20demayo Chapter 4 Princess Lani of the Moon
Chapter 4 Princess Lani of the Moon
"...You're one of the Faded Ones, aren't you?"
"And it seems... like it won't attack me."
Beside the ruins of the Church of Arele, the red-hatted merchant raised his head, his eyes filled with a merchant's scrutiny.
"In that case, should we buy something?"
The merchant pointed to the goods around him, which were piled high on the ground.
"My name is Kale. You probably wouldn't guess, but I'm in business."
Xia Tong looked at this familiar old friend, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly:
"I can tell you're a businessman."
"Oh, really? Then what would you like to buy?"
"No, I plan to sell a batch of items first."
"Oh? What do you need?"
Xia Tong walks towards the blessing of the Church of Aigle, connecting with her own space.
With a thought, he took out eight sets of Grik soldier suits.
Whoosh!
A crisp metallic clang rang out.
Xia Tong threw these armors, stained with mud and blood, on the ground, piling them into a small mountain.
Xia Tong pointed to the equipment on the ground:
"They've all been sold."
He's very poor right now and desperately needs runes to upgrade.
Kalie put down the erhu-like instrument he was holding and came over to examine it.
"The condition is so-so... It looks like very old and dilapidated armor. It must have been worn by a nearby Grik soldier."
"Yes, I just hunted them."
"The Faded Ones are indeed born warriors! Although these Grik soldiers are somewhat delirious, their combat strength is still considerable."
Kale exclaimed in admiration, then changed the subject:
"Excuse me for asking, will they be resurrected?"
Xia Tong thought for a moment, combining the game's setting with her observations in reality, and answered:
"They will be resurrected at some point in the future, but certainly not immediately. And having lost their full set of equipment, they will be far less of a threat to the creatures around them."
After chatting idly for a while, the two finally started talking about the price of the equipment in front of them.
When it came to the bargaining stage, Karlie immediately changed his tune and became picky:
"This Grek arm guard is completely dented... the blade of this straight sword is almost jagged... and this robe, the bloodstains on it are so hard to wash off..."
"Alright, alright, you can pay whichever you think is right!"
Xia Tong couldn't help but put her hand to her forehead.
Sure enough, no matter which world you're in, you'll always be pressured to lower the price when selling things to merchants.
Although his things are indeed very worn out.
Kalie chuckled and held up his finger to indicate the name:
"I'll give you 150 runes for a set of average quality; these slightly better sets will cost you 200 runes."
......
After some haggling.
The eight sets of Grik soldier outfits brought Xia Tong a total of 1250 runes.
Xia Tong silently did some mental calculations:
"According to the game's setting, these junk items would sell for extremely low prices to merchants, only around a hundred yuan per set. But in the real world, metal and leather have intrinsic value, so this price is quite fair."
With money in hand, Xia Tong felt much more confident.
"I'm planning to buy a torch and a tool bag."
"The tool bag costs 300 runes, and the torch costs 200 runes."
The wandering merchant, Kale, deftly rummaged through the pile of goods and pulled out an exquisitely crafted leather bag, then handed Xia Tong a torch wrapped in oilcloth.
"Is there anything else we need to buy?"
"It's not needed for now."
Xia Tong packed her things and looked at the sky:
"Can I sleep here tonight?"
"Of course. This is the Church of Islay, belonging to every wandering soul."
Then, Kale pulled out a large bag of runes that had just been traded from his pocket.
Those are energy crystals that radiate golden light.
"Crush these crystals, and the runes will transform into pure energy and flow into your body."
Xia Tong gently took the money and carefully examined it.
This was the first time he had ever seen a physical rune. The ones he had obtained from killing monsters before had all turned into points of light and flowed into his body.
Xia Tong carefully put away the rune, then suddenly asked:
"We're inside the Church of Arele. Will the guardian trees outside attack us?"
Kalie poked at the campfire and said calmly:
"No. The Tree Guardian is the absolute defender of the Golden Tree, and even if the Elden Ring is broken, it still retains its sane mind."
"However, when he sees a faded person wandering in the wild, he will categorize them as a 'threat that needs to be eliminated'."
"But you are safe at the Church of Arey."
"A knight will not attack someone who is inside a church sanctuary. At the very least, the spirit of chivalry still lives on."
Xia Tong listened to this, and before she knew it, she was somewhat moved.
On the road not far away, the Tree Guardian was slowly passing by on his warhorse.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, his armor, though old, still shone with a golden luster, representing an unquestionable authority.
I remember when he chased me this morning, the movements of the tree guard were so precise and deadly.
It is full of knightly skill, not the rage of a beast.
......
Night falls.
Xia Tong sat beside the blessing and silently prayed.
"Melina."
Points of blue light converge.
Melina's figure appeared in the blessed light.
"Do you want to turn the runes into your own power?" she asked softly.
"Yes."
Xia Tong looked at her own panel.
Besides the proceeds from selling equipment, plus the earnings from killing soldiers, he now has nearly 1600 runes.
That's enough to level up two times.
"Just once, let me touch you."
Melina extended her hand.
Xia Tong also placed her hand on it.
Melina's fingers were slender and cold, but when she held Xia Tong tightly, she felt a warm and powerful sensation.
The two palms faced each other.
"What stat do you want to increase?"
"Increase vitality for all."
Xia Tong did not hesitate.
In this world, the thicker your health bar, the higher your margin for error; you can only deal damage if you're alive.
Melina nodded slightly and closed her eyes.
As a deep and ancient chanting sounded, the rune crystal that Xia Tong had crushed in her hand transformed into a golden torrent, flowing through their joined hands and into Xia Tong's limbs and bones.
This feeling is amazing, as if every cell in your body is cheering and your bones and muscles are being reshaped and strengthened.
This process lasted a full ten minutes.
[Character Data]
Rating: 3
Holds 18 Runes
Vitality: 12
......
Xia Tong slowly released Melina's hand and stood up to stretch.
I definitely feel that my blood and energy are much more abundant, my body is lighter, and my stamina is better.
But this also nearly drained Xia Tong of all her savings.
The remaining 18 runes lay forlornly on the panel, looking small and ridiculous.
"So this is what it means to get stronger by spending money..."
Xia Tong sighed.
Before we knew it, the night had deepened.
At the other end of the church in Islay, the campfire of the wandering merchant, Garel, was relit.
Xia Tong did not approach.
He sat alone on the broken wall, seemingly waiting for something.
However, even as the moon reached its zenith, that person did not appear.
Sleepiness crept in.
He got a tattered felt cloth from a wandering merchant, found a sheltered corner, and slept on the ground.
Although the Ringstrasse is broken, the night in Nymgof is truly beautiful.
Golden fireflies fluttered in the night sky, like a dream.
After Xia Tong and Ka Lie both fell into a deep sleep.
A strange, pale blue mist suddenly appeared around the Church of Arey.
Xia Tong was clearly asleep, yet she vaguely regained her consciousness.
He felt like he was experiencing a "lucid dream".
In his dream, he saw a translucent witch radiating a soft blue-white light, sitting quietly on the crumbling wall of a church.
She had four hands, and her skin was as white as snow.
She wore a huge and peculiar snow wizard hat with a wide brim that covered half of her face.
Only one deep blue eye was visible, as if it contained the entire starry sky.
The ethereal and serene voice seemed to resonate directly in Xia Tong's mind.
"...The faded one, is that right?"
"I heard that someone has obtained a spirit horse."
The witch tilted her head slightly, looking down at Xia Tong.
Xia Tong was startled.
coming!
Princess of the Moon, Lani!
Although she now calls herself Lena, Xia Tong, as a transmigrator, knows her background all too well.
"What do you mean by 'heard of'? As a demigod, what doesn't Princess Lani know?"
Xia Tong couldn't help but grumble to herself.
However, on the surface, he still pretended to be unfathomable and did not panic like ordinary people.
He said calmly:
"The spirit horse has its own destiny, just like the stars in the sky, which cannot be bound by earthly laws. I just happen to be walking on this path."
Upon hearing this, the witch on the wall paused slightly.
A hint of surprise was clearly visible in his previously nonchalant expression.
"I am Lena."
She didn't acknowledge the name, but continued to use the alias, her tone carrying a hint of arrogance:
"I only became nosy because I found out about it by chance."
"The former owner of the spirit horse asked me to give you two things."
The witch gently raised one hand.
Then, two things appeared out of thin air and slowly floated down in front of Xia Tong.
It was a small, shimmering silver bell—a soul-summoning bell.
And a pinch of grayish-white ashes that contain the soul.
Rather than ashes, it was more like a grayish-white crystal with a faint pattern of three wolves on it—the ashes of a lone wolf.
"The Soul-Summoning Bell is very simple to use. Shake it while silently calling upon the ashes you wish to summon, and you will be able to bring back the souls that have not yet returned to the Golden Tree."
The witch explained, her voice cold and clear.
Xia Tong reached out and took it, feeling its heavy weight in her hand.
"Thank you. I will ensure these lost souls serve their proper purpose in my hands..."
Xia Tong raised her head, looked directly into the witch's deep blue eyes, and said meaningfully:
"Go and challenge those 'guidelines' that shouldn't exist."
Xia Tong emphasized the word "guidance".
As the Moon Princess, Lani was extremely annoyed by Twofinger's constant surveillance and manipulation of her.
This statement must have been very much to her liking.
really.
The witch, who had been nonchalant, finally became more serious.
She gave Xia Tong a deep look, a playful smile curving her lips:
"......Yeah?"
"Then let me see just how far your so-called 'effect' can go."
Her body began to dissipate into blue specks of light.
"If one day you can prove that you are capable of breaking free from the marionette strings..."
"Come find me at the northern city of Kalia."
After saying this, the Moon Witch's figure completely disappeared into the mist.
wake up.