"It's time."
Sensing the fluctuations in the distance, Mohg reached out and thrust his hand into the void. In the next instant, a torrent of blood splashed forth.
This was the blood of the Formless Mother.
In a heartbeat, the liquid coalesced into a small, swirling pool of crimson. The influence of the Accursed Blood radiated outward with violent intensity. Under Mohg's protection, Liana and Horuff remained largely unaffected, but the local wildlife was not so fortunate. Nearby rabbits and squirrels immediately descended into a frenzy, tearing at one another with feral desperation.
"Lord Mohg, this is..."
"A new application of Blood Incantations I've recently discovered. I will teach it to you in due time."
As he spoke, Mohg placed his hands on their shoulders. "Come. Step into the pool."
After a brief hesitation, Horuff and Liana stepped forward into the center of the blood. At first, nothing happened. Just as Liana turned to Mohg with a questioning look, he stepped in himself, and the ritual truly activated.
Their forms began to sink slowly into the liquid. Liana and Horuff felt a momentary surge of panic, but it was quickly replaced by a strange sense of calm. The blood pool felt remarkably warm—it wasn't just physical heat, but a sensation that seemed to nourish their very souls with a primal power.
It felt... like returning to a mother's embrace.
Due to his larger stature, Mohg was the last to submerge. While his lower half was gone, his torso remained above the surface, allowing him to spot a figure approaching at high speed from the distance.
Judging by his current rate of descent, he would vanish exactly as the pursuer arrived. Mohg was well aware of the newcomer's identity; after such a commotion, it was bound to be someone from the Carian forces.
"It is not yet time for us to meet..."
With one final look at the approaching figure, Mohg's silhouette vanished completely beneath the surface of the blood.
A moment later, Harold skidded to a halt at the clearing, once again a step too late. All that remained was a pool of blood with a few fading ripples on its surface.
"The faction that worships the Outer God of Blood? What is the meaning of this?"
Harold was utterly perplexed. He had come here to track an agent of the Erdtree, so why was he finding traces of the Blood Faction instead? He couldn't imagine an agent of the Golden Order consorting with such people; to the Erdtree's faith, an Outer God was the ultimate blasphemy.
Wait... was I played?
The thought made his expression sour. He suspected the "Golden" outsider had detected his pursuit and realized the Blood Faction was active nearby. The outsider must have deliberately lured him here to force a confrontation between the Carians and the Blood cult, allowing them to slip away while the two sides slaughtered each other.
Harold's face shifted through shades of uncertainty and rage. After standing in silence for a long time, he let out a heavy sigh just as his subordinates caught up.
"Commander Harold, what happened here?"
"The Erdtree agent has likely escaped. They lured us here on purpose, hoping we'd clash with this emerging Blood Faction."
"Then what are our orders?"
"Regroup and return to camp. The chances of finding them now are slim. It's better to return and maintain our vigil. If we waste our strength fighting these blood-worshippers here, we'll be doing exactly what that outsider wants."
"Understood. I'll notify the men immediately."
"Wait," Harold added. "Assign two men to ride back to Toriland Town and warn Lord Camo. Tell him to heighten his security. Our movements have undoubtedly been noticed, and those people might have made their move while we were away."
"Yes, sir!"
Splash!
Mohg, Liana, and Horuff stepped out from a matching pool of blood on the other side of the woods. Mohg looked at the gathered subordinates kneeling before him and gave a slight nod.
"Well done. Once we return, I shall bestow my blessing upon you all."
"We thank you for your grace!" the followers cried out in fanatical excitement.
"Stand up for now."
"Yes!"
"Now, tell me," Mohg asked, masking the scent of the Accursed Blood with a wave of his hand. "What have you discovered?"
"A Carian Knight led a detachment into the forest not long ago. They seemed to be tracking the golden light in the sky. Consequently, there was a shift in the defensive rotation within Toriland Town."
"Oh?" Mohg's interest was piqued. "Continue."
"We then observed three of our brothers taking the opportunity to slip into the town. Since then, there have been no major developments."
Mohg nodded. In a sense, this worked in their favor, making the next phase of the plan easier. However, he was surprised the Carian Knight had personally led the pursuit. He had assumed the commander would stay at the camp to prevent accidents.
Unless... there was another power within that camp that allowed the commander to leave without worry.
"How are the harassment teams doing?"
"They've just begun, but the recent events caused the enemy to tighten their formation, so..."
"I see. Then we can only wait for Krith and the others."
Mohg stepped forward and looked toward the distant silhouette of Toriland Town. I hope everything goes smoothly in there...
Inside the town, the "Three Stooges" were huddled in an alleyway.
"So... where do you think the Lord of this place stays?" Cole asked.
"Is that even a question? Wherever is the most luxurious, that's where he is. Our main priority is to scout the house's defenses," Derrick replied dismissively.
"So where do we start?"
"Let's just head straight to the mansion."
Hearing his teammates' "plan," Krith felt like his future was exceptionally bleak. He seriously wondered if these two had been away from the assassination business for so long that they had forgotten everything their mentors had taught them.
"Hey! You two!" Krith hissed. "Shouldn't we find a place to gather intel first? Learn his habits? Figure out who he talks to and what he believes in?"
"...Oh, right!"
"Dammit!"
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (300 Chapters – Ongoing)
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