185 Lockdown (1/2)

Around the walls, there were runes carved in that were meant to cast interference on scrying spells and to make them soundproof.

Launcelot sat at the head of this table, his gauntleted hand at his chin while an expression mixed with anxiety and concern manifested on his face.

”How is the situation with the city?” asked Li.

”The nature of this threat,” said Launcelot. ”Is far more devious than I thought. The possibility of the plague spreading uncontrollably is far greater a threat than any orc attack, and so I have informed the guild and they have issued a citywide lockdown.

Nothing goes in or out of the four city gates without strict review by priests of the Light.”

”And for those of us who live outside the gates,” said Ivo. ”I have told them to flee at any unnatural sights towards your farm, good seer.”

”That's the best thing to do,” said Li. ”Frankly speaking, the priests of the Light are not equipped to identify this kind of threat or deal with it even if they do. I am confident in saying that throughout this entire duchy, I am the only one capable of dealing with it.”

Li thought of eldritch powers in Elden World. It was not part of the base game when it was released. They were introduced in an expansion, though their presence was hinted at with a few bosses, items, and skills.

The expansion that released them was called ”Whispers of the Infinite Cosmos”, and it coincidentally also introduced Celestial-tier items, Ultima-tier spells, the level 100+ cap, and, perhaps most interestingly, the ability for players to spec into eldritch themed subclasses.

This was actually how Li himself gained his eldritch powers.

Leshen could innately use dark Druidry to command the more unsettling aspects of the forest such as death related forces, insects, and other crawling creatures of the dark, but actually summoning eldritch entities was an expansion related perk.

In other words, in this world which seemed to be limited only to the base game's power levels, Li theorized that nobody had any conception of what eldritch powers were, and he was not about to explain right now that he was in command of powers that were meant to be unspeakably horrific embodiments of chaos meant to destroy reality.

It would be horrendous PR for him and his druids when now was the time for him to try and branch out and inculcate trust with the lives around him.

”Still,” said Launcelot. ”That orcs were capable of this is quite unbelievable.”

Vahid grunted. His arms were crossed, his brawny figure looming atop the table. Beside him was his mage partner, donned in typical witch's garb and a slender wooden pipe loosing curls of smoke at her lips.

”Figured as much,” said Vahid. ”Ain't no orcs that fight like that. Demons sounds more right, spreadin' disease and misery fore' tryin' to square up and fight straight up.”

”Pray, tell,” said Launcelot. ”Did the demon loose any useful information before you defeated it?”

”Not too much. Its mind seemed incoherent, but it did babble about an incoming invasion. It would be fair to say that the demonic invasions that plagued this land decades ago are coming once more.”

”I fear the same,” said Ivo. ”You adventurers are too young to have experienced the brunt of those dark days, but when Riviera was attacked, it was yet under the protection of the guardian spirit Morrigan.

The demons lie far West, and to reach Soleil, the largest city they encounter first is Riviera, but a guardian spirit is a formidable force, and thus they unleashed demonrot upon the forests to corrupt and wilt it before embarking on a full scale invasion.

The same has been attempted now.”

”Meaning the invasion's comin' real soon,” said Vahid. His jaw set. ”Means my people are already slaughtered, considerin' them's what's standin' between Riviera and the demons.”

”I wouldn't be so sure about that,” said Li. ”The Hinterlanders might be nearest to the demons, but we'd have seen refugees or news if they were attacked by now. Riviera's still getting routine request to have supplies delivered and trade routes are still open.

The demons acted very early this time around, before there were any forces mobilized for a frontal invasion.”

”Perhaps a test for their new weapon?” commented Launcelot. ”This rot, after all, is of a kind I have never beheld, and I would like to consider myself well-traveled and well-acquaintanced with the most esoteric of magics, pure, demonic, or heroic.”