Clang, clang. Clang, clang.
A giant crab, its body a ghostly greyish-white, brandished its pincers and repeatedly struck the large block of crystal on the beach. Shimmering shards flew in every direction, mingling with the sand.
Clang, clang. Clang, clang.
Waves surged onto the shore, breaking into foam against the crystal. The crab gripped the crystal with its pincers and dragged it several meters further inland to prevent the rising tide from sweeping it away. Then, it resumed its patient pounding.
Food was inside the crystal—or so the giant crab judged. Long, long ago, there had been a world-shaking upheaval; the rocks had closed over the ceiling and the waters had boiled, staying hot for a duration equal to three hatchings of crab eggs. During that time, food shaped like this often drifted into the pool. It had eaten until it could eat no more, forced to let the majority of it rot.
It had been a very long time since food had drifted down into the pool—so long that the crab had nearly forgotten. But today, the tide had delivered this crystal to the shore. Seeing the humanoid form slumbering within, the crab immediately recalled those happy days. Though the surface of the food back then had been black and this one was white, food was food, and the crab was not a picky eater.
Clang, clang. Clang, clang—Crack.
A crack appeared on the crystal, followed by a second, then a third… More and more fissures spread across the surface until, finally, the entire block shattered into a heap of glittering debris.
Raven opened his eyes, staring blankly at the giant crab hovering over him with its pincers raised.
The crab was the first to react, hoisting a pincer high to bring it crashing down.
Ash of War: Spinning Weapon
An Ash of War that grants an armament the "Magic" affinity and the following skill:
Skill: Spinning Weapon A defensive skill used by Carian princesses. Suspends the armament in mid-air in front of the user and causes it to spin at high speed. Anyone touched by the spinning blade will suffer a series of successive hits.
Usable on small and medium swords, axes, and hammers, as well as polearms and staves (excluding Great Spears).
Raven uttered a command, and the Sword of Night and Flame beside him suddenly took flight. It spun at a high speed in thin air, its blade driving straight into the center of the crab's eyes. Such a wound meant little to the giant crab, but in the next heartbeat, ochre flames erupted from the gaps in its carapace. Its pincers froze in mid-air, a mere meter away from Raven's face.
Enduring the agonizing pain in his chest, Raven struggled to roll to the side, the scattered crystal shards crunching beneath him. He had barely rolled twice before the giant crab went limp, its pincers thudding into the sand—exactly where Raven's head had been a moment ago.
Lying on his back on the beach, he didn't want to move a single finger; only his chest rose and fell in shallow heaves. After a long while, he took a deep breath. The ochre flames surged from the crab's carcass and flowed into his mouth, allowing him to regain a bit of strength. He opened his eyes once more.
"Am I back on... the surface?"
The sky was filled with stars.
Countless brilliant stars blanketed the heavens like glorious lights on a distant shore, illuminating the hazy expanse of a blue-violet nebula.
After a brush with death, suddenly seeing such a magnificent starry sky caused Raven's heart to skip a beat. For some inexplicable reason, his eyes grew moist. In his daze, he almost thought he had returned to the moongazing grounds of Caria Manor. Only there could one witness such a dreamlike beauty.
Forcing his upper body up, Raven sat on the sand. Before him lay a quiet, boundless lake reflecting the starlight. Gentle waves lapped over the soles of his boots as a cool breeze blew in.
Rubbing his temples, Raven finally recalled what had happened. He had fallen in the duel against Godwyn and plunged into the Ainsel River. Before hitting the water, he had used the last of his strength to seal himself within a crystal coffin using glintstone magic.
He unbuttoned his collar, wincing as he slowly peeled his blood-crusted clothes away from his skin. A terrifying fist-print marred his chest. Web-like golden veins crawled across his torso—residual Holy energy that occupied the area around the wound, preventing it from healing.
At the climax of the duel, Godwyn had recognized the ochre flames of Destined Death. Wary of the threat, he had pulled back a portion of his power for defense. Even so, Raven's current injuries were exceptionally severe; this was not a wound that would heal with a few days of rest.
Raven gritted his teeth, feeling around to set his broken ribs before casting several emergency Healing incantations. Having temporarily stabilized his condition, he clutched his chest and stood up, gazing at the stars once more. This time, it was easy to see how they differed from a natural night sky.
Every star remained perfectly still. They did not twinkle, and no mana could be drawn from their light.
This was Nokstella. The false starry sky remained eternally unchanged.
"False, then."
Raven sighed, the awe he felt upon waking dissipating like a receding tide. Combining the ancient texts of the Grand Library with Loretta's diary, he deduced that this was the Nokstella Pool. Looking north, he saw the silhouettes of spires rising under the starlight—the Eternal City itself.
Drifting from the Ainsel River Sluice Gate and washing up exactly at Nokstella, only to be freed from the crystal by a crab—the sheer absurdity of this sequence of events was statistically impossible, yet Raven felt no surprise. He confirmed once again that some unseen force was indeed pushing all of this forward.
Raven stood in silence for a moment before retrieving the small doll Ranni had given him from his pocket. He whispered softly, "I have reached Nokstella."
The doll lay silently in his hand, its large hat covering its head, offering no response.
Raven used a fire incantation to dry the doll's water-soaked dress. He waited for a long time before finally placing her back in his pocket.
Looking toward the Eternal City, a look of profound bewilderment and trepidation crossed Raven's face. Even when facing Godwyn, the Elder Elder Serpent, or the Leader of the Black Knives, he had never worn such an expression.
"Commander!"
In his trance, he thought he heard Lansseax calling him from behind. He spun around, but saw only the empty, grey-white beach stretching into the distance. The tide rose and fell like a mournful dirge.
Everyone leaves the world alone.
The thought suddenly surfaced in Raven's mind. Lansseax wasn't here, Loretta wasn't here, and Rennala wasn't here. This was a path he was destined to walk alone, facing his true self and his fate at its end.
Raven took a step toward the Eternal City, but his toe kicked something. He looked down and found what appeared to be an old coin. It was a pale silver color; because it had been washed by the tides for so long, the embossed pattern was blurred beyond recognition, and a small piece of it was missing.
Withdrawing his gaze, Raven advanced toward the Eternal City, leaving a trail of footprints on the sand. After walking for less than an hour, the towering city walls loomed before him. The gates stood wide open, as if they had long been prepared for his arrival.
Entering the gatehouse, the surroundings suddenly plunged into darkness. He couldn't even see his own hand, with only the archway on the opposite side emitting light. He kept his hand on the hilt of his sword and walked quickly through the passage. As he stepped through the far archway, the view opened up before him.
Seeing the scene before his eyes, Raven froze.
Inside the gates was a small plaza, bustling with people as if a festival were being held. They wore intricate white headscarves and white cloth cloaks that reached their ankles, embroidered with magnificent silver patterns. They looked prosperous and elegant.
The plaza was paved with neat stone slabs, and the streets leading in all directions were crowded with people. He looked back and saw several men in leather armor—guards, it seemed—sitting by the wall of the gatehouse throwing dice, their weapons left carelessly on the ground.
Raven walked toward the soldiers. They were too engrossed in their gambling to even look up. The soldiers' faces were covered with white cloth, but their exposed skin was as black as ink. It was easy to identify their race.
"Nox Nightfolk?" Raven found it inconceivable. This scene completely contradicted the descriptions in Loretta's diary. "Has Nokstella never been destroyed? Is it still as prosperous as ever?"
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(258 Chapter - Ongoing)
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