The Dagger of Calling was still stained with some Demi-Human blood.
Clearly, Melina and the others had also been caught up in the earlier riot and melee.
But since they had been on the outskirts, the impact had not been severe.
Still, one could imagine that without Melina's protection, the blind Irina would have been separated from her head by now.
Come to think of it, as a Finger Maiden, Melina could not possibly have been completely helpless.
It was just that she was currently in spirit form and too far from the Erdtree, leaving her unable to fully exert her power.
But dealing with a few ordinary stray Demi-Humans was no problem.
Just as Xia Tong was about to say something.
"Buzz—"
A slender phantom of a Minor Erdtree, around two meters tall, rose from the ground beside Xia Tong.
Soft, warm light spilled down, sinking deep beneath his skin.
It was the incantation—Minor Erdtree.
The light soothed the tiny hidden wounds on Xia Tong's body caused by the crystal shards, and also eased the exhaustion in both his body and mind.
"Melina, it's so good to have you."
Feeling the warmth flow through him, Xia Tong nearly teared up.
This was the benefit of having such a capable partner.
"Lord Xia Tong, you sound rather exhausted."
Irina asked with concern, her hand searching through the air.
"Of course. I nearly died."
Xia Tong took her hand and smiled helplessly.
"If we'd been even fifteen minutes later, I'd have died here."
In terms of individual strength alone, the Demi-Human Queen had actually been weaker than the Night's Cavalry from before.
But the problem was that the Demi-Human Queen had far too many underlings.
Seventy or eighty of them!
They had nearly drowned Xia Tong and his group.
If the Spirit Ashes had not maintained a defensive stance the entire time, and if Xia Tong had not had Torrent's mobility, they really would have been finished.
Xia Tong turned to look at the Spirit Ashes' battle group.
It was a miserable sight.
Only one Stray Wolf remained, limping as it licked its wounds.
Only one Fanged Imp remained as well. The other had already crumbled apart and returned to Spirit Ashes.
Kulala was in the worst condition. She had suffered severe injuries this time, with her tentacles severed and the light of her body greatly dimmed.
The two Godrick Soldiers were not doing well either. Their armor was battered and torn, but thankfully, both were still there.
Xia Tong recalled them one by one, letting them recover.
Then he walked over to the massive corpse, bent down, and picked up the Demi-Human Queen's staff.
By the moonlight, he examined it closely.
The Demi-Human Queen's Staff was a sickly, eerie pale white from end to end.
The shaft felt cool to the touch, smooth and finely crafted.
It felt as though it had been repeatedly polished from high-quality metal, yet it carried an organic texture similar to ivory.
A fist-sized purplish-red gemstone was embedded at the head of the staff.
This glintstone was far larger and purer than the shattered little stones found on ordinary glintstone staves.
It had been polished into a perfect sphere, standing high at the top.
Overall, it looked more like a royal scepter than a mere tool for casting spells.
Xia Tong was naturally very familiar with this staff.
It was a "gift" that Raya Lucaria Academy had given to the Demi-Human Queens.
It was also a conciliatory gesture offered by humans to pacify the Demi-Human Group.
Xia Tong vaguely remembered the weapon description. Many of the academy's "orthodox" sorcerers would secretly mock the Demi-Human Queens who used this staff.
Because this staff did not require much intelligence to wield.
In their eyes, it was a toy for low-intelligence creatures.
But Xia Tong knew that the Demi-Human Queen's Staff was one of the strongest early-game staves.
Below 40 Intelligence, its damage scaling was extremely high.
It was only a notch weaker than the Meteorite Staff in Caelid.
And even for the current Xia Tong, going to obtain the Meteorite Staff was practically a one-way trip.
Caelid was a hellhole overrun by Scarlet Rot.
A random pack of Kindred of Rot on the road could easily claim Xia Tong's life.
More importantly, the Demi-Human Queen's Staff could be upgraded.
That meant it had tremendous potential for growth and would not become obsolete for a long time.
Satisfied, Xia Tong tucked the staff back at his waist, then carried his greatsword and continued patrolling the ruins.
The torchlight swayed in the wind, casting shifting shadows across Xia Tong's face.
Miss Irina quietly followed at his side, tightly clutching the corner of Xia Tong's clothes and refusing to leave him by even half a step.
At the deepest part of the ruins, Xia Tong finally found a room that was still relatively intact.
The walls on all four sides had not collapsed, and it was comparatively dry and sheltered from the wind.
The floor was covered in thick dry straw, while the corner held some human-used tools and pottery jars.
On a dusty table in the corner.
A lone red plant lay there.
Xia Tong approached with his torch raised and picked it up for a closer look.
It was a strange dark-red leaf, its veins thick like blood vessels.
It looked like condensed blood, glimmering with an eerie sheen in the firelight.
At the slightest touch, Xia Tong felt warmth seep into his fingertips.
It was as if all the blood in his body had begun to surge, and his emotions inexplicably grew excited.
"This should be an Arteria Leaf."
It was a rare material capable of stimulating potential and crafting advanced enhancement items.
Xia Tong naturally treated it like a priceless treasure and carefully put it away.
Then he continued searching.
Inside a broken pottery jar, he found several scattered Golden Runes[1].
As well as a small, strangely shaped shield.
The shield was forged from dull metal, with sharp edges.
Most eye-catching of all was the face carved into its surface.
It looked like a maiden whose eyes had been blinded by thorns. Her expression was pained and twisted, as if she were silently wailing.
Xia Tong stared at the face for several seconds, feeling physically uncomfortable as a chill ran down his spine.
He gently gripped the shield's handle and stopped looking at the face.
Something miraculous happened.
The moment he gripped the shield, he felt the chaotic thoughts in his mind swept clean.
His focus seemed to improve dramatically, and his thoughts became clearer than ever before.
"Shield of the Guilty."
Xia Tong softly spoke its name.
He had used this shield a few times in his previous life as well.
It was one of the few special shields that had a "bleed" attack effect.
Furthermore, its built-in 40-point boost to focus could effectively increase the wielder's resistance to sleep and madness.
Xia Tong tried tightening his grip on the shield, his gaze darkening.
He held the thorn-covered Shield of the Guilty across his chest and assumed a charging stance.
Skill—Shield Bash.
The mental power in his mind was driven by his will and instantly surged into his left arm.
The Shield of the Guilty glimmered faintly, and the thorn reliefs upon it seemed to come alive under the force of magic.
They became even more savage, even sharper.
Xia Tong suddenly stepped forward!
"Hah!"
His entire body shot forward like a cannonball, slamming into the ruined wall before him.
"Boom!"
The already crumbling wall immediately collapsed, dust rising everywhere as broken stones tumbled down.
"Gah—"
Xia Tong sucked in a sharp breath as intense soreness and numbness shot through his left arm.
The recoil was too strong.
In terms of pure defensive toughness, this small shield was indeed somewhat inferior to Barricade Shield.
But in terms of flexibility and destructive counterattack power, it absolutely surpassed Barricade Shield.
Xia Tong shook his arm, easing the numbness.
Once he became proficient with Barricade Shield and turned it into a skill he could personally master, he would be able to use it with the Shield of the Guilty—capable of both attack and defense.
"Wait, what's that?"
Xia Tong's gaze passed through the dust of the ruins.
It landed on the wall behind the pile of straw where the Demi-Human Queen had nested.
In the shadows hung a scroll.
"This architectural style resembles the standard design of Raya Lucaria Academy."
Melina's cool voice sounded from beside him.
Xia Tong hurried forward.
The scroll's rod was made of rusted brass, and one could still vaguely make out the relief of Raya Lucaria Academy's signature double-sided glintstone mask.
But the passage of time had worn it down badly.
Its seal was a faded dark-blue ribbon, and broken blue wax seals could still be seen at the opening.
The design on the seal was the crest of the Carian Royal Family—the full moon and a sword.
Xia Tong took a deep breath and slowly unfurled the scroll.
His fingers brushed over the thick parchment treated with special preservatives, his fingertips trembling slightly.
His heartbeat began to quicken. The reason he had searched every inch of this room, of the entire Demi-Human Ruins, was to find this!
He wanted to get stronger so badly.
He wanted to become a noble mage so badly!
Before you continue