Moon Princess Ranni

"...You're a Tarnished, aren't you?"

"And it looks like... you won't attack me."

Beside the ruins of the Church of Elleh, the Red-Hooded Merchant raised his head, his gaze carrying a merchant's scrutiny.

"Since that's the case, would you like to buy something?"

The merchant pointed at the goods beside him, which covered the ground in abundance.

"My name is Kale. You might not be able to tell, but I'm a merchant."

Xia Tong looked at this familiar old friend, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"I can tell. You're a merchant."

"Oh, is that so? Then would you like to buy something?"

"No, I'm planning to sell some things first."

"Oh? What do you have?"

Xia Tong walked to the Site of Grace at the Church of Elleh and connected with the space that belonged to him.

With a thought, he took out a full eight Godrick Soldier Sets.

Clatter!

A crisp series of metallic crashes rang out.

The mud- and blood-stained armor was tossed onto the ground by Xia Tong, piling into a small mountain.

Xia Tong pointed at the equipment on the ground.

"I'm selling all of it."

He was dirt poor right now and desperately needed Runes to level up.

Kale set down the instrument in his hands, something like an erhu, then walked over to inspect the items.

"The condition is average... They look like very old, battered suits of armor. They should have come from nearby Godrick Soldiers, right?"

"Yeah, I just hunted them."

"Tarnished really are born warriors! Those Godrick Soldiers may be somewhat out of their minds, but their combat strength is still considerable."

Kale praised him, then abruptly changed the subject.

"If I may ask, will they revive?"

Xia Tong thought for a moment, then combined the game's setting with his real-world observations before answering.

"They'll revive at some point in the future, but definitely not immediately. And without all their equipment, they'll be far less dangerous to the creatures around them."

After chatting aimlessly for a while longer, the two finally began discussing the price of the pile of equipment before them.

Once it came time to haggle, Kale immediately put on a different face and became picky.

"This Godrick gauntlet is already dented... The edge of this straight sword is practically serrated... And this surcoat—the bloodstains on it will be hard to wash out..."

"Alright, alright, just offer whatever you think is fair!"

Xia Tong could not help rubbing his forehead.

Sure enough, no matter what world it was, selling things to merchants meant getting lowballed.

Though his stuff really was pretty beat-up.

Kale chuckled and held up his fingers as he quoted the price.

"For the ones in average condition, I'll give you 150 Runes per set. These sets are a little better, so I'll give you 200 Runes each."

After a round of bargaining.

The eight Godrick Soldier Sets brought Xia Tong a total income of 1,250 Runes.

Xia Tong silently did the math in his head.

"If we go by the game's settings, this junk would sell to merchants for next to nothing, maybe a hundred or so per set. But in the real world, the metal and leather themselves have value. This price is fairly reasonable."

With money in hand, Xia Tong immediately felt more confident.

"I'd like to buy a torch, and a Crafting Kit."

"The Crafting Kit costs 300 Runes, and the torch costs 200."

With practiced movements, Kale the wandering merchant pulled a finely crafted leather kit from the pile of goods, then handed Xia Tong a torch wrapped in oilcloth.

"Would you like to buy anything else?"

"Not for now."

Xia Tong put away the items and glanced at the sky.

"Can I sleep here tonight?"

"Of course. This is the Church of Elleh. It belongs to every wandering soul."

Then Kale took out the large bag of Runes they had just exchanged from his robes.

They were energy crystals that emitted golden light.

"Crush these crystals, and the Runes will turn into pure energy and flow into your body."

Xia Tong gently accepted them and carefully examined the "money."

This was his first time seeing physical Runes. The ones he had gained from killing enemies before had all turned directly into motes of light and entered his body.

Xia Tong put away the Runes, then suddenly asked.

"While we're inside the Church of Elleh, will the Tree Sentinel outside attack us?"

Kale poked at the campfire and answered calmly.

"No. The Tree Sentinel is an absolute defender of the Erdtree. Even after the Elden Ring shattered, he still retains a clear mind."

"However, when he sees a Tarnished wandering in the wilds, he classifies them as a 'threat that must be eliminated.'"

"But in the Church of Elleh, you are safe."

"A knight will not attack someone under the sanctuary of a church. At the very least, chivalry still lives."

Listening to this, Xia Tong found himself unexpectedly moved.

On the road not far away, the Tree Sentinel was slowly passing by atop his warhorse.

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, his armor was old, yet it still shone with golden radiance, representing an unquestionable authority.

Xia Tong remembered how, when he had been chased by him that morning, the Tree Sentinel's movements had been so precise and deadly.

They were filled with a knight's skill, rather than a beast's savagery.

Night fell.

Xia Tong sat beside the Site of Grace and silently called out in his heart.

"Melina."

Specks of blue light gathered.

Melina's figure appeared within the light of the Site of Grace.

"Do you wish to turn Runes into your own strength?" she asked softly.

"Yes."

Xia Tong looked over his status panel.

Including the money from selling equipment and the Runes from killing soldiers earlier, he now had nearly 1,600 Runes.

It was enough to level up twice.

"Just once. Let me touch you."

Melina extended her hand.

Xia Tong placed his hand on hers as well.

Melina's fingers were slender and cold, but when she tightly held Xia Tong's hand, a warm, powerful sensation flowed through him.

Their palms pressed together.

"Which attribute do you wish to increase?"

"Put it all into Vigor."

Xia Tong did not hesitate.

In this world, the thicker his health bar, the more mistakes he could afford to make. He had to stay alive to deal damage.

Melina nodded slightly and closed her eyes.

As a deep, ancient chant rose, the Rune crystals Xia Tong crushed in his hand transformed into a golden torrent. Flowing through their joined hands, it surged into every limb and bone in Xia Tong's body.

The sensation was incredibly strange, as though every cell in his body were cheering, while his bones and muscles were being reshaped and strengthened.

The process lasted a full ten minutes.

[Character Data]

Level: 3

Runes Held: 18

Vigor: 12

...

Xia Tong slowly released Melina's hand, stood up, and stretched.

He really did feel far more vigorous, his body lighter and his stamina greater.

But that single upgrade had nearly drained all of Xia Tong's savings.

The remaining eighteen Runes sat alone on his status panel, looking tiny and laughable.

"So this is what paying to get stronger feels like..."

Xia Tong sighed.

Before he knew it, the night had grown late.

At the other end of the Church of Elleh, Kale the wandering merchant's campfire had been lit again.

But Xia Tong did not go over.

He sat alone on a broken wall, seemingly waiting for someone.

Yet even when the moon reached its zenith, that person never came.

Drowsiness washed over him.

So he asked the wandering merchant for a worn felt blanket, found a sheltered corner, and lay down on the ground to sleep.

Though the Elden Ring had shattered, Limgrave's nights were truly beautiful.

Golden fireflies fluttered through the night sky like something from a dream.

After Xia Tong and Kale had both fallen asleep.

Strange pale-blue mist suddenly began to rise around the Church of Elleh.

Though Xia Tong was clearly asleep, he vaguely regained awareness.

He felt as though he were experiencing a lucid dream.

In the dream, he saw a translucent witch emitting a gentle blue-white glow, quietly seated upon the church's ruined wall.

She had four arms, and skin as pale as snow.

She wore an enormous, peculiar snow witch's hat. Its wide brim concealed half her face.

Only one sapphire-blue eye was visible, as though it contained the entire starry sky.

An ethereal, tranquil voice seemed to speak directly within Xia Tong's mind.

"...You're a Tarnished, aren't you?"

"I heard someone acquired a spectral steed."

The witch tilted her head slightly and looked down at Xia Tong.

Xia Tong's heart trembled.

She's here!

Moon Princess Ranni!

Although she currently called herself Renna, as a transmigrator, Xia Tong knew her background all too well.

What do you mean, you heard? As a demigod, what could Princess Ranni possibly not know?

Xia Tong could not help grumbling inwardly.

But on the surface, he still assumed an unfathomable air rather than panicking like an ordinary person.

He spoke with composed ease.

"The spectral steed has a fate of its own, just like the stars in the sky, unbound by the laws of the earth. I merely happened to walk this path."

Upon hearing those words, the witch on the wall froze slightly.

A clear trace of surprise appeared in her previously indifferent expression.

"I am Renna."

She did not acknowledge that name. Instead, she continued using her alias, her voice carrying a hint of pride.

"I only happened to learn of the matter, which is why I decided to meddle like this."

"The former owner of the spectral steed asked me to pass two things on to you."

The witch gently raised one hand.

Then two items appeared out of thin air and slowly floated down before Xia Tong.

One was a small silver bell that emitted a faint glow—the Spirit Calling Bell.

The other was a pinch of gray-white ashes containing souls.

Rather than ashes, it looked more like a gray-white crystal, faintly marked with the image of three wolves—Lone Wolf Ashes.

"The Spirit Calling Bell is very simple to use. Ring it while calling for the ashes you wish to summon in your heart, and you can call back souls that have yet to return to the Erdtree."

The witch explained in a cool voice.

Xia Tong reached out to take them, feeling their substantial weight in his hand.

"Thank you. I will let these lost souls serve their proper purpose in my hands..."

Xia Tong raised his head and looked directly into the witch's sapphire-blue eye, speaking meaningfully.

"To challenge those 'guidances' that should not exist."

Xia Tong emphasized the word "guidances."

As the Princess of the Moon, Ranni was deeply weary of the Two Fingers' constant surveillance and control.

Surely those words had struck a chord with her.

Sure enough.

The previously indifferent witch finally grew a little more serious.

She gave Xia Tong a long, searching look, a hint of amusement curving her lips.

"...Is that so?"

"Then let me see just how far this 'purpose' of yours can go."

Her body began to dissolve into motes of blue light.

"If one day, you can prove that you have the ability to break free from the strings..."

"Come find me at Caria Manor in the north."

With that, the Moon Witch's figure vanished completely into the mist.

The dream ended.