Even with the Avatar of the Erdtree confirmed, having too many witnesses would ultimately be a hassle; it would be best if someone drove them away. "I had intended to wait for Godricks Army to close in and then set a fire to scare these Tarnished away. Since the Bloody Fingers are willing to help, I have no objections." "You want to kill them?" "Wrong.
I want to make friends with them so it will be easier to deal with them later; I will go to the Mohgwyn Dynasty sooner or later." Throne held a cup of black tea in one hand and propped up his head with the other, looking just like a bystander. Melina was a bit confused, thinking to herself that he had just killed subordinates of the Mohgwyn Dynasty not long ago, so how could they be friends?
Besides, what was he going to the Mohgwyn Dynasty for? The young girl was not sensitive enough on certain issues, and Throne had no time to explain. "Lord Isshin, we are leaving now." Diallos had already packed his things and hesitated, wanting to say something when he saw the leisurely Throne. "Go. Head north, then hide, and don't come out to adventure ever again."
"Just hide like this for the rest of my life??" "Not that long. Once you have the resolve to protect those around you, everything will have hope." So I'm just supposed to wait for the outcome, huh? What kind of Tarnished is that? Diallos smiled bitterly, but he had already paid this man to keep him safe; if he didn't listen, wouldn't he just be getting scammed?
If nothing happened, he could just come back tomorrow. The conflicted young man left with his maid. Throne didn't care about this interlude at all. If not for the fact that Diallos had paid him and he was offering a reminder out of a sense of contractual obligation, he wouldn't have wasted his energy on others. "Then I shall begin as well."
Throne picked up the cloth bag on the ground and walked toward the Minor Erdtree without looking back. "Wait, you're planning to do this in front of these enemies?" "Enemies? No. Because of Vyke, I was enemies with the Bloody Fingers before, but now, when it comes to dealing with the Minor Erdtree, we are friends." The shift in identity was so flexible that Melina couldn't adapt.
She simply watched as night fell and Throne walked to the front of the Minor Erdtree, placing a Fire Pot where no one would notice. Having been here for several days, he had already confirmed the location of the Avatar of the Erdtree; it was precisely this depression in front of him.
Usually, the Tarnished received blessings here, but it was night now, and there wasn't a soul in this cordoned-off area. Melina revealed her form and observed from the side with some curiosity. "What are you standing there like a fool for? Why aren't you helping me bury these landmines?" Throne tossed a few Freezing Pots to Melina.
The young girl was stunned for a moment, holding the pots and not knowing what to do. Idiot. Throne rolled his eyes and tossed a shovel over: "Use this to dig. Remember, don't make it too deep." "Ah? Oh, okay."
Melina squatted down blankly and picked up the shovel to slowly dig a hole, perhaps having forgotten the original conditions of this deal:
To replace the capabilities of a Finger Maiden, provide a Spirit Steed, and accompany her to the foot of the Erdtree.
Now, she hadn't become a Finger Maiden, but instead had become a complete laborer, digging holes, running errands, and sometimes even going out to scout. Just as Melina was huffing and puffing while digging, Throne stopped his work. In reality, he wasn't too afraid of a brainless monster like the Avatar of the Erdtree.
Not to mention that it was still early and the Avatar was different from how it was during the time of the Tarnished, the key was that one could make full preparations for this kind of passive, reactive monster. As long as one had a shred of vigilance, it wouldn't have let Throne dig traps right in front of its feet.
Throne glanced at Melina, who was still working hard at digging, and thought that she was truly an honest child. He suddenly spoke up:
"Alright, it's about time." "But there is still one pot left to bury." The young girl still wore that calm and serious expression. "Then help me throw it out later. The Bloody Fingers should be about ready to start."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a flame rose up from the scattered campsite. A few breaths later, more and more fires ignited, and the originally quiet camp instantly became boisterous. Countless lethargic Tarnished poked their heads out of their tents, and before they could figure out what was going on, their bodies were slashed by blades formed of blood.
Then, as the flames roared, shrill screams rang out:
"Oh no, Godricks Army is here to kill us!" What? They dare to attack under the Minor Erdtree?? The Tarnished were shocked; how could they skip the surrender and negotiation phases? But the flames and screams stimulated their nerves. Since the Tarnished didn't belong to any group, who would dare to ask?
When the fear spread, there was only one thought in their minds:
Run! A camp riot unfolded right in front of Throne. They were just a bunch of cowards without the courage to fight, and after their last sense of security was stripped away, only their survival instinct remained. Stay away from the screams, stay away from the flames, and hurry into the Mistwood to hide.
They trampled on each other and slashed at their own kind who blocked their way, leaving Melina dumbfounded. "Ho-how come no one is fighting back? There are only five Bloody Fingers!" "They only think there is a large army behind them. It's the so-called 'as long as I run fast, my teammates are just stepping stones'—oh, they can't even be called teammates." Throne shrugged.
Not to mention this group of terrified, scattered Tarnished, even if a regular army were ambushed at night, if the commander didn't step up to assemble the troops in time, it would also be a tragedy. "Alright, let's make our move, too. Melina, throw the Freezing Pot out." "Where should I throw it?" The young girl holding a pot in her arms looked a bit silly.
Throne chuckled and gestured with his chin toward the Minor Erdtree, which was emitting a dim light, next to them: "Nonsense, of course, throw it over there!"
... Blood dripped from the gorgeous 'bouquet.' Varré bent over, looking at the Tarnished whose head had been smashed to nothing. A perfect plan, a satisfying slaughter.
None of these Tarnished dared to resist; they were killed from behind like pigs or dogs, fearing a Godricks Army that didn't even exist. The White Mask walked to another tent and blew the head off a Tarnished who was weak from massive blood loss, then shook the blood off his gloves. "Speed it up.
The vanguard of Godricks Army will be here soon, and Eleonora's people have been waiting in the woods for a long time. We cannot be rude." "Yes." The white-robed Bloody Finger accelerated his sprint, using his blade to just slash across the enemies' backs. The uncontrollable wounds would cause people to bleed to death. Bloody Fingers were the best at hunting.
When enemies had no time to stop and take hemostatic medicine, death was all that awaited them, and that high mobility could achieve a 'fair distribution' of effects. "Truly boring slaughter, but it makes one so excited that the brain trembles." Varré inhaled the air filled with the scent of blood.
This sense of satisfaction was half derived from the blood, and half from the satisfaction this area brought to people. What could be more satisfying than slaughtering His lackeys in front of the Erdtree? Even though this tree had no brain, it wouldn't even defend itself unless directly attacked. "So you just watch silently. One day, Leyndell will also flow with blood!"
Varré raised his hands high, as if cheering to some invisible god, and then—
BOOM!! A monster about the size of a Troll, forged entirely from roots and carrying a golden staff, walked out from the Minor Erdtree. It had no head. The hollow in its chest scanned the area, and it instantly locked onto the Bloody Fingers who were slaughtering away using Blood Incantation.
As a brilliant golden light surged, Varré's elegance vanished in an instant. Ho-how could this be!?
The Minor Erdtree was grown at a great cost, and naturally, it was equipped with defensive forces to guard against any daring Tarnished who might try to attack friendly units. In this time period, there were still rules firmly constraining the Tarnished, unlike in the late period of decay, where as long as the Tarnished could win, everyone was just a walking Rune.
The slaughter was in full swing when a huge monster suddenly joined the battlefield. Varré was stunned for a moment, and then he knew something was terribly wrong. Although the Avatar of the Erdtree had no brain, its strength was even greater than that of an Ulcerated Tree Spirit, and people like them were naturally detested by it. "Watch out..." THUD!!
The golden staff slammed fiercely into the ground, kicking up some golden light, and golden orbs appeared around its body, firing beams of brilliant light. Their target, of course, was those scents that it found detestable. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The golden light tore through the night. Varré hurriedly jumped back to dodge, but he saw the beams shatter tents, leaving behind large craters.
Two of his subordinates couldn't dodge in time and were pierced through on the spot. That wasn't the worst of it. After the Tarnished discovered the appearance of the Avatar of the Erdtree, they were like they had been injected with adrenaline. Their morale, which had been wavering, gradually stabilized. If they were to discover that there were only a few people hunting them...
They didn't have the courage to fight Godricks Army, but they had the guts to beat up a few drowning dogs—and they had plenty of it. "Have Eleonora make her move!" Varré decisively issued the order. The plan had deviated, so they had no choice but to turn the surprise attack into a full-scale assault. He was certain that these people's courage would soon dissipate.
The key was this Avatar of the Erdtree! The White Mask looked to the left. This kind of monster didn't eat Blood Incantations and was precisely the kind of opponent the Bloody Fingers tried their best to avoid. But just at this moment, a ball of fire surged suddenly from beneath the feet of the Avatar of the Erdtree. Besides us, is there anyone else who dares to attack the Erdtree??
Regardless of whether there was the word 'Minor' or not, the Erdtree was the Erdtree, representing the most fundamental order of The Lands Between. Even if the demigods were at odds with each other, and even if they had consumed too much power during The Shattering, it remained powerful, at least on the surface.
Even the Tarnished only dared to attack nobles and knights; he had never heard of anyone who dared to raise a blade against the Erdtree. "What a coincidence, I am a rebel." Throne was hiding in the shadows beneath the slope, watching a flame rise from the feet of the Avatar of the Erdtree, igniting its roots.
However, this monster had no sense of pain, nor did it discover that the attack came from its feet. It thought it was those Bloody Fingers attacking it, so it continued to walk forward. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Pot after pot was crushed, exploding with fire and frost. The Avatar of the Erdtree, having been attacked repeatedly, was furious to the extreme. It slightly bent its knees and leaped into the air.
The huge monster, holding its staff high, traced a parabola in the sky. Its shadow covered the White Mask's tiny body. Without thinking, he hurriedly rolled to the side, then felt his whole body get blown away by a wave of golden air. RUMBLE—
The earth shook and the mountains swayed. Even Throne showed an expression of heartache.
The Bloody Fingers were similar to him in that they specialized in fighting humans; it was inevitable that they would suffer when fighting this kind of giant monster. It was truly tragic. Melina was lying next to Throne, glancing at this sinister man: "Aren't you going to make your move yet?" "What's the rush?
The flames are still spreading, and the Avatar of the Erdtree can't spare the time to put out the fire. Besides, there are more than just these few Bloody Fingers." No sooner had he finished speaking than another team of Bloody Fingers rushed out from the woods.
This wave of backstabbing came at just the right time, precisely stabbing into the backs of the Tarnished who wanted to turn around to fight. The leader was a slender female knight wielding a twinblade. Everywhere she passed, flesh and blood flew, and behind her were some warriors holding rapiers and wearing light chainmail.
"So the Bloody Fingers operate in teams, and each team's combat style is similar to their leader's." While others were in the heat of a bloody battle, Throne was hiding hundreds of meters away, observing in secret and taking the opportunity to gather intelligence on these enemies he would inevitably fight in the future.
Having been beaten up blindly, the Tarnished's morale wavered again, and they scattered and ran into the woods. Seeing this scene, Throne finally stood up slowly. "Wouldn't it be better to just pick up the scraps at the end?" Melina didn't understand. The one watching the show just now was him, and now the one wanting to make a move was also him. "Do you think Godricks scouts are all deaf?
Besides, since the Bloody Fingers have appeared, I might as well make use of these 'friends' again." Melina looked speechlessly at the man who was full of wicked ideas. Before she could speak, she saw the man beside her suddenly vanish. It was somewhat similar to her spirit form, but Throne instantly appeared tens of meters away, sneaking across the mud soaked with blood.
The rumbling, thunderous noise continued from the front. The pitch-black Avatar of the Erdtree was violently smashing the surrounding land, and several Bloody Fingers had been smashed into meat paste. If the Tarnished returned, they might have been able to mount a counterattack, but unfortunately, there were no 'ifs.' They had already taken this opportunity to run away without a trace.
Encountering their natural enemy, the Bloody Fingers were also finding it hard to hold on and were gradually retreating. Varré dodged another 'Golden Piercer' and shouted in a low voice:
"Godrick is coming, retreat!" "I'll cover the retreat." Eleonora held her twinblade and went to meet it, but just at this moment, she heard a 'bang'—a hollow sound.
An afterimage rushed straight from the scattered campsite, moving so fast that its trajectory couldn't be seen. She was preparing to defend, only to find that the target was not her. "Who!?" No one responded. Throne suddenly paused. After using Gravity Magic on himself, his whole body became several times lighter, but his legs, as he stepped down, possessed the power of a dragon. Dragon Piercer!
With the power of the storm and the dragon overlapping, a sonic boom ring blossomed in the night sky, like a meteorite crashing into the back of the Avatar of the Erdtree. This backstab was earth-shattering. BOOM!! The Avatar of the Erdtree, which had all its attention focused on the Bloody Fingers, was pushed forward a large step.
The wooden chips on its chest exploded outward, and the blade, wreathed in a storm, continued to expand its results. Who said a backstab must be soft and silent? When power and speed reach a certain level, a backstab can also be called a frontal kill. Throne pierced through the wooden chips, blasting a huge hole directly into the chest of the Avatar of the Erdtree.
He hit the ground rolling, tumbling half a dozen times before skidding to a stop. Dust clung to his clothes as he rose, longsword flashing in a practiced arc.
The ache in his wrist barely registered. Not broken. Not even close.
I've gotten stronger.
His pulse hammered—not from pain, but triumph. The "quasi" was gone. No more half-measures. He stood now as a true hero.
Throne's boots slammed down in the center of the Bloody Fingers. The killers froze, blades half-drawn, staring at the intruder. Varré was the first to recover. "You." His voice curled like smoke. "You're the one who drew out the Erdtree's Avatar."
The masked man turned. Just a glance—but the look in his eyes said everything. Wild. Hungry. A mirror of their own madness.
Varré's lips peeled back. "You slaughter your Tarnished. I desecrate my Erdtree."
Throne didn't bother with excuses. "You interfered with my plan." The accusation hung in the air, sharp as a blade. Even Varré hesitated, caught off guard.
Blasphemy. The word slithered between them. Killing an Avatar brought no reward—only ruin. No ordinary Tarnished would dare.
After hesitating for a moment, he had the answer. "You are a Recusant."