic system. As long as this system functions, the Lake of Rot can never spread. When the Rot Goddess was sealed here, she gradually abandoned this body. Over the eons, she withdrew most of her power to choose a new Empyrean, attempting to recreate the Age of Rot in the Lands Between."
"Right," Gawain noted. "But at least until the war in Caelid, Malenia managed to suppress the rot within her through her own will and the flowing sword techniques."
"But that was merely suppression, not elimination. Rot breeds in stagnation. If one only thinks of static suppression instead of using 'flow' to combat it, the power of rot only grows stronger over time."
Lan pointed to a series of markings on the map. "Do you see these? Before the Shattering, the Lake of Rot was even larger than it is now. But since the ancient war, the Outer God's power is no longer at the peak it reached when it spanned the entire Lands Between. After she abandoned this body for a new Empyrean, the rot here has actually been shrinking under the siege of the Ainsel's waters."
"No wonder the giant ants I saw on the way in didn't have as much rot in them as the ones in Caelid," Gawain realized. "They still looked like living creatures rather than twisted clumps of flesh."
Lan nodded. "That is why we were able to tame them. These creatures still have the instincts of normal animals. Even if they are tainted, as long as it isn't too severe, they can be cleansed. In the past, the Kindred of Rot launched frequent attacks to break the blockade; the remains of our Dragonkin Soldiers still lie in the lake. If not for that, I would have even more forces at my disposal. Facing such an enemy, even our 'neighbors,' the Ancestral Followers, are willing to stand on a united front. Some are still wandering the lake, though they've likely been driven mad by the erosion by now."
"The sealed God of Rot below... what do you know of its specific state? How does its combat power compare to a demigod?"
Lan searched his memory. Though the ancient war was a distant memory, he knew certain facts.
"The God of Scarlet Rot herself isn't actually that strong in direct combat. That is why even a mortal—the blind swordsman—could intervene at the end of the war and seal the god while she was weakened. But killing her completely is the problem. Every bit of Scarlet Rot nearby is a part of her; her Law is woven into the very fabric of life's properties. In fact, when we were designing the Silver Tears and the Night Lord project, we partially mimicked the life-form of the Rot God."
Gawain thought back to what he had just seen. "You mean, she has a collective consciousness like the Silver Tears? She controls all the rot, and every Kindred of Rot is a part of her? Unless every part is killed, she doesn't die?"
"Yes, precisely. Furthermore, she can actively assimilate the surrounding environment into her own power. To truly eliminate the residual consciousness and body here, your rate of destruction must exceed her rate of spread and assimilation. You must suppress her until she is completely extinguished."
Gawain now understood why, despite the entire Lands Between fighting the Rot War, they could only seal the god rather than destroy her. The allied forces had likely fought to the point of exhaustion, and when their rate of killing fell below her rate of spread, they had to settle for a seal to keep her contained in a small area.
However, considering this unique property, a new idea sparked in his mind.
"If I can lock the battlefield to the area of the Lake of Rot, preventing her from escaping or spreading outward, would it be easier?"
Lan blinked. After considering the possibility, he nodded. "I don't know how you'd lock her in such a small area, but theoretically, yes."
"I'm not sure it'll work yet. Just get the Dragonkin Soldiers ready. Regardless, we clear the Lake of Rot today. Asimi, stay here and coordinate with Lan. I need to confirm something. I'll be back when it's time to start the war."
The three split up immediately. Lan went to perform final checks on the Dragonkin Soldiers and the unsealing ritual. Asimi used her authority to command the Silver Tears throughout the city; she was now capable of multi-threading her consciousness, even linking up with the signal from far-off Nokron.
Gawain walked alone to the edge of the Lake of Rot. The pungent stench made him feel slightly nauseous, but he knew this scene wouldn't last much longer.
"You certainly choose troublesome opponents for yourself," a voice said.
Ranni's form appeared beside him, her gaze also fixed on the Lake of Rot. However, unlike him, her eyes looked toward the far distance—toward where her own fate lay.
"Troublesome or not doesn't matter," Gawain replied. "Since such an unstable factor exists, it should be snuffed out in the cradle before an accident happens."
"That fits the personality I know," Ranni noted. "Judging by today, it seems you're still hiding some secrets from me. That Noxian seemed remarkably familiar with you."
"That part... you'll understand later."
Ranni didn't press him. If he wasn't ready to tell her, so be it. Everyone had their secrets, even the most intimate of partners.
"Though the process was a bit... unexpected, you have fulfilled your vow to me. Thus, I can now step onto my path of fate and settle things with the Two Fingers."
"Right. You go deal with the God's spokesperson, and I'll go deal with the God itself. Even if it's just a fragment of the original, it's a start."
Ranni felt a wave of emotion. Finally reaching this step. She had waited so long since the Night of the Black Knives.
Slowly, she turned her head away, pulling her hat down to hide her face. She produced an exquisitely crafted key and held it out to him.
"For Blaidd's sake, and for the sake of my brother who broke his own legs to suppress the rot with his will... I will not allow you to fail this battle. This key is my gift to you. I shall wait for you atop the corpse of the Two Fingers."
She added softly, "When it is over, bring the corresponding token to find me. Do not make me wait too long."
Gawain took the Discarded Palace Key and tucked it away carefully. He smiled at Ranni, whose expression was still hidden. Her tone had already betrayed her thoughts.
"Don't sound so solemn; it's bad luck before a battle. We have plenty of time ahead of us. This isn't the only god we'll have to drive out or kill, and this one isn't even the main body. But since it's your request, I won't keep you waiting. Otherwise, Miriel might not let me back into the Church of Vows if you're unhappy. Isn't that right, my Princess?"
Seeing that he still had the humor to joke at a time like this, Ranni felt relieved. She reached out with both hands, cupping his face and leaning her forehead against his. Her voice was filled with a faint anticipation.
"Mm. I shall wait for you, my most special knight."
Then, her figure vanished into the air as she departed for her fateful duel with the Two Fingers.
Gawain took a deep breath, drawing his gaze from where she had disappeared, and looked up at the stone ceiling. The Lake of Rot was directly beneath the Academy. Massive glintstone formations protruded from the walls. He wondered if his idea was feasible.
Better go ask Master Sellen. With a thought, he teleported instantly back to the Debate Parlor.
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (252 chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────