Chapter 233: The Witch

Individual differences among Demi-Humans are vast. Most are short and frail like Boc, existing at the bottom of the food chain in The Lands Between, huddling together just to survive. However, there are also giant variants among them.

These variants are either the queens of their tribes or their leaders. They possess significant strength, and their temperaments become increasingly ferocious as a result.

Take the Demi-Human Chief before him, for instance. After a harsh interrogation and without waiting for Chen Nuo to respond, it charged forward fiercely, brandishing a forearm-length dagger as a weapon.

One cannot blame the Demi-Humans for harboring such hostility toward the Tarnished.

Indeed, the Tarnished haven't exactly done much good, especially when it comes to the weaker Demi-Human populations.

Despite its hunched posture, the Demi-Human Chief stood nearly two meters tall. Beneath its sparse hair was pale, sickly skin; its body was gaunt, with joints protruding sharply under the flesh.

In the dark, damp, and cold cave, it looked like a vengeful ghost.

The Demi-Human Chief gripped its dagger and swung it downward with a heavy blow.

While it lacked any sophisticated technique, the strike was full of power and executed with clean, decisive movements aimed straight for vital points.

It was clear at a glance that this combat experience had been forged through countless slaughters.

*Thud!*

Holding the black pot in his left hand, Chen Nuo struck first by moving second, slamming it into the Demi-Human Chief's face.

The opponent's seemingly ferocious speed was, in Chen Nuo's eyes, no faster than a tortoise.

The Demi-Human Chief's originally hunched body instantly straightened at the impact, then fell heavily to the ground like a stiff, dead fish.

The surrounding air fell silent along with it.

The Demi-Humans who had intended to follow their leader's charge looked at each other in shock. They promptly dropped their weapons and hid in the shadows, not even daring to breathe too loudly for fear of attracting this fierce man's attention.

Beside him, Boc watched the scene in a daze, his mind momentarily stuck, unable to process what had happened.

Wait, how was the powerful leader in his memory taken down with just one hit?

After a long while, his brain finally started working again and reached a conclusion.

His King seemed a bit too formidable.

“Do you plan to fight me as well?”

Chen Nuo glanced at another leader-class Demi-Human nearby. The creature looked at the weapon in its hand and immediately dropped it in a panic, as if it had been burned.

Then, this leader very sensibly prostrated itself on the ground, sticking its rear high into the air.

Hmm, judging by the movement, it was likely a female.

Just as a dog shows its belly, Demi-Humans have specific postures to signal submission.

It just looked rather unseemly.

Although Demi-Humans look like monkeys, they aren't actually monkeys. Even if they were, they could still recognize the gap in strength and wouldn't actively seek death for no reason.

Seeking benefit and avoiding harm is a biological instinct, even more so for Demi-Humans.

Chen Nuo didn't intend to kill all these Demi-Humans. After all, they were an intelligent race worthy of bathing in the sunlight—just not yet.

A moment later, Boc clutched his Sewing Needle and tailoring kit. Amidst the humble gestures of the Demi-Humans, he followed Chen Nuo out of the cave.

“No need to see us out. See you next time.”

Chen Nuo waved goodbye to this tribe of Demi-Humans.

What! There's a next time?

Upon hearing those words, the Demi-Human leaders decided to pack up and move tonight.

Who knew if this lord would target their Runes next time? They only had one life; it wasn't something they could gamble with.

The Tarnished's hunger for Runes was well-known throughout The Lands Between. This was why most intelligent life forms, even those who still possessed their sanity, would actively attack upon seeing a Tarnished.

If they didn't strike first, were they supposed to wait for the Tarnished to strike?

It was getting late, so Chen Nuo brought Boc to the Church of Elleh above the coast. He planned to rest there for the night and had even caught a Forest Grouse as the main course for dinner.

The cleaned black pot was placed over the campfire, making a bubbling sound. Wild spices and neatly sliced Forest Grouse tumbled together inside, with the final addition to the pot being Boc’s mushrooms.

Melina could smell the aroma but couldn't eat it. Feeling a bit gloomy, she started poking Chen Nuo with her finger again.

At some point, Little Wood had made a habit of using this gesture to secretly express her emotions.

It was very similar to Morse code.

Depending on the force and frequency, each poke had its own meaning.

Especially when outsiders were present, Little Wood sent her 'telegrams' with particular enthusiasm.

Boc received his bowl and sat in the corner of the church, enjoying it bit by bit with a face full of gratitude.

Just as Chen Nuo was about to start eating, a soft call came from outside the church.

“Tarnished from afar, might you come over for a chat?”

Chen Nuo had long anticipated this moment.

But could the timing not be so precise? It was right in the middle of dinner.

Chen Nuo glanced at his chicken and mushroom stew and stepped out of the church. Boc wanted to put down his bowl and follow, but Chen Nuo told him to stay.

Under the moonlight outside the church, a hazy young girl sat perched on the ruins, quietly watching Chen Nuo.

If one looked closely, they could discern that this girl was no ordinary person of flesh and blood, but a girl's soul attached to an exquisitely constructed puppet.

This was different from Melina's situation.

There was a distinction between a soul and a spirit body.

A soul is one half of a life, while a spirit body is an independent existence.

This was why this girl needed a puppet to inhabit; it was her anchor and vessel in the physical world.

“Why are you sitting so high up?”

Chen Nuo looked up, suspecting she was doing it on purpose just to make him look up at her.

“...That is not important.”

The girl paused, avoiding Chen Nuo's gaze with a hint of guilt in her manner.

“My name is Nuo. Who are you?”

Chen Nuo continued to ask.

“...I am the Witch Renna.”

The girl did not wish to reveal her true identity, especially since the person before her was a Tarnished.

How should one put it?

She currently had a bit of a disagreement with the Two Fingers, or rather, the Golden Dynasty.

“Then may I ask why you have sought me out?”

As Chen Nuo spoke, he secretly observed the girl's puppet body.

Wasn't this craftsmanship a bit too crude? Aside from that exquisitely beautiful face, the rest was quite eyesore-inducing.

At least, it was to Chen Nuo, a master puppeteer.

A slight case of OCD kicked in; he wanted to craft a new body for the girl. At the very least, it should match her soul, right? The misalignment seemed rather severe.

“I heard there was a Tarnished riding a spectral steed. It seems it is you. You can summon the spectral steed named Torrent, can you not?”

Witch Renna asked in an ethereal voice.

“That's right.”

“Very well. I have items to deliver to you, an entrustment from Torrent's former master.”

As Witch Renna spoke, she produced a Spirit Calling Bell and Ashes inhabited by souls.

The former could summon souls that had yet to return to the Erdtree, while the latter housed the souls of three wolves.

“Thank you for bringing these. Would you like to eat something with me?”

Chen Nuo extended a dinner invitation.

“...”

Witch Renna gave Chen Nuo a strange look.

Do I look like someone who can eat?

“Alright, I can see it's probably not convenient for you to eat. If there's a chance in the future, I'll cook for you. I'm the descendant of a chef; my stir-fry is delicious.”

Chen Nuo made a promise to the witch.

“...If there is a chance.”

Witch Renna said with an unreadable tone.

It was the first time she had seen a Tarnished take pride in being a chef.

As her voice faded, the witch gradually dissipated into the moonlight and vanished.

She had used magical power to project her consciousness here.

Chen Nuo felt someone gently poke his neck.

“It was just polite small talk, nothing more.”

“...Hmph.”

Melina didn't believe a word of it.

She felt Chen Nuo was trying to find himself another Finger Reader again.

This Witch Renna looked very competitive; the sense of threat she posed was faintly even greater than Irena's.

“By the way, who was Torrent's former master?”

Chen Nuo turned his head and asked Melina.

“...I do not remember.”

Melina shook her head gently; she had lost many memories.

“Alright, it's not that important anyway.”

Chen Nuo didn't mind much.

What he cared about was the technology of spirit body transformation.

Clearly, the Spirit Calling Bell and Torrent's whistle were made by the same hand.

Materializing a soul was no ordinary feat.

Though it wasn't yet fully mature and couldn't truly turn a soul into something like a Heroic Spirit, it was certainly on the right path.

One only had to look at Melina.

She was likely the best current result of soul spiritualization.

“What are you thinking about?”

Melina saw Chen Nuo seemed a bit distracted and asked, taking the initiative for once.

“I was thinking about how to resurrect you. Eating alone is a bit too lonely.”

Chen Nuo sighed softly.

Melina was stunned. She had never even considered this for herself; she hadn't expected Chen Nuo to be thinking about it for her. Her emotions surged for a moment.

“Are you moved, my Little Wood Finger Reader?”

Chen Nuo said, patting Melina's small head.

Finger Reader is fine, but who is 'Little Wood'?

Melina looked at the hand on her head, feeling as if she could sense the warmth radiating from his palm. Her heart felt a slight heat, and she vanished from Chen Nuo's sight in a panic.

...

...

Varre.

Originally a Hospice Worker of the Golden Dynasty—a doctor who gave euthanasia to those heavily wounded on the battlefield beyond saving—he was now a loyal believer of the Mohgwyn Dynasty.

He would usually stay not far from the Church of Elleh, waiting for returning Tarnished to offer them a bit of 'guidance.'

Although he had forsaken the Two Fingers, Varre stood on the same side as the Tarnished when it came to killing Godrick, the Lord of Stormveil Castle.

Of course, to make the Tarnished accept his guidance, this fellow would occasionally first eliminate the guidance of the Two Fingers—namely, the Finger Readers.

However, no new Tarnished had come by in the last two days, leaving Varre with nothing to do.

For a devout believer, this could hardly be called leisure.

The progress of destroying the Golden Dynasty had been stuck for a long time.

Until now, not a single Tarnished had been able to kill Godrick, which left Varre very disappointed in these so-called descendants of warriors.

But in the current Lands Between, he truly couldn't find a better group to exploit than the Tarnished.

“Oh, is that the Tarnished riding the spectral steed?”

Varre heard the sound of a galloping horse, looked up, and saw a figure.

This was a Tarnished who had recently become quite famous.

With so many soldiers and mercenaries dead at his hands, his reputation had naturally spread.

It was just that the waves stirred up on the Weeping Peninsula had not yet reached Limgrave.

“Tarnished ahead!”

Varre called out, catching the man's attention.

Just as Varre was preparing his words in his mind, he suddenly noticed that the spectral steed showed no intention of slowing down, and his heart tightened.

“Wait, I mean no harm.”

Varre shouted hastily.

It had no effect. Seeing the spectral steed charging toward him faster and faster, and sensing that undisguised malice, Varre immediately pulled out his weapon.

However, Varre's defensive move was like a mantis trying to stop a carriage.

Anyone who could walk through The Lands Between naturally had some skill.

But in front of Chen Nuo, just a bit of skill wasn't enough.

Varre was sent flying over ten meters by Torrent's collision.

Torrent was a warhorse, a horned variant. Don't let its usual non-aggressive role as a mount fool you; if it really came down to a fight, its bite was also very fierce.

Combined with the bonus from Chen Nuo's riding skill, ramming a Varre to death was no difficult task.

“You... why would you...”

The mask on Varre's face was shattered, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes that refused to close even in death as he looked at Chen Nuo atop Torrent.

What grudge do we have?

“You mocked me before for not having a maiden.”

Chen Nuo looked down at Varre and gave his answer.

He had also encountered this guy when he first arrived on the coast and was subjected to a long bout of verbal abuse.

At that time, Chen Nuo didn't have his current power, so he naturally had to endure it. Now that they had crossed paths again, he had to settle the score.

“...Just for that?”

Varre spat out blood, trying to crawl up from the ground, but after struggling for a long while, he still didn't succeed.

Torrent's strike just now had shattered his spine.

Countless Tarnished had been mocked by Varre, but this was the first time one had come specifically for revenge.

“I'm a petty person.”

Chen Nuo nodded and spoke the truth.

“Hehe... perhaps your maiden was killed by me...”

Varre couldn't finish his sentence. Chen Nuo had already cast flames at him, turning him to ashes in an instant without him even being able to let out a cry.

The current Sunfire was much more violent than it had been at the beginning.

In high spirits, Chen Nuo pulled the reins, and Torrent turned to continue along their original path.

In the southern part of Limgrave, there was a Fringefolk Hero's Grave, which was Chen Nuo's destination for this trip.

Under normal circumstances, one couldn't enter; a key was required.

Because there was a seal blocking the way to prevent anyone from intruding and disturbing the slumbering heroes.

But Chen Nuo didn't care about any of that; he simply burned down the magic-sealed fog door with a single blast of fire.

Sunfire could incinerate bodies and purify spirits; now, it could even break magic.

“Entering the dungeon, Little Wood. I need your blessing.”

Chen Nuo said to the air behind him.

After a short wait, a touch of coolness was pressed against his cheek.

Serving a Tarnished was what a Finger Reader was supposed to do anyway.

Thinking this, Melina's mood calmed down just a little bit.