Chapter 702: Runes
As Edward meditated in front of the site of grace, he received a gift from the Erdtree. The first benefit was a pocket dimension where he can place items like weapons and armor. With a thought, he can summon the things he put inside. The pocket dimension also contained two flasks: The Flask of Crimson Tear (red) and the Flask of Cerulean Tear (blue).
"What’s the analysis?"
"The red one contained a potion with great life energy, and the blue contained the power to alleviate the strains of the mind," Morgana revealed. That analysis fits with what he knows. The red flask can heal, and the blue flask is to recuperate focus, which is the key to magic in this world.
The second gift he received was an item called the Finger Seal, which allowed him to cast Incantation. This world was a [Sorcerer World], meaning people did not have mana or other energy inside their bodies. Well, at least, not for magic. Instead, they utilized a foreign source of energy, such as the Erdtree or the stars.
This world also operated similarly to worlds with a Weave. Magic Casters have a limited number of spells they can use at a time, and Edward was starting with only two slots, meaning in battle, he can only use two spells. He did not like that, but the rules of this world were not his to determine — at least, not yet.
"So, what’s the plan?" Morgana asked.
’Melina should have shown up and shown me a way to improve my strength, but she hasn’t. It’s probably because I don’t have any runes, so let’s hunt for a while."
"I’m on it." Morgana deployed the small satellite to observe and map out the area. "We are currently in Limgrave, and there is a group of boars and deer nearby."
"Alright, let’s go hunt. But first, let me check if I can use alchemy in this place." The success of alchemy is fundamental to his plan, so that’s the first thing he did. Edward closed his eyes and sensed the energy emitting from the tectonic plates.
"Hmm?’ He did not sense the tectonic plates, but he sensed a few powers. Firstly, he sensed an energy from the planet itself. The energy was primarily Earth-based, but there were a few elements mixed in, which Edward guessed were probably water energy and other natural elements.
The second thing he identified is a holy power with the same signature as the site of grace. The Erdtree roots run throughout the Lands Between, so it made sense that its power would be in the Earth. However, Edward sensed a third power deeply intertwined with the Erdtree.
’The power of death,’ Edward muttered as a look of understanding flashed in his face. The end of Queen Marika’s Golden Order ended when she, Godwyn the Gold, was assassinated and killed —which should be impossible since she removed the Destined Death Rune from the Elden Ring. After his death, Queen Marika — in her "grief" — shattered the Elden Ring into Great Runes, which she handed to her demigod children.
Those children then started fighting amongst each other for decades, if not hundreds of years, trying to reclaim each other’s Great Runes and complete the Elden Ring. That event is known as the Shattering.
After Godwyn’s death, he was buried underneath the Edrtree, which is the highest form of honor reserved for heroes and champions of the Golden Order. However, Godwyn’s body was contaminated with the power of death, which then spread to the Erdtree, starting the chaos of the Lands Between.
Edward did not focus too much on these other powers and focused on the earth. He attempted to create a weapon by harnessing the earth’s energy and utilizing the rocks on the ground. It worked, which was good news for him. Now, he was more confident in executing his plan.
"Let’s go."
One advantage Edward had was his ability to fly, which made navigating this world much easier since he was the only one with this power besides flying creatures like dragons. He soon reached his destination and killed all the creatures around him, leaving behind dark, gold, circular objects.
’It’s a combination of the grace from the Erdtree, life energy, and soul," Morgana said. "Its power seemed very malleable and can be used for many things."
"I’m suspicious," Edward suddenly said.
"Of course you are, but of what?"
"This mission is odd. Normally, the hall sends people to achieve an objective, but the missions never give people an opportunity to drastically increase their strength. But theoretically speaking, I could take my time and use the runes to improve from a normal person all the way to Tier 5 or 6. Will the hall really allow such a thing?"
"It may," Morgana replied. "Cultivating a Tier 6 individual requires many worlds, but if a reincarnator is smart enough, they could skip those steps in those worlds and reach the sky in one fell swoop."
"If this were a normal Lord God who was powerful enough not to care about its people, I would agree. But don’t forget that the Purple-Robe Daoist is actively controlling how fast these reincarnators grow, so it’s in his best interest for them to grow slower than they do — well, unless there is a way and he needs a lot of soldiers."
"You also have a point," Morgana nodded. "Adding the fact that Eldritch-like creatures rule this world, you should indeed be cautious about using their powers."
"Yes, let’s be cautious." Edward first summoned three Doom Bots and had them help him kill the creatures around and gather more runes. Once he finished, he followed the guidance of grace to the next sites of grace. As soon as he meditated in front of the golden root, he sensed a connection to the other one. He also learned he can instantly teleport to his connection.
’Well, that’s convenient,’ he thought. Additionally, he also learned he had access to another secret dimension called the Roundtable Hold. He plans to go there, but not right now. Edward waited for a few seconds, and as expected, Melina, who was actually a spirit with no body, manifested. She talked about how she had a mission, and since Edward was "maidenless," she offered an accord to serve as his Finger Maiden and helped him use the power of runes. Edward did not reveal that she killed his maiden and agreed.
"Do you want to increase your Vigor, Mind, Physical Stats, Intelligence, Faith, or Arcane?" Melina asked.
"Can you use the runes to upgrade him?" Edward asked as he pointed to the Doom Bot.
"Strange. He does not have a soul, not even a piece, but can function normally," Melina commented.
"He’s my finest creation," Edward bragged. "Well?"
"Without a soul and the blessing of the Erdtree, he cannot use the power of runes."
"I see. Then, we’ll talk after he has a soul." Edward dismissed her before starting his work. He used Alchemy to divide a piece of Morgana’s soul to create a new soul for the Doom Bot, which he labelled as the Elden Lord Armor. Morgana’s soul was connected to his and now connected to this armor, thus sharing the Erdtree’s grace. This three-way connection served as protection for himself, since if anyone tried something funny, the armor would be the first to be eliminated, followed by Morgana, whose central server is essentially a Tier 11 entity.
"This little piece is not enough to create a full soul," Morgana said.
"I know."
One thing that the Lands Between was not missing was souls. Due to the removal of the Destined Death Rune and the Shattering, souls can no longer return to the Erdtree after death. So, after people die, their souls can get lost, fused with other people or things, and numerous other results. So, with the right method, Edward found numerous lost souls and purified them to create the pure energy to create the spirit of the Elden Lord Armor.
Once everything was settled, he found another site of grace and summoned Melina. "Well, what about now?"
Melina glanced at the Elden Lord Armor and at Edward. This Tarnished was mysterious and seemed full of secrets. However, this may be a good thing. Countless Tanished have tried to become the Elden Lord with no success. Maybe this one would be the one. Anyway, her memories were missing, and only with the help of a Tarnished might she find the purpose that she was missing.
"What would you like to improve?"