Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 268 Plum Blossoms and the Road, Sharing the World

Adhering to the principle of "never fighting a battle without gain" of the Faded Ones, Lu Mingfei took out his hunting knife from his waist, made a couple of gestures on the giant bear's body, and then put its bear paw into his pocket.

Although he had no appetite, it would be excellent to take it back as a gift. If the two old men liked it, or at the very least, he could sell it to a merchant.

After skinning the bear paws, Lu Mingfei looked at the giant bear's mottled, charred fur, soaked in blood, with a regretful expression.

I should have been more careful when I was fighting it; such a big bear pelt is really valuable.

Lu Mingfei wiped the blood off his hunting knife and deftly sheathed his two swords on his back.

He blew the whistle of the spirit horse.

With a long whistle, an invisible ripple spread out, revealing the figure of the spirit horse Toret with two horns on its head.

Lu Mingfei patted its neck, then mounted his horse and prepared to leave.

A cold hand silently landed on his shoulder.

His body stiffened slightly, then relaxed.

The only one who could approach him so silently was the elusive Finger Witch.

"Melina?"

Lu Mingfei didn't turn around, but asked in a low voice.

"I sensed it..."

Melina's ethereal voice rang directly in his ears, both faint and clear:
"There is the scent of a small golden tree nearby, though faint, it is definitely there."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Lu Mingfei's golden eyes:
"A little golden tree? Could it have that kind of... guardian spirit?"

He recalled the eerie tree spirits he had seen in Galid, guarding the little golden tree. They wielded enormous ritual staffs and could use powerful holy prayers; they were not easy to deal with.

Especially the Falling Shock, where the huge tree trunk slammed down from the sky, is truly unforgettable.

"Do not."

Melina answered calmly:
"The small golden trees here are far from the main trunk, and their blessings are meager, insufficient to nurture a powerful incarnation. But..."

She paused, her eyes slightly closed, as if she were carefully sensing something.

"It's very likely that it contains drops of gracious dew. That's the concentrated grace of the Golden Tree, accumulated over time, which can be used to concoct new elixirs. Shall we go?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingfei was immediately invigorated.

Dewdrop!

The two dewdrops he obtained in Galid were "Emerald Crystal Dewdrop" and "Fire-Breaking Dewdrop," one of which temporarily increases the speed of stamina recovery, and the other of which temporarily increases fire attribute attack power.

The Green Crystal Dew is so-so in effect, but it's quite useful when challenging some powerful enemies, especially in the final stage of the Ratahn challenge.

As for the dewdrops that brought fire, they were only slightly better than nothing for Lu Mingfei.
"Go! Of course you want to go!"

He answered without hesitation.

To become the King of Elden, one must thoroughly explore the borderlands and utilize every available resource!

Even a mosquito's leg is meat, let alone a drop of dew from a golden tree.

He would never miss out on something so valuable that could genuinely improve his survival skills.

Melina silently moved her hand away.

"Then follow this intuition. I will guide you in the right direction."

Lu Mingfei gave the reins a gentle tug.

Toret snorted and, with nimble hooves, followed his mistress's directions, gliding lightly along the forest path.

On horseback, Melina gently pressed against Lu Mingfei's back, maintaining a just-right distance.

I know that different dewdrops have different effects.

Lu Mingfei asked:
"But if I collect more dew drops, can I mix them together?"

"No." Melina gently shook her head:
"The elixir jar can hold a limited amount of grace; two different drops of dew are just enough to blend one elixir."

Lu Mingfei nodded and gently squeezed the horse's belly, trying to increase the speed.

On horseback, he could feel an unusually clear presence behind him.

Melina pressed herself gently against his back, like a light ghost clinging to his existence.

This feeling... is really strange.

Lu Mingfei's thoughts drifted somewhat.

He could feel her icy fingertips occasionally brushing lightly against the unarmored side of his waist due to the jolting of Torret, bringing a faint, almost imperceptible sensation.

Speaking of which... does this count as sharing a horse?

A slight ripple stirred in Lu Mingfei's heart.

Melina rarely appears in person, communicating mostly through telepathy.

As time went by, she appeared in front of Lu Mingfei more and more often, but they didn't seem to ride together very often.

Melina is probably the only one who can sit behind him like this.

This didn't feel like fighting Deadpool back-to-back with Chu Zihang in the sewers. It was a more... more peculiar experience.

What exactly is her state? Physical body? Soul? Or something else...?
Does she also have the emotions that a normal person should have?

For example, joy, sadness, and shyness.
This finger witch always seemed to be shrouded in mystery, making it impossible for Lu Mingfei to see through her.

He promised to take her to the base of the golden tree, but so far no clues have been found.

But she never rushed Lu Mingfei, diligently fulfilling her duties as a witch day after day, helping him and even saving him at crucial moments more than once.
Yes, I almost didn't make it through at the Dragon Cathedral, if it weren't for Melina.
It's unclear when, but she seems to have helped him a great deal during his journey, leaving a deep impression.

Lu Mingfei felt a pang of guilt.

He was always busy with various things and didn't seriously try to find a way to the royal city, but she helped him time and time again, guiding him and finding the necessary items.
After dealing with the Hyde Fortress matter, go to the Round Table Hall and the "Faded Mahjong Meeting" to inquire about the way to the Royal City.

Lu Mingfei was just thinking this when he heard Melina suddenly say softly:

"arrive."

Lu Mingfei quickly pulled on the reins.

In the midst of his random thoughts, he had already arrived at his destination.

Lu Mingfei reined in Toret and nimbly leaped off his horse. His feet touched the soft ground, and he instinctively turned back, his gaze falling on Melina, still seated on horseback.

According to the tropes in those chivalric romances... shouldn't we help the lady dismount?

The thought suddenly popped into my head.

Although Melina was the mysterious Finger Witch and did not seem to be an ordinary "lady" who needed to be protected, perhaps wanting to make some small compensation for the guilt he felt earlier, he inexplicably reached out a hand to her on horseback.

His movements were somewhat stiff, even a little clumsy.

An open palm extended upwards is a gesture of invitation and support.

Melina seemed slightly taken aback.

Her eyes were lowered, her gaze falling on Lu Mingfei's hand, which was covered in gauntlets and stained with bear blood, and she remained silent for a moment.

Finally, she gently placed her slender fingers on Lu Mingfei's hand.

Her movements were so light, almost weightless, as if a feather were falling.

Using this slight support, she leaped off the spirit horse as if she were weightless, landing lightly on her feet.

The touch was fleeting; she quickly withdrew her hand, as if nothing had happened, and returned to her calm demeanor.

Lu Mingfei also withdrew his hand somewhat awkwardly, his fingertips still seeming to retain a faint chill.

He cleared his throat, trying to cover up his momentary embarrassment, and turned his attention to what was in front of him.

(End of this chapter)