Frilian at Elden Ring

The Realm of the Dark Gods.

"If the Eternal City holds any treasures, only this relatively intact place could possibly still exist."

Melina nodded in agreement: "In other words, even if it were stored elsewhere, it would sink to a deeper place over time, or be destroyed by monsters. Based on experience, it's most likely there."

"If you obtain the Hunter's Finger Knife, return to the Magic Academy immediately and contact Lani. At the same time, I will perform the body creation ritual for you."

"why?"

"After all, the Full Moon Queen's life-saving technique takes time. During this period, I'll separate you from me and leave you in the most heavily guarded academy. I will then complete my plan to assassinate Twofinger, which is dangerous and involves too many uncertainties."

To be honest, Frilian is very wary of enemies who can manipulate minds from behind the scenes; Blaze is a prime example of this.

Therefore, we do not want Melina to be in danger.

Be extra careful at crucial moments, lest all previous efforts be wasted.

"...Alright, since it's your decision, the premise is that we find it first."

"of course."

"What do you think, Lani? Could our target be the Dark Goddess Realm?"

Frillie took out the blue-haired doll and contacted it using magic: "Also, have you made contact with Blaze?"

As expected, a wisp of lunar magic rose, responding with an even more serene chill beneath the illusory starry sky:

"Don't worry, he's in stable condition inside the seal right now. As for the Hunter Finger Knife, he's most likely still in the center of the Eternal City."

"That is, what lies ahead of us?"

"Yes, the once magnificent metropolis is now just a ruin. There should be many enemies inside, so be careful."

At Frilian's whistle, the spirit horse Toret appeared, and with a neigh as it raised its front hooves, it carried the two of them toward the distant Dark God Realm complex.

The intelligent beast also sensed that this adventure was of great importance, a harbinger of a major event.

……

Meanwhile, above the Falling Star Cave.

The group of Faded Ones arrived, led by Neferi, D, and Roger, along with other Faded Ones and the elite of Nymgford, as well as the Dragon Eaters and the Limb-Breaking Nobles.

Hyde, who had just arrived, was the one who escorted them and guided them along the way.

As the local lord and the person in charge of this expedition, it was only natural for him to be on the front lines and at least see for himself.

He took out a delicate handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said, "Your Majesty is too quick. I didn't even have time to pay my respects before I had to leave."

"It's very much her style."

Neferi laughed loudly and rubbed her hands together, eager to get started.

"Be careful. Your mission this time is simply to eliminate the monster threat at the entrance, explore and create a passage that allows more people to enter, conduct reconnaissance, and the engineering team will follow later."

Behind them followed two main laborers: a mountain demon and a demi-human, who were ready to set up a ladder.

The group was discussing the specific details animatedly, and they were already preparing to head to the underground world.

In contrast to the commotion, D quietly gazed into the dark cave.

"what happened?"

“I have a strange feeling of unease, Roger. Although it’s very faint, there are traces of the Deadborn on the tree roots here, leading all the way to the source that Frilian mentioned might exist.”

"Are you referring to the corrupt tree spirit we fought in Stoneville?"

The magician looked thoughtful. "The investigation suggests it was caused by the dead prince."

"Yes, the source of pollution should be cleaned up if necessary."

"Your attitude remains as firm as ever, Ah Tao. There are people at the round table who have faith in the Prince of Death."

"Fia? There's nothing to say."

"We can talk about that later. The most urgent task is underground exploration. The first choice we face is: ladder or jump?"

Roger's words interrupted the discussion, and everyone stood at the cave entrance looking down.

Whoops!

A cold wind howled, accompanied by turbulent magical currents that rose intermittently. The crater created by the meteorite was inherently unstable; how could it possibly be safe? It was a miracle it hadn't continued to collapse.

A faint trace of dazzling magic, deliberately left behind, can be seen leading from the edge of the cave entrance into a misty area, guiding later visitors to the entrance.

Only the Soul King has the spare capacity to leave marks while exploring.

Hyde looked around and muttered, "Strange, there are no signs of ropes around. How did His Majesty get down there?"

"Of course, we'll use gravity magic to fly down."

Roger's answer was astonishing once again: how difficult is it to maintain an undisturbed gravitational field in this situation? To jump so recklessly is incredibly audacious; no wonder the magical traces are pointing vertically downwards.

Therefore, the path traces she left behind are useless; only the entrance marker is worth referencing.

"That's too risky."

"So we had to use the conservative method. The first reconnaissance team rappelled down, and the second engineering team set up long ladders before we returned."

"This is the only way we can do for now. After all, the cave entrance is very dangerous, and we can't fly there like His Majesty."

Hyde issued the order: "Begin the operation."

"Yes, my lord."

The fortress soldiers immediately began chiseling into the cliff face, embedding steel spikes and securing them with ropes. To be on the safe side, they widened the rope net, creating a continuous canopy that led down to the location where Frilian had made her magical markings.

Although they look simple, they don't have many options, and if they are too large, they are easily blown away by the wind.

Therefore, the rope net needs to be kept close to the rock face to avoid being swept away by the turbulent current.

A moment later, the engineers tugged on the rope to confirm that it was secure enough; the rest depended on whether the climber could maintain his balance.

This requires an extremely high level of physical coordination.

They gazed into the depths of the fallen star's location, unable to see the bottom, only an endless expanse of darkness. The cavity created by the meteorite probably reached the very bottom of the earth; who knew where the limit lay?

Hyde instructed, "Don't linger once you're inside. Clear out the safe zone first. My men will set up a more sturdy ladder and arrive shortly after. It should take about two days."

The faded ones nodded.

Next, we should go and explore; otherwise, what's the point of hiring them? We should lead by example.

"I'll go first."

Neferi slid down the rope.

During this time, the air currents in the cave kept rising, causing her to sway back and forth, which was thrilling. Fortunately, as a warrior, she reacted quickly enough to reach her destination.

"There's an entrance here, come on."

With the rare good news and the example set by others, the successors stepped onto the rope net one after another. The moment they stepped on it, they felt a swaying sensation, completely different from the touch of the earth. The wind howled in their ears like a roar, carrying a chill.

The Eternal City, silent for millennia, extends an invitation to uninvited guests, unaware of the abyss that lies ahead.

Roger had only gone halfway when he suddenly felt a surge of air beneath his feet.

Wow!

Gravel fell from the edge, causing the rope to swing violently, trying to throw people off. Even with a firm grip, it was difficult to maintain balance. Damn it, how unlucky!

He watched as a stone was pressed down on the anchor post, causing the metal to twist and creak.

D, who was further down, sprinted to the entrance and rolled to dissipate the force, shouting, "Jump down, Neferi and I will hold you."

Before the words were finished, the ear-piercing sound of the steel nail breaking came.

"Then let's give it a try—"

In desperation, Roger leaped up and desperately reached his hand towards the rocks deep below.

Didn't catch.

At the critical moment, D leaned out halfway and grabbed Roger's arm, while Neferi pulled them back from behind, a quick and thrilling maneuver.

He glanced back at the deep crater with lingering fear; the gale had swallowed the rope net, and a moment's hesitation meant death.

"Thank you very much."

"It's alright, it's just that the team has only reached half of the target so far."

D said regretfully.

Neferi shouted upwards, "Hey! We've already gone in. You just need to set up a rope. We won't go too far. We'll meet up in the open area inside."

A faint response came from the top of the cave, indicating that they had probably heard it.

Staying here isn't a solution, since there's no way back for the time being. We might as well continue exploring; maybe we'll make some new discoveries.

The group trudged nervously across the narrow path, only to be suddenly greeted by a breathtaking vista. Even knowing it was an artificial starry sky, it was still awe-inspiring. Leaving the small cave, they found themselves in a vast expanse of heaven and earth, with the eternal night's light illuminating the city ruins, and collapsed rooftops forming pathways.

"So the Eternal City has been sleeping beneath the borderlands all along. How big must it have been before?"

Amazed, Roger looked around.

"there!"

Following the direction he pointed, traces of magic stretched out all the way. No, there was no need for road signs anymore; the corpses of the surrounding monsters and the explosion craters all counted as a road.

The commotion was quite loud, and the road was full of potholes and collapsed buildings.

"It was Frilian's doing."

Neferi, who had fought alongside him the most times among those present, made her conclusion.

"As a mage, I can sense that she fought her way in and collected everything along the way. She completely ignored the environmental changes in the underground world, so she must have gotten there ahead of time and reached the archway."

Roger pointed into the distance.

A strong magical aura wafted over, indicating that a great battle had taken place, a contest between some very powerful mages.

Suddenly someone else reported: "A rubbing of a map fragment has been discovered, which makes things much clearer."

"The monsters are all dead, and no survivors have been found around."

"So clean."

As we all know, the Soul King despises bizarre and non-human creatures. If they cannot communicate or connect emotionally, they deserve to die. So it's not hard to understand why he sweeps away the monsters that are unique to the underworld; he probably just can't stand them.