Runes

The items Lucian chose all played a major role in the early stages.

The Lands Between was fraught with danger at night. A torch was essential for moving around after dark, and it would also come in handy in caves and catacombs.

In the game, the Telescope had been purely for sightseeing.

But now, with the map having become so vast, it could be used to assess the terrain in advance and locate enemy positions.

As for the Crafting Kit, its use was immense. It contained knives, cutting boards, mortars, and all manner of tools, making it convenient to process prey and craft items.

It could be considered an essential household item in the Lands Between.

The crafting notes for each class recorded methods of using the Crafting Kit to make items—knowledge that could offer a chance at survival when one had nothing.

For instance, these two crafting notes: one recorded the methods for making Bone Arrows, Fletched Bone Arrows, and Bone Bolts.

The other recorded the methods for making Glowstones, Invigorating Cured Meat, and Invigorating White Cured Meat.

"Thank you for your patronage. That will be 2,000 Runes."

Lucian only had a few scattered Runes on him, certainly not enough to pay.

When Lucian had killed the Grafted Scion earlier, a stream of Runes had drifted into his body. He remembered that, as an elite enemy, the Grafted Scion was definitely worth several thousand Runes.

But Lucian did not know how to use those Runes.

"Um, I actually just arrived in the Lands Between. I defeated an enemy and obtained Runes, but they're inside my body. I don't know how to use them."

As expected of a wandering merchant, Kale was indeed knowledgeable. He began explaining to Lucian.

"I see. Then let me tell you about Runes."

"Runes are actually the Grace contained within the residents of the Lands Between. They can be condensed into something like coins for trade, or crushed to let the Grace return to one's body."

"When you kill a resident of the Lands Between, the lingering echoes of gold flow into your body. Those are Runes as well."

"Give me your hand."

Kale held out one hand, gesturing for Lucian to place his hand on it.

Lucian placed his hand atop Kale's. Then he saw a stream of golden energy drift out from his body and flow toward Kale.

Lucian did not feel especially connected to that energy, but he had the feeling that if he wanted to stop the transfer, a single thought would do it.

Kale received roughly half of the golden Runes before stopping on his own.

"All right. I've taken 2,050 Runes from you. The extra fifty will count as payment for my explanation."

"You still have a little over 1,800 Runes left in your body."

Lucian nodded. He had not expected Runes to be traded this way.

But a new question arose.

"Runes are the Erdtree's Grace, so why didn't I feel weak or uncomfortable when they left my body?"

Kale thought for a moment, seemingly organizing his words.

"Well, put it this way: among the golden residents of the Lands Between, Runes are symbols of identity and status."

"It isn't that one becomes powerful by possessing Runes. Rather, the powerful receive the corresponding Grace of Runes."

"But I've heard that for the heroes blessed by Marika, the 'Eternal Queen,' that Grace truly did increase their strength... Though there's no point discussing that now. Those heroes are far too distant."

"If one loses the Grace of Runes, one is no longer acknowledged by the Erdtree. To the golden residents of the Lands Between, that is no different from losing one's life."

"But you Tarnished are different. You Tarnished returned to the Lands Between after leaving it, and you have no need for that recognition in the first place. That is why you can freely turn Runes into strength."

"Since Runes are not part of your body, you will not feel weak when they leave. Only after you turn them into your own strength will they truly belong to you."

Lucian suddenly understood. So that was how it worked.

Runes were like badges issued by the Erdtree to everyone, proof of identity and status. They could be traded, but one had to keep at least some on hand.

The Tarnished, meanwhile, were reckless outsiders. They did not need any of those certifications. They had come to become the masters of the Lands Between, not its residents.

So it did not matter if the Tarnished had no Runes at all. They simply did not care.

"Then do you have a method that can turn Runes into strength?"

Lucian knew that turning Runes into strength required a witch's help, but who knew whether Kale might have another method? It did not hurt to ask.

Kale shook his head.

"Only the Finger Maidens, messengers of the Two Fingers, know the method of turning Runes into strength."

"After Godfrey, king of you Tarnished, became Elden Lord, all the Finger Maidens were chosen from among your people. When you were banished from the Lands Between, they took that method with them."

"Then Radagon, the next Elden Lord, reigned for too short a time. Before the Two Fingers could select new maidens, the Elden Ring shattered."

"After the Elden Ring shattered, the people of the Lands Between all started going strange in the head. It became nearly impossible to do business. Fortunately, you Tarnished have now returned to the Lands Between, or I would not have had any income at all."

Lucian fell into thought.

So that's why the Tarnished need a witch's companionship.

But if that's the case, then the Tarnished's witches are not the only ones in the Lands Between who can turn Runes into strength. Before the Tarnished, there was the age when the ancient dragons ruled as Elden Lord. There may still be methods for converting Runes into strength. Melina is not Tarnished, yet she has mastered this method as well.

Lucian put away the items he had bought. The Telescope and Crafting Kit were both small enough to fit in his carry bag, while the torch could simply be hung from his waist.

Lucian looked at the sky. The Erdtree's radiance had weakened somewhat, but it was still very bright—probably equivalent to two or three in the afternoon.

Lucian first went to the center of the church and activated the Site of Grace there.

Lucian decided to set out again. Night had not yet fallen, so he still had plenty of time. He would first head toward the gatefront and see whether Melina would appear.

"My name is Lucian. I'll be coming by often from now on. Goodbye."

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to your next visit."

Lucian walked out of the Church of Elleh. Beyond its doors lay a dense forest. Interlocking canopies blocked the Erdtree's radiance, leaving the woods dim and gloomy.

The underbrush was thriving as well. Who knew what dangers lurked within?

Lucian climbed onto the Church of Elleh's broken wall, took out the Telescope he had just bought, and carefully observed the forest.

Two faint firelights moving back and forth. They should be patrolling Godrick Soldiers. And there's one large point of light—it looks like a campfire.

Seeing nothing else, Lucian boldly entered the woods.

Once inside, Lucian discovered that it was exceptionally dark, though not so dark that he could not see the path. That suited his purposes perfectly.

Lucian quietly drew closer and soon came beside a Godrick Soldier.

The Godrick Soldier wore a bronze helmet and a two-toned tunic. The fabric on the left was green, bearing the image of the ancient Erdtree, while the fabric on the right was yellow, with the figure of the lion chancellor vividly depicted upon it.

This Godrick Soldier held a torch in one hand as he slowly patrolled through the forest.