Leaving the mausoleum and crossing the area infested with spirit-leeches, the position of that massive wicker giant became clear. The construct wandered across the Gravesite Plain without rest, its gaze sweeping over the charred shadows it had already purged countless times before.
Gawain hadn't thought much of it from a distance, but standing before this iron behemoth—several times larger than even a Great Wyrm—he couldn't help but frown. He was at a loss as to where to even begin his assault. He was no stranger to fighting colossal enemies, such as the Curse-Rotted Greatwood back in the Undead Settlement, but at least that thing had obvious weak points. This thing was a solid block of iron; where was he supposed to hit it?
"That thing looks like a headache to deal with. With the golems outside, I could at least spot the power core in the center of their chests, but this thing is just iron bars from top to bottom. Is its power source just all that... content stuffed inside?"
Melina rubbed her chin, observing the flow of magic within the Furnace Golem. Drawing upon her own fragmented memories, she offered a hypothesis.
"It seems to draw power by burning whatever is held within its furnace. It captures new 'content' as it moves to sustain its operation. If you could cause an explosion inside that furnace, it should overload its power source and paralyze it."
"Hm, I'll give it a shot then. But I have to say, the Crusade's war machines are impressively high-spec. When I get back, I might try to build one myself. Remind me to ask your brother for the design blueprints later."
Melina couldn't help but smile at his words. Sitting atop Torrent, she watched as Gawain charged forward to take on the giant alone. Her mind drifted to that melancholic face she remembered so clearly.
Perhaps only she and her mother shared a connection unique enough to know his true identity. The flickering image of fire reflected in their pupils allowed them to understand and empathize with one another, even if they weren't siblings by blood.
During the Golden Order's conquest of the Lands Between, her brother had always taken pride in the gold within his eyes—the symbol of Grace. He had fought across the continent as a hero of the Golden Order, his footprints left everywhere from the Mountaintops of the Giants to Liurnia of the Lakes. But in the end, that Grace was merely a false creation, born of their mother's love—or perhaps her desire for control.
That truth, much like the secret of the Base Serpent and the fire within him, had been kept well-hidden. Even before their mother veiled the Land of Shadow, very few knew the reality. She wondered how he was faring now.
Melina couldn't remember how many years it had been since she last saw her brother, but she hoped, even now, that he might find release from his endless mission.
She sighed softly. Even she had not truly escaped her purpose. Or rather, she wouldn't allow herself any other choice. Even with a body regained, she was not as free as she had once imagined.
A thunderous crash jolted her from her thoughts. She looked up to see the Furnace Golem swaying violently. Every step of its massive frame made the earth tremble; its current, frantic struggling was even more intense.
Gawain was currently clinging to the iron bars at the top of the giant. He hauled himself up with one hand, dodging a massive iron fist, ensuring he reached a height where he could see the contents of the furnace. He had just realized how truly ridiculous this thing was.
It was a pure engine of war. He wasn't sure if it was empowered by the Scadutree's shadow, but he was certain that if this thing were unleashed elsewhere, it could take on ten regular golems at once. Its range and destructive power far exceeded his estimates.
Even the "fuel" inside was absurdly varied. Corpses of Hornsent, cattle, sheep, bears, Basilisks, and even Great Wyrms were stuffed inside. It seemed as if anything that could burn was used as fuel.
Aiming for the center of the furnace, Gawain hurled a batch of Spark Aromatics inside. These were top-grade supplies he had obtained from his own perfumers—items whose potency had been "vouched for" by the Kindred of Rot.
As Melina predicted, the effect was instantaneous. With a deafening explosion, the contents of the furnace were blasted outward by the shockwave. Ferocious flames erupted through the iron bars. The Golem spasmed and slumped to the ground, its power temporarily severed.
Gawain leaped down from the top, rolling to a stop in front of the giant. He noticed the mask on its face was still flickering with light, as if attempting a reboot.
Without hesitation, he drew his Greatsword and unleashed a Giant Hunt. This time, it was a literal hunt for a giant. The strike shattered the front mask and the iron bars behind it. The contents spilled out across the ground, and the machine finally went silent.
To be safe, he followed up with several frost-based Ashes of War. Only after confirming the interior was frozen solid did he stop. It was then that he noticed something familiar at the very bottom of the furnace, brought to the surface by the explosion. He reached in and pulled it out, looking at it with a mix of confusion and amusement.
"What kind of Crystal Tear ends up hidden in a place like this? And what does this color even do? I'll have to ask Melina to mix a Physick later so I can give it a taste."
A moment later, Melina rode up on Torrent. Looking at the lingering warmth of the Crystal Tear, she shrugged, signaling that she too was unsure why such a thing would be inside a Furnace Golem.
After taking it and examining it for a moment, her deep knowledge of tears allowed her to discern its properties.
"You could call this the 'Deflecting Hardtear.' Its effect makes it easier to deflect enemy attacks. Specifically, it causes a powerful burst of impact from within your body at the moment of a deflect, significantly increasing the recoil felt by the enemy."
Melina continued, "Just like before, I will keep the tears you collect. I can prepare the corresponding Physick for you whenever you need it."
Gawain was surprised. These days, there was even a tear for deflecting? If he drank this, wouldn't he be able to "clash iron" with complete impunity?
"I see. I'll leave it to you, then."
Melina nodded, a hint of pride in her expression. It seemed that in this Land of Shadow, there were indeed many ways she could be of help.
"This is my duty. Only by restoring your strength as quickly as possible can we handle the dangers here. Besides, I suspect that if you were to meet my brother as you are now, he might take offense. After all, the mission mother gave him was to deliver death to all who are unblessed."
She looked at him pointedly. "I don't want to see you beaten too... unsightly. That would reflect poorly on Torrent's and my judgment of character. Do you understand?"
"Don't worry, I won't embarrass you in front of your brother. Though we're still quite a distance from the Scadutree; we'll have to explore our way there. I am curious to see what kind of man your brother actually is."
Gawain looked toward the horizon. "Let's scavenge what's left here, then head toward that cross-marker. I'm hoping we can find more Scadutree Fragments in that Tower Settlement."
Deep within the Shadow Keep, Messmer felt the loss of one of his Furnace Golems. Already drained by the mental toll of this eternal war, he felt a flicker of irritation. After confirming the direction of the loss, he ordered his Fire Knights to dispatch scouts to the Belurat region.
Those Hornsent had been cowering in the Tower Settlement for a long time without making a move. Why would they suddenly counterattack and destroy one of his golems? There had to be a variable he wasn't aware of.
Messmer recalled the news of the outside world he had heard from Miquella. He wondered if that youth had brought "unblessed" interlopers with him. His Furnace Golems were programmed to automatically treat anyone without Grace as an enemy to be purged.
He didn't care much for Miquella himself. It was only because the youth shared their mother's blood that Messmer had left his chambers to meet him, granting him free passage through the Shadow Keep. But that did not mean the unblessed could walk the Land of Shadow with impunity.
Though his current forces weren't enough to break the core of that cursed Tower Settlement—leaving the Hornsent remnants to hide in the shadows alongside the Gate of Divinity—he still had enough strength to send men to clean out any "rats" that dared to surface.
Messmer felt a headache coming on. He had to admit, the intelligence Miquella brought had left him feeling uncharacteristically shaken. Why had the Lands Between fallen into such a state?
The sheer absurdity of the news made him ache with a lingering bitterness. Why would his mother do these things? Why would she grant the mantle of Lordship to these so-called "Tarnished"? A group that possessed no Grace should have been granted nothing but death—just like the Hornsent and the Fire Giants before them.
Though he felt a profound sense of resignation, there was little he could do about the world outside. The Land of Shadow was his only domain.
"Even so, my mission has never changed. To those without the gold of Grace... Death!"
After reciting his purpose for the thousandth time, Messmer stood before the statue of Queen Marika, staring at it for a long time, lost in thought.
After taking down the wandering Furnace Golem, Gawain felt as though the spirits of the Gravesite Plain had grown a bit quieter. The drifting shadows seemed to meld back into the earth, becoming a permanent part of the plain.
At least now he didn't have to worry about a crowd of shadows popping out of the ground to block his path every few steps. Mounting Torrent, he and Melina doubled back toward the Scorched Ruins. He felt like he had missed something there earlier and wanted to see if he could find any Scadutree Fragments.
After a brief skirmish and clearing the area, Melina scattered a white powder made from St. Trina's Lilies onto the ground. Gawain watched as the shadows slumped over, falling into a deep slumber before merging with the earth to form tombstones. He had tried the effects of the lilies before, but the potency here seemed almost absurd.
"I didn't expect that powder to actually soothe these shadows."
"Yes," Melina replied. "As long as they aren't provoked, they will become part of this plain. A sleep this deep is little different from death itself. Slumber allows these lost souls to temporarily forget their agonizing experiences. I believe this is what they seek."
Gawain nodded. Though he had burned many aggressive shadows along the way, he had spared those he found shivering or wandering aimlessly in the corners.
Melina had somehow found St. Trina's Lilies that were far more potent than those in the Lands Between, successfully pacifying the wandering spirits.
"But is it just me, or are these lilies much stronger here? Just holding them makes me feel a bit drowsy. Is it because that particular Demigod is actually here?"
Melina looked at the darkening sky and the corpses of several Curseblade strikers who had attempted an ambush.
"Let's find a place to rest for the night. Since we found some Scadutree Fragments on those Curseblades, I will help you convert them into strength. Even with your unique constitution, it takes time to adapt to the Shadow."
Gawain didn't push himself. He could feel the Shadow merging with him as he absorbed the fragments, but the process was slow—unlike Runes, which converted into power almost instantly.
If his guess was correct, this "Shadow" was something Marika had created using her unique divine authority after ascending to godhood. Adapting to such a specific power would naturally take time.
There was no need to rush. The Land of Shadow was larger than he had imagined; he had to take it step by step. Besides, he had found something in the ruins that required closer study.
After finding a suitable high point to serve as their camp, Gawain lit a small bonfire and crushed the Scadutree Fragments he had gathered.
While Melina helped him channel the power, Gawain flipped through a notebook he had found. It appeared to be the record of a Pot-Warder.
The notes detailed the crafting methods for Hefty Fire Pots and Hefty Furnace Pots. He could imagine the devastating power such large pots would possess, but that wasn't what caught his attention.
The wandering Pot-Warder who wrote these notes was apparently born in a place called "Bonny Village." The writing was peppered with curses directed at his hometown. Gawain wondered what could have happened there to make a man harbor such vitriol for his own birthplace.
He couldn't help but think of the blood-stained kaishaku blade—a mercy-killing knife—he had found in the ruins. He was certain the blood on it carried the scent of the Hornsent.
It was hard to imagine what kind of customs the Hornsent practiced in the Land of Shadow that left the entire region feeling so sinister.
Shaking off these thoughts, Gawain gazed at the distant Scadutree. To reach the core of the Realm of Shadow, he would have to pass through the Shadow Keep sitting directly beneath the tree. But before that, there was a smaller city blocking the way.
The architectural style of that city felt strangely similar to the Academy of Raya Lucaria. He recalled the stories Ranni had told him about the Queen of the Full Moon's sister. If he wasn't mistaken, she was likely waiting in that very castle.
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (330 chapter - Ongoing)
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