Elden Ring, my witch is a talkative beautiful girl

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place fell silent, and the soldiers outside were whispering to each other.

On the judges' panel, Snow Witch Reina curled her lips, feeling somewhat unhappy. "The heir of Pyroxene Magic? He clearly hasn't pledged allegiance to me, yet accepting the title of Knight of Kalia is a truly audacious act of crossing the line."

Volume 1: The Beginning of the Journey: Chapter 34: Ancestors, Please Witness! (Part 1)

Melina's proud words echoed throughout the venue, and the audience outside were talking about it.

"Are they the nameless faded ones who quelled the rebellion in Morn City?"

"He is the terrifying being who killed the lion hybrid and was recognized by the legendary sword!"

"But why did I hear that guy has six arms and is ten feet tall like Superman?"

"You idiot, that's a model specimen from the limb reattachment operating room!"

Oleg, the emcee, quickly recovered from his surprise. "I didn't expect the Vanguard Battle to be so evenly matched. The duel was intense from the start! Let's hear what the judges have to say."

There will be no specific scoring for the registration number section, and its main purpose is to leave a deep first impression on the judges.

The light fell on Nepheli. The first round of commentary began in the number one position. She slammed the table and leaped up. "The honor of our ancestors' bloodline is certainly important, but it's only inherited, not something we earn ourselves. This round, of course, the Faded will win. Isn't that obvious?"

"Okay, thanks..."

"I haven't finished speaking yet!" The female warrior snatched back the words.

"My right hand is burning!" Thunder struck, and Nepheli's body actually blazed with a fierce fire. "He is calling out to me, asking me to join the duel between warriors and win the glorious duel! Storm! Grant me strength!"

"Please calm down! Judges are not allowed to leave the competition." Oleg gestured, "First aid team, quickly bring ice water to put out the fire."

The Lost Home Knight is calm and composed, and ever since the siege of Marennia, there have been very few situations that could cause his expressionless face to change.

"No need to trouble the staff." Reina, who was in the second position, snapped her fingers gracefully. A dark cloud gathered above Nepheli's head, icy rain hit her, and autumn frost covered the ground, instantly extinguishing the fire in her body and her passionate fighting spirit.

When magic practice reaches the level of the Snow Witch Lena, many small spells can be cast with just a thought. Applying them in daily life is not only convenient and practical, but also a little pretentious.

"Thank you for your help. Miss Reina's magic is truly amazing. I wonder what you think of the current performance of the two contestants?" Oleg thanked her and naturally brought the topic back to the competition.

"I don't have anything to say for now." Reina clasped her hands together, assuming a viewing posture. "With hands, the more the better isn't always the case. Victory depends on quantity. That's my personal opinion on the direction of this tournament. How about we get to the point?"

As for the third judge who spoke last—

Gotok wiped the sweat from his forehead and shouted into the microphone in front of him, "Lord Greg is invincible! Your struggle is in vain!"

His remarks were also expected. He had no intention of concealing the direction of the public opinion. His style of doing things was so straightforward that it could be considered a personal characteristic.

As the last judge finished his speech, the lights returned to the two contestants. Oleg announced, "Alright, now let's move on to the official limb-replacement competition! Which limb will be the most artistically and beautifully reattached, and will win the judges' favor? Let's wait and see!"

There was a burst of warm applause from the audience. In order to make the boss happy and to get a more generous year-end bonus, the soldiers in the city worked hard.

Ah Tui rolled his eyes, speechless. "In the end, they still didn't specify how the competition was going to work... The rules and process were so vague, it was purely improvisation."

God knows what kind of limb replacement can be artistic and beautiful. He never intended to transplant other people's limbs onto himself!

"Don't lose heart, partner." Melina was brimming with confidence; it was almost as if the word "heart" didn't even exist in her vocabulary. "Our combined intelligence is several times greater than his. We can definitely pull off a dramatic comeback! Isn't it just a duel of limb-reattachment techniques? I, the most beautiful girl in the Borderland, am not just for show!"

"Does this game really have anything to do with intelligence..."

Complaints aside, the right to attack first was still given to Greg, and we'll have to wait and see what happens next.

"I say, you two, it seems like you've been looking down on the practice of limb reattachment since just now..." Greg stared at his opponent with a fierce look in his eyes. "Let me show you, you ignorant souls! The heroic spirits that have merged with me, the subordinates who died on the battlefield, their wills are with me!"

Dozens of arms rose to the sky in unison, like a reinforced platoon of soldiers training with perfect coordination. The will of the deceased was placed on Greg through the act of limb grafting.

"Those soldiers' souls... this?!" Nepheli's movements were too dramatic, and she fell to the ground with the chair, leaving a dent in the ground with the back of her head. "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Didn't they say that Greg used innocent faded people as material for his limb grafting? What's going on here?"

"Don't you understand? That's just a rumor and a hoax spread by the soldiers of Stonewell City." Reina explained to the female warrior with an intelligence of 9. "After his crushing defeat at the hands of Marennia, he collected the limbs of the soldiers on the battlefield and attached them to his own body, using this method to leave a lasting memory."

On the court, Greg kept making various powerful bodybuilder poses to show his strong muscles to the audience. His external limbs could be bent into incredible angles, making him perform strange movements that ordinary people could not do.

From time to time, you can hear strange and weird voices like "No welfare, only Billy", "Pachouli go", "Pochi from last year to now", "This world is too messy", etc.

"Miss Reina is right," said Oleg, the host, remaining calm. "To protect Stonewell City, the city lord ordered us to spread these rumors. This will further select warriors truly capable of obtaining the Great Rune and restoring the Golden Law. Those who have received preliminary approval and passed the screening will be qualified to challenge Lord Greg in this duel."

All the tombstones erected in this square are for soldiers who died in that battle. By holding the duel here, Greck has the protection of the field and holds an absolute home-field advantage.

"Hehehe..." Gotok laughed obscenely, "Do you understand now? No one can defeat Lord Greg in this duel."

Volume 1: The Beginning of the Journey: Chapter 35: Ancestors, Please Witness! (Part 2)

Ah Tui folded his left arm and propped his chin up with his right fist. "So this guy is surprisingly a good person? It's just that his approach is a bit extreme... Without even a single piece of material for a limb transplant, aren't we doomed?"

"No, no, no, absolutely wrong, partner." Melina raised her slender jade-white fingers and shook them several times. "No one says that limb grafting requires cutting off a part of your own body and then attaching a dead person's limb. If we follow their plan completely, we won't stand a chance of winning. We must achieve victory by surprise and create a graft that is uniquely ours."

Ah Tui was puzzled and asked, "Even if that's the case, where can we find other materials to complete our own limb replacement?"

"Look here, don't blink." Melina smiled slyly and took out a dark magic curtain from her dimensional bag. "Look at it—my—powerful!"

Under the curtain, the magic is sublimated. Under the magic curtain, first a few storm eagles flapped their wings and flew, and then A-Tai appeared with a brand new look.

The jellyfish shield on the Faded One's left hand was shining brightly, and every time a ripple appeared on the shield, it switched between red and blue. The armor he wore was covered with silver-white wolf hair, and the helmet on his head was replaced with a wolf head, with only A-Faded's eyes showing from his mouth.

This shape seems to be a forced fusion of a cute jellyfish and a mighty wolf. With A-Tu as the core, a strange combination is created that has characteristics of both, but seems to have nothing to do with either. Only a shrine maiden with a wild imagination can create such a work.

Melina put her hands on her hips and proudly introduced, "This is how this beautiful girl uses the special properties of the ashes and souls to create a unique limb graft. If I had more material, I could add a golden chariot to the lower body, which would be even more perfect."

"Amei..." Ah Tui spat out a few wolf hairs that got into his mouth, "Can I ask what my current look is like?" He felt like a performance artist who roamed the streets.

"A jellyfish-half-werewolf," Melina replied instantly. "The combination of strength and beauty is definitely a new milestone in limb grafting. We're definitely winning this time!"

He didn't know whether he could beat A-Tai, but he knew that after today's duel, there would definitely be some strange rumors about his reputation.

"Pfft." In the judges' booth, Reina was laughing so hard that she almost burst out laughing. "What's with that ridiculous, nonsensical look? Is he imitating Blaze?"

"I never thought the Faded Ones and the Miko could come up with such a refreshing limb-replacement work through clever ideas in such a short period of time." Oleg continued working seriously. "Let's see what the three judges choose..."

Nepheli: "The Faded One and the Witch."

Reina: "The Fader and the Miko."

Gortok: "Lord Gortok."

The score was 2 to 1, and two judges gave support to "Jellyfish Half Werewolf", causing an uproar among the audience.

"How, how is that possible?" Even before the emcee could finish his words, Gotok, sitting in judges' seat number three, couldn't sit still. "Are your eyes just for show? You can't even tell who the best piece of limb-replacement art is!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Reina, who was in the second seat, raised her hand and cast a spell. Instantly, a chill condensed, penetrating deep into the bones, freezing all of Gotok except for his head. "I've said it from the beginning. Quality, not quantity, is what matters. Cracked-and-pasted works won't improve my score. To win, you need to produce something more impressive. Unlike some scumbag sitting here just to make up the numbers, as a judge, I have very strict standards."

"Kala kala kala..." The tragic Gotok spoke rudely and angered the Snow Witch. He was frozen like a quail in the middle of summer and could not make any sound except the chattering of his teeth.

"What do you think, Miss Neferi?" Oleg asked Judge Number One. "Didn't you previously speak highly of Lord Greg's limb-replacement work?"

Whether the evaluation is high or not is another matter, but the flames are indeed very high.

"Greck's work is indeed bold, but..." Neferi's eyes sparkled as she stared at A'tai, who had merged with the jellyfish and the wolf. She propped herself up on the table with both hands and abruptly stood up. "Look at them! What a bold and creative combination! It's like a remake of Beauty and the Beast! If the theme of this duel wasn't art, but something like war or sacrifice, I would definitely support Greck. But now, I have no choice but to follow my inner guidance and switch my support to the other side."

Unexpectedly, the female warrior with an IQ of only 9 but a brain full of muscles could still give some well-reasoned comments. When judge No. 1 and judge No. 2 both gave their answers, the winner seemed to be obvious.

After hearing this, Ah Tui's heart was filled with tears: "Well... at least my efforts were worth it. This little sacrifice is nothing."

"Did you hear that, partner?" Melina cheered, hugging the immobilized A-Tai. "We won this limb-replacement duel. After so much hardship, we're finally going to get our first Great Rune!"

Some were celebrating, while others were sad. While some were preparing to open champagne to celebrate their victory, Greg's face was filled with sorrow. Dozens of arms drooped limply, and he collapsed to his knees, unable to bear the blow of defeat. "I lost? I actually lost? To that childish, unartistic toy! Ever since my battle with that woman, am I going to be embarrassed and defeated again? Outrageous! Outrageous!"

"Lord Greg, although it is a pity..." Oleg consoled him and prepared to read out the final result.

Suddenly, a shocking change occurred!

Greg leaned on his axe and climbed to his feet, muttering, "It's not over yet, not yet! I am the Golden King, a descendant of the King of Elden. How can I swallow the bitter fruit of failure again!"

"How dare you, a bunch of you, repeatedly mock the cause I've dedicated my life to? Truly, truly... Aaaaaaaa!" With a scream of agony, Greg swung the Golden King Axe and did something unexpected: he chopped off his own arm with one blow. It wasn't a grafted limb from another, but his own right hand.

Blood vessels burst, and amidst the astonishment of the crowd, the former Golden King thrust his severed arm into the dragon's corpse. The lifeless dragon's head, centuries after its death, once again opened its scarlet eyes: "Fellow descendant, dragon! Lend me your mighty strength, and together we shall win this duel of limb-reattachment arts!"

"My ancestors! Please bear witness!"

(Happy Dragon Boat Festival to everyone!)

Volume 1: The Journey Begins: Chapter 36: Greg's Great Rune

"My ancestors! Please bear witness!"

Before the eyes of the crowd, Greg chopped off his own right hand and, using the simplest and most brutal method, reattached it to the dragon's head. The vitality of his golden bloodline and the immense power of the demigod awakened the long-dead dragons. Man and dragon, both descendants of the king, became one, their crimson breath staining the sky red.

"It's...it's truly astonishing!" Oleg's deadpan expression finally changed. "I never thought I, serving the Storm King, would have the chance to witness this in my lifetime. The Art of Reattachment has entered its second, much-anticipated overtime round! Can the Faded Ones create something new, and survive the combined might of Lord Greg and the dragon? This unfolding is like a sudden storm, thrilling and trembling!"

With a "bang", the soul jellyfish and the ashes of the stray wolf on A'tai's body turned back to their original form and shrank back into the urn. They felt innate discomfort due to the terrible pressure from the dragon clan at close range, and they were now completely unable to help.

"Overtime?" Ah Tui shook off the remaining hair on his back. "Aren't these rules a bit too casual?"

Melina simply shouted to the judges, "Referee, I protest! We're clearly winning, how can you arbitrarily add an overtime game?"

Upon hearing this, Nepheli jumped down from the judges' seat and said, "What you said makes sense. Let me join this battle and give you a hand..." She hit her head against the ice wall, her face came into close contact with the mirror, and she lost consciousness.

"Protests are useless." Reina's lips curled up charmingly. She divided her attention, creating an ice wall to separate the inside and outside of the arena while pointing at the miko with one hand. "We never said the match was decided in one round. Instead of protesting with us, you should think about how to defeat that dragon."

"Kala, kala, kala..." Gotok, playing in position three, said the above. Everyone knew what he was going to say, so there was no need to translate it.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Melina stamped her feet in anger. "I'm going to report you to the Supervisory Committee in the Royal City of Rodel. This unfair competition must be abolished immediately!"

Not to mention her frantic behavior, while A-Tai, holding up her shield to resist the dragon's breath, was on the verge of collapse. Unlike Lake Yakir, where Torrett could freely run, this plaza used for the limb-reattachment duel was also quite large, but after excluding the soldiers spectating outside and the judges' seats, there was very little room for them to maneuver.

In a confined space, strength, rather than skill, determines the outcome of a duel. In a head-on confrontation, Ah Dai had no room for maneuver, let alone evading the dragon's breath, leaving his own miko vulnerable to the enemy's attack. He could only hold up his shield with his left hand while frantically drinking Red Drops with his right to recover from his injuries. However, the bottle of Red Drops wasn't infinite after all, and it was almost empty.

Feeling the scorching heat coming from the other side of the shield, Ah Tui silently counted the seconds and prepared to give it a try: "Amei, I can only hold on for 15 seconds at most. Find a place to hide."

"Hide? No need! Want to make a big move, huh? Fine, we'll stick with you to the end!" Melina was truly furious this time. She reached into her dimensional bag and rummaged around for a while before finally pulling out a pale dragon head twice her size. "Isn't it just a flying dragon's head? You're talking like everyone has one! Not only do I have one, but it's even bigger than yours!"

This dragon head, originally destined for a high price, unexpectedly played a pivotal role here. A "Yakir," possessing its own name and dominating a region, was no match for nameless flying dragons. Furthermore, after a dragon dies, its power gradually diminishes with age. The more recently deceased a corpse is, the greater its "ancestral power" remains.

The dagger's blade sliced ​​through Melina's index finger, and a drop of golden blood dripped onto the dragon's head. Beneath the girl's hood, beneath her left eyelid, invisible to outsiders, the seal pattern gleamed with golden light. "Akir, in the name of the witch Melina, I command you to lend all your remaining strength to my partner!"

"My ancestors! Please bear witness!"

The next moment, the revived Yakir dragon head wrapped around the armor on A'tai's right hand, and the red flame, which was more than twice as thick as the Grek dragon, hit back from the front, and the situation that was on the verge of collapse was reversed in an instant.

Although both are dragon heads, of course the larger adult dragon has the absolute advantage.

Greg's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Melina had also pulled out a dragon head from her fourth-dimensional pocket. It was even bigger than the one he had in his hand, and she didn't have to cut off her own hand to use it. The caliber and power were doubled, completely surpassing his dragon head in every way!

Dragon flames attacked him, and the scorching flames destroyed the dragon head extension on Greg's left arm. The demigod king's tough body was also severely damaged by the baptism of dragon breath, and the whole body turned black.

Severely wounded, both physically and mentally, Greg collapsed to his knees, this time completely devoid of the strength to fight again. "I... have failed again. Once again, I have failed to protect anything... I am unworthy of the honor of my ancestors, and even more unworthy of the name 'Golden King.'"

"Failure doesn't mean you've lost your honor. If you give up on yourself because of failure, you'll truly be unworthy of those who trusted you." Grek spoke wearily. Melina supported the nearly exhausted A'tai, acting as a makeshift crutch. "Look around, Grek. Everyone witnessed our spectacular battle."

These were A'tai's sincere words. In this unconventional battle for Great Rune, he saw the heavy burden Greg carried. Those who dared to face death were fearless warriors, but those who could embrace this shame and rise again needed even greater courage.

"That's right, it's outrageous that he's already grown up and still feels so depressed because of a small failure." Melina scolded him like an elder scolding a younger person, then changed the subject, "My husband is going to be the king in the future. There's nothing false in what he said. It's never shameful to admit defeat openly."

As if responding to the two men's encouragement, outside the melting ice wall, the soldiers who witnessed the shocking battle raised their hands and shouted.

"Lord Greg, it was you who protected this land from Mikaela's Blade!"

"Didn't you say you wanted to restore the glory of the Golden Bloodline?"

"That's right! Please don't be discouraged. If you give up here, everything will be over!"

"Greck! Greck! Greck!"

The soldiers' applause, cheers and encouragement merged into an ocean. They sincerely hoped that the monarch they were loyal to could regain his spirits.

"Stand up like a true king, Greg!" Neferi put her foot on the table. "Don't let down those who believed in you, and the heroic spirits who entrusted their last wishes to you. Guard over there, am I right?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes..." Gotok, frozen in the ice, made a trembling sound.

Listening to the encouragement from his fellow soldiers and opponents, Greg's eyes welled up in tears. "Everyone...are you still willing to believe in a useless me?"

"Lord Greg." The Lost Knight Oleg put down the microphone, knelt on one knee, and performed the knight's salute. "We have never lost our trust in you. It has always been the same, and it will always be the same. We are with you."

Greg sighed, "How foolish! It turns out that what I longed for has always been right beside me."

After today's confrontation, Greg finally realized something. They weren't blindly following him because of his golden bloodline or his status as a Halfling King. All of Stonewell's soldiers served under him out of their own free will.

"I, the 'Golden King' Greg, swear hereby that one day, I will lead you back to your homeland beneath the golden tree!"

Greg's aged frame glowed with fighting spirit once again. A circular outer ring formed on his outstretched palm, with six intersecting arcs forming a large rune at its center. This was the fragment located at the center of the Elden Ring, hence the name "Center of Gravity Ring." "My words are unchangeable. This is the reward you deserve." The demigod king's eyes flickered over Melina's severed and then-healed index finger. "Head towards the golden tree. Give my regards to that person..."

(PS: I saw many soul friends who went to Night's Landing complaining about the new boss mechanism.)

Volume 1: The Beginning of the Journey: Chapter 37: What's Left Behind

The tortuous duel of limb-replacing art finally ended in a happy ending. Before leaving Stonewell City, Atai and Greg confirmed whether he had sent limb-replacing nobles to assassinate the faded ones who left the King's Chapel, but the latter denied it.

There was only one limb-grafting noble in the city, the one they had seen earlier. It combined the wills of many to create its own soul, and then stayed in Stonewell City to become a vegetable cutter in the kitchen. With over a dozen arms, its cutting efficiency rivaled that of a Gatling gun, but the kitchen environment was in urgent need of improvement.

The most important point is that it has never left Stonewell.

This raises a new problem.