"Vandalism! Brawling in a public place!" Xingmei finally snapped out of it, looking mournfully at the flooded corridor. "Put me down! We have to find a way to patch the hole."
"Uh, it looks like the water in the tanks has almost run dry. Patching it now won't really—" Before Raven could finish, Xingmei hammered on his back a few times. He awkwardly set her down and bowed his head in apology. "I am truly very sorry!"
"I will drain the water from the corridor," Lilith said with a gentle wave of her hand. The water on the ground swirled, picking up gravel and crystal shards as it surged toward one end of the hallway, leaving only the larger pieces of debris behind.
"Thank you," Xingmei said. Without waiting for the floor to dry completely, she trudged toward the tank where the silver-glow fish were kept. After a careful inspection, she patted her chest. "Thank goodness, this tank is fine."
"Ranni, do you know anything about the Blue Fairy?" Raven whispered, but received no answer. He looked at Ranni on his shoulder and found her head drooping, her large hat completely concealing her face.
He poked her.
No reaction.
"She fell asleep," Raven muttered. Ranni was in distant Nokron searching for the Fingerslayer Blade; it seemed she couldn't monitor the situation here at all times.
"Miss Lilith, why did the Kindred of Rot imprison you in the Grand Cloister?" Raven asked curiously. His knowledge of the Blue Fairy came entirely from Rya, whose information in turn came from storybooks and the old steward of Volcano Manor. "Legend says your kind are the bane of the rot."
"We are spirits of the water. Rot flows within water, yet stagnant water also breeds rot," Lilith explained. "The Kindred captured me because they wished to use me as a vessel for the descent of the Goddess of Rot."
"It's a good thing this warrior rescued you," Raven said. "Where do you plan to go now? Will you find a place to hide in the underground world, or go to the surface?"
"No, we must return to the Grand Cloister," Lilith answered.
Everyone looked at her in surprise. Raven glanced at Number 404; the creature suddenly reared up toward Lilith, its feelers stopping their rhythmic swaying. It seemed even more surprised than the others.
"My sister, Lilium, might still be held in the Grand Cloister. I resisted the rot's corruption, but Lilium did not. However, perhaps the corruption hasn't gone deep enough yet. If we purify her in time, there is still a chance she can be saved." Lilith's expression was full of resolve. "I cannot leave her there. I must save her, no matter what."
As she spoke, she turned to Number 404 and bowed her head low in apology. "Mr. 404, when you broke the seal to rescue me, the shock of the release sent me into a deep slumber, and I was unable to communicate with you. It wasn't until you placed me in the water tank earlier to recover that I finally woke up. Though I have no right to ask more of you, if you could help me sneak back to the Lake of Rot... please help me save my sister from the Grand Cloister."
Number 404 bowed its hideous head and replied simply, "Where you go, I go."
"What is the current state of the Goddess of Rot?" Raven asked. "If she is close to breaking the seal, going back now is no different from walking into a tiger's den."
"She is still slumbering, unable to exert any influence through the seal. I am very familiar with the Lake of Rot; those Kindred won't be able to catch me," Lilith said with considerable confidence.
"In that case, would you mind if I joined you?" Raven extended his hand.
Lilith's eyes widened in surprise. "Thank you for your kindness, but I cannot let my burdens endanger—"
Just then, the entire building shuddered violently. Dust rained down from the ceiling, and the thunderous sound of collapsing walls echoed from the distance.
"The aquarium is under attack?" Raven stiffened. "Is it the Kindred of Rot pursuing you?"
"Possibly. They don't usually make such a commotion," 404 said, raising its halberd.
"I'll go out with 404 and check it out." Raven drew his staff as another massive boom shook the air.
"Wait, that sound... it sounds like the maintenance giants!" Xingmei shouted. "I'm coming with you!"
When Raven reached the aquarium's reception hall, he saw the entire main gate along with half of the foyer had collapsed. The locker containing the Sword of Night and Flame was buried under the rubble.
As the dust settled, a towering, iron-like figure appeared at the gap in the building, blocking out the starlight from the dome. It was the very Troll he had encountered before entering the pool. The Troll swung a massive iron hammer, smashing through another wall with a deafening roar.
Xingmei stepped forward, reaching out toward the Troll. The giant paused, appearing to communicate with Xingmei in the unique manner of the Silver Tears.
"Did you stop him?" No sooner had the words left Raven's mouth than the Troll swung its hammer again.
"He has judged the pool area as a section that needs to be cleared!" Xingmei stumbled, trying to keep her balance as the ground shook. "It might be because the building is too old, and combined with the damage from your fight earlier, he made this judgment. He's refusing to communicate. I advise you to leave!"
"Get to a safe place first!" Raven grabbed her and dashed through the breach in the building into the open street. 404 and Lilith followed close behind.
"He's going to destroy the pool," Xingmei said blankly, watching the Troll smash down wall after wall.
"There's nothing left inside anyway," Raven consoled her. "Maybe this isn't a bad thing. You can be freed from this duty."
"My master entrusted me to look after the pool. It is the shared memory between her and Xingmei. I can't... I can't..." She sobbed, tears flowing continuously. She suddenly started running toward the Troll, but Raven quickly caught her arm.
"Let me go!" Xingmei cried out emotionally.
"Wait, the ship is still in the pool, right?"
Xingmei froze for a moment before realizing what Raven was saying. "Yes."
"I'll try to lead him away. You stay here." Raven released Xingmei and leaped onto the roof of a nearby building with several bounds.
He raised his staff, aiming it at the back of the Troll's neck, but his gaze inadvertently caught something in the distance. He froze.
Along the banks of the Ainsel River, a grayish-white line was moving rapidly. Its vanguard had already crossed the breach in the city walls and entered Nokstella.
That white line was composed of hundreds of Kindred of Rot. They were running in a dense formation, a countless swarm of grayish-white, segmented limbs twisting and moving in a way that would make any normal person sick to their stomach.
Estimating the number of enemies, Raven frowned slightly. Forgetting the Troll for a moment, he lowered his staff and jumped down from the roof.
"The Kindred of Rot have caught up," Raven told 404. "Their direction is very precise. They'll be here within ten minutes."
"I will lead them away," 404 said, flourishing its glaive. "After leaving the Lake of Rot, I carried Lilith and jumped into the Ainsel River. The Kindred didn't dare enter the water; I thought I'd lost them there. I am sorry for bringing this danger upon you."
"It's fine. But it seems they have a way to track your position." Raven looked at the blue-clad girl. "Lilith, do you have any guesses? Could the Kindred have left some kind of tracking mark on you?"
Lilith shook her head. "I don't know."
"Since we can't hide, then we fight." Raven looked at the Troll still destroying the pool and narrowed his eyes. "We'll annihilate their pursuit entirely."
Outside the city, a tall humanoid covered in mushrooms issued an order: "The Saint Lilith has sent out a signal marking their position. Enter the city immediately! Bring back the Saint. Kill any who stand in your way!"
In their eyes, a pillar of scarlet smoke rose from a corner of Nokstella. This signal was visible only to the people of the rot.
"Lord Priest, are we really going to kill the Saint amidst the chaos?" While the Kindred of Rot flooded into the city like a tide, another mushroom-man remained stationary, asking in a low voice.
"The King's order is absolute," the Priest hissed. "This is a secret directive given to us by the King. Do not let those brainless insects know."
"But, she is the Saint after all. If the Goddess speaks through the Saint's mouth in anger..."
"The Goddess has not spoken for an entire year. What She had to say has already been carved into the stone sarcophagi and written upon the papyrus. But She cannot, and should not, say anything more." The Mushroom Priest growled emphatically, "The King rules the Lake of Rot now!"
The mushroom-man lowered his head, accepting the reprimand.
"I didn't expect that 404 would actually manage to break out with the Saint. He truly lived up to his title as a champion warrior among the Kindred." The Priest said coldly, "We failed to kill them then, but we must never let them escape again."
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring
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