Stepping through the tunnel opening and peering downward, a vast Lake of Rot that seemed to stretch into infinity sat silently below. Within its waters, one could glimpse flora and fauna unique to the ecosystem of decay.
Suddenly, a red silhouette drifted slowly before his eyes. Mohg silently suppressed the urge to reach out and snatch it.
It was an Aeonian Butterfly, its body saturated with the potent Scarlet Rot. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't release their rot-laden pollen unless they felt threatened.
It was a pity he didn't know the proper method to capture them. Otherwise, he would have caught a few to craft Rot Grease or Rancid Pots for a rainy day.
Mohg pulled his gaze away from the lake below and began scanning the cavern walls. He didn't find the familiar tunnel entrance he was looking for, but he did spot something he recognized all too well: a lift!
Whoosh!
In his excitement, Mohg nearly unfurled his wings to fly straight toward the lift's platform, but he forced himself to check his impulse. Although he had traversed the Lake of Rot countless times in the game, this was reality. The places and events he had experienced so far were enough to prove that there were significant differences between this world and the game.
Caution was the better part of valor. However, there was no doubt—that lift was the ultimate shortcut to Nokstella, the Eternal City.
As for how to test the waters... Mohg cast a glance back into the dark tunnel. If he remembered correctly, he hadn't finished off all the Basilisks in there, had he?
"Ribbit?" "Ribbit?"
A short while later, Mohg emerged from the tunnel again, cradling a Basilisk whose color had shifted dramatically. He reached out and patted the creature on its head.
Only after granting the Blood Blessing and seeing the Basilisk's transformed appearance did Mohg remember: those two massive orbs on top of its head weren't actually eyes, but inflated lung-sacs... or rather, fleshy growths.
After the blessing, those two "bulbs" were now capable of spraying Accursed Blood. This effectively mitigated the Basilisk's primary weakness: having no offensive capabilities other than spewing Death Blight fog.
Basilisks... actually kind of cute.
Mohg set the Basilisk down against the wall. Since the creature could scale vertical surfaces, he didn't have to worry about it falling to its death. He peered down, waiting for his scout to report back.
Reaching the bottom, the Basilisk looked around before diving straight into the Lake of Rot. It began to swim, radiating outward from Mohg's position to clear the area of potential hazards.
During its scouting, the Basilisk encountered its kin. The ordinary Basilisk stared at it with curiosity, seemingly asking: "Why is your color different from ours?"
Annoyed by the other creature trailing behind and hindering its mission, the scout Basilisk grew impatient. With a sudden twitch of its body, a glob of crimson Accursed Blood sprayed from the twin sacs on its head.
Its kin, likely assuming it was merely splashing lake water to express its irritation, didn't dodge. It allowed the Accursed Blood to land on its skin. And then...
"SCREECH!!!"
Its body scorched by Bloodflame, the ordinary Basilisk began rolling frantically in the rot. Once the flames died down, it fled from Mohg's blessed scout in absolute terror. It had never seen such a terrifying member of its own species!
Having driven off its peer, the Blood-blessed Basilisk finally relaxed and continued clearing the path toward the lift. And then... it encountered a Mushroom Man.
This Mushroom Man was unlike any Mohg had ever seen. He could swear he had never encountered one this large.
Not far from the lift, a Mushroom Man—estimated to be nearly three meters tall—was submerged in the Lake of Rot, deep in slumber. It was distinct from the ones in his memory; the mushrooms on its body were far denser, cladding it like a suit of organic plate armor. Its head was even adorned with a crown-like growth.
What is that? A Mushroom King?
He had never seen such a thing in the game. Was it a unique mutation? The King of the Mushroom People? Or perhaps a freak of nature birthed by the Lake of Rot itself?
Mohg didn't know, but one thing was certain: this fellow was standing directly in his path to Nokstella. He either had to bypass it or find a way to eliminate it.
He chose to bypass it. He could fly, after all; he just needed to be a bit careful during the transit.
The Basilisk continued its circuit, confirming that the giant Mushroom Man was the only major obstacle on this route.
Mohg didn't hesitate any longer. He beat his wings and soared toward the ceiling of the cavern. Up there, he wouldn't attract attention, and he was safely above the threat of the evaporating rot-mists.
This is why being able to fly is a game-changer.
Mohg glided toward the lift's location, eventually passing directly above the giant Mushroom Man. He felt a prickle of tension; the creature didn't look like something that would be easy to provoke.
Fortunately, he passed over its head without incident.
He arrived above the lift platform. But just as Mohg prepared to descend, his entire body stiffened.
The giant Mushroom Man was gone!
It had simply vanished into the Lake of Rot, clean as a whistle.
Realizing something was terribly wrong, Mohg immediately ordered the scout Basilisk to search for the creature. The Basilisk obeyed, diving back into the red waters from the lift's edge.
The moment it entered the lake, Mohg lost all connection to it.
The sudden loss of his scout caused Mohg's expression to darken. The situation was clear: the giant Mushroom Man had spotted him. It hadn't attacked yet likely because Mohg was in the air—a zone the creature couldn't reach. If he landed, all bets were off.
This was exactly the kind of confrontation Mohg wanted to avoid. Fighting on the enemy's home turf when they were guarding the very thing he needed was a recipe for disaster.
The only "good" news was that he could see the familiar tunnel opening. If he truly didn't want to risk the lift, he could take the long way around to Nokstella.
But at the end of that path waited another major boss: a technological marvel of the Eternal City—the Dragonkin Soldier.
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (340 Chapters – Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────