booktalesy Chapter 2 First Encounter with Melina
Chapter 2 First Encounter with Melina
I was probably just too tired the day before.
The next day, Xia Tong didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky.
I slept very soundly, and most of my fatigue had disappeared. The wound on my right arm had scabbed over with dark brown blood and was no longer bleeding.
He walked toward the cave entrance, where his spoils from the previous day—the Grek soldier suit—were drying.
"It's all done! Excellent!"
Xia Tong couldn't wait to take them off and put them on one by one.
First the shirt, then the chainmail, and finally the khaki robe with the lion emblem.
Thanks to his relatively robust physique, the Grik soldier suit wasn't as heavy as he had imagined.
According to the game's mechanics, this falls under the category of "moderate load".
Xia Tong moved her hands and feet, and a slight scraping sound came from her joints.
"My flexibility is indeed a bit less than when I was running naked, after all, I have dozens of kilograms of iron on my body now."
"But... the security has indeed been greatly improved."
Now, he is no longer that useless person who breaks at the slightest touch.
He picked up the rusty longsword again.
The weapon carried by the Grik soldiers is called the King's Army Straight Sword.
Its built-in combat skill is—ready stance.
Xia Tong tried to adopt that posture: holding the sword with both hands, the sword tip held horizontally, and the center of gravity lowered.
Instantly, a sharp aura emanated from the sword.
Once the ready stance is adopted, the subsequent attack, whether it is an upward slash or a thrust, will become more powerful and heavy, making it extremely easy to break through the enemy's defense.
......
in the afternoon.
The edge of the dense forest next to the checkpoint.
Xia Tong crouched down, using the bushes for cover, and looked at the lonely campfire in the distance.
The long, monotonous, and mentally stressful patrol life had dulled the senses of the soldier in front of him.
In addition, Xia Tong's movements are now very subtle, with each step firmly planted on solid ground.
Finally, he silently crept up behind the soldier.
Seeing that the time was ripe, a cold glint flashed in Xia Tong's eyes.
Without any hesitation, he immediately thrust the King's Army straight sword in his hand into the back of the Grek soldier in front of him!
puff!
The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was dull and terrifying.
The soldier gasped in shock, his body instinctively arching backward in agony, as if he were about to scream.
Xia Tong, however, was prepared.
He took the opportunity to kick the soldier hard in the back with one foot, and used the force to pull out his sword!
Sizzle—!
Blood gushed out like a fountain!
The sneak attack was a success!
However, this backstab attack did not kill him instantly.
After all, Xia Tong is only level 1 at this moment, and her strength attribute is only at the level of an ordinary person.
However, the other party was clearly seriously injured and staggered as he turned around.
"Ugh!!"
The soldier from Grek roared and brandished his straight sword, thrusting it towards Xia Tong!
After all, he was a seasoned soldier, and even when he was on the verge of death, his counterattack was still fierce and ruthless.
In the past, Xia Tong would probably have panicked long ago.
However, the muscle memory inherited from her predecessor, combined with the awareness of being a veteran player of the Old Man Ring, made Xia Tong extremely calm.
In a one-on-one situation, he was not afraid of any ordinary soldier.
Turn sideways and slide.
With a light and easy dodge, he avoided the opponent's dying counterattack.
Then, a backhand strike!
The king's straight sword pierced his lower back with pinpoint accuracy.
The Grek soldier's body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.
A faint golden light entered Xia Tong's body.
He sensed it; it was another 64 runes.
Xia Tong's eyes lit up as she looked at the corpse on the ground.
In my past life, when playing games, if you wanted to get more equipment drops, the [Sense] attribute had to be high, which is also known as the "drop rate".
But now, the real body has arrived in this real world...
There's absolutely no need for drop rates!
If we kill him, we can strip him of all his equipment!
Thinking about this, Xia Tong suddenly had a bold idea.
"In this world, equipment is the hard currency."
"Maybe... I know a way to get stronger quickly."
They packed up the gear they had taken off and hid it in the previous cave as a reserve of supplies.
Xia Tong took a sip of water and went to look for her next target.
This time, it was a Grek soldier patrolling around with a torch in his hand.
sneak!
Flank them!
Sneak attack!
He maneuvered and shifted, then suddenly thrust!
Another stream of runes flowed into his body.
Time flew by, and it was already completely dark.
On this day, Xia Tong killed five lone Grik soldiers.
However, he was not entirely unharmed.
He sprained his left ankle while dodging an arrow, and also suffered a sword wound on his back from a stray arrow.
The burning pain reminded Xia Tong that this was reality, not a data-driven game; injuries really hurt and could affect her movements.
"We can't continue like this."
As darkness fell, he was about to do something extremely important—
Light up the blessings!
......
late at night.
Even in the pitch-black night, the towering golden tree in the distance still shone brightly, illuminating the sky over the entire border region.
Golden fireflies flitted about in the air, creating a truly picturesque scene.
Pity.
The broken ring road reveals a landscape of devastation and lifelessness beneath its beautiful surface.
Only a very small number of people with strong willpower can remain clear-headed and possess normal rationality.
Despite the pain in her ankle, Xia Tong carefully made her way around the ruins in front of the checkpoint.
He crept along the shadows at the base of the city wall toward the city gate.
There, even during the day, you can see a golden glow.
In the darkness of night, the light appeared even brighter, warmer, and more alluring.
Xia Tong, already a seasoned player, knew this.
That's the blessing point ahead of the checkpoint.
Because of the constant patrols by Grek soldiers carrying torches, Xia Tong spent a full half hour walking this short distance.
Finally, he avoided all eyes and came to the side of the blessing.
It was a tiny, illusory flame radiating golden light.
Xia Tong took a deep breath, her hand trembling as she reached out and gently touched the bright light, which resembled a candle flame.
hum-
The moment my fingertips touched it, it felt like being struck by an electric current.
But he did not feel pain.
On the contrary, an indescribable warm feeling instantly rushed to every part of my body.
All the exhaustion and pain from the wounds were soothed at this moment.
He felt as if he were bathed in the gentle warmth of a winter sun, and his soul was elevated.
"This is a blessing! It really feels wonderful."
Xia Tong couldn't help but let out a comfortable groan and slowly sat down next to Cifu.
As the blessing was activated, the surrounding space seemed to undergo a subtle distortion.
Amidst a soft burst of blue light and shadow particles, a figure appeared out of thin air in front of Xia Tong, like a phantom.
She was wearing a heavy but worn dark gray travel cloak and was petite.
The hood was pulled down high on her head, hiding most of her face in shadow.
She could only be vaguely seen in her pale skin and soft jawline.
The girl's voice was clear and ethereal.
"Hello, you who have come through the fog."
"My name is Melina..."
"I want to...make a deal with you."
Xia Tong's heart skipped a beat.
finally come!
Melina slightly raised her head, revealing half of her face:
"...Do you know about the 'Finger Witches'? They are those who serve Two Fingers, helping and guiding those who have faded..."
"But now, you don't have a witch by your side."
"I can take their place. I can transform runes into your power... This will certainly be helpful to you as long as you crave the Elden Ring."
The girl paused for a moment, then finally revealed her purpose:
"So, I hope you can help me—take me to the foot of the golden tree."
When Melina said those words.
Xia Tong didn't speak, but simply looked at the girl in front of her quietly.
By the light of the blessing, he finally saw her clearly.
Melina's right eye was open, and her pupil was a unique, slightly purplish gray-blue. Her gaze was calm and gentle, with a hint of sadness.
Her left eye was closed.
Above that eyelid was a very clear, black, claw-shaped three-finger mark.
Xia Tong smiled slightly, without any hesitation:
"I agree."
Melina seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, a very faint smile curving her lips:
"That means the deal is done."
"When you wish to transform runes into your own power, call upon me at the Blessing Hall."
As she spoke, she stretched out her hand, revealing an antique gold ring in her palm.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing. This ring is for you."
"When you need to travel long distances, use that ring. It can summon the spirit of the steed named Torret."
Melina's voice softened a little:
"...Torret has chosen you."
"I hope you treat him well."
After saying that, she seemed to remember something, and with a flash of light in her hand, two bottles appeared.
"Oh, right, take these two things."
"One is the Red Dewdrop Grail Bottle, and the other is the Blue Dewdrop Grail Bottle. They restore your vitality and concentration, respectively."
Xia Tong accepted it with both hands; it felt heavy.
He then realized that when he awoke in the ruins in front of the checkpoint, he had nothing.
According to the game's settings, when you first enter the game, your character will receive these two life-saving bottles at the blessing point in the drifting graveyard.
As the unlucky guy wearing the outfit, he didn't have these two cheat items before.
Now, it's finally complete!
"Based on the amount in this bottle, you can drink about three sips."
Xia Tong shook the red bottle, revealing a ruby-like liquid inside.
Then I looked at the blue one.
"This one for restoring focus... you can only drink one sip."
"It seems that the only way to increase the recovery rate is to find the Golden Seed later."
After doing all this, Melina didn't linger.
Her body transformed into countless blue specks of light, gradually dissipating into the air.
"Call me anytime you need me."
Only a gray-brown horse remained in the same spot.
It has two horns on its head, and its mane flutters in the night wind.
Torret stood silently to one side, watching Xia Tong with his intelligent eyes, occasionally letting out a few loud sneezes.
puff!
Xia Tong walked over and reached out to touch Toret's horse's head.
It feels warm to the touch, and the fur is soft and smooth.
"From now on, we're partners, Torrett."
Torret rubbed his palm affectionately in response.