There it was! Finally!
Approaching the ruins, I met Godrick's deranged soldiers as though they were old acquaintances. Grinning, I struck the ground with my new staff, and a wave of golden energy rippled outward in all directions. A soldier who had gotten too close with his shield was thrown backward, and I stepped forward, raising the staff for the strike.
Well… "staff."
It was more of a sand spear, slightly upgraded. The hollow interior of sand had been transformed into golden glass, which, in itself, was akin to a magical crystal. Through it, I conjured a spell akin to the Carian slicer, forming a glowing, sunlight-bright blade that extended nearly a meter beyond the spearhead.
A swing, and the soldier was cleaved in two, shield and all.
By now, several more fighters had almost reached me. They were drawing fresh swords, but before they could strike, I raised the spear, and a golden sigil flared at its tip, shattering into six sparks, each forming a radiant dagger.
With a mystical chime, these magical blades surged forward, each finding its target, preventing the soldiers from even reaching me.
Yes…
Transferring the principles of local magic onto the power of sand was easier than I had anticipated. Later, I even created my own sigil, based on the Carian school's symbol. Though, in my opinion, the new mark wasn't yet complete. It allowed me to interact with sand energy in new ways, yet there remained a sense of imperfection—like a flawed imitation.
Still, for my level, this was significant progress. Even though it took about a month of my frozen-time experiments. Moreover, I wasn't merely adapting stone magic to sand; my control over new powers had grown, and even my temporal manipulations became more… precise. Now, for instance, I could trap an object in a time distortion and rewind its timeline—a method far less taxing than conventional time rewinds, though mentally, it was exhausting.
And I had begun considering an even more advanced approach: reversing time for the world around me without affecting myself. My thoughts wandered to playful experiments with a girl—erasing all consequences from the flow of time while retaining the experiences fully for myself. It seemed possible; I simply lacked control for now. Remarkable what drives one to progress.
So, there was no stopping now. After another lesson with Sellena, I decided to move south, toward the Weeping Peninsula. But first, I sketched a few maps of the Betweenlands, found in Gideon's library. Now, I checked a guiding stone to compare its depiction with my maps. Of course, that required dealing with local wildlife first.
Thus, my map gained a few more annotations.
This mark seemed to indicate mines. Should I go there? Though, unlikely anything interesting awaited in a mine. The path to the peninsula, however, wasn't fully marked on the guiding stone. Somewhere in the Necropolis, there should be one or two more. But with my own sketches, getting lost this time was impossible.
"Heh, alright, let's go there."
Returning to the sorceress's ruins, I decided to deal with the predatory plants above. But first, I consulted Sellena to mark locations where magical knowledge might be found. Then, finally, I climbed up to the plants.
Mastering magic even altered my perception. Before, even with time control, my combat potential was limited by close-range damage. Bows or crossbows offered alternatives, but now I could strike easily from a safe distance.
Climbing to the surface level of the ruins, I conjured a phalanx of golden blades to defend against anyone who approached too closely. Dozens of meters away, predatory plants lurked around the corner, and I struck them with powerful golden projectiles—magic derived from the gem-glass spells, only using golden glass instead of star amber.
Shimmering shards tore through a massive flower bud, scattering it into pieces. The glowing blades already engaged the smaller crawling poisonous flowers, which disintegrated into dust, leaving behind a handful of runes.
The larger flower, however, required more effort. Ascending its stem, it released a cloud—pollen or seeds—that sparkled and shot toward me like magical projectiles.
Time slow.
I shifted position calmly to avoid the attack, then resumed normal flow and cast golden projectiles again. The predatory flower was rooted, unable to crawl like the smaller ones—an easy target for a mage.
If these monsters hadn't attacked me initially, I wouldn't have touched them now. But they were their own undoing. Mindless plants, after all.
After collecting the runes, I summoned my steed, mounting with a few familiar motions.
"Let's go, girl."
"Pffrr…" Potok snorted.
The horned horse leaped forward, bouncing lightly from air currents, performing weightless bounds before continuing her run along the ground. She seemed in high spirits, reveling in the freedom of motion.
I retraced my earlier path to the bridge dividing the Necropolis from the Weeping Peninsula. Godrick's soldiers guarded it, but I wouldn't pass up free runes. A slight delay was unavoidable. I used Time Slow to ride Potok across the defenses, attacking the soldiers from behind—better than risking a ballista shot. The front rows never noticed the rear being cut down.
"Oh…"
Just beyond the bridge, I discovered another site of grace. If I had passed here before, I could have avoided this detour. But it was no great loss—I wasn't in a hurry. I even lingered briefly at the site.
Damn, I should have just used a sand portal. With this magic, my brain felt fried. I'd focused too much on new methods, forgetting what I already knew. I must ask Melina if she can boost mental acuity.
"Melina…"
"I'm here, Chrono." She appeared from silver dust.
"Oh, just wanted to ask… can intelligence be enhanced too? I feel like an idiot, lacking brains."
"Hmm," she chuckled sarcastically. "No… but developing the soul's spiritual traits should also improve your mind."
"Then increase my magical power… as far as runes allow."
"Alright." She extended her hand.
As usual, I grasped it, feeling energy flow through me. Boosting magical power felt different from increasing physical strength or endurance. Physical power seemed to saturate my body, muscles, bones, organs. This, however, felt like she touched my very soul, filling it with energy, making it larger, stronger. Sand-time manipulation improved, and spellcasting grew noticeably more potent. My mind cleared, better attuned to magical sigils and spells.
Since my last enhancement, I'd gathered enough runes for three successive waves of power, each providing tangible growth. Calling it mere magical power would be an understatement.
"All done," Melina sighed. "You're stronger now."
"Thanks for the help," I nodded.
"This is our pact," she smiled. "I vowed to aid you on the path to the Tree of Erd."
"I'm not heading there yet…"
"I trust you'll keep your word. I know you wish to prepare—the road to the capital won't be easy."
"I promise."
Melina's silver form dispersed.
I mounted Potok, who nibbled red berries from a small tree nearby. Despite being a spirit, she was tangible enough that I could touch her, and she was as real as any living creature. Not surprisingly, she enjoyed a tasty snack. Unlike lone wolves, Potok felt more real, though I could pet wolves too—they'd just growl.
Funny, a pack of spectral wolves was called the dust of lone wolves. Typical wolves—come alone to fight, we'll come alone too.
"Alright… let's gather these berries." I summoned a small pouch from the desert.
"Pffr!" the horse snorted, nudging my hand with her nose.
"They're for you. I'll feed you later on the road."
"Hrmf," she frowned suspiciously.
Eventually, she allowed me to collect some berries. I let her eat first before riding south.
"Let's see the map…" I murmured, flipping through my sketches.
"This road… no forks yet, should be midway to Morn Castle."
I'd developed a new level of topographical stupidity. At one point, I realized we had left the road, galloping across a field among the ruins of Farum Azula, unsure of our position.
"Alright, that way, girl." I guided Potok toward a glowing tree, a bare-trunked, golden-branch sapling reminiscent of Erdtri. Climbing a small hill, she hopped effortlessly. I approached on foot. Fortunately, Melina's presence was strong, allowing her to give guidance.
"It's an illusory tree," she explained from silver mist. "Look around—you might find a seed."
I followed her advice, bending to inspect the ground. There it was, a glowing seed with tiny roots gripping the soil.
"Don't fear—it can be pulled out," Melina said. "These seeds are scattered worldwide, a result of the Ring's destruction. Erdtri was once thought not to produce seeds, eternal as it was. But with the Order broken, the Tree sensed impending ruin and created thousands of seeds."
"Maybe we shouldn't pull them… let them grow."
"Some have grown into small trees," she noted. "This seed can create a sacred flask. I'll show you."
"Sacred flasks?"
"They store grace, which can be used to restore strength."
Sounds useful enough. Grace itself was remarkable—being nearby erased hunger and thirst, fatigue faded, even ten minutes of rest could substitute for sleep. But I still opted to sleep.
Following Melina's advice, I removed the seed, which was surprisingly easy.
"What next?"
"Store it in your bag. Flasks can only be made at a site of grace."
Later, near the cliffs, I found another grace site by evening. Nightfall in the Betweenlands was not ideal, so I waited for Melina.
"Take some grace in your hand, like dew, and pour it onto the seed."
"Okay…"
Then, using one of my empty sand-glass flasks, I placed the seed inside. Under the grace, the roots expanded within the flask, granting it the ability to preserve the essence of grace. Mixing it with my blood would make a "sacred tear," a restorative and healing elixir.
However… golden sand flowed from my wound instead of blood. Astonishingly, it worked even better. The sand absorbed into the roots, catalyzing grace extraction.
I watched the flask slowly fill with new sand, seemingly seeping in from the desert itself. The golden seed began to feel like part of the sands of time. Grace seemed drawn from it, infused with desert energy.
I left the flask for experimentation. As night reigned, I returned to the desert, bringing the flask with me. Upon crossing a sand vortex, the flask's roots began expanding, absorbing surrounding sand. Within seconds, a golden sapling sprouted from the dune. It was no longer illusory—it gleamed, branches forming beautiful golden patterns, first leaves shimmering bronze. I felt it as an integral part of the desert.
What to do with it now?
Cautiously, I pulled back the sand, temporarily separating the sapling from its source. Its leaves dulled, fell, and a faint aura of melancholy emanated. Restoring the sand revived it, even enhancing its size.
"Alright… you may stay," I said, stroking its leaves. Time sand trickled from them—an intriguing effect. The sacred flask, however, was gone, but I didn't mind.
Resting on my sand bed, I slept deeply. Upon waking, the sapling had grown slightly.
I still lacked knowledge to understand what to expect from this tree, but the feeling of control reassured me. Returning to Elden, I summoned my steed to continue south toward the peninsula, then to the Academy, after checking Gideon's library for knowledge on magic and prayers.
"GRAA!"
A half-human appeared, blocking our path. I had seen them before, now recognized as another intelligent race of Elden, once dragon servants, some still revered. Post-war, they were subdued by Erdtri's people. This one attacked immediately.
"Not today." I flicked my dagger, and three glowing blades pierced him.
My improved dagger, though not as powerful as my staff-spear, was practical for a sorcerer. Riding past, Potok led across a hanging bridge. Below, predatory flowers stirred, identical to those at Sellena's ruins.
Surprisingly, runes from the slain half-human caught up with me.
"Hmm… feels like we slipped through again," I muttered hours later.
"Pffr…" Potok snorted.
"Yeah, yeah, I missed it." I rolled my eyes.
We emerged at an old temple with another Marika statue and a site of grace. Ghostly headless knights guarded it, easily dispelled by magic, no harder than regular soldiers.
"Hmm… what tree is that?"
Ahead, a giant sapling sprouted. Not comparable to Erd, but still colossal.
"A sprouted small Erd tree," Melina's bell-like voice chimed.
"The seeds that sprouted have given life to these saplings across the Betweenlands," she explained. "But they are corrupted; the Order's destruction prevents a new Erd tree from growing. The land is cursed. Harvest golden seeds while you can—they still hold a fragment of the Tree's blessing."
"Understood."
"These trees are guarded by cursed sentinels. Defeat them for runes."
"Not too far…" I murmured, deciding to approach the sapling, which was far from small.
"Alright, Potok, let's go."
She let me mount easily, and though I misjudged distance—the hill looked half an hour away—the journey took hours. My backside stiffened in the saddle.
"Eh… alright, gang, that evil tree there, charge!" I rang the bell, summoning spirits from the dust.
"Woof…" a wolf barked.
"Come on! Stretch your legs!"
Three spectral wolves surged at the sentinel, a semi-decayed giant stump with root-like limbs and golden hammer hands, larger than the sentinel's halberd.
I'd seen worse, barely impressed.
The wolves engaged… Bam!
"Uuuu!" One wolf was smashed by a hammer, dispersing into silver mist. "Minus one…"
Without the power of true death, my allies could only be temporarily defeated, later re-summoned.
The last wolf seized the moment, biting a root-arm. The stump grabbed it, crushing the wolf inside, and silver mist hissed from its bark-cracks.
"Alright, my turn." I readied my spear.
Melina, incorporeal yet perceptive, observed. My golden-blade technique looked impressive even to her, heart quickening at my display.
As the tree sentinel raised its hammer, I spread into a stream of golden light and sand, marking a circle around the monster. Radiant blades erupted along the circumference, striking the sentinel nearly a hundred times.
"Not done yet?" I said lazily.
The sentinel lunged one last time, but I flowed away, golden sigil erupting where it struck, repelling the heavy body. It didn't collapse, dispersing into ash, but generously rewarded me with runes.
Watching, Melina felt certain: I could overcome all obstacles and reach the great tree.