"Nefer, come here," Miquella called out, beckoning.
A giant ant crawled along the rock wall, its six bladed legs slicing into the stone like a knife through curd as it traversed the vertical surface as if it were level ground. With a heavy thud, it leaped onto the tree root, its antennae swaying joyfully from side to side.
Miquella stood on his tiptoes, trying his best to climb onto the ant's back, but his body—weakened by the blood loss—lacked the strength; he slipped repeatedly against the smooth chitin shell. With a series of rapid scuttles, Nefer turned around, opened its sickle-like mandibles, and hooked them around Miquella's chest, hoisting him high by his armpits.
"Heave-ho!" Stepping onto the ant's head, Miquella slid down its back as if on a playground slide. He rolled over and gripped the base of the ant's antennae with both hands to keep his balance. "Thank you for the hard work, Nefer. I'll have to trouble you to take me back."
Nefer took a running start and leaped from the root. Two pairs of translucent membranous wings unfurled from the ant's back, and it began to glide toward the lower levels of the Deeproot Depths.
Miquella brushed aside his golden hair, which had been tossed into a mess by the wind, and looked back at the root that had carved out the passage between the surface and the depths. After being soaked in the nascent Sacred Blood, the outer bark of this root began to peel away. The new skin growing beneath was a translucent emerald green, appearing as if a vigorous, surging life force were pulsing underneath.
"Be fruitful," Miquella whispered softly.
The entire root trembled violently, twisting with a life of its own as it attempted to pull itself out of the passage. Countless cracks spiderwebbed across the rock walls; massive boulders tumbled from the entrance of the tunnel, and a low, dull sound of snapping echoed from deep within the earth, like two tectonic plates grinding against each other.
Amidst the roaring thunder of stone, the root tore itself brutally out of the passage. The force caused the entire rock face to collapse, triggering a massive landslide. The falling debris and earth surged into the river below, almost completely damming this tributary of the Siofra.
Deep in the sewers, General Connaught and Morgott were finalizing the details of their agreement.
"Very well. As long as the Deeproot cooperates with our investigation and provides witnesses and evidence, the Royalist Party agrees in principle to Deeproot autonomy," General Connaught said. "The general framework will follow what Prince Raven proposed earlier. Of course, a small garrison is mandatory..."
The ground suddenly shook violently. Connaught froze, his expression shifting abruptly. "Where else did you plant Explosive Stones?"
Morgott said nothing. He spun around and sprinted toward the Deeproot entrance, arriving just in time to see the root—the one that had pierced the rock wall to connect the Deeproot to the Capital's sewers—retracting. Countless secondary roots that had grown into the surrounding rock and soil were being ripped out along with it. Cracks raced across the walls.
"Damn it, this place is coming down!" Connaught shouted. "Everyone, retreat!"
Morgott rushed toward the entrance passage, roaring as he held his hands high, physically bracing the ceiling of the tunnel. But without the support of the massive root, the interior of the passage began to collapse section by section. As the cave-in spread toward him, Morgott was finally forced to give up and leap backward.
It took a long time for the chain-reaction of collapses to settle. Connaught led the Sovereign's Army in a retreat, not stopping until they reached the middle section of the sewers.
"What exactly are you trying to do!" Connaught roared, grabbing Morgott by the collar. "Are you trying to tear up the agreement?"
"You saw it yourself; that root retracted on its own. It has nothing to do with the people of the Deeproot." Morgott swatted the man's hand away. "I've been locked out too. I am angrier than you are!"
"Curse it." Connaught calmed down slightly as he surveyed the extent of the collapse, finding that only the lowest levels of the sewers had caved in. "Fortunately, a collapse of this scale can be excavated again. If you had detonated Explosive Stones, the damage would have been far worse. Since you gave up on the demolition, there truly was no reason for you to pull a stunt like this."
"How long will it take to dig through?"
"Digging by hand might take years," Connaught said. "However, if we deploy enough Stone-Digger Trolls, the time should be significantly shortened. I must return and report this immediately. You should come with us."
Inside the Erdtree Sanctuary, High Scholar Zeno was curled up in a stone chair suspended beneath the dome, his eyes closed in meditation. The original text of the Golden Order was spread across his knees. Beside him, General Connaught was reporting the events that had transpired in the sewers.
After the report finished, the High Scholar remained silent for a long time, making one wonder if he had fallen asleep.
Having come to the Sanctuary to learn the latest developments, Raven immediately caught the key point: "In other words, the opposition can manipulate the roots of the Erdtree. Is there anyone capable of such a feat?"
"No. The Erdtree is not subject to anyone's control," the High Scholar said, prying open his drooping eyelids. "That section of root must not have belonged to the Erdtree. Perhaps someone grafted another plant onto it, disguising it as an Erdtree root system. General Connaught, what is the current situation with Prince Miquella?"
"Witnesses saw Prince Miquella being taken to Godwin's manor by an Ancient Dragon Knight. He is currently under house arrest there. Our forces are currently negotiating with Fortissax."
The High Scholar pondered for a moment.
"The ancient scrolls once recorded: 'The Ancestral Spirit is a mystery that exists outside the Erdtree—life sprouts from death, and life sprouts from life; such is its nature.' If they are involved, it would not be surprising for them to orchestrate such a situation."
"Ancestral Spirits?" General Connaught asked. "Where do they reside?"
"The Ancestral Spirits once lived as neighbors to the Eternal City. After the Eternal City suffered divine punishment, they were also implicated and buried forever underground," the High Scholar said slowly. "The Confessors reported earlier that the two great waterfalls in the Deeproot connect to the underground world. It all makes sense now."
At that moment, a Leyndell Knight strode in and dropped to one knee.
"Latest report: Under pressure from our forces, the Golden Prince's manor has released Prince Miquella. Fortissax has offered an apology to us and stated that Godwin is afflicted by corruption and remains unconscious, rendering him unable to fulfill his duties in managing the Capital's military district. Capital defense may be temporarily taken over by the Sovereign's Army. It only hopes that everyone will return to the Roundtable to find a way to heal Godwin."
The High Scholar let out a long sigh and pressed a mechanism on the armrest. The chains clattered as they lowered the stone chair.
"Very well. On the path of internal strife, we have indeed wandered too far. Prepare the carriages. This time, let us truly resolve the problems at hand."
Lansseax nudged Raven.
"What is it?" Raven whispered.
"I suspect my sister is lying," Lansseax hissed into Raven's ear. "If Godwin's condition were really that precarious, she would have gone berserk by now. She wouldn't be speaking this rationally, let alone apologizing and backing down. That is not like her personality at all."
His earlobe tickled by Lansseax's breath, Raven turned his head, his cheeks flushing slightly.
"Understood. We'll keep that to ourselves for now and see how things play out." He walked a short distance ahead, then realized Loretta hadn't followed. He turned back and waved to her. "Loretta, hurry up!"
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(182 Chapter - Ongoing)
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