Elden Ring, building a legion of ashes

Chapter 58 Negotiation

The platform above Moen City.

The sea breeze is blowing, and the battle flags are waving.

Xia Tong and City Lord Edgar stood side by side at the front of the line.

Edgar carefully took out an oil paper package from his pocket.

Upon opening the package, two long, dark green pieces of meat, resembling those soaked in aged brine for hundreds of years, lay inside.

Xia Tong recognized him at a glance.

Isn't this the famous pickled turtle neck meat?

"Wait... why does this thing look so strange in real life?"

When playing the game, Xia Tong didn't think much of it, as she was just looking at an icon.

Upon seeing the actual food, Xia Tong had absolutely no appetite; in fact, her stomach churned.

Its shriveled, twisted, dark green shape looked just like a piece of stiff, green poop.

Seeing Xia Tong's disgusted and even somewhat nauseous expression, Edgar awkwardly explained:

"Sir, this is a fine product, cured turtle neck meat."

"Although it does look a bit... awkward, and tastes like chewing wax."

"But after taking it, the medicinal properties can greatly increase the speed of physical strength and endurance recovery."

"This is something that can save your life in a critical moment; I usually wouldn't even eat it."

"Staying alive is the most important thing...staying alive is the most important thing."

Xia Tong silently repeated it twice in her mind, thought about it seriously for a moment, and then reluctantly accepted the piece of pickled turtle neck meat handed over by the city lord.

He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it haphazardly a couple of times, and forced it down.

An indescribable, strange taste exploded in my mouth, but then a warm current surged through my limbs and bones, making my body feel much lighter.

Behind Xia Tong was his ancestral warriors, ready for battle.

Behind Edgar were seventy or eighty ordinary soldiers of the city of En, gripping their spears and shields tightly, their expressions tense.

Just as Xia Tong and the others were preparing to set off.

Suddenly, a series of sharp howls echoed from the distant sky.

"Look there!"

"So many mixed-race people!"

Xia Tong suddenly looked up.

In the distance, a dark cloud was rapidly approaching.

Those were nearly a hundred winged hybrids!

They held rusty iron machetes in their hands, and beneath their sharp claws, they were also gripping heavy figures.

That's a flightless, scaled hybrid!

Three winged hybrids joined forces, each grabbing a strong, scaled hybrid as a group. There were dozens of such groups, flying towards this place like paratroopers.

Xia Tong had amazing eyesight; he focused intently and scanned the flying figures.

The most threatening figure was not seen.

"What about lion hybrids?"

Edgar squinted, looking around, but still couldn't find the opponent he feared most.

"Roar—! Roar—! Roar—!"

Just then, a series of roars, like the fury of lions, suddenly came from the outside of the city wall at the bottom of the platform.

The sound was extremely penetrating, possessing a captivating magic that even caused the bricks beneath one's feet to tremble slightly.

Upon hearing this roar, the soldiers of Moen City behind him turned pale, and their hands gripping their weapons trembled.

"A lion hybrid! It's that monster!"

"It's here!"

Terrified screams rose and fell.

During the past ten days of fighting and struggle, this terrifying lion hybrid has appeared from time to time like a ghost.

Each time they made a move, they would take the lives of more than a dozen elite soldiers, and then they would leave without a trace.

It's like the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head, you never know when it will fall.

Therefore, this lion hybrid became a persistent nightmare for all the guards of Moen City.

"Whoosh—!"

The roar grew closer, accompanied by the dull thud of massive footsteps striking the city wall.

A massive crimson figure suddenly appeared from the bottom and leaped directly onto the platform tens of meters high.

Everyone looked up.

The figure hovered high in the sky, blocking out the sunlight, before falling heavily to the ground.

"Bang!!!"

A loud bang.

The heavy bricks and stones of the platform above Moen City shattered instantly due to the enormous impact.

A dozen or so pieces of gravel flew like cannonballs, raising clouds of dust.

Amidst the smoke and dust, a majestic figure slowly emerged.

The first thing that catches everyone's eye is the enormous lion's head.

On its neck and head grows an extremely thick ring of fiery red mane.

The sea breeze atop the city wall was strong, causing its mane to dance wildly, like a leaping flame.

Above that head was a distorted face that combined features of both humans and beasts.

It has a lion-like protruding muzzle and interlocking fangs, but its beastly eyes are golden, exuding a chilling rationality.

Xia Tong saw many complex emotions unique to humans in those eyes.

Resentment, pain, and... pride.

"No need for you to search... We're here!"

The lion hybrid slowly opened its mouth.

Its voice was deep and powerful, with the rich, resonant tone unique to wild beasts, yet it spoke standard human language.

Xia Tong was stunned.

When he came to this world, it was the first time he had ever seen a "half-orc" who could speak human language and had such clear logic.

Please forgive Xia Tong for describing it this way.

He originally thought that mixed-race people couldn't speak human language.

After all, everyone he encountered along the way, whether they were scaled hybrids or winged hybrids, wanted to kill him on sight, and there was no way to communicate with them.

It gives off a "If you're a mixed breed, I'll chop you up" vibe.

The lion hybrid stretched out its tangled mane and strong, scaly tail.

Then, it slowly drew a greatsword from its back.

"Thump!"

The heavy sword tip hit the ground, smashing the hard bricks and creating a small crater.

It was an extremely ferocious giant sword.

Countless rusted blades rose from the main sword, resembling ferocious fangs and saw teeth.

Xia Tong was very familiar with this sword.

In his previous life, he relied on this "Sword Skeleton Greatsword" to complete the initial exploration.

It wasn't until he was completely overwhelmed by the agile "Godskin Apostle" at the bottom of Galid's Tower that he had to switch to other weapons with faster attack speeds.

At this moment, this legendary weapon was laid bare before Xia Tong, its visual oppressiveness suffocating.

"That's definitely a Tetanus Greatsword!"

Looking at the thick layer of red rust on top, Xia Tong muttered a helpless complaint in her heart.

"All personnel on alert! Prepare to fire!"

Edgar looked at the lion hybrid, his eyes filled with anger and fear.

Meanwhile, the mixed-race army in the distant sky had entered firing range and was hovering, waiting for orders.

"Wait a minute."

It gazed at Edgar and slowly said:

"I'm here to negotiate."

"Negotiation? You lowly bastard, you dare to dream of negotiating with me?"

Edgar, the old-fashioned knight, showed no mercy to the men who had nearly killed him and his daughter, spitting on them.

"If we don't negotiate, are we just going to continue this pointless fighting?"

The lion hybrid's voice was calm and indifferent.

"Edgar, we've sparred more than once, and back then I was only wielding an ordinary greatsword."

As he spoke, the lion hybrid lifted the massive sword, weighing hundreds of pounds, with one hand as easily as wielding a tree branch.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

The massive sword instantly generated terrifying wind pressure.

Then, it slammed forward violently!

"boom!"

Pebbles flew everywhere, and smoke filled the air.

In the instant the smoke and dust exploded, the massive figure of the lion hybrid vanished into thin air.

"brush!"

Edgar only felt a black shadow flash before his eyes, and a stench of blood rushed towards him.

"not good!"

Edgar let out a silent cry, his years of combat instincts allowing him to react instantly.

He suddenly raised his lost knight's halberd and held it horizontally in front of his chest.

"Bang!!!"

An immense force was applied directly to Edgar's halberd shaft.

His hands, gripping the halberd handle, instantly split open at the base of his thumbs, and blood spurted out.

Edgar was sent flying backward as if he had been hit by a battering ram.

"puff--"

He spat out a mouthful of blood in mid-air, flew backward, and crashed heavily to the ground, a dent clearly visible in his chest armor.

Xia Tong was stunned when she saw this scene.

"No? Bro...this might hurt a little!"

This is a complete numerical crushing victory!

The difference isn't that big in the game!