Because the impact site of the meteorite was indeed too far from the city-fortress of Caria, Aoko decided to teleport twice with Blaidd, first reaching Limgrave, and then using Wind Soaring magic to directly fly the half-wolf warrior to their destination.
To Aoko's surprise, Blaidd, who had always appeared as a tall, imposing figure with the image of a loyal and tough knight, turned out not only to be directionally challenged but also to have a fear of heights.
Aoko keenly noticed that as their altitude increased, the rugged warrior's muscles grew tenser, and he spoke less and less. Meanwhile, AOko continued explaining their plans for exploring the Eternal City after they arrived.
When they finally landed, Blaidd staggered and almost fell, nearly throwing away the last shred of dignity befitting a knight of Princess Ranni's royal guard. However, he gritted his teeth and managed to steady himself.
But when Blaidd stood at the edge of the meteorite's impact site and peered into the deep crater, vertigo struck him once more. Aoko silently grabbed his arm to steady him. The massive crater was so deep that its bottom couldn't be seen.
Though Blaidd was saved from falling, an item on him was jostled loose by his movement and fell out. Aoko reacted quickly, casting Mage Hand to grab the item mid-air and retrieve it.
When Blaidd saw what she had caught, he breathed a sigh of relief—only to grow tense again, this time with a hint of embarrassment.
"This is...?"
Aoko stared at the object delivered by Mage Hand, momentarily unable to figure out what it was. Its design was simply too abstract. Upon close inspection, it appeared to be a small figurine of a person wearing a wizard's hat.
"This... this is just a symbol of my loyalty to Lady Ranni!" Blaidd hurriedly snatched the small figurine back, fumbling to stuff it into the pouch at his waist. He sealed the pouch tightly, ensuring it wouldn't fall out again.
"…?"
No matter how Aoko looked at it, she couldn't associate the overly abstract figure with Princess Ranni. At first glance, it looked like a crude humanoid statue carved from a decent piece of wood.
However, seeing Blaidd's devout expression, Aoko wondered: could the true image of this figurine only be revealed through enough inspiration or faith?
"Anyway, let's figure out how to get down there first!" Blaidd stammered, clearly trying to divert the conversation. He had noticed the foreign sorceress deep in thought after seeing the figurine. If she decided to report this incident to Lady Ranni, it would spell trouble.
"...Alright."
Aoko decided not to dwell on the figurine or its supposed connection to faith. Her primary goal was to explore the Eternal City and search for treasures.
However, just as she began casting a spell, Blaidd interrupted her.
"I—I see a sloped path over there that leads down. We don't need to use flight magic, right? I'll take the lead. If there's any danger, you'll have time to respond."
You just don't want to fly because of your fear of heights, do you?
Aoko didn't expose his excuse and instead leisurely followed behind him. They began descending into the crater via the sloped path.
The area surrounding the crater was periodically struck by gravitational lightning, with floating rocks scattered everywhere. Although their descent was slow, it was relatively safe.
Aoko summoned several orbs of light to float around them, illuminating their surroundings and helping them choose the correct path. Strangely, Aoko couldn't shake the feeling that the spiral path leading downward had existed before the meteorite struck. But upon closer inspection, it seemed more like a coincidence caused by the collapse of the rock layers.
After descending approximately 150 meters, the light orbs revealed an artificial platform—a structure that seemed to be part of the Eternal City, exposed by the impact of the meteorite.
Aoko could have explored this area earlier when Radahn was still alive, entering via the Siofra River in the eastern forests of Limgrave and using flight magic to reach this region. However, at the time, she had no reason to immediately investigate. Now, with Blaidd accompanying her, it was more of a side trip.
Using Feather Fall, the two descended into a cavity in the broken wall of the structure. Carefully, they began exploring the interior.
The architectural style inside was immediately familiar to Aoko. She recognized the carvings and patterns, which bore a striking resemblance to those of the Caria faction. The differences were minimal, mostly in color schemes, which further confirmed that the builders of this place—the Nox people—were ancestors of the Carian lineage.
As Aoko and Blaidd examined their surroundings, several crossbow bolts suddenly shot out from the darkness. Blaidd reacted swiftly, using his massive royal greatsword—almost as wide as a door—as a shield to block the attack, sparks flying from the impact.
AOko, on the other hand, casually waved her staff. Six cold-white glintstone claw projectiles scattered in different directions, following bizarre trajectories to strike their hidden attackers.
She then merged the light orbs into a single, brilliant light that illuminated the entire room. They discovered the bodies of their assailants scattered on the collapsed floor—small, emaciated, humanoid creatures with smooth skin and grotesque features.
Some of them held crude shields and weapons, while others wielded torches with ghostly flames and simple crossbows. It was clear that these creatures had been responsible for the ambush.
"Are these... demi-humans?" Blaidd cautiously examined the corpses of the strange creatures. Even as a local, he had never seen such odd beings in the surface world.
"I don't think so," Aoko replied after a closer inspection. "Look at their ears—they're not pointed like those of demi-humans. I'd guess these are some sort of servant race created by the Nox people."
They didn't dwell on the strange creatures for long. After casting concealment spells, they continued deeper into the Eternal City.
After about ten more minutes of walking, the scenery suddenly changed. Bright light bathed the ground, and Aoko looked up to see the artificial starry sky created by the Nox people in the vast underground cavern of the Eternal City.
The sight was so breathtaking that Aoko couldn't resist taking out her camera to snap a few photos. The craftsmanship and aesthetic sense of the Nox people were truly exceptional.
Aoko and Blaidd arrived at a plaza surrounded by ornate buildings. Aside from a single pavilion, the area was filled with structures resembling grand churches or libraries rather than simple residences.
The only other inhabitants of the area were those mysterious small humanoids, with no sign of any "normal" living beings. Thus, Aoko and Blaidd quickly passed through the plaza and continued their journey into the deeper parts of the city.