Gripping his newly acquired weapon, Gawain found that it was exactly as Asimi had described—he could feel a surge of "Abundance" within it.
He couldn't quite define what "Abundance" was, but the moment he held the weapon, he felt an aura representing life itself. In a way, it felt similar to the Aspect of the Crucible used by his Crucible Knights; it was undoubtedly linked to the Crucible of Life or even the Primordial Erdtree.
The twinblade was uniquely designed, with perfectly symmetrical blades, yet the two ends were in vastly different states of decay.
The weapon should have been entirely golden, but it had succumbed to a mysterious withering, leaving most of it a lifeless, desaturated black. On one end, the decay started from the tip, causing the blade to partially crumble. On the other, the corruption was even more severe, starting from the base of the blade and creeping toward the hilt. It was hard to tell if it could even withstand the rigors of high-intensity combat.
Feeling the nearly powerless state of the twinblade, Gawain felt a bit uncertain. Can this thing really be used by a 'Brave One' on the battlefield? It felt more like a ceremonial object.
The weapon, named Euporia, was covered in a dim luster of unknown purpose.
After tinkering with the twinblade for a moment, he tried to infuse it with power. The weapon's inherent Skill activated; the twinblade spun twice in the air, absorbing the residual blood splattered on his clothes. The dull blade flickered with a faint golden light, though it quickly faded back into darkness.
"This thing... does it need to be charged to unleash its full power?"
He had initially thought it was just a decorative piece, but now it seemed interesting. He could see that the weapon didn't actually absorb the blood itself, but rather the life force remaining within it. However, it seemed to require a significant amount of charging to trigger its true form; otherwise, it was just a slightly faster spinning blade.
Carrying Euporia out of the room, he stood on the sky-bridge and looked down at the toxic marsh covering the lower levels of Belurat. Since he was already here, he wondered if he should find a target to test it on.
As if answering his thought, a massive figure appeared in his field of vision. A Putrescent Tree Spirit, drenched in deep green venom, crawled out from the depths of the swamp.
The creature reared its head, its massive body leaping from the toxic muck, spraying foul, putrid liquid in every direction.
"Uh... actually, never mind."
He looked at the weapon in his hand. While a Tree Spirit certainly had plenty of life force, the sight of that body covered in brownish-green filth made him lose all desire to touch it.
Donning the Divine Beast headpiece again and bolstered by his Scadutree Fragments, the storm he could conjure around himself was now nearly on par with what he could manage in the Lands Between.
With a wave of his hand, a tornado of fire enveloped the Tree Spirit, which was heavily weak to flame. Accompanied by a violent burst of Profaned Flame from within, the Putrescent Tree Spirit was incinerated into ash from the inside out.
After dealing with the troublesome creature, Gawain floated over to its remains. He spotted an item among the ashes: a necklace adorned with a strangely shaped horn. It was the Immunizing Horn Charm +2.
Gawain remembered seeing these charms in the Lands Between. The one in his hand significantly increased immunity to poison and rot—a "+2" version was certainly in line with DLC scaling. While the effect was excellent, it wasn't particularly useful to him personally; he figured he would give it to someone else later.
Having collected the talisman, he mused that there likely weren't many other treasures left in Belurat. Any remaining valuables were probably hidden within the shadow-shrouded region above. It was time to leave for now.
With Melina in tow, the two quickly departed Belurat and returned to Miquella's Cross.
Moore was nowhere to be found, likely having moved on with Leda and the others as part of their logistics. Ansbach, however, remained.
He was sitting on a rock, holding a thick book that looked like a journal. It was filled with annotations, and he was currently writing in it.
As a former member of the Blood Dynasty, Ansbach was highly alert. He quickly noticed their approach and looked up, confirming their identities.
Seeing they were allies, Ansbach closed the book, hung it at his waist, and asked kindly, "You've returned? It seems, as Leda said, your exploration has concluded."
Gawain sheathed Euporia and nodded in greeting. "Yes. Most of the enemies obstructing the path in Belurat have been dealt with, including those troublesome Horned Warriors. If you wish to explore the area, there shouldn't be much standing in your way now."
Ansbach stroked his beard and glanced at Gawain. While the path had been cleared, the scent of blood wouldn't vanish so easily. It seemed his companion was even more powerful than he had imagined.
Knowing this, he was more than happy to maintain a friendly relationship. Whether it was for the journey following Miquella or investigating the cause of his Lord's death, such an ally was invaluable.
"I see. Thank you for your hard work. Though, I suspect there aren't many items left worth discovering anyway."
Gawain pointed to the book at Ansbach's waist, asking curiously, "Is that your own writing? I thought I saw many map annotations earlier."
Ansbach picked up his journal and nodded. "Indeed. As one grows older, memory tends to fail, but I haven't entirely forgotten my knowledge as a scholar. To better track the gains of our exploration and organize the information gathered, I put this together. I must say, the history of this Land of Shadow is far more... unique than I imagined. I believe this is why Lord Miquella chose to cooperate with the Hornsent."
Gawain raised an eyebrow. The "Blood Noble" vibe of this man was entirely different from the lunatics of the Blood Dynasty. A scholar had actually come out of that group?
"I didn't realize you were a student of history, Mr. Ansbach. In that case, I have a question: have you seen any information regarding a 'betrayal'?"
"In Belurat, I met a Hornsent Grandam who kept repeating that Queen Marika was a betrayer. I'm quite curious about what that god once did—including the war Messmer's army calls a 'crusade.' What exactly happened?"
Ansbach didn't hide what he knew, though he prefaced it carefully.
"To be honest, I don't know much more than the others. Aside from our Hornsent companion, I can only glimpse pieces of history through what I see with my own eyes. The so-called 'Crusade' was the name given to the struggle of those who fought alongside Messmer. They slaughtered indiscriminately, claiming it was to burn away the impure. It is said the army conducted this purge without mercy or honor. It was pure slaughter. Only those who truly believed it was a holy war could find a spark of inspiration within the dying wails. After all, they were well aware that what they were doing was mass murder."
After a brief pause, Ansbach looked around at the scars of war.
"As you can see, the crusade didn't seem to end successfully. The Hornsent still exist, and legends say there are large numbers of Hornsent elites remaining in the regions shrouded by shadow. I suspect the weariness of war became too great to bear; even with the shroud of a 'holy war' to cloud their minds, the soldiers could no longer accept it. Furthermore, almost every statue of Queen Marika in the Land of Shadow has had its head removed. At least, every one I have seen is like that."
Gawain recalled the statue of Marika he had seen at the entrance of the previous temple. That one seemed intact. Why were the others destroyed?
Recalling the Fire Knights' longing for grace and the exhaustion in their eyes after a long war, the relationship between Messmer's Crusaders and Queen Marika might be more complex than he thought. He sighed.
"If a soldier doesn't even know what they're fighting for, you can't expect them to maintain their morale forever. This was bound to happen."
Ansbach silently recorded that sentiment. He couldn't help but think of the warring factions in the Lands Between. Did the armies of the demigods understand why they killed each other?
Thinking of his Lord Mohg's behavior in the time before his death, Ansbach realized with a start that he, too, had felt a flicker of confusion. Why did the hero he once followed change so drastically?
Pushing these stray thoughts aside, he refocused on his journal.
"Perhaps in the final days before the Land of Shadow was separated, Messmer and Queen Marika were no longer of one mind. Information is still too sparse; this is merely my speculation. Don't take it too seriously. If we eventually reach the Shadow Keep, I believe I can piece together the full picture there."
Gawain memorized this information. He could feel that Melina, behind him, was also troubled. Such revelations were difficult to process.
"Understood. And what about the 'betrayal' the Hornsent mentioned?"
Ansbach shook his head.
"The ancient stone tablets in Belurat do mention Marika's betrayal, but mostly as a prayer for the heavens to send punishment. They don't explain the details. However..."
He paused and pointed toward a direction on the map.
"I heard the Hornsent gentleman in our group mention that there is a gaol beneath Belurat. Its location is near the settlement, yet it is not physically connected to it. It is said that the Hornsent imprisoned their sinners there, believing that through a special ritual, a sinner could be reborn as a 'good person.' If you wish to uncover hidden history, that would be a suitable place—though a terrifying Ghostflame Dragon prowls the area. Proceed with caution."
"A Ghostflame Dragon? I see. Thank you for the information. If I find anything, we can discuss it later."
"That would be excellent. Safe travels."
Gawain immediately decided to check out the so-called "gaol." A prison beneath a city for "sinners" gave him serious Irithyll Dungeon vibes. He doubted the ritual for "turning sinners into good people" was as benevolent as it sounded.
He had to admit, Ansbach was quite impressive—collecting information and hand-drawing maps made him a more than capable substitute for Gideon Ofnir in the Land of Shadow.
After parting ways with Ansbach, Gawain checked the location on the map. The mountain appeared to be connected to Belurat, and the gaol was likely hidden within.
"Regarding the gaol the scholar mentioned... I suspect there are some very unpleasant things inside. Please be prepared," Melina said, her face solemn.
"Unpleasant things? Such as?"
Melina shook her head, but her gravity didn't lift. "I don't know for sure. But in the memories and feelings my mother left me, that gaol left her with memories of despair and agony. Regardless, please be careful."
Gawain frowned. For a god of Marika's character to leave behind such a memory... was it related to that ritual?
It didn't take long. Before night fell completely, the two reached the entrance to the gaol with Torrent's help. A massive lake sat before the entrance, and unfortunately, a large dragon was perched right in its center.
Around the lake were many strange, iron birdcage-like objects. Though they looked like cages for birds, they were large enough to hold a person. This was clearly where the "sinners" were kept.
"Wait here for a moment. That dragon looks strange."
As they approached, the dragon in the lake slowly stood up. It had no intention of letting them pass.
After making sure Melina was hidden, Gawain drew his newly acquired Euporia. Since a fight was unavoidable, he would use this opportunity to see what the weapon looked like when fully charged.
However, once he saw the true form of the Ghostflame Dragon, even he gaped in surprise. He had never seen this kind of dragon before.
The dragon was in a state of advanced decay. Unlike the dragons of Caelid, which were infected by Scarlet Rot yet remained vibrant with life, this creature's flesh was sloughing off its bones in rotting, sagging clumps. Much of its skeleton was exposed.
Great masses of maggots writhed atop the sun-bleached bones, causing the rotting flesh to heave and ripple. The aura radiating from the Ghostflame Dragon was unmistakable: this creature was a "Death-Lived" entity—Those Who Live in Death.
"No way... don't tell me Godwyn's influence reaches even here. Or is this a byproduct from before the Rune of Death was sealed?"
Gawain didn't waste words on the dragon. He didn't care how it had become this monstrosity; it could talk to his arsenal of Holy-attribute skills.
As his Sacred Seal glowed with the light of a Miracle—a Holy attack far more potent than standard Golden Order incantations—the effect was immediate. The maggots and rotting flesh fell away from the dragon. It let out a pained shriek and lunged at him with a frenzied, jerky movement, its body wreathed in the blue ghostflame representing the power of the spirit world.
Seeing the Ghostflame Dragon charging him, Gawain braced Euporia. Let's see what you've got.
The dragon lunged with a twisted movement unfitting for its massive size, its skeletal wings slamming down with bone-crunching force.
Gawain infused Euporia with magic, unleashing its inherent Skill: Euporia's Vortex.
The twinblade shimmered with a faint golden light as magic gathered. After sidestepping the dragon's strike, Gawain held Euporia before his palm. The weapon began to spin at high speeds, forming a dazzling, radiant vortex.
The dragon's skeletal remains were caught in the swirling blades of the vortex, its bones ground into dust inch by inch.
"Wait... this thing is playing with me."
Though the attack looked effective, Gawain realized the vortex was being maintained solely by his own infused power. Euporia itself wasn't absorbing life force from the environment like it had before. Is it because I'm fighting an undead dragon?
He quickly adjusted his mindset, treating the fight as practice for the new weapon. He maneuvered through the air with agility, applying the Blessing of the Weapon buff. Euporia left deep, glowing gashes across the dragon's body.
As the fight progressed, Gawain began to master the nuances of the unique weapon. His technique improved rapidly; actual combat truly was the best teacher.
Euporia's sharp blades easily sliced through the highly decayed corpse of the dragon. He hacked at every vital point a dragon should have.
If this were an ordinary dragon, it would have been long dead. But as a Death-Lived creature, standard wounds were not enough to finish it.
"Sigh. A typical Soulslike DLC damage sponge. Why am I even surprised?"
After using holy power to completely shatter the dragon's ability to move, Gawain channeled the power of the storm to conjure a firestorm across the lake. This finally put the stubborn Ghostflame Dragon to rest.
Sensing the lingering scent of death in the air, Gawain realized that the power of death was expanding even within the Land of Shadow. He would have to stay vigilant.
The Land of Shadow was, after all, where all death gathered. It was likely that every form of the cycle of death that had ever existed in the Lands Between was preserved here in some form.
Gawain was about to turn and leave when something in the dragon's skeletal remains caught his eye.
Seeing a massive, rock-like scale shimmering with a pale white light, his eyes widened. He could hardly believe it.
"Is this... a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone?"
Gawain walked forward and carefully picked it up. Feeling the space around it slightly warp, he knew there was no mistake. It was indeed a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.
He held the stone, stunned. The distribution of resources in the Land of Shadow was utterly nonsensical.
Belurat was filled with trash-tier loot—junk he wouldn't even look at twice. Yet here, in the middle of nowhere, defeating a random dragon in a lake yielded a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.
Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones were the pinnacle of upgrade materials in the Lands Between. He had used his only two to forge god-slaying weapons, and even then, they had been gifts from Leda, taken from the Haligtree's private treasury to win him over.
And yet, in this nameless lake, he had just found another one.
Why does a common dragon have the scales of a Dragon Lord? he wondered. Wait... maybe this dragon followed Bayle the Dread in his rebellion against the Dragon Lord? If so, even in this state, it would still have fragments of the Lord's power.
His eyes gleamed as he looked toward the distant, jagged silhouette of what he suspected was the Jagged Peak. He couldn't imagine how many Dragon Lord fragments he might find when he eventually hunted down Bayle—the drake who had managed to grievously wound the Dragon Lord himself.
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (339 chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!