The night wind brushed past like strands of soft silk, and the Erdtree's glow seemed dimmer within it, as though shrouded by a thin veil. A full moon slowly brightened, hanging high in the heavens like a brilliant pearl, spilling boundless silver light over the thriving branches and creeping vines.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Two Golden Needle Knights led a squad of Haligtree soldiers through the darkness, bright glintstone magic lamps in hand, lighting the path ahead. When they looked up, a city blazing with lights came into view. Laughter and cheer drifted down on the wind, brimming with life and vitality.
That joyous sound seemed to lend even the tangled roots below a faint glow.
Deep within those roots, Kindred of Rot and their still-unformed young struggled upward along the fibrous tendrils. They were strange creatures. The adults resembled enormous centipedes, while the young looked like legless, many-armed monstrosities. Their name said it all—they were devotees of the Goddess Of Rot.
To them, Rot was a final destination, like a sacred pilgrimage. Even knowing it would cost them their lives, they longed to reach the side of the Valkyrie Malenia.
Yet what these insects worshipped was not the invincible Valkyrie herself. They yearned for Rot to bloom into crimson flowers, welcoming the return of an ancient god.
Nolan looked farther out. Aside from scattered reefs and islands dotting the sea, and the distant snow-white mountains gleaming like a painting, there was not a single ship to be seen.
For them to cross the sea like this—it had to be said, that took astonishing luck and a fearless disregard for death.
After all, the Lake of Rot lay deep beneath Liurnia of the Lakes. Reaching the Haligtree meant overcoming countless dangers along the way. And once there, death only drew closer.
Malenia despised the Rot gnawing at her body. If she encountered these insects, she would kill them without hesitation.
"Come to think of it," Nolan muttered, "even if I've never seen it myself, the demigods must have learned how to swim by now."
Being overprotected could sometimes cause problems of its own.
Though he was, in a sense, a native of the Lands Between, Nolan still felt oddly disconnected from this world. Many things he only knew through the words of others. Worse still, the game itself never clearly stated when many events took place, which made it all the more frustrating.
He had no idea when the Golden Prince Godwyn truly died, nor when the world would be thrown into upheaval.
Shaking his head, Nolan pushed those useless thoughts aside and began weighing the strength of both sides.
"My physical condition is about the same as a regular Haligtree soldier. According to the knights, once these Kindred of Rot make it across the sea, they're roughly on par with ordinary knights. The larvae should be even weaker."
He tightened his grip on his straight sword, his fingers opening and closing as though awakening old instincts. At the same time, memories surfaced—countless clashes with powerful foes from his past.
As long as their physical abilities were on the same level, refined technique could make up the difference. This blade could just as easily cut through flesh and take a life.
Of course, beyond the hard-earned experience of life-and-death battles from his previous life, Nolan had gained plenty of skills in this one as well.
"Mostly basic combat techniques, some incantations from the Haligtree and Golden Order, and a few low-tier academy sorceries…"
After silently simulating dozens of possible encounters, Nolan found that not once did retreat appear as an option.
As a Golden Needle Knight, what he was most known for was his ability to learn. Back when he studied the Waterfowl Dance sword style, he had mastered it even faster than Malenia herself.
But his physical limitations were a fatal flaw. Without the strength to support them, techniques alone were meaningless. Before he could even swing his blade, an enemy's fist would already be crashing into his face. No matter how exquisite his skills, how could he ever get the chance to use them?
"Careful. They're entering level ground."
A dull thud echoed from ahead. Leda straightened slightly, her white cloak fluttering in the wind. She lowered her gaze to observe the situation below, quietly weighing her next move.
"Lady Leda, what should we do next? Should we have the archers suppress them?" a Haligtree soldier asked cautiously.
Leda fell silent for a moment before replying in a low, steady voice.
"Don't act rashly. Against these insects, wearing them down at range works against us."
"Wait until they climb up. Then charge with me."
Nolan frowned faintly as he examined the surrounding terrain.
There was indeed very little cover here. If the soldiers exposed themselves, threads of rot would likely be flying at them the next instant. With bodies this slight, taking even one hit would be disastrous.
"As expected of Lady Leda. As long as the Mushroom Head doesn't show up, there's nothing to worry about."
"That's right. Just a bunch of bugs. For His Highness Miquella and Her Highness Malenia, we'll wipe them all out!"
The soldiers' morale steadily rose as they cracked their knuckles, eager for battle.
Leda nodded in satisfaction.
His Highness Miquella was indeed the most compassionate of the demigods, but kindness had its limits. The Scarlet Rot that had ravaged Malenia was the clearest exception. Purging it was not only for Malenia's sake, but also a responsibility toward the other inhabitants of the Haligtree.
At that thought, she instinctively glanced sideways at the Golden Needle Knight behind her. Seeing him silently focused on the scene below, she calmly turned her head back.
She and Nolan had known each other for many years. She understood better than most how important this young knight was to Malenia. If not for His Highness Miquella's direct order, she would never have brought him here.
No one spoke. The atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive, broken only by the scraping of chitin against bark.
Within this eerie silence, the swarm crawled slowly upward along the roots.
Time passed second by second. After roughly ten minutes, the last Kindred of Rot larva finally struggled onto the platform.
The insects seemed tireless. The moment they reached solid ground, they pressed on without pause, heading toward the lower reaches of the Haligtree.
Leda narrowed her eyes, carefully studying these uninvited guests.
With such numbers and such blatant intent, there was no chance of them escaping her notice.
At the front of the swarm were five Kindred of Rot wielding glaive-like weapons, leading a group of larvae that could only crawl slowly along the ground using their hands.
Nolan counted them at a glance. There were close to twenty larvae in total.
A decision was made in an instant.
Leda turned to the group and spoke.
"Their numbers aren't high. We'll end this quickly."
"The five Kindred are mine and Knight Nolan's. The rest of you, prepare the Fire Grease."
"Ella, Thorin, suppress their movement with arrows. Don't let them get close."
"Karl, Enrique, you're on protection duty. Be ready to support at any time."
She assigned each role with calm precision.
"Yes!"
The reply came in unison, sharp and orderly.
Worthy of being Miquella's Knight Commander, her command was flawless.
The Haligtree soldiers showed the same level of discipline, moving at once upon receiving their orders.
The great tree beneath their feet, like the insects themselves, was vulnerable to fire. For that reason, no firebombs were used for direct suppression.
Fire Grease was set aside nearby. Two Pulley Bows were already trained on the path ahead, arrows nocked and ready.
The tension in the air had reached its breaking point.
At that moment, a voice broke the silence.
"When do we start?"
It was Nolan. He held a lump of Fire Grease high in his hand, ready to smear it across his longsword at any moment.
"You… this is your first time, isn't it? You're not afraid?" Leda asked, looking at him.
This young noble had lived his entire life behind high walls, pampered and protected. Yet now, faced with those monstrous things, he looked eager to jump in?
She couldn't help but feel that she no longer understood this young subordinate of hers.
Then again, he'd never truly had a chance to show who he really was.
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Nolan replied with a smile, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
Leda froze for a brief moment. The young knight showed not the slightest hint of panic. If anything, he looked almost exhilarated.
But the insect-like chirring drew closer and closer, giving her no time to dwell on it. She quickly shifted her focus back toward the massive tree roots ahead.
The sound of skittering feet closed in, and the chirping chatter became clearer, as though they were discussing how they would offer their loyalty when they finally met the Goddess Of Rot.
Amid their gleeful "laughter," just as they reached the area near the wall, a sharp tearing sound ripped through the pitch-black night, followed by something being violently sprayed into the air.
Splash!
Two heavy impacts struck the surface of the water. Engulfed in roaring flames, two Kindred of Rot larvae plunged into the depths below, sending up tall splashes.
"Move!"
Leda shouted as she leapt forward, bursting into a full sprint. In the blink of an eye, she had already crossed more than ten meters.
Through her helmet, she fixed her gaze on the insects raising their halberds and swiftly lifted her light claymore.
The hilt of the greatsword was adorned with finely woven gold, ornate and elegant. No one had time to admire it before its interwoven silver-and-gold sheen cut through the air.
Clang!!
A clear metallic ring echoed out as a flash of cold light passed by. Stepping in, Leda timed it perfectly, her claymore crashing against the halberd and throwing off a spray of dazzling sparks.
The Kindred of Rot let out piercing shrieks, their voices filled with fear and disbelief. Several others nearby instinctively raised their halberds in response.
The air began to howl.
From behind the Kindred of Rot, a vast mass of tough white filaments surged forth like a raging tide.
Pest Threads!
The white threads shot forward like arrows, thudding into the tree roots with vicious force.
They were fast, far-reaching, and capable of homing in on their targets. Countless Haligtree soldiers and knights had suffered terribly at their hands.
But Leda was no ordinary knight.
Just as the threads were about to strike, she turned into a blur and vanished from where she stood.
No elaborate technique. Just sheer speed.
The Lands Between were full of monsters who defied common sense.