Runes Resonance

"What do you want to do!"

Melina's figure suddenly appeared, blocking Lin Luo. She didn't know why, but feeling uncomfortable before, seeing Ranni's desire to make a move made her unable to hold back any longer.

Lin Luo also looked at Melina in surprise. He himself probably never expected Melina to have such a strong reaction...

"Who are you?"

Ranni raised an eyebrow lightly. Descending from the wooden chair, she still wasn't very tall, giving off a cute vibe...

"The witch of the Tarnished?"

"Why are you a spirit?"

Ranni's runes actually fluctuated slightly, the reason being the woman in front of her.

Melina also felt the runes within her stir. She hadn't felt this way when she was merely residing in Lin Luo, but now, facing Ranni directly, this strange runic resonance became quite abrupt.

However, Melina didn't pay attention to these things at the moment, merely shielding Lin Luo behind her protectively.

Lin Luo found the state of both of them a bit strange, but he didn't know the reason. In his previous cycles, Melina never met Ranni...

He had imagined many scenarios of them meeting, but this was the one he least wanted to see!

The atmosphere gradually became tense, and it seemed like a fight was about to break out, making Lin Luo feel like the situation was spiraling out of control.

"Easy, come back..."

Lin Luo slowly stepped forward, taking Melina's right hand. Without allowing her to refuse, he directly stood in front of Melina.

This time, he truly met Ranni's gaze.

They weren't far apart, but this time, Ranni's eyes held only confusion and indifference.

Ranni might have made a mistake, but her proud personality and demigod status absolutely did not allow her to apologize.

Besides, it was already immensely merciful for a normal demigod not to directly attack upon seeing Destined Death and try to seize it. Ranni was merely suspecting Lin Luo's purpose for being there.

If Lin Luo belonged to another demigod, she would absolutely have kept him here today!

Sensing a sliver of killing intent in Ranni's eyes, Lin Luo knew that the situation might have escalated.

Just as Lin Luo was unsure of what to do.

The Black Sword in his hand began to tremble violently... Lin Luo seemed to feel that the Black Sword in his hand was excited?

There was only one possibility: there were abundant Death Runes nearby, and this was within Ranni's magic tower...

The Death Runes must be...

Lin Luo suddenly turned his head. Melina's left eye opened, and her deep cyan eyes were filled with endless deathly stillness!

Ranni was also stunned. She was shocked to find that the runes of the witch before her resonated with hers, no, even the Tarnished's runes resonated with hers.

Ranni's runes began to uncontrollably overflow. Ranni tried her best to control her runes, but it had no effect.

Melina bore the blessing of the Erdtree and the seal of the Death Rune.

Ranni bore the power of the stars.

Lin Luo possessed all these powers, and coincidentally, these powers were more or less related to the two women.

The three different powers slowly merged, runes surged, and the sky gradually shifted from azure to gold, finally settling into a state of dead silence.

The three of them seemed to have lost consciousness, frozen in place...

In Lin Luo's vision, an endless starry sky appeared, with each star having its own god.

But Lin Luo could see that the gaze of these gods was almost entirely focused on this small corner of the land, as if there was some fatal temptation.

At the center of the stars was this Lands Between.

However, the Lands Between were enveloped by an expanse of blackness, obscuring Lin Luo's view. As Lin Luo tried to peer into it, Two blood-red pupils emerged from the blackness.

The owner of the pupils let out a roar.

Lin Luo couldn't hear what it was, and his vision went black again.

But he saw it: a black dragon chained to the Lands Between!

The scene switched again, flashing before Lin Luo's eyes like a slideshow...

Marika swung her stone hammer to shatter the Elden Ring, and the Black Knife organization assassinated Godwyn.

The ancient dragon war, the giant war, the shardbearers' war, all replayed before Lin Luo's eyes.

Unsure how much time had passed, Lin Luo had almost lost his sense of time in the world.

This time, he saw what he wanted to see...

After Ranni killed her physical body with the Rune of Death, Lin Luo clearly saw her soul split into two halves.

The Rune of Death was taken away by the other half of her soul, flying towards the Erdtree.

Marika noticed the extraordinary nature of this soul. By this time, she had already begun preparing to overthrow the Greater Will. She injected a portion of her own runes into this soul, embedding the guidance for a Tarnished to become Elden Lord deep within this soul.

Lin Luo suddenly had a realization: Ranni, was Melina…

And at this moment, what Melina saw:

She saw Lin Luo battling Malenia, dying again and again, obtaining Miquella's needle.

Melina didn't know why Lin Luo was so persistent, she could only continue watching.

After Lin Luo died countless times, he held Miquella's needle, happy like a child.

Seeing this, Melina showed a happy smile.

But later, she couldn't smile anymore…

Lin Luo embraced the Frenzied Flame, even though he tried to dissuade him, Lin Luo ultimately chose the Frenzied Flame.

Melina said to Lin Luo, "If you become the Lord of Chaos, I will personally deliver Destined Death to you!"

Lin Luo didn't reply, he simply burned himself before the giant pot of fire…

Even though he was in unbearable pain, Lin Luo still had a trace of a smile.

Finally, watching Lin Luo struggle against Dragonlord Placidusax in Crumbling Farum Azula.

In the center of the platform, he inserted the needle into his head.

Only then did Melina understand everything Lin Luo had done…

Melina's nose felt a little sore, she didn't know what to say.

And, finally, Lin Luo followed Melina's wish, choosing to become the Elden Lord, restoring the perfect Golden Law…

Finally, Lin Luo sat on the throne, his voice choked with tears, saying:

"Melina, I hate you, you're like a piece of wood!

Even if you had just asked me to 'help me,' I would have happily gone to my death, but you said it was a transaction. Do you think for whom I've been jumping up and down from heaven to earth? I don't want to clean up messes for the Demigods, nor do I want to go through high-intensity dungeons and kill clone-filled people. I just want to feel needed (cries).

I've cut my way from Caelid all the way to the Altus Plateau. If staves could roll up, I'd probably be wielding a chainsaw right now. I've killed miners for ten years. My heart has become colder than the crystal ores in the dungeons. Melina, how will you repay what you owe me here?!"

(From a netizen's post… uh, just copying and pasting, it should be fine, right? Right?)

Hearing this, Melina finally broke down in tears, her tears soaking her cloth cloak…

Perhaps, without this, the future would still hold the same outcome…

Melina tightly clutched the Crystal Tear Necklace at her chest, thinking silently.