When the time came, these people should have been accompanied by their families to the catacombs to return to the Erdtree. Now, it seems, returning to the Erdtree has become a luxury.
"The original reincarnation system is gradually collapsing, and death is returning in another form."
Throne muttered to himself, feeling a slight tickle on his cheek; it turned out to be Torrent sweeping its tail against him. Then, he heard the 'clack, clack, clack' sound of soil being overturned. Tombstones in the distance shook, and several hands reached out from the ground. They had clearly died recently, with swollen, rotting flesh still clinging to their hands.
Those Who Live in Death?
People of The Lands Between could indeed 'die,' but it was still not as natural as in the normal world. In some places, the dead would also return, becoming the half-dead Those Who Live in Death.
Woo—
The sea breeze whistled like a ghost's wail. Those few had already crawled out, revealing weathered white bones, with rotting flesh falling off as they walked.
This looked like a scene from a horror movie, enough to make one's scalp tingle. However, Throne lifted his hand with an expressionless face.
"Since you're dead, lie down peacefully. Don't come to the place of the living to stir up trouble."
The glintstone light immediately illuminated the gloom and terror. The bodies danced in the hail of projectiles, directly blasted into fragments.
Throne walked forward two steps and then stopped again. Those fragments ignited with cyan flames, and the bones reassembled as if resurrected. Throne remained expressionless, simply patting his head.
"Almost forgot about this trait of yours."
Golden ripples spread beneath his feet, and upon touching the bones, they were instantly pulverized into dust. That should be about right. Throne shrugged.
Although he had been blamed for a massive disaster, he hadn't had much dealings with Those Who Live in Death, other than dealing with a Tibia Mariner in Summonwater Village years ago. Now, it seemed death was more intense than it was ten years ago.
He didn't know what the reincarnation system of The Lands Between was like before the Erdtree; he was just purely interested in 'death.'
"Since Those Who Live in Death can appear here, the source must be close at hand."
Throne stepped over the bone dust and walked straight through the cemetery, seeing a cliff not far away, with a wooden door beneath it.
Catacombs, the resting place of the Golden lineage. Throne looked around. He couldn't remember which catacomb this was, but whatever, just crush through it. He had just taken a step when his expression changed, and he vanished from the spot instantly.
"Who!?"
His speed was faster than sound.
Throne, who had just been at the edge of the cemetery, immediately appeared in the woods dozens of meters away, where there was a short, round figure. His hand was faster than his mind; the Dark Moon Greatsword slashed down immediately, sweeping across like a circular saw.
Creak—
Several trees were cut in half, and that figure sprang up, wearing a flying-saucer-like helmet, a long, slender rapier aiming straight for his face, and then—
"Screw you."
Throne tilted his head, dodged the rapier, and kicked out, instantly turning his opponent into a rolling stone, crashing through a series of trees.
There's another one. Throne didn't pursue.
He turned around, held his greatsword horizontally in front of his chest, and with a 'ding' sound, a gorgeous short sword pressed against the blade. The swordsman was wearing gorgeous and strange armor. He was stunned for a moment, clearly not understanding what had happened, when he saw his opponent lean forward, one hand pressing on his shoulder.
Throne said earnestly:
"Next time you ambush someone, remember to travel light."
With just one hand, it felt as heavy as a thousand jun. This heavily armored knight couldn't even stand up; purple gravity had already imprisoned him. The greatsword churned the mud. Throne turned slowly. He saw some black and white mist, and then a pile of cyan skulls flew out from the mist.
Ancient Death Rancor.
This was a high-level death sorcery. However, the greatsword glowed with a faint moonlight, and Throne held the sword with both hands and slashed fiercely.
Woo—
The wind swept by, and the wraiths were gone. That cluster of black and white mist clearly solidified for a moment. Just as a more intense aura of death gathered, Throne finally spoke.
"If I were you, I wouldn't force a powerhouse to kill."
Violent killing intent surged out. You people really think I have a good temper, don't you? The woods were extremely quiet, with only the sound of waves hitting the shore. Then, the mist dispersed, and a woman in black gauze stood not far away. She was slender and looked fragile, yet she was someone who could release high-level death sorcery without a medium.
The black and white mist that had just dispersed held an even thicker aura of death, as if once one stepped into it, even the most powerful expert would be doomed.
'Deathbed Companion' Fia.
Throne had actually recognized her long ago because the knight who ambushed him was too easy to identify. Wasn't that short guy Lionel? That armor and the flying-saucer-like helmet were quite iconic.
The short guy who hit the tree shook his head and was slowly climbing up, while the knight also broke free from the restraint and retreated a few steps, full of caution. Both sides stood in a standoff until the slender girl in black gauze spoke: "You are very powerful, but we will not be captured without a fight."
Hunter? Oh, she saw my Erdtree incantation from earlier.
Throne quickly understood, but he slowly lowered his sword: "You Tarnished who seek death are quite interesting, actually hiding in this godforsaken place."
That's right, the Tarnished can be divided into four major factions on the surface, but if you look closely, you can separate some non-mainstream ones; they all have their own agendas.
And the one led by 'Deathbed Companion' Fia is the minority among them. They want to bring death back to The Lands Between and make Those Who Live in Death acceptable. This is undoubtedly blasphemy. Causality and regression are the basic tenets of the golden order—the kind of thing that kills anyone who touches it.
"We just want to find our King, yet we cannot escape your dog's nose."
Fia's voice was not eerie or terrifying, but rather warm, which formed a certain contrast. However, Throne smiled. Anyone who goes against the golden order is his friend.
"Please don't make personal attacks. Just because I can use some Erdtree incantations, how does that make me a lackey of the Erdtree?"
"But you destroyed Those Who Live in Death, these poor souls."
"I don't think the rotting flesh that attacked me are poor souls. Or do you want me to become a saint and feed myself to the eagles?"
The girl was clearly stunned for a moment and whispered: "You think I would believe you?"
Because of the wings Throne had flapped, the situation in The Lands Between had changed drastically, putting immense pressure on her.
The Roundtable Hold had already taken sides and could no longer tolerate these non-mainstream ones.
"Woman, you might not understand yet."
Throne patted the Spirit Steed he had brought in, as if telling it that slow travel really had its rewards, and while petting the horse, he looked sideways.
"Just because of you few people, it's not worth me lying."
Thud!!
The greatsword was plunged into the ground, kicking up a large amount of mud and fallen leaves. The blade was cold and soul-stirring, and the reflected moonlight shone on Throne's now slightly rugged face.
"See, this is the truth!"
Throne had a good habit: he didn't see men or women in his eyes, only enemies and friends. If they were enemies, he would let his sword do the talking. And these non-mainstream Tarnished had a chance to become friends; it just depended on whether they could grasp it. If the Deathbed Companion was some mindless monster, then he would just cut her down.
No matter how beautiful a woman was, she was no different from rotting flesh. Their existence only had meaning in 'death,' and this thing was very important to Throne. Without reincarnation, he would have died ten years ago.
The greatsword was colder than the moonlight, enough to calm people down.
Fia certainly didn't believe him, but looking at that gorgeous greatsword, she couldn't release her killing intent. Even if this man was lying, the first sentence he said was right. He really didn't need to lie. He could kill everyone within ten minutes. Even if they wanted to run, who could outrun a mounted knight?
"Anwen, Lionel, you two step back."
Fia thought for a moment and waved her hand gently. A fool couldn't lead a group of non-mainstream people to fight against the golden order. The Deathbed Companion could survive until the end of the Tarnished era, so she certainly had some skills.
The two retreated reluctantly, and Throne nodded slightly, but he didn't put his sword away; instead, he remained full of vigilance.
If anyone could kill across levels, then Fia, who absorbed the life force of heroes, was clearly one of them. This was different from sword slashes or magic bombardment; it was a power of death-cursing.
Fia looked at the silent warrior holding the greatsword and asked slowly: "So, sir, what are you looking for us for?"
Yeah, what am I looking for them for? Throne was also stunned for a moment.
These three people were only average in strength. Except for the Deathbed Companion's slightly peculiar ability, the other two were negligible even if killed. Say he was also seeking death? No, that was his biggest secret. If he said it, he would have to silence them.
After thinking about it, he told the truth: "I am very interested in Tarnished like you, so I just stopped by on the way. The facts prove that apart from you, the other two are not worth mentioning."
Just a passerby, then jumped in and beat them up. It sounded very willful, but under the reflection of that greatsword, this willfulness became a matter of course. The Deathbed Companion opened her mouth, completely not knowing what to say.
They didn't even have the qualifications to provoke hostility, which made her feel a bit sad. The Lands Between was just that disgusted with death, only knowing how to shout and kill Those Who Live in Death, rather than letting them rest in peace.
"Then, let us part ways here."
Fia bowed. She couldn't afford to offend a powerhouse of this level, so she had to hide.
"What's the rush? I said I was very interested."
Throne pulled out his greatsword and dragged it as he walked over, causing the two guards to rush to block him, but they were ignored by Throne. Under the illusory mask, the current Throne was nearly two meters tall, a battle-hardened tough guy. This pressure was much stronger than his true state, and he looked down at the Deathbed Companion from above.
"'Deathbed Companion' Fia, you are trying to find the first of Those Who Live in Death, 'Godwyn' the Golden, right? And then let this half-dead guy rest in peace?"
Throne's words stunned Fia. She had never thought that the other party would point out what was in her heart in one sentence, and he also knew her identity.
"How do you know..."
"Knowing the secrets of The Lands Between makes this easy to piece together."
Throne extended his index finger, wagging it with a grin.
"Blasphemous notion. What twisted additions do you plan for the Golden Order?"
"No, I don't."
Fia frowned, her confusion evident. The thought of altering the Order hadn't crossed her mind—such lofty ambitions lay far beyond her current strength.
"So you don't despise death and Those Who Live in Death?"
Her voice softened, laced with cautious respect. If he hailed from the Golden Order, she'd already be dead. Godwyn's name alone was forbidden to utter.
"Hmm. I respect death, but I don't fear it. Rest assured, I'm familiar with the era before the Golden Age. I might even know more than you about the Erdtree's intentions."
Throne's smile deepened. Even without his past-life memories, his knowledge surpassed that of any Tarnished. After all, who else could recount the Night of the Black Knives from firsthand experience? Speaking of which, Godwyn was Ranni's half-brother.
Fia eyed him with suspicion.
If a weakling had uttered such things, they'd be dead before finishing their sentence. A true powerhouse wouldn't bother with theatrics—they'd simply strike. She hesitated, wondering what value she held to warrant such attention from someone so formidable.
"What exactly do you want?"
"Information about death."
"But you already know more than I do."
"Knowing is one thing. You're special."
Throne cut straight to the point. The Deathbed Companion was no ordinary figure. Her role wasn't merely to lie with corpses; she was a bridge between life and death—a concept the Erdtree could never tolerate. Yet, in places untouched by the Erdtree, she might be revered as a saint. Countless Tarnished had sought her embrace, only to pay with their life force.
"So you've known about me for some time."
Fia's smile was cold yet warm, as though life and death coexisted within her.
"It's precisely because I respect death that I understand it. You remind me of someone."
Throne maintained his air of mystery, as though he held countless secrets.
"Death Eater!"
The girl spat the words with a hint of disgust. She didn't grasp the true meaning of "devourer."
If one could absorb the power of the dead, they'd be a Lord of Death. Yet her current predicament was tied to him. The Golden Order's forces were hypersensitive to anything related to death.
It seemed these individuals were also caught in the crossfire.
Unlucky souls. I treat death as sustenance, while they sanctify it. A fundamental difference. Throne smirked inwardly. He wasn't about to apologize, casually waving his hand.
"Do as you please. I'll observe from the sidelines."
The request was simple. Fia hesitated, then nodded.
"As you wish."
She'd weighed her options.
Refusing meant certain death. Aligning with this powerful Tarnished at least ensured her safety.
"Anwen, Lionel, let's continue."
"But he—" The young knight's voice dripped with skepticism.
"It's fine. This—" Fia paused mid-sentence. She realized she hadn't asked his name.
He'd already prepared a slew of aliases. Since he'd chosen to accompany this group seeking death, he had a fitting identity.
"Call me Headless."
"...I can't decide if you're lucky or cursed. How do you stumble into such chaos on the way to Caelid?"