After climbing the long staircase and passing the spiraling tower pillars, the group finally arrived before the gates leading into the Tower Settlement.
The gate was enormous—immense, thick, and imposing. It was hard to imagine how much labor must have gone into constructing something like this.
Standing beneath it and looking up, Lucian even felt as though the doors reached all the way to the heavens.
Societies built on faith often shared this trait. Whether to please their gods or to display devotion, their architecture always leaned toward the grand and overwhelming.
The surface of the massive doors was covered in rows of carved figures.
Each relief depicted a different pose, but all carried the same unmistakable sense of reverence. The religious undertones were impossible to miss.
Unfortunately, judging by the fate of the Hornsent, faith alone hadn't saved them.
The heavy doors were already ajar, opened just enough for a person to pass through.
Leda stepped in first, with Freyja following right behind.
Lucian brought up the rear, walking in at a slower pace.
With Melina no longer at his side, he found himself a bit distracted.
The Hornsent's past had nothing to do with him, but Melina was still the daughter of Queen Marika.
Massacres were not something openly acknowledged in the Lands Between. Even someone like Marika had buried this incident within the Land of Shadow.
To suddenly learn that her own mother had done something like that… it was no wonder it hit Melina so hard.
Lucian didn't have a good way to comfort her.
For now, all he could do was try to uncover the truth.
Maybe Leda and Ansbach could help. They both seemed unusually interested in the Hornsent.
Lucian let out a quiet sigh.
Well… hopefully there'd at least be some worthwhile loot in this place to lift his mood.
Upon entering the gate, they were greeted by yet another long staircase stretching upward.
Cold stone walls flanked both sides, and the dim lighting gave the space an oppressive atmosphere.
This clearly wasn't the settlement proper.
According to the map Ansbach had provided, they would need to pass through this transitional structure before reaching the Tower Settlement itself.
—
They climbed the steps and arrived at a platform at the top.
There, several giant scorpions were gathered, hunched at the end of the staircase, feeding on the rotting remains of their own kind.
Each one was massive, roughly comparable in size to a Runebear but far leaner. Lucian idly wondered what they'd taste like.
The moment they noticed the intruders, the scorpions turned, raising their stingers and snapping their pincers.
Before Lucian could act, Leda and Freyja had already drawn their weapons and engaged.
Even under the suppression of the Land of Shadow, their strength was more than enough to deal with beasts like these.
The fight didn't last long.
Soon, the scorpions were all dead, and the path ahead was clear.
Lucian walked over to the two corpses that had been devoured earlier, examining the marks left behind.
These must have been from Ansbach's earlier exploration.
The bodies bore cuts from some kind of weapon, but decomposition and scavenging had made it difficult to identify exactly what had been used.
Judging from the wound placement, though, Lucian guessed it might have been a scythe.
Looking back over the staircase, Lucian initially thought this outer structure functioned like the outer defenses of Stormveil, meant to station guards and delay intruders. Those scorpions had likely served that role.
But that idea didn't last long.
They passed through a smaller doorway ahead and entered a wide hall.
At the center lay the corpse of a Hornsent ancestor.
On either side of it, stairways extended upward.
The hall itself was supported by spiraling pillars, and lining the stairs were rows of statues, figures carved in the likeness of kneeling monks, each holding a lit candle.
The flames flickered weakly, casting dim light that only made the hall feel more solemn and sacred.
This was clearly another place of religious significance.
Perhaps this entire outer structure wasn't just meant to defend, but also to impress upon all who entered the weight of their faith.
Unfortunately, the scorpions crawling freely through the hall had completely ruined the atmosphere.
Near the ancestor's altar, the corpse of a large scorpion lay rotting, giving off a foul stench.
Countless smaller scorpions swarmed around it, tearing into the flesh.
Lucian spared them a glance, then focused instead on the larger corpse.
This one was relatively intact. Several arrows were deeply embedded in its body.
Judging by the force, there was no way Ansbach was as "out of practice" as he claimed.
If anything, Lucian wouldn't be surprised if the man said, "Though aged, my arrows still fly true."
So—bow, and likely a scythe.
That was probably Ansbach's weapon set.
Aside from the ones on the ground, more scorpions clung to the walls, lying in wait.
Seeing their numbers, Lucian summoned a storm and swept them all away in one motion.
Once the hall was cleared, he approached the center, where the massive Hornsent ancestor lay.
Leda and Freyja followed, studying the body carefully.
This was their first time seeing one of the Hornsent's ancestral remains.
"So this is what Sir Ansbach meant… their ancestral corpses," Leda murmured.
Unlike the headless one Lucian had seen before, this corpse still had its head intact.
Its skull was covered in twisted horns, but otherwise, it was much the same—same posture, same presence.
The spirit ash that had once been gathered here was gone, leaving behind only faint traces of powder.
Lucian had no interest in collecting what little remained.
Leda, however, took out a container and carefully gathered a small sample.
Freyja circled the corpse, knocking lightly on its stone-like surface.
"So this is where they found that… outer god essence? In its shadow?"
Leda nodded.
"It sounds unbelievable, but Sir Ansbach clearly found evidence."
Lucian had already wandered off to search for loot.
It didn't take long before he found something on a nearby corpse.
A Shadow Realm Rune [1].
Just as he was about to move on, he noticed the corpse's hand clenched tightly around something.
He pried the fingers open, curious what treasure had been guarded so fiercely even in death.
Inside—
A Somber Smithing Stone [1].
Lucian stared at it in silence.
"…Really?"
For something clutched that desperately… this was a bit underwhelming.
After clearing the lower level, the group ascended the stairways on either side.
Passing through another narrow doorway, they entered yet another upward-sloping stone staircase.
At the top, faint light spilled through—clearly the exit.
Leda took the lead again, and the group followed as they approached the light.
Just as she was about to step onto the next platform.
Lucian suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.
A massive pincer shot out from around the corner.
Leda steadied herself, staring at the ambush in surprise.
The spiral design of the staircase severely limited visibility. It was the perfect setup for an unseen predator.
"My mistake. Thank you," she said.
Lucian smiled faintly.
"It's nothing."
This kind of spot, right before reaching the next area, was exactly where people let their guard down.
And in a world like this, there was always something waiting.
He'd learned that much already.
Freyja rushed forward, leaping into the air and smashing one of the scorpion's pincers apart with a heavy strike.
Dodging the stinger, she pressed the attack and quickly finished it off.
After that brief interruption, the group encountered no further trouble and exited the structure.
Daylight greeted them.
The road ahead was suddenly bright and open.
Furnaces and carved lion statues lined both sides of the path, leading toward yet another heavy gate.
This area had clearly suffered damage, broken stone and crumbling walls bore the marks of destruction from Messmer's campaign.
Only now did it truly feel like they had entered the Tower Settlement, Belurat.
—
Approaching the gate, they activated a nearby Site of Grace.
This door was smaller than the one before, with different materials and carvings.
Though, as usual, Lucian had no idea what the figures depicted.
Leda stepped forward and tried to push it open.
It didn't budge.
Freyja joined in, but even together, they couldn't move it.
"It's not a matter of strength," Leda said, stepping back and looking up. "There must be a mechanism locking it."
Classic.
"This door does not open from this side."
Lucian considered it for a moment.
Normally, he might've just kicked it down and skipped the trouble.
But that was back in catacombs, where he just wanted to rush straight to the boss.
Now?
There was no reason to force it.
And more importantly, he still had to keep up the act of being suppressed by the Land of Shadow.
Rather than forcing their way through, they decided to proceed along the intended path and experience the interior of the tower settlement properly.
After all, skipping ahead might mean missing valuable items along the way.
At that moment, from an alleyway to the right of the sealed gate, a shadowed horned figure turned its gaze toward them.
Spotting Leda, whose body clearly carried the power of the Erdtree, the creature reached into the basket on its back, pulled out a stone, and hurled it with force.
Unfortunately, its aim was terrible.
The stone veered off course, spinning through the air, straight toward Lucian.
Lucian watched the incoming projectile calmly. He raised a hand and flicked a finger forward.
A sudden gust of wind howled into existence. The stone froze midair for a brief instant before being violently flung back along its original path at even greater speed.
With a wet, bursting sound, the horned creature's head exploded.
Its body dropped stiffly to the ground.
With the nuisance dealt with, Lucian noticed a path leading forward and moved in that direction. Leda and Freyja stepped over the corpse and followed.
After weaving through the buildings for a short distance, they emerged into a wide circular plaza.
At its center stood a strange, multi-tiered basin.
Around it, numerous shadowy horned figures knelt in worship.
Lucian stepped forward, casually standing among them, and glanced at the basin.
The structure itself was rather well-designed, resembling the decorative fountains found in parks from his previous life.
The contents, however…
Lucian frowned.
The water inside was murky green, choked with unknown plant matter, and emitted a foul stench.
Seriously… they're worshipping this?
The kneeling horned figures glanced at Lucian, momentarily confused by how naturally he had joined them. Only after a pause did they seem to recall that he was an intruder.
One particularly large horned figure rose to its feet, gripping a massive, shadowy cleaver.
Lucian stepped forward.
In an instant, jagged stone spikes erupted violently from the ground.
Several sharp pillars pierced through the creature from multiple directions, lifting its broken body high into the air.
The remaining horned figures had just begun to stand, but the sight before them triggered something deep within.
Though reduced to shadows and stripped of most of their minds over the long passage of time, the memory of slaughter had been carved into their very being.
Even if their thoughts had faded, their bodies still remembered.
Fear took hold.
They scattered and fled.
Lucian paid them no mind. Instead, he observed the corpse suspended before him.
This one stood around two and a half meters tall, significantly larger than the others, though still far smaller than the ancient corpses they had seen earlier.
Its body also bore more Omen-like horns.
Unfortunately, Lucian knew nothing about anatomy, only a bit of classical mechanics.
If he attempted dissection himself, the result would likely resemble a butcher's workshop rather than any meaningful research.
He suddenly found himself missing Hildegard from Redmane Castle. If she were here, she could probably serve as a proper surgeon and study these horned beings in detail.
…Though now that he thought about it, could a perfumer create a toxin that specifically targeted a single species?
No.
That line of thinking felt dangerous.
Better not pursue it.
Besides, compared to chemistry, classical mechanics was still the faster solution.
While Lucian stood there lost in thought, Leda and Freyja quietly continued exploring on their own.
Freyja climbed a set of stairs and advanced further into the settlement.
Leda, meanwhile, moved toward the pool on the left.
Within the tower settlement, there was what could only be described as a "waterfall."
A brown one.
What exactly flowed within it… was not difficult to imagine.
This "waterfall" poured filth from the upper parts of the settlement down into a stagnant basin below, where it collected into a foul-smelling pool.
Somehow, the drainage system beneath kept the level perfectly contained—full, but never overflowing.
Leda stood beside the polluted pool, then glanced back at the basin Lucian had inspected earlier.
They looked similar… but were clearly not the same.
In any case, it was obvious that hygiene was not a priority for the horned people.
Her gaze fell upon a corpse lying in the water.
The emaciated body floated face-up, mostly submerged, with one arm stretched toward the sky.
Its hand was clenched tightly around something.
Whatever it held… must have been important.
But Leda had no intention of stepping into that filth to find out.
As a Needle Knight who wielded the power of the Unalloyed Gold Needle, she maintained strict standards of purity.
In other words—
She had a severe aversion to filth.
Even in battle, if her pristine white cloak was damaged, she would repair and clean it immediately afterward.
After a brief hesitation, Leda turned away.
At that exact moment.
A splash of foul water struck her cloak.
She spun around.
From within the brown torrent, a tall horned figure burst forth, cleaver in hand.
The filthy droplets staining her cloak were from its emergence.
Leda stared at the spreading stain across her snow-white fabric.
The stench assaulted her senses.
Something in her snapped.
Before the creature could react, several piercing needles shot forward, pinning its joints in place and locking its movement.
Leda stepped in.
With a single sweeping slash, a golden arc cut cleanly through its neck.
The head flew off, landing with a splash in the polluted pool.
Leda remained standing there, silent.
From behind, Lucian had witnessed everything.
For the first time, her previously upright and composed posture seemed… unsteady.
Lucian glanced at the cascading filth and shook his head.
As a historian, he could only think.
This, too, was history.
Honestly speaking, he had no desire to get anywhere near that kind of substance either.
Fortunately, his control over wind kept him protected.
Still…
It seemed he had underestimated the malice of this world's design.
To think that even in a place like this, something would be waiting in ambush.
So, you like my boluses?
Like my Somber Smithing Stone [1]?
Like my rope items?
Heh. Gotcha, B—...