After a flurry of activity, all the guests were gathered in the main hall on the first floor of the Manor. Raven and Lansang were among them, greeting those around them without drawing a hint of suspicion.
"Are we setting out now? My horse is still in the stables," someone asked in surprise.
"It seems we won't be traveling by road this time," Raven noted, watching as four Volcano soldiers carried a heavy object into the hall.
They carefully set a stone pedestal onto the floor, atop which stood something resembling a mirror. Within its square frame—which housed a circular opening of greenish-grey stone—was a vortex of white mist. It emitted a hazy, ethereal glow, appearing both real and illusory.
"A Teleportation Mirror!" someone recognized it. "A legacy of the Eternal City whose construction methods were lost long ago. I didn't expect the Volcano to possess one."
"Indeed," Rykard said, entering the hall while wielding the Serpent-Hunter spear. "Its twin has already been placed in the cavern where the Great Serpent dwells. Through this, we can go directly to its lair. We will teleport one by one and regroup on the other side. We move only once everyone has arrived."
"What about our horses?" another guest asked.
"Activating the mirror requires a massive amount of Glintstone. Volcano Manor has exhausted its entire inventory to power this, but teleporting over a hundred people is the limit. I must ask you all to fight on foot."
Raven knew he likely wasn't lying. While Teleportation Mirrors were miraculous, they were never widely used for military or commercial purposes—partly due to their rarity, and partly due to the exorbitant cost of operation. Even short-distance travel consumed a staggering amount of energy; the cost of long-distance teleportation spanning hundreds or thousands of kilometers was astronomical.
"Raven, I only prepared enough Glintstone for the number of guests on the invitation list," Rykard said. "Your knight order is composed of elites, but would you be so kind as to sit this operation out?"
Raven gave him a somewhat surprised look.
"I understand," Raven said after a moment's thought. "The average strength of my men is indeed a step below the masters invited here."
"However," Raven's tone shifted, "I still have some confidence in my own strength. How about I join the operation with only two companions? Surely you have enough spare Glintstone for three more slots?"
"You are my brother. It may sound selfish, but I would prefer you remain safely in the rear."
"I can look after myself." Raven smiled. "Besides, I wouldn't feel right leaving my brother's side."
Rykard looked deeply into Raven's eyes. "Very well, then."
The guests touched the Teleportation Mirror one by one, vanishing in bursts of crystalline light.
Each activation was accompanied by a powerful surge of magical energy, loud enough for even a sorcerer's apprentice to detect miles away—there was absolutely no stealth involved. Rykard repeatedly assured them that the Great Serpent would not be alerted or provoked by this, so the guests continued to pass through.
After each person vanished, the mirror required nearly thirty seconds to cool down. It took over an hour for the more than one hundred and fifty people to complete the transfer.
As expected, the destination was the vast underground hollow Raven and Lansang had broken into the night before. Gazing at the churning magma lake, Raven cautioned, "Okina, don't charge too far ahead later."
Okina acted as if he hadn't heard a word. His hand rested on the hilt of his tachi, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the depths of the magma.
The crowd of over a hundred and fifty warriors slowly descended the cliffside. Their fighting spirit and killing intent rose like a physical pressure, causing the fire-red clouds of smoke and ash beneath the dome to churn slowly.
"Why is everyone so tense?" Leonard let out a dry laugh. "I'm one of the weaker ones in this group, and even I've cut down half a squad of heavy knights single-handedly. What's one snake against all these masters combined?"
"Your knuckles are white on your hilt," Lansang noted.
"What!" Leonard reflexively loosened his grip, looking down before realizing. "I'm wearing gauntlets! How could you possibly see that?"
"Mortals challenging a god," Raven said with a sigh. "When was the last time such a feat was attempted? The Black Blade challenging the Gloam-Eyed Queen? Or before that, the blind swordsman sealing the Rot?"
"Well, we do have two demigods leading the charge," Leonard said.
"Heh, we're still just flesh and blood," Raven replied. "But speaking of which, what truly is the difference between a god and a mortal?"
"A god has mortal followers?" Leonard was stumped, answering uncertainly. "And specific incantations?"
"In that case, I—the Ancient Dragons—are also gods!" Lansang said gleefully.
"Don't Ancient Dragons worship a Dragon God? No god worships another god," Raven reminded her.
Lansang's shoulders slumped.
"A god is merely a creature with immense power," Rykard said calmly from the front, having overheard their conversation. "It is man who defines god. Therefore, man can certainly negate god. Raven, stay close to me."
Raven blinked before replying, "Understood."
He took a few more steps and then stopped.
On the shore of the magma lake, he saw a crude high platform built of stone. A Man-Serpent, enlarged tenfold, hung upside down upon it. Surrounding the platform were nearly a hundred headless corpses, their neck stumps no longer bleeding.
"Raven, you look pale," Rykard observed.
"It's nothing," Raven forced a smile. "This scene is just a bit... grim."
"Is this some kind of sacrificial ritual? Are there serpent worshippers nearby?" The Bloodhound Knight Flo sniffed the air, his tone suspicious.
"That is a captured kin of the Great Serpent," Rykard explained. "Following the rituals recorded in the Serpent God's scriptures, I sacrificed nearly a hundred death-row inmates to infuse their vitality into that kin. It is the highest grade of offering in the Serpent religion, guaranteed to lure the Great Serpent to the shore."
"I see," Flo nodded understandingly. "We cannot dive into the magma to fight the beast. Utilizing these vile rituals is a necessary evil."
"So that upside-down monstrosity is the Serpent's kin," Leonard said, looking through a telescope. "Damn, a half-human, half-snake freak."
Rykard raised his hand and shouted, "Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
A circle of dark-red runes ignited upon the sacrificial platform. A thick, bloody mist rose like signal fire, drifting toward the magma lake under the push of an unseen force.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
The ground began to vibrate.
"Steady!" Rykard barked. "The Great Serpent is coming!"
The surface of the magma lake churned violently, a massive whirlpool forming in its center. Countless Flame Slugs rose to the surface, struggling desperately before being sucked into the heart of the vortex.
Everyone tightened their grip on their weapons.
The next moment, the tremors abruptly ceased, and the whirlpool collapsed into nothingness.
"What happened?" Leonard whispered. "Is it not coming out—"
Boom!
A wall of magma surged upward toward the heavens. The level of the lake rose dozens of meters above the shore. Everyone stood their ground, waiting for the serpent to burst from the molten depths.
However, the magma seemed to defy gravity, flowing through the air without falling. Instead, it began to rapidly cool and harden, turning into a material as dark as obsidian.
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(155 Chapter - Ongoing)
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