Mohg waited until the two individuals had walked away and disappeared down a corridor before finally stepping out from the shadows.
After casting a brief glance in the direction they had taken, Mohg turned and headed toward the opposite path. His primary objective for descending here was to enter the Eternal City, not to explore the Uhl Palace Ruins. In his memory, the Uhl ruins could usually be seen on the way to the Eternal City, but it was clear that the geography of this subterranean world had shifted somewhat.
Unsure of what he might encounter, he prioritized his main goal. Since those two were heading toward the Uhl Palace Ruins, the other path naturally led toward the Eternal City.
As he ventured deeper, the number of people he encountered on the road increased. It seemed he was nearing the main force of the exploration party. He came to a halt, pondering his next move. The space here was gradually narrowing, making it unsuitable for low-altitude flight; if he were spotted now, escaping would be difficult.
"Hmm?"
While Mohg was lost in thought, a violent tremor suddenly surged from the distance. The vibrations intensified, accompanied by a growing, low-frequency roar.
Sensing that something was wrong, Mohg quickened his pace. He estimated that the main exploration party had likely run into serious trouble.
"Master Morillan."
"What is the situation below? Has anything unusual happened?" Morillan ignored the greeting and waved his hand dismissively, cutting straight to the chase.
The two mages present were momentarily stunned. They could see the anxiety in Morillan's movements and immediately began their report.
"Are you saying everything is normal here? That nothing out of the ordinary has occurred?" Morillan frowned, staring at the two of them.
"Yes... Moreover, the exploration team has already pushed into a new sector. We expect a breakthrough shortly. The only issue has been the ant nests we encountered along the way."
Morillan's brow furrowed even deeper. He didn't believe for a second that the unknown entity who had taken such risks to descend into the depths would simply sit idle.
"Tell me about every 'special circumstance' you've encountered recently," Morillan demanded again.
The two mages looked at each other but didn't dare refuse. They gave a detailed report. When they mentioned a dark shadow descending from above and entering the tunnels at extreme speed, Morillan's eyes sharpened.
"It's him!"
Morillan was about to order a pursuit when a slight tremor echoed from the depths of the tunnel, causing him to freeze.
"What is this?"
While Morillan looked confused, the faces of the two mages beside him turned pale with horror. Unlike Morillan, who usually stayed on the surface for research, these two had spent their time stationed in the depths. They knew exactly what this sound signified.
"Professor Morillan, please, we need your help! This is a riot from the subterranean ant colony in the depths—and this time, the numbers are likely beyond anything we've ever seen!"
"What?!"
Morillan was shocked. In an instant, his concern for the intruder, Mohg, vanished. Mohg hadn't made a move against their personnel yet, but the ant swarm was an immediate, existential threat. If they weren't careful, all their research and personnel would be buried here.
Hiss!
Accompanied by terrifying screeches echoing from the pitch-black tunnels, the sound of countless, densely packed arthropod legs scuttling against the rock filled the cavern. The noise alone was enough to make one's skin crawl.
Judging by the sound, the number of ants was staggering.
The exploration force at the front lines raised their shields, coordinating with the sorcerers and soldiers in the rear to establish the first line of defense. Just as everyone held their breath in anticipation, the first ant emerged!
"Fire!!!"
At the command, a barrage of flaming bolts and azure Glintstone sorceries streaked from the rear. Simultaneously, barrels of black fire-oil were split open and doused across the ground. In an instant, a wall of raging flames ignited at the mouth of the cavern.
Glintstone magic slammed into the incoming ants with the sound of cracking chitin. Under the flickering light of the flames, the men finally saw the horrors within the tunnel. Countless compound eyes glared at them, and they could practically feel the raw, primal "fury" emanating from the swarm!
"SCREE—!!!"
A deafening screech rang out from the depths of the hole, and the swarm responded in unison. In the next heartbeat, a tidal wave of ants surged out of the darkness.
Even as the mages and soldiers desperately cast spells and swung their weapons, they were simply overwhelmed by the sheer volume and the heavy natural armor of the subterranean swarm. Before long, the first defensive line was swallowed by the sea of ants. Amidst the screams of the dying and the bone-chilling sound of rhythmic gnawing, the swarm continued its advance at a terrifying speed toward the rest of the Carian teams.
Then, a noticeably larger ant with a darker, more lustrous shell slowly crawled out of the tunnel. It inspected the corpses on the ground, grabbed one, and began dragging it back into the shadows.
Boom! "SCREE!" "Die, you cursed bugs!!"
A Carian soldier roared, swinging his morning star to crush the head of an ant that had burrowed up. He gasped for air, his chest heaving. This area wasn't the main path of the swarm, but numerous ants were still filtering through the labyrinthine side-tunnels, leaving the soldiers exhausted.
Mohg, observing from the shadows, took in the entire scene. Once he realized this was a counter-offensive by the subterranean ants, a plan formed in his mind.
He might be able to use the paths the ants had come from to reach the Eternal City. After all, a major "export" of Nokstella was the Nox people who rode these very ants. This suggested a unique relationship between the Nox and the subterranean colony. Following the ants' trail, even if it didn't lead directly to the Eternal City, would certainly bring him closer.
His main concern was finding a way to enter the Eternal City while bypassing the Dragonkin Soldier. He still didn't know exactly how strong the Dragonkin were in this reality—and it was always better to avoid provoking a high-level enemy if possible.
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (328 Chapters – Ongoing)
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