"You led them into a dream," Raven said, recalling the shopkeeper's letter. "When I first entered the city, I saw it as it was in its days of prosperity."
"When the stars align in their proper positions, the coordinates of the Dreamlands overlap with the city in reality. The people of the Nox wake briefly from their slumber, their consciousnesses inhabiting those Mimic Tears to reenact a certain festival night of Nokstella. When the night ends, the dream and reality separate once more."
"But," the black sphere continued, "if someone bearing the Yellow Sign participates in the festival and completes a transaction—even the smallest trade—the disturbance in information will cause the dream to dissipate, allowing the people of the Nox to truly return to reality."
Hearing the words of the black sphere, Raven fell into a long silence.
"I am sorry," he finally said. "Fate led me here, yet I failed to save this city."
"You bear no such fate. We prophesied your existence only because, at the moment of your descent, the King in Yellow cast a single glance, and the ripple of that gaze traveled back into the past. He did not decide your destiny; your future is composed of your own free will and countless accidents. We were merely waiting with a faint, glimmering hope."
Learning that his life was not a plaything of a god, Raven let out a long, heavy breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them.
"When is the next time the stars will return to their positions?" he asked.
"Are you planning—" The black sphere wobbled slightly atop the tower, appearing surprised. It then provided a distant date. "For an individual, that span of time is far too long."
"If I am able to come, I will come," Raven promised. "You Night Maidens... have you not also kept watch atop this bell tower for thousands of years?"
"Because we no longer represent individuals, but an entire civilization," the sphere replied. "Thank you. Let us meet here again in the next millennium. This expectation shall be our support, so... please, do not forget."
Nokstella lay silent beneath the starlight, a witness to this vow.
"One more thing. I wish to head to the Lake of Rot from here. Is there a shortcut?" Raven asked.
"The harbor district lies to the southeast. Some of the maintenance systems there are still operational, and there may be usable vessels. Following the current downstream by boat will take you to the Lake of Rot," the sphere answered. "That is the sealing ground of the Goddess of Rot. It is extremely dangerous. Why do you go there?"
"Many people are being eroded by the rot. I must eliminate the source of the corruption to save them. They have placed their hopes in me; I cannot ignore them. And," Raven raised a finger, an ochre flame flickering at the tip, "I must grow stronger. The death of that ancient Outer God will empower this flame, restoring it to the strength it possessed in the hands of the Gloam-Eyed Queen."
"Destined Death..." Ranni's doll gazed at the ochre flame, reaching out as if she wanted to touch it.
Raven quickly extinguished the flame. "Careful. Don't touch this fire."
"I understand," Ranni sighed softly, her large hat swaying. "If I had known sooner that you mastered the flames of death... Brother, may I ask a favor of you?"
"Of course. What is it?"
"...No. Let us wait until I return from the Night's Sacred Ground."
The black sphere suddenly interrupted them. "The Night's Sacred Ground? Are you searching for that weapon?"
"Yes, I am looking for the Finger—"
"Do not speak that name aloud! Even here in the deep underground, there is no guarantee the Two Fingers are not listening, especially when you speak through a puppet from thousands of miles away." The sphere paused. "I had intended to advise you against unearthing it, but it seems your mind is set. Go, then. Carve a scar into the Two Fingers. Perhaps you are the destined master of that blade."
Carve a scar into the Two Fingers... Raven turned his head, looking at Ranni on his shoulder with a strange expression. "Sister, you really have some grand ambitions."
"When I return from the Night's Sacred Ground, I will tell you all my secrets with my own voice," Ranni said solemnly, pressing down on her hat to keep it from being blown away by Raven's breath.
Waving farewell to the black sphere, Raven descended the bell tower and hurried toward the harbor district pointed out to him. He hoped to reach the Lake of Rot before the expeditionary force to gauge the state of the Goddess of Rot. If she still slumbered beneath the seal, he would use Destined Death to eliminate her; if she had already awakened, he would wait for the expedition to engage her and look for an opportunity then.
Not long after entering the harbor district, heavy footsteps echoed from ahead. The ground vibrated rhythmically, as if some gargantuan creature were approaching. Raven hesitated for a heartbeat, then slipped into a nearby building with an open door to hide.
Thump! Thump!
A Troll rounded the street corner, walking sluggishly with a heap of large stones clutched in its arms. Unlike the Troll slaves Raven had seen before, its chest and abdomen had not been hollowed out. A single, half-closed giant eye was embedded in its chest, with faint sparks of fire drifting from the corners of the lid.
"I suspect that is a Mimic Tear," Ranni whispered. "It is mimicking a Troll from before the War of the Giants, when their organs of fire had not yet been gouged out by the Golden Dynasty."
Raven nodded, having no desire for a meaningless conflict with the creature. He stood silently in the darkness, waiting for it to pass, when suddenly the surroundings were flooded with a brilliant light. His eyes, long accustomed to the subterranean gloom, were instantly blanched by the glare.
"& %@ ¥ & &*%..." A crisp female voice rang out from behind him.
Activating his Blind Spot skill to lock onto the speaker's position, Raven's figure vanished instantly. A moment later, he appeared over ten meters away, the Sword of Night and Flame held against the stranger's throat.
He squinted his eyes, and as his vision gradually returned, he asked in surprise, "A surviving Nox citizen? No... you are also a Mimic Tear."
Before him was a girl with dark skin, dressed in an exquisite white Nox robe. She wore a bright, radiant smile, appearing not the least bit frightened by the longsword at her neck. She gathered her skirts with both hands and curtsied deeply. Raven was forced to lower his sword to follow her movement, lest the blade cut her throat.
"Are you a guest from the surface? Welcome to the Nokstella Aquarium! I am your guide, Xingmei! Congratulations! You are exactly the one-millionth guest of this facility. You are entitled to a complimentary tour, and Xingmei will be your guide throughout the journey!"
With that, she scurried off to one side, rummaging through a toppled cabinet.
Raven looked around in confusion. This was a grand hall. Glintstone lamps embedded in the ceiling were arranged in a wave pattern; while a small portion were dark, the remaining lights were dazzlingly bright, preventing Raven's vision from fully recovering even now.
The surrounding walls were not made of stone, but of some kind of transparent crystal panels. The walls were filled with water, though it was quite turbid, shimmering with a dirty iron-grey hue under the lights.
Before he could observe further, Xingmei came pattering back, handing him a bunch of dried grass wrapped in a dusty white cloth with both hands.
"Here! This is a complimentary bouquet for you!"
"Wait a moment." Raven took a step back, but the girl took a step forward, her slender arms held out straight. It seemed as if she would hold it there forever if he didn't accept.
Raven had no choice but to take the "bouquet" first. "Wait, you've made a mistake. I'm not here to tour this place. I was just about to leave—"
"I'm sorry!" Xingmei bowed deeply. "Xingmei made a mistake. You aren't actually the one-millionth visitor. You are number 998,726. Oh, no, wait... number 998,728, because two visitors came in earlier and Xingmei almost missed them..."
Raven shook his head, about to bypass her and leave, when Ranni on his shoulder spoke up:
"Do you know where the nearby docks are? Are there still ships inside that can be sailed?"
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(266 Chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!