Elden: Ring of Calamity

Chapter 511 Big Snake
Below the cliff, the roar of crashing waves echoed.

Although it wasn't his first time here, every time Norn heard that sound, he was deeply shocked by the astonishing physique of the creature in the lava sea—in terms of size alone, it might have surpassed the giant dragon Gransanx that stood on the central axis of the Golden Temple.

During the first two meetings, the serpent goddess Egraine only communicated with them from across the sea by channeling her divine power. But in this final meeting, it seemed that the other side was finally willing to show some sincerity.

As the sea opened up and a colossal object pierced the air, a terrifying black shadow rose up from beneath the cliff, unleashing a rain of fire!
In that instant, the two secret envoys on the cliff edge appeared as insignificant as two ants that could be destroyed with a breath, and the sky inside the entire hall was plunged into deep darkness in an instant.

Norn instinctively took a half step back, forcibly suppressing his trembling mind. The upper half of the giant serpent's body alone was hundreds of meters long, and the serpent's body hidden below the sea was even more difficult to see. Layer upon layer of black shadows were intertwined with the mountain, as if the entire Mount Egra was an extension of His divine body.

The snake's scales undulated and interlocked before the two, radiating a rising heat wave. Each scale was comparable to a city gate. At the very top of the snake's body, two chaotic and mixed snake eyes looked down at them, their gazes brutal and bloodthirsty, yet also revealing a hint of mockery and cunning, as if they were looking at two playthings.

"Marika, hehehe, has it been too long since I fell asleep? When did you ants dare to call her a false god?"

Egrid lowered her head, uttering a strange, hissing sound from her throat, "I was very curious during our first two meetings. What is it that gives you trash such stubborn confidence? Is it that puppet Radagan? Or has the one behind him finally given up and stepped in?"

Norn was furious upon hearing this and was about to retort when his superior, Mitchell, calmly spoke up: "The Eternal Queen, who once followed the Golden Law and exercised the power and mission bestowed by the Supreme Will, was naturally the only true god in the world. But now, Marika, who has defied the law and drawn her sword against the Supreme Will for her own selfish desires, has naturally become a false god. This is not a definition that we mortals can presume to define, but rather the bottom line drawn by the inviolable Golden Law for those who are gods."

"His Majesty Radagan is not a puppet, but the agent of the Golden Law and the swordsman of the Supreme Will. Now, his will represents the choice of the Golden Tree and the Supreme Will. Does His Majesty Egret intend to challenge the power of Lords Alpha and Maricus?"

“There’s no need to intimidate me with two fingers and a black sword,” Agra chuckled softly. “Boy, I’ve lived longer than your ancestors and know them better than any of you.”

"No matter what means you have used to temporarily suppress Marika, Alpha cannot escape unscathed. The fact that He dares to stir up trouble so openly now must mean that He has reached some kind of compromise with Omega behind the scenes, just like how you are now coming to curry favor with me. If the complete supreme will were here, I would naturally submit to His command. But a half-deity that is incomplete is far from His full glory. Do you think it is appropriate to use Him to threaten me?"

"As for Maricus, hehe, an incredibly powerful prisoner who is always thinking about escaping, a sword with unparalleled sharpness but which will hurt you if you draw it. I can't beat him, but I'm sure that if you dare to loosen his collar, that wolf will bite your own necks off in an instant."

So, stop with your ridiculous and damned hypocrisy!

The giant serpent lunged forward, its enormous maw, as big as a mountain, opened wide, exhaling a heavy, foul stench. Saliva dripped from its tongue as it constricted Mitchell's body. "Don't play those childish tricks in front of me. We both know the situation, don't we?"

“Radagan is not willing to discuss any cooperation with me at all. In his eyes, the cult that once allied with Marika is a more glaring stain than the corrupt cults and the true cults, because at least you can pat your chests and claim to be orthodox, denouncing them as heretics, but I—ha, how can the glorious and majestic Golden Tree discuss cooperation with a treacherous serpent? How could it be, how could it be?”

"He's just afraid, afraid that the enemy he faces is rising so fast that he can completely get out of his control. So he doesn't hesitate to make empty promises to me, trying to delay Lucia Sanx's progress. My two divine messengers, do you agree?"

Norn was so overwhelmed by the pungent, fishy smell that he could barely open his eyes, while Mitchell, trapped in the snake's bite, remained solemn and calm, the brilliant golden light in his eyes not dimming in the slightest.

“Lucia Sanx is indeed the greatest enemy of fundamentalism right now,” he readily admitted. “Therefore, even His Majesty Rdagon has to distinguish between the heretics. Her Majesty Egraine has already survived fifty years of the Golden Age, and now, by a twist of fate, she has the opportunity to survive another fifty years or even longer. Shouldn’t she cherish it?” “Ha, ha ha ha, that’s right, that’s more like it. Only this kind of arrogant disdain for everything, coupled with unrestrained frankness, is what you scum with gold flowing through your veins should be like.”

Egray released Mitchell, and her laughter echoed deafeningly through the mountain.

"Only in this way can we discard all the disgusting formalities and negotiate with real swords and spears, so that I can put forward my own conditions."

Upon hearing this, Mitchell's expression changed slightly for the first time, and he frowned, saying, "The previous conditions were already our bottom line. If Your Majesty wants to push your luck any further, I will not comply."

“You have no right to refuse—Radagan came to me because he was unsure whether the giants could defeat Luciasanx, and he couldn’t handle the offensive of the Dragon Moon Kingdom with the New Party alone. If we drag this out until Lucia pacifies the Ice Plains, or Marika breaks free from her cage, he will surely die, and Alpha will lose control of the border region for the first time in fifty years! At the same time, he is confident that as long as he buys enough time, he can turn the tables and destroy me and the Serpent God Cult. Therefore, his slight compromise at this time is not worth worrying about.”

"I am not one of those bastards from the early years of the Golden Era who were easily swayed by Marika and cried out to die for the Golden Tree. If you want me to be your disposable sap, you must show the corresponding sincerity."

Mitchell shook his head slightly, then puffed out his chest and said, “Since Your Majesty has put it this way, then you should understand without me reminding you that the Dragon Moon Kingdom has no connection with Your Majesty and would never agree to leave such an unstable element as the Church behind, putting your life and death in someone else’s hands. Once the army led by Falsanx and Lerana arrives at the foot of the volcano, Your Majesty will no longer have the chance to wait for a better price.”

“It doesn’t matter,” the giant serpent lowered its head, its eyes mocking. “You have run out of cards to play, but I still have some. Now listen carefully to my final conditions, go back and convey them to your master. Whether you accept them or not is entirely up to you.”

Mitchell paused for a moment, carefully observing Aigle's eyes, trying to determine whether she was bluffing or had something to back her up. Although the secret envoy had repeatedly confirmed before coming that the Serpent God Cult had no other choice under the current circumstances, the old snake's attitude still somewhat intimidated him.

If something goes wrong, and the entire territory of Gemir falls into the hands of Dragon Moon, and Asia becomes an isolated island without even firing a single arrow, the situation will be completely different.

After some thought, his expression softened, and he gestured for Egra to speak.

Egray's enormous snake head swayed slightly, without any further mockery. She simply stated her conditions: "First, while the Church of God is at war with the Dragon Moon army, the New Party must send strongmen to attack both Pirum Fortress and Karen as a diversion, and at least one of Falsanx and Lerana must be lured away."

Mitchell pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Even if His Majesty doesn't say it, we will not stand idly by. His Majesty Radagan will personally take action with the Order Envoy."

Egrid remained unmoved. "I don't care who makes a move. If they are both still on the front lines within three days of the start of the war, I will turn around and run with my followers. Let whoever wants to come to the volcano do so."

Mitchell took a deep breath and said, "Anything else?"

"The second and final condition is that I require a living demigod."

(End of this chapter)