Elden Ring: The Shattering!

The black clouds dispersed, and the full moon again cast its light upon The Lands Between, the moonlight filtering through the gaps in the trees, casting upon Kaelith's body, illuminating the blood-stained sword.

Drip, drip...

The blood beads continuously dripped down from the small corner of his sleeve, soaking Kaelith's head as he bowed. The Sword of the Sorcerer was embedded in his back, a pool of blood spreading underneath.

There was nothing to say as the Sorcerer, suddenly ambushed, was taken by surprise. In a panic, he used his magic to counterattack, shattering one tree after another... But the ambushers did not close in. From afar, a Glintstone Pebble severed the person's leg.

Kaelith's light was pure. A Sorcerer's origin, he was well-versed in these magical arts. Waiting until the leg was broken, he allowed the person to roll in agony on the ground before leaping forward with a single strike to end the life.

Thud—

The sword was drawn with a shock, sending a strand of blood flying. Kaelith bent down, pushing away the Glintstone head covering and revealing a middle-aged man's face, full of terror.

"Just as I remembered, most Sorcerers are scholars, not accustomed to fighting. Even when they enter the battlefield, they need warriors to protect them."

This was normal. Glintstone Magic was inherently powerful, but it required someone to close their eyes and smile slightly at the corners of their mouth.

"Magic and concentration have grown stronger, confirming that it is the same—seizing life. The Sorcerer's primary focus must be on enhancing their intelligence."

Unlike other games, the impact's strength simply relates to one's physical attributes, magic level, and ability to discern, differing based on the target of the killing. Kaelith's harvest varied accordingly.

He glanced behind him, where the flames in the forest spread out, burning four corpses... Even though he had the advantage, this was the first time he had directly ambushed a knight. This meant Kaelith had the ability to survive in The Lands Between, without being suddenly overwhelmed by enemies who might come out of nowhere and take his life.

"Still not strong enough. The force of the strike earlier wasn't enough. At the very least, I need to increase my magic power; otherwise, that Carian Slicer could have cleaved me in two with one strike."

Kaelith wasn't satisfied. He gripped his sword and lifted the Cuckoo Knight's head as he walked back. The screams of the dying still echoed... But his pace was neither fast nor slow, as he was carefully managing his recovery.

The Cuckoo wasn't a fool; they had only initiated the ambush after depleting the Carian reserves... If it weren't for the Carian squad's interference, they would have already rushed into the manor to set it on fire... Even if they only burned the grain storage, the manor was doomed.

But Carian had done all they could, just like the masters of Ranni...

He looked behind, where the massive Carian camp was hidden in the night, faintly visible as flashes of fire were seen.

They couldn't escape, and there were even more terrifying enemies dealing with them.

"The depths of this Carian water run deep," Kaelith murmured for a moment, then quickened his pace, still holding onto the same motto:

"Wait until I take the city, and I will repay my debt of loyalty!"

He charged out from the forest, and in the distance, he could already see the chaotic sounds of the manor. Both sides' soldiers were engaged in a death struggle on the walls, and occasionally, the glow of the "Carian Great Sword" could be seen.

Alain was cutting down opponents in rows, while another Troll knight, Boros, blocked the entrance. His body was covered in arrows as he raised his foot, stomping the enemies beside him into minced meat. Crossbows and trebuchets tore through the air, smashing the sturdy towers into rubble. Azur, the Sorcerer, was running in all directions in the surrounding area.

The scene seemed desperate from the front, but in fact, in the narrow space, any Cuckoo trying to climb up would be cut down. Both sides were suffering heavy casualties, broken swords and spears scattered everywhere.

At the back of the manor, the fighting continued. More than thirty Cuckoo soldiers, led by knights, were advancing along the dirt road in disarray. They raised their shields to form a battle line, with Fire Pots and Cuckoo Glintstone flying in all directions.

On the opposite side of the Cuckoo was a group of injured soldiers, with a Troll swinging a broken sword wildly.

The scene was chaotic, with bodies scattered along the road and walls. Kaelith couldn't immediately locate the members of the Carine squad. It seemed as if the two forces were evenly matched.

No, it was the Carian side that was at a disadvantage. The Fire Pots had set the buildings on fire, and many soldiers had started to look around, bloodshed in the battle making it difficult to tally how many enemies had been slain.

Kaelith did not hesitate. He placed the knight's skull pin on his back, reached out to grab a nearby horse that was darting past in panic, and mounted it. Turning the horse around, he pulled another spear from the saddle and used the shaft to quickly strike the horse's rear.

Blood and fire under the long night, I will lead the charge!

Clang!!

Great swords clashed, generating a gust of wind that sent several meters of soldiers flying. Two knights staggered back a few steps, then locked eyes, focusing on each other.

Matthew shook his wrist slightly, feeling a tingling in his forearm, then saw several Cuckoo Knights climbing onto the walls. He sneered and said, "The city's about to fall, why don't you get back to that damned fort?"

"Hah, I can hold on until the end," Alain raised his shield, but he was still anxious deep down.

He didn't regret his decision, though the troops were stretched thin and it was impossible to send dozens of men to the lakeside for a windbreak, the Cuckoo's attack tonight had been too fierce, and the reserves had long since been exhausted.

Hadn't they chased those Cuckoo dead already?

Alain instinctively glanced back and quickly raised his large shield.

Five Cuckoo Knights charged directly at him, their great swords, spears, and maces greeting him all at once... Even though the Carian Knights were stronger than them, the difference in rank still made it difficult for them to find a gap for defense. Crossbows were still firing continuously from the sides, with deceptive angles disrupting their counterattacks.

"Hmph, big talk." Matthew sneered coldly, shaking his still trembling hand. He shouted to all directions, "Charge, wrap around the Carian forces, they can't hold out!"

The Cuckoo soldiers' morale surged, though they didn't know how many people the ambush team had. From their position on the wall, they could only see the two-pronged assault, with the defense line slowly being pushed inward, inch by inch.

"If those Sorcerers had fought, why would so many people have to die?" Matthew gritted his teeth, but he had to hold the line. As long as they broke this manor, Carian would be completely trapped, isolated, and eliminated. Liurnia would belong to the Cuckoo and the Academy.

"Captain, look!"

At that moment, a knight beside him shouted. Matthew looked up and saw a blood-soaked warhorse, armored and charging toward them from the far side of the camp. His pupils immediately contracted.

Reinforcements from Carian? How could that be, they weren't supposed to...

Before he could finish his thought, he realized that there wasn't a massive army charging in. It was just a single knight, completely covered in blood and looking disheveled. Matthew's mouth fell open in shock.

"Where did that madman come from?!"

Clop, clop, clop...

The pounding of hooves struck the ground. Amid the chaos, Cuckoo soldiers turned in astonishment, only to see a white horse charging from behind them. The lone, fearless knight held a long spear, and without hesitation, he entered the battlefield.

"Kill!!"

With a thunderous roar, the knight's spear pierced through several people, and his horse trampled others into the mud. Kaelith kicked his horse's belly, his eyes locked onto the first Cuckoo Knight ahead, charging straight into the crowd.

What!?

The knight was in the process of slicing through a Troll's calf with his spear, preparing to stab the enemy in the eye. But when he turned around, he saw the warhorse charging toward him.

Too fast, too powerful, with an unstoppable momentum. The spear's tip was already within his enlarged vision.

Fortunately, Torre was battle-hardened. He swiftly pivoted to dodge the spear, feeling a cold breeze on his head as his helmet was knocked off. He quickly turned, using the momentum to swing his spear horizontally.

Thud!

With a heavy sound, the armored warhorse was struck and its four hooves left the ground, crashing down with a loud thud. Torre couldn't avoid the full impact either, and the warhorse's momentum slammed into his left shield, causing a sharp pain in his side and swelling his arm.

Who dares to ambush me?!

He raised his large shield in front of him, quickly realizing who his assailant was.

Kaelith soared through the air, having already discarded his spear and grasped the Khúc Dao from behind.

"Slash!!"

A silver crescent moon rose high in the air, severing the thrusting spear, then focusing power into his left shoulder. Using the force of his descent, he violently struck the shield.

Thud!

After cutting through Daliger, Kaelith's strength grew even greater. The impact made the shoulder armor cave in, and Torre, who was unprepared, was thrown backward.

He landed on his toes, stabilizing himself, his eyes wide. He had never seen such wild combat tactics before. But there, the bloodied figure braced himself in front, the staff emanating a strong light.

Magic?

Wift Glintstone Shard!

Kaelith frantically swung the staff, firing the Magic Stones like a machine gun. Normally, his magic couldn't hold up, but the constant barrage managed to sustain itself for several seconds.

Ding ding ding...

Fireworks erupted continuously, and the Magic Stones hammered against the shield, leaving deep dents. Though the shield remained intact, the momentum kept forcing Torre back, and the magical energy flowed into his left arm, causing it to swell.

"Get out of the way!"

The shield slapped, creating a strong gust of wind. Taking advantage of the opening, Torre pulled his sword from his side, preparing to charge and kill this strange Sorcerer. However, something grabbed his right foot from behind.

The Troll's hand reached out, gripping his calf tightly. The immense strength caused even the armor to bend, and just as Torre swung his sword, the Troll suddenly yanked him back.

"Is this his scheme?" The knight, thrown into the air, seemed to understand something. No wonder the enemy had wasted so much magical energy—it was all to push himself into the Troll's range!

Crash!

The Troll raised his hand and slammed it down, creating a deep crater in the ground. With his armor protecting him, Torre only felt a sharp pain in his head, but as the Troll's fingers approached to sever him, a foot was slammed onto his back.

"You deserve to die."

The cold words pierced his ears, and in an instant, all consciousness was drowned in darkness.

Kaelith, as if executing a mere chicken, swung his blade and severed the knight's head. He then drove the Bloodhound's Fang into the ground, grabbing the skull mid-air and swiftly removing another from his side. With the two heads in his hands, he declared with a voice like thunder: "The enemy commander has fallen!!"