Runes

The items Lucian had chosen would all play major roles in the early stages.

The Lands Between was fraught with danger at night. A torch was essential for traveling 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 that the map had become so vast, he could use it to assess the terrain ahead and locate enemy positions.

As for the Crafting Kit, it was even more useful. It contained knives, cutting boards, mortars, and all sorts of other tools, making it convenient to process prey and craft items.

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

The various classes' crafting notes recorded methods for using the Crafting Kit to make items, knowledge that could help one find a way to survive when left with nothing.

For example, these two sets of 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 scattered handful of 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 monster, 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, and I don't know how to use them."

Kale was indeed worthy of being a wandering merchant. He was truly well-informed and began explaining things 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 return that Grace to the body."

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

"Give me your hand."

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

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

Lucian did not feel particularly connected to that energy, but he had the sense that if he wanted to stop the transfer, he could do so with a single thought.

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

"Alright. I've taken 2,050 Runes from you. Consider the extra fifty my fee for the explanation."

"You still have 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 unwell when they left my body?"

Kale thought for a moment, as though choosing 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 strong by possessing Runes. Rather, because one is strong, one possesses the corresponding Grace of Runes."

"However, I've heard that for the heroes blessed by Marika, the Eternal Queen, that Grace truly enhanced their strength... But there's no point discussing that now. Those heroes are simply too far removed from us."

"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 returned to the Lands Between after leaving it, and you do not inherently need that acknowledgment. That is why you can turn Runes into strength without restraint."

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

Lucian finally understood. So that was how it worked.

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

The Tarnished, meanwhile, were madmen from elsewhere. They did not need those certifications at all. 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 way to turn Runes into strength?"

Lucian knew that turning Runes into strength required a Maiden's help, but who knew whether Kale had another method? Asking cost him nothing.

Kale shook his head.

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

"After Godfrey, king of you Tarnished, became Elden Lord, the Finger Maidens were all filled by your kin. When you were exiled from the Lands Between, they took that method with them."

"Radagon, the Elden Lord who came after, reigned for too short a time. Before the Two Fingers could choose new Maidens, the Elden Ring shattered."

"After the Elden Ring shattered, the people of the Lands Between all started becoming strange in the head. Business was nearly impossible. It's thanks to you Tarnished returning to the Lands Between that I'm not left without any income at all."

Lucian fell into thought.

So that was why the Tarnished needed Maidens by their side.

But if that was the case, then it wasn't only Tarnished Maidens in the Lands Between who could turn Runes into strength. Before the Tarnished, there was even an age when Ancient Dragons were Elden Lord. There might still be methods for converting Runes into strength. Melina wasn't Tarnished either, yet she had mastered the same method.

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

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

Lucian first went to the center of the church and lit 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 head to Gatefront first and see whether Melina appeared.

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

"Oh, it was a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to your next visit."

Lucian walked out of the Church of Elleh. Outside lay a dense forest, its overlapping canopy blocking the Erdtree's radiance and leaving the woods extremely dim.

The undergrowth was just as lush. Who knew what dangers might be lurking within it?

Lucian climbed onto the ruined wall of the Church of Elleh, took out the Telescope he had just bought, and began carefully observing the forest.

Two faint moving flames. They should be patrolling Godrick Soldiers. And there's one large point of light that looks like a campfire.

After finding nothing else, Lucian boldly entered the woods.

Once inside, Lucian discovered that it was unusually dark, though not so dark that he could not see the road. That suited his movements perfectly.

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

The Godrick Soldier wore a bronze helmet and a two-toned tubular tunic. The cloth on the left had a green background emblazoned with the ancient Erdtree, while the cloth on the right had a yellow background bearing the image of the Lion Chancellor.

This Godrick Soldier held a torch in one hand, leisurely patrolling through the forest.