Ochre flames of death burned within Raven's soul.
These flames were the very concept of death made manifest. All living things were as grass, and even the splendor of a demigod was but a flower upon that grass, destined to be reduced to ash before this fire.
The glintstone and lunar sorceries crumbled. Between Raven's soul and these flames, no other barrier remained.
The prestige of a demigod could not protect him; the authority of royalty could not protect him; knights and castles could not protect him. Every man is born alone, and every man is destined to face death in solitude.
I do not accept this.
I am not resigned to this.
He still had so much to do. The Carian agricultural reforms had only just begun; the future of the Kingdom and the Lands Between remained shrouded in gloom. He had not yet seen all the sights of this world, tasted all its delicacies, read all its epics and biographies, met everyone worth meeting, or fulfilled every promise he had made.
"I still have... things I must achieve!"
Raven mobilized every ounce of his fighting spirit and resolve. A mental force, as tangible as physical matter, churned and surged in an attempt to douse the flames. Yet, it was like trying to smother a fire with dry tinder; his efforts were futile, and the fire only grew fiercer, incinerating half of his mental world.
This fire used the very essence of the living as fuel—how could it be extinguished so easily?
Raven finally abandoned the impossible task. Steeling his will, he forged his mental strength into a wall that rejected all things. The death-fire seemed unable to breach this barrier for the moment, but his will was being constantly eroded while the flames only grew stronger. He was merely delaying the inevitable.
Just then, the flames of death seemed to find a new target.
An ancient Yellow Sign, hidden in the deepest reaches of the sea of consciousness, finally revealed its form under the glare of the conflagration. The flames of death surged along a connection between the Sign and something beyond...
A thin thread of fire extended outside the mental world, stretching across infinite time and space to another universe entirely.
The Pleiades. Celeano. The place where the Black Stars rise: lost Carcosa. Where the shattered twin suns sink into the lake and the grey plains are strewn with dead stones. Here, even time itself would perish; only the eternal song pulsed in rhythm with the sea of stars.
The moment he heard that song, Raven had a sudden epiphany. That which is not dead can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die. The moment this thought arose, he realized that these flames of death were actually quite feeble. The Rune of Death held by the assassin was but a ten-thousandth of a fragment—it was nothing to be feared.
With a single thought, the towering illusions of fire vanished instantly, exposing their fragile essence. Only a negligible sediment of the Rune of Death remained at the bottom of his consciousness, suppressed beneath that Yellow Sign, rendered utterly harmless.
Raven opened his eyes and found himself lying in a dark, cramped space. He awkwardly flexed his numb limbs, then reached up and performed a bench press, throwing off the heavy stone slab covering him. He sat up and lapsed into a brief silence.
"Who the hell put me in a coffin?!"
Fifteen minutes later, Raven was seated at the head of the Church of the Cuckoo, listening to the reports of the past few days.
"So, Radagon has invaded Caria, and his only demand is to take me? He claims that if Caria hands me over, he will withdraw?" Raven asked, bewildered. "Is that his casus belli? No, even for a pretext, that's pathetic. It makes no sense."
"We didn't understand it before, but now Radagon's intentions are clear. He knows Your Highness is not truly dead. If he could obtain your body, he could use you to threaten Her Majesty once you awaken," a knight analyzed. "But he miscalculated. Caria never accepts threats! Even if it were merely your corpse, we would never hand it over."
Raven rubbed his temples, feeling that this explanation was still too bizarre.
"How is the war progressing?" He finally decided to stop dwelling on the mystery. "Can we win?"
"Victory must belong to Caria," the knight stated. "This is no empty boast to raise morale. Radagon's army entered Liurnia through the Ruin-Strewn Precipice... It seemed they intended to catch us off guard, but in truth, they have sought their own ruin. The transport capacity of that narrow path is far too limited. Over several days, they have only managed to move some twenty thousand men. Their supplies and provisions must be severely lacking."
Pointing to a glintstone sand table covered in shifting arrows, the knight began his briefing.
"Look, Your Highness. Even though our forces set out in haste and many units had to remain behind to guard against the descent of new Naturalborns, we still hold a significant numerical advantage on the front lines. In several small-scale skirmishes, we've confirmed the enemy is composed of elites from the Leyndell Royal Army. However, strangely enough, many of their most powerful units are absent.
General Radahn's Redmanes are far away in Caelid, so their absence is expected. But Malenia's Cleanrot Knights have also not appeared. Though there are Gargoyles among the enemy, Maliketh the Black Blade and his Blackblade Kindred are nowhere to be seen. Even Prince Godwyn's personal troops seem to be missing from the battlefield, along with the Ancient Dragon Fortissax and the Dragon Cult."
"Radagon's army has no reinforcements from without and no supplies from within. This foolish and arrogant military gamble will surely be met with a crushing blow from our side," the knight concluded.
Raven looked thoughtful.
"So, if we wipe out this Royal Army led by Radagon, will the war be won?"
"That... that is likely impossible. Even if we annihilate those twenty thousand men and kill Radagon on the field, the Golden Prince could still be crowned as the next Elden Lord in the Capital. The Golden Order is unlikely to admit defeat just like that.
In truth, neither side has initiated a total mobilization. Without a great war lasting at least a year or two—or even a decade—it's impossible to exhaust the other's war potential. However, Caria is united in heart and mind, and even the demi-humans and trolls serve us loyally. In contrast, the Golden Order enslaves other races and is plagued by internal suspicion. Their demigods each hold their own power and harbor their own schemes; even Godfrey, the First Elden Lord, was exiled for no apparent reason. Therefore, the Golden Order will never conquer Caria."
"I understand. One last question: will there be more Astels descending?" Raven asked.
The knight didn't answer, turning uncertainly toward the blind Master of the Primeval Current standing nearby.
"Who knows? No one can guess the intent of the Greater Will, nor does anyone know the true extent of Its power," Master Lusat said leisurely. "Even if the Greater Will is determined to destroy the Carian Kingdom, we shall simply continue to fight to the end. That hasn't changed. By comparison, I am far more curious—"
He leaned in, his hollow eyes scanning Raven up and down. "I am curious how Your Highness resurrected from the Rune of Death. You seem to be stained with a most extraordinary aura..."
Raven did not shy away from his gaze.
"I need to reach the battlefield as quickly as possible. This is an order. What are my options?"
"If you don't mind a lack of comfort, Your Highness is light of frame. Perhaps the Marionette Soldiers could carry you in a relay..."
"Is speed the priority?" Master Lusat asked suddenly.
"The faster, the better."
"Hmm. If Your Highness had asked a few days ago, I might have had no answer. But recently, my research into Astel's corpse has yielded great results. I happen to be looking for an opportunity to conduct an experiment..." The Master flashed a mysterious, knowing smile.
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(48 Chapter - Ongoing)
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