Chapter 214: Fallen Leaves... Wait, Where Are the Fallen Leaves?

Chapter 214: Fallen Leaves... Wait, Where Are the Fallen Leaves?

In the distant past, long before the Elden Ring shattered.

Someone stole the Death Rune guarded by the "Black Blade" Malicus on a foggy, chilly night, and the most valiant and glorious of the demigods, "Golden Godrick," was murdered.

Queen Marika fell into deep sorrow over the death of her eldest son, and the Elden Ring was shattered, plunging the world into chaos.

Decay, corruption, and madness befell everyone equally.

The Shattered War began, with the demigods who held the Great Runes fighting each other, leaving the Lands Between littered with corpses and suffering.

It was a war with no victor.

The mad and fallen demigods could not save the Lands Between, and the lost blessings returned to the nameless and forgotten Tarnished.

Go forth, Tarnished.

Seize the Great Runes from the demigods, repair the great Elden Ring, and become the Elden King!

...

In a mysterious space, two factions began an eternal struggle.

Partisan politics are an age-old unsolvable problem.

It's neither a philosophical question like which came first, the chicken or the egg, nor a purely personal preference like sweet or savory tofu pudding. Instead, it's a choice driven by emotion and a smattering of rationality.

"I can only say that those who understand will understand, and those who don't won't, no matter what I say. The Minotaur Warriors have always been the answer, and the Pure Love faction is no match for them."

For Luk, who is content to support a single individual without striving for more, the Draconic Luk has always looked down on him. They all talk the talk, but in reality, they are just biding their time.

Across all platforms and comment sections, the only ones who are always respected and blessed are the unspeakable ones.

Now, they are all about condemning such debauchery, but when the time comes, they all wish for "a good person to have a peaceful life."

Minotaurs, always the gods!

"How can a spoiled rich kid like you understand the true essence of pure love?" Naruto Luk snorted. "When two people are together, they must be completely open and devoted, with 100% trust, which is far more important than mere physical desire!"

"Don't kid yourself. We all know who you are, Luk. You weren't saying that when you were reading those manga and anime from the hidden world."

The Shinigami Luk, whose body has grown to the point where he is no longer a child, voted for the Minotaur Warriors and decided to start his own debauchery once he reached eighteen.

"Hey, Pirate Luk, what do you think?" Seeing he was outnumbered, Naruto Luk tried to find an ally.

The Pirate Luk, who had grown to three meters tall, exuded a misty aura that, despite his brutish appearance, gave him a divine, ethereal feel.

The accumulation of power from over a dozen worlds had rocketed his progress, and he had already entered the third stage of full-body qi transformation.

Now, he had reached his limit and was considering whether he could develop a fourth stage, focusing on harnessing the qi of heaven and earth...

But the world of One Piece was like a brainless nut, making it difficult!

His lack of intelligence limited his imagination!

Researching such matters should be left to the professionals.

Hearing the question, Pirate Luk stroked his chin. "Well, in cases like this, we should consult Little Head. Whatever it says, that's what we'll do."

It wasn't that he was being picky, but Nami's combat skills were abysmal. To be honest, he couldn't handle more than ten of her at once. He needed a powerful woman to match him!

Like Hancock, for example.

Naruto Luk: ...

Damn, this isn't about being the Pirate King; it's about being a playboy. What a waste of that divine, ethereal appearance. Even Zoro would be infuriated.

He shifted his gaze to the other Leks. The Oddball Luk had recently found the "Six Treasuries Immortal Thief" among the Eight Wondrous Techniques and shared it with the others. He was now tracking down the last one, "Great Luo Grotto," but it was proving difficult.

Thanks to the Marvel Luk's ability to slightly alter cause and effect, they finally found a clue and were following the trail.

The Food Wars Luk passed the entrance exam to the Tootsuki Academy and excelled in school, becoming a recognized successor to the Ten Sages. He hadn't become one yet because he hadn't initiated a food battle.

This Luk was exceptionally clear-headed, with most of his mind focused on cooking. He didn't care much about other things and spent his time thinking about food.

He rarely appeared in the space, only showing up when he felt his culinary skills had improved to share his chef skill packs and look for interesting ingredients in other worlds.

The Strange Luk initially squatted in a corner, growing mushrooms. He hadn't appeared recently, saying he was preparing to start a company and collect sealing artifacts to gradually infiltrate and counterattack.

Considering the depth of that world, it was a wise move.

The Jojo's Luk world severely restricted the use of power. While he could still use various abilities, they were all weakened to some degree. Fortunately, even with these limitations, he could still crush any opponent who hadn't yet developed rule-based stands, vampires, or Pillar Men.

As for the future appearance of Kars, who overcame the sun... considering Araki's creation dates back a long time, the power levels haven't inflated, and his weak portrayal in the anime, he poses no real threat.

Naruto Luk shifted his gaze to Ditto Luk, who was in the form of an Articuno. "Bro, you've got it easy."

Only a simple Pokemon wouldn't feel nervous.

"About that," Ditto Luk looked away guiltily, "I've actually been having some deep conversations with a few female trainers lately."

Naruto Luk's face changed. He hadn't expected even a childhood favorite to rebel, but considering Ditto's nature as a Pokemon that can breed with almost any gender and species... it made sense!

"Did you use your Pokemon form or human form?"

"…Both."

Reverse the big sky! The other Luks exchanged glances and gathered around Ditto Luk, pressing close to him.

They had no other intention; they just wanted to know which Pokemon Ditto Luk had used.

As they talked, Spirit Luk slowly materialized in the space, gently floating over to Dragon Luk.

A spirit and a dragon nodded to each other, polite and peaceful, forming a stark contrast to the impending fight below.

Then, their hands and claws touched, and the sharing began.

A few seconds later, Dragon Luk affectionately nuzzled Spirit Luk's head. "Thank you for your help."

As time passed, the number of Luks grew, and the enemies they faced became stronger. Dragon Luk gradually moved from T0 to T1.

He didn't mind the change much, but the slow growth cycle and progress were indeed a problem. So, he asked Spirit Luk to help him set up some advanced routes.

"You're welcome, we're all Luks after all."

Spirit Luk gently stroked Dragon Luk's horn. "In our world, there are many different types of dragons among the magical creatures. I'll share these data with you for an upgrade."

In Flereen's world, dragons are more traditional, medieval creatures with strong physical bodies, tough scales, and high resistance to magic.

By combining the strengths of other dragons through his dual abilities and Ditto's transformations, Dragon Luk could achieve a significant boost in power.

However, since some dragon traits didn't match Dragon Luk's graceful and ethereal appearance, many were omitted.

"But if you want to progress faster, the quickest method is still eating."

Spirit Luk hesitated before concluding.

"Like the Dragon Bones of the Dragon Kings in the dragon world, our world's magical creatures also have energy cores, including the Dragon Spirit Jade within you. Powerful dragons in various worlds have similar setups."

Eating the same species is undoubtedly the fastest way to grow.

Especially for Luks with the "Food is Heaven" ability, they can retain the maximum strength of the dragons they consume.

If the world doesn't suppress abilities from other worlds too much, using techniques to progress through eating would be a great way to advance.

"The Dragon Kings haven't appeared yet, and Dragon Luk is quite loud and reckless, so they might all hide."

Dragon Luk shook his head and sighed.

"But I know of a world that is very accepting of various powers and has many strong dragons. These dragons, while occasionally flying around, mostly stay in fixed locations."

"You mean..."

Dragon Luk's eyes lit up.

"Yes."

Spirit Luk nodded gently. "That world is a bit dangerous, and he prefers to stay low, so he hasn't made any big moves. But he's getting restless. I visited him recently, and he said..."

"It's time to become the Elden Lord."

...

Lake Liurnia, Raya Lucaria Academy of Sorcery.

This colossal castle city stands in the center of Lake Liurnia, protected by the grand and powerful Radahn's magic, safeguarding it from any external threats.

The mistress of this place is Rennala, the Full Moon Queen, a powerful magician who stands at the pinnacle of human magic. However, she lost her mind and fell into a state of despair after her husband's abandonment and was betrayed and confined to the deepest part of the academy's library...

That was how it should have been.

But not long ago, a Finger Maiden passed through, followed by a powerful Tarnished.

He single-handedly infiltrated the Raya Lucaria Academy of Sorcery, defeating the Radahn magicians, magical golems, and dry corpses along the way. He tamed Radagon's Red Wolf, and with reason and logic, persuaded the Carian Knight Miquella to stand aside, reaching the Full Moon Queen.

After a fierce battle with the despondent Full Moon Queen, the Tarnished freed her from her delusions and helped her reclaim the academy.

In the reception room, the Finger Witch Eleanor sat gloomily by the bed.

The Eremiter she served wasn't exactly a shining, noble warrior. He preferred to play dirty, lurking in the bushes to shoot poisoned arrows and hurl excrement stones at his enemies. He would use his Longbow Amulet to rain meteorites from afar, wield bleeding weapons to torment fallen enemies, and spew corruptive breath before fleeing the scene.

In short, he was all about underhanded tactics, which eventually drove her to leave in a huff.

However, not long after she stormed off, the Eremiter suddenly became incredibly valiant. He cut a swath through his enemies, slaying every shrimp and bear in his path. He even swiftly defeated the powerful Royal Ghost and recently overran the entire Raya Lucaria Academy of Magic.

The Raya Lucaria Academy was a stronghold that even the Golden Order had failed to conquer, despite two major campaigns. It was only through a strategic marriage that they managed to bring it under their control.

While the Academy was weakened by the civil war and betrayal of the Caria Royal Family, the fact that the Eremiter could achieve such feats alone was truly astonishing.

This led her to wonder if her presence had been a hindrance, but what could she have possibly done to affect him?

"Could it be that he just wanted to get rid of me to find another Finger Witch?"

Eleanor couldn't help but speculate, her mind racing with possibilities.

But that didn't make sense. If he wanted to replace her, why would he come chasing after her?

The door to the room creaked open, and Eleanor turned to see Caria Knight Mugg, the most loyal knight to the Full Moon Queen. When the mages betrayed the queen, Mugg stood alone, defending her from the enemy's assault.

"When are you and your Eremiter leaving?"

Mugg's voice, muffled by his helmet, was icy and filled with anger.

His hostile demeanor only worsened Eleanor's already chaotic thoughts, and her own attitude grew increasingly hostile.

"The Eremiter I serve helped your queen reclaim the Academy and restore her former glory. What is your attitude?"

"I thank him for his help! But he cannot claim Radagon's pets, stay in Radagon's room, and embrace our queen!"

Eleanor's face turned green, and she felt a heavy weight on her head.

Other Eremiters lived with their Finger Witches; she had never heard of one who sought someone else's.

"Who did you say he was embracing?"

Mugg's voice trembled with a mix of sorrow and fury. "Queen Renna!"

...

In the abandoned garden near the library, the once-neglected flower beds had been revitalized by the Eremiter's miraculous magic, now blooming with a riot of colors and fragrances.

Amid the vibrant beauty, a male voice rang out.

"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful queen, Renna. Do you like the magic I studied just for you?"

On a stone bench, a towering figure, over four meters tall and radiating the elegance of the moonlight, gently caressed the small form of the Eremiter, who was less than two meters tall and seemed rather delicate.

"I love it, Luk."

Renna leaned down and kissed the Eremiter's cheek. "You are not only a skilled warrior but also a master of magic. You are truly remarkable."

"Heh, just okay!" Luk's face was pale, with dark circles under his eyes, indicating he was quite exhausted.

"A friend of mine is particularly fond of magic, so I learned a bit. Let's enjoy the flowers until dawn, shall we?"

"No need, we've seen the garden. Let's go back to the room."

Renna easily picked up Luk in a bridal carry.

"Wait, wait, I have something else to say." Luk's eyes were filled with fear as he tried to stop her. After a moment of silence, he stammered, "I, I want to be your blade!"

"Alright, I understand. We can discuss this later."

He struggled to break free from Renna's embrace, his eyes pleading with the direction of the Golden Tree. "I, I have more magic to show you! Just a moment."

"Tomorrow."

In the distance, the Golden Tree suddenly burst into brilliant light, and Luk's face relaxed. He had heard that the Golden Tree's light was a sign of something significant.

"There is no tomorrow, Renna. We'll meet again next time."

After a moment of thought, he shook his head, a mix of regret and relief in his eyes.

"Actually, let's not meet next time either."

Renna looked puzzled, her gaze directed toward the Golden Tree, which seemed to have lost its radiance.

"Luk, what are you saying...?"

Before she could finish, the Golden Tree's light grew brighter, culminating in a massive golden wave.

The radiant glow enveloped the entire world.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end