Engraving an Ash of War onto the Brass Shield

"Lion's Claw?"

Xia Tong was filled with anticipation for this Ash of War.

It could be called one of the top-tier "wheelchair" skills in Elden Ring.

A heavy greatsword paired with Lion's Claw, with its absurdly high poise damage and hyper armor, was simply invincible.

Xia Tong remembered clearly that there was a greatsword to be found in Castle Morne, and its built-in Ash of War was Lion's Claw.

It was just that Xia Tong could not yet travel to Castle Morne.

He had originally planned to leave Miss Irina with the wandering merchant Moen, then teleport back to the Church of Elleh and head for the Stormfoot Catacombs.

There, he could obtain the Spirit Ashes of the Wandering Noble and the Noble Sorcerer.

But after considering it carefully, Xia Tong abandoned the idea.

First, that wandering merchant Moen was a complete profiteer, a pure and polished egoist.

If they truly encountered danger and came under attack from Misbegotten or other monsters, Xia Tong reckoned the first person Moen would abandon would definitely be Irina, who was nothing but baggage to him.

Compared with Kale's romance and simplicity, Moen was far inferior in character.

Second, there was the matter of Spirit Ashes.

Xia Tong's current Spirit Ashes legion was not merely about piling up numbers; quality was equally important.

The two sets of Spirit Ashes in the Stormfoot Catacombs were practically useless.

The Wandering Noble Spirit Ashes were simply too weak. Their defense and attack power were trash among trash, and they were meaningless except as cannon fodder.

As for the Noble Sorcerer, he was even more of a disappointment. His defense was practically nonexistent, and he would shatter at a touch.

The only Glintstone Sorcery he could cast had an incredibly slow casting speed and little power.

Getting himself a crossbow would be more convenient than relying on him.

As he thought, Xia Tong suddenly froze.

"Wait, it seems I don't have a crossbow yet."

That was right. Apart from a few throwing knives, he had no reliable long-range means of attack.

"Ugh, looks like I'll have to stock up from that profiteer again."

Xia Tong was speechless.

From the ruined room before the city wall where he was staying, he could see the wandering merchant Moen's campfire still burning beside the road.

Forget it. He would go tomorrow.

The fire in the room crackled.

Xia Tong looked at the blind girl Irina, curled up in the corner and preparing to sleep.

"Miss Irina, I'm very sorry."

Xia Tong spoke sincerely. "At most, we only need another half day of travel to reach Castle Morne, but I still can't take you there. I don't have complete confidence right now."

"It's alright, Lord Xia Tong."

Irina closed her eyes, clutching the hem of her dress tightly in both hands. Her voice was gentle, but it could not conceal her disappointment.

"Castle Morne is very dangerous right now. It's a nest of monsters. You're right not to take such a risk."

Xia Tong could tell that she was actually saddened. After all, her biological father was there. It would be a lie to say she did not care.

Moreover, last night's battle had given Irina even more faith in Xia Tong's strength.

Deep down, she believed that if it were Lord Xia Tong, he would surely be able to rescue her father and lift Castle Morne's siege.

But Xia Tong knew that matters at Castle Morne were not so simple.

With his current strength, even if he deployed all his Spirit Ashes and drank every Crimson Tear Flask on him—

Three swigs in total, plus one Cerulean Tear—it would still be far, far too difficult to clear all of Castle Morne.

There were swarms of Misbegotten there, along with those flying elite monsters.

So before that, Xia Tong had to strengthen himself first.

As for Lord Edgar, the castle's ruler, he would not be so easily killed either. He was a genuine Banished Knight, hardened by countless battles.

His strength surpassed that of most newly emerged Tarnished.

The Banished Knight's Halberd he wielded had been upgraded to +8. It was an extremely powerful weapon in the early stages of the game, with explosive damage.

That was eight upgrades, not one or two!

There was another reason as well. He had already sent his daughter Irina away, leaving him with no more worries. This old father could instead defend the castle even more steadfastly.

Of course, most importantly, the Lion Misbegotten was not actually very interested in killing Edgar.

In the game, the Lion Misbegotten, as the boss, was not even inside the castle. It stood on the beach behind the castle, guarding the legendary Grafted Blade Greatsword.

As long as it obtained the Grafted Blade Greatsword, its goal would be fulfilled.

The Misbegotten sought revenge and an outlet for their rage. Most of the humans who had once enslaved them in the castle had already been killed.

They no longer had much obsession with killing Edgar, one stubborn old man.

As long as Edgar did not court death by heading down to the beach to challenge a large group of Misbegotten, keeping himself alive would be easy enough.

By the next afternoon,

Xia Tong carried the Night Cavalry Flail, swinging it as he slowly walked toward the wandering merchant Moen.

Moen stared wide-eyed at Xia Tong, having no idea what he intended to do.

"Little brother, what are you trying to do?" Moen muttered uneasily to himself. Had he made too much from Xia Tong yesterday?

Xia Tong could not smile. He tossed the Night Cavalry Flail onto the ground. "What do you think of this weapon?"

So he was here to sell something?

Moen let out a long breath, put away his merchant's smile, then picked up the Night Cavalry Flail and examined it carefully.

"Night's Cavalry are absolute powerhouses. This weapon has been used by one for many years, and who knows how much heroes' blood stains it. Without exaggeration, it is a fine weapon—provided it finds the right owner."

"Name your price."

Perhaps because Xia Tong had looked too frightening earlier, as if he were about to kill him, Moen gave him a fair price this time.

"Two thousand Runes."

"Give me the light crossbow you were selling for fifteen hundred Runes before. Use the remaining five hundred Runes to buy the appropriate bolts."

After finishing his battle of wits with Moen, Xia Tong returned to camp to do one final thing.

He held the gray Ash of War crystal in his left hand and the Whetstone Knife in his right. Connected through Xia Tong's body, the two hummed in resonance and began to glow.

"Close your eyes, follow the guidance, and draw freely," Melina instructed from the side.

Xia Tong's gaze sharpened. He pressed the knife tip against the Brass Shield's surface and slowly began to move it.

There was no sharp, grating sound of metal being scraped. Instead, there was a thick, sluggish sensation.

His wrist turned, and the blade traveled across the shield's surface, carving intricate, intersecting patterns.

With every stroke, the gray crystal in his left hand dimmed a little, transforming into wisps of silver-gray light that flowed down his arm to the knife tip before being forcibly pressed into the fresh grooves.

The instant the final stroke closed and the pattern was completely formed—

"Bzzzz—!"

The patterns on the shield erupted with dazzling silver light, then vanished in an instant, as though nothing had happened.

The Brass Shield was still the same Brass Shield and seemed unchanged, but when Xia Tong's left hand gripped its handle, he could feel that it suited him even better.

There seemed to be some subtle connection within it. It had become a part of Xia Tong's body.