Elden Ring, building a legion of ashes

Chapter 35 I'm Going to Be a Mage!!!

The mission dagger was still stained with some demi-human blood.

It's clear that Melina and her group were also affected by the riot and fighting earlier.

However, because it is located on the periphery, the impact is minimal.

But one can imagine that without Melina's protection, the blind Elena would surely be dead by now.

Come to think of it, Melina, as the Finger Witch, couldn't possibly be powerless.

However, she is currently in a spirit form and is too far from the Golden Tree, so her power cannot be fully utilized.

But dealing with a few ordinary demi-humans who slipped through the net shouldn't be a problem.

Just as Xia Tong was about to say something.

"Buzz—"

A small, slender golden tree, about two meters tall, rose up beside Xia Tong.

A soft, warm light shines down, penetrating deep into the skin.

That is prayer—the little golden tree.

The light soothed the minor blemishes on Xia Tong's body caused by the crystal splashes, and also eased Xia Tong's physical and mental exhaustion.

"Melina, it's so good to have you."

Xia Tong felt the warmth and almost teared up.

That's the advantage of having a capable wife.

"Lord Xia Tong, you sound very tired."

"Irena asked with concern, her hand groping in the air," Elena asked.

"Of course, I almost died."

Xia Tong grasped her hand and smiled helplessly.

"If it had been just a quarter of an hour later, I would have been dead here."

In terms of individual strength alone, the Demi-human Queen is actually inferior to the previous Night Rider.

The problem is that the Ajin Queen has too many underlings.

Seventy or eighty!

This almost overwhelmed Xia Tong and the others.

If it weren't for the fact that the ashes had always adopted a defensive posture, and that Xia Tong had the high mobility of the Torret, they probably would have been finished.

Xia Tong turned to look at the Ashes Battle Group.

tragic.

Only one wolf remained of the pack, limping and licking its wounds.

Only one Fang Imp remains; the other has disintegrated and returned to ashes.

The worst off was Kurara, who suffered severe injuries this time, with her tentacles broken off and her body's light dimming.

The two Grik soldiers were also in bad shape, their armor tattered, but thankfully they were still alive.

Xia Tong tenderly called them back one by one to nurse them back to health.

Then, he walked to the huge corpse, bent down and picked up the scepter of the demi-human queen.

By the moonlight, I examined it closely.

The Demi-human Queen's Staff was a sickly and eerie pale white.

The cane is made of a cool, smooth, and exquisite material.

It feels like it's made of high-quality metal that's been repeatedly polished, yet it also has a biomaterial feel similar to ivory.

The head of the staff is inlaid with a fist-sized purplish-red gemstone.

This pyroxene was much larger and much purer than the small, fragmented stones found on a typical pyroxene staff.

It was polished into a perfect sphere and stood tall at the top.

Overall, it looks more like a scepter than a magic tool used for casting spells.

Xia Tong was naturally very familiar with this staff.

This is a "gift" from the Reallucalia Magic Academy to the demi-human queens.

It was also a gesture of appeasement from humanity to appease the demi-human group.

Xia Tong vaguely remembered the description on the weapon: many "orthodox" mages from magic academies would secretly mock the demi-human queen who used this staff.

Because this staff doesn't require much intelligence to wield.

In their eyes, these are toys for low-intelligence creatures.

But Xia Tong knew that this demi-human queen's staff was one of the most powerful staffs in the early game.

Its damage conversion rate is extremely high when Intelligence is below 40.

It was only slightly weaker than Galid's meteor staff.

Even for Xia Tong now, going to retrieve the meteorite staff would essentially be a one-way trip.

Galid, that horrific, corrupt place.

A few corrupt accomplices on the road could easily take Xia Tong's life if they attacked him.

More importantly, the Demi-human Queen's Staff can be enhanced.

This means that it has extremely high growth potential and will not become outdated for a long time.

Xia Tong put the scepter back at his waist with satisfaction, then picked up the greatsword and continued to patrol the ruins.

The torchlight flickered in the wind, casting intermittent light and shadow on Xia Tong's face.

Miss Elena followed quietly beside him, clutching Xia Tong's clothes tightly in her hand, never leaving his side.

Deep within the ruins, Xia Tong finally found a room that was still relatively intact.

The walls on all four sides here have not collapsed, and the area is relatively dry and sheltered from the wind.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of dry grass, and in the corner were some utensils and pottery jars that had been used by humans.

On a dusty table in the corner.

A single red plant stood there all alone.

Xia Tong approached with the torch in hand, picked it up, and examined it closely.

This is a strange leaf with a dark red color and thick veins like blood vessels.

It looked like a sediment of blood, gleaming eerily in the firelight.

With just a touch, Xia Tong felt a warmth coming from her fingertips.

My blood seemed to be surging through my veins, and my emotions inexplicably became excited.

"This must be Atria."

This is a rare material that can unleash potential and create advanced enhancement items.

Xia Tong was naturally overjoyed and carefully put it into her possession.

He then continued his search.

Several scattered gold runes were also found in the broken pottery jar.[1]

And a small, oddly shaped shield.

The shield was made of dark metal with sharp edges.

Most notably, a human face is carved on the surface of the shield.

It looked like a witch whose eyes had been blinded by thorns, her expression contorted in pain, as if she were wailing silently.

Xia Tong stared at the face for a few seconds, feeling a sense of physical discomfort and a chill down her spine.

He gently gripped the shield's handle, no longer looking at the face.

Something magic happened.

The moment he grasped the shield, he felt all the chaotic thoughts that had been swirling in his mind vanish.

My concentration seemed to have improved dramatically, and my mind became clearer than ever before.

"The Sinner's Shield"

Xia Tong murmured the name.

He had played with this shield a few times in his previous life.

This is one of the very few special shields that has a "bleeding" attack effect.

Furthermore, its built-in 40-point focus boost can effectively increase the user's resistance to hypnosis and madness.

Xia Tong tried to grip the shield tightly, her eyes darkening.

He held the thorny shield of the sinner across his chest, assuming a charging stance.

Combat Technique - Shield Charge.

The mental energy in his mind, driven by his will, instantly flowed into his left arm.

The Sinner's Shield glowed faintly, and the thorn relief on it seemed to come alive under the influence of magic.

It became more ferocious and sharper.

Xia Tong strode forward!

"drink!"

He was like a cannonball, crashing into the crumbling wall in front of him.

"Boom!"

The already dilapidated wall collapsed suddenly, sending up dust and rubble rolling down.

"hiss--"

Xia Tong gasped, feeling a sharp pain and numbness in her left arm.

The recoil force is too strong.

In terms of sheer defensive toughness, this small shield is indeed a bit inferior to the Iron Wall Shield.

However, in terms of flexibility and destructive power of counterattacks, it definitely surpasses the Iron Wall Shield defense.

Xia Tong shook her arms to relieve the numbness.

Once you've mastered the Iron Wall Shield and it's become a skill you can control, you can use it on the Sinner's Shield for both offense and defense.

"Wait, what's that?"

Xia Tong's gaze passed over the dust of the ruins.

It landed on the wall behind the haystack where the demi-human queen lived.

In the shadows, a scroll hangs.

"This architectural style is similar to that of the Academy of Real Lucagliari."

Melina's cool voice rang out from the side.

Xia Tong quickly stepped forward.

The scroll's shaft is made of rusted brass, and the iconic double-sided pyroxene mask relief of the Academy of Real Lucaria can still be faintly discerned on it.

It's just that it's worn down quite a bit by the passage of time.

The seal was a faded dark blue ribbon, and a broken blue wax stamp could still be seen at the opening.

The design on the seal is the coat of arms of the Caria royal family—a full moon and a sword.

Xia Tong took a deep breath and slowly unrolled the scroll.

His fingers trembled slightly as he ran them over the thick parchment that had undergone special anti-corrosion treatment.

His heart began to race, which was why he searched everywhere, inside and outside the entire demi-human ruins.

That's exactly what I'm looking for!

He was too eager to improve.

He desperately wanted to be a esteemed mage!