A Surprise! The Body's Self-Enhancement!

Inside Pilgrimage Church.

Xia Tong and Melina sat facing each other across the Site of Grace.

As they had discussed beforehand, Xia Tong drew out a portion of the Runes within his body and transferred them into Melina.

This replenished the spiritual energy she had expended when she acted at the Demi-Human Queen's Ruins.

As the Runes flowed in, Melina's somewhat illusory body became solid once more.

After she had fully recovered, Xia Tong began using the remaining Runes for refinement and leveling up.

This time, he once again firmly chose to upgrade "Mind."

More than ten minutes later, the scorching current of enhancement faded away.

Xia Tong opened his status panel again to take a look:

Level: 23

Runes Held: 498

Vigor: 17

Mind: 25

Endurance: 10

Strength: 18

Dexterity: 14

Intelligence: 18

Faith: 2

Arcane: 10

Looking at the values on the panel, Xia Tong froze for a moment.

"Wait, didn't I upgrade Mind this time? Why did Dexterity and Strength both increase by one point too?"

Xia Tong was somewhat puzzled, so he asked Melina, "Melina, I feel like my Strength and Dexterity have increased compared to before, but they weren't enhanced through Runes. They seem to have increased on their own."

Melina raised her eyes slightly, thought for a moment, then answered softly, "Dexterity and Strength most likely weren't increased by this level-up. They increased before that."

"But during the last level-up, I'm certain I didn't upgrade Dexterity either."

Xia Tong was even more confused.

Melina looked at him and slowly explained, "Using a Site of Grace to grow stronger is not the only path to strength in this world."

"If one could only grow stronger through a Site of Grace, then what would those who had not been acknowledged by grace do? Or those who had once been acknowledged, but could no longer see grace?"

Hearing that, Xia Tong fell silent.

It truly was a question he had never considered deeply before.

Melina continued, "Every dodge and roll during battle subtly strengthens your bodily coordination—that is, your Dexterity."

"It is simply an extremely slow kind of enhancement, one that is difficult to notice in daily life."

"And ever since you picked up that heavy Lordsworn's Greatsword, every swing and every slash has also tempered your muscles."

"It has made you stronger and given you increasingly better control over your body."

Xia Tong frowned and pressed on, "Then why didn't I notice it when I leveled up a few days ago?"

After all, the last time he had leveled up was in front of the walls of Castle Morne, only four or five days ago.

The intensity of those days of fighting had not been low either, yet there had been no change in his attributes.

Melina met Xia Tong's eyes and gave him the answer.

"Because that battle—your fight with the Demi-Human Queen—brought you to the brink of death."

"Every experience of reaching the limits of near death frantically stimulates the body's potential."

"It forces your body to undergo adaptive evolution and enhancement in the direction you need most."

"But completing this kind of self-enhancement is extremely difficult. It requires everyday accumulation, and even more so, the ultimate trial between life and death."

"So that's how it is."

Xia Tong nodded to show that he understood. In the end, he still had to risk his life.

"Lord Xia Tong, please be careful on the road."

Miss Irina stood with her hands crossed lightly over her chest, her eyes half-closed as she spoke to Xia Tong.

Mounted on horseback, Xia Tong looked at Irina and Melina, who had manifested at the church entrance, and waved.

He lightly kicked Torrent's flank and slowly rode forward.

Pilgrimage Church was the highest point on the entire Weeping Peninsula. Xia Tong was now traveling from south to north, descending from high ground.

Torrent galloped at tremendous speed.

Looking down from Xia Tong's vantage point, he could see all of Tombsward shrouded beneath a thin curtain of rain.

From time to time, dull, thunderous clang, clang, clang sounds echoed in the distance.

Those were the sounds of the enormous stone bells striking as the Walking Mausoleum moved.

At the same time, even from Xia Tong's position, he could feel faint tremors rising from the ground.

That turtle really is huge.

Xia Tong could not help grumbling inwardly.

After traveling for around an hour and avoiding several wandering nobles, he saw an exceptionally tall Erdtree through the rain curtain.

If nothing unexpected happened, there should be a Minor Erdtree Avatar beneath it.

It isn't time to fight it yet.

Xia Tong narrowed his eyes as he looked at the towering Erdtree in the distance.

After crossing another field of scattered rocks, Xia Tong finally drew closer and closer to his destination.

At last, he saw the enormous collapsed stone pillar in the distance—the landmark of the Tombsward Catacombs.

"We're here, Torrent!"

Hearing Xia Tong's words, Torrent immediately perked up and let out two excited whinnies.

Over the past week, it had truly not lived an easy life.

Every day, it carried enormous bundles on its back, and often had to bear two people at once. It was exhausted to death.

Today's mere few hours of carrying a single rider made Torrent feel as though it were on vacation.

Xia Tong blew the Spectral Steed Whistle and dismissed Torrent.

Before him stood the catacombs' distinctive pair of iron-framed wooden doors.

Beside the wooden doors was a Site of Grace, like a golden flame.

Xia Tong first stepped forward and lightly touched the Site of Grace.

His empty Cerulean Tear Flask was refilled in the light.

After replenishing his supplies, Xia Tong rang the Spirit Calling Bell and summoned all of his Spirit Ashes, readying them for battle.

"Open!"

Xia Tong braced both arms against either side of the iron-framed wooden doors, bent his knees slightly, and slowly exerted force.

Creak—

The heavy doors finally opened slowly.

Xia Tong was just about to poke his head in to check for danger.

But immediately afterward, a gust of cold wind swept toward him!

It was a long blade.

The instant Xia Tong opened the door, the blade shot out like a venomous snake, slashing straight at his face.

"Damn it!"

Xia Tong instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He instinctively threw his entire upper body backward with all his strength, his body nearly bending into an exaggerated U-shape.

As he bent backward to the limit, Xia Tong did not forget to plant both palms on the ground and launch a vicious flying kick at the shadow before him.

Crack!

Only after the sound of a skeleton frame crashing against the ground did Xia Tong see clearly that it was a Skeleton Soldier.

The three Stray Wolves and two Fanged Imps behind him had already swarmed forward.

They viciously attacked and tore at the fallen Skeleton Soldier.

In only a few breaths, the ambushing Skeleton Soldier was ripped to pieces.

Naturally, Xia Tong did not need to deliver the finishing blow himself.

Xia Tong stood up and adjusted his equipment.

He held the Shield of the Guilty in his left hand and a Lordsworn's Straight Sword in his right.

This time, he did not use the Lordsworn's Greatsword.

In a place like a catacomb, the passages were narrow. A cumbersome greatsword could not be properly wielded and could easily strike the walls and rebound.

Using the Lordsworn's Straight Sword to block and dodge was much more convenient.

It would be nice if I had Bloodhound's Fang.

Xia Tong could not help thinking of it.

In such a cramped place, Bloodhound's Fang's skill was simply too convenient—elegant and agile at the same time.

Not long after following the damp passage downward, a white fog gate seal appeared ahead.

Beside the fog gate stood a statue of a demon.

"A Stonesword Key?"

Xia Tong currently had only two Stonesword Keys on him.

One had been obtained around Stormhill, while the other had been bought from the nomadic merchant in front of the walls of Castle Morne.

He took out a Stonesword Key he had prepared beforehand and slowly inserted it into the indentation on the demon statue's forehead.

A humming sound with a peculiar rhythm rang out.

The white fog gate seal finally dissipated slowly.

Xia Tong waved his hand and directed the three Stray Wolves to rush inside first and scout the way.