Elden Ring: The Shattering!

The full moon fell, and the Erdtree once again dispersed its shimmering radiance. The sky gradually brightened, while at the manor by the shallow waters behind, more than a dozen Carian soldiers eagerly awaited with anticipation.

The commotion from yesterday could be seen even ten miles away. Unfortunately, the Cuckoo's main camp stood in the way… The Carian soldiers guarding the manor could do nothing but silently pray.

"They're here! They're here!"

No one knew who shouted first, but the crowd quickly turned their gazes toward the lake. Through the mist, a small boat emerged, with Half-Wolf Blaidd standing tall at the bow. His towering greatsword and cloak exuded an imposing aura.

"Glorious Carian!"

Cheers erupted endlessly. The returning boat seemed like a shot of adrenaline to the soldiers. Since the start of the war, the Carian royal family had only retreated, withdrawing into secluded areas.

This was the first proactive strike. Though the victory was modest, merely returning from the enemy's territory was a monumental feat.

As the boat docked amidst the cheers, Kaelith kept a low profile, sitting at the stern like a nobody. Yet the overwhelming enthusiasm stirred up some memories within him.

Blood-stained sabers, severed heads in hand, and the cries of "Victory!" echoed in his mind—he had once stood under the gaze of thousands, the epitome of a hero.

"With this opportunity, I'll take my step forward too."

He smiled and stepped ashore alongside Blaidd. The fallen warriors naturally had people to take care of them, and the cold Wolfman refrained from making any morale-boosting speeches.

Instead, he spoke only of the number of enemies killed and resources burned, cautioning that the Cuckoo would surely retaliate.

"The ultimate unassuming display of strength," Kaelith thought to himself, understanding the deeper intent behind the nighttime raid.

Carian intended to provoke the Cuckoo into attacking, creating an opportunity to slaughter them en masse!

Beyond the stalemate of The Shattering, the complex struggles in Liurnia were clear. On the surface, it was a conflict between the Carian royal family and the Raya Lucaria Academy. However, the Cuckoo Knights, serving as the main force, were at odds with their patrons.

Currently, the deadlock was highly unfavorable to the Carian royal family. They needed to create an opportunity to weaken the Cuckoo's ability to besiege strongholds. Once that happened, the cautious Raya Lucaria Academy would likely shut its gates and refuse to engage.

Would a grand war erupt?

Battle-hardened Kaelith seemed to smell the scent of smoke and fire. As he pondered his future, a heavy hand clapped his shoulder.

"Ah, I didn't expect you to return unscathed!" Arnold beamed, his face weary with dark circles under his eyes from a sleepless night.

"Took a hit, but it's nothing major," Kaelith said, rubbing his chest. Even though the Cuckoo Knight's counterattack lost most of its force, a dull ache still lingered.

"Should we call for a healer?"

"No need, it's just a scratch," Kaelith replied, thinking about how he once fought a bloody battle with a broken arm. A minor fracture was hardly worth mentioning.

Arnold eyed him suspiciously, his brown pupils growing more perplexed.

He recalled how his old friend once whined for days over a mere cut on his hand. How had he suddenly turned into a hardened warrior?

"If I didn't spend every day with you, I'd think you were replaced."

"Look around you," Kaelith deflected, gesturing to the scene. The manor was packed with soldiers, the walls scarred from the trebuchets' attacks the night before. Corpses draped in white cloth lay in the open, their comrades kneeling beside them, quietly weeping.

Death loomed heavily, and a silent malevolence lingered in everyone's hearts, waiting to be unleashed.

"Either you die or go mad. I choose the latter," Kaelith said, patting his friend's shoulder before walking away with weary steps.

Arnold nodded unconsciously, recalling how he too had been a simple villager. Now, unwittingly, he bore the weight of lives taken. In this accursed place, only the mad could survive. Watching Kaelith's departing figure, Arnold followed closely behind.

"Hey, give me your sword!"

…

Two days later, Kaelith gradually adapted to The Lands Between. He even voluntarily joined two patrol missions, killing several Cuckoo soldiers trying to infiltrate. It wasn't out of newfound patriotism but to gather "data" to understand the effects of the mutated Dragon's Heritage.

"The power only transfers one-fifth of the enemy's strength and varies based on their capabilities," Kaelith mused, standing atop the walls while stroking a borrowed straight sword.

"Not as efficient as the Tarnished, but it doesn't require a Maiden to use. Pity there's no status screen—I have to rely on impressions."

The lack of visible stats didn't bother him much. Based on experience, the acquired power enhanced physical traits like strength, agility, and recovery. Could it also mean slaying Sorcerers might boost intelligence?

Kaelith glanced at the figures in hoods atop the watchtower and stayed his hand. A man should have his limits—he wasn't crazy enough to harm his allies.

"To kill and ascend—it suits my taste."

The efficiency isn't great, so he relied on quality instead, and at least for now, he hasn't encountered any bottlenecks… Though it's obvious that regular soldiers couldn't be used for a snowballing strategy. Otherwise, cutting down a few thousand Cuckoo soldiers to challenge Radagon would progress way too quickly.

Better to be cautious, prioritizing quality over quantity in selecting enemies. If that's not an option, then target weaknesses to compensate and grow stronger gradually.

Clang, clang, clang—

The sound of a bell interrupted Kaelith's deep thoughts. Despite the change in positions, the Cuckoo encampment a mile away remained unresponsive. Instead, they continuously transported large amounts of weaponry. Blaidd sent teams for timed harassment attacks to keep the enemy frustrated and unsettled.

"It's almost time."

Kaelith, wearing his new chainmail, descended the stone stairs. His sorcerer robes combined with plate armor attracted plenty of attention, but Kaelith didn't care at all.

Tradition and aesthetics couldn't stop bullets, after all. If he weren't taking a swift and agile route, he would've gladly stacked ten layers of heavy armor and stayed huddled behind cover.

Once he descended, he grabbed a meal tray. Since Arnold was stationed by the lakeshore today, Kaelith enjoyed a rare moment of peace.

The mess-hall soldier placed two slices of black bread and a bowl of vegetable soup on his tray, causing Kaelith to frown slightly.

The food quality had declined even further from a few days ago.

The Carian royal lands were backed by mountains, leaving little space for farming. Meanwhile, fish and crabs near the lake had been over-harvested to the brink.

"No wonder Blaidd insists on going on the offensive." Kaelith said nothing further, grabbing a piece of fruit on the side before settling into a quiet corner. He wasn't lonely, but this body's poor interpersonal relationships discouraged him from making friends.

Just as he was halfway through the bread, the sound of metal scraping reached his ears. Kaelith looked up to see a tall, blonde-haired man clad in bluish-gray armor approaching. His armor shoulders gleamed with embedded gemstones, radiating extravagance.

"Sir Alain."

Kaelith set down his tray and stood to greet this lord of the manor and the famed, undefeated Carian Knight. The strikingly handsome knight waved for him to sit back down.

"Kaelith Light, your contributions have not gone unnoticed." Alain's tone was warm, far from Blaidd's cold demeanor. His smile brimmed with charisma. "The fate of Caria lies in the hands of everyone. I'm fortunate to have a subordinate as capable as you."

Though Alain looked down on ordinary Cuckoo Knights, a sorcerer who had slain one deserved better treatment than a common soldier.

"Thank you for your praise, Sir Alain," Kaelith replied modestly, well aware of how to maintain good relations with superiors thanks to his previous life as a battle-hardened warrior.

"However, why didn't you attend the reward ceremony yesterday?"

Last night, the manor held a celebratory "bonfire feast" where contributors were rewarded with rare opportunities, such as meat rations. Kaelith hesitated briefly before cautiously replying, "I believe that staying low-key helps one live longer."

A flicker of surprise crossed Alain's face, followed by approval. He had met countless warriors in his time, but calm, collected fighters like Kaelith were exceedingly rare. Clearly, this young sorcerer was a cut above the rest.

"Blaidd's actions may seem like small victories, but they won't change the tide of war. Do you know why Caria is at a disadvantage?"

"Because of insufficient forces and the underhanded ambushes of Raya Lucaria Academy," Kaelith answered without hesitation. Even Queen Rennala herself had been imprisoned; how shameless did one have to be to claim any sort of "advantage" under such circumstances?

"Precisely. By subjugating those who gazed at the stars, we lost control over their strength." Alain let out a bitter laugh, his expression tinged with nostalgia as he recounted, "Long ago, Caria was prosperous and populous. Back then, there were over twenty knights like me—enough to rule all of Liurnia."

Twenty Carian Knights might not sound like much, but in a high-magic world, such elite warriors were incredibly rare.

"Then the Royal Army arrived?" Kaelith interjected.

"Indeed, and it's no secret. During the Erdtree's expansion, the Golden Host felled dragons, eradicated giants, and marched directly toward Liurnia. It was our Queen who led us to repel them twice, bathing the rivers in blood. Ultimately, the conflict ended with the 'golden hero,' Radagon, marrying into our family." Alain's chest puffed with pride, his retelling vivid and heroic, as if the events had only just transpired.

Kaelith could almost see the scene unfold: clashing knights, magical explosions ripping through the countryside, and Carian forces ultimately bowing to the Erdtree's might. The latter offered a truce, and Caria reluctantly accepted.

"So many towns were reduced to ash, so many warriors lost their lives, and in the end, we received only blessings in return."

Alain gestured to the faint golden light in his brown eyes—a mark left by the conquest. Two Minor Erdtrees had since taken root in Liurnian soil.

"Doesn't seem like those soldiers took it well," Kaelith remarked, recalling the similarities to Ashina's downfall.

"It was mutual destruction. Why didn't Raya Lucaria revolt then and there?"

"Would they dare?!" Alain laughed mockingly, pointing to the grand structure across the lake. "With the Erdtree's protection, they wouldn't dare make a peep—until that man betrayed us!"

The knight clenched his fists in fury, swallowing down the harsher words stuck in his throat.

Kaelith already knew the rest. Radagon had abandoned Caria, leaving Queen Rennala in despair. When the Shattering began, the Erdtree's factions tore each other apart over the Elden Ring fragments, and Raya Lucaria Academy immediately betrayed them.

Meanwhile, the Carian royal family, crippled by two wars and leaderless, barely survived by sheer luck.

"Justice lies in the hearts of the people. With Princess Ranni still here, Caria will never fall," Kaelith said firmly, every word carrying unshakable conviction.

After all, where would he go if Caria were to perish?

"Indeed, at least we still have Princess Ranni." Alain smiled warmly, his gaze filled with approval. "Now, with only Bols and myself left as knights, Caria's future depends on all of you. Follow me—someone wishes to meet you."

Kaelith, who had only come to hear stories, was taken aback. "Who wants to meet me?"

The knight stood, his smile deepening as he glanced at Kaelith. "Our master, Princess Ranni!"