Elden Ring, my witch is a talkative beautiful girl

However, Melina was very thick-skinned. Even when exposed in front of her, she just smiled and scratched her cheek: "Oh, the teacher saw through me. My partner went to get the meteorite staff recorded on the treasure map you gave me."

"Meteorite wand? Oh, you have arrived in Galid, right?" When this term was mentioned, Seren recalled that she seemed to have been given such a treasure map. When she was young, she was sent to study in Selia Town for a few years. It was at that time that she sneaked into the forbidden library to copy the things. Moreover, she arrogantly broke all the warning spells, resulting in her being sent back to the school before she had time to look for the treasure.

Now I think that I was too young and frivolous. It was not good to make a few white-bearded old professors so angry in public that they were fuming. I should have done it thoroughly and made them completely mad to death. That way I wouldn't have to clean up the mess afterwards. As a result, she was put in solitary confinement for several months.

"Yes, we are in the Crimson Swamp of Galid now," Melina replied excitedly, "We are preparing to participate in the battle festival organized by the Red Lion Legion's acting leader, Jellian. Once we defeat the Great Rune and take first place, our partner's reputation will be further enhanced.

"Jie Lian?" The name that reached her ears made Se Lian pause in her cracking of walnuts. She turned her head away and smacked her lips. "Tsk, that old bastard is still alive. Just hearing his name really makes me angry."

"Teacher, did you say anything just now?" Melina asked curiously.

"Nothing, just an old man's soliloquy." Se Lian changed the subject without leaving any trace. "Speaking of the gravity staff, the weapon itself is made of the debris of fallen stars from outer space, which has a considerable effect on gravity magic. I'll give you a few practical gravity magic scrolls. You can copy them and give them to A-ti. They will definitely come in handy later."

Se Lian did not intend to tell the two students about the past grudge between her and Jie Lian.

A good teacher will not monopolize students' research results, will not ask students to write papers for him, and will not let some old bad debts bother his most talented students.

So, twenty minutes later, after exploring the treasure, A'ti, who walked out of the ruins empty-handed, saw the witch riding on Torret's back and writing furiously.

He looked up at the sky. The moon wasn't smiling. The first thought that popped into his mind was, "What's going on? Ah Mei is actually quietly and seriously reading her notes. Is it going to rain heavily tomorrow?"

"Hey, partner!" Upon seeing her partner return, Melina immediately put down the pen she was holding in her mouth and urged Torret to go over. "How was your harvest? Did you find the treasure chest?"

Ah Tu shook his head: "I did find it, but the treasure chest in the ruins has been opened and there is nothing inside."

"What?" Melina uttered in shock, clutching her cheeks as she shrieked, "Someone got there first? That damned little thief made us make an extra trip for nothing!"

"About this..." Ah Tui calmly pulled out his trophy—a pitch-black staff shaped like a stick. He tossed it into the fireplace, using it as a firewood stick without a trace of incongruity. "I wandered around the ruins a few times, and then someone found this on a corpse. That fellow probably underestimated the harsh conditions of the Crimson Swamp. Not long after receiving the staff, he contracted a corruption disease and died."

Well, it turned out to be a false alarm, and I got the things safely.

The meteorite staff was too unremarkable in appearance. If he had not followed the principle of recycling and plundering the entire venue, he would have probably missed it.

This staff has a top-level corrective effect on people with high intelligence when casting spells. After obtaining the equipment, A'tai tried to cast a few spells, and the power was indeed greatly improved, which was far better than the pyroxene staff.

Melina gave her partner a long look and said, "...Can you finish your words at once next time?"

"I was going to say that, but you interrupted me."

"But my friend, isn't it a bad idea to make money from the dead?" Melina had another strange idea.

This time it was Ah Tui's turn to be speechless: "...Amei, is it possible that we have been making money from the dead all this time?"

Including cases of self-defense, the two men killed bears, chopped down people, destroyed aquatic products, dismantled cars, scattered ashes, and cut down trees. The Rune in their pockets and the Rune that A-Tu used to strengthen his physical fitness all came from this.

"Hmm...that's true," Melina consoled herself. "Don't worry, Meteorite Staff. My partner will carry on your master's unfinished wish and make you famous in the borderland."

"The staff probably doesn't understand what you're saying..."

(PS: How many people took Torret and went straight to the mine trap just for the meteorite staff.)

Volume 2: The Circulation of Erling Erer Shanling Bachu Xingchen: Chapter 44: The Sage's Request (3.5k)

After obtaining the meteorite staff, the two of them rode non-stop, going upstream along the edge of the Scarlet Swamp, and landed near the town of Selia and returned to the land.

As soon as they left the swamp, Melina dismounted and stretched: "Ah - I'm so tired."

After getting used to breathing the extremely poor quality air in the heavy smog area, returning to the light smog area has become a pleasure. At least I don't have to consume a moss ball for treating corruption every once in a while. Those were all bought by Hua Rune.

Ah Tui glanced at the sky, fed Torret, the real hero, several dried fruits, helped the spirit horse recover to full health, and sent it back to the spirit world contentedly. "The nearest blessing point is nearby. Let's scout the situation in Selia Town and then find a place to rest."

The town of Selia is located on the only way to the Northern Beast Temple. The two people planned to pass through here on their return journey, so it was necessary to conduct some reconnaissance work in advance.

"Oh, it would be great if there was a place for us to rest in the town. The red sky makes me want to vomit, and I don't want to sleep outdoors." Melina muttered a few words and followed A'tai in front.

Judging from the "simple folk customs" of the Gaileyd residents along the way, she also knew that the chance of finding a place to stay was quite slim, but one should always have some expectations in life, otherwise what's the difference between her and a salted fish?

But the talkative girl unfortunately forgot to ask about the local conditions when she was chatting with the teacher, and soon paid the price for her negligence.

A quarter of an hour later, A'tai and Melina, who were warmly welcomed by the local residents, ran away madly. Behind them, blue-green phantoms appeared and disappeared, all of them were masked pyroxene wizards.

"What the hell is this! I just want to find a place to rest, is it that difficult?!"

"Amei, run! My concentration is running out!"

The two panicked men ran out of the back door of the town, with bursts of blue pyroxene rain falling on the ground behind them. If they ran slower, they would be nailed to the ground.

Although they had prepared for the worst, they never expected that the townspeople of Selia were not only simple and honest, but also extremely hospitable. Most importantly, the people in this town were all invisible ghosts.

Everyone is permanently fixed in an invisible state. It's such a horrifying scene that you've never seen or even heard of it!

Are you shooting a Hollywood horror blockbuster here?

Faced with this rare haunted town, the two could only flee and make plans later.

As A Tui exhausted his concentration and manipulated gravity magic to temporarily build a rock wall to block the back door of the town, the ghost hunt finally came to a temporary end.

"Scared...scared to death." After running a few hundred meters and making sure the pursuers hadn't broken through the wall and continued their pursuit, Melina held her knees with both hands, breathless from exhaustion. "I heard this place was sealed and abandoned due to the research of forbidden magic. I didn't expect it to be so big that it could be used as material for a horror comic. Even the Onion Knight has never seen such a scene."

"During class, I heard Teacher Serlian mention that the taboos the town was researching were related to the stars. It seemed to be a magic that could summon real stars." Serlian didn't know much about the taboos, and A'di didn't know whether the name of the magic was the Great Meteorite Spell or the Black Magic Crystal Summoning Spell. Anyway, the results were pretty much the same, they were all research projects of antisocial lunatics.

As for what exactly the ghosts wandering around the town are and why they have become this kind of neither human nor ghost, only the affected parties know.

"Wang! Wang Wang!"

A burst of rapid and ferocious dog barking interrupted their conversation.

On the loess hillside a few dozen meters away, a dinosaur dog with its neck tied to the door of a dilapidated house stared at the two of them fiercely and barked wildly, as if it would break free from the chain and pounce on them in the next second.

First she was being hunted, and now she was being provoked and looked down upon by a dog. Melina's rage flared up all over. "When it rains it pours, and when it pours, it pours!" She lit the beast-repelling torch that had gone out during her escape. "Come on, you stinking dog, keep barking! Believe it or not, I'll beat you to death... I mean, I'll have my husband beat you to death!"

A lady has to maintain her image. She can scold the dog, but she shouldn't do it herself.

Smelling the special wild beast-repelling spices in the burning torch, the dinosaur dog subconsciously took two steps back, but still refused to give in and continued barking.

Their behavior is slightly different from that of wild stray dogs.

"Forget it, forget it. Don't bother with a dog. Be careful that it may become desperate." Ah Tui grabbed the witch's hood to prevent her from doing anything extreme in anger. It would be too tiring to burn a dog to death with a torch.

"Crunch - crunch -"

The unique sound of a wooden chair shaking came from the dilapidated house. The dinosaur dog immediately stopped barking, pricked up its ears, and sat up straight, as if it had heard a special signal that only it could understand.

"You two, please forgive me for not disciplining my dog, ahem." An old voice, accompanied by a short cough, said, "My name is Sage Gwei. Our meeting is fate. May I invite you into my house for a chat?"

The old man spoke kindly and showed no signs of madness. At least judging from his words and actions, he was one of the few normal people that Atai and Melina had met since arriving in Gallid. Since there was no village in front and no shop behind, it would not hurt to meet him. At the very least, they could ask for directions.

Ah Tui pushed open the lightly closed wooden door. An old man in a red robe was lying on a slightly swaying wooden chair. He looked serene. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had any guests in this wooden house. I don’t have any tea for you. Please forgive me for the poor hospitality.”

"Hello, old man. We are..."

"Fader and Miko, although my eyesight may be dim due to old age, I still have some vision."

Ge Wei waved his hand, skipping the introductions, and then mentioned the reason for inviting them in: "To be honest, I came to you to ask a favor, and I won't let you suffer any loss in terms of compensation."

"Grandpa, we've only known each other for less than five minutes." Melina pointed at the two of them. "Isn't it a bit hasty to ask us to do something?"

If it was someone who had faded away in the Round Table Hall, such as Topps or Lani, who had traces of them, or was an old customer who had cooperated with them in the past, then it would be fine.

In contrast, Ge Wei, who was met by chance in the wilderness, called himself a "sage" and asked for help directly, exuded a suspicious aura from head to toe.

"You two are warriors who have crossed the Ionian swamps. Only those with such abilities, who are not afraid of corruption in the short term, can possibly fulfill my request. Let me hear whether you agree to my request or not before you give me your answer." Gwei paused for two seconds and spoke slowly, "I want to ask you to help a girl, my granddaughter Millicent. She has contracted corruption and lost her memory. She is bedridden in a church on the mountain over there. I am too old to do anything about it, so I have to seek other solutions."

Melina frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Corruption is incurable. This is common knowledge known to everyone in the border region."

Scarlet Corruption, a well-known incurable disease in the Junction, will cause the victim to suffer endless torment if the source of the disease is not eliminated before it is fully infected. As the disease progresses, the patient will gradually lose their memory, become mentally disturbed, and be corroded from the inside out, ultimately losing themselves and dying.

According to legend, the source of this disease comes from the outer god, the goddess of corruption, who descended upon the borderland thousands of years ago.

Even during the Golden Tree's heyday, the demigods closest to gods were helpless against this disease.

"Young lady, you're right. Corruption is incurable," Gwei said with a smile. "But just because it's incurable doesn't mean we can't temporarily suppress its progression. The world only knows about the unparalleled martial arts of the Valkyrie Marennia, but little do they know that her brother Michaela painstakingly forged a golden needle to seal the crimson corruption within his sister, allowing her to move like a normal person."

"I'd like you to find a needle specifically designed to suppress corruption. It's a fake needle I copied long ago, imitating the skills of a demigod. However, due to a moment of carelessness, it fell into a nearby swamp, causing Millicent to suffer ever since."

Ah Tui's facial muscles twitched. "You mean you want us to lure them into a crimson, corrupted Ionian swamp..."

Melina gestured with her index finger and thumb: "Looking for a needle?"

The two were sure that there was nothing wrong with their ears. This request was like looking for a needle in a haystack, and it might not be successful even in the next life.

Is this old man really just teasing them because he has nothing better to do?

"You two have summarized it very well," Gwei continued with a smile. "As a reward, I will reveal the hidden secrets of Selia Town and provide you with several volumes of prayers related to Scarlet Corruption." Noticing the strange looks from the two, he continued, "These prayers are byproducts of my research on Scarlet Corruption over the years. They are very safe to use, so you don't have to worry."

The reward is not bad, but the task is also very difficult. It is a time-consuming and lucky job.

"Let's discuss it." Melina pulled Atui's arm and pulled him aside.

Ge Wei did not urge them, but lay in the chair and waited quietly for the results of their discussion.

In the corner, the witch lowered her voice and said, "My dear partner, I don't recommend you to take this commission."

"The reason is..." Ah Tui knew that her partner would not speak without a purpose, she must have noticed something unusual.

"There are two reasons." Melina held up two fingers. "First, the task entrusted to me is too unrealistic. It's like fishing for a needle in a swamp. No one knows how long it will take. Second, this old man gives me a very uncomfortable feeling. I intuitively tell me that things are not as simple as he said."

Aside from the two points Melina raised, Gwei had also exposed a number of anomalies. An old man who claimed to be a sage lived in the upper reaches of the Corrupted Swamp and raised a feral and unruly dinosaur dog, and he had remained unharmed for so many years.

Either it is true as he said, that this old man is a man of both civil and military talents, or he hides a crazy heart under his seemingly rational and kind appearance, and tricks people into completing tasks and then kills them in the monster's lair.

Considering all the doubts, we cannot rule out the possibility that both are true.

After the discussion was completed, the two returned to Gwei.

Melina refused, "I'm sorry, but considering our current situation and the difficulty of the task, I'd like you to find someone else."

At the same time, A'tu was very alert. If Gwei and the others refused to speak and suddenly closed the door and released the dogs, and suddenly attacked and killed people, he could also react immediately.

However... nothing happened.

"Really?" Gwei shook his head regretfully. "What a shame. If you two change your minds later, you can come back to this room to find me. The terms of the deal remain the same."

Half a minute later, A'tu and Melina said goodbye and left, leaving Gwei alone in the dilapidated hut.

The elderly sage rocked the recliner beneath him slightly, muttering to himself into the empty air, as if communicating with multiple people simultaneously: "It's alright, my plan is foolproof. Follow the oracle of the God of Corruption, and they will surely return to me and guide her on her journey. The scarlet flowers of corruption will bloom once again upon this land."

Over the long years, he has long been accustomed to waiting. Devout believers endure the tests given by the gods in pain, waiting for the moment of ascension.

(ps: Handsome Mibao is ready to appear!)

Volume 2: The Flowing Stars: Chapter 45: Sisters and Promises (Part 1)

At nightfall, the weather turned slightly cooler, and the scarlet earth of Gayleed was covered with a black veil of silence. The animals and plants that had been frantic and violent all day fell into a deep sleep.

A'tu and Melina sat beside the blessing in the mountain pass, recovering the energy they had consumed throughout the day.

Melina's brows were furrowed, her face wrinkled, and she looked unhappy.

Ah Tu glanced at her and said: "Amei, go and rest early, we still have to continue our journey tomorrow."

The witch hugged her knees with her hands: "You go to sleep first, I can't sleep now."

"Hmm..." Ah Tui stared at her quietly for several seconds, "Did you not eat enough for dinner again, so you can't sleep because you're hungry? Are you planning to wait until I fall asleep and then quietly have some snacks by yourself? Remember not to eat too much, otherwise you'll gain weight easily."

As soon as Ah Tui finished his extremely annoying words, he was hit in the face by a pillow missile from the witch. Melina gnashed her teeth and cursed, "You are just hungry in the middle of the night and eat snacks to gain weight! Believe it or not, I will beat you up!"

"But I heard a strange noise in the middle of the night last time, and when I woke up... Hey, don't do it! Put down the Sword Skeleton Greatsword, and let's talk it out!"

He exposed someone eating snacks in the middle of the night in front of girls and reminded them that eating too much can easily make them fat. It would be unreasonable not to beat him up.

After a long while, Melina let out a sigh, rubbed her cheeks, and sat back down, her expression slightly brighter. "I just have this... this indescribable feeling. I don't know why I feel so upset."

The source of my confusion came from the words spoken by the sage Gwei.

Out of prudence, it was indeed sensible not to accept his commission, but the witch's sixth sense told her that she would regret it in the future.

Emotion and rationality were entangled with each other, and she, who had always been very opinionated, didn't know what to do for a moment.

"If you're really feeling upset, why not go to the church on the hill after daybreak?" Ah Tui fiddled with the blessed light and suggested, "If what Gwei said is true, the girl named Millicent who suffers from the corruption disease should be staying in the church on the hill."

"Huh? Why are you mentioning this?" Melina asked in surprise.

"You care a lot about what Gwei said, don't you?" Ah Tui took off his mask and said with a smile, "We are partners. Your worries are written on your face, how can I not see it?"

Excluding some cases where he is particularly slow, A'tai's emotional intelligence can still return to a high level.

"But..." Melina was still a little hesitant, "This doesn't match our schedule."

Ah Tui shook his head. "I'm just going to take a look and confirm whether what he said is true or not. It won't take long." The battle festival was still a few days away, and he didn't want Melina to have any regrets. "How about asking Gwei to take over the commission again and then make plans after visiting the church? Then, no matter what you decide, I will support you."

The quiet second half of the night passed in a flash. The moment the darkness faded from the scarlet land, the two climbed the cliff on the side of the town of Selia and came to the outside of the church that Gwei mentioned.

A choked whisper came from the church on the cliff. It was the sound of a young girl enduring great pain and trying her best to suppress her pain.

"Woo... Wu..."

Corruption is an incurable disease that relentlessly erodes both body and spirit. The patient's condition deteriorates steadily, sliding ever deeper into an abyss. In this nearly irreversible process, the healthier the body and the stronger the spirit, the greater the suffering they endure, witnessing despair gradually consume their true selves.