International Testing Ground

Lin Luo left those words behind and bid Sorcerer Sellen farewell.

Sorcerer Sellen was baffled at first, but upon careful consideration, she gradually realized that this was no simple matter.

But that was a matter for later...

"You... aren't you going to tell your teacher?" When they left the cave, Melina's figure appeared once more.

"No. It sounds too absurd. If our runes hadn't resonated, would you have believed it..." Lin Luo said, rubbing Melina's head.

"...Mm..."

Melina nodded in agreement. Indeed, this was far too outrageous. Who would have thought that the Greater Will would pay such a price to cultivate a spokesperson who would remain under its control forever, mobilizing so much power to make the Lands Between repeat its cycle again and again?

"It's time to head to Stormveil Castle..." Lin Luo swung himself onto Torrent's back and held out a hand to Melina.

"..." Melina said nothing. Lowering her head slightly, she placed her hand in Lin Luo's and slowly mounted the horse...

Torrent: "I need legal assistance!"

So, the Golden King, huh... Give it a few days, and I'll beat the shit out of you!

Lin Luo snorted inwardly. He did not have the slightest favorable impression of Godrick.

Morgott, the Omen King, had received none of this dynasty's favor, yet he had willingly guarded it when the world was collapsing—"not because he had been loved and wished to repay it, but simply because he wished to love." That was the Shardbearer, child of a god, the omen of all who sought to usurp the throne—Morgott the Fell. Compared to his ambitious younger brother Moghwyn, Morgott was practically a saint.

Queen Rennala of the Full Moon was merely a pitiful woman abandoned by her own man. Having lost her heart, she often lapsed into delirium.

There was no need to say anything about Starscourage Radahn. He was the greatest person of the age, without equal.

And Godrick?

After being defeated, he had fled the Royal Capital by hiding among a group of women. He feared Radahn and hid in his castle without daring to make a sound.

He had underestimated Malenia, only to be utterly defeated. He had even knelt and kissed her feet to show his submission.

His brothers and sisters were all so exceptional, yet he had become obsessed with the art of grafting. Whenever he felt his own power was insufficient, he used sorcery to attach the limbs of all kinds of creatures to himself. He used countless commoners as test subjects, and those experiments were called Grafted Scions, ranking only below him.

It had to be said that Godrick was truly the most disgraceful demigod, likewise without equal.

If Godwyn had known he would produce such an embarrassing thing, he would surely have strangled this disgrace to death himself.

Lin Luo shook his head. In his mind, he had already simulated Godrick's death a thousand times.

Thinking of that, Lin Luo tugged on Torrent's reins again, signaling him to run faster.

"You seem very angry?" Melina pressed close against Lin Luo's back, sensing his small movements.

"You could tell that too?" Lin Luo froze. Were women really this terrifying? He turned to Melina and asked.

"What are you talking about... My runes resonate with yours..." Melina said softly. "I can sense that you're not very calm. You seem a little angry..."

"I'm not angry. I just can't stand grafting..."

"Godrick?..."

Melina gave Lin Luo a puzzled glance, pursed her lips, and said no more.

"Don't tyrants deserve to be killed by everyone..."

Lin Luo explained patiently, "After all, you're going to become the woman of the Elden Lord."

"I..."

"I can't become the Elden Lord..."

Melina was stunned for a moment, unable to understand what Lin Luo meant.

"But you can become my woman..."

Lin Luo said with a half-smile. The Lands Between were unbearably boring; his only amusement was occasionally teasing this blockhead.

"You..."

Melina puffed out her cheeks, her face flushing crimson, but she said nothing. She cast Lin Luo a glance—though "alluring" was not a word that could describe Melina—then vanished from the horse's back.

Feeling the softness behind him disappear, Lin Luo felt a trace of regret. Although he knew Melina was still nearby, having her lean against him was far more pleasant...

Lin Luo directly placed all the blame on Godrick's head and swore that when he beat him later, he would use twelve times the force. He was going all out anyway; whether Godrick could endure it was Godrick's problem.

Lin Luo's mood improved considerably... Before he knew it, he had arrived before Stormveil Castle.

The area before Stormveil Castle was also known as the International Testing Ground. The reason for the name was simple: whenever most Tarnished acquired new spells or weapons, they would come here to "friendly spar" with Godrick's soldiers.

But it would likely lose that fine reputation now. Times were different; once they died, they would truly be dead.

Perhaps the Erdtree could revive them, but that would probably take a century or more.

Lin Luo rode openly into Stormveil Castle, immediately enraging the surrounding soldiers.

Good grief, they had never seen such an arrogant Tarnished in all their lives. Was he treating them like air?

The patrolling soldiers immediately blew the horns in their hands, and the piercing blasts spread throughout the camp.

"Tarnished ahead! Dismount and surrender at once!"

The leading soldier shouted, shield and spear raised, his gaze wary as though he were afraid the man before him might escape.

Lin Luo wore no helmet. His gray eyes proved that he belonged to the warrior race that had lost the blessing—the Tarnished. That was why Godrick's soldiers had recognized him at a glance.

"Hey, brothers, let me pass. I'm a perfectly law-abiding citizen."

Lin Luo raised both hands and put on an innocent expression.

"Bullshit! Lord Godrick has ordered that all Tarnished are to be killed without mercy!"

"Oh? And after killing me, are you going to hand over my corpse? Then graft my limbs onto Godrick so he can carry on living with my will?"

"How did you know... Shut the fuck up!"

The leading soldier accidentally let something slip, but quickly caught himself.

"You dare slander Lord Godrick? You deserve to die!"

"Brothers, kill him!"

"Right, slap a charge on me before killing me. How refined..."

Lin Luo shrugged helplessly and yanked hard on the reins.

Torrent nearly got strangled to death. Good grief, just tell him to go—why pull so hard? Did Lin Luo have no idea how strong he was?

Complaints aside, he had chosen his master. Even if he cried, he had to obey...

Torrent leaped high into the air, jumping three meters straight up and clearing the Godrick soldiers in one bound.

The soldiers were dumbfounded by the sight.

"Cloud-Stepping Ascent!"

Lin Luo shouted the cringeworthy name, and Torrent understood. His hooves kicked against thin air as he sprang upward, breaking directly out of the soldiers' encirclement.

"Damn it! Chase him!"

The soldiers felt deeply insulted, but there were no cavalry or archers here—only sword-wielders and shield-bearing spearmen.

A group of them chased after Lin Luo for a while. Even the trolls within Stormveil Castle had no time to react, only catching sight of a huge black rat flying past.

Unwilling to give up, the soldiers hurled their spears, hoping to knock him off his horse.

The result was obvious: they did not touch Lin Luo.