In the end, it was Melina who broke the silence.
“Um, are you all right?”
Melina asked cautiously.
“My apologies, I lost my composure. You reminded me of an old friend, and I blanked out for a moment.”
Bai Shi pushed down the uncontrollable emotions welling up inside him and casually concocted a lie to smooth things over.
Melina nodded. Though it was a little strange, the explanation seemed reasonable enough.
“Oh, I see. You must have been very close.”
“Yes. She was my maiden. We traveled together and overcame countless hardships. I thought those days would last, but she sacrificed herself for me.”
Melina had no idea that Bai Shi was talking about her. She simply took it as a story about him and a maiden he once traveled with.
“I am sorry to hear that. But if you are still in pursuit of the Elden Ring, then you must press on, mustn't you?”Bai Shi nodded.
“What are you suggesting?”
Seeing that Bai Shi seemed to have calmed down, Melina breathed a sigh of relief and began to state her purpose.
“As I said before, I wish to make a bargain with you.”
“I mean no offense, but you are now maidenless…”
Melina observed Bai Shi’s expression. Seeing that he wasn’t angered by her words, she continued:
“I can play the role of a maiden, turning runes into your strength.”
“So long as you still seek the Elden Ring, this will surely be of help to you.”
“In return, I ask that you take me to the foot of the Erdtree.”
“What do you say?”
Bai Shi had no reason to refuse, but he feigned consideration for a moment before agreeing.
“I do not know who you are, but this arrangement seems to have no drawbacks for me.”
“Does that mean you accept?”
“Yes. My name is Bai Shi. I look forward to your guidance, my maiden.”
A faint smile graced the corners of Melina’s lips.
“Then the accord is settled. When you wish to turn runes into strength, simply call for me at a Site of Grace.”
Looking at Melina’s smile, Bai Shi’s heart pounded violently.
In his past life, Melina, who was often teased for being as wooden as a log, had always worn a serious, unsmiling expression. Her smile now was as beautiful as a melting glacier.
Witnessing this stunningly beautiful contrast, Bai Shi truly felt he could die without regrets.
“Can you turn my runes into strength now?”
Melina nodded and extended her hand toward Bai Shi.
“Just for a moment. Allow me to touch you.”
Seeing the burn scars that covered Melina’s otherwise fair hand, Bai Shi’s heart ached.
But Melina thought Bai Shi was bothered by the scars. Her fingers trembled slightly, and she began to hesitantly withdraw her hand.
“I’m sorry. They’re unsightly, aren't they? I’ll wear gloves next time.”
But Bai Shi suddenly reached out and grasped Melina’s retreating hand. Melina froze like a startled fawn.
Huh? Why did he grab my hand so naturally? Is this how a normal person reacts to seeing scars?
Melina’s hand was small, easily enveloped by Bai Shi’s palm.
“Not at all. You must have endured so much pain. But from now on, I will protect you. I swear it.”
“I won’t lose my maiden a second time.”
Melina lowered her head, not letting Bai Shi see her expression.
After a moment, she nodded and let out a faint “mhm.”
Melina took a deep breath, trying to slow her pounding heart.
His action had taken her by surprise, causing her to freeze up completely; it hadn’t even occurred to her to pull her hand away. *Oh no, Torrent seems to have found a strange one.*
Wait, didn't I ask him to touch my hand?
Melina looked up, appearing to have regained her usual composure, but she knew she was not as calm as she seemed on the surface.
“Now, I will help you turn your runes into strength. Please do not resist.”
Golden runes were drawn out from Bai Shi’s body by Melina, gathering in her hand.
“You currently have over 2200 runes, enough to raise your attributes by two points.”
“I can help you allocate the strength from the runes to Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane.”
“Now, please choose where you wish to allocate the strength.”
“Help me increase my Vigor and Dexterity.”
Melina nodded to show she understood.
Next, the golden runes slowly flowed back from Melina’s hand. But this time was different; Bai Shi felt the energy seep directly into his flesh, binding with him, inseparable.
Bai Shi had chosen these two attributes after careful consideration.
Just now, when Melina had asked him how to allocate them, a level-up panel had suddenly appeared before Bai Shi, allowing him to see his stats:
Vigor: 15,
Mind: 10,
Endurance: 11,
Strength: 14,
Dexterity: 13,
Intelligence: 9,
Faith: 9,
Arcane: 7.
These were the starting stats for the Knight class. Vigor, Strength, and Dexterity were all high, with no obvious weaknesses.
The relatively low Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane were not particularly important attributes at the moment.
What Bai Shi needed most right now was a margin for error—at least enough of a margin to activate Fengling Yueying.
The invincibility that had automatically triggered against the Grafted Scion was a one-time thing. From now on, he would have to activate it manually.
Therefore, higher Vigor would make it less likely for Bai Shi to be killed in one hit, while higher Dexterity would make it easier for him to dodge and attack in battle, aiming to emerge unscathed.
The transfer ended quickly. On the panel, his Vigor and Dexterity had become 16 and 14, respectively.
“There. Your runes have been turned into strength. But be aware that as your power grows, the amount of runes required will also increase.”
Bai Shi let go of her hand, suddenly realizing with a touch of sadness that this was the first time he had ever held a girl’s hand.
Melina then took out a few items from beneath her cloak and handed them to Bai Shi.
In her left hand was a golden ring that emitted a soft glow; in her right were two golden flasks, one containing a blue liquid and the other red.
Melina first handed the two flasks to Bai Shi.
“These are the Flasks of Sacred Tears, made in imitation of the legend where a golden chalice caught the dew of grace. The red one can help heal your wounds, and the blue one can restore your focus points.”
“There is no need to use them sparingly. They will be refilled each time you rest at a Site of Grace.”
Bai Shi accepted them and placed them securely in his bag. These were lifesaving items.
Melina then gave the ring from her left hand to Bai Shi.
“When you need to travel long distances, please use this ring. It can be used as a whistle. Blowing it will summon the spirit of a steed named Torrent.”
“Torrent is very fond of you. I hope you will treat him well.”
Bai Shi accepted the ring solemnly and, without a second thought, slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand, from which he had just removed his vambrace.