"Huh?"
Bai Shi snapped out of his trance-like state.
"I was touching a Site of Grace just now."
He suddenly noticed something odd.
He didn't fully trust Hakan, yet upon seeing the Site of Grace, he had instinctively ignored the potential threat and touched it.
This strange attraction made him feel like a moth drawn to a flame in the night.
No wonder there was a "Golden Tree Conspiracy" theory among game lore enthusiasts in his previous life.
Hakan's eyes widened.
"You can actually see the Grace?"
"Well... it must be Grace."
Since he couldn't hide it, Bai Shi simply admitted it.
"...You're not an ordinary Tarnished, after all."
"I don't feel like I'm anything but ordinary."
Bai Shi shrugged.
"No, you just returned to the Lands Between. You don't know what it means to be able to see Grace in this era."
"The Grace on ordinary Tarnished was severed when they were exiled from the Lands Between."
"Any Tarnished who can still see Grace are all people with the potential of a hero."
"If Godrick of Stormveil knew about you, he would surely send his army to intercept and kill you."
Hakan said, his words spilling out like a machine gun. Bai Shi had no idea this guy had such a side to him.
"Is that so? Don't worry, I'm very good at running away."
"Sigh—, Bai Shi, I... no, never mind."
Bai Shi was confused. Could this "riddler" get out of the Lands Between already?
"It's fine, just say it."
But Hakan's attitude suddenly became very firm.
"No, I'm not worthy of saying it right now. All I can say is I'm glad I met a guy like you."
Hakan paused.
"Let's focus on getting back to the mainland. I'll do my best to get you there."
Bai Shi was completely bewildered.
What was wrong with this guy? His attitude became so respectful after learning that Bai Shi could see Grace.
"Okay, let's keep going. Do you need to rest?"
"No, I feel completely energized right now."
With that, Hakan shouldered his great curved sword and continued to lead the way.
Bai Shi shook his head and silently followed.
"I don't get it."
The two walked among coffins and jars, soon arriving in front of a strange skeleton.
The skeleton was leaning against a wall, with red burn marks all over its hand and leg bones, as if it were a piece of extinguished charcoal.
After a careful search, Hakan found two items: the Tarnished Furled Finger and the Finger Severer.
Just like before, Hakan handed them over to Bai Shi.
These two items, like the Tarnished's Old Finger from the Chapel of Anticipation, were related to multiplayer.
Right now, Bai Shi didn't know if these items had any use or how to use them, but collecting them was a safe bet.
After setting out again, they arrived at a circular hall just a few minutes later.
Scattered white candles illuminated the entire hall.
A massive dome hung high above, with various objects scattered around. In the center were six pillars standing on a huge circular carved floor. Their tops were connected, forming a gazebo-like structure, with a candle burning on each one.
Bai Shi walked past Hakan and examined the center. The circular ground was decorated with a pattern of intertwined Golden Tree roots, with a small, manhole-cover-sized raised plate in the very center.
He knew this was a kind of elevator in the Lands Between.
"Come on, we have a chance to get out."
Bai Shi called back to Hakan.
Hakan nodded, signaling that he understood.
"What do I need to do?"
"Nothing. Just bring your companions, and we'll all stand in the middle of these pillars."
Hakan, now full of trust in Bai Shi, obediently followed the instructions.
After the warhorse and the white wolf had also gotten on, Bai Shi went to the center and pushed down on the mechanism with all his might.
With a rumbling sound, the mechanism, which had been dormant for ages, began to work.
The ground beneath them started to rise, taking them higher and higher.
Hakan and his companions had never experienced anything like this. The warhorse and the white wolf immediately lay down on all fours, making whimpering sounds.
Hakan wasn't doing much better. He kept his face stoic, but Bai Shi could see his legs trembling.
As the elevator ascended, it also rotated slightly.
When they reached the top, a set of stairs leading to an even higher area appeared before them.
"I never imagined something like this could exist in the world."
Hakan's face was pale, and the white wolf stood up, howling as if to agree with him.
"Haha, this is actually a pretty interesting experience, isn't it? What's there to be scared of?"
Seeing Bai Shi's smug smile, Hakan's face flushed. He still tried to save face:
"Who's scared?!"
Bai Shi smiled and ignored Hakan's defiant words, walking straight toward the stairs.
There weren't many steps, and they soon arrived at a door.
Bai Shi took a deep breath, and with both hands, he lifted the heavy door.
A brilliant light shone through the crack, blinding Bai Shi for a moment, but he didn't stop. The door was fully lifted.
Bai Shi's eyes quickly adjusted to the brightness. He looked out and saw a breathtaking sight.
The gigantic Golden Tree stood on the land, its trunk connecting the sky and the earth as if it were a pillar that separated them. Its dense branches covered half the sky, continuously showering the world with light.
Several other pillar-like structures, equally massive, were scattered nearby. Some were close enough to show off their grandeur, while others were hidden in the mist, only their outlines visible.
In the distance, on a towering cliff, a majestic castle was enveloped in a storm, looking down on the land with an icy gaze.
Countless fragments of colossal ruins were scattered on the ground, a testament to the glory that was no more...
This was the Lands Between, a land forged with blood and fire, and the battlefield where Bai Shi would make his stand.
Note: To make the plot more realistic, the in-game map will be scaled up. It will not be possible to travel from one city to another in just a few minutes, as in the game. Similarly, catacombs and caves will be adjusted in size as needed.