Nightmare, Tree Sentinel

Late at night, before the gatefront.

Xia Tong hunched over and crept through the shadows cast by the ruined walls toward the Godrick Soldier with a brass horn at his waist.

As for how the previous owner of this body had died, Xia Tong guessed he had been beaten to death by the soldiers at the gatefront.

As long as he took out the soldier responsible for sounding the alarm and calling reinforcements, the risk of getting swarmed would be much lower.

Back when he played the game, whenever he farmed levels at the gatefront, this "lookout" was always the first one he killed.

One step, then another.

Closer.

Thud!

The Lordsworn's Straight Sword stabbed viciously into the Godrick Soldier's back!

Then Xia Tong planted his left foot against the man's back and yanked the sword free!

Splat—!

Blood immediately sprayed out, splattering Xia Tong from head to toe.

That stale old blood made Xia Tong cough repeatedly.

"Cough, cough..."

It stank!

It stank so badly!

Yet that strike had not completely killed the Godrick Soldier.

He was tenacious. Staggering around, he raised his straight sword and slashed at Xia Tong.

"Too slow!"

Xia Tong's eyes went cold.

He lowered his body slightly, slid to the side to evade the attack, and swung his sword backhanded at the man's thigh artery.

Squelch.

The latter collapsed to the ground, twitched a few times, and fell silent.

A faint golden light flowed into his body—roughly 64 Runes.

"Alright, that's enough for today."

Xia Tong skillfully stripped the Godrick Soldier in front of him of his armor.

Then, like an ant moving house, he carried the loot back to the cave where he had rested earlier.

By now, the cave was piled full like a small mountain.

There were seven or eight complete sets of equipment, all Godrick Soldier gear.

As for weapons, there were straight swords, spears, and several throwable daggers.

"I'll keep the daggers."

Xia Tong picked out several sharp daggers and tied them to the outside of his thighs with strips of cloth.

In the perilous Lands Between, every additional ranged option meant another chance to survive.

Afterward, Xia Tong returned to the site of grace at the gatefront.

As a halo of light swirled, the small patch of ground around the site of grace was once again separated into an independent, tranquil space.

The wind and the monsters' howls from outside seemed to recede into the distance.

Xia Tong quietly called out to Melina.

Hum—

Blue motes gathered again, forming Melina's petite figure.

Watching Xia Tong's efforts throughout the day, she seemed somewhat puzzled.

"Actually... you don't need to store all the armor you obtain in that cave."

"In the Lands Between, anyone who has received grace, or any powerful being acknowledged by grace, possesses a space of their own."

Melina's voice was ethereal and gentle.

"I have always been following you. Even away from a site of grace, you may summon me at any time."

"Now, give me your hand."

With a flash of blue light, Melina took on a solid form again.

Xia Tong obediently extended his left hand.

This time, Melina wrapped both of her hands tightly around Xia Tong's left hand.

Her hands were cool and soft.

A faint, intangible power flowed from between her hands into Xia Tong's palm.

"Close your eyes and feel carefully."

Xia Tong closed his eyes.

Soon, he felt himself entering an illusory space of darkness.

Not far away, a faint point of light drew his consciousness toward it.

With Melina's guidance, Xia Tong successfully forged a connection with the point of light in that illusory space.

"Open your eyes."

Melina released his hand and said softly,

"How is it? Now try putting something into that space."

With a thought, Xia Tong tried to "place" one of the daggers tied to his leg into that space.

Whoosh!

The dagger in his hand vanished into thin air.

And within his consciousness, a dagger floated quietly in that space.

"So this is the legendary spatial backpack!"

Xia Tong was overjoyed.

With this, he would no longer have to hide things everywhere like a scavenger.

Once he had finished all that, Xia Tong returned to the cave deep within the forest.

He chatted with Melina for a while longer.

The campfire in the cave crackled as it burned.

The flickering flames cast shifting light and shadow across their faces, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

"You should sleep."

Melina spoke softly, her figure gradually fading into the darkness.

Xia Tong closed his eyes in peace and fell into a sweet sleep.

The next day, at first light.

Xia Tong rode Torrent toward the other side of the forest.

His destination was the Church of Elleh.

He carefully avoided several Godrick Soldiers carrying torches and crossed several rolling hills.

At last, the iconic little stone church slowly came into view in the distance.

However...

Clop! Clop! Clop-clop!

Just then, a clear, heavy series of hoofbeats approached from afar.

The sound was like muffled bells tolling beside his ears, shaking even the ground.

Xia Tong abruptly looked back.

His pupils contracted!

It was a massive figure radiating golden light!

He sat atop a tall warhorse clad in heavy armor.

The golden heavy armor gleamed brilliantly beneath the sunlight, like a moving mountain of gold.

At that moment, he was roughly thirty meters from the Church of Elleh.

And only a hundred meters from Xia Tong!

That was—the Tree Sentinel!

Beneath his helmet, those indifferent yet terrifying eyes had locked onto Xia Tong.

"I'm screwed!"

"He's locked onto me!"

Xia Tong went numb, shuddering from head to toe.

This was the Tree Sentinel!

The nightmare of countless newcomers!

He had worked himself to the bone farming levels at the gatefront, and he was only level three right now!

Forget fighting him—if that Golden Halberd so much as grazed him, he would probably die on the spot!

"Run!"

Without a moment's hesitation.

Xia Tong clamped his legs around Torrent's sides, immediately turned the horse around, and raced toward the distant woods.

Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!

A despair-inducing roar sounded from behind him.

The Tree Sentinel was already enormous, and even with all four hooves on the ground, the warhorse beneath him stood nearly three meters tall!

Now its four hooves flew as it charged, and it could even cast magic to retaliate.

Dust immediately rose in clouds behind them.

The Tree Sentinel occasionally let out furious "Hah! Hah!" roars, raising the Golden Halberd high with murderous intent.

"Torrent! Run faster! Otherwise, we're both done for!"

Xia Tong pressed his entire upper body tightly against the horse's back, lowering his wind resistance as much as possible.

The wind howled in his ears, and his heart nearly leaped into his throat.

Fortunately, Torrent was a spectral steed and incredibly fast.

Though the Tree Sentinel was mighty, his heavy armor ultimately slowed him down.

After riding Torrent at full speed for half an hour and confirming that those terrifying hoofbeats were gone, Xia Tong finally dared to stop.

"Huff... huff..."

Xia Tong gasped for breath, soaked through with cold sweat.

Torrent beneath him was exhausted as well, foam gathering at the corners of his mouth.

Heart aching, Xia Tong hurriedly gathered some fresh Rowa Fruit from the surrounding area.

He fed them to Torrent by the handful.

After eating the fruit, Torrent recovered considerably and affectionately nuzzled Xia Tong.

Beneath the shade of the trees.

Specks of blue light gathered, and Melina slowly materialized.

Looking at the bedraggled man and horse, she said softly,

"That Tree Sentinel from earlier... you are certainly no match for him right now."

"When you get close to his patrol range later, you should dismount and sneak past on foot."

Xia Tong slumped to the ground. Looking at Melina, an idea suddenly came to him.

"Melina... I'm so scared. My palms are covered in cold sweat, and my heart is beating so fast."

Xia Tong deliberately put on a frightened expression, his voice weak.

Maybe I can get a free hug or something?

Melina looked at him in confusion before slowly exposing him.

"But... your breathing is very steady right now."

"Uh..." Xia Tong felt awkward.

Though she said that, a trace of helpless softness seemed to flicker across Melina's cool face.

She still lowered her head and folded her hands together.

She silently chanted an ancient incantation, her fingers forming several intricate and elegant hand seals.

Hum—

The next moment.

A slender phantom of a small Erdtree, roughly two meters tall, appeared out of thin air before Xia Tong.

The Erdtree gave off a gentle golden glow, like warm winter sunlight.

The light fell upon him, bringing Xia Tong waves of warmth from within.

The lingering fear from encountering the Tree Sentinel and the fatigue in his body vanished instantly beneath that radiance.

"This is..."

Of course Xia Tong knew.

This was [Blessing of the Erdtree].

It was Melina's exclusive incantation, and she was the only one in the entire game who could cast it.

He remembered that when he fought Morgott, the "Omen King," in the game, Melina would cast this incantation to restore health whenever the protagonist was injured.

In the game, its effect was healing.

But now, it seemed to possess the miraculous effects of calming the mind, dispelling fear, and restoring stamina as well.

"Thank you, Melina." Xia Tong spoke with complete sincerity.

Melina said nothing. She merely watched quietly as the young Erdtree faded away.

Rest complete.

Xia Tong once again set out for the Church of Elleh.

This time, he had learned his lesson.

When he was still about three kilometers from the Church of Elleh, Xia Tong dismounted.

He dismissed Torrent back into the ring, then hunched over like a thief as he moved through the grass.

He hid whenever he encountered shrubs and detoured whenever he came upon high ground.

This time, he was lucky. Until he neared the church, he did not draw the Tree Sentinel's aggro again.

The golden knight merely patrolled the distant road mechanically.

At last.

Xia Tong climbed over the final ruined wall and entered the church.

The Church of Elleh was an ancient stone structure.

Its dome had long since collapsed, and most of the surrounding walls had become broken ruins, carrying the weathered air of history.

Yet in the game, it was a quiet, ruined sanctuary standing in Limgrave.

Even in reality, it was exceptionally peaceful.

There were no hostile creatures inside, not even stray dogs.

The church, barely more than two hundred square meters, was now mostly overgrown with knee-high weeds.

Cracks covered the walls, stones along their edges had fallen away, and ivy and gray-green moss stubbornly grew from the gaps, adding a touch of life to the ruin.

Looking up, he could see the vast sky of the Lands Between.

At the very center of the church was a familiar cluster of light—the Church of Elleh Site of Grace.

In the church's southeastern corner, a campfire burned.

A figure sat beside it.

He wore a broad red hat and a heavy red cloak that concealed most of his body.

Beside him, a docile donkey was tethered.

Its back was laden with all manner of goods and luggage.

It was daytime, and his campfire had already gone out, leaving only embers.

Hearing Xia Tong's footsteps, the man raised his head, revealing a scruffy, bearded face and eyes that seemed to have seen through all the warmth and coldness of the world.

His voice was hoarse yet magnetic, carrying the lazy air unique to a wanderer:

"Hello, friend."

"My name is Kale."

"From the look of you... you're a Tarnished who has only just arrived too, aren't you?"

In a corner not far away stood a heavy smithing table.

Nearby, the golden light of Grace radiated a warm presence.