5083 words
Black Knife Assasin Tiche, the Demigod Slayer pov:
Noah had travelled back to the White Woods region to meet up with his allies but after some of them briefly tried to talk with one another, Elder Hope's arrival and next few words had silenced them and myself as we were filled with suprise and shock.
"I've found an Inheritance of a Divine Being!"
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Some time had passed from when Elder Hope told that she had found the Inheritance ground of a Divine Being.
The entire group had unanimously agreed to travel and investigate the Azure Plain where the Divine Inheritance is located.
Upon arrival at the location, it was easily noticeable that someone had intentionally broke the through the surface of the terrain to reach an almost endless abyss.
Descending down past the endless darkness two small lights faintly illuminated the entrance of the inheritance.
As the group, only Elder Morgan along with Pansy and Jason stayed on the surface so that they can complete the teleportation matrix in the White Woods.
"I don't think we should stay here. Let us return and inform the Hive of this discovery."
Elder Austin said as his gaze remained fixated on the enormous and strange door of obsidion stone that depicted many magical beasts on them.
"Yes your right. This was an Inheritance made for Divine Beings, we shouldn't press our luck. Only Chasing Demon has the power to even enter and face some of the dangers inside and survive." Elder Julia replied as the leader.
But just as everyone silently agreed to leaving the Divine Inheritance, the doors had swung wide upon that released a unknown & unseen force that pulled them all inside, except for me who was the furthest from and remained unaffected.
Seeing that the doors were going to close I activated the Shadow Sprint spell I had learned, thanks to my Lord's generosity.
Small circles of Breath was created under my feet that propelled my body forwards and through the door before it closed.
The group of Cultivators from the Hive were disorientated still and were sprawled across the ground so they failed go notice me as I passed them and quickly hid myself close by.
The others quickly realised what happened and gained their bearings and got on guard.
They tried to open the doors that had closed but it was to no avail.
"I guess we have no choice but to find a way out of the Inheritance." Elder Hope muttered aloud and the others sighed in resignation.
"We still don't know what the Inheritance is, maybe we might still have a chance if the tests belong to a non-combat inheritance." Noah informed his group and they all seemed to have gained some glimmer of hope in their eyes.
Thus, the group moved forwards through the inheritance and innumerable blobs of a sliver metallic liquid were seen moving around the wide cavern we were in.
I looked at the silvery blobs and realised what this was...
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Elsewhere, back in Forossa at the Royal Capital of Leyndell.
The Erdtree that once resided there was now entirely gone and replaced by a different tree that towered over the Lands Between.
This was the Great Tree known as the Crucible.
The Erdtree was nothing more than a parasite that leeched off the energies of the Crucible, sent by the Greater Will.
However, Tallon had gotten rid of the Erdtree and healed the Great Tree and had revitalised it entirely.
The Crucible was the source of all life in the Elden Ring verse where all life was once blended together into one form. This is why the Misbegotten and the Omens look more monstrous in appearance.
At the tallest point of Leyndell, a new structure had been built that attacked itself to the Great Tree where the staircase that led from the Elden Throne and Demigod thrones resides.
(A/n Morgott boss arena, new structure bars off and replaces the area behind Wlden Throne and where the entrance into the Erdtree, Radagon + Elden Beast boss room is.)
The new structure is the Palace that the Ruler of Forossa resides within and where one needs to enter to pass through to gain entry into the Great Tree.
Tallon stood on the balcony that oversaw all of Leyndell and the Elden Throne platform as his queen Ranni is inside their royal bedchamber as she held a cat with a extremely long tail, that could wrap two times around its body.
"They finally entered it." Tallon muttered as he stared at Leyndell, in particular a band new tower that had a gigantic crystal at its zenith. The crystal glowed many different colors but one in particular, black.
"Why do you torment him, you should just leave him alone." Ranni said as she stroked the head of the purring cat in her hands.
Tallon looked back and saw the cat that was on her lap and was partially envious of the feline as he wanted to put his head there!
The cat is called Lacrima, the Long-Tailed Cat.
(A/n Longtail Cat Talisman in-game item depiction Lacrima.)
(A/n Image for Lacrima)
Lacrima is the infamous Fairy Cat of Raya Lucaria.
Lacrima was seen, by a great many students of the Academy of Raya Lucaria, fondly playing in the Great Bell Tower.
Ranni had visited the Academy one day to inspect it and ensure that all the changes to the Academy wasn't causing any issues.
It was then that she encountered Lacrima again, the two had met a long time ago when she herself attended the Academy of Raya Lucaria before she graduated and left to train under her mother before she met me in the Caria Forest a long time ago.
Ranni had adopted the cat and brought it with her and it's now our pet.
"Because it's fun!" I proclaimed but she gave me a cold stare which wanted more than that as reason.
"Also I want to test him." I nervously added.
It wasn't a lie, I had long since planned to make dungeons like the one Noah, his group and Tiche were currently trapped inside of.
I had used the Elden Ring before returning to this world to create numerous Dungeons that would be akin to false Inheritances.
This way I can secretly interact with anyone I desire and the Formations, I created using the Elden Ring, on the artificial dungeon would be enough to conceal my real identity and presence while giving me partial reality control of the dungeon.
Although anyone that is a Rank 6 being can easily resist it but this allows me to toy with and alter the plot in some ways.
This particular dungeon I had littered with numerous Mimic Tears of all kinds that would be able to transform into any predetermined creature of even the cultivators themselves.
I didn't make this one particularly lon nor difficult dungeon, they would easily clear the few tests before the week is up, also it wasn't too difficult since all the Mimic Tears will scale to the person/target's Cultivation level and be an good match for them.
For Noah though, I had to make the Mimic Tear take on the form of Rank 4 Solid beings or Rank 5 Gaseous beings.
Noah has repeatedly shown throughout the entire novel that he always can beat opponents of a higher Cultivation level than himself, always displaying a higher battle prowess than his own current level.
Let's see what you do Noah Balvan, Demon Prince of The Hive, Bastard of the Balvan Family and protagonist of the story?
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Noah Balvan pov:
I was currently being attacked by numerous fox like magical beasts of the Light Element of around the solid stage of the 4th Rank.
My allies wasn't doing great themselves as they were evenly matched against their own opponents.
Whenever we defeated one, another one would appear out of the ground as those silvery slime like beings before transforming into a Magical Beast or a Human that was opposite our elemntal aptitude and could match our battle prowess.
Ever since we were trapped within this inheritance, we had pressed onwards and deeper inside.
We came across the soul? of a water element horse type magical beast.
It didn't show its hostility but it was clearly the only thing here as it was a dead end.
The Water Horse soul was trapped inside a large pond and had traces of the Darkness element slowly corrupting the outside of the pond slowly moving more and more towards the center.
Our group decided that something needed to be done or we would remain trapped, if we helped the soul then it might help us to escape the inheritance in return.
Even if it proved hostile then we'll attack it together, it didn't seem powerful from what we could sense.
I was the one that freed it by removing the corrupting Darkness element from the pond allowing the Horse soul to leave the pond and cheer at its freedom.
Suddenly all our bodies were erased in water and the next instant, we were on a small land mass in a wide ocean.
We couldn't use Breath to fuel our abilities as something was interfering with the surroundings.
Thus we couldn't fly and chose tobleap from the sea stacks all the way across until we reached the large landmass we had spotted in the distance.
That is what led us to this place where we solved a puzzle related to three songs.
There are three old men with instruments in their hands, when we decided what to do and gave them the musical sheets, when the first one finished the first song, his body transformed into horn.
The horn looked incomplete and the next musician started the second song, it was by then that we had been swarmed by numerous waves of endless enemies.
The second musician had just finished the second song which all we need to do now is survey and defend the third musician until this test is finished!
Hopefully the test will end by then and the endless waves of enimies will finally cease!
Three Light Fox's dodged the wide area which I released a projectile slash at, as a counter attack they raised their tails which released many beams of light that Curved in the air and struck my location.
I evaded the attack and retreated from them, but they followed up and one pounced on my left arm and bite hard.
My Demonic Form spell which was supposed to protect me as a suite of Darkness armor, while also affecting my opponent with a harmful corrosive mist it exuded, was useless to the Light Fox as it continued to bite down on my arm.
I could feel its teeth reach my bones.
Raising my left arm, i slammed the fox into the ground and it released its bite before i stabbed it through the head.
Unlike other Cultivators and Magical Beasts I had faced upin becoming a Hybrid, I learned that I couldn't take the Dantians from these creatures and eat them for myself.
It were strange but so to was all the tests involving the inheritance.
The other Magical Foxes I was facing leapt towards me while one focused on a physical approach while the other supported the former by casing Spells to distract me.
I had been so busy with trying to kill just one of them that I failed to anticipate this plan of theirs.
Just as I used the Divine Deduction technique to its limit trying to boost the processing speed of my mind and to think of a solution out of my approaching death I saw that I received some unexpected aid!
A projectile slash, that exuded a black and red aura, had directly struck the Light Fox closest to me, the slash had caused the body to wither away.
The skin seemed to age instantly and turn wrinkly and old before it became dust, the inner muscles and organs had also followed suite before finally its bones.
Only the black-red flames was all that's left of its body before they dispersed like the wind.
I couldn't remain captivated by the remarkable and terrifying death of the Light Fox as I used my blades to block the beams of light the Light Fox in the rear had sent towards me.
I swiftly propelled myself forwards and approached the Light Fox, now that it is a 1 vs 1 and not a 3 vs 1, I was able to easily deal with the Magical Beast in no time as its physical body was quite weak but its Spells were very powerful.
After dealing with my target I went to assist my allies in their own battles until the test was finally completed.
The final song was finished and the old musician turned into a piece of the horn.
The Mimic slimes didn't stop appearing! That meant the test wasn't over.
Seeing a perculiar altar in one corner of the domain we were in, I took the three pieces of the horn to the Altar as my allies defended me.
The pieces of the horn floated above the Altar before they magically merged together into the full complete horn.
Taking it in my hands I immediately used it and my hunch wasn't wrong since all our enemies had disappeared as if they were never here to begin with.
Elder Hope and Elder Austin released a sigh of relief whole the others looked like they would drop dead to the floor, but remained on guard in case they were ambushed.
"Don't let your guards down, we don't know if the test has ended!" Elder Julia said, though her body was covered in wounds she maintained her image as one of the groups strongest members and their leader as to not lower the morale of the others.
As if answering her words, strange Mystical symbols that encompassed all the Elements materialised from the horn I was holding and slowly floated over to a jagged rock wall to the side.
Once the Mystical symbols touched the wall, they arranged themselves into the outline of a doorway, that section of the rock wall faded away leaving an open passageway for any to enter.
"We should leave through the doorway, we have no idea if it'll close or those things will come back to face us." I said and the group nodded in agreement before following behind Elder Austin who took the vanguard position since Elder Julia was gravely injured.
"About that strange attack that turned the Fox into dust..." I stood at the front besides Elder Austin as I asked him a question regarding the second Light Fox that died instantly back then.
"What attack?" Elder Austin was confused but I was even more so.
"An blade-like attack in black and red flames, it saved me in my battle as I was about to meet my end."
The others heard our conversation since we were so close together and I had asked my latter question to everyone wanting to know if it was them instead.
Elder Austin and Laurel were the only Fire aptitude Cultivators of our group, but there was a chance it could have been one of the others instead.
They all slowly gave an answer one-by-one of "No." It wasn't them.
I fell into contemplation as I tried to figure out the origin of the unknown attack that aided me in the battle.
Eventually we reached a hot spring that contained incredibly pure and condensed Breath inside of it.
It was remarkable!
Just as we were going to inspect it we all clutched our heads in pain as we felt a strong invading presence slowly overcoming our mental defenses!
Eventually the unknown invader succeeded and communicated to all of us in our minds as its voice had an echo to it.
"Humans and the young Dragon, come to me, I am waiting."
After that the being that spoke telepathically to use had released control over us and we were able to recover from the shock and exhaustion.
All of us didn't say anything as we heard the voice and all agreed we had no choice but to agree to the unknown being's orders.
We followed the direction where we could sense a powerful aura radiating from.
It was an aura that far exceeded the Chasing Demon hinself, we knew at that moment that it must be a Divine Being or it's will at least.
We travelled through a series of passageways until we came into a wide cavernous area.
Our eyes was immediately beholden to a gigantic large dragon of White scales with the underside being that of red colored scales.
On its back were large burnt wounds, it looked like its wings were torn off since there were four burnt, fleshy stumps on its back.
Upon further inspection, we all saw that the slumbering wingless dragon was bound in golden chains of some kind.
(Image of Dragon)
The eyes of the dragon opened and we felt our minds be assaulted again but this time we all didn't resist and allowed the dragon to telepathically enter our minds. It would only cause us great pain if we tried resisting again.
"Young Dragon and Humans. What business do you have with me in my prison." The dragon spoke to us in our minds.
We were left confused since wouldn't the Divine Dragon know our reason for being here if it had read our minds.
As if knowing what we were thinking it spoke again as its voice echoed in our heads.
"I dislike invading the minds of others and their memories of which they deem as personal. I would not want another being to do such a thing to me in return."
A few moments passed a d the dragon seemed to be waiting for someone to speak up and answer his question.
I took the opportunity and stood in front of my group to answer the Divine Beast since it had singled me out as "Young Dragon", no doubt sensing the Nameless Winged Dragon species I had become a Hybrid with.
(A/n it's called Light-Devouring Dragon but Noah doesn't learn that until later on so he's saying it's a Nameless Winged Dragon species. I'm not sure when he learns the real name of the dragon bloodline race he used to become a Hybrid with.)
"We were pulled inside by an unknown force when exploring a newly emerged gourge on the surface. We were forced to traverse this dungeon mistaking it to be an Inheritance of some kind."
The dragon made a low and long growl, most likely a way of humming to itself.
"I see, then the Seventh secret member of your group was also pulled inside with you. Why don't you show yourself girl?"
'Seventh?!'
We all turned around to inspect our surroundings and that's when I was the first to see the said 'girl' who was clad in black armor, a thin foggy veil, and possessing a perculiar shaped blade which hung at her waist.
We all became on guard and took up battle positions but the dragon spoke to us trying to calm the situation.
"I've already inspected her mind just this once for you all, she is an ally to you Noah Balvan. In fact, it was her that saved your life from the Mimic Tears from before."
We didn't fully lower our guard and I asked the dragon as I held my swords firmly in my hands.
"Mimic Tear? And why would she be my ally, I never met her nor know of her in the slightest?"
"A Mimic Tear ate those silvery liquids you fought. They can mimic a person or magical beast almost perfectly. As for her, she is the daughter of the person your birth mother Lily had once saved. She is simply repaying the favour to her by protecting you."
I was a little suprised and so to were the others.
The other party members of Noah's group knew next to nothing about the Demon Prince other than the public information and by investing his past slightly. Learning he is from the Balvan family, was known as Vance while in the Utra Nation and eventually coming to the Archipelago where he later joined the Hive up to today.
Learning even slight bits of information about his secretive past was a revelation but they respected him enough to not say anything about it even if they somehow learned his past.
The unknown female figure stepped forward under the pointed weapons of the group as she approached Noah and knelt before him on the ground.
"Noah Balvan, Demon Prince of The Hive and son of Lily Balvan who saved mine and my mother's life long ago. Allow me, the Black Knife Assasin Tiche, to serve you as you Shadow as I had been doing up until now. It is the only way I can atone for my failure in saving your mother and you from the Balvan family before her death."
I stood there deep on thought for a few moments, not knowing what to do.
She is powerful, definitely a Rank 5 Cultivator that can match Elder Julia and Elder Austin in power. The possibility of her being loyal to me, though she could betray me at any moment.
She hasn't done so yet despite her opportunity to have already done so after the unknown time she's been stalking me. Its possible she also was present when I was vulnerable during the process I became a Hybrid in, and the time I fought the Saber-toothed tiger on the Azure Plain on the surface since it wasn't that long ago.
She could have killed me then which only supports her background even more.
"Is she telling the truth?"
"Yes." The dragon answered me with a swift response, curious at what my response will be.
Taking the risk, and with all the proof laid before me indicating that she was being truthful, even backed up by a Divine Rank Dragon, I decided to take the leap of faith.
"Very well, but when we return to the Hive, Chasing Demon will create a Rank 6 Oath to confirm everything and ensure your loyalty is true."
"Yes Master." Tiche genuflected before me as she remained kneeling on the ground.
I turned aroumd and faced the dragon to finally begin our conversation.
"May i humbly ask you some queations Divine Dragon?"
"Very well, but you only get to ask two about the Higher Plain, your thoughts should remain here in these lands until you are strong enough to Ascend."
'Two questions about the Immortal Lands is still better than nothing.'
"You said that you are a prisoner here? If this is a prison, why are the protectors of this place so weak if it was meant to hold a being of your power captive?."
"Those Mimic Tears can perfectly copy the Battle Prowess of a Cultivator or Magical Beast. They are what you'd call a Rank 0 being, but will Mimic even beings such as I. They can become an identical copy of yourself or a creature, or they could become the perfect opposite to battle against you while being at your cultivation level or the level your combat ability can reach. If a Mimuc Tear approached me, it would easily become a Rank 8 version of myself or an opposite to me."
'Rank 8?! So Rank 7 is only the beginning once you ascend.'
"What is the Immortal Lands like as a whole?"
Everyone in the group perked their heads up and listened intently to the next words that the Dragon would speak, completely forgetting that he is speaking telepathically with us.
"The Immortal Lands...it is much like this lower plain. Once you ascend and become a Rank 7 being, you'll be at the bottom of the higher plain. Upon ascending many factions will try to subdue you and use an Oath from a Rank 8 being to force your compliance. You'd have no choice in the matter since when you ascend, a tide of Magical Beasts will swarm your location and weaken you, I've seen many Cultivators from the Crystal City force newly ascended Rank 7 Humans to sign their Oath. As for the beasts when they ascend, it would not interest you but it is a similar process. I guess I'll give you one piece of advice. Inscription masters are highly valued in the Immortal Lands, the reason being is because beings can be born into the Immortal Lands and even your so called Heroic and Human Rank Cultivators are born to many families there. They use a seperate Dimension to cultivate their families to becoming a Rank 7 being. Inscription Masters are highly valued since only the Mortal Land's Cultivators take the effort and time to learn and develop such a trade. But be warned since you'll become a target for almost every faction the moment they learn you are a person that knows how to create Inscriptions and Formations."
Our group was completely stumped by the amount of information this Dragon had given us, it was something that could give the Hive an edge when members are ascending.
This could allow the Hive to become the newest and strongest faction in the Immortal Lands if one can take advantage of the political situation and avoid the Rank 8 Oath.
Also the Dragon had just informed them of a faction called the Crystal City, Noah himself could already tell that they would become his enimies one day.
"How can one ascend to the Immortal Lands and become a Rank 7 Cultivator?"
"That question I will refuse to answer."
"Why? You said that you'd answer two questions about the Immortal Lands?"
"I did. But if you are so adamant on destroying the Cultivation path you have strived for, then I will answer you. You are only a Rank 4 being in my eyes Young Dragon. You will easily learn how to ascend with time, don't waste your question on learning how to climb a mountain and instead fly over it and high into the skies. Is your ambition to reach the stars or is it to reach the sky?"
Noah's companions grew worried for him because he had remained still ever since the dragon gave its reply. They were worried for him but he was actually having a revelation and deep realisation at this moment on his own Individuality.
After some time has passed, Noah finally moved and faced the dragon to speak once more.
"What is Heaven and Earth?"
This question confused the group, why would he ask something like that when he could have asked anything else.
But before they could think more on it the dragon quickly answered.
"Heaven and Earth is just another failure on the Cultivation journey. They failed the Breakthrough from the peak of the ninth Rank to becoming a Rank 10 being. Seeing their failure and stagnation, they created the Heavenly Tribulations to test Cultivators. Those that eventually prove themselves and reach the ninth Rank or proves to be a enemy of Heaven and Earth, they will be forced to make a choice. To serve Heaven and Earth essentially as cultists where Heaven and Earth would take or copy their Individualities, which will become a Law once you ascend, in order to help them in discovering a way for it to ascend or to do everything in their power to kill the ninth Rank being, or early enemy, that refused them. However, you can hide from Heaven and Earth for a time but its only delaying the inevitable. I was imprisoned by Heaven and Earth's lackies. They saw me as a possible asset to harvest Idvidualities/Laws fmto give to their master, but I had drained the Breath in the entirety of this landmass casuing it to fall from the Immortal Lands and to your Mortal Lands."
'So he is responsible for the appearance of the Piece of the Immortal Lands!' That was everyone's current thoughts as they heard the Dragon's thoughts respund in their heads.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, a tall man who was playing with his fairy cat Lacrima and Queen Ranni, laughed manically aloud, making Ranni sigh at his antics and Lacrima the cat to get spooked and fall out the window plummeting for thousands of meters to towards the ground!
"Hahaha, how'd you like my Dragon clones lies you Balvan Bastard!"
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(Blck Knife Assassin Tiche character sheet - some errors like Black Knife description is there, i will edit later on and post in next few chapters.)
Author note:
Sorry for the chapter not longer or being good enough this time. I am in slight depression since my aunt had just passed away last night in hospital.
I have already accepted it since long before today but I am still sad about it.
I can't exactly think clearly so I'm just writing as I can to try and take my mind of it for the next few days.
Originally, I wanted to do a fight scene where they would use the full fixed horn and summon the Real Body of the Water Horse.
The Real Body of the Horse is corrupted so they would fight it and only then would Tiche intervene to kill it and save Noah.
After that they would meet with the "Rank 7" Wingless Dragon and it would reveal Tiche is also present with them.
She would reveal herself and the conversation with Tiche is imilar but slightly different as the Wingless Dragon would basically "mind read her" on the spot and tell the others she is an ally to them and not hostile since the conversation was more tense that originally planned.
I'm just writing and posting chapters on whatever fiction I feel like to keep myself distracted so i dont overthink the sadness of my aunt's passing. I might post another later today for this fic or maybe my other one's.
I might also make an Avatar legend of Korra fanfic of mc being a Bloodbender and naturally transmigrate into the world, non of those wishes to make him op, he gonna learn bloodbending and waterbending properly. I will post this one 100% on every Sunday, I might do like 5 or so chapters of this on Sunday at a time.
See ya next chapter.
(Author meme image)