In the end, it was Melina who spoke first.
"Um, are you alright?"
Melina asked cautiously.
"I apologize, I lost my composure. Seeing you reminded me of an old friend, and I was just stunned for a moment."
Bai Shi suppressed the overwhelming emotions and made up a quick lie to get past the moment.
Melina nodded. Although it was a little strange, it seemed reasonable enough.
"Oh, I see. You two must have been very close."
"Yes, she was my Maiden. We traveled together, overcame countless challenges. I thought those days would continue, but she sacrificed herself for me."
Melina didn't realize that Bai Shi was actually talking about her. She just assumed it was a story about Bai Shi and a Maiden he had traveled with in the past.
"I am sorry to hear that. But if you still seek the Elden Ring, then you have to keep moving forward, don't you?"
Bai Shi nodded.
"What do you mean?"
Seeing that Bai Shi seemed to have calmed down, Melina sighed in relief and began to state her purpose.
"As I said earlier, I would like to make a deal with you."
"I mean no offense, but you are currently without a Maiden..."
Melina kept an eye on Bai Shi's expression, and seeing that he wasn't angry about her mentioning his Maidenless status, she continued:
"I can take on the role of a Maiden and turn your Runes into power."
"If you still yearn for the Elden Ring, this will certainly be helpful to you."
"In return, I hope you will help me get to the foot of the Golden Tree."
"What do you say?"
Bai Shi had no reason to refuse, but he pretended to think about it for a moment before agreeing.
"I don't know who you are, but this seems to have no downside for me."
"So, you agree?"
"Yes. My name is Bai Shi. It's a pleasure to have you as my Maiden."
The corners of Melina's mouth curved into a faint smile.
"Then it's settled. When you wish to turn your Runes into power, just call on me at a Site of Grace."
Seeing Melina's smile, Bai Shi's heart pounded hard.
In his previous life, the Melina who was teased for being emotionless always had a serious, unsmiling face. Now, her smile was as beautiful as a melting glacier.
Seeing this beautiful and unexpected side of her, Bai Shi felt like he could die a happy man.
"Can you turn my Runes into power now?"
Melina nodded and held out her hand to Bai Shi.
"Just for a moment. Let me touch you."
Seeing the scars from burns all over Melina's pristine hand, Bai Shi's heart ached.
But Melina thought Bai Shi was bothered by the scars on her hand. Her fingers trembled slightly, and she started to pull back her hand, feeling insecure.
"I'm sorry, it's ugly, isn't it? I'll wear gloves next time."
But Bai Shi suddenly reached out and held Melina's retreating hand. Like a startled deer, Melina's body stiffened.
Huh? Why is this person so comfortable holding my hand? Is this a normal person's reaction to seeing scars?
Melina's hand was small, easily enveloped by Bai Shi's palm.
"Not at all. You must have gone through a lot of pain. But from now on, I will protect you. I promise."
"I won't lose my Maiden a second time."
Melina lowered her head, not wanting Bai Shi to see her expression.
After a moment, she nodded and let out a faint "Mm."
Melina took a deep breath, trying to slow her wildly beating heart.
Just now, Bai Shi's actions had completely stunned her. She hadn't even thought to pull her hand away.
Oh no, it seems Torrent has found a strange one.
Wait, wasn't it me who asked him to touch my hand?
Melina lifted her head, seemingly having regained her composure, but she knew she wasn't as calm as she appeared.
"I will now help you turn your Runes into power. Please do not resist."
Golden Runes were drawn from Bai Shi's body by Melina and converged in her hand.
"You currently have over 2,200 Runes, which is enough to upgrade two of your attributes."
"I can help you distribute the power of your Runes to your Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane."
"Please choose where you want to allocate the power now."
"Help me raise my Vigor and Dexterity."
Melina nodded, acknowledging his choice.
Then the golden Runes slowly flowed back from Melina's hand. This time, however, Bai Shi felt the energy directly seep into his flesh, binding firmly and becoming inseparable.
Bai Shi had carefully considered these two attributes.
When Melina had asked him to choose, a leveling panel had appeared before him, showing his stats:
Vigor: 15, Mind: 10, Endurance: 11, Strength: 14, Dexterity: 13, Intelligence: 9, Faith: 9, Arcane: 7.
These were the starting stats for the Knight class. Vigor, Strength, and Dexterity were all high, with no obvious weaknesses.
The lower Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane were not very important for now.
What Bai Shi needed most right now was room for error, at least enough to be able to use the Fling Trainer.
The automatic invincibility he experienced when facing the Grafted Scion was a one-time thing. Every future use had to be activated manually.
So, higher Vigor would make him less likely to be one-shotted, and Dexterity would make it easier for him to dodge and attack in combat, allowing him to fight without taking damage.
The transfer ended quickly. The Vigor and Dexterity on his panel became 16 and 14 respectively.
"That's it. Your Runes have been turned into power. But please be aware that as your strength increases, you will need more and more Runes."
Bai Shi let go of her hand, and a wave of sadness came over him. This was the first time he had ever held a girl's hand.
Melina then pulled a few items from under her cloak and handed them to Bai Shi.
In her left hand was a golden ring emitting a soft light, and in her right were two golden flasks, one filled with blue liquid and the other with red.
Melina first handed the two flasks to Bai Shi.
"These are the Flasks of Crimson and Cerulean Tears. They were created to mimic the legendary Golden Chalice that held the Tears of Grace. The red one can heal your wounds, and the blue one can restore your focus."
"There is no need to be frugal with them. The Tears will be replenished every time you rest at a Site of Grace."
Bai Shi accepted them, putting them safely in his pouch. They were a lifesaver.
Melina then gave Bai Shi the ring from her left hand.
"When you need to travel long distances, please use this ring. It can be used as a whistle. Blowing it will summon the spirit of a swift steed named Torrent."
"Torrent likes you very much. I hope you will be kind to him."
Bai Shi solemnly took the ring and put it on the ring finger of his left hand, the one he had just taken the vambrace off of.
Note: The romance will not develop too quickly, but it has to start somehow.
Want to read more?
Join my Patreon--https://patreon.com/kazama677?
Advance 30+ chapters available.