Lands Between Chat Group?
Seeing this somewhat familiar term, Lloyd froze for a moment. Then he clicked open the system's description to get a general idea of what it was.
After reading it through, his expression grew increasingly strange.
It wasn't that he couldn't understand how the system worked—quite the opposite. It was because he understood it all too well that he felt uneasy. To put it simply, this thing really was just a chat group.
Its operating principle, as Alice's system notes explained, used the Erdtree as the foundation, with the smaller Golden Trees scattered across the land serving as base stations. The Golden Order acted like a WiFi signal, while the Golden Twigs functioned as transmitters, enabling long-distance communication.
In local terms, it was nothing more than "messages carried by falling leaves." That was essentially how it worked.
But since this was something hastily thrown together, and the Golden Order itself was still bugged, the system for now was quite primitive. It could only handle basic text transmission and even had noticeable delays.
Yet what twisted Lloyd's expression wasn't the simplicity of the system—it was the chat group itself.
"Doesn't this feel a little out of place? Why is there a chat group in a fantasy world? Is that even right?"
Alice gave him a sidelong glance.
"And you think the Magic Engine makes perfect sense?"
"...Guess you're right."
Despite being called a chat group, in practice it was more like sending telegraphs or text messages. Considering that Raya Lucaria was already researching Magic Engines, it wasn't too unreasonable for the Golden faction to have come up with their own version of a Golden Telegraph.
As for permissions... theoretically, Alice, being the one who created it, should have held full control. But she was busy, and since she made it for Lloyd anyway, she bound all permissions to him during setup and left none for herself.
And as for why... did there really need to be a reason? Did it matter whether it belonged to her or him?
Well, maybe it did—at least this way, after tossing it to him, she wouldn't need to bother managing the group, which saved her some work.
Even so, Lloyd wasn't in a hurry to use the chat group.
According to Alice's further explanation, since the Golden Order was jammed at the moment, the power she could draw from the Erdtree was limited. As a result, the chat group's capacity was also very restricted. If too many messages were sent, or if the flow of data spiked too quickly, the system could freeze.
And if it froze, fixing it would have to wait until the Elden Ring itself was repaired.
After confirming the system's status and putting away the Golden Twigs, Lloyd turned to the second notification—the one about the dungeon "Golden Prime."
Like the other special dungeons he'd encountered, this one also had entry restrictions. But unlike the others, the requirements here were utterly absurd.
The moment he opened the info panel, a massive wall of text filled his vision. At first, he thought it was a lore description or background for the dungeon. But after carefully reading it, he realized every single densely packed line was a requirement.
A prerequisite checklist.
[Collect Great Runes: 4/8]
[Defeat Demigods: 2/10]
[Complete challenges: 'The Primordial King,' 'Shadow of the Empyrean,' 'Incarnation of Law'...]
[Clear dungeons: 'Knights of the Round Table,' 'Ancient Dragon War,' 'Sorceries War'...]
[Optional quests: Gloam-Eyes, Corruption Spreads, Madness's Fire, Storm Awakening, Albinauric Blood...]
The first set were mandatory conditions for entry, while the optional quests, once cleared, would grant him assistance within the dungeon.
But no matter which way he looked at it, Lloyd's current progress was far too low. He was still a long way from even meeting the bare minimum to enter. Clearly, this wasn't something he could attempt right now.
After finishing his review of the dungeon, Lloyd remembered something and turned toward Alice.
"Oh, right—that Queen Marika, she..."
"She's hanging in there."
Alice said it flatly.
"From the traces, she probably tried to enter to modify the Law. But something went wrong partway, triggering the Ring's self-defense mechanism. That's how she ended up suspended..."
As she spoke, Alice raised her hand. Golden motes of light shimmered, forming an image before Lloyd—Marika with arms outstretched and head bowed, frozen within a vast Rune Arc that floated in midair.
Her posture was eerily like that of a martyred saint.
Her body was covered in cracks, breaking apart like a stone statue. Large patches of skin sloughed off, limbs mangled, and a crimson spear ran through her entire frame—a horrifying sight.
After examining the miniature figure in Alice's hand for a moment, Lloyd nodded.
"Not bad at all."
After deducing that Queen Marika had blown up the computer while fixing it, Lloyd had imagined countless scenarios, even bracing himself to scour the entire map for her fragments. But now it seemed—forget fragments—though gravely wounded, she wasn't quite dead, still clinging to life. They might even get a boss battle while she was still warm.
After confirming this, he happily went to find Old Margit and Melina to share the good news.
"Your mom's hanging in the sky, still clinging to life."
Though they understood what Lloyd meant, hearing him say it left them with a rather peculiar feeling.
And...
"Her mother... is Queen Marika?"
Morgott stared at Melina, stunned. This was the first he'd heard of it.
Melina fell silent for a moment, then lifted her head to meet Morgott's gaze.
"Technically speaking, you should call me sister."
Morgott: "...?"
"Your older brother should call me sister too."
Morgott: "...Huh?"
Wait, sis, where did you even come from?
Back in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, his eldest brother had indeed told him about other Demigods within the Golden Order Dynasty, and mentioned a Demigod bearing cursed power who worked for Marika in the Land of Shadow—supposedly the eldest among them all, the eldest brother.
But the problem was, if Morgott remembered correctly, "eldest brother" referred to a man. Yet Melina... could she be...
Morgott's expression shifted slightly.
"That's another one."
Melina said this, then turned to look at Lloyd. He had already taken out a Fire Knight Medallion and activated it the moment Melina glanced over. With a burst of flames, the figure of the ultimate mama's boy emerged.
"What happened...?"
The moment he opened his eyes, Messmer saw Morgott. He immediately noticed the massive, tangled horns atop his head and the hundred-faced tail trailing behind him. Almost instantly, Messmer drew his spear on instinct and thrust at Morgott.
But the next second, his spear was blocked by the double-helix Claymore, which had anticipated the strike.
"It's Morgott—the one your mother told you about."
Morgott?
Hearing the name, Messmer froze for a heartbeat, realizing this wasn't the Land of Shadow and the figure before him couldn't be a Hornsent. But those great horns... and that tail...
After sheathing his weapon, Messmer couldn't help giving him another look. The scale of those horns, and that tail... If you showed this to the Hornsent, you wouldn't even need to lift a finger. Just point it at them, and they'd probably kneel on the spot.
As for Morgott on the other side, though he didn't know about the Hornsent, he was used to sudden assaults. Omens weren't welcome in the Golden Order Dynasty; even when traveling incognito, if he didn't declare his identity along the way, the Leyndell Knights would attack him.
Still, while the attack didn't surprise him, the man in front of him did.
Wait, wasn't this guy in the Land of Shadow? How did you even get in touch with him?
Watching Lloyd and Messmer chat amicably, Morgott glanced at the nearby Erdtree, which Alice entered and exited freely. After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh and covered his face.
Oh, Queen Marika...
Just then, Lloyd told Messmer the "good news" that his mother was hanging in the sky and close to death. Though the phrasing was odd, Messmer understood and turned toward the Erdtree.
"So what do we do next? Do we need the fire seed to burn away the thorns? I can handle that..."
As he spoke, Messmer reached toward his heart, ready to pull out the fire seed to burn the tree.
Lloyd stopped him.
"Alice said she's looking for an opening. We can only burn it once she finds one, or else we might burn the person inside too..."
Hearing this, Messmer lowered his hand. After chatting with Lloyd for a moment, he remembered something and looked at Melina—or rather, at the double-helix Claymore in her hand.
"You..."
"I've lifted some of the restrictions on the Gloam-Eyes."
Melina admitted it matter-of-factly, then kindled Black Flame laced with traces of Destined Death along the blade, showing it to Messmer.
"Why?"
"To guard against her."
As she spoke, Melina extended her hand and pointed at Chaos standing nearby.
Seeing Melina point at her, Chaos flashed a harmless, gentle smile.
This left Messmer somewhat puzzled. Wait, who is this person? She doesn't seem particularly threatening... Why would Melina lift the restrictions on the Gloam-Eyes because of her...?
"She is the Frenzied Flame."
After a pause, Melina added.
"Not the messenger, nor the Finger Maiden—Frenzied Flame herself."
Silence.
Moments later, Messmer turned to Melina and said earnestly.
"Do you know where Maliketh is?"
"If you do, I can help you secure the Destined Death."
Damn, that's Frenzied Flame we're talking about.
Though Queen Marika and the Hornsent shared a blood feud, when facing Frenzied Flame, even Marika and the Hornsent could temporarily unite.
And...
"Why would Frenzied Flame be here?"
Because he refused to accept the serpent's Strength, Messmer remained disconnected from the memories and consciousness of the Essence of the Serpent within him. Thus, even now, he still didn't understand why the serpent had forcibly dragged him to Lloyd's side in the first place, nor what exactly the serpent coveted from Lloyd.
But now...
"This situation is rather complicated."
Considering this information might be too shocking for Messmer, Melina decided to prepare him beforehand.
"But let me warn you—what I'm about to say might be quite jarring. You'd better brace yourself…"
But Messmer didn't take it to heart. In his view, he'd already endured enough shocks recently—especially after just learning about his mother—and he didn't think anything else could deliver a major blow.
Could anything possibly be more shocking than discovering his mother was still alive?
—as it turned out, it could.
After hearing Melina's brief description, Messmer froze in place, his gaze darting between Chaos and Lloyd. His mouth hung open for what felt like an eternity, yet no sound emerged.
Wait... defiling the Frenzied Flame?
Had he misheard, or had the world gone mad?
He now even suspected that if he ran to the entrance of the Erdtree and shouted this news inside, his mother would leap out to verify its truth.
After informing Messmer, Lloyd, having nothing else to do here, prepared to explore beneath the Royal Capital.
The underground passages beneath the Royal Capital were labyrinthine, filled with Omen, and guarded at the entrance by Mohg. Adding to this, despite the severe mental trauma he had suffered, Morgott still decided to accompany Lloyd down.
Partly to assist, partly to guard against Chaos, and partly to finally visit his brother, whom he hadn't seen in ages due to work commitments.
Then, guided by Morgott, the group journeyed from the Elden Throne to the Royal Capital's Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. In stark contrast to the surface's splendor, the Royal Capital's Subterranean Shunning-Grounds reeked of foul odors and curses.
The environment was filthy and chaotic, the air thick with foul odors. Fingercreeper Monsters clung to the walls, while Basilisk and viscous sludge inhabited the pipes. From the pools of accumulated sewage, giant lobsters crawled out, their bodies covered in disgusting colors.
Yet, within this very environment, lived a group of Omen Children who also bore horns. In fact, these Omen Children could even be considered fortunate.
Born into royalty, they were the royal omens of doom. This status spared them the fate of having their horns cut off, allowing them to scrape out a miserable existence in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. As for those born to commoners, even the extremely fortunate few who survived the near-fatal horn-cutting ritual were never permitted to live above ground in the Royal Capital. They were either exiled to the borders or condemned to a life hidden from the light.
"So, you were like this too?"
Lloyd surveyed his surroundings before turning to Morgott. The latter nodded, acknowledging it plainly.
"Yes."
It was even worse. Compared to other children of Omen, Morgott's Aspects of the Crucible manifested more intensely, granting him greater Strength. Consequently, he was shackled in specially crafted restraints, denied even the freedom to move within the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds.
"Then you hold no grudge against the Golden Order Dynasty? I mean, after suffering such treatment..."
"I understand what you mean."
In truth, countless people had asked him this question before. After all, an omen born in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds escaping without seeking vengeance against the Golden Order Dynasty was already remarkable.
But not only did he refrain from vengeance, he and his younger brother—unwelcome as they were—became the Golden Order Dynasty's final pillars, defending Leyndell during The Shattering. It all seemed utterly abstract.
Indeed, it was abstract. Even Morgott himself couldn't articulate why he had become the Grace-Given.
His answer remained much the same as before.
"You... just consider it for my brother's sake."
But that wasn't the truth.
Because Godwyn had never demanded his loyalty to the Golden Order Dynasty. In fact, he had secretly planned to send both him and Mohg beyond the Lands Between—to a place that could accept the Omen.
The plan never materialized. Partly because Godwyn died, of course. But also because, after surveying his surroundings, Godwyn realized that despite the Golden Order Dynasty's many flaws, it seemed to be the most human-like civilization in the entire Lands Between and surrounding regions. If he truly sent his two brothers away, they might face treatment even more brutal than what they endured now.
But regardless of the plan, Godwyn never expected Morgott to feel gratitude toward the Golden Order Dynasty.
In fact, as the outside world's favored heir to the Golden Order, he would curse the Golden Order Dynasty to Morgott's face—not as a crown prince, but as a brother. But he never cursed their mother.
Godwyn knew a bit about the affair between Marika and the Hornsent Folk, and out of consideration for his brother's feelings, he never told Morgott. Otherwise, knowing Morgott as he did, if the boy ever learned about the Hornsent affair, he might very well pluck out every single horn from his own head.
In any case, while his older brother's influence certainly played a part, Morgott's willingness to stand with the Golden Order Dynasty was not something demanded of him.
Even his other brother, Mohg—born in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds like him and also a Child of Omen—often questioned this choice. Though Mohg also stood with the Golden Order and was willing to fight for it, it was purely out of gratitude for their elder brother's past care and because Morgott insisted on siding with the Erdtree.
"Brother, what on earth are you thinking..."
"Has the Golden Order Dynasty ever treated us well, even for a single day since we were born?"
"If you're talking about our big brother, he never demanded we swear allegiance to the Golden Order Dynasty either. You'd be better off joining me in faith of the Formless Mother—at least she gave us Strength..."
Mohg often complained about this to him. At first, Morgott didn't care, but after hearing it so many times, he couldn't help but feel shaken. After all, this man was his only remaining brother, the one who had grown up with him since childhood, the one he trusted most. Moreover, no matter how you looked at it, the other's words made perfect sense, while his own Faith felt rather vague and unclear.
That was precisely why he had assigned him to guard the Frenzied Flame Seal and rarely met with him. Besides the inconvenience of his Omen status making public appearances difficult, the real reason was a certain fear of conversing with him.
But now...
Glancing at Lloyd beside him, Morgott sighed. Compared to this fellow, talking with Mohg was almost a pleasure. And conveniently, Morgott intended to use this opportunity to introduce his brother to Lloyd, to prevent any misunderstandings or conflicts.
With this in mind, Morgott led Lloyd all the way to the lowest level of the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, to the place Mohg guarded. After pushing open the door, he began to introduce him.
"This is my brother, Mohg..."
But Lloyd gave no response, merely staring at Mohg.
"...What's wrong?"
Morgott noticed his unusual behavior. After a moment of silence, Lloyd scrutinized Mohg, then turned to Morgott and asked earnestly.
"Old Margit, is this brother of yours legit?"
What kind of question was that?
Morgott froze, baffled by Lloyd's meaning. But moments later, he seemed to grasp something and turned to look at Mohg beside him. From the moment they entered, the other had stood there silently, showing no reaction whatsoever to their arrival.
This didn't align with Morgott's understanding of him. With this thought, he walked over, intending to greet Mohg.
"Hey, Mohg, you..."
Morgott's words stopped. Because right before him, the "Mohg" drew his weapon. From that warning stance alone, it was clear that one more step forward would trigger an attack.
Morgott fell silent. After a moment, he drew his cursed sword.
But before he could advance, Lloyd stopped him.
"Hold on."
With that, Lloyd vanished and reappeared holding a golden lantern.
"Fighting with this will be more satisfying."
Morgott didn't question it—Lloyd had been abstract for ages. He took the golden lantern and smashed the Mohg phantom before him with his golden hammer. When the phantom dissipated, Morgott's face went completely dark.
"I told you to guard the Frenzied Flame Seal, and you ran off yourself..."
He didn't even know when the other had slipped away, nor where he might be now. Considering the other's status as an Omen, he wasn't worried about him stirring up trouble—no one in the Lands Between welcomed Omens—but he was genuinely concerned for his brother's safety.
Then, as if remembering something, Morgott slowly turned to Lloyd.
Chapter 114: Glad Tidings: Thy Mother Nears Her End"Um..."
"No problem, I'll ask for you."
With that, Lloyd pulled Elizabeth out. Having recently replenished her blood, Elizabeth was in good condition. After hearing their questions, she readily gave an answer.
"Huh? You didn't know?"
"That kid's built himself a Dynasty of Blood underground. He's having a blast."
"Oh, and I heard he's fallen for his own brother—that guy named Miquella. They're planning a wedding over there."
"None of you knew about this?"
The words fell.
Silence blanketed the area. Even the head inside the lantern stared wide-eyed, filled with disbelief.
...
[Upto 20 chapters ahead for now]
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